Judge orders building directors to court

The directors of a building company whose site at Cathal Brugha Street in Dublin has been closed because of alleged breaches of health and safety regulations have been summoned to the High Court. Mr Justice Kelly told counsel for the National Authority for Occupational Safety and Health yesterday that he would require the directors of Cruson Developments to attend court next week.

The judge said the directors would have to attend before the matters relating to the operation of their site at Cathal Brugha Street may be resolved on a consensual basis.

The order was issued after Mr Feargal Foley, counsel for the authority, told the judge a health and safety plan for the Cathal Brugha Street site was being negotiated and he asked for a week-long adjournment.

He said no work was being carried out on the site apart from work relating to a health and safety plan.

On November 28th, Ms Justice Laffoy granted a temporary injunction to the authority, shutting down Cruson's operations at Cathal Brugha Street until specified measures were taken to reduce the health and safety risks to a reasonable level.

Last week, the injunction was continued for a further week and Mr Justice Kelly yesterday said it would remain in force until next Monday, when the company's directors should appear in court.

At the November hearing, the court was told the company had a poor safety record and had ignored and flouted safety regulations over years.

A man had fallen from four storeys on the site in November, the court heard.