In the past week, many North Cork council tenants have been hit with considerably higher rent bills, as the council sought to equalise rents between North and South Cork.

One woman, living in the Mitchelstown area has seen her rent shoot up from €16.50 a week to €47.50 a week and with a weekly income of €277.50 and four children, she is fearful about what she will have to cut out in order to pay this new rent amount.

Speaking to The Avondhu, the woman, who did not wish to be named, said that she is stretched to the limit and she simply doesn’t know where she will get the additional €31 a week from.

She said that when she got the letter, she was so shocked that she actually cried in disgust, as she despaired about where the money would come from.

As things are, she said that she only buys what they need, she puts €20 a week into her car and that has to last, no matter what. There are no luxuries in the weekly shopping and if she has to go on a long trip, that means that another bill will go unpaid or they will go without something that week.

“For the first time ever, I have no oil in the tank. I expected the rent to go up because of the budget, but never by that much.

“I don’t know where it will come from, as it is we’ve lost so much already without this.

“I would budget each week and we get what we need and nothing more. Something will have to go so that I can find that extra money and there’s very little I can get rid of. We’ve had too many knocks already,” the distressed mother said. 

The woman added that people are complaining about the property tax which she is not liable for, but she said that if she had to pay the property tax of just over €100, she could find the money somewhere, but her rent increase works out at an extra €1,500 each year.

“I’ve been here 20 odd years and I have never had the council out to fix anything. It just seems like an awful hike. That’s a fifth of my money in a week gone on rent.

The issue was brought up through two motions at the recent Northern Area meeting in Mallow by Cllr Noel Buckley and Cllr Frank O’Flynn, with all councillors rowing in behind them to express their outrage at the current situation.

Cllr Buckley said that the rent increase has put council tenants under ‘tremendous pressure’, as it came suddenly when the tenants weren’t expecting it.

Cllr O’Flynn added that he has never seen so many irate council tenants, saying that people are furious, as they are facing the rent increase at a time when their income has come down and other costs have gone up.

“The council have to get back to the drawing board. Are we taking ability to pay into account, they will have nothing left if they pay this exorbitant rent. Out on the road – that’s where they will end up. Something has to give. God only knows what the next budget will hold and there are families out there who will be driven over the edge,” he said.

Cllr Ronan Sheehan in agreement with the motions said that when the council sought to equalise rents between North and South Cork, they should have brought them down instead of up and he pointed out that himself and Cllr Noel McCarthy voted against the budget because of this rent increase that was going to come in. He added that the council should investigate those who are abusing the system instead of increasing rent across the board.

Cllr Kevin O’Keeffe said that this increase is hitting the most vulnerable in society. It was also pointed out that people who believe their rent increase has been too high can have it revisited under hardship and the money from the rent increase will be ringfenced for housing.