The primary responsibility for compliance with the requirements of the Building Regulations rests with the designers, builders and owners of buildings, while the enforcement of the Building Regulations and the Construction Products Regulation (CPR) is a matter for local authorities, who are independent in the exercise of their statutory powers. Under the European Union (Construction Products) Regulations 2013, each of the building control authorities (local authorities) have been designated as the principal market surveillance authorities for construction products that fall within the scope of the CPR, within their administrative areas. In addition, the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Act 2020 (Construction Products – Market Surveillance) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 682 of 2020) appointed Dublin City Council as a competent authority for the carrying out of market surveillance functions under the European Union (Construction Products) Regulations 2013 for all related construction products on a nationwide basis. Dublin City Council-National Building Control and Market Surveillance Office, (NBC&MSO) Market Surveillance Unit has been established for this purpose. Building control authorities liaise with NBC&MSO national market surveillance unit to support compliance with the CPR and to determine appropriate action on enforcement matters, as they arise.
My Department has provided some material and observations on documentation received from Donegal County Council, to the National Building Control & Market Surveillance Office, in respect of housing units they intend to acquire for social housing use. While the information provided by Donegal County Council was provided to the National Building Control and Market Surveillance Office, any matters of concern with respect to compliance with the Building Regulations/Construction Products Regulations should be raised with Donegal County Council’s Building Control Section.
