Representatives from Dublin City Council are to meet residents of the Cromcastle Court complex in north Dublin on Tuesday to discuss complaints about living conditions.
The meeting comes as the preliminary results of a survey found most residents believe their poor living conditions were having a bad effect on their mental and physical health.
[ ‘You can see holes in the ceilings’: Dublin flats residents protest over damp, mould and dereliction ]
A survey of those living at the flats complex in Kilmore was carried out by researchers at Maynooth University in collaboration with the Community Action Tenants Union Ireland (CATU).
It took the views of residents living in 30 of the 54 occupied flats and was funded by the Environmental Protection Agency.
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Some of the effects on physical and mental health reported by 90 per cent of residents included frequent chest infections due to mould, respiratory issues such as asthma and COPD, social isolation linked to an unwillingness to invite others into their home and developmental and learning problems for children due to overcrowding.
More than 90 per cent of residents said they were affected by at least two or more of the following issues: mould and damp, leaks, problems with heating and hot water, pest infestations, overcrowding, damage to windows and doors, and poor water quality.
In all, 83 per cent reported they were affected by mice, rats or insect infestations. They said large numbers of vacant flats and problems with rubbish collection were adding to the problem, with one woman saying she had caught hundreds of mice in her flat over the past year.
One of the most common problems reported by residents (80 per cent) was that the heating system was unreliable or non-functional.
The most frequently reported problem was that the residents had no control over the heating and that it was sometimes very cold and at other times unbearably hot, with temperatures up to 28 degrees.
The Cromcastle Court complex was built by the council in 1971 and has been blighted by structural and safety issues over many years.
Urgent intervention is needed as residents are living in dangerous, unhealthy conditions
— Fiadh Tubridy, author of the survey of residents
In 2018 serious structural issues were found and residents in three of the eight blocks were rehoused. Those blocks remain vacant, and a regeneration project for the scheme was drafted by Dublin City Council, but it has yet to be lodged for planning permission.
In February residents marched in protest to the council offices in Coolock, asking for priority transfers to more suitable homes, for maintenance issues to be addressed and for a timeline on both to be provided.
These issues are due to be discussed at a meeting between residents, councillors and the council area manager on Tuesday.
Fiadh Tubridy, author of the survey, said the results showed “that the vast majority of residents in Cromcastle Court are living in dangerous and unhealthy conditions and urgent intervention is needed to address the problems tenants are facing”.
