The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) has called on the government to use Budget 2023 as an opportunity to address the ongoing need for quality housing, prioritising Ireland’s response to climate change and streamlining procurement for the benefit of all.
The institute has also called on government to prioritise and adequately fund and resource the recently launched national policy on architecture 'Places for people'.
Kathryn Meghen, RIAI CEO said: “We are acutely aware that Budget 2023 comes in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis which is having a significant impact on all and that it is set against the backdrop of significant challenges across housing, healthcare and climate change.
"Despite these crises and challenges we see a genuine opportunity in Budget 2023 for policymakers to address ongoing issues impacting both economic growth and societal wellbeing.
"Our pre-budget submission gives the government an opportunity to support and promote the delivery of much needed quality housing, drive innovation in climate change action, streamline government procurement for the benefit of all.”
Key recommendations
The RIAI submission contains a number of recommendations for inclusion in Budget 2023:
- Tackling the climate emergency
The institute asks that the government use this budget to create the structures and supports that will enable the delivery of a more sustainable built environment. There are targeted ways in which government can support professionals, the wider construction sector and members of the public to play an active part in climate change action, it argues. Some of these include investing in digital interfaces to support upgrading of homes, public education on carbon impacts from building operations and upskilling state agencies to ensure new innovative building materials and technologies used in other European jurisdictions can be tested and passed for use in Ireland.
- Reducing VAT on Professional Architectural Services to 13.5%
The institute says homeowners should be supported to obtain the services of registered architects to help them design and implement their works.
To promote this the VAT rate of 23% on professional services of architects should be reduced to 13.5%.
The process to assess eligibility to tender for work should be streamlined though the use of ‘Procurement Passports’ to remove unnecessary bureaucracy for greater efficiency. The system would allow architects and other construction professionals to submit information such as turnover, staffing levels and other standard tender information to a central portal and avoid duplication of efforts and the associated administrative burden.
- Providing guidance and compensation to address inflation
Both the public and private construction sectors are operating in the face of unforeseen extraordinary inflation. The institute said the government should provide for reasonable and adequate compensation for consultants, to enable them to continue to provide an appropriate service throughout the design and construction stages of public works projects.
It also says the government should give consideration, in terms of professional fees, to providing flexibility to accommodate inflationary provisions during design stages and also additional time input during the construction stage.
- Resourcing Ireland’s new national policy on architecture, 'Places for People'
The government is asked to put the appropriate resources in place to ensure that all aspects of this important plan can be delivered. If this policy is properly implemented, we will see the immense social value architecture plays in all our lives, how it enriches our distinctive culture and heritage, our sense of place and identity, and can improve our quality of life, our health and wellbeing supporting us all to live sustainably.
For more information, see riai.ie