Roche welcomes allocation of housing funds

The allocation of €140,000 to complete the unfinished houses in the Hazelwood estate in Bridgetown as been welcomed by a local Sinn Féin candidate who has been campaigning for the utilisation of the buildings.  Mick Roche said that it was essential that this funding should be put to use in converting these houses into family homes and not used to demolish the abandoned buildings as was done in nearby Cleariestown last year.

"The boarded up houses in Bridgetown have long been a source of embarrassment and anger for a community that is trying hard to pull itself out the recession," Mr Roche said, "To have our children, who have been denied a playground or any other leisure facilities by the local council, playing in the shadow of dank, abandoned buildings is an utter disgrace and a constant reminder of how our rapidly developing village was forgotten about by the powers that be."

"Sinn Féin has campaigned long and hard to get these buildings unboarded and finished.  They should now be completed and used for family homes.  At the moment there are 98,000 people on social housing waiting lists so the need for homes is obvious."

"We would strongly oppose any moves made to knock these buildings.  Last year several near completed houses were demolished in nearby Cleariestown.  Such an action would not benefit the local community and would be a slap in the face for those families stuck in limbo, crying out for a home."