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12,558 empty properties in Donegal
02.03.17
DONEGAL has more than
12,500 vacant or derelict homes - the second highest
rate outside of Dublin, new figures show.
The statistics were slated by a Donegal TD who
attended the launch this week of the Simon
Community's 'Empty Homes' report.
Simon’s report included a ten-point plan calling on
the Government to enact a range of measures to
address the problem such as Compulsory Purchase
Orders; emergency legislation and the expansion of a
number of schemes.
Commenting on Donegal's 12,558 vacant and derelict
houses, Deputy Thomas Pringle said: That’s enough
housing to address the needs of everyone facing
homelessness or already in homelessness in Donegal.
"I don’t believe it’s fair to call this a housing
crisis anymore. It’s a manmade disaster brought on
by chronic inaction by the Fine Gael Government."
The Independent representative called on Donegal
County Council to immediately carry out an audit of
vacant and derelict homes "to establish the reasons
behind a high rate of vacancy so that we can move
towards increasing the availability of private
housing stock for tenants".
He claimed that the Government's €32m Repair and
Leasing scheme would tackle only 3,500 properties
nationwide. Meanwhile, he said he would shortly
bring forward a bill calling for a referendum to
include the right to housing in the Irish
Constitution. |
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