Thousands to be removed from Social Housing List

Cllr Anthony Kelly has said that he has great concerns at the new government’s decision to implement new restrictions on social housing applicants which are based upon the plan introduced by the outgoing Fianna Fail led coalition on their last day in government.  The Wexford Sinn Féin rep placed a successful motion against the plan before Wexford Borough Council last week.

Cllr Kelly said;

“These measures will have a devastating impact on thousands of low income families throughout the state who could be taken off housing waiting lists and left in unsuitable and inappropriate accommodation.  In his final act as Minister, Fianna Fáil’s Michael Finneran signed into law the Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011.  This included new income thresholds for social housing which could result in the result in thousands of families in need of social housing no longer qualifying for a home.” 

“It’s true that Minister Willie Penrose has increased the income thresholds since coming into office, but this is simply a sugar coating of a cruel act that will have a negative impact across this nation.  Thousands of families are still in danger of being removed from the housing list, and Minister Penrose betrays his true intentions by suggesting that he will ‘look again at the eligibility criteria for social housing in about six months time.’  Does that mean that we get the original Fianna Fail plan put into action in six months time?”

“There are empty houses scattered across this country, in the hands of the Irish nation via NAMA.  According to state figures based on the last census and information from the Department of the Environment, Community & Local Government, there are over 300,000 vacant houses in Ireland today, not including holiday homes.  Many of them are now under NAMA control.  There are more than 100,000 households on the social housing waiting list.  Over five thousand people were recorded as being homeless by Focus Ireland last year.  Why is our government trying to remove people who need to be housed when there are 300,000 thousand houses lying idle and gradually slipping into a state of deterioration?  I have placed my motion before Wexford Borough Council to highlight the hypocrisy of this situation and to stop a new government treating its people the same as the last one.”