Editorial: Tenants and the public deserve transparency and answers over Waterford's Mount Suir Manor

On Friday, a sheet of glass stood lodged in soil at the base of a Waterford city apartment block, its sharp pointed corner facing upwards. This image is telling of the horror that unfolded when two children fell from a two-storey balcony. 

They missed the dangerous glass balcony pane, that fell ahead of them, by inches. It had given way causing little Jayden O'Neill, aged three, to tumble after it, followed by his seven-year-old sister. Both children were rushed to hospital, with Jayden understood to have suffered a brain bleed as a result of his injuries. 

His parents, Regina Smith and Ryan O'Neill, endured a horrific wait over the weekend, but, thankfully, both children are now released from hospital, though their parents remain anxious for their son, whose recovery is being monitored.  

Waterford City and County Council held an emergency meeting on Friday, attended by the six elected councillors in Tramore/Waterford City West, in the aftermath of the incident. The public will be aware of concerns relating to Mount Suir Manor in Carrickphierish - which have been highlighted on numerous occasions by the Waterford News & Star.

A 2023 report into the section of Mount Suir that is Waterford council-owned had described the block “as being in good condition”. The apartment block has been under the Council’s remit since 2020. The survey, undertaken in June that year, was visual only, and limited to five apartments.

The report stated that the nature of complaints was similar to the Council’s overall housing stock. It also said that "significant further education" was required in relation to tenant responsibilities in relation to ventilation, heating and energy-use in apartments to avoid potential mould issues. 

Our local politicians have been advocating for the tenants, who have been complaining about issues at Mount Suir for years. Sinn Féin's Councillor Jim Griffin had previously called for a task force to be created to deal with longstanding issues at the apartment block.

CATU (Community Action Tenants’ Union) called a residents’ meeting over ongoing complaints regarding the apartments in January at Carrickphierish Library.

"For years, residents at Mount Suir Apartments have been calling for one simple thing: a safe and secure home,” CATU Waterford said at the time. “The conditions in Mount Suir Apartments have been horrible for a long time, with persistent mould, decaying and defaced communal areas, and unsafe surroundings.”

On Saturday, as a result of the balcony incident, Waterford Council contacted tenants of the entire apartment complex, advising them to stay off their balconies until they are inspected. 

The children's fall must have been unimaginable for their parents, siblings and loved ones - and we wish them both well for a full recovery.

For the rest of us, it sent a chill. How vocal must ordinary tenants be, who are dependent on landlords - whether council, private or under the HAP scheme - for safety to be robustly monitored, and, where lacking, to be acted upon. 

These are ordinary people - who recognise that mould and damp is not ok. But what else are they not being made aware of? 

The 'education' message should really be pointed in the direction of those responsible for providing homes, which are safe and secure. There must be full transparency now in relation to Mount Suir Manor.