Many moderate and reasonable people were no doubt surprised to read that an estate agent was fined on grounds of discrimination for having advised a single mum with a toddler, who was on a HAP housing scheme, that the owner of the property ‘would prefer to rent to a couple’.

WATERFORD City Council is to employ an anti-social behaviour officer in its housing department by the end of the year because of the level of complaints against noisy neighbours who create a nuisance to others from local authority homes.