North county Dublin families left ‘high and dry' must re-apply for mortgages due to infrastructure delays
He spoke to multiple people waiting on their new homes in Knocksedan, Swords, who were told they would be ready to move in by the second quarter of this year.
However, this hasn't been possible due to infrastructure delays.
Residents have reported a 'complete lack of correspondence' from Irish Water in relation to when their homes will be connected to water mains.
'I spoke to a family last week who are now having to reapply for mortgage approval, despite their new home being practically ready,' he said.
'Uisce Éireann has given no indication of when they intend to connect the 40 houses in this development. They're being completely kept in the dark. It's unacceptable.'
Cllr Corkery's pointed to the €2.2bn allocated in Budget 2025 for Irish Water, as well as a government pledge to use the Apple tax windfall on critical infrastructure, questioning what progress is being made with those funds.
'The Tánaiste has made it clear – funding to Uisce Éireann depends on a clear plan to actually deliver the water and wastewater infrastructure we need,' he said.
'We're zoning land, doubling housing targets under the National Planning Framework, and setting up a new Infrastructure Division and Cabinet Committee.
'But unless Irish Water comes to the table with real delivery, families will keep suffering,' he added.
ADVERTISEMENT
In another area of Fingal in Rush, dozens of families have found themselves trapped in a housing limbo, caught between development delays and missing utility connections.
The Hayestown development in Rush, which is part of a Government-backed affordable housing scheme, was supposed to welcome homeowners as far back as June last year
Instead, many buyers remain locked out, despite having drawn down mortgages and even enrolled their children in local schools.
In February, just 14 out of 52 homes in the scheme had been handed over.
Cllr Corkery has said that, in light of the revised National Planning Framework, councillors will be tasked with rezoning land for housing.
'I think it's important we have assurances from Irish Water that they'll be able to deliver on their responsibility to connect future housing developments to water/wastewater infrastructure,' he said.
A spokesperson for Irish Water said: 'Uisce Éireann is fully committed to completing connections as efficiently as possible.
'Our Connections team and dedicated field engineers engage extensively with developers to progress the delivery of water and wastewater connection works.
'There are many factors that impact on the delivery of water connections on site, for example the Uisce Éireann quality assurance processes, that reviews on-site pipework, is in place to ensure that works on site are of a required standard to safeguard water quality for homeowners.
'Connections can't be completed until these tests are completed satisfactorily.
'Should any developer have concerns over delivery timelines we would encourage them to engage with Uisce Éireann at 1800 278 278 or with their Uisce Éireann field engineer who will guide the developer through any remaining steps as efficiently as possible,' they added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Extra.ie
5 hours ago
- Extra.ie
Why couples on €100k can't afford vast bulk of three-bedroom semi-Ds
Property prices are now so high that a couple on a combined income of more than €100,000 will only be able to afford an average-priced new three-bed semi in one of five locations nationwide, a new housing report shows. The couple also need a minimum 10% deposit under the Central Bank's lending rules. Adding to the burden, estate agents expect prices to increase by an average of 5% over the next 12 months. Up to 70% of agents report that low supply is the main driver of house price inflation. Some 60% believe prices are increasing but will level off soon, while another 18% believe they have peaked. Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris. Pic: Sasko Lazarov/ Some 88% of estate agents describe current residential property prices as 'expensive' or 'very expensive' – that's up from 83% in January. The Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) Residential Mid-Year Market Monitor 2025 report highlights that affordability challenges have intensified for first-time buyers. The average typical listed price for a three-bed semi in the first six months of this year is €357,850, 12.3% higher than a year previously and 40% higher than at the onset of Covid. In the most expensive counties outside Dublin, a couple will face a shortfall of €65,200 in Wicklow and €22,000 in Kildare for that house type. The current rate of inflation in the market is the highest seen in the decade since mortgage market rules were introduced. The surge in inflation is relatively broadly based, with the Dublin figure of 12.3% in line with the average for the rest of the country, according to the latest House Price Report. In the rest of Leinster, the annual increase in prices is 14.3%, whereas inflation is close to the national average in both Limerick city at 12.8% and Galway city at 12.5%. In Waterford city, the rate is higher again at 15.2%, while in Cork city the increase in prices is slower, at 8.6%. Areas around the country highlighted by the report show that prices in Dublin stand at €467,913, up 12.3%. A Galway city average house costs €426,348, which is up 12.5%, followed by Cork city at €369,938 – up 8.6%. Limerick city stands at €311,086 – up 12.8%. The rest of the country has average house costs reaching €309,954 which is up 12.5%. Pic: Shutterstock SCSI president Gerard O'Toole said the report indicated mounting concern over the supply of housing and a recent slowdown in home-building. He said a total of '51% of agents in our survey cite lack of supply as the main factor driving price inflation, up from 46% a year ago. 'In 2023, the figure was 35%, so we can really see the impact the lack of supply is having on house prices. At the same time, 70% of agents are reporting low stock levels of new and second-hand homes, again underscoring the persistent challenge of limited supply in the market. 'Over the past five years more than half of agents have consistently highlighted low stock levels, stressing that constrained supply remains a fundamental issue affecting the market,' he added. 'With the ESRI forecasting that 37,000 new homes will be built this year, well short of the Government's target of 41,000, the urgent need to address infrastructural shortcomings and for the Housing Activation Office to become fully operational as soon as possible can't be overstated. 'The other main factors, which 20% of our members believe are influencing price movements, include the state of the economy. 'A further 16% said the continued availability of Government support schemes such as Help to Buy and First Home Scheme are influencing house prices. 'We have had 12 years of continuous price growth and the level of increases we have seen in recent years is just not sustainable. 'In the medium to long term, the only way to ensure prices stabilise is to ramp up supply,' Mr O'Toole said.
Irish Examiner
5 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
EU-US trade deal: Business groups welcome certainty but say 15% tariff 'still substantial burden'
Business groups have tentatively welcomed the framework trade agreement reached between the EU and the US, as it brings more certainty for firms, but the 15% tariff on imports to the US 'still represents a substantial burden for many industries'. On Sunday, US president Donald Trump met with EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen at his golf course in Scotland to finalise a framework trade deal with the EU. The agreement will see the US impose 15% tariffs on imports from the bloc. This is up from the 10% currently in place, but is lower than the 30% Mr Trump threatened to impose from August 1 should a deal not have been reached. Trade between the EU and the US accounts for almost a third of global trade. Speaking after the meeting, Mr Trump said: 'I think this is the biggest deal ever made.' Ms von der Leyen said the deal will 'bring stability, it will bring predictability'. Ms von der Leyen defended the trade deal as 'the best we could get', adding that it was not to be underestimated given the looming threat of 30% tariffs. A baseline tariff rate of 15% on EU goods imported into the US would apply to cars, semiconductors and pharmaceutical goods, Ms von der Leyen said. Meanwhile, a zero-for-zero tariff rate had been agreed for certain strategic products, including aircraft and aircraft parts, certain chemicals, and certain generic drugs. No decision has been made on a rate for wine and spirits. The deal also includes $600bn of EU investments in the US, along with EU purchases of US energy and military equipment. Ibec: Brexit-style supports needed Ibec chief executive Danny McCoy said the agreement brings an 'end to a significant amount of uncertainty for some businesses'. 'However, a 15% tariff still represents a substantial burden for many industries. 'Sectors which rely heavily on the US market, and operate within small margins, will once again be significantly impacted by an additional 5% tariff on top of what they have already had to absorb over the past several months, and well in excess of the 1% effective tariff which existed before April." He added: 'Our message to the Government, as it was with the 10% tariff, is that the most exposed sectors will require support similar to the interventions provided as a response to Brexit. Chamber Ireland: Viable firms need tariff supports Chamber Ireland welcomed the agreement on trade tariffs, with its chief executive Ian Talbot stating: 'Certainty is critical for businesses, and we've seen the impact of uncertainty over the past couple of months in terms of investment. 'While tariffs are never welcome news for businesses on either side of the Atlantic, reaching an agreement — however imperfect — is preferable to no deal. It, at least, allows companies to plan and adapt in the short term.' Mr Talbot also called for the EU and the Government to create a 'fund to support viable businesses in adapting to new tariffs', and also to ensure 'potential arbitrage issues with Northern Ireland are clearly understood and addressed'. This is the latest deal Mr Trump has reached with a few countries around the world before his August 1 deadline. Agreements with the US have also been reached with Britain, Japan, Indonesia, and Vietnam, but Mr Trump's administration has failed to deliver on a promise of '90 deals in 90 days'. He has periodically railed against the EU, saying it was 'formed to screw the US on trade'. Mr Trump said that the EU wanted 'to make a deal very badly' and said, as he met Ms von der Leyen, that Europe had been 'very unfair to the US'. His main bugbear is the US merchandise trade deficit with the EU, which reached $235bn in 2024, according to the US Census Bureau data. The EU points to the US surplus in services, which it says partially redresses the balance. Mr Trump also talked about the 'hundreds of billions of dollars' that tariffs were bringing in. Additional reporting Reuters
Irish Examiner
10 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Alcohol health labelling 'will add over a third to costs'
Taoiseach Micheál Martin was lobbied by business representative group Ibec to delay the introduction of alcohol warning labels for 'at least' four years due to tariff fears. Ibec chief executive Danny McCoy warned the Fianna Fáil leader that the new requirements would lead to packaging and labelling costs increasing by 'over one-third'. The letter also suggested that some distillers had even suspended brewing in fear of impending tariffs by the US administration. Mr McCoy also sent the letter to Tánaiste and trade minister Simon Harris and health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill in early June. The Government agreed earlier last week to suspend the rollout of warning labels for two years. In May 2023, then health minister Stephen Donnelly signed the Public Health (Alcohol) (Labelling) Regulations 2023. It was envisaged that the law would make it mandatory for alcohol product labels to state the calorie content and grams of alcohol in the product. They would also warn about the risk of consuming alcohol when pregnant and about the risk of liver disease and fatal cancers from alcohol consumption. The change was due to come into effect in May 2026, to allow a three-year implementation period for the drinks industry. However, there have been rumblings in recent weeks that the plan would be postponed, with Mr Harris saying that it would be additional disruption and a 'potential trade barrier' as tariff negotiations continue. At Tuesday's Cabinet meeting, the Tánaiste told ministers that Ms Carroll MacNeill will defer the plans for two years. This is despite reports that it would be a four-year pause. Correspondence released under Freedom of Information (FoI) shows that the Taoiseach was being lobbied by Ibec to drop the labelling plans. On June 3, Mr McCoy called for the plans to be dropped for four years 'at least'. 'The wider drinks sector, but particularly many of the new emerging distilleries, have significant exposure to these new tariffs and the wider trade uncertainty,' wrote Mr McCoy. 'The majority of distilling across the country is now suspended. The introduction of new labelling requirements for the drinks sector, which will add over one-third to product labelling and packaging costs, should be suspended for at least four years to give some certainty to operators. 'Reducing regulatory burden costs to free up resources to allow companies invest in finding new markets would be a positive development.' Mr McCoy said that the legislation had been cited by the US administration in its 2025 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers, which he said was 'cause for further concern and reason for this legislation to be deferred'. He added: 'The industry does not want this to be an issue of disagreement in overall efforts to secure a resolution on trade relations and restoration of a tariff-free trading environment.' Further correspondence shows the letter was also forwarded from the Taoiseach's office to the Department of Enterprise several days later seeking an update on enterprise minister Peter Burke's engagement with Ms Carroll MacNeill. A letter sent from Mr Burke to Ms Carroll MacNeill on May 15 was also released under FoI. He said that recent months have seen 'significant global uncertainty and a rapidly shifting trading landscape', which he said 'could have profound competitiveness implications for small open economies like Ireland'. Mr Burke said that Ireland would be the first country in Europe to introduce the labels. 'The proposed measures will mean increased production and sale costs for Irish producers and importers and add to the price payable by consumers at a time when prices are also rising due to a multitude of other factors,' wrote Mr Burke. 'Notwithstanding the overarching health benefits of the proposal, I would ask you to consider pausing the introduction of the proposed new requirements.' Calls not to delay plans Meanwhile, Mr Martin was urged not to delay the plans and received a letter just last week from Alcohol Action Ireland chief executive Sheila Gilheany. She said that 'postponing alcohol health information labelling is not consequence free given the thousands harmed by alcohol in Ireland.' Read More Delaying alcohol warning labels prioritises profiteering over health, says Irish Medical Organisation
