Opel Ireland has issued a statement following an Opel Zafira catching fire in County Cork.

The statement says: "Opel is currently carrying out an investigation following reports of fire in the area of the heating and ventilation system in a number of Opel Zafiras (Zafira B model launched in 2005, not current Zafira Tourer).  While the number of incidents is very low in proportion to the number of vehicles on the road, we take this issue very seriously and will take further action. Opel will be working with the local authorities to identify the probable cause of the thermal incident reported in an Opel Zafira in Passage West, Co. Cork today (29th October 2015), as part of this investigation.

"The safety of our customers is the number one priority. Our investigations to date have found that a number of incidents have occurred due to previous repairs being performed improperly or using certain non-genuine parts.

"If you are concerned about operating your vehicle or if you notice any unusual characteristics with the heating and ventilation system (for example a squeaking noise from the dashboard) you should contact your Opel dealer and arrange for your vehicle to be inspected. This will be done at no cost.

"Opel will consider further actions as appropriate.”

There have been small number of similar incidents – possibly eight -  here in Ireland, and there have been approximately 130 such cases in the UK. No official recall has been activated by Opel at this stage.