Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 June 2018
260. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the status of the local authorities' response and actions arising from the review of multi-storey units in the social housing sector requested by him in June 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26106/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 27 June 2017, following the fire in London’s Grenfell Tower, and in recognition of concerns arising for fire safety in Ireland, I tasked my Department’s National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management with convening and coordinating a high-level Task Force to lead a re-appraisal of fire safety in Ireland.
In addition to this, and in the immediate aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire, I instructed local authorities to undertake a review of fire safety in multi-storey, multi-unit social housing. I asked the Task Force to oversee and report on this initial action, as well as, among other things, reviewing existing arrangements and systems for fire safety and related issues which impact on fire safety in Ireland.
The work of the Task Force has now been completed and it has provided me with a full report, titled “Fire Safety in Ireland: Report of the Fire Safety Task Force ”, which describes its work, its conclusions on the state of fire safety in Ireland and its recommendations for moving forward.
With regard to the review of multi-storey, multi-unit social housing, local authorities were directed to examine fire detection and alarm systems, emergency lighting systems, common escape routes, including corridors, stairways and emergency exits, and to ensure that such systems were both in place and fully functional. The assessment by local authorities of the fire safety measures in their existing multi-storey, multi-unit social housing is considered to be a comprehensive exercise and provides considerable reassurance of the standard of fire safety within this profile of social housing stock. This local authority survey examined fire safety arrangements in 1,227 buildings with more than 16,000 residential units. Almost 95% of buildings covered by this review were found to have appropriate facilities, and the assessment process resulted in improvement works where necessary, underlining that local authorities are engaged fully on their fire safety responsibilities towards those who rely on social housing.
By identifying a small number of buildings where upgrade works were required to early warning systems and through engaging with Approved Housing Bodies and owners of private buildings leased in full by the local authority, the review process undertaken is seen to have had a positive effect and to have made contributions to both enhancing fire safety in multi-storey, multi-unit social housing and also raising fire safety awareness among owners/ landlords with statutory fire safety responsibilities.
However, the devastating fire at Grenfell Tower highlights the critical importance of fire safety in residential accommodation and the need for sustained vigilance in this regard. As such, it is considered appropriate by the Task Force that fire safety in these buildings would be subject to regular and consistent review and it has recommended that a review exercise of the type undertaken in 2017 should be undertaken and reported every five years.
I have accepted the Task Force’s recommendations and its report was brought to Government on 6 June 2018. I have now mandated the Management Board of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management to oversee and report on the implementation of the relevant recommendations.
Copies of both the Report and the Summary of Conclusions and Recommendations are available on my Department’s website at the following links:
Fire Safety Task Force Report
Summary of Conclusions and Recommendations
