Council says social tenants willing to pay should have access to amenities

Dublin councillors at the South Central Area Committee have called for social housing tenants to be allowed access to the same amenities as private residents at large-scale apartment complexes, provided they pay for the extra facilities

Add to preferred sources News Stephen Holland Local Democracy Reporter 17:33, 18 Sep 2026 View Image Block 5, Castleview Apartments, Bluebell, Dublin 12

Dublin councillors have backed social housing tenants at Bluebell who have been blocked from using on-site amenities .

Branded as “housing apartheid” by Sinn Féin Cllr Daithí Doolan, social housing tenants at Block 5 in Castleview Apartments have been denied access to facilities such as the gym despite their willingness to pay out-of-pocket. Speaking at Wednesday’s South Central Area Committee, Cllr Doolan called on DCC to resolve the matter.

“No resident should be discriminated against because of housing status,” Cllr Doolan’s motion stated. He explained that it is not the council who are blocking tenants from accessing amenities, but the owners of the overall complex.

While a tenant previously won a case arguing they should be allowed to access all the same facilities as private residents, provided they pay, a subsequent appeal was lost. Cllr Doolan is now pressuring for a policy review to take place that would ensure tenants are no longer denied access.

DCC has said that they take no issue with tenants paying additional fees for access to amenities, but that the council cannot be the ones paying for them. This is to ensure social housing tenants are not favoured from one complex to the next with extra services.

Executive Officer Aisling Browne stated that this is an issue that has increasingly arisen as the council has delegated more social housing tenants to Approved Housing Bodies in large apartment complexes. With several different entities often involved in the running of a complex, they stated that the agreements in place mean it is “not as straightforward” as simply paying a top up fee.

“We would be delighted if all social housing tenants had access the same as everyone else, but legal arrangements mean it is not always possible,” she said. Ms Browne explained they try to negotiate access on a “scheme-by-scheme basis” and issues around insurance often come into play.

Labour Cllr Darragh Moriarty said this is not the first time that this issue has cropped up, as he’s seen it happen already at complexes in Drimnagh and Ranelagh. “It flies in the face of what Part V is supposed to deliver,” he said.

The ethos behind having private and social housing living in the same complexes together is to encourage integration among communities. Cllr Moriarty highlighted the benefits of having “a social mix of people from different backgrounds,” but that “if you have a door slammed in your face” and are told you can’t access equipment, people feel “it’s unfair”.

While he believes that DCC should not be the ones paying extra for access, Cllr Moriarty said they should write to all Approved Housing Bodies facing this issue and find a way to provide access for tenants who are willing to pay.

People Before Profit Cllr Hazel De Nortúin highlighted the need for community facilities and amenities not just for private tenants, but for everyone. She explained that when planning developments it often requires “a crèche, playroom, communal rooms, gyms” and that this is an important aspect of infrastructure implementation.

“You wouldn’t get planning without it. But for some reason, social tenants don’t need those services for a sustainable community?” she said, adding “nobody is expecting anything for free.”

Dublin City Council further outlined their stance on the issue, stating they fully support “the principle that all residents should be treated with dignity and respect” but that it is important to acknowledge “the legal and administrative structures that govern apartment developments and management companies”.

“In most apartment complexes, the management company is responsible for maintaining and managing the common areas and facilities on behalf of the apartment owners. Its powers and responsibilities are set out in the development's legal documentation, including leases, transfer documents, house rules, and service charge arrangements,” the motion response stated.

“The management company must operate within these legal frameworks and cannot extend access to facilities or amenities where doing so would be contrary to its own governing documents or create additional unsustainable financial liabilities. Where apartments are owned by different entities, including approved housing bodies such as the Iveagh Trust, the rights attached to those units may differ from those attached to other property owners within the same apartment development.

“Access to certain amenities or services depend on the terms under which those facilities are funded, insured, maintained and managed. Residents' housing status is not the deciding factor. Rather, the determining issue will be whether the owner of a particular unit has legal rights to those facilities and contributes through service charges or other financial arrangement towards their operation and upkeep.”

This content is funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme

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