Calls for emergency committee on housing crisis

Cork County Council wants Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to create a national emergency committee to tackle the housing crisis — one which will act with the same urgency which addressed the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the North in 2001.

Councillors supported the motion from Independent Diarmaid Ó Cadhla, who also said the council needs to come up with its own emergency measures because it is not tackling the increasing problem of homelessness.

He made the call after receiving a report showing the local authority has 4,591 approved applicants on its waiting list, 83 of whom are classed as homeless.