Committee Reports > List of Committees > Joint > 1980 > Committee on Commercial State-Sponsored Bodies > Report No. 12 - National Building Agency, Limited

APPENDIX 10

LETTER TO CLERK TO JOINT COMMITTEE FROM CORPORATION OF DUN LAOGHAIRE

I refer to your letter of 14th ult.

The Corporation has had two housing schemes provided by the National Building Agency viz. a scheme of 64 houses at Coolevin, Ballybrack, completed in December 1974 and a scheme of 111 dwellings at Section K3A Loughlinstown completed in February 1978. Both schemes have been successful. The Agency was appointed in January 1978 to undertake a third scheme (150 dwellings at Section K3 BC, Loughlinstown) and a contract is about to be placed for that scheme.

In relation to the Schemes (Sections K3A and K3 BC) of which I have personal knowledge, there was no difficulty in arranging adequate consultation between the Agency and Corporation officers at design stage and furthermore, Agency representatives attended meetings of the Housing Committee of the Borough Council to present and explain their plans before working documents were prepared. A member of the Corporation’s architectural staff was responsible for liaison with the Agency on any technical points which needed discussion during design and construction, and he attended site meetings at regular intervals.

I have had enquiries made in the Maintenance Section as to the defects record at Coolevin (completed in 1974) and at Section K3A (where the Defects Liability Period expired in February 1979). I am informed that the dwellings in question have a very good record in general.

The only recurring problem at Coolevin is chokage of house drains and this is largely due to abuse by tenants. Due, however, to the nature of the internal “single-stack” system, and the position of the cleaning eye in the kitchen, rodding of the system from roof level can be very awkward and foul seepage can occur through the cleaning eye in the kitchen. The same problem arises in adjoining Corporation schemes. The internal “single-stack” system was also used at Section K3A but no special maintenance problems have emerged at that scheme to date.

Dublin Assistant City & County

7th December 1979