Services director says housing allocation scheme ‘under review’ as a third of offers refused 

CARLOW Co Council is currently reviewing its housing allocation scheme, which should be ready for approval in the coming months, according to the council’s new director of services for housing, Claire Hartley.

This comes after it was confirmed at the recent March meeting of Carlow municipal district that, to date, there had been four refusals on the eight new social housing units on Barrack Street.

Speaking at the meeting, Fine Gael cllr Fergal Browne said it was “comical” seeing people refusing houses during the middle of a housing crisis.

Cllr Browne also said he would be proposing that applicants only be allowed one reasonable refusal in the future before being suspended from the housing list for a period of time.

Currently, a social housing applicant is suspended from the housing list for 12 months following two ‘unreasonable’ refusals.

This could, for example, be for refusing a two-bed property offered to you when you have listed a two-bed as your preference or the applicant has listed an area as an acceptable housing location on their application.

Speaking to The Nationalist, Ms Hartley confirmed that the council’s housing allocation scheme is currently “under review,” but did not want to speculate on any potential change to the terms; however, she said it should be ready for approval in the next couple of months.

“I don’t want to come out with the terms of the new scheme until it is approved, but within the next couple of months we will be approving it,” she said.

Having previously worked with Waterford City and Co Council for over 20 years, much of it spent in the housing division, Ms Hartley comes to her new role with considerable experience.

She said the most common reasons that people give for refusing a property are centred around the location, whether it has a garden, the lack of designated parking and the ability to keep a pet on the property.

“People get three areas of choice, but you may still get a refusal within that location,” explains Ms Hartley.

“Where it is an apartment or a street house, common reasons would be the lack of a designated parking space or the ability to have a pet, they would be the main ones,” she added.

Ms Hartley confirmed there are no designated parking spaces for the new units at Barrack Street, although it is understood residents will be issued street parking permits.

So far in 2026, the figure for social housing refusals in Carlow is at 33%, which, she said, “isn’t particularly high.” 

“I am looking at the figures so far in 2026 and it is at 33%, and that would certainly compare to my experience of refusal rates as well, so it isn’t particularly high,” she said.

Ms Hartley reiterated that anyone who has made an application for social housing should keep in contact with the council’s housing office and make sure all their details are up to date on file.