Sinn Féin Dublin Mid-West TDs Eoin Ó Broin and Mark Ward have written to South Dublin County Council urging them to initiate legal action against the developer of Larkfield House in Clondalkin for “persistent breaches of planning law and building control regulations.”
Deputy Ó Broin said “for six years the developer has been operating without any planning permission or building control certification and it is high time the Council got serious and prosecuted those responsible.”
“In 2018 the old Liffey Valley Fitness gym on the Coldcut road was concerted into apartments by Vincent Cosgrave’s company Cavvies Ltd,” he said.
“The building was refurbished and fully tenanted without any legal planning permission or building control certification.
“It is a criminal office to allow a building to be occupied without a building control completion certificate.
“The penalty for allowing any property, including individual apartments, to be occupied without the appropriate certification, is a €10,000 fine and up to 6 months in prison.
“Despite having his planning application refused by An Board Pleanála in 2018, and having subsequent retention applications refused by South Dublin County Council, the building remains fully occupied.”
Deputy Mark Ward said the developer is engaged in a strategic delaying tactic.
‘The Council has been more than generous in giving the developer ample opportunity to regularise the building,” he said.
“However, the most recent retention application has been refused by the Council.
“It is now clear that the developer is engaged in a strategic delaying tactic and has no intention to bring this building in line with planning and building rules.
“The consequences of poor-quality building work can be seen in the property with condensation, damp and mould evident in many of the apartments.
“Failure to prosecute those responsible for such flagrant breaches of the law sends a signal to this developer and others that they can break planning and building control law with impunity.
“This is not acceptable and the Council must now act to address this situation once and for all.”