Louth councillor calls for people removed from housing list to be reinstated

Dundalk councillor John McGahon has called on Louth County Council to reinstate the time people have spent on the housing list, when they have discovered that they have been removed and seek to be added back to it.

Cllr McGahon raised the issue at the October Meeting of Louth County Council where he told the meeting that he was made aware of people who said they had just discovered that they were removed from the list.

“It is vital that Louth County Council maintain accurate records of who wants to be on our social housing list and it is the responsibility of the individual to inform the council of an issue like a change of address", explained Cllr McGahon. 

"In recent years, the Council writes out to everyone on the Housing List and asks them to reply back within a certain time period to say they would still like to be on the list. If they don’t reply within the timeframe  they are then removed.

"However, many people discover that while they thought they were on the list, they had actually been removed for failure to reply back to the Council."

In response, Cllr McGahon was told that it is up to people who are on the housing list to inform the Council if their circumstances change, including it they have a change of address. A form needs to be completed in these instances, the meeting heard, a phone call would not suffice.

In a statement issued following the meeting, Cllr McGahon commented that: "There is an appeal process, but it is rarely successful and I believe the Council need to take into account that where an individual realises they have been removed, they should be allowed back on to the list with their time included.

"At present, they are allowed back on the list but go straight to the back of the queue and this is the issue that I find to be deeply unfair," he added. 

"At present, it can take eight to ten years on the Council’s housing list. Imagine if an individual was on the list for eight years, discovered they are removed and are told to go to the back of the queue. Given the current waiting times, you are essentially condemning them to another decade on the list."