AS THE RESIDENTS of Priory Hall face into a second Christmas locked out of their homes, they are still uncertain about their future.
Spokesperson Graham Usher told TheJournal.ie that there has been little or no movement on the issue in recent weeks.
“The fact that we are coming into our second Christmas is unbelievable,” he said. “But we are carrying on as best we can. We are very much in the dark as to what is happening.”
The 256 residents of the Donaghmede complex were evacuated in October 2011 over fire safety concerns and no remedial works have been carried out since.
The developer Tom McFeely has claimed he cannot afford to fix the defects, while Dublin City Council – which owns 26 of the apartments – believes it should not be responsible.
Although some have moratoriums in place, residents continue to be liable for mortgages of up to €250,000 on properties that they cannot live in. A resolution process between the mortgage lenders, DCC and the residents is still underway.
The local authority is waiting on a date for a Supreme Court hearing as part of its attempts to stop paying for the residents’ temporary accommodation. Previously, Usher has said families will be “in serious trouble” if the council is successful in that bid.
Meanwhile, Tom McFeely is in the High Court again today to challenge the repossession of his Ailesbury Road home. The property was seized after he defaulted on a €9.5 million mortgage. He has claimed that his family are now “on the side of the street”.
A selection of images taken yesterday at the Priory Hall apartments:
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