Barry Murphy (73), lives in Father Scully House on Gardiner Street, which is managed by Cabhrú Housing Association Services (CHAS), an approved housing body providing independent living for older citizens.
Former known as the Catholic Housing Aid Society, the charity manages the 99 units in Father Scully House.
Mr Murphy has described his daily struggles with gates and doors at the complex which limits his ability to live independently and move around freely.
He said he must stand on his scooter to use a fob at the back gates and relies on the scooter’s wheels to push open the semi-automatic doors. He then has to hold the doors open while navigating through to exit the building.
Although the main entrance door opens automatically, the second door requires assistance from staff or fellow residents. This often results in frustrating wait times for him and other residents, sometimes lasting “up to an hour”.
Mr Murphy often needs to leave the accommodation for medical appointments, repeatedly encountering the same challenges, which he has described as an “absolute disgrace”.
Residents have also expressed concerns about the building’s lift, describing it as “not fit for purpose”, recalling one incident when a stretcher could not fit into it during a hospital admission.
“We have to hold the doors ourselves when trying to move around. I’m in a wheelchair full-time, and it’s harder than ever for me now because I can’t walk without oxygen,” Mr Murphy said.
“I was promised this would be my forever home ten years ago, but I feel like a prisoner here now.
“Residents are too afraid to speak up because they think they’ll jeopardise their accommodation.
“They promised to make improvements to the doors. It would cost €200,000, but that’s nothing compared to what it’s costing us every day to live like this. It’s about dignity.”
In response to queries from The Irish Independent, a spokesperson for CHAS said that when Father Scully House was originally built, it met “all accessibility requirements” and even won “design awards”.
However, they acknowledged that regulations have changed and said they have sought outside expertise in an effort to address the issues and are committed to improving the situation.
“We’ve engaged external accessibility consultants to do an assessment of the building, and we’re about to meet with them to discuss their findings and recommendations,” they said.
“Some changes, like lift sizes, aren’t feasible without major work. But we’re looking at what can reasonably be implemented within our budget.”
CHAS also noted that most tenants are satisfied with the accessibility of the building, but improvements are still being considered.
“We did a tenant survey in late 2022, and 78pc of the tenants were satisfied with the accessibility, but we’re still looking into ways to improve it,” they added.
“We have to prioritise investment, and while some changes might not happen quickly, we’re moving forward with phase two to look at what we can incorporate into our budget for next year.”
Dublin City Council and the Charities Regulator have been contacted for comment.
