It looks like Bernard McNamara, the man who built Longboat Quay, will get the job of sorting out its fire safety deficiencies without residents having to foot the bill, says Michael Clifford

While Bernard McNamara’s offer to do remedial work at the Longboat Quay complex at cost price would save residents financial pain, questions arise as to how the work could be done at this rate and if the recommended works would be completed in full, writes Michael Clifford

Nama is to build 20,000 homes and provide new office space as part of a €5.6bn Dublin Docklands project.

The Tánaiste says the controversial Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) will be wound up before Christmas.

Residents of Longboat Quay, who face eviction from their homes on foot of a fire safety order, are to resume legal action against the Dublin Dockland Development Authority after the breakdown of talks yesterday.

The Longboat Quay Management Company has initiated legal proceedings over liability for funding €3.5m fire safety works at the Dublin apartment complex.

Mooted Government plans for a national audit of all buildings and apartments constructed during the boom are likely to be rejected over concerns it will be too expensive and cause too much disruption for people living in or using the sites.

Residents of Longboat Quay have rejected as “wholly unacceptable” an offer from the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) to contribute towards the cost of remedial works in their building.

Here’s a briefing on some of the stories and issues highlighted on irishexaminer.com today.

Pressure is mounting on Dublin City Council to foot the €4m bill for fire safety remedial works in the 299-apartment complex Longboat Quay.

More than 600 people will be forced to leave their homes in Dublin unless remedial fire safety work is carried out immediately.

The Longboat Quay development was found last year to have major deficiencies. We’ve

Taxpayers have paid out €1m to cover the initial cost of ensuring the safety of residents in the Longboat Quay apartment block which was found to be a firetrap last year, the Public Accounts Committee heard yesterday.

The replica Jeanie Johnson famine ship, which cost the taxpayer €14m, is now valued at a paltry €150,000, with the visitor attraction haemorrhaging money on an annual basis.

Public money is to be the main source of funding for the repair and upgrade work to be undertaken on the privately owned Longboat Quay apartment blocks, which were found to be a firetrap last year.

The evacuation of residents in more than 200 flats in a prestigious Dublin development was considered after the discovery of major construction flaws that rendered the buildings firetraps.

A range of questions were submitted to the PR representative for the Dublin Docklands Development Authority.

Fire safety issues are not the only problem that residents have encountered at Longboat Quay.

A potential fire trap apartment block in Dublin has been patrolled 24/7 by fire marshals for over six months following the discovery of a major flaw in the alarm system, according to the building’s management company.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will call the Dublin Docklands Development Authority before it in the coming weeks to ask it about its sale of a site to U2.

U2 are buying back the site where they recorded some of their most famous albums in Dublin.

Over €185m of taxpayers’ money was “poured down the drain” in property speculation by a quango, TDs have heard.

The former chief executive of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) has launched a strong attack on its former chairwoman Niamh Brennan, saying he “watched aghast” as Ms Brennan issued a number of reports without the participants being able to defend themselves.

Former Dublin Docklands Development Authority chairman Lar Bradshaw has said that the taxpayer did not lose any money in the controversial purchase of the Irish Glass Bottle site in Ringsend seven years ago, but has expressed regret that the authority went through with the deal.

THERE was a synergy of sorts on Thursday between President Higgins interview in the Financial Times and the hearings in the Public Accounts Committee that day about the saga of misgovernance and possibly miscreance at the Dublin Dockland Development Authority (DDDA).

Former Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) board members, Seanie Fitzpatrick, Lar Bradshaw and Paul Moloney will be called before the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to explain their role in the controversial €412m Irish Glass Bottle (IGB) site debacle.

The Dublin Docklands Development Authority has been asked by the commercial court to provide witness statements in the action by bankrupt developer Bernard McNamara concerning the controversial €412m sale of the Irish Glass Bottle site in Ringsend.

The acting chief of the Dublin Docklands Authority acknowledged a “flawed process” was used to buy the Irish Glass Bottle site for €412m — the most expensive property purchase ever by the State — amid claims a “golden circle” sealed the deal.

The taxpayers' watchdog says it does not accept a claim from the outgoing chair of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) that she would not be a witness to an inquiry.

Former ministers and members of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority, including disgraced banker Seán FitzPatrick, are set to face a grilling by the Dáil public spending watchdog over the failed quango.

A Government quango is set to be axed, with a report due this week by the country’s public spending watchdog set to reveal a litany of financial mismanagement and planning irregularities.

Businessmen Bernard McNamara and Derek Quinlan obtained no external valuation in their decision to further write down the value of the former glass bottle site in Ringsend, Dublin, by 40% to €30m, new documents show.

A MEMBER of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority sent an email declaring “happy days” and “our pension is now secured” after the DDDA board sanctioned the authority becoming involved in the purchase of the Irish Glass Bottle site at Ringsend, later bought for €412 million, the Commercial Court has heard.

THE Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) said that activities at the organisation were now “by the book” and significant progress has been made in tackling financial challenges.

Planning permission has been granted for the proposed Anglo HQ in Dublin's docklands to finally be finished.

THE Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) has made considerable progress in its bid to clean up its reputation.

The Dublin Docklands Development Authority has today confirmed a €71m shortfall for last year.

THE famine replica vessel, Jeanie Johnston, completed a decade ago at a cost of €14 million, was acquired by Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) in 2005.

ENVIRONMENT Minister John Gormley has said he is very anxious the Comptroller and Auditor General be given the power to fully examine the Dublin Docklands Development Authority.

THE Government took a “light touch” approach to the Dublin Docklands Development Authority and failed to carry out reviews which could have highlighted problems at the troubled organisation sooner.