The Government has been called to "get serious" about building regulations following fire safety concerns at apartments in Mountjoy Square in Dublin.

Green Party Deputy Leader Catherine Martin TD confirmed 20 people, including children are to be evacuated from the unsafe building following a High Court hearing.

Deputy Martin said: "A week on from the terrible tragedy at Grenfell Tower in London, evacuations due to fire safety concerns are happening to residents in Mountjoy Square in Dublin. This is another wake-up call for the Government. They must get serious about building regulation and ensuring that acceptable standards are met.

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"We welcome the move by the new Minister for Housing, Eoghan Murphy, to review fire safety standards in multi-storey social housing units, but more must be done. There are tens of thousands of homes out there falling short of the required standards – whether that's in relation to pyrite, mika, water ingress, or fire safety issues. I have been contacted by constituents facing bills of almost €40,000 to put right failures thanks to a lack of enforcement of building standards. We have to ensure that we put a stop to these failures. We must put an end to self-certification."

(CD/MH)