A DUBLIN MOTHER living with her four young children has said that she and her family are now “facing homelessness” as she feels she has no option left but to surrender her council home. 

Nadine Garland (28) said that the house she’s been living in since 2022 is in an unlivable condition, and the disrepair is having an impact on her and her children’s ability to go about their normal daily lives. 

She showed The Journal photos of the house that show black mould, “mushrooms” growing out of one of the walls, damp stains on the floors and walls that have literally crumbled in due to the damage caused by damp. 

Nadine’s children are 3, 7, 9, and 11 years of age. 

One of the walls inside the home crumbled in due to damp and the impact of burst pipes.

Their house in Ballyfermot is privately owned, but is part of Dublin City Council’s social housing stock via the Tuath housing agency. 

One of her children has had health issues, which his GP said were caused by the state of the house. 

“He is currently living in sub-optimal conditions. Photos illustrate significant damp and mouldy patches on multiple walls in his house, including his bedroom. 

“Already his mother reports that it is impacting his breathing,” the doctor said, before urging the housing authorities to carry out the necessary works.

The radiator came away from the wall last week.

In the last week of bad weather, the damp and mould in the house have gotten even worse, and a few days ago, a radiator in the house fell off the wall. 

The heating is still not working as a result. 

The Journal has seen emails that Nadine has sent to Tuath as far back as early 2024, asking for something to be done about the condition of the house.

In an email from summer of that year, Nadine reported to Tuath that she had had to take her child to the hospital as his breathing had become so bad. 

“The kids will not invite any friends over as they are embarrassed by the conditions, and because of the smell of damp and mould, they hate going home. My eldest son wanted to move to his nanny’s because the damp is so bad,” she said. 

Nadine said that the conditions have put her under significant stress as a parent, and that after having contractors visit the house on multiple occasions to do reports over the last six months, she now feels that she has no choice but to surrender the property in the hopes of being moved to somewhere more suitable. 

The floors are stained.

“No one will take responsibility. DCC direct me to Tuath, and then Tuath directs me back to DCC. Because it’s privately owned but on a 25-year lease, there seems to be some issue with contacting the owner as well,” Nadine said. 

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She said that the state of the house has hurt her self-esteem as a parent. 

“This is affecting my son’s health; he has ADHD and is autistic. I feel like I am failing them all as a parent because I cannot give them the proper home and stability they need. 

“I’ve had workers who were sent in say they haven’t seen conditions like it. The bathroom floor is falling in, and currently, the kitchen is flooded after the radiator fell off the wall, I think because it is so damp,” she said. 

Nadine further said that when contractors have assessed the house, they’ve been candid in telling her that it “needs to be gutted” and major work needs to be done. 

“We’ve no timeline for that, but it’s been suggested that we could stay here during those works. I do not see how with four small children. We have not been offered alternative accommodation, and I have asked to be moved, but to remain within the area, so my kids can still go to school in Crumlin,” she added.

The Journal asked both DCC and Tuath for comment in relation to Nadine and her children’s situation, and what is being done to address the conditions in their home. 

Tuath Housing said that it is “aware of concerns regarding the condition of this property”. 

“An independent property condition survey was carried out, which identified a number of issues requiring remedial works. Tuath is working with the tenant and contractors to address these issues,” they added. 

A Dublin City Council spokesperson said that the council is liaising with Tuath on the matter. They said that Tuath have carried out “substantial works to date” and is in the process of arranging more works.