CITY COUNCIL TO RETAIN ROLE IN TENANT SELECTION

Date Published: 22-May-2008

Galway city council is insisting it will still be choosing its rental accommodation tenants.A city council spokesperson has told Galway Bay FM News that no decision has been made to devolve power from City Hall to the voluntary agency Threshold to assess people who need long-term housing. The council was responding to city councillor Billy Cameron's concerns today that an outside agency would be assessing and interviewing potential tenants rather than City hall officials and councillors. The council has admitted it's paying Threshold to employ a full time Tenancy Sustainment Worker to oversee its Rental Accommodation Scheme. But the city council says the worker's function will be to draw up a care plan with tenants AFTER they've been assessed by City Hall.