Minutes - SPC 1
Minutes of the Strategic Policy Committee 1 - Housing and Governance Meeting held on Wednesday 11th March, 2026 at 11.30am in The Council Chamber, County Hall, Riverside, Sligo
COUNCILLORS PRESENT:
- Cllr. Declan Bree
- Cllr. Barry Gallagher (Chairperson)
- Cllr. Arthur Gibbons
- Cllr. E. McSharry
- Cllr. D. Mulvey ®
- Cllr. G. O’Boyle
- Cllr. J. Queenan
® - Remote Attendance
OFFICIALS IN ATTENDANCE:
- Ms. Marie Whelan, Director of Services, Finance and Corporate Governance
- Mr. Brían Flynn, Director of Services, Live Invest Visit
- Mr. Joe Murphy, Senior Executive Officer, Housing
- Mr. Mark Cummins, Senior Executive Engineer, Housing
- Mr. Gabriel Chrystal, Administrative officer, Housing
- Ms. Sinéad Branley, Administrative Officer, Corporate Services
REPRESENTATIVES IN ATTENDANCE:
Mr. Gene O’Carroll, PPN Community & Voluntary
ABSENT/APOLOGIES:
- Mr. Pat Fallon, National Pillar Trade Union
- Ms. Cheryl McGinley, PPN Social Inclusion
Councillor B. Gallagher, Chairperson, welcomed everyone to the meeting.
1. TO NOTE CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
No conflict of interests were noted.
2. MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON 10TH DECEMBER 2025
Proposed by Councillor A. Gibbons
Seconded by Councillor E. McSharry
AND AGREED
“To confirm the minutes of the Meeting of the Strategic Policy Group Committee 1 – Housing & Corporate held on 10th December 2025.”
3. SPC 1 MULTI ANNUAL WORK PROGRAMME
Cllr. B. Gallagher informed the members that the workplan will be kept on the agenda. Updates will be given when they are available.
4. UPDATE ON INSPECTION OF QUARRIES
Cllr. B. Gallagher informed members that it was agreed to leave this item on the agenda for information purposes. Updates will be given when they are available. This issue falls under the remit of SPC 2.
5. PRESENTATION OF HOUSING MAINTEANCE REQUESTS
Mr. M. Cummins presented a very comprehensive overview of the housing maintenance requests to the meeting. The presentation covered the following areas:
Councillor G. O’ Boyle requested the following information in relation to levies and charges on vacant and derelict properties in County Sligo:
Housing Stock Overview
- Total Housing Stock at the end of 2025 = 2,444
- Figure expected to increase by 500 over the next 3 years
- BER Ratings overview
Housing Technical Staff
- An overview of the staff structure was provided
Other Housing Activities
Other duties carried out by the Housing Maintenance Team
- Voids
- Housing Adaptation Works HAW’s
- Energy Efficiency Retrofitting Programme EERP
- Private House Grants
- PRTB Inspections
- Part V acquisitions
- House acquisitions including Tenant in Situ
- Long Term Leases
- Repair & Lease
- Tenant Purchase Scheme
- Insurance Claims
Repair Requests
Total Number of Requests in 2025 = 4,681
Tenant Responsibilities
The maintenance and repair responsibilities for both the Council and the Tenants are outlined in the Tenant Handbook which every Tenant receives and signs for at the completion of their tenancy training.
Council Responsibilities
- All structural repairs, repairs to windows and doors caused by normal wear and tear
Tenant Responsibilities
- E.g. include – Maintenance of wall finishes, kitchens, ventilation, flooring, alarms, gardens, gutters, chimney, oil fired burners, stoves, fire grates & ranges.
| Year | Maintenance & Repair Spend | Total Stock |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | €2,134,178 | 2,395 |
| 2024 | €2,173,499 | 2,434 |
| 2025 | €2,340,757 | 2,444 |
| Year | Planned Maintenance Spend |
|---|---|
| 2023 | €902,337 |
| 2024 | €1,001,249 |
| 2025 | €1,033,933 |
| 2026 | €1,100,000 |
Following the presentation, Cllr. Gallagher invited questions from the members. The following matters were addressed:
- A copy of the presentation will be circulated to members after the meeting.
- All repair requests received by the Council are logged on the central iHouse system.
- An appeals system is in place, and all repair request decisions can be appealed to the next grade above the original decision-maker.
- Any slippage in repair request timeframes should be reported to the relevant Housing staff for attention and follow-up.
- Consideration will be given to recirculating the Tenant Handbook to all tenants to clarify their responsibilities.
- MyCoCo App: Members noted issues with not receiving completion reports for representations submitted. The app is currently being piloted in the Roads Section, but members expressed the need for progress within Housing as well.
- Maintenance records for condensing boilers: Tenants are responsible for annual servicing. Concerns were raised about the cost of servicing in the current cost-of-living climate.
- Sligo County Council will shortly issue a tender for a Framework of contractors to carry out repair works to local authority houses. The contractor panel will remain valid for 24 months. Members highlighted delays experienced by some tenants when non-local contractors are required to return for minor works.
6. ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR POLICY
Mr. J. Murphy gave an overview of the report circulated to members. There were 68 anti-social behaviour complaints recorded in 2024, and 36 anti-social behaviour complaints recorded in 2025. To date in 2026, there have been 69 estate management complaints recorded. These complaints encompass a broad range of matters, including alleged anti-social behaviour (ASB), property maintenance concerns, environmental issues, general estate-related matters and those that require attendance at the District Court. It is important to note that a proportion of the complaints received, while initially categorised as anti-social behaviour, are more appropriately defined as neighbour disputes. The categorisation of reported estate management issues is currently under review to ensure appropriate classification for complaints recorded in 2026. The Sligo County Council Anti-Social Behaviour Policy is also under review in line with the SPC1 Annual Work Plan, with a review scheduled for Q3/2026.
7. COUNCIL PROPERTIES
Mr. J. Murphy gave an overview of the report circulated to members. 28 no. Council houses are currently vacant; 13 of which became vacant this year. The time taken from the date of vacation of a house to the date a dwelling is re-tenanted averages circa 17 weeks. The period covers interalia the following,
- Preparation of works list
- Preparation of Tender documents and advertisement of Tender
- Evaluation of Tenders received
- Award of contract
- Carrying out of the works
- Offer of a Tenancy
- New Tenant in place
Members commended the Housing Section for its efficient turnaround times, noting that no one wants to see properties left vacant for extended periods. A discussion followed regarding the allocation of properties and the criteria used. In response, Mr. Murphy explained that a wide range of factors is considered, but allocations are primarily determined through the points-based system.
In reply to a query from Cllr. Queenan about the number of vacant houses in West Sligo, Mr. Murphy undertook to circulate the relevant details to him.
8. ANY OTHER BUSINESS
Cllr. Queenan informed the meeting that six households in the Sonas Retirement Village in Enniscrone, Co. Sligo, had received notices requiring them to vacate their homes by June 2026. He noted that the residents were extremely anxious about their situation, as they currently have nowhere else to go, and he asked whether the Council could offer any assistance. In response to his request, Mr. B. Flynn, Director of Services, agreed to meet with representatives from Sonas, though he cautioned that he was unsure what solutions the Council might be able to provide.
Replying to a query from Cllr. O’Boyle regarding the Tenant in Situ Scheme, Mr. Flynn advised that the Council’s budget allocation for 2026 was €1.9m, which was welcomed by the members. Cllr. McSharry asked about alternative options for those who do not qualify for the scheme and Mr. Flynn outlined the options.
Following a question from Cllr. O’Boyle on allocation dates for new builds, Ms. Branley undertook to follow up with Ms. E. Concannon, as this matter falls under the remit of SPC 4 Placemaking. After further discussion, it was agreed that a one-page summary outlining the status of all projects would be circulated to SPC 1 members.
Cllr. Queenan also asked when the Housing Grants Scheme would reopen for new applications. Mr. Flynn advised that the Council had received an allocation of €2.319m, with a Council contribution of €409k, giving a total budget of €2.728m. A review of all existing applications will be carried out, and a detailed report will be issued to members as soon as possible. It is expected that this item will be included as a headed item at the April Council meeting.
Mr. O’Carroll reiterated his request that a copy of the tenant’s handbook be circulated to all Council housing tenants. He also sought an update on rents achieved for 2025 at the next SPC 1 meeting in June. Ms. Whelan noted that rent reviews had been discussed at a previous meeting. Mr. Flynn added that the Council intends to return to the committee in Q3 2026 with an update on the Differential Rent Scheme.
The Chairperson, Cllr. Gallagher thanked all members for their attendance and confirmed that the next meeting would take place on 10 June in City Hall.
The business of the meeting ended at 12.35pm.
Meeting Date 11/03/2026