Rent rise deferrral welcomed by Bree

THE Chief Executive of Sligo County Council Mr Ciaran Hayes, has advised councillors that the proposed increase in rents for Council tenants will be deferred. He also said that as rents are calculated on the basis of income, the Council will prioritise the recalculation of rents for tenants who lose their job as a result of the Covid-19 crisis.

Cllr Declan Bree, who was one of the councillors who voted against the increase in rents at the Budget meeting, said: “Currently in Sligo there are in excess of 3,000 tenants including those availing of the HAP and RAS schemes. Given the unprecedented situation and the proposals at a national level to introduce a temporary ban on rent increases in the private sector, I certainly believe the decision was correct.

“I also understand the Department has indicated that businesses that are impacted by Covid-19 may defer their commercial rate payment and I assume that rates will have to be waived in respect of premises which have been obliged to close as a result of the crisis.

“A genuine and realistic income support scheme for workers who have been laid off is also urgently required for the thousands of people who have lost their job.

“In addition measures will need to be introduced to protect the many small businesses which are coming under immense pressure as a result of the pandemic. In this context the self-employed are particularly vulnerable.”

“In 2008 this country bailed out the banks to the tunes of tens of billions of Euro; clearly now is the time to bail out our workers, their families and the small businesses which face immense challenges in these unprecedented times.” said Cllr Bree