What is the budget for tackling dereliction issue in Leitrim, councillor asks

Head of housing: "We are breathing new life into towns and villages."

A number of councillors said that derelict houses across the county need to be brought back into use in order to make some dent in the current housing crisis.

Cllr Sean McGowan told members at the budget meeting on Monday: "They're lying idle through the county; we have a number of houses that are structurally good and it's something the department would have to sanction; it wouldn't require an arm and a leg to bring them back into use. Can anything be done on that? I think it's something we should pursue."

Cllr Gary Prior also stressed that there were derelict cottages he was "aware that we need to find out if they are still under the ownership of the local authority."

He said: "We are raising motions at our municipal district meetings about derelict buildings within our towns and it's about trying to get life back into them. Do we have a figure set aside for tackling that issue? It's in every town apart from Carrick-on-Shannon. It's a huge issue in Ballinamore especially in my own local town."

Director of housing, Mary Quinn responded that the council "have been targeting properties towns and villages in terms of the Buy and Renew Scheme and the Repair and Leasing Scheme such as houses on Sean MacDiarmada Street in Manorhamilton, Kiltyclogher, Mohill, Ballinamore. We are targeting our efforts where we can yield the most results and starting with the towns and villages where this visible dereliction."

She stressed: "We are breathing new life into towns and villages."

The Vacant Homes survey was carried out a number of years ago, she noted, adding: "If there are houses you feel that were once under local authority ownership and still are, if we can get those in from you, we can certainly see what we can do."