South Down MP Margaret Ritchie (SDLP) has called on the Government and NI Executive to require all private landlords to install carbon monoxide detectors in rented accommodation.
She said:xa0“Around 50 people a year die of carbon monoxide poisoning in Britain and Northern Ireland. This is unacceptable. As the representative of a constituency that has suffered too many tragic gas related deaths in recent years, I am determined to make the Government and Executive take action.
“Gas-detectors save lives. Just as no responsible home-owner or renter would consider going without a fire alarm, so must gas-detectors become the ‘default state’ for all households in Northern Ireland.
“The Executive must take the first step to achieving this by following the Scottish Government’s example and requiring all landlords to install gas detectors in rented accommodation.”
