The High Court has threatened to jail the director of a construction company for six months for breaching orders relating to fire safety at an apartment complex car park.
Last month, Dublin City Council obtained an injunction against McGinley Construction and a director of the firm, Hugh McGinley, preventing the use of the basement car park at the complex at East Road, Dublin 3.
The Court ruled that the injunction was to remain in place until a number of measures were carried out to ensure the car park complied with fire safety regulations.
Today, lawyers for Dublin City Council said inspections of the car park had shown it was still being used and the works had not been carried out.
The complex consists of 73 apartments as well as unoccupied retail units and a crèche.
Hugh McGinley told the Court that he had had difficulty getting tenants and owners of the apartments to stop using the car park. He said there were only two cars remaining in it at the moment. He said that he intended to carry out the fire safety works.
Mr Justice Peter Charleton ruled that there had been a breach of court orders and made an order committing Mr McGinley to jail for six months and sequestering the firm's assets.
But he ruled that the order would not be drawn up until after a full hearing of the issue which is due to take place in October.
