Elderly woman is a ‘prisoner in her own home’

A WOMAN in her eighties is being made a prisoner in her own home and a lack of checks on people renting private accommodation is causing serious problems, it was claimed at the July meeting of Clare County Council.

Councillor Tony Mulqueen asked what role the council, the gardaí and the HSE have regarding anti-social behaviour in private-rented properties.

 

He said he was familiar with an instance in which a woman was effectively a prisoner in her own home, due to the behaviour of those who have rented out the house next door to her. She has lived in the area for many years and is in her eighties.

Councillor Mulqueen said in Holland if someone wishes to rent a house, auctioneers carry out checks with former landlords and the police. He said it can take four to six weeks to get accommodation and people who have caused trouble have problems getting new accommodation. He said problems similar to those he had referred to “are happening all around the town and the county”.

In response to his request for information, Director of Services Bernadette Kinsella provided a report. “Clare County Council has adopted an anti-social behaviour strategy in accordance with the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009. The strategy applies to the administration by the council of dwellings in its own ownership, dwellings subject to rental accommodation availability agreements and tenant purchased dwellings. The strategy does not apply to private rented accommodation and therefore the council has no legislative powers in this regard,” it stated.

“Rent supplement is administered by the Community Welfare Service, which is attached to the Department of Social Protection. It should be noted that the Community Welfare Service is only responsible for the payment of rent supplement and is not responsible for dealing with anti-social behaviour.

“Anti-social behaviour being perpetrated in private rented accommodation is a matter for the individual landlords and An Garda Siochána,” the report concluded.

Also at the meeting, members were told there are currently 57 vacant local authority houses in Clare. Councillor Cathal Crowe put forward asking how many of the local authority houses are lying vacant, in which electoral areas they are located and what the main factors are in the delay of their re-allocation.

A report from Ms Kinsella stated, “At present there are 57 standard local authority houses vacant. It should be noted that four of these units have been refurbished and allocated. Seven units are being refurbished at present. Works are to commence on a further six units in the near future.”

Ms Kinsella also revealed there are 16 vacant local authority houses in the Shannon Electoral Area, 14 in the Kilrush area, 12 in Killaloe, 12 in Ennistymon and three in the Ennis East Electoral Area.

Her report also stated, “Vacant houses are generally returned to stock following upgrade works under the Social Housing Improvement Programme. To date in 2012 Clare County Council has returned 12 houses to stock and have claimed over half our allocation under this programme. Refurbishment works on 13 houses are either in progress or at tender stage and will all be completed before the end of the third quarter.

“A submission for additional funding under the 2012 Social Housing Improvement Programme has been made to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government in respect of a further 15 houses. Unless additional funding is provided by the department, the council will not be in a position to return the remaining vacant houses to stock.”