Nearly 4,000 on social housing waiting list in Meath as figures reveal chronic shortage of one and two-bed accommodation

The number of applicants seeking social housing in Meath stands at almost 4,000 amid predictions that a 10-year housing “crisis” lies ahead if Government policy does not undergo a radical change.

The release of the latest social housing demand figures came as county councillors this week became involved in a heated debate on a Sinn Fein notice of motion condemning the Government decision to lift the ban on evictions.

In a separate move, Meath Co Council indicated that it will examine a strategy of providing a shelter for homeless people in the county.

A total of 3,883 applications for social housing in the six municipal districts are now with the council, with the highest number of applicants coming from Navan and Ashbourne, according to details supplied to Fianna Fail Cllr Damien O’Reilly. Of the 549 applications in the Ashbourne Municipal District, the highest number (479), are for Ashbourne town. The biggest pressure point here appears to come from applicants who need one or two-bedroomed housing units.

Navan has 1,439 applicants, with 646 applicants looking for one-bedroomed units, 523 seeking two-bed units, and 199 applicants wanting three-bedroomed units.

In the Kells Municipal District there are 529 applicants with the highest number of applications in Kells town (242), and Athboy (120). One-bedroomed units are sought by 255 applicants while 160 applications are for two-bedroomed units.

There are 475 applicants in the Laytown-Bettystown MD, 278 of them in Bettytsown and 53 in Duleek. 201 applicants need one-bedroomed units while 203 applicants seek two-bedroomed units.

Of the 353 applicants in Ratoath MD, the highest number seeking social housing are in Dunshaughlin (110), and Dunboyne (95).

Out of a total of 438 applicants in the Trim MD, comprising 10 towns, villages and townlands, Trim town has the highest number of applicants (241), followed by Enfield (65), and Ballivor (53).

Again, the highest number of applicants in the municipal district is for one-bedroomed units (202), and two-bedroomed units (167).

Cllr O’Reilly said the "stark figures" provided by the council did not include first-time buyers in each of the Meath towns, villages and townlands where people wanted to buy homes in their own local areas and also to house the county’s share of the almost 100,000 refugees fleeing wars and famine.

He blamed the National Planning Framework and the Regional Spatial amd Economic Strategy policies “fuelling the housing crisis”. National policy was flawed because of predicted census population allocations that ead been proven to be “totally inaccurate”. This had led to residential dezoning across Meath and this fuelled the housing crisis, the councillor said.

He blamed successive governments and departmental officials for failing to listen to local councillors who had been pointing out these factors for years. These were the people who could change policy, he said, but the country was now faced with a 10-year housing crisis as more Irish professionals headed for emigration to seek out cheaper rents.

“I don’t know one person that has moved their family from Meath, Kildare and Fingal as per the National Planning Framework balanced regional growth to Sligo, Galway, Limerick, Cork or Waterford. Four billion a year will not provide affordability in Meath, Kildare and Fingal until the Government uses executive powers and functions to zone additional residential land”.

Removing so many functions from councillors had fuelled the housing crisis. “Governments have come and gone but the same officials are lingering around the Custom House (Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage)”, Cllr O’Reilly said.