Accompanied by a chartered engineer, Higgins visited housing blocks in Ongar where he witnessed dozens of flats flooded by thawing snow leaking from overhead balconies.

Higgins said he was “amazed” at what he what he described as the “substandard building problems” being endured by local residents, including one collapsed ceiling and many more apartments soaked, stained and damp.

“What we saw amounts to a litany of shoddy building and poor design; terraces directly above apartments without proper drainage and flashing, rainwater pipes with nowhere for water to run, kitchen floors made from chipboard, the list goes on,” Higgins said.

He also expressed concern about suspected pyrite, or fools’ gold, in the infill used in the buildings. The naturally-occurring mineral can cause serious structural problems in buildings when it expands through chemical reactions.

The Socialist MEP, who will fight for a Dáil seat in the upcoming general election, urged Fingal County Council to pursue the relevant developers and ensure that homes in west Dublin are brought up to standard.

Article by journalist Jessie Magee for Eurolink, which is funded by the European Parliament.