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ARTICLE · 02 SEPTEMBER 2026

BCAR One Year On: Practical Implications For Irish Developers

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Ireland's Building Control Regulations underwent significant expansion in May 2025, creating unexpected compliance challenges for developers and advisers. The certificate of compliance on completion has emerged as a critical bottleneck in transactions, while projects caught mid-stream face complex regime questions that can stall financing and occupation.

IrelandReal Estate and Construction
Paul Tohill
Paul Tohill

The Building Control Regulations (BCAR) – first introduced in Ireland in 2014 – were significantly extended when the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2025 came into force on 1 May 2025.

In simple terms, the amended regulations expanded the scope of when Fire Safety Certificates and Disability Access Certificates are required. More than a year on, there is enough evidence to move past commentary on what the changes said on paper, and look honestly at what they have actually meant for developers, advisers, and active projects caught midstream in the changing process. 

The certificate of compliance on completion: The sharpest edge of the reforms

What caught people off guard was not the headline certificate changes, but the certificate of compliance on completion. The gap between practical completion and full registration on the Building Control Management System (BCMS) has become a recurring problem across transactional practice.

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