THE DÁIL WILL vote this week on whether to enforce responsibility on the government for remedial works on damaged housing complexes like Priory Hall.
A motion being tabled by the United Left Alliance TDs, supported by ten other independent deputies, would see the Dáil declare that building control would be an entirely public function – and tell the government it “must accept responsibility” for fixing the problems in substandard housing developments.
The motion would see the government told to “accept responsibility for necessary remedial works to make buildings safe and fit for purpose as part of an emergency programme of necessary public works”.
Where possible, it adds, the government would then be told to “pursue the responsible developers and builders to recoup the cost for the State.”
The lengthy motion, which will be debated on Wednesday night and Thursday morning, slams the “inordinate political influence” exercised by developers and builders which led to a “wholly inadequate regime of regulation”.
The TDs claim this has resulted in fire safety being seriously compromised in developments like Priory Hall, as well as leaving many families without adequate recourse as their houses develop major structural damage due to the use of pyrite.
Though the government has proposed new building control regulations to prevent such problems in future, they do not provide any proposals for remedying earlier errors, while the opposition believes the rules would not be tough enough to prevent further pyrite disasters.
A vote will be taken on the motion just before 1pm on Thursday; the government is likely to propose an amendment which would change the substance of the motion before then adopting the amended version.
A spokesman for the Priory Hall Residents Committee declined to comment on the motion, saying it would not be appropriate to do so while the resolution process with Dublin City Council and their mortgage holders was ongoing.
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