“There are many initiatives that the Government and local authorities can take to address the housing crisis in this country” That’s the view of Roscommon-Galway Independent candidate Michael Fitzmaurice.
“Firstly, funding needs to be put in place to refurbish the void local authority houses that are dotted all round the country.It is also a fact that councils in every county own land close to, or near almost every town and village. You can still build a house for €80 a square foot. We have seen that the modular houses that have been brought in to Dublin are costing €180,000 which is €50 to 60,000 more than it would cost to build the house. In addition if local authorities were building houses there would be added employment, the materials would have to be bought locally and it would lead to a better economy in every local authority area.”
“Whether we have to borrow on balance sheet or off balance sheet, or whether it is NAMA that takes control, something has to be done about the housing situation. Whatever price a house costs to build we will realise that cost in 30 or 40 years. We simply cannot have a situation where people have no accommodation throughout the country. Housing is now a desperate situation in every county in the country. This problem is not confined to Roscommon and Galway, this is a national problem and we have to tackle it head on now. It is an investment in the future of our country and we should get on with it” he concluded.