No answer for when defective concrete social houses will be fixed

by Kate Heaney

URGENT calls have been made to Donegal County Council to press the Housing Department to fix social houses affected by defective concrete blocks.

Councillor Pauric McGarvey raised the issue of families living in social and Specific Instance (SI) houses affected by defective concrete at the latest meeting of Letterkenny/Milford MD.

“I’ve been going around and into social houses and I have seen first-hand the conditions some of those houses are in. There is frustration with the council because of a lack of information for the householders.

“These houses are deteriorating at a rapid rate. There is damp, mould, leaking windows and people having to throw out their clothes because of these problems. They have not had any communication and there is no scheme for them.

“One family left their social house because of its condition but the council cannot let it because of the condition it is in,” Cllr McGarvey said.

Seconding the motion Cllr Liam Blaney said that even houses which had some repairs done were now in terrible shape again.

“We would not ask anyone to live in them. The number of houses out there in that condition means contractors will have their books full for the next number of years,” Cllr Blaney said.

Cllr McGarvey said while residents of these houses were making complaints to the council, they were falling on deaf ears.

“I could not believe the condition of those houses. The council need to do more. They need healthy homes to live in,” he added.

In response to Cllr McGarvey’s motion the council executive set down an extensive reply detailing what has happened in relation to these houses between the council and the department from October 2021 and January 2024.

The reply concludes: “The council continue to engage with the department with regular emails and phone calls and the offer of meetings and delegations in order to assist the department in the finalisation of a scheme that is appropriate for the remediation of social homes that are damaged by defective concrete blocks.”

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