Dublin apartment complex residents have been battling a rat infestation which they said has become "unbearable" since the summer months.
Residents from Emmet Buildings on Watling Street, Dublin 8 have stressed rats are "everywhere" - in the flats, on balconies, on top of the shelves, in the children's playground and football pitch. The pests, first spotted back in October, are even running through the main door when it is opened Dublin Live reports.
Jane, not her real name, is concerned for the health of the children and elderly people residing in the social housing complex. She said: “Last three weeks there's been some [rats] in the playground where the kids play in the football pitch.
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“Some of the children are afraid, they don't play 'cause [the rats] are on the stairs running up and down and along the balconies. They’re everywhere."
She said that people can't even open the windows. The flats are small in size and some flats have three, four, five people living in them.
“[Two weeks ago], the lady upstairs found one in her flat when she came out to have a smoke and went back in. Then the day after, there was one running up and down my balcony and it's going up and down the drain pipe. There was another one then upstairs.
“And then [on Friday] the man upstairs, I was coming in downstairs and he said, don't come in. And he's after killing another one downstairs. They're just everywhere," she said.
Residents have placed poison on the stairs of the complex in a bid to get rid of the rats.
“Hopefully the rats eat it and die, but it's just not a nice way to be living. Can't open our doors or windows or anything cause they're running up and down the walls."
Rose, not her real name, spotted a rat inside her apartment two weeks ago. She stated: “I was on the phone...I looked down at the floor where the chair is and there was a big rat running around.”
She added: “We have two or three old persons in the flats. And there's one on the bottom, now she's 98 years of age. I had to go down this morning to close the windows.
"She's a bit deaf and so I told her, I said, close the door and the windows. And I said, keep them closed. It’s not fair on her either. And she wouldn't know about them going into her house, she's kind of deaf and she wouldn't be able to hear anything."
Rose said that the residents cannot continue on to live like this.
Those living there have reached out to Dublin City Council several times over the last three weeks but say action is yet to be taken.
A spokesman for Dublin City Council said: "Dublin City Council are aware of this issue in Emmet Buildings and our Pest Control Unit has visited the housing complex. We can confirm that rat flaps are already installed in the drains in the complex, these prevents rats from entering the complex through the drainage system.
"Furthermore, we have had the drains inspected, with tenants present, and all drains are in good working order. There is an area adjacent to Emmet Buildings with overgrown vegetation and we will investigate the ownership of this area and examine possible solutions.
"Lastly, we are in the process of putting down bait in the complex and we will keep the matter under review to ensure the problem is resolved."
