‘I’m embarrassed’ – South Dublin mother takes out €5,000 loan to repair mouldy council home in ‘forgotten’ estate
A mother living in a two-bedroom house in a Dublin area described as the “forgotten estate” has been forced to take out a loan to pay for repairs to her home because it has been plagued by mould, damp and broken doors.
Sandra Satelle (53), who lives in the Mac Uilliam estate in Tallaght, said she had spent more than €5,000 of the money she borrowed making improvements to her home after years of problems with the property.
Ms Satelle, whose 21-year-old daughter Abby has additional needs, said the mould in the house had been a problem for more than a decade.
She said she and her daughter had been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which she attributed to the mould in their home.
“We moved here about 14 years ago – about six months after moving in, the whole back door cracked,” she said.
“But the only way to lock the back door is with bolts that I got onto the door to lock it.”
Ms Satelle said she had also experienced problems with broken windows, rats and damp furniture, saying that the council had not carried out sufficient work inside the property.
“We’re living with mould, broken doors, broken windows, rats. I’ve gone through three brand-new wardrobes because of the mould. The mould has been here for about 10 to 12 years,” she said.
“The furniture is constantly damp. There’s a lot of the houses around here that have the same.
“We would like to come into our home and feel comfortable and we don’t feel that. I’d like to put carpet in here in the living room but I can’t because it’s so damp.
“All we want to know is when they [the council] will be coming to do all the repairs.”
She also said she rarely had friends or family visiting because she would be “embarrassed” by the condition of her home.
“None of my family come here. As for friends, it would be about three of the neighbours on the road. I don’t mind them coming in for the simplest reason that their homes are just as bad,” she said.
“I’m embarrassed, you know, that’s why I put every penny I have into this house, and if there’s something going on, I make sure to sort it out because I’m embarrassed of people coming in and seeing mould up the walls.
“I actually had to take out a loan now to cover the maintenance in this property. It’s a disgrace, I have spent more than €5,000.”
Ms Satelle has now applied for a transfer, saying a bungalow would better suit her daughter’s needs.
People Before Profit councillor Kay Keane, who has described Mac Uilliam as a “forgotten estate”, said she had made more than 40 representations to South Dublin County Council about maintenance issues there this year alone.
“I really feel the many requests for maintenance-related issues are taking too long to resolve. Numerous times works carried out prove to be insufficient, which leads to tenants feeling frustrated having to report the same issues to the council,” she said.
“I have sent representations into the council for up to 11 years. This year the number would be in the ballpark of 40-plus.
“I feel the whole of Mac Uilliam needs to be inspected and all maintenance issues logged as a whole. A plan must be put in place to resolve the issues, not just fixing one window, leak or safety issue.
“No one should be living in damp or mouldy conditions. Windows and doors that need replacing should be completed within a set timeframe, not a vague notice of works needed have been reported.”
In response to a question from Ms Keane at a Tallaght Area Committee meeting in September, the council said it had carried out a refurbishment programme at Mac Uilliam Lane in 2024 involving nine apartments.
The works included internal and external painting, the replacement of windows and doors, where required, insulation works, upgrades to electrical and fire-safety systems, improvements to heating systems and the installation of mechanical ventilation.
However, the council said unauthorised access had been gained to communal areas of the apartment block shortly after the refurbishment was completed, with damage caused through vandalism.
“Following occupation, the properties were reinspected to identify any outstanding issues that became apparent after tenants had moved in,” the local authority said.
“Minor defects and snagging items identified during these follow-up inspections were recorded and rectified.”
A spokesperson for SDCC said it had completed 501 repairs across the estate so far this year, including 66 electrical repairs, 204 plumbing, carpentry and related repairs and 231 heating repairs or replacements.
They added that “stock-condition surveys” covering all 380 homes in Mac Uilliam were due to begin in the fourth quarter of this year.
Meanwhile, 17 transfer applications were under consideration in accordance with the council’s allocation scheme.
“Each case is assessed individually against the applicable criteria and available suitable accommodation,” the local authority said.
Residents of the estate are to hold a protest outside South Dublin County Council offices on Saturday, October 24.