News
Know Your Rights: Tenants’ rights

Q: My private rented accommodation is damp and mouldy. Does the landlord have to fix this?
A: Yes, your landlord has a legal duty to make sure that your home meets certain minimum physical standards. This includes keeping it in a proper state of structural repair and free from damp.
Does my landlord have to provide a washing machine?
Yes, your landlord must provide you with access to a washing machine, and a clothes-dryer if your home does not have a private garden or yard.
Some of the other things they must provide include:
* A 4-ring hob with oven and grill
* A cooker hood or extractor fan
* A microwave oven
* A sink with hot and cold water
* A well ventilated bathroom which is in a separate room from the living quarters
* A fixed heating appliance in each room which you can control
* Vermin-proof rubbish storage facilities
Is my landlord responsible if my possessions are damaged because of an issue with the property, for example, if the pipes burst?
While the landlord is responsible for keeping the building in good repair they are not generally responsible for any damage to your possessions. Several insurance companies provide contents insurance for private tenants.
What should I do if my house does not meet the minimum standards?
First speak to your landlord about the problem. Put your complaint in writing and include as many details as possible, including photographs, videos and any receipts for repairs you did at your own expense. If your landlord refuses to carry out the necessary repairs, you should report them to your local authority.
Read more about standards for rented accommodation on citizensinformation.ie.
I am moving out of my rented accommodation, when will I get my deposit back?
If you haven’t broken your tenancy agreement, you should get your deposit back soon after you move out. The landlord may need time to inspect or repair the property. You should expect to get your deposit back within two weeks of moving out, though this is not a legal requirement.
Can my landlord keep my deposit?
Your landlord can only keep your deposit for the following reasons:
* Rent arrears (unpaid or outstanding rent)
* Unpaid bills
* Damage to the property above normal wear and tear
* You did not give adequate notice
What should I do if the landlord tells me they will not return my deposit because the property is damaged?
Your landlord can only keep your deposit if the property is damaged above what is considered normal wear and tear. If you don’t have photos of the property from when you moved in and out, you should ask for photographic evidence of the damage from the landlord. If they say the repairs have been done ask to see the receipts for the work. Keep a record of all your correspondence.
What do I do next if my landlord still won’t return my deposit?
You can make a complaint to the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). The RTB deals with most disputes between landlords and tenants, rather than the courts. You can apply for dispute resolution by mediation on the RTB’s website for free.
Read more about resolving a dispute with your landlord on citizensinformation.ie.
You can call a member of the local Citizens Information Service in Kerry on 0818 07 7860. The telephone lines are staffed from 10am to 4pm from Monday to Friday. The National Phone Service is available on 0818 07 4000 Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm.
Alternatively, you can email on tralee@citinfo.ie or log on to www.citizensinformation.ie.
News
Fossa School says ‘bonjour’ to French classes

Fossa National School is giving its pupils a headstart in learning a new language.
The school signed up to Language Sampler scheme as part of the ‘Say Yes to Languages’ initiative in primary schools organised by Post Primary languages Ireland in 2021. This is the school’s third year running the module.
Hélène Olivier-Courtney, the school’s French teacher and director of French For All Killarney School of French, covers ten schools in Kerry over the three terms.
The success of the initiative relies on an all-school approach and the active involvement of class teachers and management.
“The whole staff in Fossa certainly helped make this new journey a special and enjoyable experience for the children as we learnt French through art, songs, games and food tasting! This year, we also organised a catwalk on our last day. Our sixth-class students will have such a head start before secondary school and most importantly will have develop curiosity interest and love for the language,” said Hélène.
News
Opinion: Silent majority needs to stand up and call out far-right hate

By Chris Davies
Last Friday’s Dublin Riots should not have come as a surprise to anyone. It has been bubbling under the surface of Irish society for a good number of years now. The actions of a small minority last week was a culmination of years of racism, hatred and misinformation shared online by far-right groups.
Late on Friday night a disturbing WhatsApp voice note was doing the rounds on social media where a far-right actor could clearly be heard encouraging violence on the streets of Dublin.
“’Seven o’clock, be in town. Everyone bally up, tool up…Any foreigner, just kill them”
Watching the Riots unfold on social media brought me back to when I was working in Dublin a number of years back. My morning commute from Skerries to the city centre involved a dart to Connolly Station followed by a short trip on the Luas to the Jervis. Every week, without fail, I would witness at least one racial slur or attack on someone who didn’t fit the narrow minded view of what an Irish person should look, dress or talk like. I don’t know if it is the eerie silence of public transport that seems to amplify the situation, but that’s where I found it to be most common. The abuse was usually perpetrated by a group of youths or someone who was clearly under the influence of drink or drugs. The victims were always of colour, often dressed smartly enough to presume they were on their way, or coming from work. A far cry from the perpetrators who you could tell were roaming aimlessly around the city looking for trouble.
While shameful to admit, I would often look on and watch the abuse unfold, only to spend the rest of my work day thinking about the poor person who was told to “F*&K off back to your own country”. I would sit at my desk questioning why I didn’t step in and say something. There were one or two occasions where I did step in and call it out, but not nearly often enough.
This disgusting behaviour is much more visible in our cities. Since moving back to Killarney I wouldn’t witness as much direct abuse on the streets but working with the Killarney Advertiser I would be tuned in to local news and some of the comments I read on our social platforms are far worse than anything I witnessed during my time in Dublin.
There is a significant group of people in Ireland that I would call the ‘silent majority’. We are not as outspoken on issues we care about. We tend to observe and consume the news quietly, and only speak of our support or disgust on certain issues in close circles, too afraid we might offend someone. The problem with this is that we are leaving these far-right groups unchallenged, to become louder, more aggressive and more hostile as seen last week.
The past week Sinn Fein and the Social Democrats have been busy in the media expressing no confidence in Justice Minister Helen McEntee and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris but I would suggest that there is a large percentage of the Irish population that bears some of the responsibility. We witness racism in our communities and online every day and we need to start speaking up and calling it out.
On the issue of immigration in Killarney, there is no doubt resources are being stretched and our tourism industry is suffering as a result of an influx of immigration. Locals have also raised concerns in relation to the placement of so many male international protection applicants in one setting and we only have to look back on the incident in Hotel Killarney last year where a number of men were involved in a harrowing stabbing incident to see how that played out.
However, being concerned around immigration is not the same as anti-immigration. It is important to raise these issues with local representatives and Kerry TD’s but also to separate ourselves from far-right groups who are only interested in encouraging violence.
The anarchy we witnessed last week should never be the answer and research shows it is completely unnecessary. Harvard University have looked at hundreds of protests over the last century, and found that non-violent campaigns are twice as likely to achieve their goals as violent campaigns and that it only takes around 3.5% of the population actively participating in the protests to ensure serious political change.
Let’s continue to protest peacefully for issues we believe in, but stand up and speak out against people and movements in our community that incite hate and violence.