Renters’ nightmare

AN apology from Dublin City Council deputy chief executive Brendan Kenny for the failure to inspect a house that 64 people lived in, in appalling conditions, is welcome – but rather undermined by the fact the local authority says it will be at least 2020 before it reaches a 25% inspection rate for rental properties.

Conditions at the house were exposed on Thursday night’s RTÉ Investigates programme, and previously by our sister paper, the Irish Mail on Sunday. There also have been posts about it in Facebook groups, which also highlight exposed wiring, unsanitary conditions and fire risks in other properties.

The council clearly should be monitoring social media, as the information they need is being given to them for free. That it doesn’t, and also appears to be dragging its heels on more aggressive inspection, is yet another tier to the scandal of rip-off landlords who seem to be able to charge whatever they want for very little, with absolute impunity.