asked the Minister for the Environment if he proposed to re-draft the building regulations which were introduced in 1981.

No significant redrafting of the draft Building Regulations published in 1981 is proposed.

I am surprised at the Minister's reply. Is he aware of a proposal that was passed at a meeting of the IIRS in March of this year to the effect that the language of the regulations is imprecise and downright unintelligible? In the light of that statement from the institute will he now consider a complete redrafting of the regulations? Also, since the regulations are so imprecise, will his Department embark on an educational programme for builders and the allied trades?

Some minor alterations in the regulations will be proposed. In regard to the terms, the Deputy can take it that the building regulations we propose to bring before the House will be comprehensive and will deal with all the items. If anything arises when they come before the House in regard to amendments and so on I or the Minister will be very sympathetically disposed if it is in the interests of doing a good job.

In order to have a good job done will the Minister of State agree that, if the regulations are to be administered by a system of self-certification and the people who certify that they have complied with the building regulations will in law be liable for anything that goes amiss as a consequence, it is absolutely essential that those regulations can be interpreted clearly by the person who has to certify them and by a subsequent court in the event of a civil action? Will he agree that the view expressed by the IIRS and by many other people is that at the moment in their current form the building regulations are vague and imprecise and open to different kinds of interpretation, which could lead to a disastrously complicated set of legal actions and would be counter-active to the purpose for which the building regulations were drawn up?

If the regulations are to have effect they must be given legal power, and I expect that they will have that power.

I am trying to say, and I think Deputy Allen tried to say, what the institute have said, that in their present form the draft building regulations are vague and imprecise, and that the Minister of State has the power to clarify that ambiguity. He is being asked in this House if he will do so.

Yes. The answer is that the Deputy can be assured of that.

I thank the Minister of State.