Galway West TD Éamon Ó Cuív has called on the Housing Minister to get to grips with what’s going on in his department and stop delaying funding to bring 40 local authority housing units back into use.
Galway County Council applied to the Department of Housing in March for funding but the Council is still waiting for its request to be evaluated.
The Fianna Fáil TD said: “I find it difficult to understand how, at a time of a housing crisis in Galway and around the country, it is taking the Department of Housing, Planning & Local Government more than four months to evaluate an application which would bring 40 homes back on stream.
“Some of these houses have fallen into disrepair and need work carried out on them.
“In March Galway County Council submitted an application to the Department for funding under the voids programme so that these homes could be brought back into use.
“It’s still waiting to hear back from the Department.
“This is a ridiculous situation. Galway is in the grip of the worst housing crisis it has ever faced and the government is delaying essential funding, which would not only get homes back on stream, it would be able to do it much faster than having to build them from scratch.
“Minister Eoghan Murphy needs to get to grips with what’s going on in his Department. These applications should not be taking four months to review.
“I am calling on the Minister and his officials to urgently approve this funding so that families on the local authority waiting list can be accommodated.”
