Idle Cork council house vandalised after €30k revamp

A council house which underwent an estimated €30,000 refurbishment before Christmas was left vacant for months afterwards, broken in to and damaged.

Cork City Council must now arrange for new repairs before it can be let out to tenants.

There were 481 vacant council properties across the city at the end of last month, with close to 9,000 people on the city’s housing waiting list.

It prompted calls last night for a complete review of the city’s housing allocation system to ensure that refurbished houses are not left vacant and at risk of vandalism.

“Sadly, this is not an isolated case,” Sinn Féin Cllr Chris O’Leary said.

“About 80% of my council work at the moment is on housing issues. And I come across cases like this all too frequently.

“As well as the added cost of having to do the refurbishment work again, we, as a council, are paying out close to €500,000 on boarding up vacant council houses, and providing security. It’s obviously not working.

“There is really no excuse for these properties not to be allocated quickly.”

The latest incident occurred in Mahon last week.

Neighbours said the house had been lying vacant for about three years, and had windows smashed and piping stolen, before contractors moved in last October to refurbish it.

One neighbour said they hoped the house was being prepared for occupancy almost immediately.

But the refurbished house was left unoccupied again right through the winter.

Neighbours had to call the fire brigade last Sunday week when an alarm went off in the house.

When firefighters arrived, they found the house had been broken in to, that a copper cylinder which was part of the house’s heating system had been ripped out, causing some localised water damage.

One local described the October refurbishment now as “money down the drain”.

“The question has to be asked — why with such a huge waiting list for houses, did the council put money in to this project and never gave the house out?

“What happens now? More money has to be put in to fixing the house.”

A council spokesperson said they don’t comment on individual cases but it is understood the cost of the latest repairs will be minimal.

But Mr O’Leary said the keys to vacated council homes should be handed over immediately to new tenants, and that any refurbishment work should be done while they are in the house.

“The best safeguard to these properties is to have them occupied. It’s a no brainer,” he said.

The issue is set to be discussed at next week’s council meeting.