Trinity Study: Prolonged Dolphin House Regeneration Causes Harm, Outweighs Benefits

A Trinity College Dublin study indicates that the prolonged regeneration of flat complexes like Dolphin House in Dublin's southwest inner city may cause more harm than benefit. Researchers Joe Whelan and Ruby Stein from the Trinity School of Social Work and Social Policy found that stress, anxiety, and a pervasive sense of precarity from uncertain plans leave residents feeling powerless, like a «sword of Damocles» hanging over them.

Dolphin House, a complex of 392 flats built in 1957, was slated for regeneration 20 years ago. A 2007 plan for demolition and rebuilding via a public-private partnership was stalled by the 2008 economic crash. In 2012, a «deep retrofit» was announced, followed by a 2013 project to reconfigure 72 flats into 63 larger apartments and build 37 new homes, completed in 2018. However, much of the complex remained in poor condition with mould, damp, and sewage issues.

A 2021 council plan aimed for phased completion by 2030, but work has not started, though permission for 30 new homes was recently granted. Full completion is now projected for 2035. Residents interviewed described feelings of abandonment and dire conditions, with one resident, Bernie, detailing severe sewage problems after rainfall. Another, Charlotte, noted the isolation and unsafety of living in de-tenanted blocks.

A city council official stated they spend «about a hundred and forty million on maintaining and upgrading our housing stock» annually, but this is insufficient. He added that large works cannot be done on flats designated for regeneration. The study concluded that «prolonged uncertainty during regeneration should be recognised as a form of social harm» and questioned if such delays outweigh intended benefits.