Wicklow Sinn Féin candidate in the upcoming local elections for the Wicklow East are, Anthony Hill has called out Fianna Fail and Fine Gael Cllrs in the county who have failed to bring the fight to central government on behalf of residents in the county forced to live in substandard accommodation, with many of the units not fit for human habitation.
Anthony Hill said:
“Today, in 2024 we have people in Wicklow living in housing and accommodation that is simply not fit for purpose, many of the units are not in fact fit for human habitation.
We have people living in houses that are riddled with damp and mould on the walls, and homes in general states of disrepair.
The responsibility for this lies with the government of Fine Gael Taoiseach Simon Harris, who continues to deny much needed funding to local authorities which would allow them to carry out badly needed repairs.
Currently, Wicklow County Council and other local authorities are forced to deal with the fact that the budget for maintenance of Council properties is not fit to meet the demand.
The only hope for many people to secure proper fit for purpose accommodation is to get a transfer. The problem with this is that in some estates over 50% of the people living there are looking to get a transfer to more suitable accommodation.
In areas such as the Hillview Estate in Wicklow Town, people cannot live in the properties, where despite the best efforts of the Council, the homes are substandard. This is a problem that goes right back to when these houses were first constructed.
The time has come to put an end to the cosy agreements of the past which have allowed Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the number of Independents and others who have given them the support they needed to preserve power in their own hands.
Until the people of Wicklow put a team in the Council who are prepared to be a voice for protest and change at the failed policies of the coalition government, nothing will change, and people will continue to be forced to live in homes that are falling apart, with the dangers to their health from damp and mould.
Wicklow needs change, it needs a voice, and it needs a team of Cllrs prepared to fight for ordinary workers and families. The time and the opportunity to bring about that change is now.”