Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 April 2015
792. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if there is a special certified certificate required for the manufacture of drainage equipment (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14408/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder Regulation (EU) No. 305/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down harmonised conditions for the marketing of construction products and repealing Council Directive 89/106/EEC (known as the Construction Products Regulation or the “CPR”), manufacturers are required to provide robust and reliable information in a consistent way for construction products which are covered by harmonised European standards or European Technical Assessments.
In broad terms, since 1 July 2013, manufacturers are required, when placing a construction product on the market, to make a Declaration of Performance and affix the CE mark to each product being placed on the market. For many construction products, the application of the CE mark will require the involvement of a third party (known as a ‘notified body’) to undertake certain tasks as specified in the harmonised European product standard. These tasks may include activities such as initial type-testing of products, inspection of factory production control and surveillance of factory production control.
My Department understands that the European Standardisation Body (known as CEN) is currently developing a number of harmonised European standards for both gully tops and manhole tops for vehicular and pedestrian areas which, when formally adopted and cited in the Official Journal of the European Union, will bring such products within the scope of the Construction Products Regulation.
As matters currently stand, I.S. EN 124:1994 Gully tops and manhole tops for vehicular and pedestrian areas is the relevant standard applicable to gully tops. This standard is not harmonised and therefore the requirements of the Construction Products Regulation do not apply (i.e. CE marking is not mandatory). To demonstrate compliance with the provisions of I.S. EN 124, a manufacturer would be required to secure third party certification from an appropriate certification body.
In addition, B.S. 5911-6:2004 Concrete pipes and ancillary concrete products — Part 6: Specification for road gullies and gully cover slabs is the standard that is commonly used in Ireland in respect of gully chambers. This standard sets out a number of recommendations in relation to third party certification and on initial type testing and surveillance of the factory production control in order to ensure that compliance with the provisions of the standard is maintained.
Given that neither of these standards are harmonised, it is open to designers , specifiers and builders to set their own performance levels for such products in use and to request such information as they consider necessary to demonstrate that the requested performance levels can be achieved.
