McFeely to face committal over Priory Hall orders

AN APPLICATION by Dublin City Council to jail developer Thomas McFeely over breach of court orders relating to fire safety works at the Priory Hall apartment complex in Donaghmede will be heard by the High Court next Thursday.

President of the High Court Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns, however, refused the council’s application to vacate his orders requiring it to pay alternative accommodation, storage and rent differential costs of 240 residents evacuated from the complex pending completion of the works.

When the judge asked what would happen to the residents if he vacated the orders, Conleth Bradley SC, for the council, said that was for politicians to address as the council’s responsibility related only to fire safety. Perhaps the law needed to be changed, he added.

The judge said he didn’t see matters that way. He was “mystified” by the application to vacate his orders and could not have reconciled making the “draconian” evacuation order last month unless he was satisfied there were “lifeboats provided for”. Perhaps the council had believed its threat to seek evacuation would “bring Mr McFeely to heel” but that had not happened, he said.

The council will now appeal the orders to the Supreme Court and Mr Justice Kearns, who remarked the council’s handling of the situation “beggars belief”, said it could appeal “with my blessing”. He refused to put any stay on the orders pending appeal and stressed they continued, pending further court orders.

The judge said the council, in applying last month to evacuate the residents, had “thrown a torpedo” into Priory Hall with the residents as “collateral damage” and he could not understand how the council could say it has no responsibility for them.

When the judge asked “with some trepidation” what the council proposed to do now, Mr Bradley said it had brought its evacuation application as a fire authority and had no responsibility in law for the housing and other costs of the residents.

While he did not wish to sound inhumane, the costs of the residents was “a political issue” and the council was meeting with the Department of the Environment about matters. The council manager would also meet with the residents on Monday to discuss the short- and long-term situations.

Perhaps the law needed to be changed and this case would achieve that, counsel said. He added he had visited the complex and, while it was appalling to see the situation, the council had the comfort of knowing that, if there was a fire, there was no risk to people’s lives. When the judge asked whether another contractor had been hired to complete the works, Mr Bradley said he could not say.

Earlier, the judge agreed reluctantly to adjourn an application by the council, issued on Thursday evening, for attachment and committal of Mr McFeely for breach of court orders relating to the fire safety works.

The judge last week directed Mr McFeely, his Coalport Building Company Ltd and 21 workers to leave Priory Hall after the council sought their removal over lack of progress. Mr McFeely denied any breach of court orders concerning the works but the judge found there was a breach and said the council could bring committal proceedings.

Yesterday, Martin Hayden SC, for Mr McFeely, sought an adjournment of the committal proceedings because his client was not given the statutory two days’ notice of such applications and he wanted to provide an affidavit. The judge said Mr McFeely must have been aware such an application might be brought and added the court had already made a finding of breach of its orders. After Mr Bradley said he would not object to the adjournment on grounds of time limits, the judge agreed to adjourn the matter to Thursday.

John O’Donnell SC, for some residents, said they were very concerned about their future, especially how they would be accommodated coming up to Christmas. The residents were “in real and present danger” and had been given no comfort by the council.

The court last month ordered fire safety works to be completed over a five-week period concluding on November 28th.

Fire safety officer Donal Casey said last week there was inadequate progress in works to the external wall structure.