A report into a fire in a Kildare housing estate in which six homes were burnt to the ground in less than an hour, has highlighted widespread fire safety concerns.

According to the Irish Examiner, the report found there were numerous deficencies in the walls that separated the houses including inadequate fire-stopping.

The report by fire consultants Michael Slattery and Associates found boards were not fixed to the studs in the walls and cavity barriers were not provided, which would have enhanced fire resistance.

The six houses at Millfield Manor in Newbridge were completely destroyed in just 30 minutes, after a fire broke out in one of them on March 31st this year.