Construction underway on first housing development in Limerick village in more than 30 years

THE MINISTER for Housing, Darragh O’Brien, has visited a new private housing development in Patrickswell - the first in the village in more than 30 years. 

An Tobar, which is locted close to the centre of the village, is an estate that will have over 100 two, three and four bedroom homes.

“For the first time in 20 years, we've affordable homes to purchase with more social homes than we've ever built before. And yes, we need private developments, good private developments like this where people can buy and lots of renters out there want to be able to buy homes, and it's about increasing the supply,” Minister O’Brien said this Monday afternoon. 

Work has begun on the development and it’s the first private development in the area in 35 years.

“The great thing about it as well is these are all pointed towards home buyers and mainly first time buyers. So things like the ‘First Home Scheme’ that I've brought in, which is the equity piece between the finance you have and what will apply to this scheme as well as the ‘Help to Buy Grant’, which is €30,000 that you get back in your tax back paid already,” Minister O'Brien told Limerick Live.

Contracts signed for design and construction of €80 million development in Limerick

While it’s very welcome, the housing crisis has been problematic in recent years due to lack of housing and the rise in cost of living with a Daft.ie report revealing that average rents were higher in the Treaty County, up 18.9%, compared to last year. 

“As Housing Minister, I absolutely know the challenges that are there with regard to housing but we're determined to get to grips with it and we're starting to see momentum in that space. New developments like this here all around Limerick have seen great regeneration work done in the city, apartments, old Georgian houses converted into apartments. We've seen the opera site coming on stream there as well. And now we're seeing here in Patrickswell, 111 brand new homes for people. It's fantastic,” added Mr O'Brien.

The minister was in Patrickswell as part on a whistlestop tour of Limerick and he explained how a scheme he has introduced is assisting first time buyers in Limerick. 

“I want to back them and this government's backing them. That's why I brought in the ‘First Home Scheme’ in and I'd encourage any of your readers or viewers to go on to firsthomescheme.ie. It's the real way of bridging the gap between the finance that you have and what you need by the state stepping in and taking that equity. 

“It's not a second mortgage and no interest in year zero to six and a very small servicing fee. And we've actually nearly a thousand households approved under that already, just since last July and we have people applying here in Limerick as well. So this scheme here where we're standing, 'First Home' will work for people here and also help to buy ground.

“Lots of people want to be able to own their own homes, they want to own them at an affordable rate. That's what ‘Housing For All’ is all about. And that's what I'm about as Minister."