The official certificate of the Sound Insulation Testing Register (Ireland), SITRI, was officially awarded to Michael Monaghan of BERcerts.ie by Minister of State Paudie Coffey. The event took place as part of the official launch of the sound testing register. Attendees included representatives of the Department of the Environment Community & Local Government, Homebond, the National Standards Authority of Ireland, the Irish Building Control Institute and Engineers Ireland. SITRI is a certification scheme developed by the Association of Noise Consultants (ANC) and the Institute of Acoustics (IOA) in the form of a 'not for profit' professional body modelled on existing certification schemes operated in the UK. Its aims are to:

• Ensure an adequate supply of suitably qualified and experienced sound insulation testers in order to meet the requirements of Technical Guidance Document E Sound;
• Maintain a register of competent testers in order that industry professionals (such as assigned certifiers and building control) can instruct sound insulation tests with confidence; and
• Maintain a database of results from sound insulation tests conducted by its members.

Michael Monaghan of BERcerts.ie was the first person to complete the training and so became the first registered sound test certifier in Ireland. The Minister observed that, when taken together, the revised Part E Regulations and the accompanying Technical Guidance Document E 2014 provide for improved standards of sound insulation between homes, stronger compliance checking arrangements, enhanced guidance on how requirements can be achieved and demonstrated and updated references to current national, EU and international standards and practice. He welcomed and commended SITRI for the commitment and responsibility shown to date in developing the certification scheme, which takes on board the spirit and intent of the Part E requirement and TGD E 2014.