Dáil debates

Thursday, 29 March 2018

Leaders' Questions (Resumed)

 

12:10 pm

Photo of Tommy BroughanTommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I would like to echo the comments made by colleagues on the disgraceful homelessness figures from yesterday.

I want to raise a matter which also affects homeless families. Last week, the upper floors of the 16-storey Metro Hotel were destroyed by fire. While residents were made homeless, thankfully there was no loss of life and no one suffered any injuries. As always, the Dublin Fire Brigade, the Garda and other first responders did an outstanding job. Any serious fire like this, along with the legacy of unsafe and dangerous buildings constructed during the Celtic tiger era renews concerns about fire safety and about the operation of the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations, BCAR, from March 2014. The latter essentially continued the system of self-certification of the disastrous Pádraig Flynn-inspired Building Control Regulations 1990, which permitted so much defective building in this country.

I first alerted the chief fire officer and city manager to the concerns of residents at Priory Hall and estates like Millfield Manor and Longboat Quay and up to 30 other high-profile defective multi-unit estates across the country have been highlighted in the media. From 2007, I continuously raised in this Chamber the issue of pyrite damage to homes and estates. However, the former taoisigh, Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen, and the former Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, John Gormley, refused to take responsibility for often distraught residents. As building activity ramps up again at long last, will more lax BCAR regulations leave a toxic legacy for the future, particularly in light of the changes to planning and apartment sizes made by the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government?

In Dublin Bay North specifically, there are particular concerns about some buildings with timber frame construction. It is alleged that there are gaps at the top of compartment walls, a serious fire hazard; that plasterboards have not been fitted in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions; that service ducts and intermediate floors are not fire-protected and that brickwork and blockwork cladding is not secured to the timber frames. Can the Tánaiste confirm that the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, is fully aware of how many homes built during the boom are at risk of rapid fire spread? He asked the local authorities for information on this recently. The Minister, along with Deputy Coveney as the former Minister and their predecessors in the role have this information. Can both Cabinet members also outline what steps they have taken to ensure the safety of all the residents concerned?

From information supplied under freedom of information legislation to my constituency colleague who has done important work on this issue, Councillor Cian O’Callaghan of the Social Democrats, it appears that the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government has been aware of timber frames, insulation and other fire risks for at least a decade. After the Grenfell tragedy, when I raised the issues of high-rise cladding and mandatory sprinkler systems, the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, told me about the framework review but the important case study was never published. In February the Minister also told me about his high-level fire safety task force formed to lead a re-appraisal of fire safety in Ireland. When will the task force’s final report be available? The Building Control (Construction Industry Register Ireland) Bill 2017 is before the House at the moment. However, given the track record of developers, surely the proposed construction industry register should not be placed with them but with a new, independent building regulator.

Finally, despite the Minister's assurances to colleagues in this Chamber last week after the Metro Hotel fire, our colleagues in the Services, Industrial, Technical and Professional Union, SIPTU, tell us that the Dublin Fire Brigade has no 42 m ladders and the only two high-rise appliances are both based at one location at Tara Street in central Dublin.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.