Affordable Housing in Ardmore and An Rinn
Full Transcript
Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I am glad I came to the Chamber early as the Minister of State might have been lonely on his own in here. I want to bring the Minister of State to Ardmore in west Waterford. It is the place where Waterford derives the moniker of being the Déise. It is where St. Declan – a native of Drumroe near Cappoquin, just up the road – brought Christianity to Ireland before St. Patrick ever did, and converted the Déise tribe. That is where the name comes from. We have a round tower, which is visible for miles around. It is 98 ft. tall. I think they kept it under 100 ft. for planning permission but I cannot confirm that.
The population of Ardmore in 2020 was 486 and in 2002 it was 459. Over a period of time when Ireland’s population grew by some 30%, the population of Ardmore grew by less than 2%. Why is that? It is not because Ardmore is not a beautiful place to live; it is quite the opposite. Ardmore is a victim of its own attractions. The few houses that are coming on the market are simply unaffordable to local people who are trying to start families. Looking at the property price register, some of the prices are eye-watering. Houses on Chapel Row are going for well over €500,000 and some of the properties are approaching seven figures. These are unachievable prices for people who are starting out and that is only for the handful of properties that come onto the market each year. The people in the area, in the school or the GAA club, will say that the children who are arriving are arriving from the surrounding areas but not from the village. That is because there are few families in the village. There are holiday homes, second properties and short-term lets but there are few houses for families that want to return to the village.
There have been positive developments in recent years. In 2020, Ardmore received €168,000 through the water services infrastructure resolution programme. That solved the headroom issue with water supply and we thought we were well under way with that.
Residents’ representatives were engaging with an approved housing body to develop affordable housing. That project has since foundered, with the Department saying that the gap between the proposed build costs and affordability thresholds being too big for the Department to fill. I acknowledge that the site we are talking about is challenging but it means we are kicked back to the drawing board. Waterford City and County Council is looking to step into the breach, which is a positive move. Just yesterday it opened expressions of interest for an affordable housing scheme in Ardmore, which remains open until 31 December. I encourage everybody who has an interest to make a submission. I expect a deluge of submissions because there are so many people who want to move back to Ardmore.
The community has been this far down the road before so I am asking what comfort we can give the people that this time we will get this affordable scheme over the line? What are we going to do to give that opportunity to the next generation of people who want to live in Ardmore and who want to start a family? There is a broader question I want to put because I could make the same argument about An Rinn, which is the neighbouring parish; Bunmahon in the mid-county; or Dunmore East over towards the east of the county. These are all places in Waterford where supply is constrained and where market prices are through the roof, precisely because the quality of life that is offered in those towns makes them stand-out options. Are we doing enough in coastal communities in particular, be they in Waterford, Galway or the Minister of State’s county of Mayo, to close the affordability gap? Are we doing enough to ensure that the next generation of people who call places like Ardmore, Dunmore East and wherever else home, get the opportunity to raise their families there into the next generation?
Deputy Dara Calleary
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta Ó Cathasaigh as an scéal seo agus as an gceacht stairiúil. Tuigim anois cérbh as na Déise ach cad as don blaa? I am happy to take this on behalf of my colleague, the Minister, Deputy O’Brien, and to update the House on this matter. I note that in line with the Affordable Housing Act 2021, responsibility for the administration of affordable housing schemes rests with the local authority concerned, in this case Waterford City and County Council.
The Housing for All strategy delivers on the programme for Government commitment to step up housing supply and put affordability at the heart of the housing system, with an ambitious target to increase the supply of housing by delivering 300,000 homes for social, affordable and cost rental, private rental and private ownership housing purposes over the nine-year period of the plan. Some 54,000 affordable homes will be delivered between now and 2030, to be facilitated by local authorities, approved housing bodies, the Land Development Agency and through a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks. Funding is being made available by Government to assist local authorities and the approved housing bodies in the delivery of affordable housing, for purchase and rent, through the affordable housing fund, previously known as the serviced sites fund, and through the cost rental equity loan.
The target for Waterford City and County Council for the delivery of affordable housing from 2022 to 2026 is 76 homes. The local authority is on course to exceed this target, having already delivered successful affordable purchase schemes in Deerpark, Waterford city and at Elderwalk, Summerfields and Kilbarry. Further to this, the local authority is developing the first local authority-led cost rental development at Gort na hInse, Ballynaneashagh in Waterford. Waterford City and County Council is actively considering the development of an affordable housing scheme at Ardmore in County Waterford. As referred to by the Deputy, it is assessing the viability of a scheme while also assessing the need for such a scheme in the area. In this regard, and as referred to by the Deputy, Waterford City and County Council has opened and is seeking expressions of interest from the public for an affordable housing scheme in Ardmore. I endorse the Deputy’s remark that if members of the public believe they may qualify and if they are interested in declaring an interest provisionally at this point, they should fill in the expressions of interest online survey on the local authority’s website.
I will liaise with the Minister, Deputy O’Brien, on Deputy Ó Cathasaigh’s behalf, and will communicate the Deputy’s thoughts to him following this evening’s debate.
Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh
It is critical that people express an interest. Waterford City and County Council has been driving forward the developments the Minister of State referenced and many of them are in the city. They are closer to where I am based rather than in the west of the county. I know there can be a difficulty in making provision for smaller schemes and attracting people into that area but it is critical we do so. We have so many policies that are aimed at rural Ireland, between Connecting Ireland, the Town Centre First policy, the Our Rural Future document and Croí Cónaithe funding.
These are all concrete and tangible measures to try to breathe life back into these communities. It might not be immediately obvious if you were to visit Ardmore now because you would see the strand, you might go up to the cathedral or have a bite to eat in the Cliff House Hotel but it is a town that dies on its feet in the winter, in particular, when the tourism spend goes out.
Mar fhocal scoir, ba mhaith liom píosa beag a rá maidir leis na paróistí eile a luaigh mé, an Rinn agus an Seanphobal, i nGaeltacht na Déise. Is iad sin na paróistí eile a thiocfaí isteach ann ó Aird Mhór amach. Baineann na brúnna ceanann céanna sin go léir a labhair mé fúthu roimhe seo maidir le heaspa tithíochta agus inacmhainneacht na tithíochta, ansin. Tá tionchar sóisialta a thagann taobh leis na brúnna sin freisin ó thaobh uimhreacha na ndaltaí sna scoileanna a choinneáil in airde agus dóthain páistí a chur sna geansaithe ar na foirne faoi aois. Tá an cheist bhreise ann sa Ghaeltacht áfach agus is é sin todhchaí na teanga sa cheantar sin. Tá pleananna forbartha ag an bpobal sa Roinn do thithíocht inacmhainne phoiblí agus is cosúil go bhfuil tacaíocht forleathan ann dá gcuid bpleananna, ach caithfimid a bheith cinnte go dtagann Údarás na Gaeltachta ar bord agus go bhfuil coinníollacha teanga cuí i bhfeidhm. Deirimid i gcónaí gurb í beatha teanga í a labhairt ach níl aon áit ina bhfuil sé sin níos tábhachtaí ná níos oiriúnaí ná sna ceantair Ghaeltachta féin.
Deputy Dara Calleary
Go raibh maith ag an Teachta. Aontaím leis go gcaithfidh daoine a chur in iúl go bhfuil suim acu sna tithe nua san Aird Mhór. He will also be aware of the first home scheme which is delivered via a strategic partnership between the State and participating mortgage lenders. It is targeted at first-time or fresh start buyers and will improve access to newly built homes by using a shared equity model to bridge the gap between mortgage finance and the cost of new homes, similar to that employed in the local authority affordable purchase scheme. Already 32 eligibility certificates have been issued in County Waterford and, given the history of Waterford City and County Council in developing affordable homes, I have no doubt it will bring that experience, working with local representatives, to the scheme in Ardmore.
I gcomhthéacs cúrsaí na Rinne, mar is eol don Teachta, tá an tAire, an Teachta Ó Briain, ag obair ar threor nua le haghaidh pleanáil na Gaeltachta agus tithíocht sa Ghaeltacht. Caithfidh mé a rá gur míbhuntáiste mór é nuair a ceapadh mé mar Aire Stáit, nach ball mé de Chomhcoiste na Gaeilge, na Gaeltachta, agus Phobal Labhartha na Gaeilge. I have to say it is the committee I miss most mar bhíomar go léir ag obair le chéile ar chúrsaí cosúil le seo, ach beidh mé ag cur brú ar an Aire, an Teachta Ó Briain, faoi cúrsaí pleanála sna ceantair Ghaeltachta cosúil leis An Rinn.
