Minister Murphy visits social housing projects in Waterford
The Mayor of Waterford City and County Council, Councillor Pat Nugent, welcomed the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Eoghan Murphy, T.D., to Waterford today (Thursday 18 January 2018). Minister Murphy was in Waterford to review a number of social housing projects being delivered under Rebuilding Ireland – Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness.
“Waterford City and County Council appreciates the considerable financial support that the Minister and his Department have provided for a large number of social housing projects that the Council is currently involved in” the Mayor said. “This has enabled us to continue expanding the Council’s housing delivery to meet the need for social housing in the city and the county.”
Minister Murphy performed the official opening of the newly refurbished housing scheme the elderly at Convent Hill Tramore. This project was jointly developed between the Society of Saint Vincent DePaul, the Catherine Walsh Trust and Waterford City & County Council and has transformed the dwellings that were originally built almost 200 years ago. The scheme was co-funded by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government under the Capital Assistance Scheme funding, and also by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland’s Better Energy Communities Scheme (see note below for further information).
Minister Murphy also performed the opening of the social housing scheme at the former Ormonde Cinema Building located in Dungarvan town centre. This project, which comprises 15 units, won the Most Creative Supply Response award at the recent Irish Council for Social Housing Community Housing Awards 2017.
The Mayor also brought the Minister to visit a social housing turnkey development that is currently being constructed at Kilrush in Dungarvan. Waterford City & County Council are acquiring the completed development of 39 dwellings from the developer, Woodfort CFS. The scheme is one of a number of similar approved turnkey schemes currently under construction throughout Waterford city and county which will deliver more than 110 social housing units and most of these will be completed in 2018.
Minister Murphy also visited a recently refurbished house at Barrack Street in Waterford city centre which is being leased by Waterford City & County Council under the Repair and Lease Scheme. The house will be allocated shortly. The Scheme targets vacant properties and secures them for social housing under long-term leases.
Note for editors
The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) supported the range of energy efficiency upgrades to homes, community buildings, businesses and schools carried out under Waterford City and County Council’s Deise Sustainable Energy Projects 2016. This involved €800,000 funding towards insulation and heating system upgrades in 65 fuel poor homes, Kill National School, Ardkeen Superstore, Passage Community Centre, Cunnigar Pitch and Putt club and Rinn College, among others.
Speaking on the completion of the project, John Randles, Head of Delivery in SEAI said: “SEAI helps communities and businesses to be more energy efficient and use cleaner energy. The Deise Sustainable Energy Project was an ambitious project supported through our Better Energy Communities programme. It demonstrates the value of bringing together multiple stakeholders across a wide community to share in the vision of a clean energy future. This resulted in, not only significant economic benefit to the community from the €2million investment, but also significant personal benefit to those in much warmer and more comfortable homes and businesses as a result. I commend the Waterford communities on their achievements and would encourage others to see how they can create a clean energy future for their locality.”
