There are 120 empty houses in the Naas area
Crisis
Of the 120 empty or derelict houses in the Naas area, some 21 are Kildare County Council owned.
Local councillor Bill Clear said the rate of progress relating to how quickly these can be put back into use is too slow.
He acknowledged that the work is being done but “we’re in a housing crisis.”
If necessary, he told a Naas Municipal District meeting on May 10, money should be sought from the Department of Housing and Local Government to renovate the 21 properties.
In a report KCC official Pam Pender said that the costs associated with re-letting of council stock are funded from KCC resources and forms part of the “budgetary process.”
An exception is fire damage for which insurance compensation may be due.
She also said works are complete or ongoing in a number of properties and works are planned on more. Only two properties have not yet gone out to tender.
KCC official Veronica Cooke told the meeting that the council is working as hard as it can and she attributed the delay to hold ups affecting the supply of materials and a reluctance by some to accept a property that has been occupied by someone else.