Developers to hand in passports

Property developers behind the Priory Hall apartment complex in north Dublin have until this morning to surrender their passports, the president of the High Court ruled yesterday.

Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns ordered Thomas McFeely, whose construction company Coalport built Priory Hall, and Larry O'Mahony to produce their passports after hearing neither had the resources to pay the hotel bills of families in the 187-apartment Priory Hall complex, which is to be evacuated.

Last Friday the court granted an order to Dublin City Council to evacuate Priory Hall in Donaghmede after hearing evidence it was a very serious fire safety risk, had significant structural deficiencies and insurance cover had been withdrawn.

South Dublin County Council has raised issues of fire safety with Coalport over the Aras Na Cluaine development in Clondalkin, west Dublin. A council spokeswoman said last night that case was ongoing.

In the absence of funds available from the developers, who are now required to file a statement of their financial affairs by Friday, the judge ruled Dublin City Council would be responsible for the hotel bills of the families between yesterday and November 28th.

More than 100 of the 294 residents including 96 dependants identified by the council had checked into the hotel last night. The bills for accommodation and food in the Regency Hotel were estimated at €200,000, which the court heard broke down as €25 per adult bed and breakfast per night; €5 per child bed and breakfast; and €7 per dinner.

Mr McFeely undertook to carry out a schedule of remedial works agreed with the city council's fire officer Donal Casey, but said he did not have the funds to cover the residents' hotel costs. Mr O'Mahony, who was said to have supplied the land for the Priory Hall scheme, was described in court as a bankrupt in the UK.

The cost of the remedial work to the apartments is as yet unknown. Mr Justice Kearns said he would give residents until Thursday to vacate the flats. He ordered Dublin City Council to provide five dedicated phone lines to deal with accommodation queries from the residents.

He allowed five weeks to complete phase one of the refurbishment programme, starting next Monday. He said all further internal works, which include the installation of smoke alarms and some structural fire safety measures, should be finished by January 31st.

Yesterday's court hearing was attended by a large contingent of Priory Hall residents, some of whom pursued Mr McFeely from the court shouting questions about his commitment to refurbish the complex. "You couldn't build a snowman," one shouted while others were less polite.

Mr McFeely told the residents he had been ruined by the property crash. Asked where he lived, he first said he lived mostly "on a plane". He later told the residents the banks had taken ownership of his home.