Local Authority’s approach to housing purchases questioned

At the Council meeting on July 8 in Carrick-on-Shannon, Cllr Pádraig Fallon asked for the Local Authority's stance on buying houses when the current tenants cannot continue living there or if they are not available, under the Tenant in Situ Scheme.

Specifically, Cllr Fallon wished to find out if the Local Authority plans to increase their housing supply by considering individual offers of residential properties as they become vacant.

“First of all, I want to acknowledge the great work done by this local authority with that scheme. Our local authority does do its best there,” Cllr Fallon said.

“This is in the context of, would they see a house become available rurally, I'm wondering if the local authority would express an interest in those types of houses.

“It's also in the context of dealing with an ever-increasing number of constituents who find themselves on notice of facing eviction.”

Cllr Fallon described how he has been corresponding with families who are facing eviction.

“It has a devastating impact on them, especially with kids. They're wondering about schools and will their children still be going to the same schools come September.

“It's an awful scenario. It's causing severe damage to their health and mental health impacts. These are working families, they're not who we associate as being homeless, I suppose, years ago.

Councillors highlight staff shortages in Home Help sector

Cllr Reynolds-Flynn requested that Leitrim County Council urge the Minister of Health and the HSE to lift the employment embargo.

“We see ever-increasing homeless figures, every month. Homelessness is up by fifteen percent, child homelessness is up by twenty percent and pensioner homelessness is up by twenty-five percent,” he said.

“We need to send some sort of message to the Minister in this regard. I have never seen anything like this before.

“There's always been a degree of homelessness, but I've never had the number of cases that I've come across,” he concluded.

Director of Service, Mary Quinn said in reply, “In relation to general social housing acquisitions, we have to operate under the guidelines and rules set out.

“We are looking at properties as they become available, but it isn't the case that every time somebody is at risk or fears homelessness, we can't do it on that basis.”

Ms Quinn described how they need to adhere to established criteria for acquisitions.

“We're looking at properties, we're looking at increasing the supply across the county and we're looking at particular circumstances, definitely, in terms of their needs.

“While doing all of that, we have to operate within the guidelines,” she stressed.

Cllr Justin Warnock argued that homelessness is not a big problem within Leitrim, and noted that Cllr Fallon was quoting national figures.

“One homeless person in Leitrim is one too many,” was said by another councillor in response.

“It's about us here trying to get out in front of it,” Cllr Fallon said.

Inland Fisheries Ireland investigating deaths of 850 wild salmon in Co. Sligo

IFI staff are analysing the catchment to see if water quality issues are causing mortalities

Cathaoirleach Cllr Paddy O'Rourke said, “We hope that the Department might acknowledge the particular difficulties you've seen.”