PRIORY HALL residents have implored Dublin City Council not to shirk responsibility for housing the evacuees from the unsafe apartment complex in Donaghmede.
The council is appealing to the Supreme Court the order of High Court president Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns that it must cover the costs of accommodating the residents who were evacuated from their apartments last month.
Outside the court residents’ spokesman Graham Usher said they were grateful to Mr Justice Kearns for his compassion and his efforts in trying to bring the fire safety issue to a successful conclusion. Mr Usher urged the council to reconsider its appeal against the judge’s decision.
“I believe the council is trying to absolve themselves of all responsibility here. The fact of the matter is Priory Hall was built on their watch.”
The council was aware that the deficiencies in the construction of Priory Hall went “far deeper” than fire safety risks, Mr Usher said.
“Fire safety is just one of the many reasons insurers have declined to write the risk on Priory Hall. Even Nama refuses to take on the loan as the cost of the remedial work is greater than the value of the properties.”
He called on the Government to engage with mortgage providers to allow residents to transfer their mortgages to vacant properties controlled by the National Asset Management Agency enabling them to leave Priory Hall permanently and acquire “safe and properly built” homes.
The council has arranged to meet residents on Monday but Mr Usher said they had no indication of what the meeting was about.
“It is extremely worrying. We don’t know where we’re going to be for Christmas, we don’t know if our homes can be fixed . . . so we’re completely in limbo.” The council said it would make no comment ahead of Monday’s meeting.
