Mr. Dennis Keeley:

The Deputy's first question was about appeals to An Bord Pleanála. He is correct in what he said. We follow the process. An example I will give is nursing homes and the requirement for sprinklers, which is a position Dublin Fire Brigade took seven or so years ago. We conditioned sprinklers as part of the construction of new nursing homes. That was not legislatively required for the application of fire certificates but we were of the view it was necessary, given our knowledge of the occurrence of a number of incidents internationally and our own experience in responding to institutions such as nursing homes.

The benefit of sprinklers were pretty obvious to us so we made it a condition that there should be sprinklers in those premises. The owners or consultants did not agree so the only option was for this to go to An Bord Pleanála for decision. The Deputy is correct that we would have had a high incidence of not being successful in those cases. We were successful in some cases. The situation speaks volumes in terms of our interpretation of modern construction, our own operational knowledge and base and the international experience. I wish to make it clear that this was a decision taken by Dublin Fire Brigade.

It is worth noting that within the review it appears to us that our suggestion has been taken on board. While we do not believe it goes all the way to address our concerns about nursing homes, it goes a long way in acknowledging the benefits of sprinklers in a residential institution such as a nursing home. There are a number of areas, such as underground car parks, which would follow a similar line. I mean, from our experience and international experience, instances where we felt that the addition of additional measures was warranted, which resulted in us going to An Bord Pleanála. I have outlined the background, which indicates our lack of success.

I mentioned the new-build technology in my opening statement. We are enthusiastic and excited by a lot of new technology. We also understand the design that this can bring to a modern city and the country in enhancing modern constructions. The Deputy has rightly said that enhancement must not come at the cost of fire safety. We have had a number of engagements with various stakeholders on these technologies, whether it is light gauge steel or cross laminated timber. We have questions on both of these technologies and the variety of technologies. What is important is that they should be addressed within the TGD B or subsequent guidance. That will be important because, again, it goes back to ensuring there is consistency in the industry. We will need a level of guidance to drive that level of consistency for the fire authorities and building control officers.