Meeting demanded with Housing Minister over shelved Kildare housing

KILDARE county councillors have called for an immediate meeting with the Minister for Housing following a major setback in the delivery of social housing in the county.

Cllrs Aoife Breslin, Anne Breen, and Rupert Heather are seeking clarity on the situation after it emerged that the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) has been instructed by the department not to proceed with awarding the contract for Public Private Partnership (PPP) Bundle 3 due to high costs.

It was estimated that each unit in PPP Bundle 3 was costing more than €1 million, which caused the Department of Housing to halt the project.

The decision has raised significant concern among local representatives and Kildare locals, and specifically affects the Athy area, as a site at Ardew for 73 houses was ready for construction.

Adding to the alarm, the department has also initiated a review of PPP Bundles 4 to 7, a decision that councillors say will have a "very serious impact" on the already strained efforts to deliver much-needed social housing across Kildare.

At a recent meeting of Kildare County Council, cllr Aoife Breslin referenced the 15,500 homeless in this country and how the decision directly impacts them. 

“At the last hour it was cancelled,” she said, referencing the fact that construction at Ardew, Athy was set to begin sometime this month.

“Housing is not political – It’s become an emergency,” said cllr Breslin, and suggested that the development at Ardew be handed over to Kildare County Council to finish it out.

Cllr Breslin also discussed the €1 million estimated for each unit under PPP Bundle 3 calling the figure “disingenuous”.

The director of housing in Kildare County Council agreed with the councillor's sentiment but added: “It’s not just building costs, but 25 years of maintenance as well. We need that clarified.” 

In support of the motion was Newbridge councillor Chris Pender. 

“The last thing we want to see is the development getting delayed or stopped. The minister must come speak to us.” 

The councillors have emphasised the urgency of engaging directly with the minister to push for assurances that housing commitments in Kildare will not be abandoned or significantly delayed.

It was agreed before the full council that a letter will be sent out to the Minister of Housing to arrange a meeting with councillors.