Outcry over pace of social housing audits in Kildare

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Thomas Gould TD, has revealed that only 2.11 per cent of social homes in County Kildare have been audited since 2022.

The figure was released to the Sinn Fein (SF) spokesperson on Urban Regeneration & Renewal, Public Realm and Local Government, Thomas Gould TD.

He originally submitted a parliamentary question relating to social housing audits throughout Ireland to the Minister for Housing, Heritage and Local Government, James Browne TD (Fianna Fáil).

In response, Minister Browne revealed to him that, in the context of Kildare, 120 social homes have been audited since 2022, out of a total of 5,700 social homes.

The Minister also said: "Local authorities continue to progress surveys, with over 10,900 completed to date. I expect all local authority social homes will be surveyed over the next four or five years."

Reacting to the news, SF TDs for Kildare South and North, Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh and Réada Cronin respectively, have criticised the figure and accused the government of "failing to properly resource stock audits in local authority-provided housing in Kildare".

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In their joint statement, the two Deputies said: "In November 2021, SF was told that stock audits would be undertaken on all social housing units in the following four to five years.

"Yesterday [February 4 last], we were told that stock audits would be undertaken on all social housing units in the following four to five years.

"The timeline keeps being pushed out while people in Kildare are forced to live in mouldy, damp homes."

They also claimed: "At the government’s pace, it will now take 190 years to complete these stock audits in Kildare."

'COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE'

The Deputies continued: "There are 5,700 social homes in Kildare, and they have only completed 120 audits in the last four years; that is completely unacceptable.

"What is even more concerning is that no additional funding has been provided for the maintenance issues that are found through these stock surveys.

"People are living in mouldy, damp and cold homes in Kildare; they don’t need someone to just find a list of the problems, they need funding to repair their homes."

They further said that, as representatives and residents of Kildare, they are aware of social housing units where young families "are forced to live in cramped conditions, often in their parent’s house, where issues with mould and damp are an everyday reality".

The Deputies elaborated: "Young children often end up with respiratory complaints when they have been exposed to these conditions for extended periods."

They also said: "The longstanding issues with housing maintenance in Kildare will not be solved by stock surveys, but they must be a step forward."

Lastly, the Deputies urged the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD, to "ramp up the completion of these surveys and clearly set out what funding he will provide to complete the work identified by the audits".

In related news, SF drew criticism last week from Fianna Fáil TD for Kildare North, James Lawless, who accused them of "NIMBY-ism" over its opposition to a student housing plan.

LEFT: Sinn Féin TD for Kildare South, Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh. RIGHT: Sinn Féin TD for Kildare North, Réada Cronin

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Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.