Derelict HSE cottages at Portrane Avenue not council’s responsibility

Fingal County Council says it has “exhausted all available avenues of funding” for the required refurbishment works at derelict cottages at Portrane Avenue.

The council was responding to a question tabled by local councillor Adrian Henchy at a recent Balbriggan/Rush-Lusk/Swords Area Committee meeting.

Henchy asked the chief executive “for an update on any discussions between the Council and the HSE with regards to the continuous empty cottages growing derelict by the day at Portrane Avenue?”

In response, the council said that “there are a number of vacant houses on Portrane Avenue in the ownership of the HSE which require significant refurbishment works in order to bring them up to the required standard.

“As the properties are in the ownership of the HSE, there are no readily identifiable sources of funding available to either the Council or the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government for these works.

The Council has exhausted all available avenues of funding in relation to the cost of carrying out the required works and it is now a matter for the HSE to fund the refurbishment of these properties.

“The Housing Department continues to be available should additional options arise.

“In January 2021, the Housing Department again contacted the HSE seeking an update on their plans to remediate the houses and inviting the HSE to meet with officials from the Housing Department.

“No reply was received to date.”