Council accused of putting 'spin' on housing situation

Mayo County Council has been accused of engaging in ‘spin’ when it comes to the housing situation in the county.

Councillors were presented with a detailed housing report at the monthly meeting of the local authority. However, Cllr Peter Flynn claimed it gave a distorted view.

“If you ever want to know the definition of spin this is it. It is encapsulated perfectly in what is presented to us,” he said, adding that the focus on social housing masks the difficulties being faced by young, working couples who are unable to access affordable housing.

The council’s Director of Services Tom Gilligan told the meeting that the council has been approved for 13 affordable housing units in Westport with similar applications for Castlebar and Ballina.

“We appreciate it is not enough and we have to deliver more,” said Mr Gilligan, adding that the council was not included in the original affordable housing programme but had presented a survey and business case to the Department of Housing. However, Cllr Flynn was unimpressed.

“Look at where we are in a county with virtually zero unemployment and where the reality is you have to be unemployed to qualify for social housing. Yet we are looking to build a thousand plus social homes in this county. It is impossible to fathom.

“We have a huge cohort of young, working people out there who we are doing absolutely nothing for. To be talking about affordable housing as if we are making progress is laughable, to be frank,” said Cllr Flynn.

Cllr Flynn described the affordable housing application at a site at the Quay in Westport as a “pig in a poke” that will never get planning permission. Mr Gilligan countered that the council had to “fight tooth and nail” for any affordable housing for the county.

However, Independent Cllr Michael Kilcoyne argued that the council failed to apply for the scheme two years ago and it was at the behest of councillors that a survey which saw 175 expressions of interest was carried out.