Residents 'living in fear' at crime-plagued Donaghmede apartments
Residents at a Donaghmede housing development have been “living in fear” as rampant anti-social behaviour sees many terrified to leave their homes.
When Dublin City Council, in partnership with Tuath Housing, launched De Verdon Place on the Malahide Road in September 2024, incoming residents felt like their dreams had come true - only for things to quickly turn into a living nightmare. With deliberate fires being set, unauthorised people taking drugs and sleeping in corridors, and compromised security, residents have started a petition calling for “immediate and effective action”.
Councillors Jesslyn Henry and Paddy Monahan raised this issue at Monday’s North Central Area Committee meeting, describing a dire situation that continues to deteriorate. Cllr Henry shared a testimonial from a mother who, after escaping domestic violence, explained that what was meant to be a fresh start for her family has been anything but.
“It has become a nightmare and every day gets worse. At least before the broken bones and bruises healed. I eventually got the courage to go, but this is never-ending. We are afraid to leave the apartment for fear of what we find outside, and at home we are terrified of what’s going on outside the door,” a resident stated.
Cllr Henry explained that she has been in touch with several residents over the past several weeks who have spoken about witnessing people smoking “what appears to be a crackpipe” directly outside their door as non-residents are frequently accessing the building and causing chaos. “ Dublin City Council and Tuath are complicit in making this woman’s trauma worse and it’s the same for many other people in the complex,” she said.
Residents at De Verdon Place have issued a petition to formally raise “serious and ongoing concerns regarding health, safety, security, and building management within our homes.” They state that conditions in the complex have deteriorated “to a level that presents significant and foreseeable risks to residents, visitors, and service providers.”
The stated issues include deliberate fires being set in bin areas, unauthorised individuals sleeping, using drugs and engaging in anti-social behaviour within internal corridors and communal areas, unrestricted access by non-residents due to ineffective security measures, fire doors and access doors failing to close or lock properly, and persistent rummaging through waste and communal spaces.
With major concern for the wellbeing of families, elderly people, and vulnerable individuals they state the current conditions “pose a clear and unacceptable risk to their safety and wellbeing.” The petition alleges breaches of Irish Law and is requesting Tuath Housing do something to ensure all entry points are safe and secure.
They are calling for “appropriate monitoring, maintenance, and safety measures” and clear communication “regarding actions taken and timelines for resolution.” Speaking at the North Central Area Committee meeting, Cllr Deirdre Heney described the current situation "outrageous” and “completely unacceptable.” She questioned why Dublin City Council doesn’t manage the accommodation they provide themselves and stated this isn’t the first time an Approved Housing Body has “been left wanting.”
“I remember when I was at the launch of De Verdon, there were a couple of women who were so excited about getting the key to their own front door. It was a very positive experience and in a short number of months it’s turned into a nightmare for a number of them,” she said.
“Others are living in a nightmare situation having thought they were going into their dream home. It’s unacceptable, I thought we’d deal with this very sharply but it’s obvious that we’re not.”
Cllr John Lyons said that residents are “literally being retraumatized by the failure of an Approved Housing Body to live up to their statutory obligations to their tenants.” He expressed concern that the council has been “outsourcing our role as a landlord” and questioned if more oversight is needed regarding their existing relationship with AHBs.
“There needs to be a discussion around the existing relationship between the council and AHBs in the area. Is everything reactive? Does it only happen when problems emerge? Are there enough staff, and are they properly trained? These are big questions to answer before we literally outsource our role as a landlord for thousands of tenants - a path we are committed to continuing in the years ahead. I think we need a deep dive into the relationship between DCC and AHBs.” he said.
The manager’s response within the Council acknowledged “there’s a major issue going on in De Verdon around unauthorised access and break ins into common areas”. They said that there has already been a residents meeting where Tuath and the management company set out their plan “in relation to trying to increase security into the building.”
They stated “a full review of all doors and access points” suggests it may be necessary to “replace all access doors and implement further security measures around different solutions around closing.” They said the Council is “perfectly open to engaging with residents explaining the process” and admitted there has been a “a failure in terms of security in this building”.
When contacted for comment regard residents' concern at De Verdon Place, a spokesperson form Tuath Housing stated: "Tuath Housing takes all anti-social behaviour extremely seriously and operates a zero-tolerance policy, working closely with An Garda Síochána, the local community, and our tenants. We are taking all necessary actions and remain committed to working collaboratively with all stakeholders to address and resolve these issues. Our aim is to support residents so they can live in safe and secure communities."
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