Table-thumping O’Flynn brands mayor a ‘disgrace’

The Lord Mayor of Cork was branded a “thundering disgrace” last night for directing a barbed Oscar comment at a theatre-loving councillor during a debate on the city’s social housing figures.

John Buttimer told FF Cllr Ken O’Flynn, who was interrupting a Labour councillor’s contribution, that Oscars would not be handed out after the meeting.

The comment sparked a furious outburst from Mr O’Flynn. He thumped his table and roared repeatedly at the mayor demanding he withdraw the comment.

When Mr Buttimer refused, Mr O’Flynn bran-ded him a “thundering disgrace” and stormed out of the meeting. He said he plans to write to the mayor today seeking a retraction.

The emotional outburst overshadowed a debate on the city’s social housing waiting list, during which councillors were told that with just under 7,000 eligible applicants on the social housing waiting list, the number of vacant homes awaiting repairs or refurbishment has soared to 504.

Cllr Tom Gould (SF) branded the situation a scandal.

“We put people into seven houses in May — of those, just three went to families.

“How can we deem that to be acceptable? We have a huge problem and we need to do something about it. You might never get a house under the current system.”

He said Environment Minister Phil Hogan should give the council permission to borrow money to carry out the repairs urgently.

However, city manager Tim Lucey defended the list and the council’s management of the system. He said 63% of those on the housing list were on it for financial reasons only.

If you take that portion out, there are 2,600 people on the list for reasons including overcrowding and medical need, he said.

He pointed to a 63% refusal rate — with 98 individual refusals so far this year already. And he said the vacant housing stock had soared from an average of 400 properties per year to over 500 today, mostly because the council’s own ability to plough money into housing repairs has plunged from €3.5m in 2009 to virtually nothing now. “We have to deal with the hand we’re dealt.”

However, he said people cannot understand why houses are being boarded up for months on end.