Rory Hearne (Dublin North-West, Social Democrats)
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1706. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will launch and oversee an audit of damp in social housing and in accommodation leased by the State or paid for through rent allowance or HAP; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44294/25]

Rory Hearne (Dublin North-West, Social Democrats)
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1729. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will launch and oversee an audit of mould in social housing and in accommodation leased by the State or paid for through rent allowance or HAP, in the context of widespread issues of mould in local authority and associated housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44382/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1706 and 1729 together.

The minimum standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 and specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural repair, sanitary facilities, heating, ventilation, natural light, fire safety and the safety of gas, oil and electrical supplies. These Regulations apply to all properties let or available for let. All landlords, including local authorities, have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties comply with the standards set down in the Regulations.

Responsibility for the enforcement of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019 in the private rental sector rests with the relevant local authority.

The number of rental inspections conducted by local authorities has increased significantly in recent years. Increasing from an average of 20,000 a year in the period 2005 to 2017 to over 49,000 in 2022, over 63,500 in 2023, and an all-time-high of over 80,000 in 2024.

Housing for All sets a target for the inspection of 25% of all private residential tenancies, which includes both RAS and HAP tenancies. A total of €10.5 million in Exchequer funding is being made available by my Department to local authorities this year to help them meet their private rental inspection targets.

Local authorities regularly select both HAP and RAS properties for inspection for compliance with the minimum rental standards Regulations. They are also very responsive to requests to inspect private rented dwellings where a tenant believes the standard is not being met and in this regard I would encourage tenants, including HAP and RAS tenants, to contact their local authority and request an inspection to assess whether their accommodation meets the minimum requirements. Contact details for all local authorities can be found on my Department's website at: www.gov.ie/en/help/departments/?referrer=

The management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966.

Notwithstanding the legal obligation on local authorities to manage and maintain their housing stock my Department is financially supporting local authorities in undertaking stock condition surveys supported by ICT Asset Management system.

There are c.150,000 local authority homes and the ambition is to have stock condition surveys carried out on all local authority homes and to complete this work over 4 to 5 years, with 2025 considered as year zero. These surveys will inform future work.

My Department does not therefore have any plans for a dedicated audit of damp and mould as there are already legislative mechanisms and processes in place to address these issues in social and private rental tenancies.