Concern about future of Mountshannon House

THE proposed transfer of a 19th century East Clare house to the Housing and Sustainable Communities Ltd under a new government scheme has caused disquiet among local county councillors.

The matter came before a recent Killaloe Electoral Area meeting where local councillors were informed of the authority’s intention to arrange for the transfer of Mountshannon House under the Land Aggregation Scheme.
Addressing the meeting, Mairéad Corbett, administrative officer for Housing, Social and Cultural Services, outlined that the land in question is the subject of a loan provided by the council to Respond.
“The Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government has recently introduced revised arrangements for the funding of land for social housing purposes and has introduced a new Land Aggregation Scheme. Under new arrangements, the council can no longer recoup from central funds the loan interest charges on advances for the purchase of land once a seven-year period has elapsed from the date of drawdown of loans. The council must enter new arrangements with the HFA for the payment of the loan. A new procedure for the transfer of such land under the Land Aggregation Scheme has been introduced,” she explained in a report to councillors.
This scheme provides that the council may apply to the department to enter land in the Land Aggregation Scheme and once approved, the department will provide funds for the redemption of the loan attaching to these lands.
“The ownership of the land, together with the ongoing management and maintenance will then transfer to a central land bank pending a decision on its future use,” the report stated.
The meeting heard that council and departmental approval was given for the drawdown of a loan of €444,408.33 from the HFA for advancing to Respond for the purchase of Mountshannon House on a half-acre site.
“This loan was drawn in March 2003. The project was to be developed as a facility for the elderly. However, it did not proceed and Respond has given their consent to the transfer. Interest on the loan of €89,643 has been charged to the end of 2009. There is no provision in Budget 2011 for the payment of loan charges on the loan drawn for these lands,” Ms Corbett explained.
Councillor Pat Burke asked why the council had facilitated the loan for the project.
“Why didn’t the council see difficulties and why would they give money for this Georgian mansion to be used as housing for the elderly?” he said.
Ms Corbett explained there was demand at that time for housing for the elderly but that as the house was deemed to be of “architectural significance”, further funding presented a problem for the voluntary group. She said correspondence received from Respond in November 2006 stated that costs as a result of architectural significance were too much for the body.
Councillor Burke expressed concern as to what use would be made of the house and site if it was included in this new land bank.
“What will happen now? I’m suspicious that in 2003 there was demand for elderly housing in this house. I would ask that going forward all these projects should be seriously scrutinised by the department. There is a lot of history in this house. Could the community enter discussions with this body to use it for something that would benefit the community? I would hope that the Housing and Sustainable Communities Ltd could lease or let it to a community group,” Councillor Burke said.
Both Councillor Burke and Councillor Pat Hayes proposed that a “proviso” be attached to their decision, which would put something in place to protect and maintain the house for the people of Mountshannon.
This proposal was adopted so that the house would be “kept up to a suitable standard and would not be allowed to fall into disrepair”.