THE extension of the housing assistance payment (HAP) to include 319 new tenants in West Cork in 2025 means more people are getting state support to meet their rental costs, but Social Democrat Cllr Ann Bambury believes parts of the system are not working, writes Jackie Keogh.

At a recent meeting of the Western Division, Cllr Bambury said her main concern is the private rented inspections.

She acknowledged that council inspectors carried out 2,809 inspections under the Housing (Standards for Rented Housing) Regulations 2019 to the end of December 2025.

But it was her contention that some landlords have not met their obligations.

Cllr Bambury said tenants are afraid to complain because they are vulnerable and in a compromised position.

And she specifically referred to some elderly people who are struggling to have their living conditions improved.

She suggested that landlords who fail to meet the necessary standards should be suspended from the HAP scheme if the property is not upgraded.

She cited one example of a property that was inspected in 2024, and again in 2025, but the specified improvements have not been carried out.

‘The system isn’t working,’ she said. ‘We need better follow-up in cases where the accommodation is substandard. There needs to be more enforcement.’

Cllr Bambury said she was speaking from direct experience: ‘I have gone into a number of properties that I would not deem acceptable and these landlords are being supported by the state. It’s something that needs to be resolved?’