Probe into Buncrana Council housing 28.09.07

AN investigation is underway into how Buncrana Town Council upgrades its housing stock. The probe follows questions to the Council this week from Cllr. Joe Doherty who asked whose function it was to decide what repairs were needed to homes and how much money was to be spent on each project.
	An angry Cllr. Doherty alleged that an inordinate amount of money was spent on doing up one particular property when other tenants in the town were promised repairs. He warned that he would bring the case to Housing Minister Noel Ahern if he did not get satisfactory answers in due course from the local authority. "I am far from satisfied about this whole matter. I want answers as to who sanctioned certain work on a certain house and was it the right person who sanctioned that work and advocated that the money be spent on that house because I know of other houses
that need repairs." said Cllr. Doherty. "All I want is a level playing pitch for everybody. I don't care who gets a house and what money is spent on the house as long as it is spent justly and for the right reasons." He warned he would take the matter further if he did not get an adequate explanation. "If I don't get satisfaction about what I'm saying as regards the questions I have asked here, I'm quite prepared to write to Mr. Ahern and asked him if he will intervene, or if need be, investigate it if I'm not happy with the reports I get back. Meanwhile, Buncrana Town Manager Liam Kelly, who also has responsibility for housing in the county, said allegations that proper procedures had not been followed in Buncrana, were now being investigated.

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