Martin Lonergan

Lonergan calls for ring fenced funding for Local Authority Houses

Independent County Councillor for Clonmel Borough District, Cllr. Martin Lonergan has called on the Local Authority to ring fence funding for the upgrade of windows, doors and heating systems in County Council owned houses.

His call came at Tipperary County Councils Budget meeting which was held recently in Nenagh.

Commenting after the meeting Cllr Lonergan said, “Currently we do not have a specific fund or funding for the upgrading of windows, doors and heating systems in Local Authority Houses.

In many instances windows and doors in particular have been in place in Council Houses since they were built, some of which may have been built over 40 years ago. Tenants get extremely frustrated when they see a neighbouring house vacated and the Council spending a lot of money upgrading the vacant house for new tenants at much expense, installing new windows, doors and heating systems when current tenants have requested upgrades and been refused.

At the end of the day, these are Local Authority owned houses and will, undoubtedly, be returned to the Housing Department to be redistributed. Is it therefore, in the Councils interest to keep them up to standard!”

Concluding Councillor Lonergan said, “I am simply calling on the Local Authority to consider retaining funding from the sale of its current housing stock under the Tenant Purchase Scheme to specifically redistribute it for the replacement of windows, doors and heating systems. It is our responsibility that our tenants have houses that are habitable, warm, draft free!


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