Housing Department officials slammed by councillors for not showing up

By Maurice Garvey

DUBLIN City Council’s Housing Department were on the receiving end of councillors’ wrath at the Dublin South Central area meeting on Wednesday.

Representatives blasted department officials for failing to show up to meetings, and tried to make sense of discrepancies in housing reports presented to councillors.

Sinn Féin councillor Greg Kelly said this was the “third time in a row” housing officials hadn’t turned up for a meeting.

“I’ve asked if someone from housing can be here for the next meeting – we report back to residents and need an explanation – otherwise this is a waste of time,” said Cllr Kelly.

People Before Profit councillor Pat Dunne questioned statistics on the quarterly housing programme report, and feels they are being “massaged.”

Cllr Dunne said: “It says 887 units were completed, but this includes 459 voids – they don’t add to the stock. 260 were completed or bought, so it suggests no progress and there is nothing new. The only houses built were 18 in Bluebell.

Sinn Féin councillor Daithí Doolan said: “The city council has gone to a lot of trouble to fill voids, but then we see this. The housing department aren’t here, in the middle of a housing crisis, it’s a disgrace.”

It will be at least another three months before councillors can engage with officials from the housing department, during the next quarterly meeting.