There have been calls for emergency works to be carried out on the banks of the River Camac in Dublin’s south city after the rear of a property fell into the riverbed over the weekend.
The owners of the home in Inchicore say the whole building is now in danger of collapse and the cost of fixing it could exceed €100,000.
Ellen Blehein and her husband Robert Somerville were out last Friday night when they received a phone call from their neighbour saying that their back garden and wall had fallen into the river below their home, after what the neighbour described as a “massive crash” that sounded like an earthquake.
The foundations of an extension and a conservatory are now exposed, with cracks appearing in the floors and a gap developing between the walls and windows.
The sewerage system has also collapsed and sewage from their home is now draining into the water.
They are unable to walk out their back door as there is now a steep drop into the river below. Their bikes are stranded on a small muck ledge beside the back door as the dangerous conditions have made it impossible to retrieve them.
The couple, who are in their 30s, described what has happened to their home as “catastrophic” and say they were devastated when they saw the extent of the damage at first light on Saturday.
“We were just shocked. Our foundations are now exposed from our kitchen, underneath our conservatory is literally about to wash away,” Ms Blehein told RTÉ News.
“Last night, about one o’clock in the morning, we heard cracking. We have been living in the house but we can’t live there anymore because it’s not safe and it’s quite scary thinking your house is going to fall down around you.
“We’re just devastated. I love my house. I don’t even regret buying my house because I love it so much. I just want to fix it. And we can’t fix anything until they repair the river wall and we’re able to then begin mending our home.”
The couple said they were aware that subsidence was possible after cracks began to appear not long after they bought the house in 2021. Their engineers alerted Dublin City Council that remedial work to the river bank was required but the collapse of their garden and wall has brought new fears for the future of the house as a whole.
Dublin City Council said it is trying to establish the ownership of the collapsed wall but its understanding is that it does not belong to them. However, the council said it may carry out work in the short term if required for public safety and seek the removal of any potential flood risks.
“Engineers for Dublin City Council visited this site earlier today. We will seek to establish ownership of the collapsed wall but our current understanding is that this is not in the ownership of Dublin City Council,” the council said in a statement.
“Once we have established ownership of the river banks/riparian zone, we will seek the removal of any potential obstructions that may pose a flood risk. We may carry out works in the short term if these are required for public safety.”
However, Ms Blehein said the advice they have received is that they are not responsible for the river wall.
“We know we’re responsible for our home and our property that we’ve bought, and we are willing to pay for the repair works of our own home if we need to, but it has to be responsibility of the council to repair public land,” she said.
“We want to work with the council. I’m not trying to point the blame. I know the funding this for this type of work takes a long time to come through, but we want to work with the Council and the OPW just to get the repairs done, because when they repair the river wall, we can then begin the works of repairing our home.”
Local Fianna Fáil TD Catherine Ardagh said a public consultation was held last April on upgrades to the River Camac, but she said Dublin City Council and the OPW must take urgent action to protect the property.
“There are other houses that could be affected in when it comes to the erosion of their flood banks. It’s really important that this is taken into account, and the work on the Camac is prioritised to ensure that other residents don’t lose their homes,” she said.
“It’s absolutely terrifying to wake up until you see that half your home is in the river. In this day and age, in a city like ours, Ellen should not have to be fighting to get her house repaired. The council and the OPW were aware of the situation for quite a long time and it’s just not acceptable that Ellen is being left in the situation.”
The Office of Public Works said they were only made aware of the issue today and that Dublin City Council is liaising with the property owners.
In a statement, it said that that funding may be available to carry out work on the river walls.
“In relation to any localised or urgent flood risk identified by Dublin City Council, it is open to the council to apply for funding assistance through the Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme,” the statement said.
“The Minor Flood Mitigation Works and Coastal Protection Scheme was introduced by the OPW on an administrative, non-statutory basis in 2009. The purpose of this scheme is to provide funding to local authorities to undertake minor flood mitigation works or studies to address localised flooding and coastal protection problems within their administrative areas.
“Applications for funding from local authorities are considered for flood relief and erosion protection measures costing up to €750,000 in each instance. Funding of up to 90% of the cost is available for approved projects.
“Applications are assessed by the OPW having regard to the specific economic, social and environmental criteria of the scheme, including a cost benefit ratio and having regard to the availability of funding for flood risk management.”
Ms Blehein and Mr Somerville, who married just two months ago, are now back living with their parents while they look for ways to save their home from caving in to the the River Camac.
