Survey reveals ongoing problems in estates

SINN Fein has released a report on a survey it carried
out that reveals ongoing problems with council houses in three Southside
housing estates.

The survey carried out by Sinn Fein activists in the
Balgaddy area last year found that 85 per cent of those living in the Méile an
Rí, Tor an Rí and Búirg an Rí estates, who responded to the questions, had
encountered some problems with their homes.

Some 61 per cent of those surveyed said they had
contacted South Dublin County Council about problems such as dampness and leaks
but were dissatisfied with the response from the local authority.

The three estates comprise 465 social houses and
apartments built in Balgaddy, near Lucan, between 2004 and 2007.

From an early stage residents complained about the
poor condition of the housing.

They formed the Balgaddy Working Together Group in
2008 with the aim of raising awareness about the issues involved. They also
commissioned an engineering firm to carry out a report on the quality of the
housing.

Buckeridge Forristal Partnership Consulting Engineers
subsequently published a report in June 2011 that identified significant
problems with roofs, heating systems, electrical systems, windows and doors and
wall construction in the social housing units.

The most recent report issued by Sinn Fein activists
states that they called to the doors of all 465 houses and apartments in the
three estates on November 19 and 29 last year.

The survey found that some 104, or 85 per cent of
respondents, said they were experiencing problems with one or more issues
raised in the engineering report.

In addition, 60 per cent of residents said they were
experiencing anti-social behavior.

The report acknowledged that South Dublin County
Council had directed a considerable amount of resources into addressing the
housing problems.

However, it added that the results of the survey
demonstrated that persistent and widespread problems remained.

Lorraine Higgins, a spokeswoman for the Balgaddy
Working Together Group, told Southside People that the report reflected the
true scale of the widespread structural problems that exist in residents’
homes.

?

Sinn Fein activist Eoin O

‘Broin said the council
should appoint a dedicated estate manager to oversee any programme of works that
emerges from the findings of the survey.

? he said.

A spokesperson for the local authority said they were
not in a position to comment.