A SINGLE mother-of-four says Limerick City and County Council is ignoring her appeals to be rehoused from her rat infested and freezing council-owned home.
Two weeks ago Leanne Mulqueen told the Limerick Post that the two-bed property at Prospect was infested with rats that defecate and urinate on beds and eat her children’s clothes.
The Council said it was not making any comment.
“Limerick City and County Council does not comment on cases relating to an individual person as it doesn’t believe it is right to discuss an individual’s personal situation in such a public forum,” said a Council spokesperson.
Ms Mulqueen said she wants the local authority to respond publicly about her case: “I’ve rang them a number of times but they can’t tell me anything. There’s been nothing at all, there’s genuinely nobody listening.”
“I’ve rang them and rang them to tell them how desperate it is but it’s falling on deaf ears. I want the council to talk to you about it.”
Becoming emotional, she said: “I’m lost, I don’t know what to do, I just don’t know what else to do, to be honest.”
“For the past 17 days there has been no heating here. I’ve been on to the town hall, the gas company, everyone. There’s no one helping me, I’m freezing cold. They sent a man to service the system, but it’s still not working, the radiators are gone.”
Ms Mulqueen, who suffers from seizures and gave birth to her fourth child over Christmas, said the Council paid for a pest control company to tackle her rodent nightmare but this has not stopped rats entering her home.
The 32-year old said the two-bedroom bungalow is too cramped for her and her four children, and it is stained in rodent urine and excrement.
After seven years of struggling with homelessness, she began living at the council house six months ago, and said she was initially overjoyed to be in a house.
However, she is now horrified at the conditions there.
“Since I came here, there have been mice and rats. After Christmas, I asked the Council to come and see the situation. There was a bed destroyed in droppings. My daughter’s christening robe was eaten alive, shredded; I was in an awful state and I didn’t know what to do.”
“The rats and mice are destroying everything, they’re coming from the attic. I’ve traps everywhere, but there still coming. The place is infested. I’ve complained it numerous times and I’m getting nowhere.”
“Is the council waiting for one of my kids to die from urine off one of the rats? Is it going to come to a stage where one of my kids is actually going to be in a coffin before I get anywhere.”
Ms Mulqueen added: “I’m worried to death about my kids and if something of theirs drops on the floor I have to throw it in the bin because there’s droppings and urine. I don’t have eyes in the back of my head and I’m dong the best that I can.”
“I’ve asked to be moved numerous times, and I’m not hearing anything back, I’m just being fogged off and forgotten about. They say they’ll get back to me in six months, in a week, but there’s no one getting back to me. I’m ringing the Council every day of the week.”
