There was a notable air of finality at the February meeting of Wexford County Council. After ten years and more than 50 council meetings, Chief Executive Tom Enright took his seat at the top table for his last.
Having recently been outbid for two vacant houses in Clongeen, Wexford County Council (WCC) has said it is “fairly limited” when it comes to purchasing public properties for social housing. Citing a change in government policy, housing officials say the fear of “inflating the market” has prevented the council from entering auctions for homes in the county.
With Wexford continuing to bear the brunt of climate change and parts of the county enduring repeated flooding events, one Rosslare councillor has bemoaned the lack of assistance from the Office of Public Works (OPW), describing it as a “mythical creature”. During a discussion at the January meeting of the Rosslare Municipal District (RMD) councillors were asked to approve the Wexford Local Economic and Community Plan (LECP), a document which sets out the the local council’s objectives over the next six years.
Despite repeated reminders of the swathe of derelict houses across the county, Wexford County Council (WCC) returned just one vacant property back into its housing stock in 2023. Speaking at a special housing meeting at County Hall, Councillor Jim Codd said Wexford was lagging way behind its neighbours when it came to its work on the Repair and Lease Scheme.