24 troublemaker families evicted
The Health Service Executive said yesterday it has not given any rent subsidies to help these former council tenants pay forprivate accommodation.
The clear-out commenced with the appointment of two enforcement officers in August 2007.
Of the trouble-maker families who have moved, 20 surrendered their homes rather than fight repossession orders in the courts. In the other four cases, tenants went to the courts and lost.
Kieran Lehane, director of housing with Limerick City Council said their campaign had been very successful. “We want to show our tenants the city council will take action and it is so important to demonstrate this through the courts.”
Mr Lehane said since August 2006, they had received 293 complaints from tenants about antisocial neighbours: “We did follow up investigations in relation to all these complaints and managed to effectively resolve 180 almost immediately.”
A HSE spokesman said they have not helped to rehouse any of the former council tenants in private rented property through the rent subsidy scheme which it administers.
At present 2,126 privately owned houses and apartments in Limerick are being rented by people receiving HSE rent subsidies which vary between €97 per week for a single person and €172 for a family.
The HSE has denied claims it is encouraging anti-social behaviour by helping families involved in crime move to better houses through the rent subsidy scheme.
