Anger over sudden arrival of housing agency in Tuam

An agency that provides accommodation for homeless people has been labelled ‘a disaster for tenancy management’ with claims that the people they house are often at the heart of anti-social behaviour.

Tuam Municipal District chairman, Cllr Donagh Killilea, has now demanded a meeting with those involved in the Peter McVerry Trust who are in the process of occupying eleven residential units in the centre of the town.

Cllr Killilea claimed that the same charity was responsible for housing families at two other locations in Tuam – and that these have been regularly visited by the Gardaí on foot of allegations of unruly behaviour.

Cllr Killilea claimed that the charity does not monitor the behaviour of the tenants and added that they do not have an ongoing presence at these locations.

The Peter McVerry Trust is mainly a housing and homeless charity who have secured the eleven vacant units – a mix of recently refurbished one-bedroom and two-bedroom units – just off Shop Street in Tuam.

Trust CEO Pat Doyle said that he was disappointed by Cllr Killilea’s comments and stressed that all nominations for their units in Galway are put forward by Galway County Council.

He clarified that the Trust has one other property in Tuam, not two, but said that they are aware of concerns in relation to this property and are actively working to find a solution.

Some of new eleven units are overlooking a car park alongside a major supermarket and a number of other business premises.

Cllr Killilea claimed that their other property was regularly visited by members of the Gardaí as a result of disturbances.

“They are a disaster for tenancy management and these eleven units have been sprung on the people of Tuam. There was no consultation with residents or the business community on Shop Street,” he said.

“There are people not happy about this and it is time that we met with the Peter McVerry Trust to see who are being housed there and if they have been vetted,” the Fianna Fail councillor added.

According to Cllr Pete Roche (FG), he was ‘surprised and shocked’ by the move. He appreciated what the Trust does for people on the housing list but asked if they accepted responsibility for the actions of the tenants who occupy these properties.

“If the tenants become unruly, then it comes back to us as a Council. We do have an obligation to those on the housing waiting list but there are some who are there because of their past history.

“Of course, the majority are genuine cases, but there has to be a proper vetting process in place. The last thing we need is for the occupants to become unruly which will have an impact on everyone around them,” Cllr Roche added.

Director of Services, Derek Pender said that he would bring these concerns to the Director of Housing with Galway County Council, Liam Hanrahan.

In a statement to this newspaper, Mr Doyle said that the Trust had worked with Galway County Council since early 2020 to secure housing pathways for people impacted by homelessness.

“We are working extremely hard to secure as many homes as possible to reduce the number of homeless people in the county,” he said.

He said that in November 2020, they made a presentation to Galway County Council’s Strategic Policy Committee.

“At this meeting we set out our plans and listed key target areas for delivery that were identified in consultation with the Council, areas such as Athenry, Loughrea, Ballinasloe, Tuam and so on.

“To that end we are delighted to be able to secure eleven additional units in Tuam this week which will help reduce the homeless numbers in Galway and adds to the homes we have secured to date in Oranmore, Loughrea, Athenry and Ballinasloe.

“Peter McVerry Trust has regular meetings and provides regular updates to the Council executive on our housing pipeline, which are subject to their support and approval, and working in tandem with them to identify areas housing need.

“We were surprised and somewhat disappointed to learn of the comments made by Councillor Killilea, particularly as he had not made direct contact with us make prior to the meeting or his media interviews to discuss any concerns he may have about the tenants we are supporting in Tuam.

“In relation to the specific case he referenced in the media, Peter McVerry Trust cannot comment on individual cases except to say all nominations to units in Galway have previously and in the future are put forward to us by Galway County Council. It is our job to support these individual cases.

“We have been aware of concerns in relation to the property in Tuam and are actively working to find a solution.

“As late as October 8, we met with the Director of Housing in Galway County Council and the first item we raised was the Tuam case. We put forward a proposal for resolution and this was accepted by the Council. That solution will be implemented at the earliest opportunity,” he added.