CITY COUNCIL HOMES LYING VACANT FOR MONTHS

Date Published: 04-Jul-2011

Galway City council is taking an average of five months to re-let council houses even though over 4,000 people are on a waiting list for a home. Responding to a major report into the State's spending on local authority housing, city council Director of Services Kevin Swift said most short term vacancies are let within six weeks, but some houses can be lying vacant for over a year. Auditors carried out an in-depth probe into eight local authorities including Galway City. They found some councils were failing to inspect properties prior to them being vacated, which added to delays in re-letting. The local Government auditor report said formal inspections should be carried out on a regular basis.