REVEALED: Councillor questions the pace of new housing in west Tipperary

Councillor John O’Heney is sounding the alarm over the sluggish pace of new housing in west Tipperary and the silence surrounding future homeless accommodation in Tipperary town.

The Independent Councillor is calling for action to bring empty homes in Cullen and Emly back into use, and has raised the issue with the Director of Housing. Tipperary County Council has said it is open to working with a housing group if someone comes forward with a plan for the four to six empty houses in Cullen. In Emly, more than 25 houses in Glen Court Estate have been empty for almost twenty years. After finally resolving access issues last year, the Council added these long-empty homes to the Derelict Sites Register in October. Now, the Council is preparing to take over these homes and return them to the community.

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Jonathan Cooney, Director of Housing, stated that the Council will not disclose further details regarding the property being acquired in Tipperary town for homeless accommodation until the purchase is complete.

The new facility will give seven people a new beginning, each with their own room, with support from the Good Shepherd Centre in Kilkenny. While there is already some homeless accommodation in Tipperary town, others have to travel to Clonmel for overnight accommodation, which is open from 9pm to 9am.