FINE Gael Councillor Stephen Keary believes that Limerick City and County Council (LCCC) should be putting derelict properties in their ownership into social housing stock and not selling them on.
Speaking at last week’s full meeting of the local authority, Cllr Keary raised concerns about the disposal of a property in Ballyagran, County Limerick, and two at Creagh Lane in the city. He took the view that, if they are fit to be “rehabilitated”, they should instead be put back into social housing stock.
“I just question the logic of selling them,” Cllr Keary said.
Cllr Adam Teskey (FG) also criticised LCCC for the way they dispose of derelict properties. He urged the council executive to do their “level best” to get the properties up for disposal, back into their housing stream.
“We need to future-proof our stock going forward,” Cllr Teskey declared.
Fianna Fáil councillor Michael Collins formally rejected the disposal of the property in Ballyagran. He told the council executive that it was the wish of councillors in Newcastle West District to keep it in their ownership.
“Get it back into good use, and we’ll get some family into it in the future when it’s ready,” Collins insisted.
Cllr Tom Ruddle (FG) seconded the proposal, and was of the view that the house in the Hawthorns estate would make a “nice family home”.
Cllr Liam Galvin (FG) took the same view.
“This house has been idle for many years. It’s a nice home inside, and it’s in a nice housing estate. It needs to be occupied and taken out of dereliction,” Cllr Galvin insisted.
“What does this local authority want? I’ve gotten numerous phone calls about this house. Whether it’s lower than the market value, or above the market value, it’s the market value. We need to get somebody into this house,” he added.
Director of Planning at LCCC, Mr Stephane Duclot said he had no problem with this request, but pointed out a technicality where a Section 183 – a process under the Local Government Act 2001 — has already been circulated. He vowed to now have the West Limerick property put back into their Housing Department’s ownership and to look for funding to do it up.
“We had to bring it in today for a decision and I’m very happy with your decision,” Mr Duclot told council members.
Cllr Keary also wanted to know if the same could now be done for the two properties up for disposal at Creagh Lane in the city.
Mayor John Moran explained that these two properties were, in fact, at one point, under consideration for being brought back into rehabilitation by the Council.
“They were both valued at about €40,000 each, and a local business wanted to actually buy both of them to make them into accommodation for their staff, so that they could live locally. In a sense, we’re paying a significant premium, I would have thought, compared to the value, it would have made sense for us to do them up.
“Had they been available at €40,000 each, we had agreed that we would actually take them off the market and try and convert them into housing ourselves. But since somebody wanted to pay €250,000, it didn’t make any sense anymore to go ahead with that. Given their condition, we all agreed that it was better to go ahead and sell them,” he concluded.