Penalties sought for contractors over delays in refurbishing council houses

A local authority has been told to get tough on contractors who delay the refit of vacant county council houses.

Councillors in Co Cork, demanding penalties against contractors who ignore completion deadlines, claimed some companies were giving private housing projects a priority over local authority housing.

Skibbereen-based councillor Joe Carroll said a timeframe should be set for the refurbishment of council houses so tenants can move in. He told a council meeting of “constant complaints” from potential tenants waiting for houses to be finished.

“Contractors are chopping and changing work on houses,” he said. They send workers [to a site] some days and not on others. I want it looked into why it takes six months and sometimes much longer to turn these houses around.”

Councillor Frank O’Flynn said he was aware of contractors who secure five or six council housing contracts, but do not have the manpower to work on all of them at once. He said this was a main reason for delays.

“People on the waiting list see this happening and it’s very upsetting for them,” he said. “The biggest losers are those on the waiting list and also the council, due to the loss of rental income. There should be a timeframe with a penalty clause and it should be enforced.”

“Some contractors are using the council as a ‘foxer’, as the economy had picked up and they are doing other [private] jobs as well,” said councillor Derry Canty.

He also could not understand why perfectly good fixtures and fittings ended up being removed from vacant houses and dumped in skips.

“A lot of furniture is being removed from houses, which shouldn’t be. There has to be a bit of common sense about this,” he said.

Councillor Mary Linehan-Foley said: “The longer a house is left unoccupied, the worse it’s going to get, especially with dampness in the winter. I’m sure people on the waiting list would be happy to get into them and have the jobs done while they’re there.”

Councillor Kevin Murphy asked officials how many contractors had been penalised financially for failing to meet deadlines, but he did not receive a reply.

New tenants should be allowed into houses and do their own redecorating, said councillor Paul Hayes.

Councillor Des O’Grady maintained the council should employ its own staff to conduct repairs.

Council chief executive Tim Lucey advised them to bring those issues to the council’s director of housing, who would be better placed to deal with them.