Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy O'Donoghue for sharing his time and Sinn Féin for bringing the motion before the Dáil. I would like to deal with some quick practicalities. I thank the housing staff, clerk of works and people I deal with on a daily basis in our local authority, Kerry County Council, who are engaged in spending the money they get from central government to do the works that are required in the council's housing stock.

We are falling far short all the time. I want to highlight voids. I hate the term "void"; a void is a fancy word for an empty house. I would much rather hear the Minister of State say that a local authority has so many empty houses. The term "void" is a fancy way of making a bad situation appear to be not as bad as it actually is.

A massive number of people under the remit of Kerry County Council are waiting for local authority houses. There is no reason in the world that local authority houses should be empty. I have canvassed a lot recently and can picture one housing estate – I will not say where it is – where three lovely two-bedroom houses in a row have lain idle for a very long time. That does not make sense to me. Six people or more could live in those houses if they were renovated quickly. It is not the fault of the local authority; it is the fault of management in government and the Department of housing.

Another thing which seems to have gone totally bonkers is the maintenance of local authority houses. I would like local authority housing to be treated in the same way as if they were privately owned houses. When a person is renting a property and a boiler is not working, the latches on the windows do not work, there is something wrong with the heating system or a door is catching, the person who owns the house is duty-bound, and rightfully so, to carry out the necessary repairs. In the case of a stubborn person who would not do that work, who would enforce the carrying out of the work but the local authority?

In Ireland today, there is one rule for those who own properties they are renting out and the rules are, rightfully, stringent. However, there is a different rule for local authorities which rent houses to members of the public who are on housing lists, and rightfully get a house. That does not make sense to me. If Sinn Féin is to achieve one thing tonight, it would be to highlight that local authorities are not treated the same as private people.

I mentioned doors, latches and windows. Until a number of years ago, it was the responsibility, and rightfully so, of the local authority to address a door that was sticking, where something wrong with the locking mechanism or there was an issue with windows or doors. Lo and behold, not only did the rules change but every local authority tenant was written to and told if their windows, locks or latches gave trouble, it was now their responsibility. Imagine the outrage there would be in Ireland tomorrow if somebody decided that every private property owner who is renting a property is no longer responsible for this, that or the other. There would, rightfully, be war about it. It happened with local authority houses.

People living in local authority houses do not deserve to be treated in a lesser way to people living in privately owned houses. That is not fair, equal or what renting a house should be about. Every person should be treated equally. I respectfully ask the Minister of State to examine this issue. If this motion highlights situations like that, it would be very important.

I ask the Minister of State to please do something about voids. I am not fighting with him about this but simply stating a fact. It is sinful to see bungalows for one or two persons or family homes lying idle. It is a shame. I think of young mothers and fathers, middle-aged people and older people waiting for houses and security. They are in every place where there is local authority housing, not just in Kerry but throughout the country. The Minister of State said he is serious about tackling the housing crisis. That is very easy place to start. The State owns the houses already; the Government should put them back into use.

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