22-week turnaround to put vacant houses back in use

A COUNCILLOR has criticised the 22-week turnaround time that it takes for South Dublin County Council to put vacant houses back into council housing stock.

In statistics supplied to Cllr Dermot Richardson (Ind) at a Tallaght Area Committee meeting last week, the council revealed that his constituency of Tallaght South had the highest number of houses in progress.

Of the 61 vacant houses around the county that are in the process of being returned to housing stock, 29 are in Tallaght South.

A total of 12 are in Palmerstown-Fonthill, seven are in Clondalkin, six are in Tallaght Central, five are in Lucan, two are in Firhouse-Bohernabreena and there are none in Rathfarnham-Templeogue.

Commenting on the turnaround time for the properties, Cllr Richardson told The Echo: “I think the process is too long, especially with the housing crisis.

“I understand work has to be done on the houses, but I’ve had people contacting me saying they’d move into the houses as the council is doing the work on them.

“That’s how desperate people are…they have been waiting over ten years for a house.

“We should have people moving into them, not waiting 22 weeks for a house.

“I don’t think 22 weeks is sufficient for this day and age, there must be a better system.”

Cllr Richardson said he would be raising the issue with the council’s housing department in the coming days.