Just one local authority house was built in Donegal last year.
Just one local authority house was built in Co Donegal last year despite more than 2,560 people being on the waiting list.
Deputy Pearse Doherty has labelled the figures as ‘unacceptable.’
The figures compare to 58 properties being built locally in 2011.
Condemning the housing figures, Deputy Doherty said that the number of social housing new builds have fallen consistently over the last five years over the lifetime of the last government, with a year on year decrease averaging almost 60%.
Deputy Doherty said “The figures which I’ve received today relating to social housing new builds over the course of the last twenty years make for very harrowing reading, particularly during the lifetime of the outgoing Government.
“During its first year in office back in 2011, a modest 58 social housing units were constructed by the Local Authority here in Donegal.
“Since then, we’ve seen a rapid year on year decrease ranging from between 50 to over 80 per cent in the total number of new builds constructed for the purpose of social housing in this county.
“In fact, in 2014 the number of newly built Local Authority houses dropped to just 2 in total and again the following year only 1 such property was constructed by the time that these figures were formally finalised in the third quarter of that year.”
He at is simply unacceptable that during a time of an accommodation and housing crisis that we have an administration which chose to all but cease the construction of new builds for the purpose of social housing.
“At the end of 2015, there were over 2,560 applicants on the Local Authority’s housing waiting list according to figures which Sinn Féin received from Donegal County Council in December last.
“It is simply beyond comprehension that any Government which claims to be working in the best interest of citizens, would preside over a decimation of newly built social housing units, particularly here in a county which clearly has a critical housing need.”
Tags: