Council accused of hypocrisy over empty houses

A local authority which regularly takes action against owners of derelict property has been accused of hypocrisy after it emerged that a row of houses owned by it have been unoccupied for seven years.

Cork County Council has been criticised for leaving seven houses lie idle at Castle St, Dunmanway.

Four of them — Nos 1, 1A, 2, and 6 — have been unoccupied since 2005.

No 45 has been vacant for two years and No 46 for nearly one year.

Cllr Donal O’Rourke (FF) described the fact that four houses were left vacant for seven years as “dreadful PR for the council”.

“We’re going after people who keep derelict sites and we are doing the same thing ourselves,” he said.

Cllr Declan Hurley (Ind), who lives in Dunmanway and is chairman of the county council’s western division, described the situation as “a disgrace”, especially as there were so many people on the council’s housing waiting list.

Officials have said that work is in progress on refurbishing the two houses which have been idle for one and two years.

However, they said that the council’s architect’s department was looking at the four houses unoccupied for seven years.

Mr O’Rourke said that “simply wasn’t good enough” and added that the council had lost rent on the properties .

Another house in Bantry has been unoccupied for seven years and there are nine other council-owned houses currently vacant.

Cllr Mary Hegarty (FG) said a large number of people on the housing waiting list in the town were getting frustrated by the length of time it was taking the council to refurbish houses.