Massive housing problem in North Wexford, Ireland

While the members welcomed the county allocation of €25 million for social housing Cllr Mary Farrell wondered about the possibility of housing for those with disabilities.

Housing officer Noreen Cummins said the council had been inundated with requests from people and said the council is currently prioritizing its housing lists. Cllr Farrell also wondered if there were any way that tenants could buy out their houses. However Ms Cummins said the tenant purchase scheme had been abolished by the Department and it hadn’t been replaced by a similar scheme as of yet.

Cllr Malcolm Byrne said that Gorey has ‘very specific housing needs. Bearing in mind the cost of rent in North Wexford and the number of vacant properties I wonder is there a quick way for the council to acquire some house that are lying empty particularly with where the market is at the moment. Our housing list in Gorey is over 800 and the Gorey market is very different to the rest of the county.’

Cllr Joe O’Sullivan agreed there ‘is a massive housing problem here in North Wexford and I’d ask the council to look on it as kindly as it can.’

Cllr Fionntain Ó Suilleabhain said some houses were being sold very cheaply to the banks. ‘Obviously we don’t want to buy over someone’s head but there might be an opportunity for value’.

Cllr Robbie Ireton said that he hoped the money ‘would put pressure on people who are renting out their houses for exorbitant money targeting the most vulnerable in society’. He also wondered if there would be housing allocated for people with intellectual disabilities to which Ms Cummins said there would be.

Cllr Joe O’Sullivan said that the rent allowance of €575 was less than the average rental income for a three to four bed house was between €750 and €800 adding ‘no landlord is going to give away a house for €200 less than the market value’.

Cllr Ireton said he was aware of a case where a mother of three children aged between 15 years and two years had to leave her rented accommodation at 10.30pm on Good Friday. ‘You would hardly do that to an animal never mind a mother of three children.’