Chris Andrews (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is important that many voices are heard on it. As Mr. Maloney mentioned, there are 345 flats. Given the condition of the 345 flats, there should be a maintenance crew designated to them. It would be a big maintenance crew because there is a lot of maintenance to do in the flats, so they would be kept busy. Sometimes I despair when it comes to maintenance because people could be waiting for a call-out for weeks and they might never hear anything. They get ghosted. It is demoralising for me as a public representative having so many people contact me. I am sure it is ten times worse for residents who have to put up with it.

I was contacted by someone today – not in Pearse House – who had a leak, which was reported yesterday. The leak has now gone into three flats in total and they are still waiting for somebody to call out. It is absolutely insane.

Another example is new doors. My understanding is that if you are a long-standing tenant who has been paying rent for 20, 30 or 40 years, you will have a 30-year old or 40-year old door, almost irrespective of how bad its condition is. There is talk about the environment and all of that, but the reality is that the condition of so many doors is unacceptable. There are such big gaps that the postman could put the letters in through the side of the door, under the door or over the door, yet people are paying rent every single week and they cannot get a new door. When people move out, the flat gets a new door. That is just unfair on residents who are paying rent week after week and that is the sort of service they get. It is unacceptable. A new door is about insulation, which is important.

Has the current Minister for housing met the group?