Council stress apartments are safe for families to live in
By Maurice Garvey
DUBLIN City Council have refuted suggestions that an apartment block in Inchicore is unsafe, after a fire hospitalised a mother and her three kids this week.
Maggie Green (30) and her youngest son Francis (8), remain in hospital in critical condition, after a blaze broke out in their first floor apartment, at Tyrone Place, on Monday night at 10.30pm.
Eyewitnesses told how Maggie, her children John (12), Francis and Savannah (7), were moments from death as fire ripped through their flat at Tyrone Place at approximately 11pm on Monday night.
John and a neighbour are being hailed as heroes for their bravery during the fire.
Despite being rescued, John ran back in to help his mother.
Gardai are treating the fire as suspicious, and issued an appeal for witnesses to come forward.
An emergency motion was forwarded to Dublin City Council this week by Sinn Féin calling for a safety audit report on the buildings at Tyrone Place.
Sinn Fein Councillor Greg Kelly praised neighbours for rallying to support the family, and thanked emergency services and Dublin City Council for their speedy response.
“I was down there this week and neighbours are very concerned about the safety of the building, which is very old,” said Cllr Kelly.
This view was reiterated by Cllr Kelly’s colleague Daithi Doolan.
DCC Area Manager Tony Finnegan stressed that the apartment block “is safe” to live in, and that this was the “first incident of this kind to occur at the building.”
Mr Finnegan said: “Housing maintenance and electrical services were down there, the fire was contained within the flat itself, there was no fire damage elsewhere in the building.
“We have already initiated a fire safety review for all the apartments, which will cover all aspects of safety.
“The critical thing is the 1950s design, and the escape route, there is only one door and down the stairwell. In the case of that door being inoperable, it obviously means the fire escape route has been blocked. I want to stress that it is not unsafe to live in Tyrone Place.”
Mr Finnegan said the council would need to look at upgrading and refurbishing existing housing stock.
Gardai are seeking witnesses to the incident to contact them at Kilmainham Garda Station on 666 9700, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.
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