Council 'doesn't have the funds' to refurbish social houses as it falls short of targets

CONCERNS have been raised over the delivery of social housing across the Adare-Rathkeale Municipal District amid claims the local authority is set to miss its targets.

Councillors for the Adare-Rathkeale Municipal District raised concerns after being presented with an update on approved social housing projects across the district at their March meeting.

Some councillors were sharply critical of the report, saying it “wasn’t worth the paper it was printed on”, while others questioned why the council is only on track to deliver less than half of its original target.

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James Hayes, housing strategy officer with the Affordable Housing Team, said the target is to deliver 154 houses (in 2026), with 71 already approved by the local authority, accounting for 46% of the target. A further 69 properties, he said, are “in the pipeline.”

Senior Engineer Brendan Kidney told councillors that the team completed 130 properties last year, with each refurbishment taking an average of 150 days to complete.

He said funding remains a key constraint, noting they “don’t have the funds to refurbish” a number of properties that have already been acquired.

Mr Kidney said most refurbishments cost between €35,000 and €40,000, while councillors were told that around €11,000 per property is currently “available from Government”.

Fine Gael councillor Stephan Keary highlighted that the “costs of houses have quadrupled” in recent years while Cllr Adam Teskey said councillors have “no answer to give the people that need a house the most”.

He also cited the rising homeless figures and warned there “is no light at the end of the tunnel” for many.

Cllr Teskey also expressed concern about how the Government is handling the delivery of housing, noting that less than 50% of the approved houses are currently “in the pipeline”.

Cllr Teskey branded the update a “catastrophe”, adding the ongoing escalation in fuel costs will “make things worse.”

Independent Ireland councillor Tommy Hartigan questioned when social housing will be allocated in the Pallaskenry area, saying he has constituents asking whether they will receive a house. He added that there has even been a rumour circulating that he himself would be getting one of the houses.

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In response, councillors were told that successful applicants are normally informed around three weeks before they can move into a property.

Cllr Teskey added that there needs to be more “transparency” in the interest of “fairness” around these matters.

Leas-Chathaoirleach for the district, Cllr Bridie Collins, said the lack of funding “voids” certain houses from being included and she questioned whether money from the Mayor’s Fund could help accelerate social housing delivery in the district.

Vincent Murray, Director of Service for the district, said social housing is a “priority” for the Mayor in 2026.

He added that the Adare-Rathkeale Municipal District currently has “one of the lowest rates of voids (empty houses)” in Limerick at around 80 properties.