Mother of four additional-needs children pleads with Council to fix mouldy roof in Togher home

Anne Chaney O’Riordan lives with her family in the Deanrock estate in Togher. She and her husband have five children, four of whom have additional needs.

Ms Chaney O’Riordan said she believes it is five years ago since she first noticed problems with damp on the ceiling in the upstairs bathroom, and she reported the issue immediately to the council.

She said someone came out to look at the problem at the time, but no work was done in the bathroom.

Now a large part of the bathroom ceiling is covered in a bloom of black, brown and green mould, while the floor creaks and sways slightly when stepped on.

“I’m just afraid one of us will go through the floor,” 

Ms Chaney O’Riordan told The Echo.

The family has lived in the house since 2014 and it needed some repairs, having been vacant for a time, but it was in relatively good condition, with council workers carrying out repairs around the family as they settled in.

In November 2022, the council built an extension at the back of the house which was completed in April of the following year. That extension has a separate bathroom.

However, no work was done in the upstairs bathroom.

Ms Chaney O’Riordan said that in April 2023 she spoke with one of the tradespeople working on behalf of the council and showed them the upstairs bathroom.

She said she was told that the seal around the bath in the upstairs bathroom was broken and the bath and the shower needed to be replaced.

There was black mould on the ceiling at that stage, Ms Chaney O’Riordan said, and when she asked about the leak in the roof, she was told by the council workers it would be “a big job” to repair.

Soon after that the guttering on the roof was replaced by contractors working for the council, but the problems with the roof continued, and have worsened over time.

“Last October, it was raining heavily in a storm, and the rain was flowing in, so I took photos and videos, and I mailed them to the council,” 

she said.

She received an initial response at the time, and a follow-up text on New Year’s Eve, both of which The Echo has seen, and, she said, a further reply in August, but no works have been carried out.

Local housing advocate William O’Brien said the issues with the bathroom were not new and should have been addressed long ago.

“This isn’t a leak that appeared last week,” he said.

“This family has lived with serious water ingress for years, including around areas where electrics are present. Basic fire-safety awareness tells us that water and electricity don’t mix.

“Who is making the decision that a repair like this isn’t an emergency? Disability, vulnerability and the needs of children and parents should matter when repairs are prioritised.” 

Cork City Council was asked for comment.