COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF TALLAGHT AREA COMMITTEE

Monday, September 23, 2019

QUESTION NO. 19

QUESTION: Councillor Sandra Fay

"To ask the Chief Executive what is the Council's policy on re-letting and renovations of local authority housing?  It seems to the wider public that there is a lot of waste in the removal of windows, doors, kitchens etc.  There is also a huge time delay in re-allocation of house etc.  Would a safety report not be cheaper and more energy efficient as we are striving for less waste and greener environment?"

REPLY:

There is a legal duty to make sure that Council housing stock meets certain minimum physical standards and Council properties returned to stock are inspected prior to new tenancy allocation to ensure this compliance and to maintain good structural repair.

The Council are obliged to ensure that Electrical and Gas supplies are safe and in good repair, and that every room has adequate ventilation and both natural and artificial lighting.The Electrical installations are checked to ensure that all components are up to current code and where necessary the relevant components are replaced, up to and including a full rewire of the property. The Central heating systems which are controlled by the Tenants are examined, and the systems are serviced up, to and including full replacement where deemed necessary by the relevant inspectors. The cost of maintaining and repairing a central heating system gets higher as it gets older. corrosion, rusty pipes, sludge and other factors due to age result in home heating systems that are less efficient than they should be. The installation of new insulated cylinders and modern boilers increase the energy efficiency of the building and are more cost effective for Tenants.

Windows are examined in accordance with the Building Regulations to ensure that the tenants can escape if there is a fire at the property. In certain properties the windows are single glazed timber and are not energy efficient or are damaged. Front and rear doors are examined and replaced to provide weathertight installations which increases the energy efficiency of the property and enhances the security access through multi- point locking.

Other works carried out by the Council are the repair/replacement of damaged joinery, kitchen replacement where units are badly damaged, and painting of surfaces subjected to daily wear and tear. Certain properties will require substantial works owing to age of property and/or due to the existence of non-compliant modifications made to the property during tenure.

The recent appointment of new Contractors has seen a reduction in the period taken to carry out required construction works which will improve turnaround times for tenants.