Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 May 2026
514. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he will provide an update on the public consultation on the Irish Furniture Fire Regulations; the timeline for publication; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34704/26]
View answerThe Furniture Fire Regulations (S.I. No. 316/1995), together with Irish Standard I.S. 419:2011, apply to domestic upholstered furniture and are performance-based. They do not prescribe the use of specific chemicals, but instead require furniture to meet flammability standards, including resistance to ignition from sources such as cigarettes and small open flames.
When these regulations were introduced, fires involving upholstered furniture were a significant cause of domestic fire deaths, in a context of higher smoking rates and lower levels of smoke alarm use. Since then, there have been important changes, including improvements in fire safety awareness, reduced smoking prevalence, increased smoke alarm coverage, and emerging scientific evidence regarding the health and environmental impacts of certain flame retardants. These developments prompted my Department to review the continued appropriateness and proportionality of the current regulations.
Accordingly, a formal review was commenced and included a public consultation. The consultation considered two broad options: retaining the existing regulations, or repealing them and aligning Ireland’s approach with the EU General Product Safety Regulation (EU) 2023/988. The review has also taken account of updated findings published by the European Chemicals Agency in December 2024 regarding potential risks associated with certain flame retardants.
The review is now at an advanced stage. The outcome of the consultation will be published shortly.
