ALL vacant council houses in Letterkenny should be repaired and reallocated within a three months time frame. The call came from Councillor Gerry McMonagle who claimed that some council houses were lying vacant for anything up to a year before they were re-let.

Councillor Mc Monagle said the local authority should also ensure that all necessary repairs are carried out to the council houses before reletting.

"I know you have to identify the housing lists and the applicants and decide who would be better suited to getting houses," he said.

"But the repairs that are needed should be done. When people are being allocated council houses, they are given a key for the first time. It's a great time for them, it's a new departure.But the next thing, there are five or six very necessary repairs that have to be done. Once these people are given a key, they should go into the door and start living in it. They should not have to put with having to get so many jobs done. In my opinion, three months is ample time to get this work done," he said.

FRIGHTENING

Supporting the motion, Councillor Victor Fisher said the amount of council houses lying empty was frightening.

"There are people coming up to me saying they are on the housing waiting list for four years and they tell me about houses that are lying empty for maybe six months or over a year," he said.

Councillor Damien Blake said it was vital when there is such a long waiting list for houses, that the council do everything they could to have them let as quickly as possible. Councillor Jean Crossan agreed but said the council should look at ways of ensuring that the council houses are left in a proper state when families move out.

A new scheme of council housing at Lisnennan in Letterkenny is to be allocated by the Town Council by the end of next month.