Newbridge councillor cites neglect of Millfield fire victims as “reprehensible and immoral”

A Newbridge councillor has called for an update on the redress scheme for residents impacted by fire at Millfield Estate in Newbridge. Cllr Fiona McLoughlin Healy put down a motion on the matter at Newbridge Kildare Municipal District meeting on Wednesday, October 16, calling for the council to update the members on the situation.

Six terraced homes in Millfield were gutted by fire within 15 minutes in 2015. A case study released in August 2017 found the homes were ‘not in compliance with building regulations’.

Cllr Fiona McLoughlin Healy stated “It was reprehensible, and in my view immoral, that residents who paid through the nose for fit for purpose housing, for housing insurance and for Local Property Tax are expected to bear the costs of remediation, when it is the state's own system of building checks and controls that have failed.”

She continued “In the wake of the fire that ripped through 6 houses in Millfield, a random sample of houses at the estate revealed a catalogue of building safety deficiencies that would for many owners cost thousands of euro to remediate. 

“In September 2017, the Department of Housing reported it was working with Kildare County Council to estimate costings 'to ensure that residents can make informed decisions and seek value for money regarding any potential remediation works to their properties'.

Cllr McLoughlin Healy (above) stated a redress scheme was also being considered at the time.

“Residents have have no engagement from the council to help them make decisions about costs and there has been no progress in relation to the redress scheme” she added. Reiterating she found it reprehensible and immoral, and that residents should be expected to bear the costs of remediation, she concluded:

“I have asked that the council to contact the Minister and Department of Housing to push for the redress scheme to be progressed. I have also asked the council to clarify why the Department reported in 2015 that the council was working with residents to assess costs of remediation when the residents report no such engagement has happened. The council have agreed to both”. 

In reply, Kildare County Council stated “In July 2015, the then Minister directed that a review be undertaken by an independent fire expert to develop a framework for general application, in the interest of supporting owners and residents living in developments where concerns regarding non-compliance with fire safety requirements arise. A steering group was convened to oversee the review”. The terms of reference of the steering group were agreed, including a case study based on the Millfield estate at Newbridge.

The statement continued: “It is important to note that while the Department of Housing Planning and Local Government has overall responsibility for establishing and maintaining an effective regulatory framework for building standards and building control, it has no general statutory role in resolving defects in privately owned buildings, including dwellings, nor does it have a budget for such matters.

“In response to the many building failures that emerged in the last decade, the Department has been advancing a building control reform agenda in order to develop and promote a culture of competence, good practice and compliance with the building regulations in the construction sector”.