The Building Control Act 1990 (as amended) requires that all developments covered by the Building Regulations (except houses and agricultural buildings) obtain a Fire Safety Certificate. A Fire Safety Certificate is granted after the plans and specifications for a new building are assessed by a Fire Officer for compliance with Part B (Fire Safety) of the Building Regulations. A Fire Safety Certificate is a certification of your proposed fire safety design, not the fire safety design of your finished building. When you receive a Fire Safety Certificate in relation to a proposed design it means that the building, if built in accordance with the proposed design, complies with the fire requirements of the building regulations.
Applications for Fire Safety Certificates can be submitted online through the Building Control Management System (BCMS). This database is delivered by the National Building Control and Market Surveillance Office. You will need to register an account to submit an application through the BCMS at the link HERE .
From the 1st of July 2021, Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2021 (S.I. No. 229 of 2021) will be enacted. The revised Regulations state that “Where a copy of the 7 day notice statutory declaration referred to in Article 20A (2)(a)(ii)(II), has been submitted via the Building Control Management System, the applicant shall retain the original 7 day notice statutory declaration and shall produce the original 7 day notice statutory declaration for inspection where required to do so by the building control authority.”
You can see the full details of the new Statutory Instrument at the following link HERE .
Applications for Fire Safety Certificates are granted on the advice of the Chief Fire Officer in the Dublin Fire Brigade. A Fire Safety Certificate is granted with or without conditions or refused. Technical questions can be answered by the Dublin Fire Brigade on Tel: 01 2224000 or Email: fire.prevention@dublincity.ie .
There is provision for an appeal to An Bord Pleanála against the decision of a Building Control Authority in relation to a Fire Safety Certificate application.
All Fire Safety Certificate files are also available for viewing by appointment only. Older Fire Safety Certificate files are stored off site, but can be ordered in for a fee of €30.00. They must be ordered and paid for in advance.