FORMER residents of the ill-fated Priory Hall complex in Donaghmede say they are facing into another year of displacement and uncertainty with little hope of an end to their saga.
Frustrated homeowners spent their second Christmas and new year living in limbo in temporary accommodation while the properties they’re financially burdened with lie empty and without electricity.
Over 250 people were evacuated from the apartments complex in October 2011 by order of the High Court in relation to fire safety and other concerns.
According to Priory Hall homeowner Niall O’Reilly, they never realised their situation would be exactly the same some 16 months later.
“We don’t have much hope for the year ahead as far as the situation in Priory Hall is concerned,
? Mr O’Reilly told Northside People.
“Very little has changed since October 2011 and we feel very let down by the Government in that we have had so little communication from them in recent months.
“There has been no unified negotiations from the banks which leaves us in a situation where we all have to go back to our individual banks every three months with cap in hand requesting a deferral of our mortgages.
“While the deferral is of course welcomed, it still means that we are accruing interest on our mortgages month after month.
“We probably owe about
?¬20,000 extra on our mortgages as a result of this.
?
Mr O’Reilly and his partner Rosaleen Finglas have been effectively living out of suitcases in rented accommodation since they were given four days to move out of their property.
“We’ve been left in limbo through absolutely no fault of our own while the various parties involved fight it out in court to find out who is responsible for all this,
? Mr O’Reilly stated.
“We can’t move on with our lives. We can’t plan for the future. All we have is uncertainty. At this stage most of us don’t want to go back to the deathtraps we used to call home.
“We have no problem paying our mortgages but it galls us to have to pay a mortgage on properties that have little or no value.
“I mean, who would ever want to buy these apartments if they ever get fixed and cleared of their risk to health and safety?
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According to Mr O’Reilly, fellow property owners in Priory Hall, along with himself, are proposing that their mortgages be transferred to properties of a similar size and value in the local area.
Dublin City Council continues to cover the accommodation costs of the displaced residents. It has reportedly spent more than
?¬2 million on temporary lettings for all owner-occupiers, storage costs and security costs.
Meanwhile, more than 60 former residents of Priory Hall held a candlelight vigil outside the complex shortly before Christmas to highlight their plight.
And Dublin Bay North TD Finian McGrath raised the issue in the Dail with the Taoiseach, also before Christmas.
“I urge the Taoiseach to urge the Minister for the Environment, and people directly involved in the mediation process to get on with the job and support those families,
? said Deputy McGrath.
The Taoiseach told Deputy McGrath that is a legacy issue
“of great concern
? to the people involved.
“The Minister (Phil Hogan) is awaiting a response from the judge in this case and obviously cannot interfere with that process,
? said MrKenny.
“There has been some progress and if we can get the pieces in place, the process may be quickened.
“That is a matter about which there is discussion between the Departments of Finance and Environment, Community and Local Government, with a view to the problem being rectified in 2013.
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