Builders told to surrender passports

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

Justice Nicholas Kearns ordered developers Thomas McFeely 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 due to concerns over fire safety.

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it was a very serious fire safety risk, had significant structural deficiencies and its insurance cover had been withdrawn.

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 today and November 28th.

The bills for accommodation and food in the Regency Hotel in Santry were estimated at about €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 whose construction company Coalport built the Priory Hall apartment complex, undertook to carry out a schedule of remedial works agreed with the city council’s fire officer Donal Casey, but said he hid 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.

Dublin City Council, which visited the complex last Friday, had identified 294 residents including 96 dependants.

The cost of the remedial work to the blocks of apartments, which sit either side of a ’spine’ road is as yet unknown.

Mr Justice Kearns said he would give residents until Thursday, to vacate the apartment complex. He also ordered Dublin City Council provide five dedicated phone lines to deal with accommodation queries from the residents.

He allowed a total of five weeks to complete phase one of the refurbishment programme, starting on Monday next. 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.

Today’s High Court was attended by a large contingent of Priory Hall residents, some of whom who pursued Mr McFeely from the court shouting questions about his commitment to refurbish the complex.

Earlier, during a previous adjournment in the case locals engaged in heated remarks in the Round Hall of the Four Courts, insulting Mr McFeely and questioning his ability as a builder and his personal circumstances. “You couldn’t build a snowman” one shouted, while others used abusive language.

Mr McFeely told the residents they may have lost a portion of their investment in their homes but he had been completely 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.

Mr McFeely said he had carried out a programme of works on the buildings in recent months and while these were certified, the documentation had not yet been passed on to the City Council. He said the experts who had certified the works were available to the courts to give evidence