Mayo councillors clash with executive over delays to Croí Conaithe scheme

COUNCILLORS voiced deep frustration over ongoing delays in processing Croí Cónaithe grant applications at this afternoon’s Mayo County Council meeting with one councillor describing the situation as “completely unacceptable.”

Fine Gael councillor Donna Sheridan raised the matter, highlighting a case where an applicant submitted paperwork in early March and has now been told to expect a 26-week wait, more than triple the six-to-eight-week timeframe initially promised.

“People are out thousands in interest while they wait for a €70,000 grant,” she said. “It’s not good enough.”

Councillor Michael Kilcoyne pressed council officials for transparency, asking how many cases were processed during June.

Housing Director Tom Gilligan confirmed that the current output is just “two per week,” equating to roughly eight applications per month.

“It’s far from ideal,” he admitted, attributing the backlog to the overwhelming popularity of the scheme and a legacy paper-based system that has proven slow and cumbersome.

“We’ve had over 800 applicants,” Gilligan said. “It’s been a victim of its own success. We have promoted it strongly with various workshops. We accept there are delays and we’re working to fix that.

"Two staff are now assigned to scan and process documents to speed things up.”

However, councillors said these explanations fall short.

Fine Gael councillor Donna Sheridan noted that people are being asked to scan their own receipts and upload documentation with no online system in place.

“You’re asking people to scan and share documents manually, and that’s already being done in the Vacant Homes Scheme,” she said. “This can’t go on.”

Gilligan agreed the situation isn’t sustainable but insisted that steps are being taken.

“We’re looking at using an in-house online system. Unfortunately, the department hasn’t provided one, but we are trying to make improvements with the resources we have.”

Council Chief Executive Kevin Kelly weighed in, stating that the local authority had already requested 22 additional staff to meet housing scheme demand back in 2021.

“We’ve only been allocated a fraction of that,” he said, noting that staffing shortages remain a key obstacle. “It’s an ongoing process with the department.”

In response to a question from councillor Kilcoyne, it was confirmed that only seven applications had been paid in the previous month, with three staff currently assigned, none of them dedicated full-time to manage the grant process.

Many of the staff also have to deal with other jobs and queries within the housing department, Tom Gilligan clarified.

Independent councillor Richard Finn came to the defence of council staff, placing blame squarely at national level. “It’s very easy to criticise that staff of Mayo County Council but they didn’t design the Croí Cónaithe scheme or its red tape.”

He laid the blame at the doors the government and complained that they have failed to deliver for the people of Mayo.

Finn stated, “people are not delayed by the staff, but by the government who need to finance the county councils in the first place.”