There is specialist's literature on the issue:"Concrete Construction Manual" by Friedbert Kind-Barkausus, Bruno Kauhsen, Stefan Polonyi, Joerg Brandt( the cream of concrete engineers). Publisher is Birkhaeuser, ISBN 3-7643-6724-5
On the EU continent ANY foundation slab/strip MUST be caged. It makes no sense to put in a steel reeinforcement mesh without caging to protect against tensile forces when the shearing forces aren't considered. Sack these architects and get a real civil engineer in. Any dud can call him/herself an architect in Ireland, so be careful.
Imagine the home owner decides to put more load on the slab/strip then it was originally projected. An extension, a car park,a water storage tank for solar heating or some digging work next to the foundation, or some overseen water/sewer leakage next to the foundation or whatever....disaster is programmed without caging. Saving a few bobs (€500?) but risking the collaps of an entire structure-why? Who would get these €500 - the homeowner or the cowboy?!