THE Buncrana branch of
the Green Party has hit out at Donegal County
Council's record on providing social and affordable
housing.
Spokesperson Sheenagh McMahon outlined Central
Statistics Office figures showing around 9500 empty
houses, 8500 empty holiday homes and around 1400
empty apartments in Donegal.
"Donegal’s average is 27% of empty dwellings against
a national average of 15%.
With 2971 on the housing waiting list are we
demanding our fair share of social and affordable
housing under the Planning and Development Act 2000
which stipulates that 20% of housing developments
should be social and affordable housing?" asked Ms.
McMahon.
She cited further figures showing that in 2006 there
were 4387 houses built in Co Donegal, of which 4172
were private houses and 215 social houses. She said
this was a deficit of 661 social houses.
“A High Court decision on July 19, 2007 means that
developers will have to provide more housing units
to meet their social and affordable housing
obligations under the Planning Acts."
She said the Act had been "significantly watered
down" in ways that allowed developers to offer land
or money in lieu of social housing stock. The 2007
High Court ruling favoured local authorities and not
developers, she said.
“Why, now that we are in the middle of 2008, have we
not seen any benefit out of these rulings in
Buncrana?" she asked. |
