Public’s views sought on proposed new fire safety regulations

On 20 January, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD, and the Minister of State with responsibility for Local Government and Planning, Kieran O’Donnell TD, launched a three-month public consultation on proposed amendments to Building Regulations relating to fire safety.?

The proposed changes aim to improve fire safety in new buildings and support the re-use of existing buildings by simplifying, clarifying and rationalising fire safety requirements.

The review is also a key action of the Government’s Housing for All plan, which commits to an ongoing review of Building Regulations to drive compliance and standards through regulatory reform. Fire safety regulations for dwelling houses were updated in 2017. These regulations relate to fire safety requirements in all other buildings.