KENNY CALLS ON CITY COUNCIL TO TAKE A CIVIL ACTION AGAINST PRIORY HALL BUILDER

Posted on September 20, 2011 11:18 AM   |   Permanent Link   

Speaking in the Dáil on Tuesday, Dublin North East Labour Party TD Seán Kenny called for the immediate release of the Dublin City Council commissioned Hayes Higgins Consultant Engineers report to all apartment owners in Priory Hall.

"So far Dublin City Council have refused to provide based on their own legal advice. I would request that the Minister, and Dublin City Council, advise owners and particularly, owner occupiers, who have to honour monthly mortgage commitments if suitable alternative accommodation will be provided for them if further defects are identified when the final report is received bearing in mind that residents who may have to vacate their homes based on the findings of the final report in an emergency will require immediate accommodation and taking a place on a housing list will therefore not be an option."

"I am calling on Dublin City Council to take a civil action against Coalport Building Company Limited and/or the Architect who certified the development in conjunction with the property owners in Priory Hall and not solely to protect Dublin City Council's interests - from a cost point of view this would make better sense as many homeowners are not in a position to obtain legal advice due to their current financial circumstances."

"I would ask the Minister who, if anybody, will undertake the repairs to the development buildings, if they are deemed to be repairable in a scenario where Coalport Building Company Limited have not, to date, and it would appear will not attend to the repair of the buildings."

"The residents of Priory Hall has now reached crisis point and the dilemma they find themselves in is whether to default on their mortgages thereby rendering themselves unable to obtain credit for crucial things such as a family home for the rest of my life or to continue to live in a building that is unsafe as a result of non-compliance with fire safety regulations, defective gas installations, defective electric installations and defective construction. Many of the owner occupiers are struggling financially and are unable to obtain comprehensive legal advice."

"Whilst some residents have received preliminary legal advice most cannot afford to instruct a Solicitor. Some solicitors who have been approached are unwilling to take a case against Coalport Building Company and/or Thomas McFeely, as in previous litigation Mr. McFeely has not paid compensation to Plaintiffs and has a number of judgements against him personally most notably a judgement by ACC Bank for €6.2million."