Council has no funding to retrofit vacant house in Limerick town
AN EXECUTIVE member of Limerick City and County Council has admitted the local authority does not have the funding at present to retrofit a vacant property in a housing estate in Rathkeale.
Cllr Adam Teskey questioned the executive at this month’s meeting of the Adare-Rathkeale Municipal District, asking why a house in St Mary’s Park, Rathkeale, has been vacant for four years.
“The decent thing to do would be to sell it on the open market to a private individual, a person who would qualify for housing needs from the housing list,” Cathaoirleach Cllr Stephen Keary said.
He stressed that the house is “not in an acceptable state” with dirt and leaves, adding that “rats have been climbing up over the walls” for close to four years.
Cllr Keary also highlighted that despite refurbishments for the house costing in the region of €100,000, the previous owner who passed away, lived comfortably there in terms of light and heat, and said something should have been done.
Caroline Curley, Director of Housing with (LCCC) said that she “hates to admit it” but there are a number of long-term vacant properties owned by the council, not just 24 St Mary’s Park.
She stressed that discussions will be taking place with a working group and the local authority itself to progress the level of vacancies seen throughout the entire county.
“The main reason for a lack of action on this house is a lack of financing. That is all I will say about it at the moment,” she told elected representatives present.
Pressing further, Cllr Teskey said that the Municipal District was told by a predecessor within the executive that everything within 24 St Mary’s Park was going to be fixed within nine months.
Cllr John O’ Donoghue asked the executive to conduct a report on all of the derelict properties contained within the Adare-Rathkeale Municipal District.
Caroline Curley said that this is not the first time that the council has not been able to properly fund a retrofit and that there is money coming from central government, but it is not adequate.
“There is a demand for that house, we just have to find a method of paying for its refurbishment. There will be a submission going to full council on this,” she outlined in closing the matter.