06/08/2014

Govt Accused Of 'Violating Human Rights' Of Council Tenants

The State has been accused of "violating" the human rights of council tenants.

The International Federation for Human Rights has filed a complaint with the Council of Europe that accuse the Irish government of "presiding over appalling living standards and failing to meet basic and legal housing requirements."

Welcoming the complaint, Sinn Féin's Housing spokesperson, Dessie Ellis, said: "We believe firmly that the state has a responsibility to house people and is best placed to meet the housing needs of our population through Local Authority housing. This housing though must meet a standard which ensures the health and well-being of tenants.

"Successive governments including the current regime have failed miserably to meet that standard for many tenants particularly in older estates in Dublin City. They have turned their back on their responsibility to provide housing and in so doing have allowed conditions to slip so much that this complaint has been lodged.

"I believe complaint is utterly credible and hope that it serves as a warning that government must step up to the plate and start to deal with these issues.

"€1bn has been cut from housing since Budget 2008. The right to housing is still not recognised and the government policy is to shirk its responsibility onto voluntary bodies and subsidised private landlords.

"While this attitude remains the details of this complaint will continue to be a problem and the state will continue to violate the human rights of families it is charged with supporting and protecting."

(MH/JP)

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