Dublin man convicted for misrepresenting himself as a Building Surveyor and Architect

The Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland says it welcomes 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 of St Mary’s Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, 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.

In relation to the use of the title Building Surveyor, the court convicted Mr Doran on one charge and fined him €1,500.

In relation to the use of the title Architect, Mr Doran was convicted on two charges.

Noting that Mr Doran had previously been convicted of an offence under the Building Control Act for the use of the title Architect, Judge Marie Quirke convicted Mr Doran on both charges and fined him €3,000 for each of the two offences.

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.

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.”