Conor D McGuinness: Urgent Call After Waterford Fire
Conor D McGuinness addresses the aftermath of the weekend fire in Tycor and Waterford, outlining immediate risks to residents, businesses and frontline workers and the steps being taken by local and national authorities. He reports on site visits, commends emergency services, and emphasises the need for sustained government support for livelihoods, health and social services.
Immediate damage and response
Conor D McGuinness describes the devastation faced by residents, businesses and workers in Tycor and Waterford after the weekend blaze. He commends firefighters, emergency services and frontline staff, and details his visit with Deputy David Cullinane to meet affected people on the ground.
Health and livelihoods at risk
McGuinness highlights continuing concerns around clean-up operations, asbestos, air quality and long-term safety. He stresses the urgent need to protect public health protocols while teams work on site to safeguard residents.
Support for social services
A priority is replacing and relocating social enterprises and the facilities for adult disabilities that were destroyed by the fire. McGuinness calls for sustained government support so recovery does not stop when national attention moves on.
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Taoiseach, the scenes in Tycor and Waterford over the weekend have been devastating for residents, for businesses, for workers and I want to commend the firefighters, emergency services and frontline workers that responded. On Sunday morning my colleague Deputy David Cullinan and I visited the area to meet with those residents, with the workers, with businesses affected and while the immediate danger has passed in many respects enormous concerns still remain around livelihoods, the clean up operation, asbestos, air quality and long term safety. Now I welcome the response underway from Waterford City and County Council, local enterprise office but once the national attention moves on government support cannot move on to. We commit to ensuring sustained government support for the area. That fire in Waterford, I think Ministers Butler and Minister Cummins have been there, have met with the key people. Minister James Brown visited yesterday and Minister Peter Bourke today and Minister Peter Bourke received cabinet approval today in terms of humanitarian scheme for those impacted and we are working to see can we relocate particularly social enterprises, particularly the facilities for adult disabilities that have been wiped out there, that facility as a result of the fire and also then to make sure that in terms of asbestos that full public health protocols are applied and already the teams are down there to try and protect public health.
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