Council buy 20 homes in Ardee under Housing for All scheme
Jack Chambers TD, Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform & Digitalisation, officially opened Louth County Council's new housing scheme at Quarry Court, John Street, Ardee on Friday, 6th June 2025.
The scheme, consisting of 20 new A2-rated residential homes, was purchased by Louth County Council's Housing Delivery Section, utilising Social Housing Capital Investment Programme (SHCIP) funding as part of the Government's Housing for All plan.
Located at the junction of John Street and Stoney Lane, and close to Ardee town centre, the development was built by Currabeg Construction and consists of 11 three-bed houses and nine one-bed and two-bed apartments. The homes are all A2-rated and highly energy efficient, which will significantly reduce energy costs for residents.
Jack Chambers TD, Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform & Digitalisation, said: 'I am delighted to officially launch these 20 housing units in Ardee. Housing is the Government's top priority, and this project is a clear, demonstrable example and symbol of precisely what can be achieved when public and private work together in partnership to deliver state-of-the-art homes for people and families in our communities. I commend the Department of Housing, Louth County Council and all those involved in the delivery of this development.'
Cllr Kevin Callan, Cathaoirleach of Louth County Council, said: 'Louth County Council is leading the way nationally in terms of the quantity and quality of units that are being delivered across various schemes, including this fantastic turnkey development in the centre of Ardee. These apartments and houses will provide much-needed homes to the future residents. As Cathaoirleach, I have been very heartened by the dedication and hard work of our housing team in bringing projects like this to fruition, and I look forward to continuing significant housing delivery in the years ahead.'
David Conway, Chief Executive of Louth County Council, said: 'Under the Housing for All programme (2022–2026), Louth County Council is committed to delivering 1,323 social homes through a mix of direct-build projects, partnerships with Approved Housing Bodies, and Part V and turnkey acquisitions. We are also increasing the roll-out of Affordable Housing Schemes, and we are currently building a pipeline for future delivery. We are projecting delivery of more than 2,000 homes over the programme's duration, and at present, we have 440 homes under construction across eight sites.
'I wish to commend the developer, Seamus Rogers of Currabeg Construction, for delivering this high-quality housing scheme at a reasonable cost. These new A2-rated homes offer both comfort and energy efficiency, and we wish future residents every happiness in their new homes.'
Funded by Local Democracy Scheme.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
11 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Major social welfare warning as hundreds set to be impacted by closure of An Post office in tiny Irish village
A MAJOR warning has been issued for hundreds of social welfare recipients who are set to be affected by a change in their collection process. The Advertisement This means that from July 11 onwards, the social welfare recipients will be unable to collect their payments at the post office. Those receiving payments must receive them from A customer notice issued by the post office reads: "Leenane Post Office will permanently close on Friday 11th July 2025 at 15:00. "All DSP payments will be available at Letterfrack Post Office, The Country Store, Letterfrack from Monday 14th July 2025. Advertisement READ MORE ON MONEY "All other Post Office services are available at Letterfrack Post Office or from a Post Office of your choice. "An Post would like to take this opportunity to thank all our customers for their continued support." However, Bus Eireann offers bus services between Letterfrack and Leenane, but only comes every two hours, meaning recipients would have to wait for nearly two hours until their next bus home. Advertisement Most read in Money The permanent closure is due to the Postmaster in Leenane is leaving the business and it has been unable to find another contractor, Galway Bay FM reports. Jack Chambers confirms €125 increase in Earned Income Credit It was revealed that An Post hopes to provide a Postpoint terminal at the local shop in the area, which will provide some level of service around NEW CHILD BENEFIT PAYMENT Meanwhile, Dara Calleary has confirmed his department is "working on" a targeted However, he warned that an "unintended consequence" of a Advertisement The When asked by Independent TD He added: "That is why the programme for Government includes a range of measures to support children and their families. "One such commitment is to explore a targeted child benefit payment and examine the interaction this would have with existing targeted supports to reduce child poverty. Advertisement "Existing supports include the The 1 Social welfare recipients have been warned over the closure of the post office Credit: Getty
Irish Times
a day ago
- Irish Times
Where is the value in increasing the Help-to-Buy scheme threshold?
Pre-budget submissions are all about pleadings. Every special interest group in the State makes a pitch for more resources. They all consider their proposals to be in the wider public and economic interest. Some are worthy, many more are largely self-interested. This year the whole process appears to have kicked off earlier than usual, perhaps on the understanding that the largesse of recent years is unlikely to be repeated this time around. In the first place, there is no election. Worries for the medium-term health of Europe's most open economy in a climate where tariffs, trade wars and an absence of consistency on policy are increasingly the norm also will inevitably push Ministers towards a more cautious approach. And for what money is available, the need is to prioritise investment in infrastructure. Expensive upgrades to electricity, water and sewerage networks that are increasingly being cited by foreign direct investors among factors counting against Ireland Inc are needed. READ MORE An EY survey on Friday found that more than two-thirds of Irish businesses 'are worried about securing enough energy to meet future needs', which is an extraordinary number. Put together, it means more things are going to be a tough ask to get over the line. [ First-time buyers in Dublin now locked out of Help-to-Buy scheme, warns Savills Opens in new window ] It seems a strange time then for estate agent Savills to be picking CSO house price data to press for an increase in the upper threshold for the Help-to-Buy scheme. Savills says first-time buyers in Dublin are paying an average of €515,000 for a home, putting them beyond the €500,000 ceiling for Help-to-Buy. It wants that ceiling increased to at least €621,000 to take account of inflation, it says. First, averages are notoriously prone to manipulation by singular expensive property sales. Second, the more reliable median data from the same CSO note shows that prices exceed €460,000 only in Dún Laoghaire Rathdown among the four Dublin local authority areas. [ Developers are bluffing when they say lower prices would undermine viability of house building Opens in new window ] Then there is the maximum available tax refund under Help-to-Buy, which is €30,000. Ignoring that when calling for a higher ceiling is not making property more affordable for first-time buyers in general, only for the very wealthy. It is worth remembering that while the marketing speaks about providing a helping hand for first-time buyers – with even the scheme's name selected for the same reason – Help-to-Buy was from the start a scheme put together to help developers make the numbers stack up on building starter homes. That's not happening, as supply constraints (and prices rising at their fastest rate in 10 years) attest, so for the State – and those first-time buyers – what is the value of widening the incentive?
Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Irish Examiner
Fueling frustration: Why Irish petrol prices stay high, even when oil doesn't
Donald Trump, as he so often does, opted for all capital letters for this post on Truth Social earlier this week. 'EVERYONE, KEEP OIL PRICES DOWN,' he said. 'I'M WATCHING! YOU'RE PLAYING RIGHT INTO THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY. DON'T DO IT!' Like he told major retailer Walmart to 'eat the tariffs' he has imposed, the US president was telling oil markets to eat the instability he had directly contributed to in the Middle East with a direct attack on one of the biggest producers of oil in the world. As much as he appears to desire the power to dictate such terms, how much we all pay at the petrol pumps is not at the whim of Donald Trump. So far, however, prices appear to be singing to his tune somewhat, if not for the reasons he may think so, that is, himself. Here in Ireland, it was only three years ago that we saw geopolitical forces brought to bear as Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine saw prices for everything skyrocket, including for petrol and diesel. While the impacts on us pale into comparison when compared to the Ukrainian people, Russia's actions did precipitate a cost-of-living crisis charities say is still biting to this day. But, despite bombs falling in Tehran, Tel Aviv and Doha in recent weeks, the oil markets so far — and this must be stressed, so far — have not reacted like they did back in 2022. Back then, there was a 'perfect storm' of Russia being such a big supplier, coupled with a relative shortage of oil supply coming out of the pandemic, according to transport commentator Conor Faughnan. This time, due to tariff threats and concerns about the global economy, as well as additional supply in the market at the moment, oil prices had been expected to trend down in the second half of this year prior to the recent Israel-Iran hostilities. 'It's been notable to observe when we had the Russian invasion in 2022, there was a very strong and prolonged reaction in world oil prices,' Mr Faughnan said. 'They went up and stayed high. That's different from the current crisis. Conor Faughnan: 'About 55%-60% of the money you pay at the pump goes directly to the Government in taxes. The oil price component is surprisingly small.' 'There hasn't as yet been the sort of extreme reaction we might have expected to see. Over the years, there's been a very serious set of circumstances, there's been multiple geopolitical shocks to the oil price. Often, they'll cause turbulence on a two-to-three day basis. When Russia invaded, we had a sustained effect. This time around, it's different. Mr Faughnan said it was more a case of the markets having 'bated breath', or there being a 'pregnant pause' while they waited to see how events would play out in the Middle East conflict. On Tuesday, oil prices hit their lowest in two weeks after Trump claimed there had been a 'total ceasefire' agreed between Israel and Iran. But, as we know, the bombing did not fully stop there. Later in the week, JP Morgan analysts said global energy prices were 'moderating' following the ceasefire. However, the lobby group for fuel retailers said that prices were already coming from a high base. Fuels for Ireland chief executive Kevin McPartland said even prior to US strikes on Iran, wholesale prices had already surged by nine cent per litre for petrol, eight cent for diesel and seven cent for kerosene. And this is before tax and retailer margin is applied. 'We fully understand the pressure that rising fuel costs put on households and businesses, particularly as we move through a cost-of-living crisis,' Mr McPartland said. These are global effects being felt locally. Fuel retailers in Ireland are not setting prices arbitrarily. They are responding to international costs that are outside their control. One factor that could send the price ballooning even higher is Iran's actions at the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. About a fifth of the world's oil passes through this area, which has Iran to the north and Oman and the United Arab Emirates to the south. Iran has in the past threatened to close the strait, which would restrict trade and affect global oil prices, but has never followed through on the threat. Mr Faughnan said a shock to the world oil price is 'possible if the situation worsens, or the Strait of Hormuz is involved'. 'It hasn't happened yet,' he said. 'If it does hit, we'll reassess. What's remarkable to note is that post-Israeli attacks on Iran last week, the global oil market was, relaxed is the wrong word, but it wasn't the extreme reaction we might have expected.' Petrol and diesel prices in Ireland Then again, Irish consumers will not need to experience another geopolitical shock to see the cost of filling the car be unwelcomingly high. They have been paying high prices at the pumps for some time. While the cost of a litre of petrol has fallen from its peak of more than €2 in the summer of 2022, it still remains stubbornly high at arobout €1.79, according to figures from AA Ireland. Its figures suggest prices have fluctuated wildly, ranging between €1.50 and close to €1.90 a litre for both diesel and petrol in recent years. Even going further back, and the price at the pumps has been high. Heading into 2020, prices going back five years had been in the range of between €1.20 and €1.50 a litre. If we were to factor in general inflation since then, using data from the Central Statistics Office, it has reached over 25% in that time. So, the €1.31 you spent for a litre of petrol in January 2015 translates to about €1.64 now. While fuel inflation is higher than this, they're in the same ball park. In other words, the prices were high enough then and even higher now. For its part, an AA spokesperson said: 'Any volatility in international markets inevitably can affect wholesale costs and, ultimately, prices at the pump. If tensions escalate or shipping routes are disrupted, it could lead to price increases for Irish consumers. We've already seen some fluctuations this year, and continued instability could keep upward pressure on prices in the months ahead. Mr Faughnan said an increase in the cost of oil would also lead to consumers paying more Vat on the cost of filling the car, as it is calculated as a percentage of the cost. Government taxes 'About 55%-60% of the money you pay at the pump goes directly to the Government in taxes,' he said. 'The oil price component is surprisingly small. You've the oil price, refinery cost, shipping cost, wholesale margin, retail margin. On top of that then the price is doubled. 'A big move in the oil price translates to a more modest move at the pump price.' Mr McPartland, whose organisation represents fuel retailers, said when fuel prices go up the tax on them goes up too, which he said warranted a 'comprehensive review of how fuel for heating and transport is taxed'. 'We are calling on the minister for finance to establish a group of experts to undertake this review as a matter of urgency,' he said. We've been here before. To help mitigate cost-of-living rises, the Government temporarily reduced excise rates on fuel at a 'significant cost to the exchequer', according to officials from the Department of Finance. It said last year this measure had effectively been a fossil fuel subsidy and was a 'climate negative measure'. It appears any measures to ease the taxes paid at the petrol pumps remain unlikely. On carbon taxes — which make up about 13c-14c of the €1.79 litre of petrol — finance minister Paschal Donohoe told the Dáil that if 'we want to invest more in a greener and lower carbon future, we need to have a way of paying for it'. At the same time, in terms of an alternative, take-up of electric vehicles is accelerating but not yet at the kind of critical mass needed to significantly reduce our transport emissions. Just last week, the Climate Change Advisory Council said new EV grants of €10,000 should be given to the lower-paid to encourage them to make the switch. 'The benefits and savings from existing policies and measures are not keeping pace with the causes of increased emissions, including increasing transport demand in terms of fuel sales and vehicle kilometres, and corrective action is needed in the sector,' it said. CSO data tells us despite 16% of new car sales so far this year being EVs, with similar market shares for plug-in hybrids, a further 44% were for petrol and diesel cars. For now, the reliance on the petrol and diesel car remains strong in Ireland. And while it does, so too will we be reliant on factors outside of our control. Read More Fuel prices rise again putting further pressure on motorists, AA warns
