Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 February 2019
688. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his views on whether there is a conflict of interest in cases in which the local authority is both the enforcement agency and the landlord at the same time; and his plans to rectify the matter in the near future. [8390/19]
View answerI understand that the Deputy is referring to the matter of standards in respect of social housing.
Minimum standards for rental accommodation are prescribed in the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2017, which also apply in the case of houses let by housing authorities. These specify requirements in relation to a range of matters, such as structural repair, sanitary facilities, heating, ventilation, natural light, safety of gas, oil and electrical supply and fire. All landlords have a legal obligation to ensure that their rented properties comply with these Regulations. Housing authorities are, of course, as landlords, required to comply with these Regulations.
If a person considers that he/she has been adversely affected by a local authority's action, or lack of action, which he/she considers unfair or unreasonable, they can submit a formal complaint to their local authority. The elected members of the local authority also exercise an oversight role in relation to the executive's discharge of their functions. If a person remains dissatisfied with the outcome of their engagement with the local authority, it is open to them to make a complaint to the Ombudsman.
