When will all social houses in Louth be properly retrofitted?
Louth TD Ruairí Ó Murchú asked housing minister James Browne for an update as to when council houses will be retrofitted
When will all social houses in Louth be properly retrofitted? That was the question posed in the Dáil last week by Dundalk TD Ruairí Ó Murchú who asked housing minister James Browne for an update as to when council houses will be retrofitted – and didn’t get an answer.
The Sinn Féin TD said Louth County Council had been “very good at delivering on retrofitting and has at times gone beyond its targets” and they should be given the facility to get through the entire cohort of social housing units that require to be retrofitted.
In response, Minister Browne said the government would continue to engage with the council “to look at how we can accelerate the delivery of retrofitting to improve the quality of lives of people living in social homes in Louth”, but didn’t give a specific timeframe.
Deputy Ó Murchú said Louth has one of the longest lists for social housing and doesn’t have enough money for maintenance.
He said: “The reality is that from time to time you are robbing Peter to pay Paul and cannot always deliver to meet actual needs.
“People who have been tenants for many years and who may not have looked for anything from the local authority previously will come to you with issues, particularly in relation to windows and doors.
“In a perfect situation, if you can get them on the list for retrofitting, it means that at least you can ensure that they are in a house that is properly insulated and warm and that they will not be facing astronomical costs during the cost-of-living and cost-of-fuel crises.
“It is about ensuring that we can deliver in respect of the need that is out there. I am of the view that the timeline is never going to be met”.
Minister Browne said he had visited Louth recently to officially open new housing units although he acknowledged the large waiting list for social housing and the levels of homelessness.
But Deputy Ó Murchú said the focus of his question was on retrofitting and said Louth County Council had previously been able to retrofit above the number in the targets it was given.
He said: “Even at some stages, they had produced more one year than the target and funding they were provided for again. It is about ensuring we get a timeline that is achievable within the near future, because we want to see the whole issue of retrofitting and the issue of the insufficient maintenance budget dealt with for those who are not in appropriate places”.
Minister Browne said it was recognised that retrofitting is important for people’s quality of life and said the council had an excellent record of delivering in housing. He said: “It is a council that other councils could look up to in terms of how it delivers and maintains properties.
“I acknowledge there are particular challenges Louth faces as a rapidly growing county with two rapidly growing towns, so it is incumbent on the Department of Housing to keep focus and to support local authorities”.