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Deputy Darragh O Brien TD, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage visits to assess city redevelopment
Deputy Darragh O Brien TD, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage visits to assess city redevelopment
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O’Brien TD has heard first hand of the ambitious urban redevelopment plans and housing priorities for Limerick during a visit to the city.
The Minister met with Mayor of Limerick city and county, Cllr Daniel Butler and chief executive, Dr Pat Daly at the council’s headquarters in Merchant’s Quay to discuss the local authority’s plans for housing construction as part of the Government’s Housing for All programme.
As part of his visit, he met with the owners and workers at the Clenn construction unit factory in the Galvone Industrial Estate where rapid build timber modular homes are being constructed for the Peter McVerry Trust for various locations around the city.
He also visited Moyross Community Centre to meet with community regeneration representatives on the Northside of the city and the Coolmine Community Day Service in William Street which provides community and day programmes to homeless women and families impacted by substances.
Minister O’Brien saw first hand a new Limerick City and County Council development of two-storey and single-storey apartments on Mulgrave Street before visiting the iconic Cleeves site in the afternoon where master planning is underway to develop a world-class proposal for this key strategic city-centre location.
Mayor Butler said the Minister was fully briefed on the council’s ambitious plans for housing delivery in Limerick over the coming years and particularly on challenges in the inner city centre. “We had a good discussion with the Minister today about ways we can deliver the Housing for All strategy in Limerick to really tackle the housing challenges we have here,” he said. “We have an ambitious programme of works planned and we want to position Limerick as an exemplar in housing development, both public and private while taking care of our more vulnerable citizens. In addition to seeing some great projects underway in the Regeneration areas, the Minister was impressed with how our housing policy is central to our activity as a local authority and how Limerick is taking off, not just on the housing side, but on the commercial side too as a leader working collaboratively to deliver for our citizens.”
Speaking following his visit to Limerick, Minister O’Brien said, “It’s clear to see there is a lot of activity across a number of sites in Limerick. It was great to see first-hand the process used by Clenn Construction to rapid-build homes in their factory which are then assembled on site. It was a pleasure to visit Moyross Community Centre to meet with community Regeneration representatives and to hear from them the challenges, but also the opportunities, which exist in the community. Coolmine Community Day Service in the city are continuing in their vital work providing community, day and residential services to men and women with problematic substance use and their families in Ireland. I was glad to get an opportunity to meet with them and to discuss their very important work. The units currently under construction on Mulgrave Street will provide much needed safe, secure homes for people on the social housing waiting list in Limerick. Housing for All, our new Plan for Housing in Ireland has very ambitious targets in it in relation to social housing and our Local Authorities, such as Limerick City and County Council are integral to this. I have visited Limerick a number of times in the past year and I have to commend the Council on the work they are undertaking. I intend on visiting again in the near future and hope to continue to see progress on all their sites,” he concluded.
The Government’s Housing for All plan sets out, over four pathways, a series of actions that involve a financial commitment in excess of €4bn per annum. The plan envisages the construction of over 300,000 new homes by the end of 2030, including a projected 90,000 social homes, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes.
For more information on the Housing for All programme go HERE
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