There is no excuse for the decay and deterioration many social housing estates are suffering from across the country, according to Social Democrats housing spokesperson Rory Hearne.
“Structural defects, mould, damp and a lack of basic maintenance is crippling the quality of social housing across the country, the impact of which is causing serious health and safety issues for tenants.
“In Hillview Estate in Wicklow, the level of vacant housing and homes left void by the council is nothing short of a scandal – this is not acceptable.
“Too many estates are pockmarked by boarded up housing, some of which are leaking water and waste onto streets where children are expected to play.
“Councils must undergo reform and receive appropriate funding to tackle the substandard conditions found in some social housing estates, while tenants must be supported in terms of their individual needs.
“There is a systemic failure to provide families, children and vulnerable adults with housing of a decent standard – a basic human right to housing includes, at its core, the right to adequate housing, which means housing does not have defects that impact health.
“The World Health Organization outlines clearly that mould and damp have major impacts on health, exasperating conditions such as asthma, for example, and even mental health.
“There appears to be no urgency, transparency or accountability in countering this widespread trend – worst of all, no empathy is shown towards how tenants are treated in terms of living conditions.
“Local authorities must be empowered, as they used to be before austerity, to create in-house maintenance teams – this would form the backbone of social housing upkeep.
“In Ballymun in my constituency of Dublin North-West, the mould in some homes is destroying clothing, bed linen and belongings, covering the walls from floor to ceiling – some tenants are reporting that they’re experiencing serious health defects as a result, which has dramatically altered their quality of life.
“This is not what social housing should look like in a wealthy republic – constituents have told me that the council is giving wait times of over two months just to assess properties in this condition, even when tenants are elderly or vulnerable.
“This issue is nationwide – in Dublin alone, Cromcastle Court, Dolphin House, Pearse House, and swathes of Finglas are all affected; it’s impossible to portray how grave the situation is.
“The government must regulate the landlord functions of local authority-owned dwellings and formalise the relationship between local authorities and tenants by registering social housing tenancies with the Residential Tenancies Board, who may then provide regulatory functions.
“How long will tenants be left living in substandard accommodation that impacts their physical and mental health? We need more action and support for local authorities.”
July 18th, 2025