Limerick Mayor explores building modular homes on site of proposed hospital

MAYOR John Moran has suggested smart modular homes could be built on land which may be bought by the HSE - and in some cases, used by staff of the health service.

He revealed he has been in talks with HSE bosses over whether his plans to build temporary homes across the city to ease the housing crisis could help doctors, nurses and other people working at University Hospital Limerick (UHL).

The directly elected first citizen still harbours ambitions of building 2,000 rapid-build homes across Limerick, which would be used to give people places to live while longer-term houses are then built, and has identified a number of sites.

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He held fresh talks with the Government on the plan this week - despite ministers previously reducing the scale of the project down to just 150 homes.

All this comes against the backdrop of Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill confirming she will be proceeding with plans to expand capacity at UHL, and potentially build another medical building close to Dooradoyle.

“We have had conversations with the HSE about whether the smart-home project could be used just for their workers and how we might structure it. It would have to be different because they are based on external rental being paid by normal persons. If it works, if they think they have enough demand, and we can convince a financier to come and finance the acquisition of the smart homes, then absolutely,” he told Limerick Today on Live95 radio.

Speaking more in general about his flagship project, Mayor Moran also raised the possibility of smart homes being built on land which will eventually be designated for medical use.

Ms MacNeill said last month there is “no question” the Mid-West needs a new public hospital, but it’s something she needs to plan with clinicians and cabinet colleagues.

Mayor Moran said: “Let’s say we have the good fortune to have the new hospital and we have a big site for this which will grow over time into the new hospital facilities. The HSE might agree with us that one half of that site, we are not going to use for 20 to 30 years. But we need key housing for our workers in the hospital. So we’d like to build smart homes there, and in 20 years’ time, you can move them somewhere else and we can start building another part of the hospital.”

The executive mayor’s first full year in office has been marked by disagreements with fellow councillors, and, on occasion, members of the local authority’s executive.

He hopes 2026 heralds a new start, adding: “The last four or five weeks have been phenomenal. We have seen a completely different change. I am looking at 24 priorities we have for the next year. They will help me allocate funds, but importantly, we are going to have delivery milestones for every quarter of the year.”

Mayor Moran acknowledged there are members of the council who “would like my job in three-and-a-half years’ time”.

“They are like an opposition in that respect, and that’s good. Because they hold me to task on what I said I would  for the people,” he said.

Asked if he feels the Government and the civil service nationally want him to succeed in the role as Ireland’s first directly elected mayor, he said: “I hope so”.

“Can I be convinced? No. This is a new experiment. Ireland has always been the most centralised nation and that’s a comfortable place for those who make decisions,” he added.

“We all want Limerick to succeed. The Government needs Limerick to succeed. I had a session with 30 mayors across Europe. There is always tension between national Governments and mayors.”