'Hare brained' Mayo affordable housing scheme under spotlight

Not for the first time and certainly not for the last time, affordable housing in Mayo was the central focus for Mayo county councillors at the Housing SPC in Westport.

Frustration over a perceived lack of action in the area was evident from the elected representatives with the Department of Housing identified as one of barriers to progress.

Tom Gilligan, Director of Services at Mayo County Council, provided an update on the authority’s affordable housing progress, revealing that the council has successfully delivered five affordable houses in Westport and submitted a business case to the Department of Housing regarding the affordability gap in Ballina.

However, Mr Gilligan indicated that government enthusiasm for the scale of Mayo’s ambitions may be waning. The councillors had previously proposed 100 affordable housing units at a previous Housing Strategic Policy Committee meeting, targeting the county’s four key towns: Ballina, Castlebar, Westport, and Claremorris.

“The department, I think they are not as enthusiastic about the number of affordable housing units proposed,” Mr Gilligan told the meeting, suggesting there would likely be pushback over whether sufficient demand exists in the county. He noted that even an earlier application for 35 units was initially considered too high by officials.

Cllr Peter Flynn noted that there were 55 applications for the five affordable homes in Westport and commented that “if the cap was widened, we would have had hundreds applying. For the Department to suggest we don’t have the need is ludicrous.”

“I’m not beating you up Tom [Gilligan] to a certain degree, but you are part of the problem, because ultimately you have to get that views across to the Department that we are kicking and screaming to get affordable housing as our number one priority in this county.”

The Director of Services hit back saying that he disagreed with Cllr Flynn’s remark and said that he has certainly pushed for affordable housing in Mayo, because there is “such a huge need for it.”

Frustration
“I think the frustrating thing for me and the team as well is that when we did flip five of those houses over to to affordable, there was no recognition for it at the end of the year in relation to the publishing of the performance tables. I mean, we got no recognition at all.”

Mr Gilligan also expressed concern about public discussions surrounding the scheme, stating: “I know that there have been some public discussions in relation to that which I don’t think are helpful, to be honest.”

That remark drew a sharp rebuke from Cllr Harry Barrett, who vigorously defended his right to scrutinise the scheme’s affordability.

“I can’t accept that it is unhelpful to talk about the affordability of an affordable housing scheme in Castlebar, and it’s my job as a councillor to question this,” Cllr Barrett responded. “That’s why I get paid, that’s why I’m here.”

The councillor launched a broader critique of what he termed a “harebrained scheme,” arguing it lacks a genuine affordability element. He directed his criticism at the national government rather than council staff, suggesting the administration has “lost control” of housing policy.

Cllr Barrett highlighted what he sees as a fundamental flaw in the system: individuals earning between €39,000 and €59,000 annually find themselves in a housing trap, ineligible for council housing but unable to afford the so-called affordable schemes.
“What are we saying to these people? You’re not getting a council house, and we’re not going to help you to afford a house - you’re renting for the rest of your life,” he said.

The councillor argued that monthly mortgage payments of around €1,600 on affordable housing schemes are out of reach for many young people and couples in Mayo, particularly when compared to rental costs of approximately €1,500 per month. He called for the council to put “major pressure” on the government to reduce prices so that young couples can realistically aspire to homeownership.

“We don’t have the wages in many, many cases that would allow people to aspire to that,” Cllr Barrett said. “I just don’t think that’s acceptable.”

Cllr John Caulfield agreed with his Council colleague and said that “these are not affordable - we don’t have the jobs in Castlebar to sustain these mortgages.”

Meeting needed
He called for dialogue with Mayo’s five TDs to “see where the hold up is.” Cllr Peter Flynn pushed for a meeting between representatives from the Housing SPC and Department officials.

The exchange reflects broader national concerns about whether the government’s Housing for All strategy is delivering genuinely affordable options for working families caught between social housing eligibility and market-rate purchases.

Mayo County Council has been progressing with affordable housing initiatives despite receiving no specific targets under the Housing for All strategy. The council is currently awaiting departmental feedback on its Ballina affordability gap analysis conducted by KPMG before proceeding with further applications for affordable units across the county’s main population centres.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme