On the Irish BS1363 standard:
Schuko was used until the 1940s and quite possibily until the 1960s in some cases. As I'm sure you're aware the UK equivilant was a bit of a confusing mix of BS546 based plug and socket systems some of which were 2 pin some 3 pin and of at least 4 different incompatble sizes!
Siemens and AEG were the main contractors to the ESB in the early days (and still are!) so a lot of their standard components were used (Neozed/Diazed & Schuko)
Schuko sockets still survive in old installations, some of which are still in use and schuko plugs can still be purchased in hardware stores.
In many cases however schuko sockets that are still installed in skirting boards or woodwork etc are simply dead, they're usually very unobtrusive and recessed into the skirting and removing them would have been more difficult than just leaving them in place but disconnected.
BS546 was used in its 3-pin form (usually only the 15amp version) during the 1950s (immediately Post WWII). The 2amp version was adopted later for special purposes like wallswitch controlled plug-in lamps. The 15amp version is common place in stage lighting rigs (more recently being replaced with the more resiliant standard european industrial connectors)
BS1363 was the predominant standard from 1960 onwards and was given legal standing later with IS401 & IS401/A which are required to be complied with by legislation, very similar to the UK but still inforcing standards that may still exsist .. e.g. schuko plugs on sale are referenced to CEE 7 & appropriate DIN standards)
Pre-1960 it was very unsual to carry appliences from location to location so wheather Schuko or BS546 was used was really of no consequence.
Post 1960 portable appliences became much more common place, people moved radios from room to room.. vacuum cleaners etc were in much more widespread use.
BS1363 added a little bit of extra protection (was child proof & fused). Wheather the fuse was actually adding protection or not the public percieved it to be safer.
It also makes providing sockets outlets that can actually provide a full 13Amp supply should they need to much easier. Wheather they're wired on a ring or on a radial (which can be rated 20amps instead of 16). In many older European installations bedroom sockets were often unsuitable for large loads as more outlets were carried on 1 16amp or 10amp radial (often only accepting narrower pin plugs) or in the old British system were often the physically smaller 2 or 5amp BS546 sockets to prevent large loads from being connected.
BS1363 & the ring circuit / heavier radials meant that portable heaters etc could be used much more effectively at any location in the house without over-loading the system.
As time has gone on the ring circuitry has also meant that generally the number of outlets per room in a UK/Irish house is much higher making them much more suitable for modern living.
Irish electricians tended to have frowned upon very large rings however and they're not quite as common as they are in the UK.
They use the same rating for the cable but tend to be much more conservative with the fusing arrangements sometimes opting for 20amp breakers rather than 32 and using less sockets per ring or using radials.
Generally an irish consumer unit will generally have at least 2 rows of breakers or diazed/neozed fuses (were un use until the mid 1980s, Neozed is still acceptable but considered old-fashioned and impractacal for the consumer.. a switch is easier to reset!).
RCD has been obligatory since 1980 and we require a double pole isolator switch (now on the bottom of the meter) and main fuse (typically 63amps) installed on the consumer unit before the RCD. This is to protect the consumer unit itself from catching fire in a serious overload situation.
The power company also has a sealed fuse before the meter. This is usually 63/80/100 amps and unless someone shorts the two lines coming into the meter itself its only purpose is to disconnect the entire supply.
[This message has been edited by djk (edited 05-05-2003).]
