It has been an escalating problem for the people of Ballymun. But over the weekend they were given a hand with the ups and downs of life without lifts in the high-rise estate.
Since Saturday the Army has been deployed to carry bikes, buggies, shopping and babies up as many as 15 floors. While weekend shoppers kept the soldiers busy on Saturday, yesterday was less strenuous.
Six members of the 2nd Field Artillery Regiment at McKee Barracks relaxed in the sunshine against the wall of the James Connolly Tower, which is home to 90 families.
It is the only one of seven 15-storey tower blocks with both lifts out of order and as such has been made a priority by Dublin Corporation which asked the Government to call in the troops on Friday night. Of the other six towers three have only one working lift.
The move was a reaction to last week's decision by striking lift engineers to remove emergency repair cover. Today is the 63rd day of the dispute.
According to Capt Tom Clonan, operation lift-off has been a success. Eighteen men have been operating in two-hour shifts from 9.30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
A child's car, a pram and a vacuum cleaner were among the tally of Gunner Joseph O'Rourke. "They seemed to appreciate it," he said.
Back at base, the canteen of the Dublin Corporation regional office in Ballymun Shopping Centre, soldiers on their break played cards and talked about how different the Ballymun operation was from their normal duties.
Some had been involved in similar operations during strikes years ago. The closest others had come, said one soldier, was humanitarian aid operations in Lebanon.
The assistant city manager, Mr Brendan Kenny, explained that a mobile unit was in operation around the estate "in case people in other towers were experiencing difficulties".
He said he hoped to get the soldiers in by 8.30 a.m. today as the schools were opening again. One or two soldiers would also be based in local estate offices around the Ballymun complex. The operation will be reviewed daily, he said, and he hoped the end of the dispute was in sight.
The chairman of the Ballymun Better Lifts Service Campaign, Mr Sean O Cionnaith, said he was delighted with the Army but called on the TEEU, the lift-workers' union, to restore emergency service and to exempt Ballymun from strike action.
Meanwhile, local children chatted with the soldiers while some availed of their services.
Christopher Kelly (7) had booked Gunner John Brett to haul his bike up seven flights of stairs at 3.30 p.m. It would take "about three hours" without him, Christopher said.
Veronica Carrick, who lives on the 10th floor of James Connolly Tower, expressed gratitude to the soldiers.
"They helped me up with the kids and they brought my new Hoover up this morning. I was going to get them a cup of tea but I thought it would probably be cold by the time I got down," she said.