Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

That would be my intention. I wish to speak for people who are living in private rented accommodation throughout this State, much of which is substandard. Many of these people are on local authority housing lists. I do not want to be overtly political about this or seek to score points. I am not raising this issue for the purposes of putting a clip up on Facebook. I merely wish to raise the matter on the basis of the increasing number of people contacting with me who are living in what can be only described as hovels which have passed muster for the purposes of the housing assistance payment, HAP, but in respect of which there does not appear to be a proper inspection regime. I am not seeking to apportion blame. I merely wish to speak for these people.

In one instance, a family came to tell me about mould and damp on the walls. There are all sorts of public health issues arising from that, with children presenting with severe respiratory illnesses as a result of living in substandard accommodation. If the inspection regime was buttressed and kick-started, that would help the situation.

In a parliamentary reply to my colleague, Deputy Ó Ríordáin, in respect of Cork, it was stated that up to September 2020 there were 611 inspections carried out. A total of 601 improvement letters were issued on foot of those inspections. Similarly, up to September 2020, in Cork city 434 inspections were carried out, 96 improvement letters were issued and one improvement notice was issued. The local authorities are at the pin of their collars in trying to manage this service. It is unfair to expect them to do more with less in terms of the number of employees who are tasked with this job, in respect of whole-time equivalence as to personnel.

In the absence of an adequate supply of social housing stock - a supply issue which will pertain for the foreseeable future – the inspection regime should be robust. If a landlord acts immorally or unethically in relation to his or her tenants, and does not meet the terms and conditions of the legislation as laid down by this House, the inspection regime should be robust and enforce the legislation so that landlords carry out their obligations.

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