A WEXFORD County Councillor has said that, despite the fact that Wexford is currently in the grips of a housing crisis, he is aware of at least two council owned properties that have been sitting vacant for months.

Cllr John O’Rourke said that, despite the long list of Wexford families waiting to be allocated a house, he was aware of at least two properties in the Enniscorthy District which were lying idle.

One of the houses, in Mayview Park in Oulart, he says, had been re-decorated and had had access work done before the previous tenants moved out. Cllr O’Rourke says that the house has been lying idle for the past fourteen months.

Similarly, Cllr O’Rourke said that another property on the Ross Road in Enniscorthy had had a downstairs extension built on between five and ten years ago and was now lying vacant. The Enniscorthy councillor said that he had made a request for a constituent who has respiratory problems to be transferred into this house, as he required the downstairs bedroom. He says he was subsequently told that nobody could move into the building as the extension was deemed unfit for purpose – despite the fact it was erected in the past ten years.

“It beggars belief,” said Cllr O’Rourke. “Enniscorthy is regarded as a blackspot with regard to a low turnover of houses being handed back. It’s crazy to think that there’s houses out there lying vacant not being allocated within a period of time.”

Cllr O’Rourke maintained that some kind of system could be put in place whereby the houses are allocated to new tenants and they can carry out some minor repairs themselves in exchange for a couple of weeks rent free.

In relation to the situation with the house on the Ross Road, Cllr O’Rourke questioned whether the extensions done there were ever fit for purpose.

“I was in the house concerned on a couple of occasions,” he said. “There was a constant problem with damp and mould in that extension and I often saw the people living there washing the mould off the walls. I think there’s a breakdown in communications between all departments here. The engineer has to be able to stand over all decisions and ensure that the work carried out is up to standard.”

Cllr John O’Rourke. Pic: Jim Campbell