Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

I assure the Taoiseach that he is not mixing two issues. The relatives certainly want to know whether lessons have been learned.

The Taoiseach spoke about other countries and their tragedies but it is painful to realise that Ireland has the highest rate of fire accidents in the EU and one of the worst in the world. Ireland has 58 fire related deaths on average per year. The United Kingdom spends twice as much per capita in this area, as this country. We have not learned the lessons.

Notwithstanding all of the Taoiseach's talk about reform and change, there has been change. We have dozens more pubs, more concert venues, bigger stadia and more hotels but for this city and county on any typical night we only have one fire prevention officer on the north side of the Liffey river and one on the south side.

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