Housing – or the lack of it – is one of the main issues facing Councillors across Tipperary.
That’s according to a number of Clonmel based local representatives who were guests on Tipp Today earlier.
Siobhan Ambrose says housing is a national issue with no quick solution.
However she says inroads are being made in tackling the problem in the Clonmel area with a number of local authority developments recently completed or under construction.
“I have to commend the housing staff because it is an extremely difficult area.
“Obviously there’s huge pressures with respect to housing – in Clonmel we’re aware of that.
“It is very difficult for people when they’re trying to rent a house because the houses are simply not there. Whether you want to rent or buy – whether its local authority or private – they’re just not there at the moment and we’re all aware of the exceptional difficulties that that creates, especially for families.”
Independent representative Richie Molloy says the numbers on the local authority housing list are unacceptable.
He feels successive governments have failed to properly tackle the issue.
“Really they’ve relied a lot on the private market which hasn’t worked now for many, many years.
“I think I’m right in saying in the Clonmel District there’s over 700 people on the housing list at present so it’s going to be a long time before that 700 people are sorted out.
“I suppose the sad thing is that at the last Council meeting there were five families presented as homeless in County Hall on the day of the monthly meeting.”
