Councillor estimates 400 in Portarlington on council’s house waiting list

PORTARLINGTON is poorly served when it comes to the provision of social housing.

While cllr Aidan Mullins acknowledged that Laois County Council had exceeded it’s ‘Housing for All’ targets over the past three years, he said, “the units in Portarlington when you drill into the figures doesn’t make for very good reading. Portarlington has been neglected in regards to the provision of social housing and the figures show that.” 

Reading for the council's executive officer’s monthly report at the February meeting of Laois County Council cllr Mullins pointed out: “For every one of the headings (monthly report) Portarlington is nearly at the bottom of the list on all of them. There’s nothing for Portarlington (in report) this year, and there’s nothing for next year. Under construction for 2025 there are 274 units, there’s 12 in Portarlington, and they’re nearly finished, so there’s nothing for the rest of the year. There’s no plans whatsoever for next year.

“Schemes at planning/designer stage we (Laois County Council) have 231 and just 12 units and two apartments for Portarlington. But nothing in the pipeline for this year. On the design and tender stage Mountmellick has 51.

“Looking at the figures for affordable units, there’s 864, of which there’s 139 for Portlaoise, but just 15 for Portarlington. It’s all Portlaoise centric all the time. While I don’t begrudge that, I think somebody has taken their eye off the ball when it comes to Portarlington, which is the second largest town in the county.” 

Cllr Mullins said: “I don’t know how many people are on the council’s housing list in Portarlington, but I’m sure there must be 400. People who have property in the town are tenanting (housing) applicants from outside the area. So what about people from Portarlington on the council’s housing list for the next three or four years? Will they be made an offer of accommodation outside of Portarlington such as in Portlaoise or wherever? I know they may be getting a house (outside Portarlington) but there’s logistics to that.

“To me, there’s questions to be answered on the whole issue of planning and social housing in Portarlington in comparison to other towns. There’s nothing either for Portarlington when it comes to energy efficiency and retrofitting (council owned houses). Nothing. Not one.” 

Cllr Aisling Moran said that very few social houses are being provided in the Graiguecullen/Portarlington Municipal District.

She said: “We’re building and building in Portlaoise. People there are saying they can’t get school places and have to go to different towns and villages. The solution is to start building social houses in other towns and villages, so that we’re not piling everybody into Portlaoise.” 

The Director of Services at the council Donal Brennan said he would have no issue in meeting with cllr Mullins to discuss the provision of housing in Portarlington.