Seamus Kirk TD
Local Fianna Fáil TD Séamus Kirk says the Government must urgently put in place a number of measures to kick-start housing construction in County Louth to provide for increased housing demand in the county.
Deputy Kirk was responding to a report by the ESRI which states that 180,000 housing units need to be constructed over the next decade throughout the country.
He commented: “Louth, as a commuter county, needs to construct almost 1,000 houses per annum over the next decade to satisfy demand. This is not happening at the moment and unless immediate action is taken by the Government, there will be a severe shortage of housing across Louth.
“The Government needs to fast track a new home building programme that is focused on the commuter belt. The new building programme must ensure there is an allocation for local authority housing and affordable housing as well as private houses. There are almost 100,000 people on social housing waiting lists throughout the country and this list is growing.
“The ESRI report also reveals that as recently as 2011 there were 230,000 vacant housing units in the country. If these properties were put back into the rental, social housing, affordable housing and the private housing markets then the shortages would be addressed.
“There has been an alarming failure by the Government to accelerate the transfer of NAMA housing units, in fact only 10% of homes earmarked by NAMA for social housing have actually been transferred to local authorities. The Government is failing people looking to get on the property ladder by failing to invest in transferring NAMA units for housing.
“Louth County Council should also have a special taskforce entrusted with accelerating the transfer of NAMA units for social housing. The Government should also invest money in tenant purchase schemes, which would make it easier for local authorities and voluntary housing associations to purchase housing stock.
“We are heading for a housing crisis in Louth and across the country, the Government cannot afford to sit on its hands anymore.”
