CORK County Council has no excuse for having Ireland’s second highest rates of vacancy for local authority homes, a local TD has said.
Social Democrats leader and Cork South West TD Holly Cairns was speaking after the Local Authority Performance Indicator Report 2023 found Cork Co Council has the second highest vacancy rate in the country, with a vacancy rate of 5.38% – well above the national average vacancy rate of 2.81%, and only topped by Galway Co Council.
‘It is absolutely shocking to see the rate of vacancy Cork County Council have allowed to occur in our social housing stock,’ said Deputy Cairns.
‘No home should be lying vacant in the middle of the worst housing crisis in the history of the State. Housing and rental prices are through the roof, and the rate of homelessness is climbing every month.
‘Imagine the difference it would make to people’s lives if these homes were made available?’ said the party leader. ‘The security it would provide children, the safety it would provide families living in cold, damp private rental accommodation,’ said Deputy Cairns.
‘Cork County Council needs to answer for these appalling vacancy rates,’ she added.
