An expert housing surveyor spoke on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland this morning and stated his fears that many Irish buildings are at risk of a fire similar to that of the Grenfell Tower fire in London, which killed a confirmed 17 people this week as the death toll continues to rise rapidly.
Speaking on the show, Kevin Hollingsworth said: “The issues found are common in all of those 29 developments … non-compliance with fire safety, breaches in compartition of common areas, and there is widespread non-compliance with the approved fire safety certs.”
Referencing one apartment block in particular he added: “When we took off the socket in one apartment, I could have pushed the socket into the adjoining property. Between apartments there is meant to be enough layers of plaster board to provide for one-hour fire resistance.”
Dublin Social Democrats councillor Cian O’Callaghan also said that the blaze must serve as a “wake up call” for Irish fire safety authorities, as many buildings built during the boom fell short of safety regulations.
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