‘This is an emergency’ – Building contractor says former Tipperary pub is on the verge of collapsing
A dangerous building in Tipperary is an “accident waiting to happen” and requires immediate action, a local representative has said.
The condition of the former Tír na nÓg pub in Carrick-on-Suir is an emergency, Fianna Fáil councillor Kieran Bourke told the April meeting of the Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District (MD).
Cllr Bourke said that the former pub suffered a fire a number of years ago, and now all that is left of the building is the front wall, which has significantly deteriorated.
"I’m calling on planning and Tipperary County Council to immediately do something about this, it’s an accident waiting to happen,” he said.
"As an experienced building contractor, I examined this only yesterday, and in my opinion, this building is ready to fall down. I’m asking the council to reduce the wall down to a safe level.
"It’s too late to leave it go for weeks, I think this is an emergency and it needs to be treated as such,” Cllr Bourke said.
In response, Fergal O’Donnell from the local authority’s planning section said staff from a number of sections in the council were aware of the issue, and they would encourage them to engage with the property owner.
"I did speak with some of my colleagues today in relation to that structure. My understanding is that there are a number of sections of the council – the environment section and the derelict sites team – are engaged in discussing the problem with the property owner,” Mr O’Donnell said.
"It is privately owned, but clearly there’s a need for immediate action on it, and I will impress that on my colleagues,” he added.
Cllr Bourke said this was not good enough, and there was no time for back and forth between different staff members.
"I flagged this a number of weeks ago, and it will be poor consolation to the person under that rubble if the wall falls on them or falls on their car. It’ll be poor consolation that it’s been referred from Billy to Jack and Jack to Billy to see who’s responsibility it is,” he said.
“Action needs to be taken ASAP, and after that ye can decide who’s responsible for it.”
District director Brian Beck said that the point was well made, but there is legislation in place stopping councils from doing work on privately owned buildings.
"There is legislation, it is a private property, in order to achieve the ultimate end result, we have to follow the legislation the way that it’s set out,” he said.
"If we don’t follow, and we go onto private property and carry out works, there are implications for the local authority,” Mr Beck said.
Cllr Bourke said that protocol should be “shoved to one side” in cases like these where it was deemed an emergency.
"Before this meeting is over, this front wall could be down on top of somebody’s car or on top of someone. People are coming into my constituency office saying they’re avoiding walking on that section of street because they’re afraid the whole thing is going to come down on top of them,” he said.