A Laois County Councillor has said there is a serious issue with the treatment of elderly and disabled tenants living in Council houses across the County.
Cllr Caroline Dwane Stanley was speaking at the Portlaoise Municipal District meeting this week, where she pressed the need for a Liaison Officer / maintenance person for these tenants.
Ms Angela McEvoy, Director of Services said:
“Human Resources are a matter for the Chief Executive. Members will be aware that there has been a substantial increase in the level of maintenance provision in the Council in recent years.
“The provision of additional maintenance resources have substantially improved the response time across the range of Council stock.”
But Cllr Dwane Stanley was unimpressed, saying she was “very disappointed with that response, because it completely dodges the question.
“The most vulnerable people in our community are just not getting the service they used to, years ago.
“We once had a dedicated member of staff who used to call, on a regular basis, to our elderly and disabled people – even if it was just to change a lightbulb.
“When that person retired, that position was never replaced, certainly not for the elderly and people with disabilities.
“The elderly people used to look forward to these calls, because they knew any issue they had with the property would be addressed very quickly.”
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