Cork City Council has been accused of “a dereliction of care and duty” to northside social housing tenants living with an expensive and “completely useless” heating system.

Workers’ Party councillor Ted Tynan has repeated calls on the council to replace an air-to-air heat pump system it installed in the Árd Bhaile and Glenamoy Lawn flat complexes in Mayfield almost a decade ago.

“The cold snap we have just experienced has brought to the fore the absolute dereliction of care and duty by Cork’s biggest landlord, Cork City Council, in its responsibility to its tenants,” the North-East ward councillor said.

“Since 2016, residents in Árd Bhaile and Glenamoy Lawn have been living with an air-to-air heating system that is not fit for purpose.”

There are 157 homes in Árd Bhaile, and 109 in Glenamoy Lawn.

The air-to-air system, which was installed in 2016 and 2017, replaced a previous hot water system that had supplied hot water to radiator heaters and for domestic use.

The Mayfield air-to-air system, which Mr Tynan claimed is the only one of its kind installed by Cork City Council, does not heat residences’ domestic water supply, leaving tenants reliant instead on electric immersion systems to heat water for domestic use.

Mr Tynan said the air-to-air system had proven to be ineffective and had forced residents to rely instead on electrical, gas and kersosene heaters in their homes, with high energy bills causing hardship for tenants.

“I am again calling on the council to replace this completely useless system with energy-efficient air-to-water heat pumps, like they have installed all over the city,” he said.

“The air-to-air system is completely unsuitable and is causing hardship and misery to people dealing with exorbitant electricity bills, and it is hurting elderly and health-compromised tenants on low incomes, vulnerable people who are suffering from increased respiratory illnesses, including repeated chest infections and pneumonia.”

The council said it had engaged consultants to “specify energy efficiency retrofit measures for the Glenamoy and Árd Bhaile housing schemes to bring all properties in the estates to an energy efficient rating of B2 as standard.”

The council spokesperson added that work was expected to begin in in the second quarter of 2025.