Laois Fianna Fáil councillors demand social homes for higher earners

All six Laois Fianna Fáil councillors are asking the Government to raise the income threshold so people on average incomes can qualify for a social house.

Harking back to the days when "people in every walk of life, the army, Gardaí all got social houses", Cllr Paddy Bracken said "we may go back to that or we are depriving communities of proper mixed neighbourhoods. It's scandalous how people are struggling."

Along with the Laois Cathaoirleach Cllr Padraig Fleming, the six public representatives describe working people as the "new poor"; unable to afford a house but earning too much to qualify for low rent social houses.

"Two years ago it went up by €10,000 to €35,000 but it needs to go up again. The new poor can't get on the list and can't get a mortgage. Their only hope is to raises the income threshold," Cllr John Joe Fennelly said.

Cllr Paschal McEvoy said the only option for people to qualify for a social house is to go on the dole.

"People are paying €1,250 a month in rent with no help towards it. They are really struggling. One woman with a job contacted me, and I can't tell her but her only option is to give up her job. She wants to work. She needs a car to get to work. She'd have a house in weeks. We have to do something for the people who are squeezed out," he said.

They tabled a shared motion to the January 2025 meeting of Laois County Council. It was seconded by Fine Gael Cllr John King.

"It should go to €50,000, these people are the new poor. Rent in houses in Rathdowney is now €1,200 a month," he said.

Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley supports their call.

"Last year I had people who didn't qualify for social housing but were on the brink of homelessness. Before that it would only have been people on the housing list. It's absolutely awful to go back to those people and say 'there isn't anything we can do'. They had a notice to quit. Some came to the local authority for emergency accommodation but had to go home. Children were broken up from their family to live in different homes," she said.

She noted that the limit for a single person is €607 a week, but for a couple it's €700.

"Where do you go for rent on that? Rents are being increased. The council is paying more money for HAP (housing assistance payments) instead of providing more homes. We've been good at our housing but I fear we are not providing mixed tenure. 

"When I was growing up people lived in council houses who worked in Telecom Eireann, the ESB, but one person worked and the wife was at home, it's completely changed, now two people are working, but handing out money left right and centre. I'd live to see the income raised to €45,000 or €50,000," Cllr Dwane Stanley said.

Cllr Tommy Mulligan claimed that people are emigrating because they can't get a mortgage. Cllr Ollie Clooney meanwhile described people working in low paid jobs as "the pillars of society".

"Without those people getting up in the morning, this country would fall asunder," he said. 

Laois County Council has sent a letter to the Department of Housing with the councillors' request.

The income limits for social housing for Laois people with no home are: Single Adult €35,000, 2 Adults €36,750, 1 Adult + 1 Child €35,875, 1 Adult + 2 Children €36,750, 2 Adults + 1 Child €37,625. There is an additional 5% allowance for each extra adult (up to 10%) and 2.5% for each extra child.