A local councillor is calling for increased funding and greater targets when it comes to the provision of social housing.
Sinn Féin’s Sean Conlon has called on the executive to increase their aims for the supply and re-letting of council houses for the year.
At March’s meeting of Monaghan County Council the Annual Draft Service Delivery Plan was presented to members.
This draft plan sets out the funding allocated and the timelines and targets of the services that will be provided in the county by the council over the next year.
Under social housing there is a budget of just over €1.8 million, however, Councillor Sean Conlon has called for a letter to be issued to the Department and the National Oversight and Audit Commission asking for more funding to be allocated to the council given that their supply of social housing locally is one of the lowest by a local authority in the country.
He also called for his concerns that targets were not ambitious enough to be included in the letter, which was passed by the members.
When asked could to executive increase their own targets they stated that they are not in a position to set their own targets when it comes to housing as they will only be able to provide what they receive funding for and that is dictated by NOAC’s targets.
There was also concern raised by Councillor Brian McKenna, that the new Land Development Agency Bill 2021 which was published in February would remove the powers in relation to the disposal of land by local authorities, that the members would lose their influence over the rollout and supply of social housing.
The executive stated that the concerns were noted and they would work to improve the roll out of social housing in the county, while also attempting to increase funding at all opportunities.
