Back door to yard in children's bedroom has Mayo councillor concerned

REPAIR and lease scheme regulation has been questioned by a Mayo councillor who visited a property where he found a door from a children's bedroom led directly into a back yard.

The property had become three units instead of two, Councillor Gerry Murray told a Claremorris-Swinford Municipal District meeting.

In another property, a climb of a steel stairs gave one a direct view into the kitchen and sitting room of an elderly couple living next door.

There are question marks over the quality of some projects being rolled out under the repair and lease scheme, said Councillor Murray.

He explained how he was invited to view a two-bedroom ground floor apartment, where the door into the back yard was located in the children's bedroom. The yard, 4ft x 10ft, with a small shed, had no exit that he could see.

There were three units where there should only be two, and he was concerned.

Another he was 'astonished' to see was an apartment with a steel stairs up to it, where you could look into the kitchen and sitting room of an elderly couple living next door.

Councillor Murray said he assumed developers come into the council with a certain set of plans or is there a certain exemption. And he questioned the nature of engagement and regulation on such developments, and the criteria for them to be signed off on, or is it a situation of complete exemption.

In all his years as a councillor he had never seen a back door to a yard in the bedroom of children.

Director of services Tom Gilligan said he was 'surprised and shocked' to hear what was described and he would follow up with the councillor outside the meeting.