Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)

I thank Deputy Costello for raising this matter. Dublin City Council is aware of the serious safety concerns about the premises at Railway Street and is already taking appropriate steps to address the situation. The safety of the residents is of paramount concern and I appreciate this is a stressful time for all concerned.

The residential units at Railway Street were built by a private developer. Dublin City Council purchased 25 units for social housing and took possession of them in 2005. This includes 16 units at the Kiln and nine units at the Forge.

Following boiler problems reported by residents, I understand the gas company investigated the matter and became concerned with the way the gas boiler flues were installed. Potential health and safety concerns required the disconnection of gas supply to some units in the Forge and the Foundry. Eight of the nine social housing units in the Forge were disconnected and the tenants were supplied with electric heaters by the council.

The legal requirements in relation to building works to new and existing dwellings are set out under the Building Control Acts. Part J of the building regulations in particular addresses the technical and safety issues relating to heat producing appliances. Part D of the building regulations specifies that materials, which includes components and fittings such as heating appliances and their flues, should be fit for their intended use and installed to a proper standard of workmanship. A comprehensive suite of related technical guidance documents provide detailed guidance on how to comply with the regulations in practice.

Responsibility for compliance with the regulations rests with the builder and the owner of a building. Enforcement is a matter for the local building control authority, which is empowered to carry out inspections and initiate enforcement proceedings when considered necessary.

Representatives of the residents met the developer following which the contractor responsible for installing the heating system agreed to inspect the units and rectify any problems. The contractor went on site on Tuesday and is working from a vacant unit made available by Dublin City Council. It is expected that the work will take five weeks to complete. The manufacturer of the boilers has also sent a representative on site to ensure the works are completed to its recommended standards.

I am satisfied that Dublin City Council as the designated building control authority and housing authority has the wherewithal to effect a satisfactory resolution in this matter. The overriding priority is to ensure the optimum outcome for the households concerned by ensuring that defectively installed heating systems are remediated and that the costs of so doing fall where they should. I have asked Dublin City Council to liaise with the tenants in this regard to ensure that any issues in the social housing units are rectified immediately and satisfactorily. The Department will continue to liaise closely with Dublin City Council on the matter.

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