A landmark collective complaint against Ireland, which outlines appalling and widespread sub-standard housing issues across 20 Local Authority housing estates, has been deemed admissible for further investigation at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg (Decision by the European Committee of Social Rights adopted on Tuesday 17 March 2015).
Tenants of Local Authority housing estates were assisted in compiling the collective complaint by Community Action Network (CAN), The Centre for Housing Law, Rights and Policy at National University Ireland Galway, Ballymun Community Law Centre, Dr. Rory Hearne of the Geography Department at National University Ireland Maynooth and the Irish Traveller Movement (ITM).
The complaint had been lodged in July 2014 by FIDH in collaboration with its associated member in Ireland FLAC (Free Legal Advice Centres).
The collective complaint – the result of five years of evidence gathering across the 20 communities facilitated by the Irish group Community Action Network (CAN) – alleges that Irish law, policy and practices on Local Authority housing do not comply with European standards , including standards relating to housing, social protection and anti-discrimination.
It states that poor conditions and other issues on housing estates violate key articles of the Revised European Social Charter, to which Ireland signed up in 2000, including the right to health, the right of families and children to have social, legal and economic protection and the right to protection against poverty and social exclusion.
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