The chair of the Belmullet Electoral Area committee, Fine Gael councillor Gerry Coyle, said that the move towards the council leasing houses to people, rather than supplying houses, would be the “death knell for rural villages” as many of the units for lease are in the larger areas.
Housing officer Martin Keating said that in the Belmullet area a large number of units for lease have been offered to the council in the Newport area. Other areas where units for lease are in Mulranny and Ballycastle. Out of all of these offers, only three to four units may be suitable to lease.
Sinn Féin councillor Rose Conway-Walsh also slammed the leasing policy, which is “short-sighted and wrong”. Fianna Fáil councillor Michael McNamara also said that he does not agree with leasing, “otherwise people will all end up living in towns.
“The spread of accommodation right throughout the county is needed,” Cllr McNamara added.
