McDonald says she tried to contact Longboat Quay developer

Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald has said she would personally contact the developer of the Longboat Quay complex if she had his number.

She told the Dáil that she had urged Taoiseach Enda Kenny to contact Bernard McNamara and could only assume he had not done so.

“I tried unsuccessfully to get a telephone number for Mr McNamara,’’ she said. “If anyone has contact details for him, please pass them on and I will call him.’’

Ms McDonald said Mr McNamara and those responsible for the lack of adequate fire safety at the apartments should foot the bill.

“Since last week, the position of the 900 residents of Longboat Quay has become worse,’’ she said.

“They now have 25 days to start remediation works or they will be evacuated.’’

Ms McDonald said the residents had also been told by Dublin City Council management that the council would not be in a position to house them if they were evacuated.

The "derisory'' offer of additional funding from the Dublin Docklands Development Authority had been rightly rejected as unacceptable by residents, she said.

Not acceptable

“Bernard McNamara and the people he employed are responsible for the apartments in Longboat Quay,’’ she said.

“It is not acceptable that residents spend night after night living in fear of fire or evacuation while Mr McNamara goes about his business rebuilding his development empire.’’

Mr Kenny said it was another example of the poor standards that existed during the so-called Celtic Tiger years for buildings and apartment blocks.

The Taoiseach said the option of a legal remedy was always available.