Council to sue developer over re-housing costs

Dublin City Council is to sue a developer for costs of re-housing tenants who had to evacuated from apartments found to be a fire safety risk.

The council had to move 16 families from Priory Hall apartments in Donaghmede, which were built by developer Thomas McFeely of Coalport Ltd, last December because of non-compliance with fire standards.

A council report also states that the two sets of legal proceedings have been issued against the developer, both for the safety breaches and for failure to abide by four sets of planning permission, including a failure to build a link road.

A report to North Central councillors stated that Coalport has been given until 2 April to complete fire safety works.

But the council has previously stated that they cannot intervene on behalf of private apartment owners.

Residents of another scheme in Dundalk, built by the same developer, were served with an evacuation notice by the town council in December over fire safety concerns.

Local Labour councillor Sean Kenny said the council had 'shut the stable door after the horse has bolted'.

He said the council had housed their tenants in a scheme that was known to be a breach of planning conditions.

Mr Kenny said the compliance certificates given to the council for the scheme have now been shown to be 'duds' and the council failed to secure a financial bond from the developer.

The council has stated that before 2007 it was not its policy to require a bond where the developer was retaining the development in private management.