Child remains in hospital following fall at Mount Suir apartments
Jayden and Nevaeh O'Neill (centre) who fell from a second floor balcony in Waterford on Friday, with father Ryan O'Neill and mother Regina Smith, and siblings Jaxson (far left) and Alliyah (far right). Photograph courtesy of Regina Smith
Two children were taken to hospital following a fall from a second-storey apartment balcony in Waterford city on Friday morning. A seven-year-old girl and a three-year-old boy fell from the balcony at Mount Suir apartments at 10.40am on March 20.
Mother of the two children, Regina Smith, said that her seven-year-old daughter, Nevaeh O'Neill, is back home after sustaining minor injuries.
Her younger boy, Jayden O'Neill, is understood to have suffered a brain bleed and remains in hospital at Temple Street Children's Hospital.
She said: "My four kids were out playing, my two youngest ones - thank God they didn't fall with them.
"I was hoovering up, and I could hear the two kids calling 'mammy, mammy'...I looked out and the whole glass just went.
"They were playing catch and the little fella, he's light like so he wouldn't have done any damage, he ran to the glass and the whole thing caved out, the bolts and all came off the balcony.
"My seven-year-old went to grab him and she went flying out with him as well."
Ms Smith and her partner Ryan O'Neill live in Block C of Mount Suir Manor. The block has been in the remit of Waterford City and County Council since 2020, and has been the focus of numerous complaints about poor standards of living.
In 2025, the Council received 25 complaints from tenants, largely relating to chronic leaking.
Ms Smith said she has been in touch with the council constantly about changing accommodation.
"We've been onto the Council the last couple of weeks, emailing them about houses that have been going up and we wanted to get into the houses in Kilbarry...they only have one and two bedroom apartments going.
"I know for a fact they definitely have three-bedroom houses somewhere, they just won't give it out to us."
An emergency meeting was held between Waterford City and County Council and Tramore-Waterford City West's six elected councillors at 3:30pm.
The council has told residents of Block C to stay off their balconies until an inspection is carried out on Monday, March 23.
Letters have also been sent to the managing directors of Block A and B, advising residents to stay off the balconies until they are inspected.
In a statement the council said it had been notified of a serious incident at the Mount Suir apartment complex in Waterford city on Friday.
The council confirmed it has initiated a formal investigation around the circumstances of the incident.
“The council has reached out to the family to offer support and a formal investigation into the incident has commenced,” the statement added.
William Neville & Sons, the original developers of the property, declined to comment on the incident.
