'We are snug in our beds now' - €1 million energy upgrade to Laois housing development

A volunteer-run private Laois housing development in Mountmellick is a shining example to all towns on how to provide safe, comfortable, sociable housing for older people. On Friday, February 27 the residents and committee of Wolfe Tone Court in Mountmellick gathered in their community hall for a hot meal and the handover of the €1 million BER energy upgrade of their 24 homes, 20 years since they were first built. CONTINUE READING BELOW PHOTO

Pictured are John Moloney, Cllr. Barry Walsh, Cathaoirleach Laois Co Co Frances O'Loughlin, Wolfe Tone Committee Sec and Nick Phelan, Firebird Heating Solutions Photos: Denis Byrne

Brigid Kavanagh Dunne is one of the residents.

“I am very happy. I’m 86 years old. We are very happy, warm and snug in our beds now. It’s so convenient,” she told the Leinster Express / Laois Live.

Resident Fiona Flynn from Mountmellick has Multiple Sclerosis and is a wheelchair user.

“Before my bedroom would be cold enough and the bathroom was cold, it had no heating in it at all. We had a little fan heater.

“We never had an open fire anyway. Now it’s the same temperature throughout the house. It’s very important for my health to keep it warm. We have hot water all the time, it’s brilliant.

“It’s quieter too because the new windows are triple glazed. The work was done while I was in respite care so they worked around me,” she added.

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Nora Dunne is also delighted with her home upgrade.

“It’s lovely and warm, I’m not used to this lovely heating. I love where I’m living, it’s lovely and quiet. I don’t see a lot of my neighbours in the winter but I hope to see them in the garden this summer again,” she said.

Pictured at Wolfe Tone Court Mountmellick on Friday were Rose McEvoy, Claire Conroy, Frances O'Loughlin and Eileen Daly

Committee secretary Frances O’Loughlin is one of the driving forces behind the local development.

“I am here since the start. We started thinking about this in 2001, we formed the committee in 2003 and we built it in 2006.”

She explains why she remains a committee member, twenty years on.

“It’s just the satisfaction of seeing people able to move into a small community, it’s so comfortable and safe here, we have CCTV all around it and the Garda station is across the road. Some people were living alone, in two storey houses.

“Tenants are so grateful. Over the years we have housed nearly 100 people, it’s brilliant,” she said.

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Former junior Minister John Moloney leads the dedicated committee.

They include Michael Gormley, Bobby Delaney, Fr McNamara, Claire Conroy, Eileen Delaney, Anne Delaney, Rose and Francis O’Loughlin, Pat Conroy and Anne McKane.

In 2002 their aim was to provide 24 safe homes for the elderly of Mountmellick and adjoining parishes, inspired by a scheme in Mountbolus.

They sourced a site, bought by the local builders, and got Department of Housing Capital Assistance Scheme funding and secured a grant of €2,856,783. They had to fundraise €300,000 approximately themselves, which they did for several years with golf classics, fashion shows and cabarets. They had to form a Voluntary Housing Association.

“It was unusual at the time, it was run out of my constituency office, Frances was secretary, I was chairman. We advertised for tenants and held meetings, and within the year had more on a list than we had houses,” John told the Leinster Express.

Claire Conroy, Fr. Frank McNamara and Eileen Daly

This year, they have completed a €950,000 investment programme of retrofitting all the houses, up to an A1 BER rating, to benefit both the residents and the environment.

The project was done by KH Energy Services with grants from Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) under the Community Energy Grant scheme which supports energy upgrades to approved housing bodies.

Now all the homes have new treble glazed windows; composite doors; ventilation; attic insulation; heat pumps supplying constant hot water and warm homes, and solar panels cutting energy bills. Electric showers were replaced with pump showers, under sink water heaters were removed, new water softeners and hot water cylinders installed.

Alo Deffew, Denis and Marian O'Mara

The residents had some questions for the experts at the handover, about what happens in a power cut, and can they open windows for fresh air.

Firebird heatpump company explained that as the houses are now so well insulated, they will keep warm for four to five days in a prolonged power outage. In summer the heating can be turned down so the heatpump does not kick in.

Residents were informed that with a new ventilation system they do not need to open windows, and that power outages would also cut other central heating systems too.

Mr Moloney also said that the committee is now looking at the cost of a generator for their central community hall, ready for future blackouts.

He thanked all on the committee, and especially the caretaker Michael Meehan.

“Nobody else could match his commitment to ensure things run smoothly,” John Moloney said.

Resident John Molloy said on behalf of all the residents “thanks for everything, the new fences, the heating, insulation, all of it”. Har Coss added “you’ve done a wonderful job, since I came here 18 years ago”.

A representative of the SEAI said that Wolfe Tone Court is “a fantastic project, by far the most exemplary I’ve seen in the last while. We will be back to do a case study”.