"Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong" - residents

On April 23, a house was all but burned out on Maple Drive in Drumgola Wood in the town. The house had been unoccupied and locals believed it was being regularly broken into.
The fire caused €20,000 worth of damage to the downstairs of the house before the Fire Service arrived - investigating gardaí were treating the incident as a criminal damage investigation. Angry residents point to the fire as just the latest incident in a long-running situation caused by no street-lighting vacant houses and unfinished roads.

Number 7 on Maple Drive is the last house in a cul-de-sac, to the rear of which lies an unoccupied social housing development.
Maple provides the only access to that development. Across the entrance to the vacant townhouses lies a steel barrier, erected by locals in an effort to combat the area being used by suspected drug-dealers.
Stepping across the barrier you can feel the difference underfoot as uneven, unfinished road finish becomes brand new tarmacadam.
The residents here are angry.
Two recent fires at Number 7 is just the latest in a long line of what they describe as “dereliction of responsibility”, “nuisance” and “threat”.
A large swathe of timber in one garden belonging to a resident is painted with a protest slogan opposing the payment of the local property tax, 'ghost estate’ is painted on the road next to a protruding man-hole cover.
Seamus Farrell bought his home on Maple Drive almost a decade ago.
“I came here in 2005,” he says. “I came here to live in what I thought was a nice, detached five-bedroom house, and ended up living in a ghost estate with no services and anti-social behaviour, and everything that could go wrong has gone wrong on this estate.
“We’ve absolutely no help from Cavan County Council. We want some answers. On top of that I’ve a simple question: 'Why have I to pay the local property tax when I’m living in a clearly classified ghost estate?’
'Ghost estate’
“First of all, I want to see Cavan County Council rescind the property tax and submit it to the relevant department saying that we - I and my neighbours - are in a ghost estate and I’d also like to see the estate finished so people could buy and sell their houses.
Seamus says he has had three meetings with council officials in which he alleges he was given commitments that work would be done, which have yet to be fulfilled.
“I was told we would get the street-lights, I was told we would get emergency lighting. I was told we should not pay the property tax because it was in the middle of being constructed. It has been in the middle of being constructed now for nine years. Whatever way they want to dress it up...
“My home is now worth 65% less than what I paid for it and that’s down to failed promises,” he said.
“I’m disappointed with all our elected representatives - there’s nine-hundred votes here on this estate.”

No play area
Paul Blackwood bought in 2006 and has a young son with nowhere to play.
“There is an anti-social problem, yes. I bought to live [here permanently], there’s nowhere for the children to play. They play on the road, which is dangerous. We need lights, we need to get the road sorted. You can see the poles there, with nothing on top. I’m paying the tax, too. We’ve been let down by Cavan County Council. We’re all annoyed by this.”
Martin O’Reilly, who works in construction, lives across the road from the damaged number seven.
“I bought seven years ago, I spent €250,000 on it and I spent €30,000 after that on it. The houses are very well built, perfect.
“The biggest thing is the street-lighting, the tarring of the road but nobody’s standing up for us to be counted.
“In the derelict, more quieter areas up the back, it would be known that there are young people coming in, after dark, in cars selling drugs. Even in some of the unfinished houses - they’re in around the back messing, drinking. Myself and my wife to go for a walk at night-time... you’d actually be afraid because there’s people around the back driving, shouting, making a nuisance of themselves.

'Not good enough’
“It’s not really good enough. Each developer paid a levy for their services and that should have been taken care of a long time ago and now we’re told there’s no money to do this, but it should have been finished years ago.
“You couldn’t sell, if you wanted to now - the fee would be less than the cost of the build. I bought to live and raise a family here.”
Thomas Reilly bought his home for €195,000 seven years ago, a far cry from what his and his neighbours’ homes are now worth.
“I wouldn’t get anything for it now because I wouldn’t even get to sell it. Nobody would buy it. There’s not exactly many people with a hundred thousand in their back pocket anymore.
“I’m living in Cavan for 14 years, I’ve three kids and another one on the way in the next three weeks.
“There is a crime element, definitely. Definitely... there’s pushers and users down here. That is known and that is common. Because there’s no lights... we had a Fleadh Cheoil here for three years. Down here, there was a field used for camping.
“There was a girl attacked here because it was dark; nobody could see anything. That’s not just hearsay, that’s officially reported and that was the truth. If we had lights that wouldn’t have happened. We’ve had people taking oil out of tanks and that wouldn’t have happened if we had lights. There’s a man here who’s had his home-heating stolen twice. It’s become a paradise for anyone to come in and do anything.”
Thomas points to two empty houses: “What’s stopping anyone breaking down those doors and taking over a house? If it can happen up there it can happen here, there, anywhere.
“We’re looking to be provided with services that we’ve paid for - we’ve all paid the tax.
“We are closely-knit, for such a big estate. I could name out thirty or forty people and where they live. I know their names, we’re friendly and we’re working together to try to get something done. We all come in the same gate and go out the same gate and we’re all working towards the same goal.”

'Standstill’
Cavan County Council says it can do nothing until contractual issues are settled - those issues are at a “standstill”.
“Maple Drive is a private housing development, which has not being taken in charge by Cavan County Council. At this stage Cavan County Council have no responsibility for any services associated with this development.
“During the process of assessment of development for exemption from Local Property Tax works were ongoing to bring this development up to a standard criteria as set out by the Dept of Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
“However, due to third party contractual issues these works are currently at a standstill. Cavan County Council have and will continue to pursue all avenues available to them to have this matter brought to a satisfactory conclusion,” a spokesperson said.