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A SOCIAL HOUSING organisation in Dublin has said it “regrets the inconvenience” caused to two of its tenants in south Dublin, whose homes have been affected by severe leaking, damp and mould for over a year without any resolution, despite repeated engagement with the charity.
One of the tenants, Roisín (names have been changed to protect the identity of the tenants), who lives in her home with her two sons (aged 4 and 13), reported a hole in her ceiling, warped floorboards and slugs and mushrooms appearing on the roof and walls as a result of the leak, and said that she and her 4-year-old son have both slipped and fallen, hurting themselves.
Róisín said that the issue has been ongoing for almost two years, and that despite repeated complaints to Tuath Housing nothing of substance has been done to fix the issue.
“I am very stressed, nearly in tears to be honest,” Róisín told The Journal.
“I have mushrooms growing out of the walls, slugs, and my kids inhaling that. My son slipped and fell in February and I fell two weeks ago,” she said.
Tuath is an Approved Housing Body that provides social housing accommodation to close to 40,000 tenants across the country. The properties in question are managed and maintained by a separate management company.
Róisín’s neighbour, Elaine (not her real name), is 82 years old and lives alone. She has also reported issues of severe damp, water ingress and black mould, which has been ongoing she said for at least six months.
“The whole place is just a mess, it’s depressing looking at it,” she told The Journal.
And there’s nothing being done. It’s very frustrating.
Elaine also suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and says that the issue is negatively affecting her respiratory health.
In an email to Tuath Housing, dated 8 October, Elaine’s daughter complained about the issues on her behalf, saying she was writing to “express serious concern regarding the ongoing damp and mould issues in [her mother's] apartment, and the complete lack of resolution to date.”
“Over the past number of weeks, your team has been out to inspect the problem, yet no meaningful action has been taken, and the situation is now actively deteriorating.
“The ceiling has sustained significant damage, with plaster coming away and water continuing to seep through from the upstairs apartment. This is causing ongoing water ingress and further damage to the internal structure of the property.
Most concerning is that there is also visible mould and damp at the back of the television unit, where multiple electrical cables and sockets are located. This presents an immediate and serious fire and safety hazard, particularly for an elderly tenant with limited mobility.
The letter calls on Tuath to fix the issue, remove all mould, inspect the house to ensure that it is safe, and to pause any planned rent increases until the problem is solved.
“Please confirm receipt of this email and provide a detailed timeline for when these urgent repairs will be carried out. The current conditions are unacceptable, unsafe, and in breach of your obligations as a housing provider.”
Despite both tenants raising the issue repeatedly with Tuath and the management company, they say that nothing meaningful has been done to address their concerns. In an email sent by Róisín to a Tuath worker on 21 February of this year – seen by The Journal – she said:
“Could you please send forward this email to the repairs department and also manager please as I don’t have any other email address.
“I have rang over 10 times regarding the leak in the ceiling which is getting worse and my child slipped and banged his head this morning in the puddle.
I have been told by staff that they would get back to me but it has been months trying to sort this issue and no one has returned my call, it is dangerous and damaging property.
In a further email sent worker sent on 15 November, Róisín wrote:
“I slipped and fell and smacked my head off the door handle at 7am this morning opening the door to go out and check mail. I have been in agony since, currently still have an ice pack on my head. After two years can anyone try to help me?”
Most recently, Róisín said her house was given an “industrial sized” de-humidifier to attempt to dry up the water.
She said this posed a significant inconvenience to her and her family in the time it was there. It dried up the area in question temporarily, but as the leak itself wasn’t fixed, the damp and water soon returned.
“Whatever they have tried to do, it has done nothing… The walls are peeling, the floors are buckling,” Róisín said.
You can understand the frustration at this stage… I just don’t know what to do about it.
Elaine’s daughter said she has been in touch with Tuath “every second or third day” about the issue.
It’s constant. I just have to say to them I will have to contact a solicitor. I have sent them numerous emails saying it was urgent and there is no urgency on their side.
In a statement to The Journal regarding both cases, a spokesperson for Tuath Housing said:
“Tuath is aware of the water ingress issues raised and has been working closely with the Owners Management Company to remedy these issues.
“This work is ongoing. Our staff have visited the homes in question and are engaging with the residents regarding a number of options for support in the immediate term as we work to get these issues fully resolved.
Our focus is our residents’ safety and wellbeing. We are committed to supporting the residents in question and maintaining constant communication throughout this process.
The housing body also said:
Following initial assessments by Tuath-appointed contractors, we identified the issue as originating from a property that Tuath does not manage. Tuath has engaged and is continuing to pursue the managing agent of said property to rectify the water ingress affecting our resident. We are committed to restoring the property to its original condition once the contractors, instructed by the managing agent, have fully resolved the leak.
Róisín said that she wished Tuath had “listened from the beginning”. And expressed annoyance and frustration that her concerns weren’t dealt with sooner.
“This wouldn’t have been going on so long if they had dealt with it… It needs to be taken seriously. It’s a serious health and fire hazard.”
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