The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast: Cork's social housing ranges from state-of-the-art to rat-infested

From rat infested flats to 'thanking God' for Cork City Council – Cork's 12,000 social houses

Cork City Council is responsible for almost 12,000 homes — ranging from state-of-the-art modern builds to the now notorious rat-infested 1960s O'Byrne flats.

With a budget of approximately €147m, an average rental payment of €80 per week, and 5,000 people on the social housing waiting list, the city's housing department is led by Assistant Chief Executive Brian Geaney, who acknowledges the challenge.

This week the Irish Examiner is publishing an extensive investigation into Cork City Council's housing stock — how many, how much, who lives there, how it's managed — and what the future holds.

Reporter Donal O'Keeffe is the guest on today's episode of the podcast.

This podcast was funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.