Debate contribution: Housing: Disrepair, Damp and Mould

Debate contribution by Mr Colm Gildernew on 24 February 2026.

MLA

Mr Colm Gildernew

Party at the time

Sinn Féin

Date

24 February 2026

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Housing: Disrepair, Damp and Mould

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5404729

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I thank the Member for tabling this motion on Awaab's law. No doubt Members will be familiar with the tragic case of Awaab Ishak, a two-year-old boy who died in 2020 due to overexposure to toxic black mould which was present in his home. Awaab and his parents had been living in a flat in Rochdale that was owned and managed by a social housing provider. His parents had repeatedly reported the presence of mould in the three years prior to his death, but the housing authority consistently failed to take the matter seriously and carry out the necessary work to fix the issue. Awaab's death was utterly tragic, but it was entirely preventable, had the housing authority shown any duty of care to its tenants. Frustratingly, it is yet another example of a problem being taken seriously only after it results in a death, which is far too late. As we debate the motion, many families in the North live in cold, damp homes, and they too will be struggling to find anyone who will listen and take action. A poll commissioned last year by NEA found that 43% of respondents had been affected by damp and mould, showing the scale of the problem. If that statistic does not act as a wake-up call, I am not sure what will. As public representatives, we have an absolute duty to ensure that there are no more cases like Awaab Ishak and that damp and mould never again become an issue of life or death. The motion calls for the extension of Awaab's law to the North. Sinn Féin supports that call and supports the SDLP's amendment. Awaab's law was an important step in ensuring that social and private landlords are obliged to take action when damp and mould are reported by their tenants. Landlords who fail to take action can be subject to enforcement notices, and persistent breaches can lead to fines and prosecution. The issue of damp and mould in homes is directly connected to fuel poverty, and I am pleased to say that, at long last, we now have a published fuel poverty strategy, which will hopefully go some way to tackling the problem. Key to the strategy will be the roll-out of the new warm healthy homes fund. The fund will be vital in ensuring that lower-income families are able to make adaptations to their homes that will make them more energy efficient. Another key component of the fuel poverty strategy will be the updating of the fitness standards and the Decent Homes Standard. The standards that are currently in place are long since out of date and are no longer fit for purpose. We must also recognise that there is a particular problem with damp and mould in the private rented sector. Time and time again, we see some landlords acting as though they are above the law by choosing to ignore the issues raised by their tenants. We must send a very clear message to those landlords that that will no longer be tolerated. We must see the updated standards and Awaab's law being extended to the private sector, as has already been achieved in England and elsewhere. We must always endeavour to support and strengthen the rights of renters. We urgently need to see a package of reform being brought forward to build on the work of my party colleague Deirdre Hargey's Private Tenancies Act. At a time when we are seeing our neighbouring jurisdictions bring in some of the most progressive reforms seen to date, it is disappointing that we have not seen a similar level of reforms here in the North. I would appreciate it if the Minister could outline what reforms to the private rented sector he will introduce in the remainder of this mandate and whether he is carrying out any preparation work for reforms in the next mandate.

649 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not qualifying

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 15:03 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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