THE RESIDENTS of the ill-fated Priory Hall apartment complex in Donaghmede this afternoon secured an ad hoc meeting with Enda Kenny – but left frustrated at what they say was the Taoiseach’s failure to make any firm commitments to help them.
The residents doorstepped the Taoiseach when he was visiting a nearby industrial estate for this afternoon’s announcement of 280 jobs at pharmaceuticals company Mylan.
Residents said the Taoiseach granted a small number of residents a “brief ad-hoc meeting” after being pressured by residents and their children, who were forced to evacuate the complex six months ago this week.
One resident told TheJournal.ie that the Taoiseach had agreed to hold a more formal meeting with the residents, but that he would not do so until after April 24 when the Supreme Court is expected to rule on Dublin City Council’s appeal over the costs of rehousing the residents.
The former residents of Priory Hall said they felt April 24 was a “red letter day”, after which they could face severe financial turmoil if they are forced to cover both the costs of their new accommodation and the mortgages for their Priory Hall properties.
While the Taoiseach heard suggestions that the issue of Priory Hall mortgages be added to the agenda for next week’s meeting with the senior executives of the state-recapitalised banks, residents said he had not made any commitment to do so.
“For myself, over six months, we’ve had so many knocks I’ll be reserving judgement,” Graham Usher of the Priory Hall Residents’ Committee said.
“He expressed a lot of sympathy but he wouldn’t really make any commitment, and unfortunately six months on we’re really passed sympathy here.
“I won’t be getting overly excited about this until someone in the government agrees to take some responsibility for the part they’ve played in this.”
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