Written answers

Tuesday, 4 July 2017

Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

Fire Safety

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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663. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the steps he has taken to review fire safety in apartment blocks in view of the appalling tragedy at Grenfell tower in London; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31153/17]

Photo of Eoghan MurphyEoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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While there are no residential buildings in Ireland directly comparable or of a similar scale to Grenfell Tower, in response to this tragedy and in recognition of fears expressed for fire safety, I requested that a number of initial actions be taken, including:

- Local authorities were requested to review fire safety in the multi-storey social housing sector and to report back to my Department by 19 July 2017;

- The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) were requested to notify all landlords of their responsibilities and obligations as landlords in terms of ensuring that their properties fully comply with fire safety requirements. An information notice on fire safety has gone up on the RTB’s website and a further fire safety information leaflet is in the process of being distributed to all landlords;

- A Building Control Management System (BCMS) alert was issued to all 57,000+ registered users of the BCMS to remind those involved in works to existing or new buildings of the need to be vigilant in relation to compliance with the Building Regulations and in particular to Part B Fire Safety;

- The Management Board of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management met and reviewed the state of preparedness of Ireland’s local authority fire services to respond to large scale incidents. The Board noted the recent report of the External Validation Group titled “Local Delivery - National Consistency - Fire Services in Ireland” and concluded that the available evidence provides for confidence regarding the capability of fire services to respond to emergencies.

Following on from these initial actions, on 27 June 2017, I tasked my Department’s National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management with coordinating a high-level Task Force to lead Ireland’s re-appraisal of fire safety in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire.

The Task Force will oversee and report on the initial steps already taken and look to identify and consider urgently potential life safety issues and to initiate appropriate remedial action where necessary. Following this initial work, the Task Force will review and re-appraise existing arrangements and systems for Fire Safety and related issues/issues which impact on fire safety in Ireland.

The Task Force will prepare an interim report by the end of September 2017, with a Concluding Report at a later stage setting out, inter alia, proposals for the consideration of the Minister.

The Task Force consists of senior representatives from the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management and other Divisions of my Department, in addition to representatives from the local government sector including the Chief Fire Officer, Dublin who is also Chair of the Chief Fire Officers Association, an international fire service expert, a fire safety consultant and a representative from Insurance Ireland. Further representatives, including representatives from other public bodies, may be invited to join the Task Force as work develops and issues emerge.

I have also directed that a series of further steps be undertaken in the weeks ahead. These include:

- The preliminary survey of the use of cladding products on residential buildings over 18m (more than 6 storeys) being undertaken by fire services in Dublin is to be extended to the rest of the country and to cover buildings in all categories over 18m in height. The results to be reported to my Department by 19 July; 

- My Department is to meet with the local authority Chief Fire Officers in the coming weeks to review current activities and to plan for further fire safety initiatives in prioritised areas of action;

- Responsibility for fire safety in buildings of all kinds (other than dwellings) is placed by section 18(2)(4) of the Fire Services Acts 1981 & 2003 on the ‘person having control’ of each building. In order to assist those in both the public and private sector who hold this responsibility, I have requested that the Fire Safety Task Force give urgent consideration to the publication of a guide on undertaking Fire Safety Assessments as provided for in section 18(6)(a) of the Act. This will facilitate persons having control of buildings to demonstrate that they are complying with their statutory responsibilities;

I will consider all issues emerging, including regulatory arrangements, in line with developments and the reports of the Task Force and, particularly, as further information becomes available in respect of the Grenfell Tower situation. 

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