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PRESS RELEASE
Friday, 19 July 2019

HOUSING MINISTER OPENS 33 NEW SOCIAL HOUSES AND VISITS 82 UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN KERRY

The Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Mr Eoghan Murphy TD, has today (Friday, 19 July) performed the official opening of 33 new local authority social housing units in Kerry and also visited two sites in Tralee and Killarney where a total of 82 new homes are currently under construction.

Minister Murphy opened a new 22-unit scheme at Ard Bhearna, Gortamullin, Kenmare as well as 11 new homes at Croílár na Mistéalach at The Mitchels in Tralee. He also visited the Clúid Housing development at Derreen, Killarney which is a 61-unit scheme being developed by Clúid in partnership with Kerry County Council and Thermohouse Ltd.

The €4.25m Kerry County Council scheme at Ard Bhearna provides 2-bedroom and 3-bedroom homes and was constructed by Kenmare Plant Hire Ltd. The 11 units at The Mitchels in Tralee, meanwhile, are 3-bedroom and 4-bedroom units which are part of a larger €4.6m development and which form part of the wider Mitchels-Boherbee Community Regeneration Project. These new homes were constructed for Kerry County Council by M. Fitzgibbon Contractors Ltd.

Minister Murphy was also given a tour of the 21 new homes which are being constructed by Ned O’Shea & Sons Ltd on behalf of the local authority at An Dún, Killeen, Tralee and which are being developed for the elderly and people with disabilities in particular at a cost of €3.8m.

Opening the new housing schemes today, Minister Murphy said: ‘I am pleased to officially open the new homes in Kenmare and Tralee which have been designed and built to a very high standard. I was also pleased to view the excellent work being done by Clúid in Killarney as well as the high-quality units being constructed by Kerry County Council at Killeen. Today’s developments represent further progress on the significant work programme across all housing delivery streams through Kerry County Council and with the support of the government’s Rebuilding Ireland programme.’

The Cathaoirleach of Kerry County Council, Cllr Niall Kelleher, said it was a very positive day for Kerry: ‘Those who will come to live in these houses will make them their homes and I hope that the new residents will be very happy and comfortable in their new homes. I warmly welcome the further progression of Kerry County Council’s housing programme and the 115 new homes – some of which are being developed in partnership with Clúid Housing – are of tremendous benefit in meeting the housing need in many parts of Kerry.’

Chief Executive of Kerry County Council, Moira Murrell, said: ‘Our housing programme in Kerry has very clear targets and has put the necessary funding streams in place to provide homes for those in need of accommodation across the county. The council has a dedicated Capital Delivery Unit and it has ambitious targets for the delivery of housing and progress is closely monitored and closely managed. There is now considerable progress being made by Kerry County Council to meet the housing need in the county, which is most welcome.’