'No' to out of hours service for Kildare council tenants

Kildare County Council headquarters at Aras Chill Dara | File image

placeholder image — Kildare County Council headquarters at Aras Chill Dara | File image

Request for emergency maintenance service to be set up

Kildare County Council has come out against the idea of an out-of-hours service for its tenants.

It was responding to a call from Fine Gael councillors - Tracey O’Dwyer and Peggy O’Dwyer - for an emergency maintenance call out service.

This, said KCC official Annette Aspell would be “highly resource intensive, requiring significant financial and operational commitments, including 24/7 staffing or contractor standby arrangements.

Ms Aspell told a KCC meeting that the council must ensure that services are delivered in a sustainable and cost-effective manner, having regard to resources and priorities.

The meeting heard that all after hours housing maintenance calls go to a dedicated call centre “where tenant details and the nature of the issue are recorded and logged for follow-up.” They are later assessed, prioritised and addressed as appropriate.

She added: “While KCC is committed to supporting tenants and responding promptly, it must balance service delivery with resource constraints and value for money considerations.”