Inspectors identify fire risks at Cork IPAS centres

Two-thirds of Cork IPAS centres inspected by Hiqa have had issues with their risk register, including fire safety.

Industry watchdog Hiqa assumed the function of monitoring and inspecting international protection accommodation service (IPAS) centres in January 2024, and since then has published reports on 12 inspections of Cork centres.

Of these reports, which cover six centres, with several inspected more than once, there were just four inspections where the centre was marked ‘compliant’ for fire safety.

Millstreet Accommodation Centre “did not have a formalised contingency plan in place in the event of a fire”, when inspected in 2024, and there was an absence of effective monitoring systems to ensure good oversight and management of risk and fire.

In Glenvera Hotel, in Cork city, inspectors identified fire risks in communal hallways and in the rooms of residents, during a 2024 inspection.

They also found evidence of burn marks and cigarette ashes on the carpet in a communal hallway.

Residents explained that the communal hallway was not monitored by CCTV, and some residents had used it as an unofficial smoking area.

While the management team had actively encouraged residents to use the designated smoking areas, this had not been identified as a risk by the centre staff.

When this was brought to the attention of the provider, they agreed to write to residents to remind them of the smoking areas and install CCTV cameras in the area.

An inspection report about Davis Lane Apartments in Mallow last year said inspectors found the fire safety panel to be “in a state of fault” on the first day of inspection.

ALARM

This meant the alarm would not sound in the event of a fire, inspectors said.

They added that when alerted to this issue, the centre manager organised for it to be addressed, and it was corrected on the same day, but they said improved monitoring and reporting was necessary to prevent issues of this nature going undetected.

In a recent inspection of Clonakilty Lodge, inspectors said: “Some risks in relation to fire safety had not been fully risk-assessed.

“For example, in relation to resident non-compliance with fire drills.”

The provider said that after the inspection they had updated their risk assessment in relation to fire drills to better identify concerns.

The issue has become more relevant in recent days following the recent fire in an Ipas centre in Drogheda, which gardaí believe was started deliberately.

Four children, including a baby, were among the five people rescued from the top floor of the centre in the Co Louth centre.