"Little Westport" in Perth a sign of what Mayo is losing - councillor

A councillor has said there is now a community of Westport emigrants so large in Perth, Australia, that the area has become known locally as “Little Westport” and he warned that the county will never win them back without affordable housing to offer.

Chair of the Housing SPC Peter Flynn made the remarks after the council's affordable housing survey findings were being discussed, which showed only one respondent from outside of the county.

Councillor Peter Flynn said the survey could not capture the scale of unmet demand because it had no way of reaching those who had already left.

"What this survey doesn't capture is the households who have left Ireland who can't rent or buy," he said.

"They have gone to the Canada’s and Australia’s of this world.

There is a place in Perth now known as Little Westport - there's such a cohort from there living over there."

The Fine Gael councillor said many of those who had emigrated had done so out of frustration rather than choice, and that a realistic affordable housing offer could bring some of them home.

He pointed to five affordable homes delivered in Westport at around €225,000 as proof of what was possible.