Sites visited after reports of activity amid building halt

A Garda spokesman confirmed the temporary restrictions, which have shut down all but essential construction services, are still in force and officers had visited sites in Donnybrook.

"Gardaí in Donnybrook have inspected a number of sites and, where necessary, sites have come into compliance with the public health regulations," the spokesman said.

"An Garda Síochána has been consistent in our graduated policing response to supporting public health regulations and guidelines in line with our tradition of policing by consent.

"This has seen Garda members engage, explain, encourage and, as a last resort, enforce."

Councillor Dermot Lacey, a Labour Party representative for the Pembroke ward on Dublin City Council, said he had received reports from local people regarding construction activity at a handful of building sites.

Mr Lacey said he had passed reports directly to gardaí.

He added that his understanding was all reports he had made had been dealt with satisfactorily.

Mr Lacey said he "wished people would comply with the regulations".

"The quicker everybody complies, the quicker we are all back to normal," he said.

"It's hard for everybody. The decent people who are complying with the regu- lations should not be made to suffer because of people who aren't. There is no excuse."

Separately, the Sunday Independent was the first to report on continued construction activity in the Donnybrook area.

Last month, this newspaper exclusively revealed that work was being carried out at a site on Shrewsbury Road owned by a trust linked to billionaire Dermot Desmond, despite Covid-19 restrictions halting numerous projects around the country.

The work at 24 Shrewsbury Road, where the house formerly known as Walford had stood, meant it was one of Ireland's few private residential construction sites at that time.

Walford was once the most expensive house in Ireland, selling for €58m in 2005 to developer Sean Dunne.

In 2016, the property was bought for €14.25m by Celtic Trustees Ltd, an Isle of Man-based trust set up by Mr Desmond for the benefit of his children.

Celtic Trustees was given permission to demolish Walford in 2018.

The Sunday Independent visited sites around the Donnybrook area early last week, but could not confirm if any building work was being carried out.

On January 6, Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien confirmed a shutdown in construction activity, with limited exemptions, as part of the national effort to halt the spread of Covid-19.

Among the exemptions announced by the Government were the construction of essential health projects, education buildings and social housing projects within eight weeks of completion.

Other exemptions included essential or emergency repair and maintenance work at businesses or residences on an emergency call-out basis.