Minister for Housing to receive letter on defective social housing in Donegal

Donegal County Council will write a letter to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD, regarding defective social builds and the use of modular housing. 

The letter will urge the minister to reverse his decision to reject the funding of modular homes during the remediation of social housing. The motion was brought to the March plenary meeting of Donegal County Council by Sinn Féin Councillor Brian Carr and seconded by party colleague Councillor Gerry McMonagle. 

“We’ve been told there are up to 2,000 social houses needing remediation, and there is simply no way we can deal with this without alternative temporary housing,” Cllr Carr said. “We have already been told in previous replies from the Minister that he will not consider modular homes for housing, but this is for remediation. If that position doesn’t change, we have no realistic way of carrying out remediation on the scale that is required in Donegal.”

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Outlining the scale of the Defective blocks crisis and housing shortage, suggesting that modular homes can support relocations during the remediation of homes. There are over 80 social houses which are vacant due to defective concrete blocks. 

Patsy Lafferty, Director of Housing, MD Services and Capital Projects, confirmed that tenants have been relocated and a letter will be written to the Minister for Housing on the matter. 

“This council needs to be more than just letter writers,” Cllr McMonagle said. “We need to be knocking on doors and be in there with the Minister, who sat in this room telling us the scheme was imminent; it is long past that.”

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme