POLITICS: Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher has called on the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government Simon Coveney to increase the funding available to Donegal County Council in order to refurbish the 149 vacant units throughout the county at present.
Gallagher stated it was utterly senseless having vacant properties at a time when houses are in such need by many families, it is now time that the Department for Housing, Planning and Local Government increased funding for refurbishment and upgrading these units in order to allow these properties to be re-let to families who are in current need of housing.
Gallagher told Donegal Daily, “At present there are 149 housing units vacant in Donegal, last year the Department cut the refurbishment grants available to local authorities and it further capped the amount which can be spent on each vacant property to €30,000 per unit.
“The Minister needs to remove the cap on refurbishments and to significantly increase the funding available to Donegal County Council in order to clear the backlog of refurbishments and free up much needed houses for letting within the county.
“The Government have not finalised the budgets for local authorities for 2016 yet, so the Minister has ample opportunity to address this situation and insure that resources are more productively used by upgrading existing vacant properties.
“There are currently 2,751 vacant properties under local authority control throughout Ireland at a time when the homeless numbers are reaching record levels, the Government need to take immediate action and address this crisis.”
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