Fury as Longford left out of housing review

Government bosses have been accused of “cherrypicking” and splitting the Longford-Westmeath constituency in two over a decision to omit the county from a list of five counties for a rise in social housing income eligibilty supports.

Hard pressed housing applicants in counties Carlow, Clare, Galway, Laois and Westmeath were given a boost last week when it emerged income threshold limits were to rise from €25,000 to €30,000.

However, local politicians reacted with fury at a meeting of Longford Municipal District last Wednesday following revelations Longford had not been included among the changes.

“I find it totally unacceptable,” said a plainly disgruntled Cllr Peggy Nolan.

The long serving local representative said scores of squeezed middle income earners had effectively been left frozen out by the announcement and called for a face to face meeting with Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien.

Fianna Fáil Cllr Martin Monaghan agreed, saying it was imperative councillors stood united in their efforts to force housing bosses into a u-turn.

"We have to put our hands up and say enough is enough," he said.

"Inflation has gone through the roof and yet the (income) bands don't seem to have moved at all."

They were remarks which Independent Cllr Gerry Warnock was quick to endorse. He told of how the issue was one he had been "crying for years and years over", revealing also how at the beginning of 2020 he had drafted a scheme personally which was unanimously ratified at local council level but rejected by senior department officials.

"Longford has once again been left on the back foot," he said.

"We, as elected representatives, need to look after the people of this county and these (income) thresholds were set in 2011.

"But to compare rents in 2011 to rents in 2022 is like comparing apples and oranges."