Residents of Printing House Square have voiced concerns about a number of problems with the facilities in their accommodation.
They have described issues with heating and power cuts, as well as being left without running water and working ovens since the newly-built student accommodation opened in November.
Last Tuesday night, drinking water supplies were disrupted, but were restored the following morning.
On Monday, both hot and cold water supplies were stopped in the building, leaving residents without running water in the bathrooms and kitchens, and the ability to flush toilets. This has also affected onsite laundrette services, with students being directed to use the laundrette facilities at the rear of the Dining Hall. The Accommodation Office supplied residents with bottled water.
Estates and Facilities (E&F) advised that due to a water leak, the water had to be turned off in Printing House Square. In an email yesterday, the Accommodation Office advised residents to use the showers in the Sports Centre.
The Accommodation Office followed this by saying that they aimed to have both drinking water and toilet water supplies supplied by yesterday evening, with supply restored yesterday evening.
A resident of Printing House Square said: “The building has had a fair few issues since we moved in, there were a good few power cuts in the first month, some apartments had no working ovens for a while and there’s been issues with heating in both semesters.”
“I also know one resident [who] hasn’t had hot water since they moved in. Most other residents that I have talked to about it agree that although we’re all grateful to have got a room and to live on campus, opening it was a rushed decision, probably based on being able to collect rent sooner.”
According to another resident, “Trinity Residencies’ delayed response only added to the frustration, leaving residents uncertain of when this issue would be resolved.”
“An interim solution was to provide thousands of single-use bottles of water being to residents for use in cooking, cleaning and drinking.”
They continued to say that there is a “sense of frustration here in Printing House”, and that given the cost of living in the accommodation and the newness of the development, “such an issue is completely unexpected and rather disappointing.”
“The reliance on single-use plastic water bottles to alleviate the situation is particularly disheartening, especially during Green Week on campus,” they added.
Rates for Printing House Square currently range from €245 to €270 a week, plus an additional €19 for utilities.
The construction of Printing House Square faced significant roadblocks since its approval in 2016. Initially planned for completion by April 2019, concerns raised by An Taise and An Bord Pleanála resulted in a number of delays.
College also launched an investigation into reports that apprentice plumbers working on the Printing House Square site had received hourly wages €2 to €3 lower than legal requirements.
The project also faced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with construction running at 50% capacity due to social distancing and hygiene requirements.
