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Dublin: 11 °C Sunday 19 May, 2013

Priory Hall residents demand meeting with Minister for Environment

Environment Minister Phil Hogan has refused to meet with the residents of the doomed development saying that he “cannot interfere in individual cases”.

Apartments in Priory Hall in Donaghmede
Apartments in Priory Hall in Donaghmede
Image: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

RESIDENTS OF PRIORY Hall have demanded a meeting with the Minister for the Environment.

The residents, who were forced out of their homes in October over a fire safety breach in the development, say that they face an “uncertain future”.

Environment Minister Phil Hogan last month refused to meet with the residents, saying that he “cannot interfere in individual cases”.

Residents are concerned about who will provide their accommodation if Dublin City Council wins a Supreme Court appeal this week which would absolve the council from paying for the costs.

“We face an uncertain future in terms of immediate accommodation needs, the future prospects for Priory Hall itself and whether we will be able to meet our mortgage obligations,” the residents said in a statement.

The residents have asked the three TDs and four Dublin city councillors who represent the Donaghmede area to co-sign a letter to Phil Hogan from the residents asking for a meeting.

The letter is due to be handed in during a residents’ protest outside Leinster House this afternoon.

The residents of the Donaghmede development were forced to leave their homes in October when Dublin City Council ruled that it breached fire safety legislation.

There is now a major dispute over who should pay for housing the residents, with Dublin City Council claiming that it doesn’t have the money to pay for alternative accommodation.

The Supreme Court will hear the appeal from the Council tomorrow over an order which gave the Council responsibility for covering the accommodation costs.

Residents have said that they have had no direct communication from the Council over what will happen if the Council wins its appeal and no longer has to pay for emergency accommodation for the residents.

The developer of the complex, Thomas McFeely, was sentenced in November  to jail for three months and a fine of €1 million for contempt of court orders relating to his development. The judge in the case later granted McFeely a reprieve against the sentence.

In pictures: Six weeks on, Priory Hall is a ghost town >

Minister for Environment refuses to meet Priory Hall residents >

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Comments (9 Comments)

  • In my mind, whomever ultimately issued the fire cert is responsible here, irrespective of whatever self-certification process was in place. If that was an officer of the City Council, then the buck stops there.

    Reply
    • Eggfuel 13/12/11 #

      This is a perfect example of govt facing up to its responsibilities to the people. It’s up to the mechanisms of the state to enforce building standards and a clear breach of this should have repercussions as well as a cear lack of enforcement… The responsibility goes both directions….
      Irish govt (minister of the environment)
      Stand up for your responsibilities to the people…
      We the Irish electorate have to pay for your fuck ups in the banking sector and ear light tough regulation by design so its high time you start to toe the bloody line

      Reply
  • Phil Hogan! The same Phil Hogan who stated that an announcement in regards to water charges was to be made last October! It’s now the middle of December, and still nothing. As for hiding behind ” I can’t get involved in individual cases” Another total cop out. How can this be regarded as an individual case? This man hasn’t got a clue! He doesn’t want any grief that might affect his position as minister! He only needs another year or two to guarantee a huge pension for life!

    Reply
    • As I understand it, there is a case before the Supreme Court. If he met with them, they could make a statement based on his comments that could have a bearing on the case, which may not be in their best interest. Remember when Mary Harney made a statement about Charlie Haughey that prejudiced any criminal case against him?

      Reply
  • Eggfuel 13/12/11 #

    Apologies for my poor use of vocabulary but I am so annoyed at another exams of light touch regulation.. Nobody wishes to enforce the rules in Ireland… So frustrating

    Reply
    • Ardo Ci 13/12/11 #

      Your comments about ‘responsibilities’ and where they lie are 100%. Priory Hall sums ‘Ireland’ up in all its ignominius glory of crooks, illegalities, ministerial incompetence, government ineptitude, people exploitation, financial irregularities and the rest. As for Hogan, you’re wasting your breath as it were. He ranks in my opinion as the most pitiless, worst TD of all of the fully paid-up membership of the ‘let them eat cake’ politicians. It’s beyond me how he’s still there. P.s. sorry about the ‘thumb’ down above I meant to hit the ‘up’ of course

      Reply
  • What’s all the fuss about? Why should big Phil meet these peasants that are homeless for Christmas? Do you not realise by now that ministerial access is reserved for the wealthy, Businessmen, bankers etc?
    And of course there is the little matter of these peasants not paying the property tax, so why should he give them a few minutes out of his Dail time?

    Reply
  • As bad as all this is, and I do agree that the builder, fire officer and council should be dragged backwards through as many courts, tribunals, etc as possible, I find it hard to believe that not one of the residents of Priory Hall bothered to get their new apartment assessed before buying.

    Surely if you are going to spend hundreds of thousands of euro on a home the first thing you would do is have the place assessed to make sure it’s structurally sound and safe. This should be a mandatory condition of getting a mortgage.

    Reply
  • This must be such a night mare for the people who were living in these apartments … Phil Hogan is a disgrace, another politician who will not ”man up” and TELL the developer tp sort these people out .

    Reply

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