Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
Updated at 7.39pm
THE DUBLIN DOCKLANDS Development Authority has said it will provide financial assistance to help carry out required works on unsafe apartments at Longboat Quay.
However, it has been branded as “wholly unacceptable”.
In a statement this afternoon, it confirmed a “formal final offer” of €2.75 million towards the repairs, which will cost €4.75 million.
This would still see the homeowners having to fork out €2 million to ensure they can live in the property.
However, one group of residents, the Longboat Quay Owners and Residents Group, have contested this. They are argue the outstanding amount is in the region of €3.25 million, as this evening’s offer involves just €1.5 million of “new money”.
The Longboat Quay apartments, built on Sir John Rogerson’s Quay by developer Bernard McNamara, have major deficiencies with their fire safety standards. Residents were told at a meeting on Tuesday that it would take around €18,000 each to fix the problems in the 299 apartments.
Today, the DDDA said that between its contribution and that of the receiver (who owns 18 apartments in the complex), 58% or €2.75 million will be granted to the residents.
The remaining €2 million of the estimated costs will need to be financed by the management company and the apartment owners.
Reacting to the statement by DDDA, the Longboat Quay Owners and Residents group said that while the offer is welcome, “we believe it is wholly unacceptable”.
The terms and conditions attached to this offer are equally unacceptable, not least the demand to transfer responsibility for the common areas to the owners.
“Given these realities, we remain unable at this point to award a contract to rectify the defects and therefore avoid enforcement action by Dublin Fire Brigade.”
RTÉ News reports that Martin McAleese, husband of former president Mary McAleese, has signed as chairman of the Priory Hall Implementation Oversight Group, as he owns an apartment at Longboat Quay.
Earlier…
Nama said that it spent millions of euro repairing other properties relating to Bernard McNamara, the developer behind the Longboat Quay apartments.
Speaking at the Public Accounts Committee this afternoon, Nama’s CEO Brendan McDonagh says 18 of the 300 apartments in Longboat Quay are controlled by receivers who will likely make a contribution towards their repair.
“This is taxpayers money at the end of the day, we’ve got 18 of the 300 apartments. So the receiver is working with Dublin City Council and the Dublin Docklands Development Authority to find a solution where there would be a meaningful contribution made by the receiver,” Mc Donagh said.
“And let’s be honest about it, the receiver doesn’t have the money, it’s us giving the money to the receiver, towards meeting the cost of re-mediation, it has to be re mediated. It is a terrible situation.”
Asked by Fine Gael deputy Patrick O’Donovan whether there were previous issues relating to the same debtor as Longboat Quay, McDonagh said that there were.
“Another major block built by that debtor had some issues and we have spent millions of euro fixing that issue to the satisfaction of the fire safety authorities,” McDonagh replied.
Tánaiste Joan Burton was also asked about the Longboat Quay this afternoon, saying that she knows some of the residents at the property and hopes it can be resolved “as quickly as possible”.
Burton described the properties as a “beautiful development right on the banks of the River Liffey.”
She said, however, that Dublin Fire Brigade has pointed to “serious issues relating to fire safety”, adding that she thinks there is scope for Dublin City Council to fix the problem.
I think the solution is there, we have to bring the city council and the Docklands Authority, which is moving into the council. They have to come together. This is in the hands of the city council to take action as a responsible city authority.”
Burton was challenged by Sinn Féin deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh about why there hasn’t been any new legislation to deal with sub-standard housing.
The Tánaiste said that even if there were it wouldn’t help those in Longboat Quay right now.
“I don’t have an objection to more legislation but I don’t think that it’s needed to address the problems that the families have in the here and now,” she said.
Speaking to Today with Seán O’Rourke this morning, apartment owner and landlord Erica McKerrow-Berthon said her tenant is “terrified” of being evicted.
“She’s one of these hundreds of vulnerable tenants who are living in the complex who – if they do have to move out – won’t find anywhere else to live. Obviously, she’s terrified. She doesn’t know what’s going on,” she said.
“It’s not fair. There were failures in our building regulation control. It shouldn’t be our problem. We are people who work, we’re honest people. We already pay a fortune in management fees. We pay our property tax, we pay for water charges. What kind of country is it that this happens and people have to pay for it? It’s scandalous.”
Additional reporting by Sinead O’Carroll and Nicky Ryan
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
If multiple developments by McNamara have been substandard, why is he even allowed to build again?
Why is he not in prison awaiting trial?
It are there too many backhanders floating around to know where this ends
isn’t there an office of corporate enforcement. why is he still allowed to be a company director?
People who build these incinerators should never be allowed to be involved in construction again. But the public have a right to know the names of the ARCHITECTS who signed off on these buildings also my understanding is that architects needed professional liability insurance in order to be able to sign off these buildings
So come on who signed off longboat quay
how can a so called labour party stand over this ??????????
We need a building control along same lines as english model. No arguement just put it in place govenment and stop faffing around. Heard today there is more dog wardens than building inspectors in Ireland. Disgraceful
@ family guy : we did have a new building control system, introduced in March 2014. It was rescinded on Sept 2015 in the main, on foot of whinging by ” interested parties”…
And would someone explain how this COWBOY BUILDER is allowed to start up again ???.
The one he is refurbishing now is owned by……………………………………………..
DOB.
So we are living in a country where developers can put people’s lives at stake for money and pay no price. The people responsible for allowing this , should be arrested for endangering life.
This fuucker and his equals should be doing time a very long time.
I wouldn’t be going near any of his properties to buy!! Can you imagine?
If a Government agency like NAMA were aware of previous issues with his properties, why was he given the contract to build the IW HQ?
It’s because once you are in the Golden Circle, you’re in for life.
he’s back building? why can’t govt sue him?
it can’t be done. It’s the way company law is. His company that built this housing went bankrupt and was then liquidated. As it was a Ltd company the liability is restricted to the shareholders funds. As that company is gone, so has McNamara’s liability. As far as the law is concerned he’s a new man with a clean slate. The ODCE is another matter but it would have to be shown that he deliberately developed sub standard housing knowingly skirting fire laws etc.
Who is being supported by taxpayer funded banks, local authorities and central government you mean ?
Well let us all be thankful that there isn’t a satalite dish on the wrong wall.
Yes those damn satellite dishes are the real menace to society. Thank god for the vigilance of the relevant authorities of such matters . We can’t allow some old lady to get away with this.
I don’t care how old somebody is they don’t get to ignore the laws. There is plenty of scope to find an individual and a company guilty of breaking regulations. The fact one is easy to spot is just the nature of what was or was not done.
The fact is you can’t sue a company after it is gone nor hold the owners responsible forever more. Huge amount of company law you would need to change and it won’t happen.
There is no way that people like Bernard McNamara should be given any more government, semi-state or local authority contracts until they fix the problems that their former companies left behind. If they don’t sort them then black ball them excluding them from any tendering processes in the future both as the primary and sub contracted tenderer.
It is an absolute disgrace that someone whose companies have no been proven to have flouted building regulations is being allowed to continue on in the same trade. I’d be very interested in hearing Mr Tom Parlon of the Construction Industry Federation’s thoughts on this situation. It would be a very worthwhile interview to conduct TheJournal, are you game to ask some difficult questions to the organisation that represents the builders and developers.
Can you imagine the amount of sweaty palms he greased during the Celtic Tiger years?
He’s simply calling in a few favours from the lads in the Golden Circle.
That’s how it works.
The reality is in order to build substandard housing you didn’t have to bribe anybody. It was all limited liability and self regulation. Building bylaw regulation was done away with so nobody was watching.
The new regulations are more expensive for extensions and not fit for purpose allowing similar to happen again. Bring back the original system it was much better.
It’s all in the name Mc NAMA ra
How and who gave the sign off on these apartments again nobody is ever held accountable
That is the most important point I feel. All the money in planning and compliance and a totally inept system that has allowed this. Hard to believe regulators don’t regulate and the householder is left on the Hook for it. They are doubtless still in their jobs not giving a single f**k that buildings were certified that are plainly dangerous. As Anthony said 0 accountability so disgraceful. There should be a campaign to hold the people with oversight of these apartments to book.
The architect sign off to state that the building is compliant, but instead of accountability the taxpayer picks up the tab.
Failed banks, Quinn Insurance, ICI, PMPA, the taxpayer pays for the lot.
Bernard McNamara and his company should be banned from any building even a garden shed in this state
Wasn’t McNamara one of B-Bertie’s p-pals?
I worked on that development. Had no idea this was going on
Government won’t do anything about these rogue builders until we have people killed like the Berkeley balcony collapse
There is definitely something badly wrong with the system. If your car has an inherent fault, then the manufacturer repairs it for free. VW will do this with the emissions scandal and its proper order. Why should housing be different? If you buy a house in good faith and it later has subsidence or has inherent faults like fire violations, why on earth should the buyer be on the hook to repair it? And surely banks as mortgage holders should be involved and should be using their leverage to push for a resolution. as their asset is on the line here as well.
If VW no longer existed nobody would fix your car. The company that built this property no longer exists
A fair point. in cases like that though an agency would be appointed as a responsible post holder to ensure quality standards, spare parts etc for the cars left. Same in aviation. Companies will sometimes step in under contract to be the designated post holder. Nothing like that with housing. Which is wrong…. there has to some kind of liability path back to the source.
same construction model was dublicated on trinity house student apartments on dartry road. worked on both projects for mr mcNAMAra
What happened to the DOB article…??
It self redacted after eight comments. Seems standard enough around here where Boo is the same as Dob.
Look guys its a banana republic and it never going to change, Left, Right are all the same looking out for themselves and their friends.
Here’s the real question! if a fire did break out and there were fatalaties, who is responsible then??? Being in the building game…..there are a load more of these in the pipeline, buildings that are not up to fire regs! FACT.
Bernard McNamara was very well got with FF. He is now extremely well got with FG.
I feel desperately sorry for Labour. They would love to have an in and to be close to McNamara but two Labour Ministers for State have chikdren who own apartments in Longboat Quay.
One Bernard McNamara is worth more than 200,000 citizens. The larger political parties are servile to the interests of large property developers.
Homebond and the CIF are no protection at all. They induce peole into thinking that they have protection, when in reality they have no protection.
Corporate governance and public governance in Ireland are utterly deficient and titally dysfunctional.
We also been asked to stump up €12,000 per apartment in D15
That’s not acceptable.
Angela, your’e also paying for Longboat Quay, and the thousands of apartments NAMA have repaired on the sly,
Given that there has to be a sign off, from planning and an inspection after build why are the local authority officers not being questioned here?
Tip of the iceberg.
If you bought a car and at it’s first NCT test it was discovered that it had no airbag fitted and the catalytic converter was not correctly fitted you would fail the NCT. The manufacturer would be fully responsible to correct these errors immediately at THEIR cost. You would also be entitled to a loan car for the duration of the repairs.
Just look at the current VW disclosures. They and not the customer are fully responsible and must undertake all necessary corrections at their expense. Why then, if you buy an apartment should it be YOUR problem even though you paid all the mandatory inspection and certificates costs?
The cause of the Longboat Quay problem, which is far from isolated, is a consequence of successive Governments in Ireland, comprising FF, the former PDs, FG and Labour all beholden to and in thrall to property developers.
Governments have been corrupted by submitting to the vested interests of highly influential major property developers.
And there should have been funds set aside for such issues, even if the company subsequently “was dissolved”. Why was that waived? Tenants held to ransom over this. For most people their home is the largest purchase they’ll ever make. Many bought off plans. Where was the regulation, the inspections, the safeguards?
This is brinkmanship with the livelihood of the owner occupiers at stake.
It would have been far smarter for NAMA and DDDA to have settled this one quietly.
Now if I understand it correctly, NAMA has a duty of care to ensure that every property it has under its control has the correct certification and spec.
This makes the taxpayer responsible for far more than the Government thought that it would…
Normally when you buy something that is not up to standard the seller pays.
HL Mencken observed that for every complex question there was an answer that was simple, clearcut. And wrong. But wrt these building standards there really is a simple and clearcut answer. The people who signed off on the building should PERSONALLY be both civilly and CRIMINALLY liable for serious misrepresentations. That would stop it over night.
Tear it down start over !
Very concerning … https://youtu.be/huXDlLFQ4Aw
have your say