One big Laois town left out of council house construction sites
A large Laois town has been left out of social housing plans by Laois County Council.
There are 507 houses under construction across the county for social tenants, and another 494 in the planning stage.
One Laois councillor has demanded to know why his area has been completely left out, in favour of Portlaoise.
Cllr Ben Brennan is from the Portarlington Graiguecullen Municipal District, and lives near Graiguecullen next to the Carlow border and now a suburb of Carlow town but still part of Laois.
"I don't see one house in Graiguecullen going to be built. We have serviced sites. A lot of people come to me every day looking for a house. People are shouting for them. Ballyadams will get one house. Now there's more than one person looking for a house. I know that there is the greatest need in Portlaoise but 306 out of the 494 homes are to be in Portlaoise," he said.
He spoke at the April meeting of Laois County Council during a big discussion about the growing housing shortage in Laois.
"Every parish needs houses. The Government don't listen to us. We are going down the road to destruction for people being unemployed. Who can afford to drive to Dublin for a job?," Cllr Brennan said.
He agrees with Cllr Ollie Clooney that the only option for anyone on low wages to get a house, is to give up their job.
"Clooney is right. If you want a house, you are best not working. It shouldn't be. In Dublin many houses are sold for over €1 million. Everything is gone crazy, out of control. The Government is made up of solicitors, barristers and teachers who are not on the ground with the working clas. They don't seem to think about what is happening in this country. People haven't got food on the table and no way of getting food. It's unreal," Cllr Brennan said.