Councillors in Kerry are calling for curbs on large social housing developments by approved housing bodies, claiming that antisocial behaviour problems will result, and advocating instead for a mix that includes options to buy.
Calling for “no more than 20 per cent” of the new 67-house development at Cahernard, Castleisland, to be allocated for social housing, Fine Gael Councillor Bobby O’Connell said “we are forgetting about the people who get up early in the morning and going to work and paying their taxes”.
His was one of two motions before this morning’s meeting of Castleisland-Corca Dhuibhne Municipal District online on Wednesday which criticised recent development decisions in the area.
A second motion by Fianna Fáil councillor and mayor of the district Michael O’Shea called on the council “not to negotiate any more land deals with Approved Housing Bodies for social housing”.
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Milltown was overpopulated with social housing, thus denying young families the opportunity to purchase a private home, his motion suggested.
Mr O’Connell was told that all 67 units being jointly built in Castleisland by Focus Ireland and Cooperative Housing Ireland were to be for social housing.
The councillor said large housing estates “don’t work”.
Mr O’Connell, a former mayor of Kerry and the leader of Fine Gael in the council, said there was “a new breed of homeless now”, referring to working people who could not purchase housing and who would not qualify for social housing.
Housing delivery in Kerry was “totally tilted towards social housing. And too far east is west,” Mr O’Connell said.
He strongly disagreed with the whole of the new estate in his town being given to social housing. The best estates were small, and South Hill in Limerick and other large housing estates were examples of the kinds of developments that were bound to fail, he said.
“These huge estates do not work and antisocial behaviour becomes the norm,” he said.
The housing bodies would not be around to deal with the problems and councillors would be left to deal with them, he added.
The motion was seconded by councillor Charlie Farrelly, an independent, who said he had advocated for a 60:40 mix.
However, Cllr Jackie Healy-Rae, also an independent, said that while there was “trouble” in some estates, the stereotype was “not fair”, and the message – which he was sure was not intended – should not go out that social housing meant trouble.
In a reply, the council’s senior executive officer with responsibility for housing Gerard O’Brien said there was no facility to allocate a percentage of the two and three bedroom units for social housing.
The council were under pressure from the Government to deliver significant housing delivery targets.
“It is highly unlikely this project would have been delivered at all except for the ultimate inclusion within the Social Housing Delivery Programme,” he said by way of written reply.
He added: “All housing increases housing supply.”
Most of the successful candidates allocated houses from the council waiting lists would be from the private rental market and this would free up rental accommodation, Mr O’Brien added.
Meanwhile, a planning application for 12 houses in a rural area outside Killarney has been refused permission.
TD Danny Healy-Rae, who made representations in support of the application at Faha East between Killarney and Milltown, said the houses at the rear of an Equestrian Club at would have been modestly priced and would have allowed local people an opportunity to purchase their own houses, something which is not possible in Killarney town.