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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.
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