'Hemming and hawing' over affordable homes

The Department of Housing is "hemming and hawing" over the approval of affordable housing projects in Mayo.

A meeting of Mayo County Council’s Housing Strategic Policy Committee (SPC) heard that the Department is unconvinced of the need for affordable home in the county. The council did not receive any affordable housing targets from the Department, but is continuing to pursue a number of projects. 

So far, just five affordable housing units in Westport have been delivered, but the local authority is hoping that projects in Castlebar, Ballina, and Claremorris can proceed. An application has been submitted for 35 homes in Castlebar and a business case for Ballina has also been sent to the Department.

At the last meeting of the SPC, it was proposed that the council seek 100 affordable housing units, but Director of Services Tom Gilligan said recent consultations with the Department are not encouraging.

“They will question do we have the numbers of people seeking affordable housing. Even when we submitted the application for 35 units (in Castlebar), I think the consensus was that number was initially too high."

Cllr Michael Kilcoyne said if the Department is “hemming and hawing” over affordable housing in Mayo then the SPC needs to meet with the local TDs, adding: “They don’t seem to be aware that there is a lot of foot dragging going on."

Mr Gilligan said public comments by Cllr Harry Barrett in relation to the actual affordability of the proposed Castlebar development were "not helpful". Cllr Barrett strongly rejected Mr Gilligan's assertion.

“I can’t accept that it is unhelpful to talk about the affordability of an affordable housing scheme in Castlebar. It’s my job as a councillor to question this."

He said the costs of between €260,000 and €300,000 will rule out a lot of prospective buyers.

“These are not affordable, “agreed Cllr John Caulfield.

Cllr Kilcoyne said the houses need to be built and “we can argue about the price later on", adding:

“Right now, there is nowhere at all for these people to go."

Cllr Peter Flynn said there is an “absolute need” for affordable housing in Mayo.

“For the Department or anyone else to suggest we don’t have the need within our county is absolutely ludicrous,” he remarked.

He called for a representative from the Department of Housing to appear in person or online at the next meeting of the SPC.

• Published as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.