Dublin tenants marched against poor conditions in Cromcastle Court flats, citing delayed regeneration plans and neglect.
Some residents moved from three blocks back in 2018, due to stairwells having serious structural issues then. The council says “phase 1” will finish in 2029. This phase covers Cromcastle Court and Old Coal Yard sites.
Bernie Whelan spoke at the protest. She mentioned poor communication and upkeep. Her ceiling leaks, making her living room unusable, and residents feel they are being ignored and feel neglected by the city.
Bernie said the regeneration began nearly twenty years ago. Progress isn’t likely until 2029, and she mentioned the news is unacceptable. The tenants have “had enough” problems. Showers are blocked, and no one fixes them. The situation is “horrendous” for tenants.
Dr. Fiadh Tubridy spoke about the situation. Residents have been let down “for decades,” and they feel incredibly frustrated about it. Plans keep failing since 2007 or 2008. People live in awful conditions now, she said.
Heating and hot water have problems, and winter brings long periods without heat now. Tap water is brown, so most avoid drinking it. Mice, rats, and dumped trash accumulate outside. Issues aren’t addressed, and the building ages badly.
The council said “phase 1” will create 152 new houses. They will consist of one, two, and three-bedroom homes. Phase one features 34 homes for older people, sitting on the Old Coalyard site.
The project just finished the design stage. Government approval allowed progress toward planning, and a planning application is coming in months. Once planning wraps up, then they will obtain a contractor who will demolish three blocks of vacant housing. Former residents received new housing.
The council knows what challenges residents face. They carried out work within homes there. Upgrades improved homes to an average B1 BER rating from an original E1 rating. Buildings got wrapped in 2016 and 2017 to improved insulation of flats.
In 2015, the heating system received a major upgrade, replacing three boilers with two air-to-water heat pumps. The pumps are far more efficient for housing.
The single-glazed windows got replaced with double or triple glazed with roofs relaid with insulation protection over time. Water tanks changed over from galvanized to plastic, insulated roofs were installed for further protection.
Weather compensation controls were installed, changing the flow’s temperature based on the exterior. Temperature sensors also were installed to monitor apartment conditions remotely. A new, fast hot water cylinder was installed.
If tenants have any issues, report them through the normal channels so the council will investigate those issues.