Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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Question 159: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of fires reported in domestic houses since the introduction of the building regulations and separately the number of timber frame houses; and the number of occasions on which the fire spread to adjoining houses. [8967/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Building Regulations 1997 - 2002 apply to the construction of new buildings, to extensions and material alterations to existing buildings, and to certain changes of use of existing buildings.

Statistics on fires and other emergency incidents dealt with by local authority fire brigades are forwarded by fire authorities to my Department and are published annually on my Department's website at www.environ.ie.

The following table indicates annually since 1997, the number of instances where fire services were in attendance at fires in domestic buildings, including apartments, (other than chimney fires).

* Fires (other than chimney fires) in domestic buildings (including apartments) in which brigades were in attendance

While there has been an overall increase since 1997 in the number of domestic fires attended by fire brigades, there has also been a significant growth in the housing stock over same period and a consequent decline in the rate of dwelling fires per hundred thousand dwellings.

My Department does not have data specifically in relation to fires in timber frame houses or in regard to the incidence of fire spreading to adjoining houses. Full data returns in relation to 2010 are not yet available.