Personnel from Cork County Council, who conducted the inspections, discovered 93% of the 729 properties they visited did not meet required standards.

The inspection unit revisited 73 of the dwellings and 42% were failed, for a second time.

Cllr Des O’Grady (SF), who sought details of the inspections, said it was “an absolute scandal” at a time when rents were rising sharply that 682 properties failed the initial inspection.

The council had received €82,000 from the Department of the Environment to conduct the inspections.

Cllr O’Grady said the failure rates “were particularly outrageous, at a time, when government housing policy is based on housing 4,500 of the 7,000 families on Cork County Council’s waiting lists in the private rented sector.” He claimed: “This policy is condemning many families to live in substandard housing provided by rogue landlords.”

Some families, he said, were trapped in appalling conditions which included rat infestations, poor insulation, substandard wiring, dampness and mould, along with leaking water pipes and a lack of ventilation.

“Private tenants affected by the economic downturn and austerity are also increasingly at risk of ending up in substandard accommodation,” he said.

Cllr O’Grady said the inspection figures made a mockery of the Government Standards for Rented Houses Regulations which had set out minimum standards for rented accommodation.

“These regulations specify requirements in relation to a range of matters such as structural repair, absence of damp and rot, sanitary facilities, heating, ventilation, light and safety of gas and electrical supply.”

All landlords have a legal obligation but local authorities are responsible for enforcing the regulations.

Cllr O’Grady said the reality was the local authority’s inspection unit was only visiting a small number of private rented units in the county each year, so the overall picture could be far worse.

“This needs to change. I am calling on the Government to provide funding for an increased inspection programme immediately.”