Council calls in asbestos experts

EXPERTS on the safe disposal of asbestos yesterday visited the site of a demolished building in Rathkeale after an alert.

Limerick County Council called in specialists after learning on Tuesday that a recently-demolished building had an asbestos roof.

Two units of Limerick County Fire Service hosed down the rubble amid fears asbestos dust would rise into the local environment.

Traffic was also diverted away from the site at Well Lane off Main Street.

The building housed the former People’s Bakery.

The council said planning permission had been granted to demolish the building. However, the Health and Safety Authority said they had not been given the 28 days’ notice required when a building to be demolished has asbestos material in its structure. The authority sent inspectors to the site on Tuesday.

A spokesman for the authority said yesterday they were now quite content to allow the county council deal with the situation and “do what they have to do”.

With regard to the lack of notice to the HSA, he said this was another matter.

He confirmed they did not get notice to enable them approve of the contractor engaged to carry out the demolition work.