All homeowners invited to contact their builders

Residents' views:Residents in Drynam Hall received a circular yesterday from Menolly Homes asking them to contact it in relation to any work carried out on the estate in Kinsealy, Co Dublin.

The circular said residents should contact them if they have "any queries".

The circular did not specify any particular problems but resident Glen Waldron said he had had cracks in the front wall of his house repaired by the developer in recent months and others in the estate had had similar defects repaired.

"A few people were getting the same kind of job done last year," he said. Mr Waldron paid €400,000 for his four-bedroom house in the estate two-and-a-half years ago.

He said the estate was "rife with rumours" and the developer should have been more forthcoming with the nature of the problems that had arisen.

"They should have sent around a newsletter. There are all kinds of rumours circulating. It's all people talk about when they go to the shops."

Local resident Cllr Alan Farrell, who is the Mayor of Fingal County Council, said he was not prepared to comment until he had heard more from the developer, but added "my wife and I have been living here since October 2005. We're very happy here. "

Other residents who did not wish to be named said they had heard various rumours but were in the dark as to the nature of the problems involved, while another said there were problems but they had been sorted out.

Largest home builder in Dublin

Menolly Homes is the largest home builder in the Dublin area.

Headed by Séamus Ross, it is currently developing five sites and has built over 10,000 homes.

It has recently completed the first phases of a planned 4,000 new homes on the former racecourse in Baldoyle in north Dublin.

Menolly has been concentrating in the starter homes market, where it has a reputation for settling for smaller than usual margins to achieve a higher level of sales.

It also set up its own factory near Kill, Co Kildare, where it manufactures pre-cast wall and floor/ceiling units.

Menolly is currently completing houses and apartments in the upmarket Farmleigh Woods scheme opposite the Government guesthouse Farmleigh in the Phoenix Park.

The company has recently moved into the hotel sector and has opened the restored Dunboyne Castle in Co Meath and redeveloped the former Hibernian Hotel, which now trades as the upmarket Dylan Hotel on Upper Baggot Street.

It is also involved in a large development of apartments, shops, offices and a hotel in Warsaw, where it has a sister company.