Waterford Council to inspect balconies after fall by two children

Sarah Slater

Waterford City and County Council are to carry out examinations on balconies in an apartment complex on Monday after two children were injured in a fall from an apartment balcony.

Sister and brother Nevaeh (7) and Jayden (3) O’Neill, fell from the second-storey balcony at Mount Suir apartments in Gracedieu at 10.40am on Friday morning.

The siblings fell more than 20 feet to the ground when a pane of glass on the balcony railing crashed to the ground. They had been playing with two other siblings who were not injured.

The children were taken by ambulance to University Hospital Waterford (UHW) for treatment of their injuries. Nevaeh was discharged from hospital on Friday night and returned home to her parents Ryan O’Neill and Regina Smith.

Jayden was transferred to Temple Street Hospital in Dublin as a precautionary measure due to head injuries he sustained. He narrowly missed falling on a large shard of glass.

The council owns Block C of the Mount Suir apartment complex for the past six years.

Garda forensic teams examined the balcony from where the children fell.

In a statement the Council said it has initiated a formal investigation around the circumstances of the incident.

"The council has reached out to the family to offer support and a formal investigation into the incident has commenced," the statement added.

Mayor of Waterford City and Council Labour councillor Séamus Ryan added that the council are fully investigating what happened. "We will get to the bottom of what happened.”

The council held an emergency meeting on Friday afternoon with Tramore-Waterford City West's six elected councillors.

Those living in Block C have been informed by council officials to stay off their balconies until the inspection is carried out on Monday.