There will be no council houses built in Castlebar for the next six to 10 years, according to Labour Councillor Harry Barrett.
Cllr Barrett made this claim after speaking to a senior local authority official working in the Castlebar area.
Cllr Barrett said: “I was shocked to hear from a senior management official working in Castlebar that funding for council houses has stopped and that funding for new projects could be stalled for up to 10 years. This official stated that the Department of the Environment had no plans for any future developments within the Castlebar area and that the state of the economy had put an end to all commitments from the Government in the area of social housing.
“We have over 300 people on the waiting list for council houses in the Castlebar area and we are now told that these people, families, the disabled, and those on low incomes, will have to wait and rent from the private sector with no hope of getting a home of their own for years.
“The impact of giving billions of euro to bankers and their crony builder friends is now hitting the people on the ground here in Mayo. Anglo Irish Bank has ransacked €4.5 billion of taxpayers’ money this week and this total may end up at €7.5 billion. This money would have built thousands of council houses, schools and hospitals. Instead it will be given to a private bank with a golden circle of builder and well connected political friends.
