asked the Minister for the Environment when the draft building regulations catering for the disabled will be brought before the Dáil.

Before the building regulations can be brought into force it is necessary to enact amending legislation to provide for a more flexible system of control to administer the regulations than that originally envisaged, and also to enable the regulations to be used to promote energy conservation in building and to allow for the implementation of proposed EEC directives with implications for building control regulations. The preparation of the necessary legislation is well advanced and will be introduced as soon as possible with a view to having building regulations in force by 1983.

Can the Minister indicate if the legislation will provide for the certification of architects or, alternatively, for the registration of architects or of other people suitably qualified to administer the regulations?

It will so provide.

Can the Minister confirm my understanding that this legislation will have gone through both Houses either before the end of 1982 or sometime in 1983?

It is hoped to introduce the legislation in October or November next.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Am I right in thinking that there have been draft building regulations before the Department for some time? Can the Minister indicate for how long this has been the position?

An amended version of the draft building regulations was published on 31 March 1981. I do not know for how long they have been in force.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Is it not the position that these draft building regulations were prepared several years ago, have not come into force and are awaiting action on the part of the Minister?

I am unable to give that information offhand.

They were prepared in 1976.

(Cavan-Monaghan) For the purpose of identifying them, those draft regulations involve hundreds of pages. I think they were prepared in 1976 but have not been ruled on.

I will have that matter looked into.

15.