Conference Chairperson & Opening Remarks

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BCAR 2026: Building Control Updates and What They Mean on Live Projects

• The practical impact of recent Building Control updates for construction teams
• What Assigned Certifiers, Design Certifiers, builders and project managers need to track in 2026
• How changes affect commencement notices, fire safety certificates, disability access certificates and completion submissions
• Where project classification, notices and certification requirements can be misunderstood
• Turning regulatory updates into practical project controls before works begin

Construction Products, Market Surveillance and Evidence of Compliance

Speaker: Mairead Phelan, Head, National Building Control Office

• What construction product rules mean for contractors, designers, certifiers and suppliers in 2026
• Declarations of performance, CE marking, harmonised standards and product traceability
• How market surveillance issues can affect project close-out and completion certification
• What to do when substituted, uncertified or non-compliant products are identified late
• Building stronger product approval, evidence checking and record-control processes before handover

Inspection Readiness: Defects, Documentation and Site Evidence

Speaker: Kevin Doyle, Head of Assigned Certification, Catalyst

• The Living Inspection Plan: Moving Beyond "Tick-Box" Compliance
• Digital Evidence: Structuring Your CDE for Frictionless Sign-Off
• Good record keeping: the evidence trail behind certification
• Building a defensible BCAR issues log - Capturing site evidence that stands up later
• De-Risking via "First-of-Kind" Installations & Benchmarking
• Common defects and recurring compliance gaps on Irish projects
• Completion readiness: evidence packs, outstanding risks, and avoiding CCC delays

Assigned Certifier, Design Certifier and Builder Responsibilities in Practice

• Where each role starts and stops on live construction projects
• What signing certificates means in practical project terms
• Common misunderstandings around reliance on designers, specialists, subcontractors and product suppliers
• Managing appointment scope, professional indemnity issues and gaps in responsibility
• How to deal with incomplete information, late design changes and unclear responsibility lines

What Building Control Officers Are Looking For in 2026

• Common issues being raised during inspections, site visits and completion reviews
• How documentation, certification and site evidence are assessed in practice
• Recurring gaps between what is submitted and what is found on site
• How project teams can reduce follow-up queries, delays and rework
• Practical steps to make building control engagement smoother and more predictable

Certificates of Compliance on Completion, Ancillary Certificates and Phased Handover

Speaker: ORS Building Consultants

• What should form part of a robust completion submission
• Managing ancillary certificates from designers, specialists, subcontractors and suppliers
• Phased completion, partial occupation, shell-and-core works and unfinished areas
• Records transfer, changes in project personnel and handover issues
• Where completion certification often breaks down and how to avoid late-stage problems

Refurbishment, Reuse and Change of Use: Where BCAR Risk Often Starts

• Reuse of vacant buildings and the compliance issues that arise early
• Change of use, partial works and assumptions around exemptions
• Fire safety, access and documentation issues in existing buildings
• Where BCAR, fire safety certificate and disability access certificate obligations may be triggered
• How to identify compliance risks before works progress too far

Fire, Access and Design Coordination on Real Projects

Speaker: Nicola Meadows, Associate Director, Eamon O'Boyle & Associates

• Practical implications of updated fire safety requirements for live projects
• Fire safety, access and guarding issues across Parts B, M and K
• Final exits, access control, assisted escape and operational use conflicts
• Disability Access Certificate implications, design changes and when a revised application may be needed
• Doors, lobbies, balconies, sanitary facilities, circulation routes and recurring site problems

Part L, Technical Compliance and Buildability Issues

Speaker: ORS Building Consultants

• Part L compliance issues that create problems during design, construction and handover
• How product choices, substitutions and installation quality affect compliance evidence
• Coordination between design intent, site delivery and final certification
• Avoiding late-stage gaps in technical records, specifications and supporting documentation
• Practical steps to keep technical compliance visible throughout the project lifecycle