21-05-2025
‘We need homes for people, not seasons', fumes Mayo Council official over ‘radical' boycott plot of holiday-house owners
A HOUSING official has defended his call for a boycott of holiday-home homeowners.
Tom Gilligan, the director of services for housing and roads at Mayo County Council, believes the move could bring high numbers of vacant properties back into use to help combat the housing crisis.
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Gilligan stressed that holidaymakers are 'welcome to Mayo'
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Tom Gilligan, the director of services for housing and roads at Mayo County Council
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With CSO figures revealing there are 5,987 holiday homes in Co
And as he hit the headlines, defiant Gilligan stood by his proposal today, declaring: "I do not regret the email. We need homes for people, not just for seasons."
Gilligan explained: 'We are in the middle of a
The Mayo housing official was asked if he regretted his use of the word 'boycott' in the email he sent to members of the local authority's Housing Strategic Policy Committee.
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But Gilligan insisted that he did not.
He said: 'The word boycott has been around since the 19th century. It originated in Mayo. Governments have used it, individuals have used it to try and bring pressure in order to get things done.
'Nothing is off the table and we are looking at a number of options in relation to Mayo.
"We're looking at the whole idea in relation to a holiday home tax, we're looking in relation to compulsory purchase orders.'
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Mr Gilligan outlined why he felt compelled to send the email to members of the council's Housing Strategic Policy Committee which is made up of 11 members, seven elected councillors and four non-elected members.
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He said: 'So I emailed them a proposal on Sunday night in relation to the whole idea of dealing with holiday homes and vacant holiday homes.
'According to the 2022 census, there are 5,987 holiday homes in Mayo. And in the middle of a housing crisis, we need homes for people, not just for seasons.
'So the objective around this proposed boycott is to highlight the impact of underused housing stock on local communities, encourage policy reform and taxation measures on vacant second homes.
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HOUSE PRICES SOAR
"And also as well to push holiday homeowners to either return properties for sale to the rental market or to the long-term rental market.'
Gilligan maintained he is not trying to 'demonise' holiday home owners and stressed that people are 'welcome to Mayo'.
Mayo County Council said the email was part of an 'internal discussion document in response to the SPC's request for a policy on this subject'.
Meanwhile, property prices outside of
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The national Residential Property Price Index has revealed that property prices in the capital rose by six per cent.
The average price of a house in the 12 months leading up to March 2025 was €362,500.
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Property prices outside of Dublin soared by 8.7 per cent in 2025
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