Taoiseach Micheál Martin & Minister for Housing Daragh O’Brien were both in attendance at the official opening of 32 homes in Sandyford last Friday.
Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Cllr Lettie McCarthy welcomed An Taoiseach to the County and to officially open the new homes at Mount Eagle Square, delivered by Tuath Housing, in partnership with the Council.
The official opening also saw the launch of Tuath’s 2020 Annual Report by the Minister for Housing.
All 32 homes at Mount Eagle Square are currently being allocated to people from the Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council housing waiting list.
The development, built by Belgrove Homes is a mix of 1,2,3 bed apartments & duplexes and has been funded via a combination of private finance from the Housing Finance Agency and a loan from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
Tuath currently manages over 7,300 homes nationally and despite the restrictions of Covid-19 in 2020 provided 1,095 new homes, while ensuring affordable housing for almost 3,700 people.
This year more than ever emphasised the importance of “home” and with a strong pipeline in place the Association looks forward to working with local authority partners to continue delivering.
In line with the Association’s new Strategic Plan, Tuath aims to deliver more than 1,700 homes this year and 5,000 additional homes by 2025. As one of the larger Approved Housing Bodies, Tuath aims to play a significant role in the delivery of more social and affordable homes in line with the government’s Housing for All document due to be issued in the coming weeks.
Speaking at the official opening An Taoiseach Micheál Martin said “I am delighted to be here today to officially open these 32 beautiful homes which are much needed, safe and secure homes, for those on the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council housing waiting list. Housing is without a doubt the biggest challenge facing the country. This Government is providing unprecedented levels of funding and are embarking on the most ambitious social housing programme in the history of the State. I would like to congratulate Tuath on the launch of their 2020 Annual Report and thank Tuath and all Approved Housing Bodies on the work they are doing to provide homes to people across the country”.
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD added, “There are 61,880 households in need of social housing support, and while this is a welcome 9.9% reduction on the previous year, it is still a major cause of concern and increasing the supply of housing to meet the needs of our citizens is a priority for Government. Government will publish a new housing policy and action plan ‘Housing for All’ shortly and the Approved Housing Body sector and AHB’s such as Tuath will play a key role in helping us to reach our objectives.
Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Cllr Lettie McCarthy welcomed An Taoiseach to Sandyford and noted the ongoing partnership between the Council and Tuath Housing “Mount Eagle Square is yet another example of our mutual continued success in delivering homes for local people in our county. Working together we are delivering on our commitment to provide our citizens with housing options and develop connected communities in our area. Our joint cooperation on this development and projects like the Enniskerry Road development, which is nearing completion, show that by working together we can make a real difference in providing people a place to call home.” Daragh O’Sullivan, Chairman of Tuath, commented “I am very proud of the hard work, commitment and effort shown by all staff throughout 2020 our Annual Report aptly titled ‘A Year of Resilience’ has highlighted the achievements despite restrictions. It has been a year during which we helped almost 3,700 people find a home and focused on enhancing our strategic direction to deliver high quality services to our residents.