by Chris Ashmore
THE whole process for assisting council tenants who are affected by defective concrete blocks is “too slow” and the situation needs to be treated as an emergency, a local councillor stated this week.
Cllr Tómas Seán Devine has called on Donegal County Council to “act faster” and to get a remediation programme up and running for the many tenants who are staying in unlivable conditions.
Cllr Devine made his comments in the wake of urgent clarification having been sought by Sinn Féin following allegations that Donegal County Council “secretly altered” more than 20 defective concrete block remediation applications.
The claims were published this week by the website The Ditch, sparking concerns about the integrity of the process designed to assist homeowners affected by defective concrete blocks.
The allegations suggest that the council made alterations to these applications, making it appear as though independent engineers hired by homeowners recommended the same remediation solutions as those proposed by Housing Agency-hired engineers, who mostly suggested cheaper repair options.
Speaking at the latest meeting of Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District Council, on Tuesday, Cllr Devine also raised the issue of how people are paying rent yet their homes are in a deplorable condition.
“We have to do something to help these people,” he said.
Cllr Declan Meehan said the council was failing tenants but acknowledged that matters are being held up by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
“I think we need a more systematic approach” and should take things on an “estate by estate basis,” he said, adding that more pressure needs to be put on the Department.
Cllr Devine was informed that the council is “dealing with real emergency cases at the minute” and tenants with issues should contact their local housing office “to have them addressed through the response maintenance programme”.
The official response added: “This will also bring matters to the attention of the local Housing Engineer who can make a further assessment on whether the tenant can remain in the property or should be rehoused until the Social Housing Remediation Scheme is in place.”
Meanwhile, Cllr Devine also queried a claim made on The Ditch, which alleged that people in defective block affected homes have been “secretly” downgraded in 20 cases by Donegal County Council.
Responding, Liam Ward, Director of Services, said that it was news to him and he had no doubt that there would be a request put into the council to seek a response.
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