Council to seek approval for €5m to repair houses

A local authority has been asked to seek special government permission to borrow more than €5m in emergency funding to repair almost 500 vacant houses.

The call came last night after Cork city councillors were told there are 488 local authority homes lying vacant across the city at a time when the social housing waiting list has topped 7,500 applicants.

Councillors also heard that the city is spending up to €152,000 a year on securing the vacant homes.