Commenting on the forced evacuation of the Priory Hall development, the Irish Green Building Council (IGBC) has called for a complete overhaul of the building control system for compliance with Building Regulations, including education of the construction trades.

IGBC stated: "The evacuation of the Priory Hall apartment complex has highlighted the complete failure of the current building control system for Building regulations. Priory Hall demonstrates the worst outcome of the current system, where the lives and safety of residents are put at risk by the lack of inspections and adequate enforcement during construction of buildings.

"Infringements of building regulations are not just confined to fire safety. Failure to comply with energy efficiency requirements are also a matter of real concern."

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Energy Efficiency Regulations are being updated again this year and are going to widen the gap between many Irish builders' understanding of building regulations and what they are actually required to build. As a result, a large proportion of our new housing stock is going to continue to be built to a late 20th century standard.

GBC said: "Urgent action is needed in two critical areas. Firstly, a proper enforcement regime must be implemented, combined with professional involvement at all construction stages, and secondly all building contractors, trades and construction workers must be thoroughly educated in the new standards. Given the reality of building sites even regular inspections are insufficient to catch non compliance if site operatives do not understand what they are doing."

The updates introduce new concepts, or reinforce existing concepts in construction that are not widely understood in the construction sector. These include airtightness, thermal bridge free construction, improved heating system standards and the need for proper ventilation to maintain a healthy indoor environment for inhabitants. Compliance with the new Regulations requires a fundamental and rigorous understanding of these details from builders. This will require a revolution in how we build buildings and a completely different approach to standards and quality in the Irish construction sector.

(CD)