Joe Behan - Independent Councillor - Wicklow County Council


Go to content

Main menu:


Housing Crisis in Wicklow

Archive Statements > 2015

60 years to get a House in Co.Wicklow
12 November 2015


Wicklow County Council figures released this week show that if houses were to be let at the same rate as they have been in the past year, it would take 60 years for an applicant today to be allocated a house by Wicklow County Council.

The Council recently confirmed in its October Housing Report that there are 3,735 families/ single people on the housing list in the county and in so far this year they have let just 59 social houses. This is less than one sixtieth of the total number of applicants and if continued at this rate would result in a sixty year wait for a house for people applying today.


This is a massive indictment of present and past governments who have poured money into the pockets of private landlords in the form of rent allowance rather than investing in the construction of public housing.

I welcome recent announcements from government that they will begin to tackle this problem but it will take many years to get to a situation we had in the mid eighties when public housing supply matched demand.

It is essential that the next government treats this crisis with the urgency it deserves and works to ensure that those who have a genuine need for public housing are accommodated in less than 60 years.

Joe Behan
Independent Candidate for Wicklow/East Carlow


Serving the people of County Wicklow since 1985 | joebehan@outlook.ie

Back to content | Back to main menu