Aideen Hayden (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome my colleague, Senator O'Keeffe, back to the House and thank her and Senators MacSharry, Barrett and Michael D'Arcy for the good work they have done at the banking inquiry.

I agree with Senator Daly on the need for an urgent debate on the issue of the Longboat Quay development. We face a scenario where 900 residents of this apartment complex face possible homelessness because they are living in a building that is potentially a firetrap. I agree with Senator Daly that it seems nobody is to be held responsible. The fire authority is not responsible, the developer has gone bankrupt and is not responsible, the professionals are not responsible because all they had to do was a walk-through inspection, and HomeBond is not responsible because, let us face it, the company is never responsible for anything as far as I can determine and certainly was not held responsible for pyrite.

What in God's name was the point of the apartment owners paying insurance for so many years when it has all been for nothing? I do not know why the issue is not being treated as one for the criminal code. While the developer may have gone bankrupt, the bottom line is that he has put lives at risk for as long as the development is not repaired to the extent necessary to allow people to live in it in safety.

Apartment developments accounted for 78% of all buildings constructed in Dublin between 2004 and 2007. Other apartment developments including, I understand, one in Ratoath, have been put into the frame. This is not to say that there are not many other apartment complexes which have not yet come into view because apparently the difficulties arise in many cases when leaks are found, a wall is opened up and, lo and behold, the filling required to prevent fire spreading to other apartments is absent. The whole thing is an absolute disaster.

We did not seem to have a problem imposing an insurance levy on the entire insurance business to pay for the cost of Quinn Insurance. I want to know what can be done for all those who spent good money on apartments, many of whom are in negative equity, and cannot afford to pay €18,000, €24,000 or €30,000 to have their homes rehabilitated. This is a very serious issue requiring serious attention because I guarantee a fire will occur and someone will die.