Families want council boss on fire inquest list
A solicitor for the family of Mark O’Shaughnessy told the Dublin coroner it is unclear who was in charge at the time of the incident.
Mr O’Shaughnessy, 26, and Brian Murray, 46, died as they tackled the fire at a disused ink factory at Adelaide Villas in Bray on Sept 26, 2007.
Last month Wicklow County Council was fined €355,000 for breaches of health and safety in relation to the incident.
The inquests into their deaths are set to commence at Dublin Coroner’s Court next Wednesday.
Requesting the addition of county manager Eddie Sheehy and a number of other council officials to the witness list, solicitor Gerry Lambe said it appeared “nobody seems to know who was in charge of what” in relation to the incident.
He said there are issues regarding how calls are handled and dispatched, having appropriate teams in place and training for a new system recently purchased by the council. Firefighters were already using the system without training when the incident happened, he said.
Mr Lambe was supported in his application by thelegal representative for the Murray family.
Coroner Dr Brian Farrell said that he would hear evidence on the incident itself on the first three days of the inquest and set aside a further three days in the new year when any issues arising could be dealt with.
