‘Very positive’ year ahead for Tipperary as social housing delivery accelerates
The new year will be “very positive” for one district in Tipperary in terms of social housing figures.
That’s according to Fianna Fáil councillor Siobhán Ambrose who was speaking at the December meeting of the Clonmel Borough District about housing projects that are set to be delivered in 2026.
"Speaking from a Clonmel perspective, I think things bode very well,” Cllr Ambrose said.
"We have 156 houses under construction but I think there was an omission with respect to the Prior Park Grove houses, and that’s an additional 51 homes, but we’ve already given out nine [houses here] so that’s 42 left [to be allocated]. So if you add the 156 you have here with the 42, that’s 198 [homes],” she explained.
"If you look at the 198 minus the applicants we have on the housing list at the moment, which is 561 and when you look at those kind of figures and bringing it down all the time, plus if you’re looking at the two affordable housing applications that have gone to the Housing Minister’s office, all of these housing schemes are very, very important,” the Fianna Fáil councillor added.
All the houses that are set to be delivered in Clonmel over the next few months and years, will go a long way in addressing the town's housing shortage, Cllr Ambrose said.
"2026, I think, is going to be a very positive year for this district, we’re really bringing the numbers way down.
"Now obviously, people will come onto the housing list, but you’re not going to have hundreds between now and 2026, but certainly, I think, looking at those figures, that we as a local authority are doing very well and at county level if you look at it, we have surpassed targets that were set by the Department of Housing.
"That’s a really great success, because we border eight counties,” Cllr Ambrose added.
Councillors at the meeting were also told that 61 social homes were underway Thomas Street, with the homes due to have been delivered in quarters three or four of this year, but that issues with planning slowed the project down.
In response, a representative from Tipperary County Council’s housing section said that it had been a good year for house building in the council.
"We had an original target with the Department, which we also got increased, and we are going to exceed that target in Tipperary, so we’re exceeding our targets in Tipperary for our house building programme and our acquisition programme,” councillors were told.