Landlord of students killed in f ire STILL runs Irish college in Belgium
And despite the horrif ic loss, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology continued to offer work placements there
THE Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology continued to offer placements at a controversial Irish college in Belgium a year after two of its students died in a fire in ‘slum’ accommodation there.
This week, Malachy Vallely, the director of the Leuven Institute for Ireland in Europe, was found guilty of causing the deaths of Sara Gibadlo, 19, from Oranmore, Galway, and Dace Zarina, 22, from Longford, in January 2014, by having ‘taken insufficient measures for fire safety’.
Delivering his verdict, the judge described Mr Vallely, a former GAA star from Naas, as a ‘slum landlord’. Mr Vallely owned the accommodation where the students were housed.
He was given a one-year suspended sentence and was fined €6,000. The institute was also found responsible and was fined €60,000.
Despite his conviction, Mr Vallely this week continues in his post as director. This weekend, members of the Leuven development trust, including a former Irish ambassador to Belgium Brian Nason, could not be contacted for comment. Mr Vallely is also a director of the development trust.
In February 2015 – more than a year after the tragedy – the GMIT posted an advert offering a placement for a receptionist at the institute. The placement was for at least six months and the successful candidate would be paid €125 per week and provided with accommodation. GMIT students say the women who died were on a similar placement.
Shortly after the fire, the mayor of Leuven, Louis Tobback, said the house where the women died had never been declared as a student residence by its owner and it had not been given safety checks by firefighters.
Asked about the advert this week, GMIT issued a terse statement: ‘Since the tragedy in Leuven GMIT students have not been placed at the Leuven Institute on work placement. The institute will not be commenting further on the matter at this time.’
The Leuven Institute had been regarded for decades as an important cultural centre for the Irish in Europe. In 2007, the government provided €10m for its refurbishment and it continued to give grant allocations of €25,000 per year. Despite the provision of State grants, the Department of Public Expenditure admitted in a statement to the Irish Mail on Sunday this week that it had no influence over the running of the institute.
Meanwhile, it has emerged that the institute has not paid any compensation to the families of the young women who died.
Mr Dimitri Laes, lawyer for the Leuven Institute, says the institute has not yet been asked for any compensation.
‘The families of the two young women have until November 14 to make their claim and then we will know the extent of it. The fire was a big, big black page in the history of the institute,’ he added.
Asked why Mr Vallely was continuing in his post as director of the institute, he said: ‘I have no insight whatsoever into what the board are thinking about Mr Vallely’s position. But the judgement should not be too fast.’
Mr Vallely was honorary president of the GAA in Belgium but no longer holds that position.
House ‘had never been given safety checks’ No compensation paid to families of victims