No signs of emergency funding to repair 100,000 apartments

STILL no sign of emergency funding to repair fire safety and defects at up to 100,000 apartments and duplexes, despite promises for 100 per cent redress made by government in January.

Home owners from the Crescent Building in Park West, are facing the nightmare scenario of bills up to €68k to fix defects problems at their property.

The complex, containing 232 units over nine blocks, was built in 2003, during the Celtic Tiger, but the builders responsible are trading under a different name.

Management fees at the Crescent Building have gone up to cover costs for a fire alarm, adding to the pressure of increased bills and mortgage rates.

Members of the ‘Not Our Fault’ campaign, who include Park West residents and property owners in Hunterswood, Ballycullen, continue to protest outside the Dail every Wednesday and will continue until the Housing Minister Daragh O’Brien has emergency funding in place.

At a press conference in Buswell’s, Sam Doran, a Crescent Building resident, said they have engaged with a new fire engineering company.

“We will be ready to commence works on the means of escape in our building to give people a safe passage to get out of the building in the event of a fire.

“These works are going to cost approximately €300k for this portion of the works and we need the emergency funding to be in place for us to make our building safe,” said Sam.

The government dragging their heels has led to residents experiencing financial and stressful consequences, Doran labelling O’Brien as the “minister for inaction”.

An email by the minister for Mr Doran outlined the need for owners’ management companies to engage the services of competent fire safety professionals to prioritise works.

Sam continued: “So where do we apply for this emergency funding as we have engaged a competent fire engineering company to prioritise works but all we are getting is empty promises from him and his department?

“The lack of urgency on this matter is very concerning for us owners of affected properties and the longer this goes unresolved people are always living in fear of a fire or tragedy happening in one of these buildings.”

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