'Profound disappointment' after Mayo social housing fire
The fire occurred at the former Duffy's Bakery site on the Foxford Road in Ballina yesterday evening.
Gardaí and fire services attended the fire at around 9.15pm, with the fire being brought under control in the hours following.
Mayo County Council said it can "categorically state" that the property was only ever intended to provide housing for persons on the Mayo County Council social housing list.
Posts on social media had incorrectly claimed that the site was to be used to house International Protection applicants.
The council said the development would see the construction of 31 own-door-access apartments as well as the refurbishment of the terraced houses at numbers 5 to 7 Raheen Row.
The terraced buildings on Raheen Row were those affected by the fire last night.
"This development was intended to provide own door accommodation for the growing section of the population who are seeking one- and two-bedroom units located within walking distance of the town centre, with the facilities and services that come with such a location.
"At their July meeting held last week, the elected members of the Ballina Municipal District approved the development of the scheme which would have provided 31 new homes to families and persons on the housing list. At present there are 631 on the housing list in the Ballina Municipal District," the council said in a statement.
The council said its housing section is assessing the impact of the fire.
It said it is also now assessing the feasibility of delivering the scheme and the timeframe for providing "much needed homes for those on the housing list".
The council said that traffic management will remain in place near the site until structural assessments are completed on the buildings.
The scene has been preserved following the fire and a technical examination will be conducted in due course.
No injuries have been reported, gardaí said.
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