Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland has the power to legislate on building safety, but progress has been slowed by periods of political instability. The current framework remains the Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012, and Northern Ireland has not yet adopted wide-ranging reforms similar to those introduced in England. Measures such as the new Building Safety Regulator or the requirement to appoint an Accountable Person do not apply in Northern Ireland. 

Changes to the Law

Some parts of the UK Building Safety Act do extend to Northern Ireland, particularly around construction products: 

• The Construction Products Regulator will operate in Northern Ireland, creating UK-wide consistency in product oversight
• Architects must meet new competence requirements introduced under the Act
• A New Homes Ombudsman scheme will apply for resolving disputes between new home buyers and developers

Northern Ireland has also reached an agreement with the UK Government allowing buildings over 11 metres with unsafe cladding to access funding through England’s Cladding Safety Scheme. 

In January 2022, the Department of Finance consulted on updates to building control regulations, primarily focused on improving energy performance. However, broader reforms to building safety have been slower to progress. 

Future changes will depend heavily on the functioning of the Northern Ireland Executive. Without ministers in place, civil servants have very limited authority to introduce new legislation. Nevertheless, the construction industry should prepare for the possibility that Northern Ireland may choose to adopt a regime similar to those emerging elsewhere in the UK. 

A Construction Products Reform Green Paper was published in February 2025 and consultation is ongoing. Any resulting legislation will apply UK-wide and may require local interpretation by the Northern Ireland Assembly.