There have been calls for Tipperary County Council to relax their rules around specifications for housing new tenants.
At the moment, when a council house is vacated, it is stripped back and brought to a uniform standard, regardless of the state it was left in.
This means that houses, some of which are in great condition, are left empty, while these works are done or while funding is being sought.
Councillor Andy Moloney was among those who called for change, saying that there are a lot of people on the Cahir district housing list and to have houses laying idle, is not good enough.
He told Tipp FM that there are better ways of operating here.
“There’s over 220 people on the housing waiting list (in Cahir) and still we have houses that are boarded up.
“They’re waiting on funds to have minor and major repair works done.
“There’s a spec that the council have to meet and I’m looking for the council to allow these houses to be occupied and that we carry out the works while people are in the houses.
“It goes without saying that any of us that has to get a house done up or painted, we don’t move out while it’s happening.
“I’m saying to revise the spec and relax it a bit, so we can get these houses occupied, get people housed and we can do the works afterwards.”
He added that there are cases when houses given back to the council are in pristine condition, but still must be redone for the next tenant.
Councillor Moloney said that these assessments should be done on a case by case basis.
