Former Mayor Claims Housing Minister Is Out Of Touch With Clare's Rural Communities

A former Mayor of Clare claims the Minister for Housing is out of touch with the struggles facing rural communities. It follows a correspondence issued by Minister Darragh O'Brien's office to Clare County Council following a unanimously backed motion from elected members seeking the advancement of the Affordable Housing Scheme beyond Ennis & Shannon. The Ministerial response acknowledged that while 'there may be some localised affordability issues in Clare, the average house price in the county is still well below the national median'. Sixmilebridge based Independent Councillor, PJ Ryan says a failure to expand the scheme would have a devastating impact on families and young couples.