Concerns over safety after blaze kills 17

CONCERNS have been expressed about the safety of some buildings occupied by immigrants in Ireland after the devastating fire that killed 17 members of the West African community in Paris on Thursday.

Older buildings, and particularly those built prior to 1963, are not subject to the strict fire safety standards demanded by modern planning guidelines.

Patrick Burke, director of the housing charity Threshold, said he believed many properties where immigrants were living had not been inspected and only came to the attention of the authorities when someone complained.