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11 October 2013

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Priory Hall agreement means residents can now move on with their lives

It is a terrible tragedy that it took the death of a resident, Fiachra Daly, to finally move the government to do what it should have done two years ago

FORMER RESIDENTS of Priory Hall have accepted a deal which will see their debts written off and be given a fresh start with new 100% mortgages to buy homes.

However, they will not get back their original deposits or the four years of mortgage repayments they made before the complex was declared unfit for human habitation.The agreement was reached as the families were facing into their third Christmas in temporary accommodation.

Priory Hall was evacuated in October 2011 after failings in fire and safety regulations led to the complex being immediately condemned as a death trap for the men, women and children living there.

The Priory Hall residents said the deal will help them move on with their lives and make a fresh start. The committee also paid tribute to former resident Stephanie Meehan, who wrote to Taoiseach Enda Kenny after her partner Fiachra Daly took his own life.

Her letter is widely seen as having forced the government to act. In it she described how her and Fiachra were receiving demands from banks for mortgage repayments for a home they could not live in.

"The stress, the worry of not being able to provide a safe home for us, his young children, eventually took its toll [on Fiachra], as it has on every resident," she told the Taoiseach.

In paying tribute to Stephanie, the residents' committee said:

"The price she has paid is more than anyone should have to bear and every resident owes her a debt of gratitude we can never repay. We have no doubt that Fiachra is proud of her."

Sinn Féin Councillor Micheál Mac Donncha, who has worked closely with the residents in their campaign for justice, welcomed the deal, saying:

"I salute the courage and determination and unity of purpose of the Priory Hall residents. During two years of traumatic evacuation from their homes and deep uncertainty about their future, they remained strong and together in their fight for justice."

"It is a terrible tragedy that it took the death of a resident, Fiachra Daly, to finally move the government to do what it should have done two years ago," he said.

See also: Our report from Inside Priory Hall

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