New Document: Kick Out Kingspan (2024 c.) — CATU Belfast

Many thanks to the Belfast branch of CATU for sending us this and other documents.

As noted previously:

Community Action Tenants Union is a national tenants’ union in Ireland. Established in 2019, it is a mass membership organisation of “renters, council tenants, mortgage holders and people in emergency & precarious living situations”. CATU is affiliated to ACORN International.

There are already a number of documents from CATU Belfast in the Archive, and this selection adds to them. This leaflet focused on activism around Kingspan, then a sponsor of Ulster Rugby and where the stadium in Belfast was named the Kingspan Stadium.

Kingspan’s K15 insulation made up part of the highly flammable cladding on Grenfell Tower

Before the fire…

Kingspan knew its materials weren’t safe

• they described one safety test as a “raging inferno” but kept this secret

• when challenged they said those raising questions could “go f*ck themselves” or be sued

• lawyers say they set the precedent for combustible cladding

After the fire…

Kingspan lobbied against a ban on combustible materials in high rise areas and saw no financial penalties

• they posted £1.2 billion in profits since the disaster

• CEO Gene Murtagh has received £15 million since 2017

In Belfast…

• Victoria Place still has unsafe cladding 5 years on Is Kingspan really the best Ulster Rugby can do?

In 2024 it was announced that Kingspan would no longer sponsor Ulster Rugby.