Families With Same Sex Children Being Penalised By Housing List - Owens

The Housing Minister is being urged to change the rules around same sex children and the housing list.

Enniscorthy councillor Jackser Owens says a family featuring two children of the same sex are not entitled to apply for a three bedroom house from the county council.

Councillor Owens has been told the council can't amend this situation as they're following rules set down by central government.

He told the Morning Mix it's wrong to force families to downsize unnecessarily:

"If you have two boys or two girls in your house, you won't be allowed to go on the three bedroom list, you have to go on the two bedroom list.

"A family with two children of the same sex could be on the housing list for 10 years before they get onto the three bedroom list.

"This has to change and the only person who can do that is Minister (James) Browne".

Housing list rules mean children of the same sex under the age of 10 are not entitled to rooms of their own.

Councillor Owens says these families are getting penalised by the rules as they currently stand.

He says the council can't step in here and the Minister must get involved:

"I know a young girl at the moment with two children aged four and two. 

"She's on the housing list for four years already and she has another six years to go until she can get on the three bedroom list.

"That is wrong. They're penalising someone for having two boys or two girls.

"When I ask this question at every council meeting, nobody can give me an answer as to how long these people will have to wait."

However, Councillor Owens says the Housing Minister deserves credit for the number of developments going into Enniscorthy.

The meeting of the Municipal Council last week heard about plans for 101 homes which will be built at The Lyre.

Councillor Owens has welcomed this development but says he still has concerns.

He has admitted that James Browne has gotten things moving since taking over the department:

"There have been a lot of big movements in Enniscorthy with the 101 houses in the Lyre between affordable houses, social houses and apartments.

"We're building 50 houses on the Turret Rocks on Esmonde Road.

"I'll be honest about it, as a housing applicant ourselves for four years, I've never seen that many houses being built since the 70s or 80s so there has been an improvement in the housing."

That report was funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.