Asbestos traces could delay Ballymun project

The Ballymun Regeneration Project is examining methods of removing material containing asbestos to avert a possible four-year…

The Ballymun Regeneration Project is examining methods of removing material containing asbestos to avert a possible four-year delay in housing 20,000 people in the area.

It emerged this morning that some flats in the Ballymun tower complex had sealant used on concrete that contained minute traces of asbestos, which the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) said had to be removed before the towers could be demolished.

In an article in this morning's Irish Independent, Mr Ciaran Murray, managing director of Ballymun Regeneration Ltd (BRL), claimed the method of removal of the material proposed by the HSA would delay the project by four years at an extra cost of €80 million to €120 million.

Speaking on RTÉ Radio this morning Mr Murray said he hoped that a compromise could be reached with the HSA over the removal of the sealant.

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"Well . . . we're in on-going technical discussions with the Health and Safety Authority, but what we're saying is that the prudent approach in this instance is to look at the two options, carry out two demonstration projects in a controlled environment.  Risk assess those and base your decisions then . . . on known facts rather than trying to . . . just speculating on how long, how costly or how risky," he said.

Mr Tom Beegan, chief executive of HSA, said there was little room to manouvere with the law on asbestos.

"We examined that proposal and we're very clear on our position on it, which is that the law says that we must ensure that we comply with the law and we cannot set aside the law for anybody.  And that law says that you must remove the asbestos fibre before you demolish the building and that's what we seek and I understand that we'll have agreement on that in the very near future," he told RTÉ radio.