€68m local authority home building initiative
Fine Gael TD for Limerick Patrick O’ Donovan, has today welcomed the announcement of € 2 million investment in the construction of local authority housing in Limerick. Deputy O’Donovan was speaking after the announcement of a €68 million Local Authority Construction Initiative by Minister for Housing and Planning, Jan O’Sullivan TD.
“I welcome the Government announcement of €68 million in funding to restart the local authority mainstream house building programme. In County Limerick, €2 million will be invested to build 12 housing units at various locations.
“This investment is badly needed to cope with the increased demand for social housing and will go a long way towards reducing local authority waiting lists. Last week the Government also allocated €15m to bring vacant local authority housing back into use, another measure designed to reduce pressure on the social housing lists.
“These construction and maintenance investments will also create jobs in the building and green energy sectors in local communities across the country.
“The €68 million local authority construction initiative will see some 449 new homes built across the country over the next two years. This is just one of a number of Government-backed initiatives to provide high quality homes for families launching in 2014, including:
· A €15 million fund to bring back into use vacant local authority houses
· A €35 million investment over 2014 and 2015 for housing for people with a disability, people without a home and the elderly
· A €30 million investment in 2014 to improve the energy efficiency of local authority housing
· A €10 million fund to kick start resolution on the remaining unfinished housing developments
“I am pleased that County Limerick will see the benefit of this latest initiative, which should go a long way towards reducing social housing waiting lists and will also create local jobs.