Nearly 90 per cent of Irish people say they want the Government to bring in legislation requiring architects to be professionally qualified, according to a survey carried out on behalf of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI).
The survey by TNS mrbi found that 89 per cent favour such a law being enacted before the next general election.
The study also found that 94 per cent believe that anyone wishing to call him or herself an architect should have appropriate educational or professional qualifications.
Nearly three-quarters of those polled were not aware that in Ireland, a person does not at present need to have any educational or professional qualifications in order to call him or herself an architect and offer architectural services to the public.
Responding to the findings, RIAI director John Graby said the institute, which represents professionally qualified architects, has been calling on the Government for years to introduce legislation to establish a proper registration system for architects.
The absence of any legal registration of the title "architect" allowed people to practise as architects whether they were qualified or not - a situation almost unique in any developed country - and this was "putting the life and property of the public at risk".
Mr Graby welcomed the fact that Minister for the Environment Dick Roche had promised that legislation providing for registration would be introduced before the end of this year.
