Dublin man fined €7,500 for representing himself as a Building Surveyor and Architect

Chartered Surveyors welcomes court judgement and says the priority is to safeguard the general public

Friday 2^nd July 2021. The Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland has welcomed a judgement in the Dublin District Court which saw a Dublin man, William ‘Bill’ Doran, convicted of offences under the Building Control Act 2007.

Mr Doran was convicted of representing himself as a Building Surveyor and Architect while not having satisfied the requirements for registration of either profession under the Act. He was fined a total of €7,500. Mr Doran was given twelve months to pay the fines.

This was the SCSI’s first prosecution and conviction as Registration Body for Building Surveyors and Quantity Surveyors under the 2007 Act.

In imposing the sentence, Judge Marie Quirke noted the serious nature of the offences and the possibility of serious consequences for the public. The court viewed the actions of the accused as “very serious and extremely grave”. While not imposing a custodial sentence in this prosecution, the judge indicated that a custodial sentence may be appropriate if the accused were to come before the Court and be convicted of similar offences in the future.

Gwen Wilson, Registrar of the SCSI, welcomed the judgement.

“The SCSI’s primary concern is to ensure the protection of the public. The offences Mr Doran was convicted of are very serious with potentially grave consequences for members of the public.”

“When employing a registered Building Surveyor or Quantity Surveyor, the public expects that they have acquired – through their education, training, and experience – the required level of skill, knowledge, and competence to practice in Ireland. A person’s home is usually their biggest financial asset and you need to have full confidence in the person you engage to work on it.”

“Before engaging a Building Surveyor or Quantity Surveyor, we advise consumers to always check that the person is registered with the SCSI. Otherwise, they risk hiring an individual who does not have the required expertise to complete or certify the project and is not governed by the code of conduct.”

Ends.

Note to Editor

Further information on the use of the title of building surveyor and quantity surveyor can be found here https://scsi.ie/the-register/registration-body/getting-on-the-register/