Councils urged to ‘work together’ following house purchase blunder 

Cork County Council mistakenly bought a property located in Co Limerick, which was due to be used for social housing.

The local authority acquired the property located in the townland of Kilglass, Anglesboro, Co Limerick, near Mitchelstown and the Galtee Mountains.

The council was not aware that the property purchased was located in Co Limerick.

It is understood the property is due to be transferred to Limerick City and County Council and will be allocated to someone on that council’s social housing list.

Two separate motions submitted by Limerick councillors sought to address the matter, but both were deferred until further clarification is received.

A motion submitted by local councillor Eddie Ryan sought to ask the minister for housing, James Browne, to transfer the property to the Limerick council and for a Limerick family on the social housing list to be allocated the home.

Just an error

Limerick councillor Tommy O’Sullivan, cathaoirleach of the Cappamore-Kilmallock municipal district, said there should be more co-operation between local authorities.

“I accept that an error was made, it was just an error,” Mr O’Sullivan told The Echo.

“We all need to work together from time to time. We share roads and we share rivers. We share land.

“Up where I come from up here, on top of the Ballyhoura Mountains, we share boundaries all the time, let it be through the bike trail or through river walks.”

Mr O’Sullivan said he hopes local authorities will do “due diligence” when future acquisitions are on the table.

“If there’s any question, contact the authority which the land may belong to,” he said.

“Whatever authority, at that stage it will come to the floor of the local electoral area. From there we can now work together and make sure that we work within a collaborative approach for the better of each other.”

In response to queries from The Echo, both Cork County Council and Limerick City and County Council said they do not comment on individual housing cases.