Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Tá sé tábhachtach go leanann an grúpa seo ag obair agus go mbeidh sé chomh tapa agus is féidir. It is important that this happens as quickly as possible because there is a cost in the event of some of these complexes, as happened in Priory Hall, having to be closed. To vacate a complex such as this or others, where there is a fire defect, is a huge cost on residents or tenants, given the scarcity of accommodation in the city as it is.

In some cases, the management company, residents or owners may be able to pursue the developer, but many of those developers and their companies disappeared with the collapse of the Celtic tiger. It then falls on the residents or owners to foot the funding and most will not be able to.

It then falls on the State which, in some cases, had a duty to ensure these properties were built properly. In some cases, the council knew of issues and never addressed them. In other cases, fire certificates were issued in advance of any inspection or without any inspection at all. The committee will deal with those issues and report on them but there is an urgency.

There is a big difference between this and mica. In terms of mica or pyrite, one sees the damage as one lives it. In these cases, the only time one will find out if there is a defect is when a fire breaks out or when a fire officer comes in and issues a certificate to close or vacate one's premises. That is what we do not want and that is why there is an urgency. I know it is a big undertaking, given the scale of the estimate of 100,000 homes with defects that need remedial action quickly.

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