Mick Clifford: Apartment defects the latest step in a sorry saga

Ever since a fire at West Dublin's Verdemont in 2002, serious fire safety defects have been discovered in many apartment blocks built between 1991 and 2013. Is the Government willing to finally impose the building regulations needed to tackle the deadly scourge of building defects?

The fire at the Verdemont apartment block in 2002. Photo: Dublin Fire Brigade

Stuff doesn’t just happen. Stuff occurs at the end of a long period during which policies are shaped, positions taken and warning signs studiously ignored.

Last week, the latest stuff arrived in the form of news that fixing defective apartments is going to cost around €3bn. This is in addition to the same amount which it is calculated will be required to repair homes due to defective blocks. If you were to put some money on what the final combined bill will be, I’d suggest €8-10bn would represent a value bet.