Review of Celtic Tiger-era schools’ fire safety

The Department of Education has launched an immediate review of Celtic Tiger-era schools’ fire safety standards amid fears over the protections they would offer during a blaze.

The decision was taken as the department published five audits into schools built by a single firm during the economic boom, launched in response to a 2015 Irish Examiner investigation into a linked facility, which found they would burn down in less than 60 minutes.

In a detailed, nine-page statement yesterday, the department said it is seeking tenders from fire safety firms to immediately review a sample 25 schools due to fears over fire safety standards in the sector.