This consultation seeks the public’s views on the Irish Furniture Fire Regulations.
Consultation Paper: The Irish Furniture Fire Regulations
Introduction
The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment is undertaking a review of the current Irish Furniture Fire Regulations[1] to ensure that our regulatory framework remains robust, effective, and aligned with modern consumer safety practices.
This consultation paper outlines two potential options to be considered:
- To maintain the current Irish Furniture Fire Regulations
- To repeal the Irish Furniture Fire Regulations and rely on the EU’s General Product Safety Regulations.
This paper outlines the current regulatory background and sets out the reasoning for reconsidering the Irish Furniture Fire Regulations including:
- relevant developments in the UK,
- the health and environmental concerns linked to flame retardants, and
- the details of the General Product Safety Regulation which came into force at the end of last year.
Stakeholders, industry representatives, consumer groups, and members of the public are invited to provide feedback on their preferred option. The consultation process will ensure that the views of all relevant parties are considered before any decisions relating to possible regulatory reforms are made.
Background to the Irish Furniture Fire Regulations
The Irish Furniture Fire Regulations were put in place in 1995 to reduce the risks of fire-related incidents arising from the sale of flammable household furniture. The Irish Furniture Fire Regulations were developed at a time when fire hazards associated with furniture materials were a significant concern. These regulations require domestic furniture to meet specific flammability standards, including resistance to ignition by cigarettes and match flames, primarily through the use of flame-retardant chemicals.
The policy rationale was to reduce the risk of fatalities and injuries caused by fires starting in upholstered furniture. Over the past three decades, these regulations have contributed to reductions in fatalities from domestic fires[2]. However, the scientific, regulatory and behavioural context has evolved, including the increased use in smoke alarms and changes in personal behaviour [3]. Accordingly, questions are now being raised about the balance between fire safety and chemical safety, particularly concerning the use of flame retardants[4] [5].
Furthermore, the Irish Furniture Fire Regulations mirror the UK’s Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations. This means that the supply of furniture to Ireland is linked to that of the UK, as currently the same requirements for treating furniture apply. The potential changes outlined below to the UK’s Regulations may impact on the supply of furniture to Ireland. Mirroring the UK’s Regulations also puts Ireland out of step with the other EU Member States and impacts on the Single Market.
Developments in the United Kingdom
At present, the Irish Furniture Fire Regulations mirror those in the UK. The United Kingdom is currently reviewing its Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988. The UK Government has indicated its intention to modernise the regulations.
Initially the UK is going to remove baby products from the scope of their Regulations[6] . Further UK reforms may include changes to the testing regime, a move towards performance-based standards, and greater reliance on barrier technologies and materials inherently resistant to ignition. The interdependence between the Irish and UK furniture markets has historically been strong due to shared standards, logistics networks, and business relationships, so it is reasonable to expect that changes to the UK Regulations will impact on the supply of furniture to Ireland as Ireland’s regulations will differ from both the UK’s and the rest of the EU’s.
Concerns Regarding Flame Retardants
In December 2024, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) published an updated report[7] on the health and environmental risks associated with certain flame retardants used in consumer products, including upholstered furniture.
The report found that certain classes of flame retardants, particularly brominated flame retardants (BFRs), were found to be persistent in the environment, bioaccumulative in humans and wildlife, and transported globally through air and water. The report also identified credible evidence linking some flame retardants to endocrine disruption, developmental toxicity, neurotoxicity, and carcinogenicity.
The results of this investigation will be examined by the European Commission in deciding if there should be restrictions on some of these chemicals. A potential restriction on flame retardants is already included in the Commission’s planning document, the Restrictions Roadmap[8].
These findings are relevant to the consideration of the future of the Irish Furniture Fire Regulations, which, in their current form, support the use of flame retardants to meet ignition resistance standards.
Overview of the General Product Safety Regulation
The General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR), which entered into force in 2024, establishes a comprehensive and modern legal framework to ensure that only safe consumer products are placed on the EU market.
The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment understands that most EU Member States address the fire safety of domestic upholstered furniture through general product safety obligations rather than specific fire safety regulations. Under the GPSR framework, products such as furniture are expected to be designed and manufactured in such a way that does not pose foreseeable fire or chemical hazards to consumers. This model allows manufacturers to meet safety objectives without mandating the use of specific treatments such as chemical flame retardants. Instead, safety is assessed holistically, taking into account the product’s design, materials, and intended environment of use, as mandated by the GPSR.
The GPSR therefore presents a viable legal and practical framework for regulating the safety of furniture in Ireland. It is also important to note that if Ireland adopts the move to the GPSR, furniture that is manufactured for the UK market, in line with the UK’s furniture fire regulations, will still be able to be sold in Ireland, once the economic operators deem it to be safe.
The GPSR applies to all consumer products that are not subject to specific European Union safety legislation and offers robust protections for consumers, including:
- General Safety Requirement: Products must be safe under normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions of use. The regulation considers the product’s characteristics, composition, intended use, packaging, instructions and warnings, and the types of consumers likely to use it, including vulnerable groups such as children or the elderly.
- Precautionary Principle: Where there is scientific uncertainty about potential health or safety risks, authorities are empowered to act preventively in the interest of consumer protection.
- Improved Traceability: Economic operators must ensure traceability throughout the supply chain. This includes the obligation to maintain records of suppliers and customers, facilitating effective market surveillance, recall, or withdrawal actions if necessary.
- Market Surveillance and Safety Alerts: The GPSR enhances coordination among EU Member States and strengthens the operation of the EU Safety Gate (formerly RAPEX), enabling the rapid exchange of information on dangerous products and swift enforcement actions.
- Coverage of Online Sales: The regulation applies fully to products sold online, including through third-party platforms, ensuring that safety obligations are met regardless of the channel of sale.
- Clear Business Obligations: Manufacturers, importers, and distributors must conduct product risk assessments, maintain safety documentation, and report serious incidents and recalls to national authorities.
EU’s Single Market
The Single Market is a key cornerstone of the EU’s economic integration, allowing for the free movement of goods, services, capital, and people across member states, without internal borders or regulatory obstacles. Currently the furniture market in Ireland does not align with the EU’s Single Market, as the Irish Furniture Fire Regulations put additional regulatory requirements on the importation of furniture into Ireland, this is known as gold plating. Gold-plating is a widely used term to describe the extra requirements, rules and administrative burden imposed by Member States beyond those deriving from provisions at EU level. To ensure a level playing field across the Single Market, as well as addressing fragmentation and gold plating, the EU Commission outlined in its Competitiveness Compass Communication[9] earlier this year that they will pursue a forceful approach to full harmonisation and enforcement.
If Ireland is to continue with the use of the Irish Furniture Fire Regulations, this will need be clearly justified to the European Commission by demonstrating a legitimate public interest and showing that the regulation is necessary, proportionate, and not an unjustified barrier to trade.
Policy Options
The Department is seeking the views of stakeholders on the following two policy options:
Option 1: Maintain the Irish Furniture Fire Regulations
- Retain current regulations requiring compliance with ignition resistance tests;
- Continue to allow or require use of flame retardants to meet those standards;
- Continue to monitor developments in the UK that could impact on the importation of furniture into Ireland.
Pros:
- Continued high level of fire safety;
- Continued regulatory alignment with the UK will allow for the ongoing trade in furniture whilst the UK’s standards remain the same.
Cons:
- Continued use of potentially harmful flame retardants;
- Justification will be required to be provided to the EU in terms of lack of adherence to the Single Market framework demonstrating a legitimate public interest and showing that the regulation is necessary, proportionate, and not an unjustified barrier to trade;
- Trade barriers will remain in place in relation to suppliers who are not complying with these standards;
- The upcoming changes to UK regulations, and potential future changes, may disrupt Irish furniture supplies and Irish Regulations will need to be updated to reflect the changes to UK Regulations, which would maintain the disconnect between Ireland the EU.
Option 2: Repeal the Irish Furniture Fire Regulations and Rely on the General Product Safety Regulation
- Repeal the Irish Furniture Fire Regulations;
- Require furniture to meet general safety obligations under the GPSR, with furniture expected to be designed and manufactured in a way that does not pose foreseeable fire or chemical hazards to consumers;
- Encourage risk-based assessments and voluntary use of safe materials;
Pros:
- Alignment with EU regulatory framework and industry practices;
- Expand Ireland’s furniture supply options;
- Avoidance of hazardous chemicals in domestic furniture;
- Greater flexibility for innovation and sustainable design.
Cons:
- Potential reduction in fire resistance in some furniture products;
- Increased reliance on consumer education and complementary safety measures.
Consultation Questions
- Do you support maintaining or repealing the Irish Furniture Fire Regulations? Please outline reasons for your answer.
- How would repealing the Irish Furniture Fire Regulations impact:
a) manufacturers, and/or
b) importers, and/or
c) consumers?
Next Steps
The Department welcomes written submissions by 5pm on the 11 July 2025. Responses can be sent to: furniturefireconsultation@enterprise.gov.ie
Publication of submissions and Freedom of Information
Any personal information, which you volunteer to this department, will be treated with the highest standards of security and confidentiality, strictly in accordance with the Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2018. However, please note the following:
- the information provided in the submission form may be shared with relevant government departments and State organisations during the review process
- the department may publish the outcome of the reviews and the submissions received under this consultation on its website
- as information received by the department is subject to the Freedom of Information Act, such information may be considered for possible release under the FOI Act
- if you wish to submit information that you consider commercially sensitive, personal or confidential, please identify that information in your submission and give reasons for considering it sensitive
Data Protection and Freedom of Information
We would like to draw your attention to the department's Data Protection Privacy Notice which is available on our website and explains how and when we collect personal data, why we do so and how we treat this information. It also explains your rights in relation to the collection of your personal information and how you can exercise your rights under data protection laws.
[1] The Industrial Research and Standards (Fire Safety) (Domestic Furniture) Order, 1995, S.I. No. 316/1995 (the "Order") and the Standard Specification (Fire safety requirements for components of furniture) Declaration, 2011, I.S. 419:2011 (the "Standard Specification") (together, the 'Irish Furniture Fire Regulations') sets the levels of fire resistance for domestic upholstered furniture, furnishings, and other products that contain upholstery in the interests of fire safety.
[2] Research by the UK government shows that fire related fatalities fell by 67% between 1982 and 2019. The UK brought in their furniture fire regulations in 1988 and the Irish Furniture Fire Regulations are an exact mirror of the UK’s - An in-depth review of fire-related fatalities and severe casualties in England, 2010/11 to 2018/19 - GOV.UK
[3] David Rohde, Jonathan Corcoran, Michelle Sydes, Angela Higginson, The association between smoke alarm presence and injury and death rates: A systematic review and meta-analysis, Fire Safety Journal, Volume 81, 2016, Pages 58-63,
[4] Mandate from the European Commission to the ECHR to investigate flame retardants - 3e50850a-610d-385b-b5ed-b7dedb35cb46
[5] Jacob de Boer, Stuart Harrad, Martin Sharkey, The European Regulatory Strategy for flame retardants – The right direction but still a risk of getting lost, Chemosphere, Volume 347,2024,
[6] Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 2025: UK - GOV.UK
[7] ECHA's completed activities on restriction - ECHA
[8] DocsRoom - European Commission
[9] 10017eb1-4722-4333-add2-e0ed18105a34_en