Engineers Ireland has welcomed the government’s publication of the Regulation of Providers of Building Works Bill 2022. The Bill will advance the voluntary registration of builders set up in 2014 by the Construction Industry Federation (CIF), as a statutory obligation under the Construction Industry Registration Ireland (CIRI).

This registered log will ensure a required quality standard for registered construction workers at all levels, providing confidence to customers and independent oversight to ensure that standards of sustainability, cost-effectiveness, and improved build quality are met by “bona-fide” builders. This register will be set up over the next two years, with registration required from 2024.

Engineers Ireland has been a supporter of this bill from an early stage, advocating for its introduction at the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government in October 2017.

The purpose of the bill is to provide a mandatory register of builders, contractors and specialist sub-contractors, who are subject to a limited number of exceptions. A builder will only be permitted to carry out building works for which he or she is registered. This bill passed through the first stage in the Dáil on 12 January 2022 and will now move to committee stage.

Entry on the CIRI register will be open to all builders, whether sole traders, partnerships or registered companies, who can demonstrate that they are competent to carry out works in the category for which they are seeking to register. Companies can register by contacting the CIRI office or visiting its website and completing the online application form.