“DECADES OF FAILURE” by the UK government and the construction company were found to have been responsible for the Grenfell Tower fire.

The long-awaited report released yesterday made accusations of “deliberate and sustained” manipulation of fire-safety testing and misrepresentation, among other things, all of which created the conditions for the blaze that killed 72 people.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer formally apologised for the failures on behalf of the government, saying he will look at all 58 of the inquiry’s recommendations “in detail”.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner will face questions from journalists this morning about the next steps that will be take.

It’s been promised that ministers will respond in full within six months, and will provide regular updates to parliament on any commitments made.

Criminal charges?

The Metropolitan Police has said however that it will need an estimated 12 to 18 months to pore over the report “line by line” before any criminal charges are brought.

The force has previously said a total of 19 companies and organisations were under investigation for potential criminal offences, along with 58 individuals.

Potential offences under consideration included corporate manslaughter, gross negligence manslaughter, perverting the course of justice, misconduct in public office, health and safety offences, fraud, and offences under the fire safety and building regulations.

Yesterday’s report recommended creating a new single regulator for the construction industry, which has become “too complex and fragmented”.

Starmer said the inquiry’s conclusion should be a “moment of change” and vowed to take measures to step up remediation of buildings still covered in dangerous cladding.

Irish involvement

Irish firm Kingspan also faced particularly heavy criticism in the report. 

The report said Kingspan, which has headquarters in Co Cavan, “embarked on a dishonest scheme to mislead its customers and the wider market”.

The west London tower block was covered in combustible products because of the “systematic dishonesty” of firms who made and sold the cladding and insulation, inquiry chairman Martin Moore-Bick said.

Ulster Rugby have held a long association with the Kingspan company going back to 1999, with the Ravenhill grounds named after the company.

The club has reiterated that its association with Kingspan is coming to an end in June 2025.

Some of the bereaved and survivors of the tragedy have called on Shane Lowry and others to end their sponsorship arrangements with Kingspan.

Lowry, as well as Cavan GAA, have yet to comment.

With reporting by Diarmuid Pepper and PA