Council under fire as no affordable housing applications made for major south Wicklow area
The Wicklow PeopleA Wicklow Wexford TD has sharply criticised Wicklow County Council for what he describes as a complete lack of progress on affordable housing in Arklow, saying it is “deeply frustrating” that no applications have been made for government‑supported schemes in the town, despite funding being widely available.
His comments come after he received confirmation from the Department of Housing that no applications have been received for starter homes or affordable purchase schemes in the Arklow area.
Affordable housing schemes allow families and individuals to be able to buy a home, often with local authority support, at a more affordable price than they might normally have to be.
Speaking about the issue, Deputy Byrne said the situation has dragged on for far too long.
“We need to provide homes for people, and government is making large sums of money available for housing,” he said.
“There are affordable housing schemes being developed all over Ireland, including in other parts of Co. Wicklow and in Gorey. The delays on home building in Arklow were put down to the lack of sewerage capacity in the past. That issue has been addressed.”
He questioned why Arklow continues to lag behind while other parts of the county move ahead.
“Wicklow County Council really need to prioritise providing social and affordable housing for Arklow. I don’t doubt they are doing a good job in the north of the county, but why is Arklow not seeing any proposals being developed?” he asked.
Mr Byrne added that he has been trying unsuccessfully for several weeks to secure a meeting with the council’s Housing Section to discuss the matter.
The Fianna Fáil TD said he is willing to work with the council to secure funding but insisted that the local authority must take the first step.
“I am happy to work with the council in securing funding from government but we need to see a proactive approach to identifying potential affordable schemes,” he said.
Affordable housing schemes, he noted, are vital in allowing families and individuals to buy a home at a more accessible price, often with local authority support.
Deputy Byrne had sought an update on affordable housing delivery in the Wicklow–Wexford constituency and specifically asked the Housing Minister to confirm whether any of the affordable purchase homes referenced in previous replies were located in the Arklow Local Electoral Area.
He has also unsuccessfully been seeking a meeting with the housing section of Wicklow County Council for weeks on this issue.
The minister’s response confirmed that, while more than 22,000 affordable housing supports have been delivered nationally since 2022, including more than 1,000 in Wicklow, none of the affordable purchase homes in Wicklow to date have been in Arklow.
The Department also stated: “To date, the Department has not received any applications or plans for new starter home delivery in the local areas of Arklow.”
The minister noted that data is not collated by local electoral area, but the absence of applications from Arklow was clear.
Local authorities, including Wicklow County Council, will soon begin preparing new housing delivery action plans under the government’s updated housing strategy, Delivering Homes, Building Communities. These plans are expected to outline how each council intends to deliver starter homes and affordable housing in the coming years.
In response to Deputy Byrne’s criticism, Wicklow County Council issued a statement saying it is “continuing to work proactively to deliver affordable housing opportunities across the county, including within Arklow”.
The council acknowledged that fewer affordable schemes have been delivered in Arklow compared to other areas but said it is “actively engaging with developers and exploring all available opportunities to increase affordable housing supply in the town”.
The council highlighted ongoing discussions to secure affordable units in the upcoming Sheephouse development in Arklow.
It also pointed to challenges, saying that “one of the key challenges in delivering affordable homes in Arklow to date has been the lower number of large-scale residential developments progressing in the area compared to other parts of the county”.
Larger developments elsewhere, such as Mariners Point in Wicklow town and Market Close in Dunlavin, have enabled the council to secure affordable units through Part 5 agreements.
The council also referenced a 26‑unit mixed social and affordable scheme at Lott Lane, Kilcoole, which is progressing this year on council‑owned land. It said it is examining opportunities for similar council‑led developments in other parts of the county, “including Arklow and the surrounding areas.”
Despite the explanations, Deputy Byrne maintains that the lack of any affordable housing applications for Arklow is unacceptable and that residents in the town are being left behind.
With new housing delivery action plans due shortly, pressure is likely to intensify on Wicklow County Council to ensure Arklow finally sees concrete proposals, and not just promises for affordable homes.