A MAN HAS been fined €3,000 for pretending to be a registered electrician and carrying out electrical work illegally.

At Dublin District Court today, Peter Knowles from Kildare was found guilty on two counts: illegally carrying out restricted electrical work and portraying himself as a registered electrical contractor.

This is the first successful prosecution of its kind in Ireland. The offences were committed under the Electricity Regulation Act, 1999.

Since October 2013 it has been a legal requirement for electricians to be approved by the Registered Electrical Contractors of Ireland or the Electrical Contractors Safety & Standards Association.

In addition to the €3,000 fine, €350 was awarded to the Commissioner for Energy Regulation (CER) – the body responsible for overseeing safety in the area of electrical contracting – as a contribution to their costs.

Commissioner for Safety Paul McGowan said that the case demonstrates “CER’s continued commitment in using its resources to investigate and prosecute unregistered individuals who carry out restricted electrical works or portray themselves as Registered Electrical Contractors”.

Think you’ve come across an unregistered electrician? You can contact Safe Ireland.

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Read: National strike of electricians could halt construction and manufacturing

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