34 homes evacuated following Navan fire

Up to 100 people are homeless this week, having had to vacate their homes in Academy Square in Navan following Monday nights fire at the complex which has seen the evacuation of residents from 34 homes.

Many of the residents are now homeless, with some being housed in temporary accommodation in camp-beds in a building in an industrial estate in the town.

The fire broke out in the basement floor of the apartment complex on Monday evening and while nobody was injured, services including water and electricity are no longer connected and tenants and homeowners have had to leave their homes. The cause of the fire is being investigated by An Garda Siochana.

Finding alternative housing at very short notice is proving extremely difficult for both residents and Meath County Council who met with residents in the Newgrange hotel on Tuesday to provide assistance.

A spokesperson for Meath County Council said its Department has worked to assist the Management Company and affected residents, including the provision of emergency accommodation where appropriate.

A spokesperson for the management company, Oriel Property Management confirmed that 34 properties had to be evacuated.

He said that they already had contractors on-site to carry out a number of emergency measures and they were dealing with insurers, tenants, home owners, Meath County Council, the fire services and gardai.

Loss adjusters have been meeting and they are engaging with all the relevant authorities.

"It has been horrendous. It is such a large loss and a huge amount of damage and it is likely to be a minimum of six months before the residents can move in again," he said.

Cllr Emer Tóibín met with many of the residents yesterday (Tuesday) outside the damaged apartment blocks and in the Newgrange Hotel where MCC housing staff provided advice and local housing options to many of the affected residents.

"To date, what has been offered to residents by the Council is a camp-bed in a building in an industrial estate in the town," she said.

''For the 100 or so affected individuals and families, this is a very anxious and worrying time. Some tenants literally moved in last week to the area and now literally have no where to go. They thought they were so lucky to secure their apartment and now they face the whole fraught process again. They do not have friends or family locally or even in the country. They are totally dependent on the Council to provide emergency accommodation. Even at that, we know from working in the area of this ongoing housing crisis, there is hardly any available emergency accommodation available in the county. People can't get to their jobs because they literally do not know where they will be sleeping this night or the night after. It is an awfully difficult and trying time for so many''

''I would beseech Oriel Management Company to communicate as much information about process time lines to the apartment residents so everyone can make the best plans for themselves and their children. This situation is hugely difficult and uncertain for all concerned. How it is handled by the powers that be will certainly have a huge bearing on the outcomes for all concerned.,' she said.

The Mayor of Navan, Cllr Eddie Fennessy said; "What happened at the Academy Square complex over the weekend was very dangerous and we are fortunate that there were no casualties. I visited the scene on Tuesday evening and seen for myself the devastation and the human cost to what happened. Electricity infrastructure was damaged considerably by the fire and thirty apartments had to be evacuated, the consequences of which has left up to 100 people homeless.

"I commend Meath County Council's Homeless Settlement team for engaging with the residents first thing on Tuesday morning. Emergency accommodation was offered which was a huge relief to the affected residents. This incident couldn't have happened at a worse time. Emergency homeless services in Meath has operated at capacity for quite some time and the local private rental sector doesn't have much to offer those who might have to seek replacement accommodation" he said.