TV3 documentary to provide in depth investigation into Newbridge housing estate fire

Former residents of the Millfield Manor housing estate that was gutted by a fire will appear in a special TV3 documentary that airs tomorrow night.

Residents from Riverwalk Court in Rathoath, Co Meath, Millfield Manor in Newbridge Co Kildare and Dublin’s Longboat Quay development describe the impact on their lives of the discovery that their homes may not be safe and, in some cases, rendered valueless. Investigative journalist Mark Clifford examines the fall-out from the revelations at the three housing developments that were built during the Celtic Tiger era.

In Millfield Manor, a terrace of six houses was burned to the ground in just thirty minutes; a result of poor timber infrastructure and a lack of certifiable fire protection to prevent the spreading of fire from one dwelling to the next. Following the 2015 fire, residents explain not just their fears, but the prospect of having to pay over €30,000 each just to make their homes safe.

Monday night’s programme also examines the light-touch system of building regulation during the boom times and asks whether a new system brought in in the wake of the Priory Hall scandal, called SI9, is fit for purpose. The new system creates no new legal remedies and, to date, there has been no public enquiry or recommendations on the back of the failings around developments like Longboat Quay, Priory Hall, Riverwalk Court and Millfield Manor.

The documentary will air tomorrow night at 9pm.