Dublin South East Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Review Health and Safety Regulations

Published: 1 February, 2004

After a 200-foot crane collapsed in their neighbourhood, 60 residents of Emerald Cottages, Barrow Street and Grand Canal Street in Ringsend have been housed in a nearby hotel.

After speaking with the residents Sinn Féin Representative for the area, Daithí Doolan criticised the careless attitude towards building site safety in Dublin.

"I have spoken some of the residents who have been temporarily rehoused. They are obviously very shaken and also angry about what has happened. Some of these residents had raised concerns in recent weeks about their safety in relation to this building site. The danger of these cranes being used in a residential area was obvious to them.

I am calling on the Minister for the Environment to put an immediate hold on the use of these cranes in residential areas. The government should also completely review building site health and safety regulations and ensure that existing regulations are enforced.

It is far too easy for property developers to get away with breaking health and safety regulations. These developers, many of whom, make millions, seem to treat health and safety on their sites with disregard. The reality of our legal system is that if a property developer is brought to court they will most likely walk away with a fine, even if someone has died due to a breach in health and safety regulations.

Of course accidents do happen but it seems to me that far too often it is the public and workers who pay for these accidents, many of which are preventable. The whole building industry needs to be tightened up. Property developers take their profits seriously; it's time they took the safety of their workers and the public just as seriously.

Sadly a large amount of people have died on building sites over recent years and yet still we have a situation where a 200 foot crane can collapse."