A FOUL smell that fills the building on a regular basis is causing great distress and concern for residents and staff at the newly built Deer Lodge medical facility in Killarney, it has been revealed.
The €13.5 million mental health facility, on St Margaret’s Road, was officially opened in July 2017 following the closure of the O’Connor Unit on the grounds of St Finan’s Hospital.
It has now emerged, however, that the 40 residents in need of long-term psychiatric care and the staff employed there have to endure an appalling stench for which no satisfactory solution can be found.
Cllr Michael Gleeson, who has highlighted the issue, said it is long past time that the matter was seriously addressed by the authorities.
“Since it opened a foul odour at times permeates the building to the great distress of the residents and staff,” he said.
“Deer Lodge is a state-of-the-art building purpose built to facilitate the needs of the residents. Unfortunately, the comfort of these people and the working conditions of the dedicated staff is being compromised by the terrible malodour,” he added.
Cllr Gleeson said repeated representations on the matter have been made by staff to management in an attempt to have the situation rectified and some attempts have been made to improve the situation, including letting additional water flow through the system.
“To date there has not been a satisfactory solution and all in the building continue to endure the very upsetting presence of the odour,” Cllr Gleeson told KillarneyToday.com.
“It is most assuredly a terrible contradiction that this state-of-the-art building for people with disability is causing them and their carers severe distress. It is long past time that the matter was seriously addressed by the authorities,” Cllr Gleeson.
Prior to the opening of the facility concerns were voiced about unacceptable levels of radon gas detected in the building which were greater than the reference level for residential facilities.
An inspector from the Environment Protection Agency visited Deer Lodge and remedial works, costing €22,000, included the installation of venting on existing ducting and the provision of electric fans to help reduce the build-up of the potentially harmful gas.
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