Turn-around of council houses too slow say Limerick councillors

LIMERICK City and County Council is in the process of acquiring 11 properties in the Newcastle West area, local councillor Jerome Scanlon has been told.

Six of these are in a derelict condition or have been vacant for a long time.

The council currently has 21 vacant properties in the area, and 11 houses needing major refurbishment, last week’s meeting of Newcastle West councillors heard.

Work is underway in three houses and work will begin in four others at the end of March.

Funding to refurbish 14 houses has been received from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, councillors were told and the council has now submitted a new list of houses for funding for 2019.

“We are still working through the 2018 list and allocations,” James Rigney said. Details of which properties are included and budget estimates for each of them have been submitted, he said.

“All the vacant properties are on my application,” he continued.

“There are too many houses vacant for too long,” Cllr Liam Galvin said while Cllr Francis Foley asked when the vacant houses would be allocated.

“We are asking the same questions every month,” he said.