Call to ‘go easy’ on council house rent defaulters

COUNTY councillors in Cork have urged management to “go easy” on an ever-increasing number of housing rent defaulters who are falling on hard times due to the recession.

Officials confirmed council auditors had recently expressed concern about the increasing number of tenants in rent arrears.

However, the auditors didn’t specify how many and how much was owed to the local authority.

Cllr Derry Canty (FG) said he had heard in recent days that officials had handed out a number of eviction notices to tenants.

“Last week I had two elderly people attend my clinic in Ballincollig who were actually crying.

“I had more again on Monday morning. People are at the end of their tether. We have to be more flexible. If somebody genuine has to pay €60 and they only have €40, we should accept that,” Cllr Canty said.

Cllr Veronica Neville, a solicitor based in Bandon, said there was nothing more depressing than seeing people facing evictions at the district court.

“Generally these tenants are those who are vulnerable and have financial, emotional and health difficulties,” she said.

Cllr Neville said solutions had to be found and urged senior officials to meet with those in financial trouble sooner rather than later.

Her Fine Gael colleague, Cllr Kevin Murphy said a “humanitarian approach” had to be taken with hardship cases.

Cllr John Gilroy (Lab) complained that the council was acting much faster against rent defaulters than council tenants guilty of antisocial behaviour.

Mary Ryan, director of services for the council’s southern division, said sending out notices to quit was “absolutely a last resort”.

“We only issue notices to quit when we have had no response from tenants. It’s only that which brings them in to talk to us,” Ms Ryan said.

However, she added that many repayment agreements entered into between the council and tenants in arrears had been broken by the tenants themselves.

“Very few evictions have taken place. It’s a last resort,” Ms Ryan added.