Councillors approve funding increase for mortgage scheme

WEXFORD CO COUNCIL will seek an increased capital allocation from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government for the purpose of delivering its House Mortgage Programme this year.

Head of Finance Annette O’Neill outlined the details to last week’s council meeting, saying that while a sum of €3.5 million had been approved by the council, a further €1,153,495 was required to cover the demand. So far, in 2017, 38 mortgages for first time buyers have been approved which resulted in the full allocation of borrowing secured. A further 13 mortgage applications are currently on hand, along with five construction mortgages and eight house purchase mortgages. Additional funding is required for these to be finalised.

The programme has been submitted to the department as a pilot scheme and Council CEO Tom Enright said he was hoping for early approval in the New Year. He added that the council would look at using some of its own land as well.

Cllr Michael Sheehan asked if it would be possible to get an overview of the amount of land the council actually had saying he was led to believe that it was approximately 16 acres.

Mr Enright replied that the council had ‘a lot more’ than 16 acres and was in the process of acquiring further plots of land. He said he would endeavour to have a list of council land for the January meeting. WHEN it comes to Christmas presents, I firmly believe, the longer you’re with someone, the crappier the presents get! In the first flush of love, you want to make a good impression, you want to convey the best possible version of yourself so you’re nicer and kinder and more generous than you probably really are.

So the presents are thoughtful and generous and probably beyond what you can afford but you buy them anyway to show how much you care.

Then once you seal the deal be it through marriage, having children, buying a house together you’re kind of locked in to the arrangement so the necessity to impress diminishes and the presents get more rubbish as the years go on.

Or is that just us?? We met around Christmas time and for our first Yuletide together, Himself bought me a beautiful rose gold bracelet.

I was besotted, thinking this man was kind and thoughtful and good at reading my needs and wants. The following year he got me a watch, the year after that a week in the sun.

The year after that we got married and it was all down hill from there on.

From what I can recall he got me gym membership (he must have confused me with someone else!) and this was followed a few years later by tennis lessons?!

One year he bought me a panini maker which is really just one step away from a toaster!

And it’s not just him.

I’m equally as bad. In the early years I bought him a watch, several weekends away, trips to rugby matches and concert tickets.

But then I started to lose momentum. I’m sure for the last five years he’s gotten clothes and wine.

After 21 Christmases together I’ve completely run out of ideas. I have scoured the internet searching for inspiration and come up with zilch.

So this year I bought him something he really needed but may not necessarily want for Christmas: a frying pan. It’s a good one, non stick naturally and seeing as he does most of the cooking, it’s something he will definitely use!

And before you start calling me a miserable cow I did get him other stuff–socks, jocks….and wine. 21 years is a bloody long time to be buying the same person presents. There comes a time when the well runs dry!!

There’s two ways he could take this–he’ll either laugh and christen the new pan with throwing a load of sausages on it Christmas morning or he will hit me over the head with it and threaten divorce. I hope it’s not the latter. I would really miss his fry ups!

Of course a lot will depend on what he got me. If it’s anything to do with fitness or cookery we will definitely be heading for the divorce courts!

Fingers crossed!