19 August 1999 Edition
Council house repairs at snail's pace
The long delays in carrying out essential repairs to council houses and flats has been described as ``totally unacceptable'' by Sinn Féin Councillor Cionnaith O Súilleabháin at recent meetings of Clonakilty UDC.
``It is totally unacceptable what tenants of this and the County Council have to endure when they request essential repairs be carried out by the local authorities. People are living in very bad situations of dampness, rotted doors and windows, etc. and seem to get no satisfaction when they report these issues to the Town Hall. I am not being critical of the council staff, who are already over-burdened with work, but these tenants deserve the same dignity and respect as people living in the £100,000 mansions around this town. If the council staff cannot cope with the work, then we should sub-contract out to builders to ensure that repairs are carried out within a reasonable period. I have made dozens of representations on these matters over the last five years, and in many cases people wait not months, but years. There is one case in this town that stretches back to before the local elections of 1994!''
``It is totally unacceptable what tenants of this and the County Council have to endure when they request essential repairs be carried out by the local authorities. People are living in very bad situations of dampness, rotted doors and windows, etc. and seem to get no satisfaction when they report these issues to the Town Hall. I am not being critical of the council staff, who are already over-burdened with work, but these tenants deserve the same dignity and respect as people living in the £100,000 mansions around this town. If the council staff cannot cope with the work, then we should sub-contract out to builders to ensure that repairs are carried out within a reasonable period. I have made dozens of representations on these matters over the last five years, and in many cases people wait not months, but years. There is one case in this town that stretches back to before the local elections of 1994!''