Water 'flowing into the bedrooms' of damp Dorset Street council accommodation
With water flowing into the bathrooms, kitchens, and even bedrooms of Dorset Street residents, the damp and mould at the Sheridan Court flats has become too much to bear.
Lord Mayor Ray McAdam recently met with those living at Sheridan Court and admitted that the problems with drainage works at the Dublin City Council managed complex has grown into a “quality of life issue.” He said he personally witnessed "significant levels of water coming into flats” and that this has caused concern about “the stability of some of the balconies.”
“This is a complex I’ve known for quite some years, but the scale of the issues now are of such a level that I am going to pursue the matter with the housing maintenance team in Dublin City Council . Over the coming days, I'll be looking to ask the residents to come into Mansion House to meet with senior management in the city council,” Lord Mayor McAdam stated.
Lord Mayor McAdam stressed the need to first ascertain the “scale of the problem” as there is water “literally flowing down walls” of bathrooms and over beds, which he described as “not sustainable.” “I cannot stand over that in this day and age as Lord Mayor,” he said.
Kay is a Sheridan Court resident who has lived at the complex for decades who said her home experienced damp and mould for years before it was dealt with. “The walls were black,” she said, explaining that the residents feel like their maintenance concerns are continually left unresolved.
Another resident said the poor weather in recent weeks means “the weather is literally coming into our homes” as they have no protection from the elements. “It’s coming in on top and leaking into the bedroom, today the water started coming in over my bed,” she said.
While they say they have regularly contacted the council about the issues, they have not been resolved and they have never been offered alternative accommodation. They said that if the issue was confined to one area, like the kitchen, they could work around it, “but when you’re in your bedroom and you don’t know whether the ceiling is going to come in on you” then something needs to be done immediately.
Another resident said they wash down the walls “twice a month” but the problem always returns. They cited major health concerns as those in the flat are “coughing our lungs out” due to the negative effect of the damp.
Lord Mayor McAdam has called for a clear programme of work and a timeline for when they will be undertaken. He said it’s likely that Dublin City Council didn’t “fully understand or appreciate” the “the scale of the maintenance required” at Sheridan Court. “That’s why as Lord Mayor I’m going to get to the bottom of it,” he vowed.
When contacted for comment a spokesperson from Dublin City Council stated: "Housing Maintenance are aware of recent maintenance issues reported by residents of Sheridan Court, Dorset Street, Dublin 1. The extreme rainfall experienced recently led to drainage issues on some balconies at the development. The recent bad weather has placed significant strain on resources and impacted the scheduling of some works throughout the City. As weather conditions have now improved, repair and maintenance works are scheduled to take place at Sheridan Court this week. Our teams are working diligently to complete these works as quickly and safely as possible, and we appreciate the tenant’s patience and understanding while this work continues."
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