Grace O'Sullivan (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for coming before the committee. I acknowledge the work of the local authority members, particularly those from my region of Waterford, Councillor Damien Geoghegan and his colleagues. I also acknowledge the role of the CEOs. The CEO in Waterford, Michael Walsh, is doing an incredible job. The problem we have in Waterford is we are not recognised as part of a region. What can the witnesses do to help the local authorities in Waterford, Wexford, Kilkenny and Carlow to get regional support to develop our areas? The south-east region is falling down in terms of employment and we are not getting equalisation or recognition. What can the witnesses do for the south-east region to give us the same chance as other regions?

We are being squeezed out and it is a real problem in the south east.

My second point, following on from Deputy Cowen's comments, concerns the housing crisis. We saw the "Prime Time" programme recently and not only do we have a question of supply of houses, including social and affordable houses, but we also see a major problem in the rental sector now. It was shocking, disgusting and vile to see in that programme the conditions in which people are living and, moreover, and worse, the safety conditions. These people's lives are being threatened day by day in the squalor of their rental accommodation. They are paying large sums of money for dreadful conditions. Do the local councils have funding to pay for inspectors to visit these properties? We have heard there is a deficit in respect of property inspections. If there is no funding at local authority level, can the Government step up and provide urgent funding to ensure that properties in the rental market are inspected for health and safety and living conditions for the people, the citizens, forced into rental because of the lack of social and affordable housing in the market?