Longboat Quay residents frustrated with lack of communication

A man renting an apartment in the Longboat Quay development in Dublin has said he dodged a bullet when his attempt to buy the property earlier this year failed.

Paul Tellwright, who has been renting at the complex for eight years, said many residents were frustrated about communication issues following the news they may face eviction as a result of fire safety defects.

“There are a lot of pissed off people in the building,” he said. “There’s been no communication.”

Mr Tellwright said fire alarms installed in the complex six months ago after the safety issues became known were “overkill” and go off very regularly.

“If someone burnt a piece of toast the whole building was evacuated,” he said.

He said he and his partner put in a bid to buy their apartment earlier this year but that the owner did not respond. He said they now realise they “dodged the bullet” by not doing so.

Mr Tellwright hopes to continue living at the complex but admits there have been a number of “minor faults” in this home over the years.

“There has been damp and mound in the apartment and the ventilation is bad. The toilets are bad and the flush breaks every so often.”

Adam and Natalia, who have been living in the complex for two years, said compared to other apartment blocks in the area, theirs was in the worst condition.

“You can see that there were many shortcuts being taken when this was built,” said Adam. “There’s storage heaters everywhere in this building, you’ve got a very old and faulty immersion for water heating.”

The couple used to live in another apartment building across the road which, they said, was in much better condition.

In the northern section of the complex a male resident, who refused to give his name, said he believes the management committee are doing “a great job”in resolving the apartments’ fire safety requirements.

“I’m not worried at all, there’s no need to panic,” he said. “There’s no way that they’ll put an evacuation notice on us because where are they going to put 900 people for starters? There’s already a homeless crisis in this town. All they’ve got to do is hand over what they need to solve the problem.”

Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Séan O'Rourke, Erica McKerrow-Berthon, who owns and rents out an apartment in the Longboat Quay complex, said the Government had an obligation to step in and help the residents.

“We’re not responsible for the problems that have happened,” said Ms McKerrow-Berthon. “I’m sure I’m like a lot of other owners of the apartments, I will not pay and I will stand outside and I will picket but I am not paying for somebody else’s mistakes.”

Ms McKerrow-Berthon said her tenant was terrified she would be thrown out on to the street.