'I had to move my room around to keep the baby away from the mould'

'I had to move my room around to keep the baby away from the mould'

In 2017, 2020 and 2021, The European Committee of Social Rights in the Council of Europe concluded that Ireland continues to fail to “take sufficient and timely measures to ensure the right to adequate housing for a not insignificant number of families living in Local Authority Housing and is therefore in violation of article 16 of the Revised European Social Charter".

We should not be reading headlines like these or failing so significantly to provide adequate accommodation to such a sizeable proportion of our population in a wealthy country like Ireland.

Last week Minister McGrath announced the transfer of €4billion to a National reserve Fund bringing total transfers to the fund to €6billion since budget night 2023.

The provision of an adequate standard of accommodation in addition to the development of an appropriate level of units to cater for housing demand is an immediate need that should be prioritized above a rainy day fund. There is a financial and a moral case for this argument. Government need to provide local councils with the support required for improvement of existing housing stock that to be delivered in consultation with local communities.

Well done to colleagues in Robert Emmet Community Development Project SICCDA (South Inner City Community Development Association) and Oliver Bond House Residents Group for making this point consistently and with dignity.