Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

For the past four and a half years, I have come to the Chamber and submitted questions regarding empty council houses. A reference to the European decision to move to a preventative maintenance programme has always been included in the responses. In the past four years, I have never seen a plan by Cork City Council, Cork County Council or the Government for preventative maintenance. Will the Minister of State raise this issue at the European Council and ask what other countries are doing on this?

People are living in cold homes that are full of damp and mould. They are living with broken-down boilers and central heating systems that are only partially working. They are dealing with leaks in their pipes, roofs, and fascia and soffit. People are living in conditions that are absolutely terrible. There are tens of thousands of local authority homes where people are living in shocking conditions. I raised this a number of weeks ago, when we tabled a Private Members' motion relating to housing maintenance. A number of Ministers explained to me that the new system, from this September, will be one of planned preventative maintenance. Is there any chance we could see that plan? Is there any chance we will see funding from Europe for this plan? A lady who contacted me by phone this morning said she is stressed out of her mind because of the conditions she and her family are living in.

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