Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 July 2012
455 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the position regarding the local council’s claim that it is against his Department’s regulations for local authorities to install safety window and locks in local authority properties in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Longford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31982/12]
View answerIn accordance with the provisions of the Housing Act, 1966, the management and maintenance of the local authority housing stock, including the carrying out of planned maintenance programmes, is the responsibility of the relevant housing authority, in this case Longford County Council. I understand that the windows in the dwelling referred to were recently replaced by the local authority.
Under the Building Regulations 1997, there are no requirements for windows in residential apartments to have window locks nor are there requirements for such windows to have safety restrictors. However, for certain types of dwelling houses where a window is to be used as an alternative means of escape or for rescue purposes, Technical Guidance Document B — Fire Safety (2006) provides that the opening section of the window should be secured by means of fastenings which are readily openable from the inside and should be fitted with safety restrictors. Lockable handles or restrictors, which can only be released by removable keys or other tools, should not be fitted to window opening sections. While the detailed provisions set out in my Department's best practice guidelines are intended to provide guidance for some of the more common building situations, the use of alternative design solutions, standards, systems or methods of fire protection to those outlined in the technical guidance are acceptable, provided the level of fire safety achieved is adequate to satisfy the requirements of Part B of the Building Regulations 1997.
