Cheapest way to get your home in Leitrim is through the Croí Cónaithe

"We lost two or three generations of young people over the last 15 years and they're the people who should be setting up homes here now but they are away in different countries," A Leitrim councillor said after fellow councillor Enda McGloin asked the council to look at LEADER funding to "investigate the continued gap emerging in this municipal area and throughout Leitrim between our rural communities and town parish's population trends."

David Minton, director of services stressed that the "challenge of rural depopulation is complex; it's spatial, it's driven by transport, schools and economics."

He spoke of initiatives underway across the "community side of the council from the Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs), the funding instruments, the work through the Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP), Sports Partnerships and the work we are doing in transport and investment in Active Travel schemes trying to make our towns vibrant."

He went on to say that work was ongoing to "ensure our town centres are viable from a housing perspective looking at affordable sites, affordable housing and mixed social housing options". 

He continued  that, overall, it is "a really complex, wicked problem and one we are doing well in trying to address but there can always be more research" before adding, "we are looking at who wants to come back home and start families and help GAA clubs etc."

He explained that the council have a "diaspora network and only last week, we presented them with housing options". 

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Cllr McGloin noted that Leitrim Village has seen impressive growth in the last number of years saying that it's location to Carrick-on-Shannon has contributed to this boost among other factors. "And then the population of places like Aughnasheelin and Ballinaglera has gone down. I think the Derelict Sites Act 1990 can help and there will have to be a twisting of the arm of the owners of properties who are leaving houses idle, particularly in towns."

He said that this can bring legal challenges but added that bringing these houses on-stream would "provide a viable opportunity for those who want to live rural Leitrim."

Cllr Prior said that many people are "sitting on" derelict properties and added that they are "the key to revitalising the rural communities".

Mr Minton responded that tackling derelict houses requires a "serious investment of resources, both time and financial, because it can get legal very quickly."

He stated that there is a commitment in 2026 for "government and local authorities to have much more of a focus on derelict sites. We have 24 houses in are our derelict sites register and there are options to compulsory purchase order (CPO) those sites but then you own the property and then you're liable for it's management and upkeep and restoration and some can be incredibly expensive to restore."

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Cllr McGloin asked if a pilot scheme could be launched taking in three areas "and then do a census to find out how many vacant houses and find out who owns them and write to them to find out their plans for the house and encourage them to put it on the market."

Mr Minton noted that "there will be a refocused team looking at derelict sites so I suggest that team come back to the CPG with a proposal on how to deal with derelict sites" but "it needs to be resourced and not something you do ad hoc". He added that "a pilot could be carried out as part of that." 

Cllr Roisin Kenny said that "young families are moving back to rural areas and this year, our national school has ten extra students which is massive compared to two students, which is what we usually have had."

She continued that the "attitude that you won't get planning permission for one-off houses in Leitrim is changing and the planning process has become a bit easier". 

She added that it is "essential that service like afterschool care and creches and breakfast clubs" were available in rural areas and "that communities are funded for those services," a statement that was strongly supported by the other councillors.