CALLS have been made for the release of the government report on the Millfield Manor fire which destroyed six Newbridge homes in less than 30 minutes in 2015.
In the wake of the fire in London Independent councillor Joanne Pender said: “The people in Grenfell do not have the luxury of hindsight; we do and can’t keep ignoring what they are calling for.”
Grenfell Tower in London caught fire on the 14 June with killing close to 80 people and residents had long called for greater fire safety measures to be taken in their apartment block.
In Millfield Manor six houses in a terrace in the estate burned to the ground after flames spread rapidly from a fire that started in one home.
“We need to see the contents of the review and I would ask that we look for the report immediately and take action on it.
“The residents have the right to know they are living in safety,” Cllr Pender told a meeting of Kildare -Newbridge Municipal District last Wednesday.
Her motion asked that the council request the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government to release the report that was commissioned in 2015 regarding fire safety in timber framed homes.
She says this review was carried out by an independent fire safety expert to develop a framework for general application and used Millfield Manor as a case study.
Residents were promised a copy which has yet to materialise. Cllr Pender said she had been trying to get a copy of the report for some time through several avenues with no success.
“I submitted this motion a week before the horrific events of Grenfell,” said Cllr Pender.
She sympathised with the families and all those affected by the blaze at the council tower block in London. She said she hoped those responsible would be held accountable.
Cllr Pender added: “The similarities there are exposing the failures within the local authorities to hold developers and contractors to account and protect citizens from light touch regulation in regard to fire safety.
“There’s a striking fear in the laissez faire approach that we took hear in the boom time buildings and the patterns we’ve seen now in the likes of Priory Hall and of course Millfield Manor.
“The regulations say there’s supposed to be one hour of resistance between each house. We all know that six houses went up in less than 30 minutes in Millfield.”
Independent councillor Morgan McCabe said building regulations were “very poor” in Ireland over the years.
He said: “There’s one child up in Millfield who goes to bed at night and pulls all the plugs out of the sockets because they’re afraid of the house going on fire.”
Cllr Pender says the whole issue “beggar’s belief”.
She added: “Do we have to wait for a Grenfell to put our foot on the pedal? Grenfell residents were ignored.
“Without even mentioning the thousands of properties that are potentially at risk from the Celtic Tiger era, we’re heading back into development and we’ve not yet seen results of that review.”
“It’s a matter of life or death,” she added.
All the councillors agreed that a letter would be sent to the department requesting the report and a timeline.
Meanwhile a Dáil debate on building standards, regulations and home owner protection had Kildare-South TD Fiona O’ Loughlin also calling for the release of the report from the minister’s office to allow residents of Millfield Manor to be able to move forward.
She said: “This fire continues to cause grave concern and huge stress. And there are significant legacy issues for the remaining inhabitants whose houses and apartments are now under serious question as to their safety compliance standards.
“Residents received no financial or practical assistance in installing life-saving fire barriers. They have been told this work would cost up to €15,000 to €30,000.
“The Minister for the Environment has had a report sitting on his desk for the last 15 months.
“Residents of Millfield Manor contacted me again after the recent tragic fire in Grenfell Tower, highlighting how unsafe they feel in their homes and their frustration with our failed building inspection systems.”
“It is clear that self-regulation of design and construction standards simply does not work and it is necessary for independent state authorities to check every new development to ensure they are compliant with building control regulations.”
