Proposal to use 'motorway' homes to ease housing crisis

That was the suggestion of one local Councillor, who wanted the run-down homes revamped by Galway County Council – and then allocated to families on the local authority housing list.

The houses are on the Ballygaddy Road and the families who occupied them have been compensated and have vacated the properties. They have become seriously overgrown in the meantime.

The Gort to Tuam motorway runs close to these houses which means they will be bulldozed at some stage during the construction process – but they could be used in the meantime to help shorten the housing list.

“There has been a lot of talk about homelessness across the country but we have a number of houses in Tuam that would go towards easing the crisis in the town,” said Cllr Tom McHugh.

One of the houses was relatively new while the others were considerably older, and Cllr McHugh acknowledged that they were acquired because the safety of the entrances could not be signed off on.

All of the properties are four-bedroom and Cllr McHugh said that they would be ideal for families on the housing list.

He has asked Galway County Council to take control of them so that they can be rented out.

“There is a lack of quality housing stock in Tuam at the moment and these three houses would certainly fit the bill. I believe that they should be put to some use,” Cllr. McHugh added.

Director of Services Liam Gavin said that it was his understanding that the houses were required to facilitate a junction at this particular section of the motorway.

He told the meeting that a junction would be created in the vicinity of these houses, which is why they had to be acquired by compulsory purchase order.

However, Mr. Gavin said that he would investigate the matter further and report back to the next meeting of Tuam Municipal Council.