Cork council says €890k security spend for vacant or derelict council houses 'is value for money'

Social Democrats councillor, Pádraig Rice, said 'the council has been too slow at turning around vacant council houses'

Cork City Council’s director of services for housing operations, Niall Ó Donnabháin, said with around 350 council homes vacant at the moment, the €182,000 spend alone so far this year equates to around €520 per vacant property. File picture: Dan Linehan

A local authority has defended an “astonishing” €890,000 spend on security and shutters for vacant or derelict council houses over the last five years.

Cork City Council’s director of services for housing operations, Niall Ó Donnabháin, insisted the spend was value for money after the figures were revealed at Monday’s council meeting.