Housing Policy in County Tipperary is to be put on the Agenda for the April 5th meeting of the Strategic Policy Committee on Housing.
The February meeting of Tipp Cahir Cashel MD heard that at present there are 55 vacant houses in the council housing stock for entire district.
20 of these are currently available for letting, 18 in the Cahir LEA and 2 in the Tipp Cashel LEA. 22 other houses are listed as needing minor repairs, 8 houses are newly purchased and are having works carried out while 4 are in need of major refurbishment and one is listed as being derelict.
Tipperary council is currently implementing a choice based letting model in an attempt to speed up the letting of houses and to reduce the number of refusals on social housing.
Cllrs today spoke of their frustration having constituents homeless or under notice to quit and yet the council had unoccupied housing stock.
Cllr Andy Moloney noted that while home repairs are being done people can live in the house.
He also says it is unacceptable that a house be vacant for up to 2 years.
Cllr. Moloney said the Department specification that all houses be empty with white walls when offered to new tenants was ridiculous.
The meeting was informed that this specification was a policy of Tipperary County Council and not the Department of Housing.
It was agreed that the policy would be examined and justifications sought from council executive at next meeting of Housing SPC.
Cathaoirleach Mary Hanna Hourigan says she is assisting 6 families urgently seeking accommodation but says she can see 5 empty houses in Cappawhite.
Ms Hanna Hourigan currently chairs the Strategic Policy Committee for Housing.
