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Pringle presses Minister for answers from Housing Agency
- Updated: 21st May 2024
Independent TD for Donegal, Thomas Pringle, has called on the Minister to ensure the Housing Agency responds to Letterkenny residents who had qualified for the Cost Rental Tenant In Situ Scheme, saying, “the well-being of the families should be the top priority”.
Addressing Minister Darragh O’Brien in the Dáil recently, Deputy Pringle said: “I have been contacted by a number of residents of The Forest, Ballymacool, Letterkenny, County Donegal, who originally qualified for the Cost Rental Tenant In Situ Scheme and were waiting for their home to be purchased by the Housing Agency, but then received an abrupt email from the Housing Agency stating that they would not proceed with the purchase, with no explanation.
“Understandably, the residents were very upset by this situation and worried about being made homeless. Letterkenny, like everywhere else in the country, is very difficult to get housing in, and any that is available is an exorbitant price.
“Applicants should be given a reason for the refusal to purchase the properties and an opportunity to allay the fears, if any, within their control. The well-being of the families should be the top priority, and any further delays are simply unacceptable,” he said.
The deputy raised the issue last Wednesday during Questions on policy or legislation.
Deputy Pringle said: “It is imperative that the Housing Agency acknowledges the severity of the issue and takes immediate and decisive action to rectify the situation. Will you ensure that the Housing Agency responds to the residents as soon as possible and gives an explanation for their decision?”
In his response, Minister O’Brien said if a house is not going to be purchased, they should be given an explanation for that. The Minister asked Deputy Pringle to give him the details and said he would engage directly with the Housing Agency and revert to the deputy.
