HEARTACHE HOME
A Fermoy mother of three, Eileen Carroll, says that she “wants out of her cold, damp and dangerous home” in the Rathcarrig housing estate in the town, writes Brian Moore.
Ms Carroll got mortgage approval for her newly constructed house from Cork County Council in 2005 and what was intended to be a happy time for the family turned into a nightmare that has continued every day since. When the Carroll family settled into their new house for that first winter they soon realised that there were major problems.
“We have a bay window in the front room, I soon noticed that there was a draught under and at the sides of the window. When I looked I saw light coming in from outside, there was a gap that you could fit your finger into and run it almost right around the window frame,” Eileen Carroll said.
The Fermoy family subsequently encountered many other problems including dampness, plaster collapsing from the ceiling, waterlogged carpets, pools in the back garden and electrical failure. Councillor Olive Corcoran expressed shock at the conditions of the new homes in Rathcarrig.
“Another resident was almost electrocuted recently. Cork County Council need to sort this out immediately. How did the council engineers pass these houses as fit for people?” the councillor questioned in conversation with The Avondhu.
Cork County Council official, Michael Cremin, is well aware of the problems Eileen Carroll has faced.
“The council has responded to all requests from Ms Carroll and will continue to do so. I met with Ms Carroll and told her that it was the builder and not Cork County Council that was at fault here. Work has been carried out at Ms Carroll’s home and a meeting between the builders and council engineers will take place at Rathcarrig to assess any other work that needs to be carried out. This will then be completed.”
Published:
Thursday 25th February 6:29pm
