Families could be hit with bills of up to €14,000, because of building defects at an apartment complex in Simonsridge, in Sandyford.
An official fire safety audit, which examined 632 units at Simonsridge, revealed that repairs works could cost up to €10 million, with an estimation of €11,000-€14,000 per apartment, and up to €30,000 for 32 stairwells.
TD for Dublin Rathdown and Green Party Deputy Leader Catherine Martin is outraged, and she is calling on the government to assist Simonsridge homeowners facing “legacy defects” as a matter of public safety.
“Their homes, their children and their families have been put at risk by the corner-cutting of exploitative cowboy developers, and yet it is the ordinary citizens who have to pay the bills.
“It is now more than two years since the Dáil passed a Green Party motion calling on the Government to investigate potential measures to assist homeowners dealing with defects through no fault of their own.
“It is more than 18 months since the ‘Safe as Houses?’ report recommended the same, and yet Government has done nothing. This is a matter of public safety, and Government inaction can’t continue.”
Green Party Housing spokesperson, and councillor for Glencullen/Sandyford, Deirdre Ní Fhloinn is also calling for immediate action.
“Once again, there is no indication from Government that
they are going to even acknowledge the widespread and appalling issue of legacy
building defects, let alone do anything about it.
“Based on their track record on this issue, unfortunately this comes as no
surprise. This is not an isolated incident – homeowners up and down the country
are facing these issues, some in public and some in private.
“Government needs to take immediate action to investigate the extent of the
legacy defects problem in the state, and put forward concrete practical
measures to assist homeowners who find themselves in this situation.”
