Just seven affordable homes built by Limerick council contractors in 2024

LIMERICK Council delivered just seven affordable purchase houses in 2024 - and is 211 units short of a target set by Government for the end of next year.

The figures, from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, were raised by Fine Gael councillor Dan McSweeney at this month’s local authority meeting.

Limerick City and County Council was tasked with delivering 264 affordable homes between 2022 and 2026 under Government’s Housing Delivery Action Plan.

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However, council set its own higher target of 325 units.

As of the end of last year just 53 of these had been delivered - less than a quarter of the target.

A local authority affordable purchase house is a new home, sold at a discount to its market price, to eligible first-time buyers who cannot afford to buy on the open market.

“I think the local authority is failing in the delivery of affordable housing,” said Cllr McSweeney.

“Looking at these figures, ye have failed. I’m appealing to ye to really start delivering on this.”

The City West councillor compared Limerick’s affordable housing output to other local authorities across the State.

Some 209 homes were built by the two Cork councils.

Fingal County Council built 266 of these, while Waterford constructed 62.

Housing director Brian Kennedy acknowledged 2024 was “a particularly challenging year”.

He said, however, there is an “active pipeline” of 326 homes being built between now and the end of next year.

Some 218 of these will be delivered as affordable homes, with the remaining 108 deemed cost-rental.

Council director general, Dr Pat Daly said: “Any time we miss a target or underperform as people might perceive, that affects us deeply. There are factors behind where we perform well and where we do not perform as well.”

Mayor John Moran said: “I still do not see a path to enough houses across Limerick.”