Séamus Healy (Tipperary, Workers and Unemployed Action Group) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Private Members' motion and compliment Sinn Féin on bringing the motion forward. It is a consequence of decisions taken by successive Governments, going back to approximately 2000 when the then Fianna Fáil Government decided to outsource the building of public social housing to the private market in a policy that has been continued by successive Governments. Buildings were let by private landlords for social housing but there was no reasonable or effective arrangement to inspect the properties.

There is no doubt that the NCT-type certification proposed and championed by Threshold is the method best placed to ensure the proper inspection of properties takes place. I was shocked earlier today when I heard the Minister speak. I may have misheard him but I understand he referred to self-certification and self-regulation. We all know what that means. We saw it in the past under various other guises. We know self-certification and self-regulation is no regulation. I hope I misheard the Minister but I do not think I did. It would not be acceptable to introduce self-regulation.

We need proper NCT-type certification of properties before letting takes place, and thereafter on an ongoing basis throughout the life of a tenancy. NCT-type certification should be carried out by local authorities. As we speak, local authorities are not adequately resourced to do that. I understand there are about 64 inspectors countrywide, which is simply not enough. We need at least 500 or 600 inspectors in order to put a proper certification system in place. That should be done without delay.

What we saw on RTÉ last week was simply unacceptable. It was an absolute scandal and a very poor reflection on the Government and local authorities. Local authorities need to be funded and resourced properly in order to be able to undertake a proper NCT-type certification.

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