City Hall explosion: DPP decides not to prosecute

Date Published: 01-Nov-2012

BY ENDA CUNNINGHAM

The Director of Public Prosecutions has decided not to prosecute following the explosion which ripped through City Hall two-and-half years ago, the Galway City Tribune has learned.

The Health & Safety Authority confirmed this week that their investigation and subsequent report into the explosion has been completed and they are currently in communication with Galway City Council.

“The HSA investigation is fully complete, and this has been communicated to Galway City Council,” a spokesperson said.

This newspaper has since learned that the HSA sent a file to the DPP on the matter, but a decision was made that there will not be a prosecution. A spokesperson for the Council was unavailable for comment yesterday.

Interim City Manager Joe O’Neill previously told the Galway City Tribune that a boiler at City Hall was the source of the explosion and that the Council’s own report would be forthcoming.

“The boiler was the source, but we have to establish why it happened or what caused it to explode,” he said.

The explosion occurred on the morning of June 11, 2010 shortly before staff arrived for work, and shattered windows as well as causing extensive damage to the offices on the ground floor of City Hall. It also travelled up stairwells and caused damage to the upper floor of the building.

At the time, Council officials hailed it as a miracle that nobody was killed or seriously injured in the incident, which took place at around 7.50am.

Council management have come under severe criticism for failing to provide a report to councillors on the explosion.

For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.