The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) received a total of 141 complaints from the public last year about the activities of people claiming to be architects who turned out to have no recognised architectural qualifications.
RIAI president Tony Reddy said yesterday that 80 per cent of the complaints received by the institute during 2004 related to unqualified architects, including one whose activities were highlighted in a recent RTÉ Prime Time programme.
"The fact that there is, as yet, no legal registration of the title 'architect' in Ireland allows people to claim that they are architects and practise as such, whether they are qualified or not," Mr Reddy said, adding that this was putting life and property at risk.
"Ireland is almost unique in the absence of registration of the title 'architect' on its national statute books. Registration of title exists in EU states, the US and most developed countries, where there are appropriate regulatory regimes."
The fundamental principle underpinning the registration of architects in these countries, he said, is that government sets standards and qualifications to protect the consumer and to secure quality in the built environment in the interests of society as a whole.
"Obviously, architects' services affect not only the client who commissions a project but also the community within which the project is built. This impact on the community is felt not only in the present but also far into the future," Mr Reddy said.
Legislation was urgently needed to protect the public from bogus architects, and he welcomed confirmation from Minister for the Environment Dick Roche that such legislation was in the Government's programme for the autumn.
He said anyone uncertain about a person's qualification as an architect should immediately contact the RIAI at 01-6761703.