Housing body apologises to Cork mother of terminally-ill child in damp flat

An approved housing body has apologised to the mother of a terminally ill four-year-old child living in a Cork flat that is prone to damp and mould, after she accused it of worsening her child’s suffering.

It comes after The Echo spoke with Agnes*, who said the conditions at the flat are compounding her child’s hardship.

Robin* was born with a rare and terminal illness, and also suffers from severe scoliosis and kyphosis, resulting in a 270-degree curvature of her spine. She is in constant pain and nearing the end of her life, and is dependent on oxygen and a suction machine.

Robin, who is non-verbal, spends most of her time at home, going for respite to LauraLynn, Ireland’s only dedicated children’s hospice.

In summer 2022, Agnes and four-year-old Robin moved into Mill Park in Blackpool, an 80-home social housing development owned and managed by approved housing body Respond.

Several of the units — which have been seen by this newspaper — are prone to damp and black mould.

Agnes first noticed problems with her new home almost immediately after moving in, when the heating failed in the front room, where Robin spends much of her time.

Soon signs of black mould and damp began to appear in both bedrooms, on the window sills, the ceiling and corners.

Agnes made repeated contact with Respond, and while she said the housing body had made “over 40” visits to their home, no work had been done.

Founded in 1982, Respond is Ireland’s largest construction-led approved housing body.

The not-for-profit body manages 7,700 properties that house more than 17,000 tenants.

According to the Department of Housing, the responsibility for enforcement of minimum standards in rented accommodation provided by approved housing bodies lies with local authorities, in this case Cork City Council.

Those minimum standards state that a “building must be free from damp” and “must have adequate ventilation and heating”.

Agnes said she first requested a transfer from Respond in August 2022, and from Cork City Council a month later.

A letter from Robin’s doctor supported Agnes’s request for a transfer.

In a letter dated January 9, 2025, Cork City Council said Agnes’s application for a transfer on medical grounds “has been placed on file”.

Asked for a comment, a spokesperson for Cork City Council said it has not been provided with sufficient detail to investigate further and added that “if a tenant feels their rented dwelling is in breach of the minimum standards legislation, the tenant should firstly notify the landlord”.

Workers’ Party councillor Ted Tynan, who had highlighted Agnes’s plight, said it was one of the most upsetting cases he had ever seen.

“To see that poor little girl wheezing for breath in those conditions, you would wonder — what has gone wrong with our country?” Mr Tynan said.

“There’s huge sums of public money being spent, but why were approved housing bodies set up at all, only to outsource the State’s responsibility to supply social housing?”

A spokesperson for Respond acknowledged the presence of mould and damp in Mill Park.

“These conditions are unacceptable, and we sincerely apologise to the tenants affected,” they said.

Respond said it was taking the matter very seriously and had met with tenants a day after The Echo contacted it.

“We have assured them that we will make every effort to provide alternative accommodation where needed,” the spokesperson said.

“While we are disappointed that this situation has occurred, we are committed to doing better.”

*Names have been changed.