Debate contribution: Housing: Disrepair, Damp and Mould

Debate contribution by Mr Gerry Carroll on 24 February 2026.

MLA

Mr Gerry Carroll

Party at the time

People Before Profit Alliance

Date

24 February 2026

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Housing: Disrepair, Damp and Mould

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5404830

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I thank Members for the debate. There was, for the most part, unanimity and agreement, which is good, but I hope that action can follow rather than it just being a good debate and a pat on the back. We need real action from the Minister, and I will come to that in a second. I will run through some of the comments — obviously, I cannot deal with all of them — and then make some closing remarks. The Member for Foyle Mark Durkan — I encourage Members to vote for his amendment — talked about damp and mould being Dickensian, which it is, and about the health impacts. I think that he initiated mention of the Minister's sidestepping and stalling, and I largely agree with that. He talked about a child in his constituency being hospitalised because of damp and mould. That is pretty grim. I think that that was in a single let being used by the Housing Executive. That is an all-too-common issue that many people hear about. In my experience — maybe it is the same for the Member — when you go to the Department, it says that, in a single-let situation like that, it is up to the landlord to fix the problems. However, the Department is not — maybe it is — cognisant of the fact that there is no obligation on landlords, for the most part, to fix those problems. Tenants are living in fear, and the issues of damp and mould are not addressed or fixed. One suggestion is to restrict payment to landlords in that situation. They should not be paid and should probably be financially penalised if they house people in substandard accommodation, and there should be legislative protection for people during their tenancy so that they are not turfed out. The Minister and his officials who are listening to the debate should consider that.

I thank the Minister for that. He may be referring to the 1981 legislation or the 2011 legislation. When speaking to environmental health people, they often say that, in a general sense, the legislation is not strong enough. This is from recollection — I will be happy to correct the record at a future date if it is not the case — but, in an answer to me, the Department basically said that nothing can be done in those situations and that the Housing Executive effectively has no power over those properties. Again, if I am wrong, I am happy to be corrected, but that is my recollection of the answer that the Minister gave me a few months ago. Pam Cameron said that damp and mould are not minor issues but serious health issues: obviously, I agree with her on that. She talked about the tragic death of Awaab Ishak and said that good intentions alone will not fix damp and mould: I agree. That is why legislation is needed. Colm Gildernew talked about Awaab's death being tragic but preventable. That is absolutely the case. Kellie Armstrong talked about problems in the private rented sector and how people who are living in damp and mouldy conditions also live in fear of being evicted. Most Members across the House stated that. It should give the Minister focus on how fearful private rented sector tenants are. In a general sense, he is reluctant to regulate too much, but there is a power imbalance. Private tenants are living in fear and in unsuitable housing. Robbie Butler said that the issue is not abstract and is one of the most common issues to come through his office. In some ways, that is unsurprising. It is not good to hear it but good that it will, hopefully, put pressure on the Minister to act. He also mentioned that people are being worn down by repeatedly reporting problems to the Housing Executive and other providers. That is the case for me and the people I represent. Cathy Mason also mentioned that the fight is constant and that it is the biggest issue that her constituency office comes across. Again, that should give the Minister focus on how urgent and widespread the issue is in urban and rural areas across the North. David Brooks mentioned the need to tackle the issue and said that people should not be pushed out of their communities: I did not really understand that point. I think that he was referring to the Village. It is not in my constituency, but, since 2007, I have been supporting people there who live in bad housing conditions and challenging that. I remember the story in the early 2000s of an elderly woman who died because her oven was lying open and she was poisoned. Disgracefully, that was the only way in which she could heat her home. If the Member is serious about protecting working-class people in the Village or elsewhere and about them remaining there, he needs to look at a ban on no-fault evictions, rent controls and supporting the measures that I am proposing — not today, obviously — generally and through my private Member's Bill. The Minister said that he has been in worse positions than agreeing with me. I will say this to you directly: you talked about Housing Executive borrowing and support, and I am glad to hear your announcement, if I picked you up correctly, that it is not connected to reclassification of any kind. The Housing Executive should be able to borrow but should remain a public body. I know that you are sharing information with the Communities Committee. I ask that it be shared with my good self as well. The Minister mentioned the guidance from NIFHA: we had NIFHA upstairs today. That guidance is important, but, obviously, guidance is just guidance; it is not enforcement. That is a big difference. He talked about the powers that are already in place. Some powers are in place, but they are not strong enough. They are quite limited. I think that the Minister mentioned the Decent Homes Standard consultation. I am happy to give way to him. What aspects of Awaab's law will be or are likely to be in the legislation to come out of that consultation? Obviously, minimum energy efficiency standards are welcome and long overdue, but they will not be as strong as the time commitments and clear time frame set out in Awaab's law.

I thank the Minister for that. I look forward to reading the detail of that when it comes through. Everybody talked about the human cost of damp and mould. I am glad that the Health Minister has joined us for the end of the debate. The NHS spends at least £1·4 billion a year treating illnesses caused by cold and damp housing directly. When wider societal costs are included, that rises to £15·4 billion. This is not about tight budgets and a lack of resources but about political choices. I tabled a question for written answer to the Health Minister, asking:

"whether he plans to work with the Minister for Communities to collect data about ... damp, mould and overcrowding, in order to analyse"

the public health impacts of poor housing. It was tabled on 17 February 2025, which is more than a year ago, but no answer has been received. After today's debate, I will chase up that answer for the House and me. Nye Bevan, the socialist Labour MP who founded the NHS, was the Minister of Health and also had responsibility for housing. He and many people in the 1940s understood that there was a connection between housing and health. The issues are fundamentally connected. However, apart from today's debate, that connection seems to be something from a bygone era, and both things are not referred to as closely as they need to be. In conclusion, I will quickly mention a constituent of mine — Raja — who lives in the Rockdale Street area of West Belfast. Black mould is crawling all over her ceilings. At one point, she had mould inside her oven. The house is completely overcrowded, with two teenage daughters sleeping in a box room and one sleeping on the floor. The Housing Executive does not seem to have the will or ability to get the private landlord to make the repairs. The issue is widespread, Minister. I urge you to implement legislation that addresses that problem urgently. I urge Members to support the SDLP amendment and the motion.

1,417 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

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.

Disagree with this assessment?

Classifications can be challenged. A person reads every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.

Challenge this classification