Local authority tenants have been left to endure mould, damp, poor heating, sewerage problems and rodent infestations, according to a damning report from the human rights watchdog. The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) said the State had failed to ensure access to housing supply or take timely and effective action to address inadequate conditions in existing social housing. IHREC said the decision to withdraw from building social housing and provide rent supplement for private renters left low-income households vulnerable to shocks in the housing market. It cited research by the Centre for Housing Law, Rights and Policy Research at NUI Galway, which looked at 13 local authority housing areas. Only 31.5pc of the State's €14.5m budget for Traveller accommodation for 2019 had been drawn down by local authorities by last November.

Source: Irish Independent June 29, 2020 01:30 UTC