Dolphin House residents with mould in drinking water feel left behind by DCC

Since moving into regenerated flats in 2018, Dolphin House residents have had to deal with problems like damp and severe mould, with one tenant claiming mould was even found in the tank leading directly to their drinking water

News Stephen Holland Local Democracy Reporter 19:00, 13 Jul 2026 Updated 19:51, 13 Jul 2026 Dolphin House Interview Tenants in Dublin’s largest remaining public housing flat complex feel they have been left behind as they deal with damp, mould and chronic design flaws in homes that were only built in 2018.

Residents at Dolphin House in Dublin 8 have spoken out about the poor living conditions within the homes delivered as part of Phase 1A of an overall regeneration project for the complex . When the homes were completed eight years ago, incoming residents felt their dreams had come true. Yet less than a decade later, the conditions are so poor that many wish they had stayed in the old flats that were demolished to build them.

With intense heat in the summer and blistering cold in the winter, problems include leaky roofs and walls riddled with black mould. One affected tenant, who asked to remain anonymous, revealed a plumber had even found mould in their tank that leads directly to their drinking water.

With four children living in the house, the resident said they have not drank water from the tap for the past two years since making the discovery. Going through dozens of water bottles every week takes a toll financially, and despite making their concerns clear to the council, a promise to test the water never came to fruition.

DCC themselves admit many of their new builds have been “very problematic,” with serious maintenance issues arising within just a few short years of construction. Speaking to councillors from the South Central Area last April, Senior Engineer with Housing Maintenance Robert Buckle addressed rampant dampness, severe mould, and deteriorating infrastructure in council homes.

He explained that addressing these concerns can be difficult, as parts were often ordered from places like Eastern Europe and it can now be challenging to source replacements. While older complexes like Oliver Bond House have their own share of extreme problems , Mr Buckle said they are still standing after 100 years and it’s unlikely the same will be said for newer builds, like the regenerated Dolphin House homes.

Dublin Live visited Dolphin House to see the problems first-hand, and it was immediately clear that tenants were frustrated and felt down by the results of this long-planned regeneration. With plans for further construction underway, they are pleading for DCC and the Department of Housing to first address the design flaws in their homes before ploughing ahead with the next set of houses.

One tenant explained their concerns, stating structural defects appeared almost immediately after moving in as large cracks ran through the walls from outside their upstairs bathroom all the way to the kitchen. He said the homes would have excellent windows if only “they had been fitted right” as “you literally have to jam it open and jam it shut”.

“Even he [a surveyor] was saying he doesn’t think there’s insulation in the wall in parts of the house,” he said.

Persistent damp has led to white and black mould growing on the walls and during heavy rainfall water gets in and leaves the floors soaking wet. This resident pulled up their carpet because otherwise it soaks up the water and leads to an intense musky smell. “I want to have friends around, but I've no floors. When people who don’t know you come inside, they ask ‘have you got no floor, you’ve been here seven years’,” he said.

Maintenance concerns are one thing, but what really riles up this tenant is how the repair process plays out when the council does eventually send someone out. When he tries to explain the additional issues in the house a common response is “it’s not the job list” and that he’ll need to call and request someone else to come out again another time, which can take months.

His concerns about a leaky fuse box were addressed by a repair worker covering it with a plastic bag and putting one of his daughter's boots on top of it for stability. “He said, 'I’ve got seven more jobs to do tonight, that’ll get you through'.”

View 4 Images Dolphin House resident's fuse box protected by plastic bag and a boot

Residents feel like the materials used to build the homes were not made to last. “It’s a seven year old house and I had to get a new boiler this year,” he said.

Even the design of the homes themselves is unusual, with the kitchen ceiling being 18 feet high. He said “it just doesn’t make sense”. Delayed repairs and missed timelines mean the people in Dolphin House don’t put a lot of stock into promises made by the local authority to address the problems.

He said he was given assurances that work on the homes would commence in May, but this never happened. Promises for reports don’t materialise and they are left chasing answers to questions they feel they never should be required to ask in the first place.

One young woman spoke about the problems she has faced, stating when it rains “the water comes out of the walls like no tomorrow”. “You have to put buckets and towels to stop it,” she said.

“It’s disgraceful how we are left. They are just leaving us. They are just left in a state. There’s no carpet on our stairs because the carpet is stinking.

“The old flats were better. If you could bring me and my kids back to the old flats I would take. They are brutal, they are absolutely brutally built.”

Sinn Féin Councillor for the area Ciarán Ó Meachair has consistently brought up the plight of Dolphin House residents at council meetings. “The sheer amount of problems in these homes is crazy. Between leaks and issues with electricity and wiring, the list is as long as your arm,” he told Dublin Live.

Cllr Ó Meachair said that residents have engaged with the council in good faith and “the wall of silence from DCC over the past months has been incredibly frustrating”. He believes the snag list was not done properly at the time and the issue raises a lot of questions about how contracts are signed off on and “what checks and balances were put in place”.

“Taxpayers' money was spent on the first part of the regeneration here. The fact there are so many problems from heaters to plug sockets, mould, dampness, and leaks. The amount of money that will have to go into fixing those problems. It’s a huge burden that’s going to have to be paid for through the public’s purse,” he said.

View 4 Images Sinn Féin Councillor Ciarán Ó Meachair at the Dolphin House complex

“DCC are talking about continuing the regeneration of Dolphin House, talking about regenerations of other places. Are people going to move into these other places in the next few years and find the same problems? That is a big question.

He said there is “a lot of scepticism" about Phase 1B of the regeneration because Phase 1A “hasn’t been resolved”. “The problems are still there in those homes, and they're still moving ahead with the rest of the regeneration. People are not against regeneration, but they want to see it working properly,” he said.

Cllr Ó Meachair said DCC have “failed so badly” in carrying out this regeneration and he called out the fact that people who literally live inside this problem faced a rent increase last April when rates for council tenants were raised across Dublin city. He called for residents to be provided with a proper timeline and for them to be given regular and reliable updates moving forward.

“They've been let down and I think it's incumbent on the council and the state to meet the residents halfway, to match their energy, to match their passion for the local community, to their want to see the local community thrive.”

Speaking to councillors last April, Senior Executive Officer for Housing Regeneration Collette Egan admitted newer apartment complexes have caused problems and said there have been major improvements in how the council approves contracts since the first phase of Dolphin House’s regeneration was built. She noted the standard of onsite inspections has increased greatly in recent years.

Cllr Ó Meachair questioned Assistant Chief Executive Mick Mulhern about issues at Dolphin House at the July monthly council meeting. Mr Mulhern stated on Dolphin House: “Our engineering team have been out to a number of the early phases delivered and have carried out works and identified works. That offer has always been open and we have done a raft of works to properties out there over the last 18 months.

Mr Mulhern said he is “well aware of the issues” and there has been “some challenges with some of the design elements”. He admitted “some leaks” but said they “aren’t necessarily into people’s homes” and are instead related to columns. “I don’t have a timeline as to when those works will be done. I know the surveys are finished, but I'll go away with the team and we’ll come back with a timeline on that,” he said.

“In terms of the overall regeneration programme. I don’t have a deadline around Phase 1B, but it’s imminently out for contractor tender. Phase 1C is about to commence its planning process. The LDA are onboard, they were at the last regeneration forum meeting. The design teams are working on early concepts and will be back to engage with the regeneration forum at the right time in that process.”

In response to the issues raised, Dublin City Council stated they have a program in place with their Central Lab and have cross-referenced all Phase 1 homes by the specific concerns reported. They state that a formal process is active where tenants can report problems directly to the Regeneration Project Co-ordinator, who forwards them to the maintenance team. These cases are then reviewed monthly by the Dolphin House Regeneration Board to track progress and flag any delayed repairs.

Addressing the immediate structural and health concerns, DCC confirmed that Housing Maintenance will begin conditional surveys on the Phase 1 properties within four weeks. The council also pledged to test the estate's water tanks in the very near future. For the six homes suffering from roof leaks, investigative works have already taken place, with city architects and building inspectors currently working alongside maintenance teams to resolve the issue.

DCC emphasised that the ongoing issues are directly shaping the next stages of the development. Feedback from Phase 1 residents has been integrated into a risk review for future phases, changing how upcoming homes are designed and specified. The council stated that future construction will face stricter building control inspections, and contractors will have to pass a "first-in-place" benchmark inspection of similar areas before the contractor can proceed with the roofing element of the works.

This content is funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme

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