Number of vacant houses in Mayo town 'scandalous'
Elected members of Mayo County Council in Ballina Municipal District have called on the local authority to release more funds, seeking a loan if necessary, to carry out repairs to vacant housing stock.
It emerged at the April monthly meeting of Ballina MD that there are 16 vacant houses in the district but only sufficient funds in the budget to repair two of them.
“It's not good enough with people crying out for houses,” Councillor Mark Duffy said.
Director of services Tom Gilligan agreed that more money was needed but he reminded elected members that they adopt the budget.
However, Councillor Michael Loftus countered that the budget was adopted before the sale of part of the former Volex site in Castlebar for approximately €1.2 million and the old Crossmolina Fire Station for around €140,000, for example.
He stated: “We did not have that money at budget time. Now that we have that extra money, I'm saying that some of it should be used for stock that is vacant. Some of that capital money has to be given to Ballina MD to bring those houses on stream in the district.”
While acknowledging more money is needed in the housing budget, Mr. Gilligan said it was not possible to take the money out of the capital account on this occasion.
Counillor Jarlath Munnelly argued that if nothing is done with the vacant houses now, they will fall into further disrepair and become magnets for anti-social behaviour.
He requested Mr. Gilligan to find out what it would cost for repairs to be carried out to the 16 houses and then, with the chief executive, identify how money could be sourced for those repairs.
“If we have to borrow money and pay it back, so be it. It would be far better to do it now rather than having more work to do in future.”
Mr. Gilligan said he is having discussions with the chief executive on the housing issue, and he believed Ballina was the MD doing best in addressing vacancy.
He also said he tended to agree that the housing budget could be used to pay off a loan to get the problem solved once and for all.
Councillor Seamus Weir, cathaoirleach of Ballina MD, said the number of vacant houses was scandalous.
He concluded: “The powers that be at large should come up with something. We should be looking for 100% funding from the government for housing repairs.”