By Sean Moriarty

Two Killarney Municipal District councillors believe that modular housing could be put forwards as a solution to the county’s housing shortage.

The Government plans to build 500 modular houses in various locations across the country in an effort to cope with the corresponding refugee crisis.

At last Monday’s full Kerry County Council meeting Cllr. Brendan Cronin said:

"I am requesting Kerry County Council's Planning Department to give favourable consideration to people in Kerry that apply for permission to construct appropriately designed modular homes."

A Kerry County Council official explained that the local authority offers a comprehensive pre-planning service to any individual with an interest in land and property.

“As part of this service, the merits of any particular proposal including the design of a dwelling, its construction type including modular designs together with relevant national and local planning policy applicable can be discussed,” the official said.

However, on the days after the meeting, Cllr Donal Grady said housing locals who are on Kerry County Council’s housing list was more important and that modular homes could be used in the Killarney area.

“They are completely overlooking and forgetting the existing crisis we have of our own here for those currently on the social housing list, prior to refugees arriving in this State and particularly the overloading of them here in Killarney. There’s 1,400 waiting on the housing list in the Killarney Municipal District area and 950 in the Killarney Urban Area,” said Cllr Grady.

“If half the effort was put into housing those on the social housing list here in Kerry, everyone on the list would be housed.”