Residents of a council estate in Ballina say their homes are in need of major repair and in some cases complete reconstruction.
About 30 residents at Collins Close in Ballina, Mayo have placed a picket on the offices of Ballina Urban District Council.
Residents at Collins Close in Ballina are up in arms.
The houses at Collins Close were built 12 years ago to what has been called economy specifications. Many of the houses do not have a conventional chimney. Some residents believe that the houses are below standard and a fire hazard. Some members of the Urban District Council agree and say it would be cheaper to completely demolish the entire 70 houses and rebuild rather than repair them.
Engineer John Shannon says that it would cost around £6,000 to bring each house up to today's standards set by the county council. Ballina's Chief Fire Officer and the Housing Department have promised a full enquiry.
An RTÉ News report on 20 March 1984. The reporter is Jacqueline Hayden.
