logo
Housing Minister confirms 106 social houses planned for Wicklow won't be delivered

Housing Minister confirms 106 social houses planned for Wicklow won't be delivered

A Public-Private Partnership project was set to deliver the homes with a total of 486 due to be constructed at sites in Blessington, Dublin, Kildare and Sligo.
Despite calls from local elected representatives to reverse the decision in recent weeks, following a review of the costs associated, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has decided not to proceed with the contract award on a value for money basis.
In response to a parliamentary question from Wicklow TD John Brady, Mr Browne indicated the overall costs of the Bundle 3 project were considered too high.
'All sites within the Bundle 3 project have full planning permission and all of them will be delivered by way of alternative procurement and delivery strategies.' he added.
A meeting of the Public Accounts Committee last month heard only a contract had been signed with the preferred tender who carry out site investigations. The contract to build the units is a separate process. That requires approval from the Department, which has since announced it will not proceed.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Wicklow Gaelscoil faces loss of teacher because it is ‘only one pupil short of the threshold'
Wicklow Gaelscoil faces loss of teacher because it is ‘only one pupil short of the threshold'

Irish Independent

time8 hours ago

  • Irish Independent

Wicklow Gaelscoil faces loss of teacher because it is ‘only one pupil short of the threshold'

Sinn Féin TD for Wicklow, John Brady, has called on the government to intervene to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio in Gaelscoileanna and to prevent the loss of a teacher from Gaelscoil Uí Chéadaigh, in Bray, this September. 'Following the crash in 2011, the government made the damaging decision to increase the pupil-teacher ratio in Gaelscoileanna, under the guise of aligning them with English-medium schools,' Deputy Brady said. 'This policy shift has had long-term consequences, and now we see those consequences play out locally in Gaelscoil Uí Chéadaigh, which is being forced to lose a teacher because they are only one pupil short of the threshold. It is disgraceful and deeply unfair,' he said. Deputy Brady said he has repeatedly raised the issue with the Education Minister Helen McEntee, but the Department has refused to consider exceptional circumstances, despite the significant impact this decision will now have on the school community, something he described as 'completely unacceptable'. 'I have been in contact with the Minister for Education, but despite the very clear case put forward by the school and community, there is a total unwillingness to show any flexibility. The result is that the children are being punished, staff are being stretched, and the quality of the education is being compromised', he said. The Wicklow TD also highlighted the 'hypocrisy at the heart of government claims' to support the Irish language and expand opportunities for Irish-medium education, while 'failing to back that rhetoric with real investment or meaningful policy change'. 'The Programme for Government set a target of 19:1 pupil teacher ratio for primary schools. But the reality in classrooms, particularly in many Gaelscoileanna, is worlds apart. Schools are overcrowded, under-resourced and under constant pressure. The decision to strip Gaelscoil Uí Chéadaigh of a teacher shows just how little regard this Government has for Irish-medium schools and for the children who attend them,' he said. He also criticised what he described as 'the ongoing failure of successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael governments' to tackle staffing issues in Gaelcholaistí, pointing to Coláiste Ráithín, in Bray, as an example of a school facing persistent difficulties. 'Year after year, Coláiste Ráithín is left scrambling to fill teaching posts due to staff shortages beyond their control. It is a repeated cycle that the Government refuses to fix. They 'talk the talk' regarding the Irish language, but when it comes to real support for the schools delivering Irish-language education, they vanish. It is a fantastic school, and they should not have this constant worry,' he said. He said that unless the Government reinstates the previous, lower pupil-teacher ratio for Gaelscoileanna and immediately intervenes to prevent the loss of staff at Gaelscoil Uí Chéadaigh, they will continue to fail children, parents and communities who recognise the value of Irish-medium education. 'If the government is serious about investing in children's education, about supporting the Irish language, and about giving real choice to families as to where they send their children to school, they must act now,' he concluded.

More than 400 households in Wicklow reimbursed for housing Ukrainian refugees
More than 400 households in Wicklow reimbursed for housing Ukrainian refugees

Irish Independent

time2 days ago

  • Irish Independent

More than 400 households in Wicklow reimbursed for housing Ukrainian refugees

The ARP is a tax-free monthly financial contribution of €600 available to households who provide accommodation to a person or people who arrived in Ireland under the EU Temporary Protection Directive since March 2022. Figures released to Sinn Féin's spokesperson on migration, Matt Carthy TD, reveal that the number of properties nationwide in receipt of ARP rose from 4,245 in January 2023 to 21,803 by mid-July of this year, a rise of over 17,500. In Wicklow, the number has jumped from 154 to 463 over the same period. Deputy John Brady has raised concern at what he calls 'a significant and worrying increase in the number of private properties being brought into the ARP scheme. 'In Wicklow alone, we have seen ARP properties triple in the space of just 18 months. This is happening while thousands of families in the county are being priced out of the private rental market. This is particularly concerning when only 58 properties are currently available to rent in the county'. The Wicklow TD said that the government had failed to acknowledge the impact of the scheme on rental supply. 'We are in the middle of a housing emergency', he said. 'Instead of protecting tenants or investing in long-term housing solutions, the government has created a system where landlords can cash in on the ARP, avoid the rules of the private rental sector, and bypass tenant many protections'. The figures show that 21,803 properties are being paid under the scheme, provided by just 16,900 owners. Deputy Brady claimed landlords are taking advantage of a state-funded scheme with 'little oversight or long-term benefit to the housing system'. 'This is a direct consequence of the government's failure to plan and their refusal to engage in proper housing reform. Wicklow families are being left behind while landlords are benefitting' he added. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme

Local councils across the country suspend homebuyer scheme amid funding row with department
Local councils across the country suspend homebuyer scheme amid funding row with department

The Journal

time3 days ago

  • The Journal

Local councils across the country suspend homebuyer scheme amid funding row with department

HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES in towns and cities across the country are at increased risk of homelessness, as up to half of local councils have effectively suspended a last-minute measure designed to save tenants from eviction. The Tenant in Situ scheme allows renters to stay in their privately rented home even if the landlord decides to sell, with the council or the Housing Agency stepping in to buy the property from the landlord. According to figures provided to The Journal , just over half of Ireland's 31 local authorities have paused the scheme or are set to put a halt on it imminently. A conservative estimates from figures provided means more than 300 households facing eviction are left in limbo due to the uncertainty. The Department of Housing, which sets the rules and funding for the programme, defended how it has handled the scheme. It told The Journal that local authorities have drawn down 'only 36% of the allocated funding' and that 'no local authority has exhausted its individual allocated funding'. But this was disputed by a number of councils who said on the record that they have 'exhausted' or 'paused' the scheme because they have either committed their budget or have spent it on preventing families from ending up out of the street. New figures reveal drop in scheme The government is set to come under further pressure as figures published yesterday revealed that there was a drop of 40% in the number of properties acquired so far this year, when compared with the same period last year. 741 were acquired by councils in the first half of 2024 according to the Department of Housing's quarterly homeless report, while 292 have been acquired in the same period this year. A number of councils described being hamstrung by this year's funding allocation and new eligibility requirements required by the Department of Housing. Limerick City and County Council said it had been able to 'prevent homelessness' for 141 households since April 2023, but added that it had now stopped negotiations on dozens more homes. Since this year's funding was announced and new eligibility requirements tightening the scheme were set by the department, Limerick City and County Council 'have not been able to progress 32 properties,' a spokesperson said. Talks on a further 68 potentially eligible properties have not gone anywhere as as result. As well as Limerick, councils in Dublin, Galway, and Sligo all said they were putting the programme on hold, with funding cited by all. The standoff over the scheme comes as the latest housing figures show that 15,747 people are in emergency accommodation. How the scheme was formed Following the lifting of the eviction ban two years ago, the government has pumped hundreds of millions of euro into the plan, as figures showed that more than half of eviction cases involved a landlord selling their property. Since April 2023, more than 2,500 households have been able to avoid homelessness because of the scheme. But there have been a raft of changes introduced to the scheme since, seeing the requirements to qualify tighten. One of the new measures introduced by the department has been a requirement that the Tenant in Situ programme should only be used as a last resort by councils, with this point emphasised by Housing Minister James Browne to TDs during an Oireachtas committee last week . It's understood this has been partly taken as a way of preventing councils from overspending on homes, but it's feared it has resulted in making it harder for a family to avoid homelessness. Housing Minister James Browne has come under new pressure because of delays in the scheme. Spending limits have also been adopted by councils, with Dublin City Council capping its maximum spend under the scheme at €527,000 per house. The scheme was suspended for several months of this year as the outgoing government could not agree on new funding targets. The Department of Housing told The Journal that Browne, the Housing Minister, had gotten agreement from Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers to allocate an additional €265m for such acquisitions to get it back on track. This brought the budget for 2025 to €325m. Advertisement In a number of cases, The Journal learned that councils were also allocated significantly less this year compared to last year, which Opposition TDs argued was a contributing factor behind why the funding has already run out in some areas – particularly in cities. This led to holdups in the scheme this year until the government signed off on the extra €265 million to the scheme in recent months. This funding would cover measures including the Tenant in Situ scheme, along with vacant property purchases, and housing for disabled and older people. Which councils are impacted? Over recent months The Journal has covered the personal impact the changes and holdups in the scheme have had for families. Now, the vast majority of those affected are councils operating in large towns and cities – from Dublin to Cork and Sligo. Fingal County Council was among those which said it has 'paused all new applications' to the scheme because the funding allocation of €20million for second-hand acquisitions for this year has been 'exhausted' already. The amount the council had been allocated was almost half of that for the previous year, when it spent €39.9m to prevent homelessness for 121 households. It was a similar story for the country's largest local authority. Dublin City Council had completed purchases of 253 homes last year through the scheme and was allocated €95 million to cover acquisitions for this year. Because funding has been used to cater for households from a backlog of last year's cases, the council is unable to proceed with more purchases this year. Since January, the council has received 126 enquiries for the Tenant in Situ scheme but is 'not currently proceeding with any new acquisitions at this time'. Staying in the capital, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and South Dublin County Council both said they were waiting to see if they received more funding to try and buy homes where eviction notices had been served this year. Elsewhere, Wicklow County Council said it has 'paused the scheme for the moment', as discussions take place with the Department of Housing for its budget to cover the rest of the year. Some rural councils are faring better. Kilkenny County Council is continuing the scheme 21 homes purchased to date, with two more in progress. Kerry County Council has similarly purchased 23 properties under the programme. In the past two years, Westmeath County Council has acquired 97 properties but added that it's 'more limited' due to the stricter criteria issued by the department for acquisitions. Munster and Connacht In Munster, Cork City Council and Limerick City and County Council have both been lobbying the department to increase its funding as a way to prevent homelessness. A spokesperson for Limerick City and County Council said the council was 'not actively using' the scheme any longer 'due to the current funding envelope being committed' already. It described its funding for this year as having 'limited the number of acquisitions we can pursue', and that it was continuing to 'lobby for additional funding to assist in acquiring more homes to prevent homelessness'. Waterford City and County Council was the only predominantly urban council in the country to say that it was still operating the scheme. In the west, the likes of Sligo County Council and Galway City Council have also placed the measure on hold. A total of 47 expressions of interest to the scheme from households in Galway city are on file 'should further funding become available in 2025″, a spokesperson for Galway City Council said. 'Some properties have been bought, and others are being progressed,' the spokesperson said. 'However, funding is limited and, at this stage, our 2025 allocation has been committed.' In Sligo, the council said it had prevented 35 families from falling into homelessness as of mid-July. 'A number of applications are currently on hold and will be assessed towards the end of 2025,' a spokesperson said. Rory Hearne, housing spokesperson for the Social Democrats, said that the restrictions on the scheme had 'worsened' the housing crisis. 'The fact that many councils, particularly city councils in Cork, Dublin and other urban areas, are already out of funding and have had to suspend the scheme shows the Tenant in Situ scheme has effectively been stopped in these areas, which are the areas worst hit by homelessness,' the Dublin North-West TD told The Journal . Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store