Almost 900 council homes in progress across Tipperary

Air-to-water systems installed in 200 dwellings

Tipperary Co Council has 872 new housing units at various stages of planning or construction across the county.

Among the larger scale local developments are 67 units at Tyone, Nenagh, which the council is delivering in tandem with the Respond approved housing body, and which have now commenced with a completion date of 2026. A contractor is onsite for another large-scale development of 50 houses at Glencarrick, Roscrea, which is being delivered with the Cluid AHB and has a timeframe for completion later this year. Another scheme at nearby Radharc na Carraige in Roscrea has a contractor on site and is to be completed next year.

However, several further long-planned developments in Nenagh are on hold due to the delayed upgrading of the wastewater treatment plant. These include 27 units at Gortlandroe, 13 at Millersbrook, 10 at New Line, 13 at the Rialto site and five at William St. A further 13 units planned at Mulcair Manor in Newport are held up over the same issue.

Commenting on the Housing Delivery Report at last month’s meeting of the council, Cllr Siobhán Ambrose said it should be acknowledged that 872 units are at various stages of construction. She said the efforts of the council staff and management in delivering these badly needed houses should be appreciated.

‘DROP IN THE OCEAN’

However, Cllr Liam Browne said this figure represents a “drop in the ocean” when one considers the thousands of people waiting on the council’s housing list, and more who would be seeking housing in future. Cllr Browne said some people are becoming “deliberately unemployed” so that they can qualify for council housing. Working people in need of housing cannot qualify for council assistance due to the income threshold limits in Tipperary, he said.

Cllr David Dunne noted that the number of new homes built in Ireland last year decreased and the Government was around 10,000 units short of its housing target of 40,000. He wondered how Tipperary Co Council’s record compared.

People are being told about all these houses in train, but the waiting lists are still very long, Cllr Dunne observed. He also queried the spare capacity available to the council for people who become homeless.

Acting Director of Services Jonathan Cooney said the council would deliver around 1,200 units under its 2022-2026 Housing Construction Programme. It delivered 180 units last year, well above the target of 158 set by the Department of Housing.

This year’s projected delivery is 260 units, Mr Cooney said, far above the Department target of just 170. This would be one of the biggest achievements since the council returned to large-scale housing construction in 2018.

Mr Cooney added that around 140 voids or vacant housing units would be brought back into use this year. “We’re playing our part,” he said of housing delivery in Tipperary.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN NENAGH

Mr Cooney mentioned that the council has advertised for expressions of interest in providing an affordable housing scheme in Nenagh; the closing date was February 28. Expressions were also sought for Clonmel and two potentially viable schemes were presented.

Mr Cooney said there are around 3,500 people on Tipperary’s social housing waiting list. The number has remained similar for several years now. It includes people who are already in receipt of Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) or other social housing supports. The “net need” is around 1,200 applicants, Mr Cooney told the meeting.

On the subject of homelessness, he spoke of how the council’s housing staff went to great lengths to find accommodation for people sleeping rough during the recent severe weather events. This initiative worked well and demonstrated the capacity available, Mr Cooney commented.

RETROFITTING

Cllr Jim Ryan drew attention to the installation of air-to-water heating systems in council houses as part of the retrofitting scheme. His experience was that this initiative has been an “unmitigated disaster” due primarily to the cost and inadequate doors and windows, the latter requiring upgrade to triple-glazing.

Cllr Ryan mentioned one estate in the Thurles area where residents had no heating during the recent severe weather due to the loss of power. They had no water either. The residents were unable to light a fire or stove, and were very dissatisfied with their new air-to-water systems, he said.

Mr Cooney said the council has installed around 200 air-to-water heating systems in its housing stock as part of a decarbonisation scheme rolled out by the Government. Dwellings must be brought up to a minimum B2 energy rating in order to qualify for installation, and that means removing open fires and stoves from the dwelling.

He acknowledged that there were difficulties during the recent severe weather events. Nevertheless, the council has tenants looking for the installation of air-to-water systems. Mr Cooney agreed that the systems are costly in that they generally require a complete overhaul of the dwelling’s insulation.