Chris Andrews (Dublin Bay South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, for his attendance. I have been meeting with tenants living in flat complexes across Dublin. I attended a meeting earlier today in Pearse House. The level of neglect by the Government and Dublin City Council is horrendous. There are affected flats in Beech Hill, Rathmines, Cuffe Street, Digges Street and York Street. There are too many flat complexes to name individually but I assure the Minister of State that every block of flats has shocking levels of damp and mould. We know that mould has a serious impact on the health of young and old, in particular. A young child died because of mould in a flat in the UK. The time for concern is long gone. We need action now. The chance of the council sorting out this mess and these issues is long gone. The Government needs to intervene directly. It needs to set up a task force with ring-fenced funding for the battle against mould. It is far too serious an issue not to do so. Tenants at Mercer House, Digges Street and York Street deserve better. The climate change funds can be used for insulation to make the flats warm, modern and, crucially, energy efficient. It seems that emission reductions are only for the wealthy. No such schemes are being made available to those in flat complexes. Why not put solar panels on top of flat complexes to heat the flats below? There is none of that innovation because the flats have been, and continue to be, neglected and forgotten. None of the flats has schemes to make them more energy efficient. Every flat should have new secure doors that reduce the need to keep the heating on. Every flat should be insulated and warm. Let us ensure a task force is set up with the funding needed to get rid of the dangerous mould in so many flats.

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