Plans to improve the standard of building in Ireland contained in a long-awaited Bill published today have been given a broad welcome.
Minister for the Environment Dick Roche said Building Control Bill "will be seen in years to come to be one of the most progressive pieces of consumer law to be brought forward in recent decades."
The Bill provides for registration of architects and surveyors and other building professions for the first time.
"The time is long overdue for legislation to protect consumers from unqualified people passing themselves off as qualified building professionals," Mr Roche said.
The Bill also imposes stricter enforcement of codes such as fire and disability access regulations. A consultation process will also begin into the existing Part M of the building code as it relates to disability provisions.
"The introduction of a Disability Access Certificate will ensure that the disability compliance requirements of the Building Code are fully respected," Mr Roche said.
Another key provision is a code requiring higher energy performance from homes and commercial buildings in line with Ireland's emission obligations under the Kyoto Protocol and EU regulations.
"With building activity running at all time record levels in Ireland, it makes sense to strengthen our building control system; and to seek to improve the energy performance of our existing and new building stock", said Mr Roche.
Green Party environment spokesperson Ciaran Cuffe claimed the provisions were insufficient, saying the UK has much higher standards.
"We welcome the requirement for designers of large buildings to consider alternative energy systems for buildings that are more than 1,000 square metres in area, but we feel that this should also be considered for smaller buildings," Mr Cuffe said.
Inspection and enforcement of the proposed regualtions would be the responsibility of local authorities, who use the courts, if neccessary. The Labour Party welcomed the Bill's provisions but warned it would only be effective if the authorities are "given the staff and resources to ensure that its provisions are implemented in full".
Former leader Ruairi Quinn said the Bill should be passed as soon as possible but said the delay in publishing it meant that thousands of homes built during the ongoing construction boom will not have benefited from its provisions.
Mr Quinn, who is also an architect, said the Bill saying would help stamp out "cowboy operators" a view reflected by the Royal Institute of Architects Ireland (RIAI), who said 80 per cent of complaints it received last year related to unqualified practitioners.
RIAI president Tony Reddy: "We will build, in the next ten years, most of the building stock for the next 40 years: this legislation will help to ensure that this is done to proper standards which will protect the consumer."