The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) has welcomed the Building Control Bill, published yesterday, as the culmination of a campaign stretching back more than a century to protect the public against rogue architects.
"When the RIAI began its campaign in 1886 to have registration for Irish architects, no one could have imagined that it would be 119 years later before an Irish government finally published legislation to give it effect," said the institute's president, Tony Reddy.
Over the past decade, he recalled, the institute had lobbied intensively on the issue. But it only became a matter of widespread public concern last April following an RTÉ Prime Time investigation into the activities of an unqualified individual posing as an architect.
In response to the public outcry and submissions by the institute, Minister for the Environment Dick Roche gave a personal written undertaking to Mr Reddy to introduce a registration code for architects under the Building Control Bill before the end of 2005.
"The publication of the Bill is the culmination of an inordinately long campaign commenced by the institute and pursued with successive governments in the late 19th century and from the foundation of the Irish State in 1922," Mr Reddy said.
In addition to making provision for registration of the title "architect", the Bill also includes disability access certification, significant amendments to building regulations and the transposition into Irish law of the EU energy directive.
Mr Reddy said the Bill was "a substantial piece of reforming legislation" which would "serve to assure all consumers and building-users that buildings will be completed to proper standards", particularly in relation to fire safety and universal access.
Congratulating the Minister on its publication, he continued: "We will build in the next 10 years most of the building stock for the next 40 years. His legislation will help to ensure that this is done to proper standards which will protect the consumer."
Under the terms of the Bill, the RIAI will be the registration body for architects. Though this would create "a series of new challenges and responsibilities" for the institute, Mr Reddy said both architects and the public would benefit from having registration. Until now, anyone could call himself or herself an architect. However, the registration of architects meant that legal standards and recognised qualifications would "protect the consumer and secure quality and safety in the built environment".
Eighty per cent of complaints received by the RIAI during the past year related to unqualified "architects".
