Residents of St Patrick’s housing estate in Ballina will have their fingers crossed today that a visit to the estate by a government minister will follow with an announcement of funding for much-needed refurbishment works.
Mayo County Council and Cluid Housing Association have applied for €12 million funding for long overdue refurbishment works to St Patrick’s estate.
Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (with special responsibility for Housing, Urban Renewal and Developing Areas ) Michael Finneran will be in Ballina today (Friday ) to visit the voluntary housing section of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government offices.
As part of his visit to Ballina he will visit St Patrick’s estate at 11am and Minister Finneran is expected to make a funding announcement.
Mayor of Ballina Cllr Michelle Mulherin has said she hopes the Minister’s visit is not in vain. “People are in limbo and some houses are in a terrible condition,” she told the Mayo Advertiser. “Tenants are living in desperate conditions. There is a concentrated problem in the estate of run down council houses, houses in dereliction and bad repair,” she added.
Cllr Mulherin said the residents of St Patrick’s have been let down by the Government which has failed to grant funding for this run-down estate. She said approximately 80 houses are affected with houses in private ownership also suffering due to their location between derelict buildings and houses in poor repair.
“It is imperative a serious commitment of €12 million is announced for St Patrick’s,” she stated.
Ballina Town Council previously failed to secure funding for St Patrick’s so the estate was transferred to the Cluid Housing Association. But Cluid has not been successful yet either. Cllr Mulherin said that St Patrick’s was the top priority of Mayo County Council’s funding application for this year and she said people want an indication from the Minister for Housing today that funding will be forthcoming.
