Housing demand for rapidly growing Laois town
Graiguecullen and Portlaoise are the only towns in Laois that have "key status"
Graiguecullen has not had any additional social housing units in 2024 and will not have any in 2025 according to the Laois Housing Targets figures under the Government's Housing for All scheme, according to Sinn Féin's representative for the town.
Aaron Kelly, a 2024 local election candidate, issued a statement on the housing allocation for people on Laois County Council's waiting list in Graigue, which has the same status as Portlaoise in a strategic plan for regional development.
"It may be 'Housing for All' by name but it's certainly not by nature when Graiguecullen is yet again excluded from social housing delivery this year," said Mr Kelly in a statement to the Leinster Express / Laois Live.
He said Graiguecullen has experienced a significant rise in population which is exerting pressure on existing social housing resources.
"This growth has not been met with a proportional increase in housing developments, leading to a scarcity that affects vulnerable families, including low-income residents, individuals with disabilities, and the elderly. It's so frustrating to see young people being left without any hope of securing their own home and being left with no choice but to emigrate.
"People are contacting me on a daily basis in relation to their position on the housing list in Laois and a common theme that I am coming across is how it has now become a normal occurrence for three generations of family to live under the same roof," he said.
Pictured: Redevelopment of the Presentation Convent site in Portlaoise is a €27 million social housing project.
"We need a complete overhaul of current housing policies to address systemic delays and improve delivery efficiencies. Sinn Féin has a plan to make housing affordable and to bring homeownership within reach of working people. Sinn Féin will transform housing in Ireland, from how we think and plan homes, the communities they are part of, to how we build homes. We will ensure that everyone has a home," he said.
Carlow-Graiguecullen is a designated Key Town Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy for the Southern Region. Laois County Council fed into a joint plan for Carlow and Graigue in 2024. The adopted plan will apply to 2030.