
The Housing Department is coming under fire for its record over social housing.
270 people have been on social housing waiting lists in the midlands for over seven years.
The latest report from the Department of Housing shows 177 applicants have been waiting on social housing in Westmeath since 2018, the figure is 53 in Offaly, and 40 in Laois
Year on year each midlands local authority has seen an increase in the number of people on the waiting list.
Laois has seen a 13% rise, it's 11% in Westmeath, and 1.4% in Offaly.
Susanne Rogers from Social Justice Ireland believes cuts made to local authorities during the economic crash are behind the backlogs: