THE Department of Housing, Local Government, and Heritage have issued approval for funding of €7.35million to Limerick City and County Council to proceed with the delivery of 98 affordable purchase housing units as part of the An Tobar development in Patrickswell.
The granting of this approval will allow 98 units to made available to first time buyers and those where the ‘fresh start’ principle applies. The scheme is being delivered by the Lioscarran Group.
It is anticipated first time buyers will see a reduction of up to €75,000 for houses in the development depending on their income.
It is hoped the first phase of these 98 private units will be brought to market before the year ends.
Welcoming the approval by the Department to Limerick City and County Council, Deputy Mayor Dan McSweeney said: “Overall this is welcomed news not only for Patrickswell but the whole city and county. These 98 units will provide young people the opportunity to purchase their own home with the support of the Department.”
“It is a really exciting time for Patrickswell as this is the first major private housing development to occur in the village for over 35 years.”
Minister of State and local Fianna Fáil TD Niall Collins also welcomed the approval of the development.
“I expect that there will be significant interest from both local people and others for this scheme as it is the first Affordable Housing Scheme in Limerick of this significant scale.
“Other smaller schemes are being planned for Newcastle West, Abbeyfeale and Castletroy,” Deputy Collins added.
“What happens next is, when the contract is formally signed between the developers and the Council, the scheme will be advertised publicly inviting interested working people and couples to apply. The Council will then process the applications and make offers to applicants who qualify and are mortgage approved.
“Since this Government was formed over three years ago, in Limerick 2,059 new homes have been built with 971 new social homes being provided. Our Housing for All plan is delivering” he concluded.
Meanwhile, following the release of the Draft Patrickswell Local Area Plan 2024 –2030, Independent councillor Fergus Kilcoyne has expressed concern with the local authority’s decision to dezone land for new homes in the village.
“At present a large scheme is underway on the Clarina Road. This is the first large scale development in the area for many years. While I welcome this development, the affordable designation of the scheme mean that any couple earning over a certain threshold will not qualify to purchase a home.
“This is forcing many local young people to look for housing elsewhere outside the parish and this is a serious loss to our community,” Cllr Kilcoyne insisted.
“The dezoning of swathes of land is a retrograde step when one considers the close proximity of Patrickswell to the city, with enviable transport links, bus services, and the soon to be reinstated rail line. In total there is land for up to 175 new houses proposed to be dezoned in the coming months.”
