Investigation Reveals 150 Fire Safety Notices Issued in Five Years
LOCAL FIRE AUTHORITIES have issued 150 fire safety notices in the last five years over concerns with “potentially dangerous” buildings, a new investigation can reveal.
Records obtained under Freedom of Information by The Journal Investigates show there has been a growing number of notices in recent years.
Several accommodation providers for refugees and asylum seekers are among the premises that received fire safety notices, including one that was opened without a fire safety certificate.
The notices also include apartments, pubs, restaurants, hotels, nursing homes and crèches.
Cork Pub Failed to Comply With Fire Safety Notice
One Cork pub had a fire safety notice served on it last year. It later emerged that a previous notice on the building, served in 1985, had not been complied with.
The issues have since been addressed to the satisfaction of the fire authority.
A fire safety notice can be issued to a premises under the Fire Services Act 1981 if it appears to the fire inspector to be a “potentially dangerous building”.
It can prohibit the use of a building, or part of a building, from being used for a specific purpose, like residential accommodation or commercial uses.
It may also require the owner to carry out remedial work to ensure that the building complies with fire safety regulations. The notice can be withdrawn if the fire authority is satisfied that the building no longer poses a potential danger.
Fire Safety Notices Have Nearly Doubled Since 2020
The number of these notices being issued has risen steadily over the past five years, with 36 notices issued in 2025 – the most of any year during the half decade and almost double the number issued in 2020.
An analysis by our team also revealed that more than 200 distinct premises are included in these notices, with some containing as many as 15 apartments.
You can read this article in full HERE.
Want to improve your Fire Safety knowledge? Click here to learn more about our Fire Safety course.
