Housing Minister welcomes over 200 new social homes in Kilkenny

The Minister for Housing, Darragh O'Brien has praised Kilkenny County Council for being 'progressive and an example to others' when it comes to delivering social housing.

The Fianna Fáil minister made the comments during a visit to Kilkenny earlier today when he turned the sod on the commencement of the construction of 88 houses at Crokers Hill, Kilkenny. 

The development, which consists mainly of apartments and is located on the Kennyswell Road also includes 19 fully wheelchair accessible units to meet disability needs, including a group home under the decongregation programme.

The Minister also visited a construction site at Golf Links Road Kilkenny where a  backyard site is being developed into six new housing units, four of which are age friendly units.

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Kilkenny County Council as part of its ongoing housing delivery programme today welcomed  the completion of 22 homes at Station Avenue, Ballyragget, 66 at Pennefeather, Hebron Road, Kilkenny and 23 at Orchard Close, New Orchard, Kilkenny.

Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council, Cllr Pat Fitzpatrick, speaking at Station Avenue, Ballyragget, welcomed Minister O’Brien to Kilkenny and to Ballyragget's newest estate and acknowledged the strong progress of Kilkenny County Council in the delivery of social housing under the Housing For All Programme.

“These homes in Station Avenue, Ballyragget are one of a number of estates provided in recent years, in Castlecomer, Callan and Kilmacow, showing a real commitment to keeping families in our rural towns and supporting our rural economy.”  

Cllr Fitzpatrick referred to the huge investment in housing by Kilkenny County Council in recent years with more than €50m invested in housing developments during 2021 and 2022.  

Cllr Fitzpatrick pointed out that 'over 3,500 households are being provided with housing supports by Kilkenny County Council at this time, either through tenancies, rental support or housing grants' and he thanked the staff in the Housing Department for making sure that these housing supports are delivered every year.

Director of Services, Mary Mulholland, in outlining the ambitious building programme for housing delivery in Kilkenny indicated that the funding required for the delivery of the many schemes both underway and proposed in the county would exceed €90 million for the period  to 2026.  

Ms. Mulholland welcomed the many schemes available under Housing For All to support local delivery by local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies. This represents a huge investment in Kilkenny and in housing made possible through the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government.

Minister O’Brien also visited Pennefeather Court and Green, Hebron Road, Kilkenny, to perform the official opening of two sites totalling 66 homes in the city centre, which will be fully occupied before Christmas 2022.   

Kilkenny County Council will deliver more than 800 social homes and at least 76 affordable homes during the period to 2026 to support the overall national targets for housing delivery within the Housing For All Programme.

Plans are in progress for further developments in Kilkenny City, Freshford, Thomastown, Piltown, Mooncoin and other locations.

Kilkenny has been successful in meeting housing delivery targets in Kilkenny through close working relationships with Approved Housing Bodies.

Kilkenny County Council very much welcomed Minister O’Brien's visit to Kilkenny to view some of the many housing projects under way and look forward to working closely with the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government to successfully achieve housing solutions for those who need them in Kilkenny.