Residents’ €400k fire safety bill

Homeowners in a development which is now being patrolled by fire marshals have been told that they must come up with €400,000 in the next few weeks or “the fire officer may go the next step” towards having the development evacuated.

More than 100 home-owners in the 250-unit Bru Na Sionna development in Shannon, Co Clare, have been told that the total bill for remedial work on fire safety deficits could be €2.25m, but that the local authority fire officer is demanding a schedule of works be set out by March 10.

The owners were called to a meeting last week to update them on the progress since they were told last December about the extent of the work required and the possibility of evacuation. The meeting, at the Oakwood Arms hotel in the town, was told that only 10% of the required funds has been paid since it was agreed to raise an initial €1.25m towards the works at the management company’s AGM in December.