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Irish Examiner
3 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Controversial Killarney car park given go-ahead by council despite local objections
Councillors in Killarney have voted by a narrow majority to create a 139-space car park in a green area in the oldest part of the town. The controversial proposal for the Green Lawn had attracted 45 submissions from the public, with the majority, 38, opposed to the plan. The site, which is privately owned and zoned opportunity /residential, is to be leased for 15 years. It is near schools, St Mary's Cathedral, the Killarney National Park, as well as businesses on Lower New Street. The vote had been adjourned and the councillors at the adjourned meeting rescinded their earlier decision to remove an exit-entrance onto the N71 Mission Road. Mission Road, which runs between Muckross and the Ring of Kerry, is arguably the busiest tourist route in Kerry, and long delays are a daily experience heading west to the Fossa/Killorglin side of the ring. Gardaí had expressed grave reservations about the exit, saying Mission Road was already clogged with traffic. They welcomed the provision of a car park but said: 'Mission Road already experiences high volumes of traffic and traffic congestion is a daily occurrence'. Residents said the car park would seriously and adversely affect this 'unique residential enclave' of old Killarney. Among the handful in favour were leading local businesses, including hoteliers, who said the town needed additional parking and current lack of parking was 'hampering locals and visitors'. The special meeting to vote on the Part 8 planning process drew heated exchanges between some members. At the end, four councilors voted for and three voted against the plans. Mayor of Killarney Martin Grady voted against the development car park, which he said would undermine longer term plans for a multi-storey. 'The Green Lawn will soon become Black Lawn,' he said of the plans. Mr Grady said the majority of the 38 objections were from residents living within close proximity of the car park. 'Their views must be taken into consideration,' he said. This article was funded by the Local Democracy Scheme
Irish Examiner
06-08-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Funding for 800 homes in Cork with one scheme to include Ireland's tallest building
More than €300m in government funding has been approved to kickstart the delivery of two large and long-awaited social housing projects in Cork City — including one in what will be Ireland's tallest building. Combined, the two schemes, which have planning, will deliver just over 820 social or cost-rental apartments on two high-profile vacant sites. The department of local government signed off on the funding packages on Wednesday for both the Railyard Gardens residential scheme, which is earmarked for the site of the former Sextant pub at the gateway to the city's south docks, and for the Creamfields development, which is earmarked for the former CMP Dairies site on the Tramore Road. The 217-unit Railyard Gardens scheme includes plans for 99 social and 118 cost-rental apartments in a 24-storey residential tower, which will become Ireland's tallest building. The project, which secured Part 8 planning from Cork City Council in October 2024, will be delivered by JCD Developments for Clúid Housing, with hopes that enabling works could start on site in September. It could take at least two years to build. The 606-unit Creamfields scheme will deliver a total of 225 social and 381 cost rental apartments on a site opposite Musgrave Park and close to the South Ring Road and Tramore Valley Park. The former CMP Diary site on Tramore Road, being developed as Creamfields. Picture: Larry Cummins The project, which secured planning from the former An Bord Pleanála in June 2022, is the largest collaboration yet for Cork City Council's housing directorate. The scheme will be delivered by Cairn Homes Plc for Respond Housing and Dairygold, in a project that is being facilitated by the council's housing directorate. Enabling works are already underway on site, and the project could take up to three years to deliver. The former Sextant site has lain vacant since the landmark pub was demolished almost five years ago for JCD's original 200-unit build-to-rent apartment scheme. But there was controversy when JCD abandoned that residential project citing the financial non-viability of apartments, switching to an office project instead which was granted planning in March 2022, but never progressed, before it reverted to a residential scheme which became viable thanks to a change in government housing policy. The Railyard Gardens scheme will consist of a landmark, slender 24-storey tower on Albert Quay/Albert Street, which will step down to 12 floors and then nine floors. An area on the ground floor will be dedicated to exclusive use by both the local community and the arts. Cork City Council assistant chief executive Brian Geaney welcomed the funding approval. The city official, who guided the Railyard Gardens scheme through the Part 8 process, described it as 'a game changer' for that side of the city centre. 'In addition to providing much-needed accommodation for a young workforce, it is adjacent to all transport hubs—it truly ticks all the boxes,' he said. 'Our collaborations with Clúid Housing and the pioneering investment by JCD Developments have been instrumental in modernising Cork, and this project sets a new benchmark for city centre living in the gateway to the Docklands.' In relation to the Creamfields scheme, he said the project's "scale and ambition" will "make a significant impact on our housing landscape".
Irish Independent
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Rejection of Meath social housing proposal slammed as 'disappointing'
At a recent district meeting, local councillors voted to reject a Part 8 residential development submitted by Meath County Council, which aimed to deliver 79 social housing units on the outskirts of the town. The proposal was turned down due to concerns over the absence of affordable housing options within the plan. The project was criticised for lacking a balanced housing mix that would address both social and affordable housing needs. At the July meeting of Meath County Council, Cllr Nick Killian voiced his concerns following the vote, saying the decision has implications beyond Ashbourne. The councillor who represents Ratoath said: 'It doesn't just affect Ashbourne…79 families that could have been housed will not be housed anymore. It is extremely disappointing.' 'We lost 79 houses that people could have been living in a lot earlier,' the Independent councillor added. The vote at district level had been split 3–3, but the proposal was ultimately rejected when Chairperson Tormey cast the deciding vote against it. Among the councillors who supported the development was Cllr Amanda Smith, who said she would 'love to see 79 people coming off the social housing waiting list.' Cllr Killian appealed to his Ashbourne colleagues, asking that if the matter returns to the council, it be reconsidered. The rejection means the Council will now need to revisit its plans for delivering social housing in the area. According to Meath County Council's July Management Report, the local authority received 233 applications for social housing, 88 were approved for the housing list, while 37 were deemed unsuccessful.
Irish Examiner
17-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
'Ireland needs radical action to end its infrastructure crisis'
The Government must accept that there is a 'national crisis in Irish infrastructure', according to a member of a taskforce charged with improving Ireland's project delivery. ESRI chairman Sean O'Driscoll warned of 'catastrophic consequences' facing Ireland's water, energy, and transport networks if 'radical and brave decisions are not taken to ensure projects get completed quicker'. He claimed public servants are more 'scared' of the public accounts committee than of the economy declining. He said: That has resulted in paralysis and risk aversion in the system. The bold decisions that are required aren't being taken, they're being avoided and they have been for 10 years. Mr O'Driscoll was one of 12 people appointed in May to an 'accelerating infrastructure' taskforce, chaired by public expenditure minister Jack Chambers. CLIMATE & SUSTAINABILITY HUB In an interview with the Irish Examiner, he calls for 'urgent, impactful, radical and immediate actions' including: Addressing judicial reviews and planning delays. He said the bar for judicial reviews is 'far too low' and the Government must go further than its newly-published Planning Act to tackle crises in energy and water; Extend Part 8 planning permissions enjoyed by local councils, which allows them to develop on land independently of An Bord Pleanála to ensure critical infrastructure projects get built; Tell the EU that Ireland has an 'infrastructure emergency' to overcome regulation red tape; Secure multi-year funding for utilities and major projects and urge co-operation between local authorities and utility providers. The infrastructure taskforce was launched in May and is in the middle of a public consultation. It is expected to issue up to 50 recommendations to the Government within months to help speed up delivery. Uisce Éireann chief executive Niall Gleeson warned last month that Dublin is facing serious water supply and wastewater capacity challenges. The stark warning, coupled with fears of power outages in recent years, are evidence of the potentially 'catastrophic' effect of failing to get Ireland's infrastructure improved, Mr O'Driscoll warned. He pointed to a gas pipeline connecting Cork and Dublin being built more than 40 years ago, compared with the time taken to get a planned 170km pipeline to bring water from the River Shannon to Dublin approved, as an example of the need to overhaul decision-making in the sector. Dublin will have a water crisis within five years for the houses it has planned. Are we saying we can't build a water system for the capital city of the country today? We need radical thinking. 'Why wouldn't you [extend Part 8 planning laws] for large infrastructure projects of national significance? Extend that to private land. If the Shannon water project isn't an emergency, I don't know what is.' 'Infrastructure paralysis' He said public expenditure minister Jack Chambers recently said infrastructure delivery is in 'paralysis'. 'In medical terms, that means an emergency. "The art of politics is compromise. Politicians like to avoid taking tough decisions. But if we're going to crack infrastructure, hard decisions are going to have to be taken, and this will have to be treated as a national emergency. We admit it is one and then we treat it as such.' On whether the EU could frustrate Irish attempts to overhaul planning, the former Glen Dimplex chairman pointed to Germany's attempts to substitute LNG imports and other infrastructure to reduce its dependence on Russian-imported gas as an example of EU hurdles being overcome in emergency times. He said: There is no point hiding behind Europe. I hear people saying 'there's an EU directive' and 'we can't do this'... I don't buy that anymore. "We all have an onus to say not all regulation is good and we need to say 'we have an emergency' to Brussels.' Asked about Ireland's climate change targets, he insisted that development should be compatible with those targets, pointing to vast improvements required in the building of renewable energy projects. Taoiseach Micheál Martin should become centrally involved in the task force's work, Mr O'Driscoll added, as former Taoiseach Enda Kenny had in the successful 2012 action plan for jobs, after the financial crash. He said the warning signs are there, and that the utilitiies are all talking about it: 'The government of the day don't want to hear public bodies saying this, but they need to hear it. When the lights go out, or the water isn't available, they'll say: 'Why didn't anyone shout about this?''
Irish Examiner
09-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Councillors erupt into war of words after former Cork lord mayor votes against social housing scheme
A former lord mayor of Cork has been criticised for voting against one of three social housing projects approved by city councillors on Monday, one of which would deliver 56 homes on a former sweet factory site. Labour councillor Peter Horgan said he was incensed by Independent councillor Kieran McCarthy's criticism of the "bland design" for four apartments on a vacant overgrown corner site at the junction of Boreenmanna Rd and Clanrickarde Estate, which attracted over 40 submissions during its Part 8 public consultation. 'Units like this being rejected because the design is bland?' Mr Horgan asked. 'I'm sorry housing isn't sexy enough for you to vote for it. That is not a reason to vote against housing. I find it insulting to those who worked on the scheme and to those on the housing list The deputy lord mayor, Green Party councillor Honore Kamegni, and Fine Gael councillor Des Cahill also voted against it, with Mr Cahill criticising the way the Part 8 consultation was initially presented to councillors. Mr Kamegni said: 'Just because there is a housing crisis, doesn't mean we have to build anywhere.' Officials said they listened to concerns and omitted the second floor of one of the units, reducing the height from three to two storeys, to deliver two two-bedroom ground floor units, one two-bed unit, and one one-bed unit on the first floor — the maximum changes possible on a tight corner site. Councillors eventually voted 22 to seven to approve the scheme. They also approved Part 8 planning for 56 social homes on the former Topps sweet factory in Ballincollig, which has lain vacant since the company ceased operations in the town in 1998. Design concerns Councillors were told the scheme will be named Innishmore Gardens and comprise of one four-bed house, 17 three-bed houses, 12 one-bed apartments, 12 two-bed duplex units, seven two-bed apartments, and seven three-bed duplex units. The scheme will also provide 58 parking spaces. It will range in height from two storeys to three storeys, and will be carried out for the council by way of a project agreement with OBR Construction Group. Sinn Féin councillor Joe Lynch, who was raised and lives in Innishmore, said he wants to see the housing development succeed and integrated into the existing community. Independent councillor Albert Deasy criticised the council for not taking on board certain design concerns he said he expressed before the scheme was published for public consultation, and he called for it to be referred back to the local area committee. However, council chief executive Valerie O'Sullivan insisted there were no Part 8 proposals before councillors that had not been properly consulted on. 'Most derelict street in Cork' In Blackpool, councillors approved the demolition of a council-owned derelict two-storey house at 24 Thomas Davis St for a three-storey building with two units — one two-bed maisonette over a one-bed apartment, each with their own door access at ground floor level. Fianna Fáil councillor John Sheehan welcomed the proposal for a street he said was once 'the most derelict street in Cork'. 'It once had 23 derelict sites, but that has now been reduced by half thanks to the work of the council. It's great to see the street coming back to life,' he said. Read More Plans for over 360 new homes in Carrigaline resubmitted to Cork County Council
