Sinn Féin MLA Fra McCann has said it is important that a speedy review is carried out to establish the facts of allegations made in the Spotlight programme.

Mr McCann said: "Sinn Féin has been on record in the past of raising our concerns on the allocation of housing.

"It is important that housing providers and the department move quickly to establish the true extent of the problem identified in this programme.

"However, we have also constantly raised the serious problem of unscrupulous landlords within the private rented sector, which is the biggest provider of socially rented houses.

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"Sinn Féin has had serious concerns for a number of years about the £250m of public money spent annually on a housing sector which remains unregulated.

"We continue to call for the regulation of this sector to ensure that no one is forced to live in the Dickensian conditions highlighted by Spotlight."

The Sinn Féin housing spokesperson said a house-building programme was urgently required to tackle housing waiting lists.

"We must remember that over 40,000 people are on housing waiting lists, almost 20,000 people declare themselves homeless each year.

"Hostels have ever-growing waiting lists and people continue to live in overcrowded conditions due to the lack of available housing stock. "

(CD/JP)