BP Exclusive
‘National emergency’: emails reveal building watchdog’s pleas for support
Regulator staff are forced to work outside normal hours, cancel annual leave and rely on interns to plug gaps despite appeals for extra resources
In January 2022, Mairéad Phelan, the head of the national building watchdog, sat down at her desk and penned a blistering email to her bosses about Ireland’s ability to regulate its construction industry – a sector worth tens of billions annually.
Her subject line got straight to the point: “National Emergency!”
“Since the setting up of this office I have never had the full complement of staff, leaving the office in a position where the ...