This article first appeared on Galway Bay FM

Less than half of the HAP properties across Galway City have been inspected.

There are around 1,500 properties – and to date, about 700 of those have been inspected.

HAP is the Housing Assistance Payment – and it’s paid to private landlords on behalf of those who qualify for social housing.

Under the scheme, the local authority will arrange to inspect the property within 8 months of the start of the HAP payments.

Galway City Council has 1,500 HAP properties on the books, but only 700 of these have been inspected.

And of that 700, just 133 were found to be fully compliant with regulations – with improvement letters were sent to the rest.

There’s still 800 properties that have to be inspected for the first time, and the City Council expects these to be completed this year and next.

But it adds that these outstanding inspections – as well as follow up on already inspected properties that failed to meet standards – are dependent on staffing and resources.

The stats came to light following a question by Labour Councillor Helen Ogbu, who says there’s been an “alarming and unacceptable” drop in living conditions in many rental properties.