CONSTRUCTION LOCKDOWN JAN 2021

Faith · 24-02-2021 11:25am

Gumbo wrote: »

July/august at the earliest.

Cheers Gumbo, that’s what I was thinking. We’ll just have to rent somewhere else and settle in there for a while. At least it means we can take our time getting the new place set up.

Cienciano · 24-02-2021 12:48pm

scwazrh wrote: »

This is the problem though, it’s not open to interpretation at all. If it’s essential work it can be done otherwise it can’t. Is putting a roof on to protect some flooring getting damaged essential ? Obviously not.
I know plenty of people are looking for and finding loopholes to ignore the rules but plenty of people break the rules all the time , doesn’t make it right .

I contacted some people over this and putting a roof on actually is considered essential! Going to forward it onto the builder.

scwazrh · 24-02-2021 2:24pm

Cienciano wrote: »

I contacted some people over this and putting a roof on actually is considered essential! Going to forward it onto the builder.

I’d love to know who and I ask as building contractor currently sitting at home . I have spoken to CIF , HSE and Local Garda and all have referred me to gov.ie level 5 guidelines. No where there does it state that a roof can be put on a private house.

veep · 24-02-2021 3:46pm

Cienciano wrote: »

I contacted some people over this and putting a roof on actually is considered essential! Going to forward it onto the builder.

Who please? We're in the same boat.

Cienciano · 25-02-2021 3:00pm

veep wrote: »

Who please? We're in the same boat.

I contacted a TD (my first time ever doing it!) and they told me that roofing was considered emergency but they don't have the authority to give the go ahead. Told me to contact the local gardai station or the HSE. Gardai said if we feel the work is emergency that's fine, emergency doesn't mean peoples lives are at risk. If your home is at risk of damage is what is considered an emergency, which mine is.

This is the bit a TD quoted:
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/2dc71-level-5/#construction

supply and delivery of essential or emergency maintenance and repair services to businesses and places of residence (including electrical, gas, oil, plumbing, glazing and roofing services) on an emergency call-out basis

ZeroSum76 · 25-02-2021 3:03pm

Cienciano wrote: »

I contacted a TD (my first time ever doing it!) and they told me that roofing was considered emergency but they don't have the authority to give the go ahead. Told me to contact the local gardai station or the HSE. Gardai said if we feel the work is emergency that's fine, emergency doesn't mean peoples lives are at risk. If your home is at risk of damage is what is considered an emergency, which mine is.

This is the bit a TD quoted:
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/2dc71-level-5/#construction

Pot luck on how responsible or sympathetic your local Garda is then. I asked a similar question to my local Gardai and they would not comment either way. I would wager if you asked the HSE you might get a different response.

DOCARCH · 25-02-2021 3:15pm

Cienciano wrote: »

I contacted some people over this and putting a roof on actually is considered essential! Going to forward it onto the builder.

What did your builder say?

Not sure this....

Cienciano wrote: »

....putting a roof on...

Is the same as 'essential or emergency maintenance and repair service'?

ZeroSum76 · 25-02-2021 3:17pm

Exactly.

"emergency maintenance and repair"

scwazrh · 25-02-2021 3:43pm

Another example of people trying to find loopholes to keep going .

Cienciano · 25-02-2021 3:59pm

ZeroSum76 wrote: »

Pot luck on how responsible or sympathetic your local Garda is then. I asked a similar question to my local Gardai and they would not comment either way. I would wager if you asked the HSE you might get a different response.

A garda isn't going to argue details. I guarantee the HSE won't reply to an email.

ZeroSum76 wrote: »

Exactly.

"emergency maintenance and repair"

That's exactly what it is. Have an email from 2 TD's and a gardai saying they're happy with it.

ZeroSum76 · 25-02-2021 4:02pm

Cienciano wrote: »

A garda isn't going to argue details. I guarantee the HSE won't reply to an email.

That's exactly what it is. Have an email from 2 TD's and a gardai saying they're happy with it.

I asked the Gardai and a Councillor and TD and they said "that sounds reasonable but it's not my call" and I asked the HSE who could make a final call and they said definitively "No".

I suspect if you are hell bent on going ahead you can avoid asking the people who will give you a definitive answer.

The HSE answered me both times I asked them. Within 48 hours.

DOCARCH · 25-02-2021 4:11pm

Cienciano wrote: »

That's exactly what it is. Have an email from 2 TD's and a gardai saying they're happy with it.

A new roof does not, in my opinion, equate to "emergency maintenance and repair"?

I suspect you may have been a bit liberal with your description?

Will your builder do the work?

muffler · 25-02-2021 4:20pm

Putting a roof on a new house under construction isn't an emergency repair. For what it's worth I wish it was but we have to maintain the lockdown.

scwazrh · 25-02-2021 4:20pm

DOCARCH wrote: »

A new roof does not, in my opinion, equate to "emergency maintenance and repair"?

Agreed.
This is simply a case of not wanting to wait until level 5 restrictions are over .It’s no different than the report of people booking a dentist appointment in Tenerife to justify going there for two weeks.

Cienciano · 25-02-2021 4:32pm

muffler wrote: »

Putting a roof on a new house under construction isn't an emergency repair. For what it's worth I wish it was but we have to maintain the lockdown.

It's not a house under construction. It's an extension on an existing house. If it was just the extension exposed or it was a new house I wouldn't mind. The fact that the internals of the house are completely open so the existing house is being ruined is my problem.

Cienciano · 25-02-2021 4:39pm

DOCARCH wrote: »

A new roof does not, in my opinion, equate to "emergency maintenance and repair"?

I suspect you may have been a bit liberal with your description?

Will your builder do the work?

Haven't talked to him yet. I contacted the HSA after ZeroSum said they got back to him after 48 hours. I won't talk to the builder till they get back.

The "new" roof is the bit alright. Funny, we had to remove part of an existing roof from an older extension as the new extension was going beside it. Both roofs were off before christmas, old and new. If we built the brand new roof first, we'd be ok to replace the older one as it would be considered maintenance.

Frozen Veg · 25-02-2021 6:24pm

ZeroSum76 wrote: »

Pot luck on how responsible or sympathetic your local Garda is then. I asked a similar question to my local Gardai and they would not comment either way. I would wager if you asked the HSE you might get a different response.

The HSE have nothing to do with construction.

Frozen Veg · 25-02-2021 6:25pm

scwazrh wrote: »

Agreed.
This is simply a case of not wanting to wait until level 5 restrictions are over .It’s no different than the report of people booking a dentist appointment in Tenerife to justify going there for two weeks.

It's very different.

DOCARCH · 25-02-2021 6:30pm

Cienciano wrote: »

Haven't talked to him yet.

Might be worth talking to him?

If you go to all the trouble of chasing up somebody to give you the 'green light' to do the work, your can't insist you builder actually do the work during a lockdown.

ZeroSum76 · 25-02-2021 6:46pm

Frozen Veg wrote: »

The HSE have nothing to do with construction.

You're being obtuse. The HSE have set out the guidelines on behalf of the Government and the Gardaí are being asked to enforce based on that.

Cienciano · 25-02-2021 6:52pm

DOCARCH wrote: »

Might be worth talking to him?

If you go to all the trouble of chasing up somebody to give you the 'green light' to do the work, your can't insist you builder actually do the work during a lockdown.

He said he'd do it before if he could. He has a job to do afterwards, so he actually wants to finish this sooner. He actually had covid at the start of January too. If he doesn't feel safe doing it or for any reason doesn't want to do it, that's fine, not going to press the issue

Frozen Veg · 25-02-2021 7:06pm

ZeroSum76 wrote: »

You're being obtuse. The HSE have set out the guidelines on behalf of the Government and the Gardaí are being asked to enforce based on that.

Department of health and NPHET recommend the guidelines.

I wouldn't be recommending calling the HSE in relation to lockdown restrictions. Probably have enough on their plate with testing and vaccines.

Gumbo · 25-02-2021 9:04pm

It’s the local Garda that will actually shut you down.
The first port of call should be to the Garda station soaking your situation and get approval.

Done that today for a friend. Explained the reasoning behind what needed to be done and the Garda gave him permission to finish those particular works.

Mainly health and safety related, especially where works or product have a risk onto the public path. Another was the rear of the house being propped with strong boys. He wanted to remove them and it in the permanent structural steel.

Garda gave go ahead too.

km79 · 25-02-2021 9:13pm

Gumbo wrote: »

It’s the local Garda that will actually shut you down.
The first port of call should be to the Garda station soaking your situation and get approval.

Done that today for a friend. Explained the reasoning behind what needed to be done and the Garda gave him permission to finish those particular works.

Mainly health and safety related, especially where works or product have a risk onto the public path. Another was the rear of the house being propped with strong boys. He wanted to remove them and it in the permanent structural steel.

Garda gave go ahead too.

If they shut you down what is the follow on ?
Fines ? DPP?
Or just shut down and don’t restart until restrictions lifted ?

Cienciano · 25-02-2021 9:23pm

Gumbo wrote: »

It’s the local Garda that will actually shut you down.
The first port of call should be to the Garda station soaking your situation and get approval.

Done that today for a friend. Explained the reasoning behind what needed to be done and the Garda gave him permission to finish those particular works.

Mainly health and safety related, especially where works or product have a risk onto the public path. Another was the rear of the house being propped with strong boys. He wanted to remove them and it in the permanent structural steel.

Garda gave go ahead too.

Did the garda give you anything in writing? I'd imagine it wouldn't require much, a piece of stamped paper from a station and no gardai would bother you at a checkpoint. I'm in an "essential service" and just a name of the company is enough. Don't even need the ID or letter.

pale rider · 25-02-2021 9:25pm

Can those who are out and about and observant in your towns confirm what I see in mine.

New house being built with 3 bricklayers working behind gates, I can see them from my gaff.

5 yes 5 transit sized vans outside a house doing renovation work and....

Local Chadwicks had 7 works vehicles in the car park with vans coming and going as I was out walking yesterday morning, I did stand for a minute in disbelief.

These 3 examples noted whilst I was out walking.

All in this together. Ah I don’t think so...

What about your local towns: builders providers, what do you see ?

DOCARCH · 25-02-2021 9:27pm

km79 wrote: »

If they shut you down what is the follow on ?
Fines ? DPP?
Or just shut down and don’t restart until restrictions lifted ?

I heard somewhere about E1K fine per person on site.

Frozen Veg · 25-02-2021 9:54pm

pale rider wrote: »

Can those who are out and about and observant in your towns confirm what I see in mine.

New house being built with 3 bricklayers working behind gates, I can see them from my gaff.

5 yes 5 transit sized vans outside a house doing renovation work and....

Local Chadwicks had 7 works vehicles in the car park with vans coming and going as I was out walking yesterday morning, I did stand for a minute in disbelief.

These 3 examples noted whilst I was out walking.

All in this together. Ah I don’t think so...

What about your local towns: builders providers, what do you see ?

It's going on everywhere.

Restrictions aren't been enforced. Few fines would sort things pretty quick.

It's a lockdown or it's not. Doesn't work if it's half arsed.

km79 · 25-02-2021 10:05pm

DOCARCH wrote: »

I heard somewhere about E1K fine per person on site.

I heard it was 3K
But only heard
I can’t see it in any of the restrictions legislation

Cienciano · 25-02-2021 10:10pm

pale rider wrote: »

Can those who are out and about and observant in your towns confirm what I see in mine.

New house being built with 3 bricklayers working behind gates, I can see them from my gaff.

5 yes 5 transit sized vans outside a house doing renovation work and....

Local Chadwicks had 7 works vehicles in the car park with vans coming and going as I was out walking yesterday morning, I did stand for a minute in disbelief.

These 3 examples noted whilst I was out walking.

All in this together. Ah I don’t think so...

What about your local towns: builders providers, what do you see ?

Oh yes, loads of them where I am. Go on the usual walk through an estate in goatstown and there's a good few. Some have boarded up and stopped, but others are working as usual. Including the next door neighbours.

CONSTRUCTION LOCKDOWN JAN 2021

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