Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 July 2017
1697. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the terms of reference for the fire safety review that he ordered after the devastating fire at Grenfell Tower; if he will widen the remit of this review to include compliance with Part B (Fire Safety) of the Building Regulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36489/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 27 June 2017, I tasked the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management with convening a high-level Task Force to lead Ireland’s re-appraisal of fire safety in the wake of the devastating Grenfell Tower fire in London.
As a first stage, the Task Force is overseeing the initial actions in respect of potential life safety issues already identified in Ireland and is scheduled to report to me on these aspects by the end of September 2017.
In parallel with this initial work, the Task Force will begin to review and re-appraise existing arrangements and systems for fire safety including Part B of the Building Regulations and related issues which impact on fire safety in Ireland.
The draft terms of reference for the Task Force, which reflect the above two areas of work set out above, are currently being considered in the context of the issues identified and selection of priority areas of work. I expect the Task Force to confirm the terms of reference at its next meeting on 26 July 2017 and that its principal focus will be on protecting life from the dangers of fire in both dwellings and other kinds of buildings.
It should be noted that work on reviewing Technical Guidance Document B – Fire Safety (TGD B) of the Building Regulations is ongoing also.
