Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

There is not one Member who does not feel the deepest sympathy for the residents in Priory Hall. A terrible thing happened there. People bought their homes with hard-earned money and invested their hopes and futures in that building only to discover it is not fit for purpose.

Efforts are being made by different people to find the best outcome for the households concerned. I met with the representatives of the residents, as did as my colleague, the Minister of State with responsibility for housing and planning, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, who is working to find a solution to this problem.

Options on accommodation were discussed and assessed. Until there are final agreements, however, it is too early to say what the result will be without causing further confusion and anxiety. There are also Supreme Court proceedings, which as Deputy McDonald said, are up for mention today and the court will adjudicate on several issues. It would not be appropriate for me to comment further on that until the court finishes its business.

Dublin City Council sought an early hearing on the matter of its appeal to the Supreme Court against the order of the High Court that the council meets the cost of the alternative accommodation required for the evacuated residents. The issue in the appeal is whether the High Court was entitled to make orders under section 23 of the Fire Safety Act 1981 requiring the council to pay the costs incurred by the residents. The order to pay such costs has serious implications for the taxpayer and the city council in its role as a fire authority.

The overriding priority at Priory Hall is to ensure the best outcome of the households concerned and to facilitate as early as possible a return to their own homes. In this respect, it will be necessary to ensure these homes are made fit for purpose and the costs for doing so should fall where they should. The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government has asked Dublin City Council to do all in its powers to achieve the objective and has asked his Department to continue to liaise with the council in this regard.

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