A city councillor has invited Galway’s city manager to personally visit privately-owned properties in shocking condition where the local authority subsidises rents.
City East representative, Councillor Helen Ogbu (Lab ), said a number of private rental properties she has visited where the local authority pays Housing Assistance Payment (HAP ), have mould, damp and other defects making them “incompatible with human dignity”.
“The state of some of these homes is unbelievable,” Ogbu told a hushed meeting of city councillors and officials on Monday. “It is so emotional going inside. I want to know if we, as an authority, inspect these homes, and align HAP payments with basic human rights.”
The first-term councillor asked city chief executive, Leonard Cleary, Housing Committee chairman, Councillor Declan McDonnell, and other senior officials to accompany her to visit her constituents’ homes, including HAP and RAS (Rental Accomodation Scheme ) recipients.
“During recent visits I witnessed first-hand the dire state of some accommodations, many of which house elderly residents, families with young children, and individuals with health conditions. The conditions include mould, dampness, and structural deterioration, all... significant risks to health and well-being,” said Ogbu, who demanded council officials hold landlords to account if they receive public money.
In response, housing officials asked Councillor Ogbu to provide addresses of specific properties, promising that inspections will take place, followed by notices issued that minimum standards be met within an eight month window.
A city housing official told councillors there were 25 inspections for damp last year. He expects up to 40 in 2025. “This all depends on securing [councillors’] funding for 2025, and subject to an allocation from the Department,” said the official.
Ogbu said she wants comprehensive inspections, support for tenants, transparent reporting mechanisms, and landlords held responsible.
In September, the Parliamentary Budget Office revealed that Galway city has the highest number of families in Ireland with “ongoing need” for state-supported housing at 8.7 per cent of all households, ahead of Dublin with 7.2 per cent. County Galway is in the lowest third of authorities, with
