COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, March 09, 2020

MOTION NO. 1

MOTION: Councillor Alan Edge

That the Chief Executive, in light of the recent rent increase affecting some of the poorest in the county, ensures that the accelerated maintenance programme is expedited and that priority is given to those households with older residents and residents with medical conditions and to prepare a report.

REPORT:

The Planned Maintenance programme will primarily focus on replacement of windows and exterior doors in housing stock that is more than ten years old. Following a procurement process, contractors have now been appointed to deliver the programme and these contractors are now undertaking initial measurement surveys for the first phase to determine the scope of works required to undertake the replacement of the windows and doors in each property.  It should be noted that the final number of appointed contractors was somewhat lower than originally envisaged and this will have some impact on the implementation period for the delivery of the programme.  Notwithstanding this, it is still planned to prioritise works based on urgency of the works as well the circumstances of older tenants and those with medical needs with works due to start in the second quarter of 2020.  This first phase of works involving the replacement of all joinery in the property will incorporate 100 homes each in the areas north and south of the Naas Road/N7 covering areas including: Airlie, Arthur Griffith, Foxdene, Greenfort, Harelawn, Kilcronan, Kilmahuddrick, Allenton, Avonbeg , Avonmore, Bawnlea, Bolbrook, Brookview, Castle Park and Cloonmore.  An Executive Engineer has been appointed to oversee the programme and our staff will be carrying out inspections and quality assurance checks during and on completion of works.

The programme also includes painting of windows and exterior doors where replacement is not required as well as the painting of older persons' housing developments and communal areas of multi-household developments.  Contractors have been appointed for the painting work which will be carried out in conjunction with our direct labour painting teams and this work is scheduled to commence in April.

Further specific works have begun in Balgaddy estate under the programme including replacement of utility boxes/letter boxes, roofs/guttering works, communal locks/alarms and addressing heating, ventilation and insulation issues.

A range of safety works across the Council's housing stock is also being prepared under the programme to install or replace smoke/heat monitors, carbon monoxide monitors and window restrictors.

In conjunction with the Planned Maintenance Programme, our Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Programme is also ongoing, being implemented on a phased basis for our pre-1985 housing stock. These upgrade works include complete attic insulation/ventilation, pumping of cavity walls, bathroom/kitchen ventilation and draught-proofing measures with works scheduled in areas including Glenshane, Quarry Drive, Neilstown, Dunawley, Castle Park/Lawns, Michael Collins Park, James Connolly Park, Nanagor Crescent and Rathlawns amongst others in 2020.  These upgrades will greatly benefit tenants in terms of their heating costs, reducing fuel poverty and making their homes more comfortable.