Meath County Council was “up with the best in the country” when it came to the provision of housing, an Independent councillor told a meeting of Meath County Council. Nick Killian was speaking during contributions on the council’s monthly management report. He congratulated the council officials and the councillors on the achievement. He also asked if any progress had been made regarding the purchase of land for social housing and also whether there were any further cost-rental projects in view. There was an ever-increasing need for both social and affordable housing.
Fianna Fail Cllr Sean Drew agreed that Meath was one of the top councils in the provision of social housing. He said there were sites in the county available for house construction but he conceded that the majority of them were very small. He said he needed to know what problems existed on the ground in relation to house provision. Was it related to planning, employment or the amount of land available to the council ?
Independent Cllr Brian Fitzgerald said the council should ask the Minister to reverse the decision that was made whereby only land that was zoned and the council had purchased could be used. “In the past we were able to go out and buy land and develop it. That would relieve problems that have been affecting this county for quite some time.
Council Chief Executive Kieran Kehoe said that there was a big challenge for the council in its ability to acquire land. There was a cost to the land even if it became available. When the council did acquire land then it also had to deal with the cost of infrastructure. The council was pursuing land wherever it could deliver housing in the short term, he said.
Separately, Director of Services for Housing Fiona Fallon said that the majority of “rough sleepers” were located in Navan although there were also some people in that category in Kells.
