ONE local representative has taken a potshot at a Council colleague on social media who is renting a room out in their home to a third level student.
Green Party councillor Seán Hartigan this week took issue with a post on X (formerly Twitter) from Social Democrats’ Cllr Elisa O’Donovan.
Speaking out on the housing crisis earlier this summer, Cllr O’Donovan had posted, “It is desperate. Every day I get contact from at least three people about housing. It has got markedly worse since I first became a Councillor five years ago. We need to stop electing landlords to sort out our significant housing crisis.”
Cllr Hartigan, who was not impressed with the General Election candidate voting against a motion last week for traffic wardens to ticket cars during the academic year in Castletroy, has now taken umbrage with this earlier missive in tandem with a new post from Cllr O’Donovan.
“Large double en-suite available on O’Connell Ave with desk and fully furnished room. Five mins walk to Mary I and bus to UL from outside front door.
“Sharing large house with owner that works from home. All mod cons in house. Rent €700 per month but negotiable for right person,” O’Donovan posted.
Hartigan hit out at his council colleague over her advert.
“You couldn’t make it up, stop electing landlords unless it’s me,” he responded on X.
The City East representative also posted another picture in his outburst at Cllr O’Donovan of a head with two faces.
Hartigan agreed that there are many political landlords, and most, he maintained, do a good job. His issue, he claimed, is with the “hypocrisy of being critical of all landlords who are elected reps when you are an elected rep and a landlord yourself.”
Online, Helena Close deemed Hartigan’s post “unfair and disingenuous”.
“Anybody can rent a room in their home and, in fact, is encouraged by the government of which your party is a coalition member. A party that supports a failing housing policy,” she opined.
When contacted by the Limerick Post to respond to Cllr Hartigan’s comments, Cllr O’Donovan said, “The Rent a Room scheme has been actively promoted by this Government, which the Green Party is part of. Would Cllr Hartigan prefer if students were homeless or forced to endure long commutes to college?”
“She continued: “In recent weeks, students’ unions across Limerick have been urging more homeowners to rent out rooms to help deal with the accommodation crisis. Is Cllr Hartigan so out of touch with the housing disaster that he doesn’t know the trauma and hardship that students are enduring? “
