Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 June 2018
269. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 220 of 30 May 2018, if a list of compliant buildings will be established which can be accessed by website in the interest of transparency to aid prospective tenants. [27293/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraWhen a building is constructed and occupied, statutory responsibility for safety is assigned by section 18(2) of the Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003 to the ‘person having control’ of the building. Local authorities have powers of inspection and enforcement under these Acts, which may be relevant where fire safety concerns arise in apartment developments.
In such circumstances, Fire Services work with building owners to ensure immediate risks are addressed and that plans are put in place for works to bring buildings into compliance. They have enforcement powers for cases where co-operation is not forthcoming, or progress cannot be made on an agreed basis.
In the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower tragedy in June 2017, and in recognition of fears expressed for fire safety, the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management were requested to convene and coordinate a Task Force to lead a re-appraisal of our approach to fire safety in Ireland. The work of the Task Force has now been completed and its findings are reflected in “Fire Safety in Ireland: Report of the Fire Safety Task Force”, which is available on my Department's website at the following link: http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/fire_safety_in_ireland_-_report_summary_of_conclusions_and_recommendations.pdf.
The Task Force discussed the issue of fire safety in apartment buildings and states in its Report that the key to life safety in apartment buildings is a proper two-stage fire detection and alarm system, an evacuation strategy, the involvement of residents in preventing nuisance alarms and knowing how to react in the event of fire alarms being activated. There are a number of recommendations in relation to this area in the report, but these do not involve the establishment of a list of compliant buildings. The Management Board of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management have now been mandated to oversee the implementation of the report's recommendations.
