Mystery surrounds Portlaoise house ownership

Mystery surrounds the ownership of a Portlaoise house that councillors want the council to buy for housing.  

Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald tabled  a motion calling on the council to find the owner of the property in order to buy the house. 

At the last meeting of Portlaoise Municipal District she asked: “That Laois County Council find the registered owner of the vacant house at 15 Abbey Court and CPO the property.”

In a written response to the motion, Laois Council’s Vacant Housing Officer Gerry Ryan stated that:  “ Laois County Council's Vacant Homes Office has made a number of attempts to contact the registered owner of the property at 15 Abbey Court, Portlaoise. Contact details on the folio are for a solicitor whom we are informed no longer acts for the owner. A further attempt will be made to make contact in this regard and if this is unsuccessful, the option of acquiring the property by Compulsory Purchase Order will be examined.”

Cllr Fitzgerald said she and Cllr Willie Aird had been working together on the matter for a number of years. “To the best of my knowledge it was never ever, ever lived in,” she said. 

“This is where we have to do our job and I really feel it has gone on too long and I would like to see if possible that this compulsory order is put in place,” she said. 

“It is an absolute crying shame that it is left there. I know I am picking this one but I am certainly going to have more because I am getting it from people, the residents and people in the area. What about all these vacant homes?”

“This is an example of a new modern house that was built in the State and no one ever lived in it. That is not good enough,” she remarked. 

Agreeing with his council colleague, Cllr Willie Aird said “the bottom line is it has gone on years and years and years. We have homeless people, we have people that need houses go outside Laois with young families and here was a house staring us all in the eyes.”

“When it goes on for a certain length of time, take the house. Let the Judge decide then who is right or wrong. If compensation needs to be paid then that’s grand,” he said. 

“To me it is a no brainer, just go ahead and take them over and yes, if someone has to be compensated then do that,” said Cllr Aird. 

“How would any individual allow a house like that to be idle in such a lucrative time for the  renting of houses?” he asked.

Cllr Aird said the system was frustrating for councillors but also for Ministers who were providing schemes for housing. “I think from an example point of view, Laois County Council should go ahead and repossess that house and see does somebody come forward. If they do, sit down and talk with them,”  said Cllr Aird. 

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Cllr Barry Walsh supported Cllr Aird and asked if there was a timeframe before a house can be deemed vacant. 

Cllr John Joe Fennelly expressed his belief that issuing a Compulsory Purchase Order(CPO) notice would help identify the owner. “It is the only way to flush it out, put in a CPO straight away,” he stated. 

Director of Services Simon Walton said he believed Cllr Fennelly had  “put his finger on it” in relation to CPOs. He suggested the councillors raise the matter with the Director of Housing.