High fire risk in 80% of Traveller homes, report finds

Almost 80 per cent of Traveller accommodation has significant fire-safety risks, an unpublished audit has found.

The review from the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management finds the lives of Travellers across the State are being put at risk through the use of overloaded electric sockets, overcrowded sites, caravans and mobile homes being placed too close together, along with a lack of fire blankets and smoke alarms.

The report was ordered on October 13th last year, three days after the deaths of 10 people, including five children, at a temporary halting site in Carrickmines, Dublin.

All local authorities were told by the secretary general of the Department of the Environment (now the Department of Housing and Planning) to review fire safety on sites, engage with Travellers on fire-safety awareness and to carry out necessary remedial works.

The 49-page document, dated April 29th, 2016, and described as an “interim report”, sets out the position at that point. A final report is expected later this year.

Of the 31 local authorities, 14 had not made returns on their findings, including the four Dublin local authorities, Cork city and Galway.

According to the findings, unsafe and overloaded electrical installations are an issue on 78 per cent of sites, and overcrowded bays and pitches on 61 per cent. Units are too close together in 58 per cent of cases.

‘Matter of concern’

The high proportion of units with unsafe electrical installations “is a matter of some concern” and, given that “only about half of these” have been made safe at the end of April, “there remains a sizeable number of accommodation units where this is an ongoing issue”.

In 76 per cent of units there was no working smoke alarm, in 73 per cent there was no fire blanket and in 72 per cent there was no working carbon monoxide alarm.

In 42 per cent of sites restricted access meant fire services might not be able to reach units in the event of a fire.

Though many local authorities have addressed issues and enhancements “have been carried out in 65 per cent of the accommodation units appraised”, many have not.

“In the interests of reducing the threat from fire and increasing the life safety for the Traveller community, relevant local authorities are being asked to complete outstanding site enhancement works and report back . . . as a matter of urgency,” says the report.

Smoke alarms

Immediately it recommends, “relevant local authorities provide smoke alarms, which are seen as a key contributor to ensuring the persons are safe from fire in their dwellings, and carbon monoxide alarms to all Traveller . . . units” where they are absent.

The directorate “has made stocks of smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms and fire blankets available” and provisions of these will not have cost implications for local authorities.

It has issued a guide to local authorities on developing fire-safety strategies with Travellers.

“While nothing in the guide is intended to be used to try to deal with overcrowding or other broader site management issues, the guide does recognise a a range of issues that are specific to the Traveller community and . . . protecting people from the dangers of fire is particularly challenging in the confined and frequently cramped conditions that families living in caravans or non-standard accommodation frequently find themselves.”

The report stresses “the primary responsibility for fire safety in each dwelling rests with those living in that dwelling” and fire safety information sessions have been provided for Traveller community groups.

A national steering group, established to assist the directorate in the audit, has met three times since last November and is due to meet again on July 6th, with a view to publishing a final report later this year.