COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, September 14, 2026

QUESTION NO. 15

QUESTION: Councillor D. Loftus

To ask the Chief Executive what measures are being put in place to ensure that heating failures in Council owned homes are addressed promptly during the coming winter period.

REPLY:

We treat heating failures in council-owned homes as urgent maintenance issues, particularly during the winter period.

Heating system repairs are classified as urgent by the Housing Maintenance Section, with a target completion timeframe of within 10 working days from the date the maintenance request is received. In practice, our mechanical contractors typically respond to reported heating faults within 48 hours, with additional priority given, where required, to older tenants and tenants who may be vulnerable.

While most heating repairs are completed on the first visit, some cases require follow-up attendance due to the availability of parts, the nature or severity of the fault, or other unavoidable operational factors. Where this arises, cases continue to be managed through the maintenance system until the repair is completed.

We also have a planned maintenance and inspection programme in place for boilers in our social homes. This programme supports the safe and efficient operation of heating systems and helps to reduce the risk of breakdowns through preventative maintenance.

Our annual budget is €3.4 million for the servicing and replacement of existing heating systems. Where an existing gas boiler requires replacement and the property is not included in the pending Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme, it is replaced with a modern, efficient condensing gas boiler.

As of the end of August'26, 2,885 heating-related housing maintenance repairs had been completed. The average completion timeframe for these works was 5.44 days, which is within the target response period and demonstrates the ongoing focus on timely delivery of essential heating repairs for tenants.