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Co-operative Housing Ireland (CHI) welcomed the publication of Housing for All – A New Housing Plan for Ireland – the government’s housing plan to 2030 yesterday. The strategy comes as Minister Darragh O’Brien TD, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage visited several of CHI’s housing developments in Barraduff Co. Kerry.

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Commenting on Housing for All strategy, Co-operative Housing Ireland’s Chairperson Pearse O’Shiel said, “Co-operative Housing Ireland welcomes the publication of Housing for All the Government’s national housing strategy. Within the plan is an enhanced role for approved housing bodies in delivering permanent homes, and importantly, multi-annual funding for the sector.”

The plan commits to support AHBs such as Co-operative Housing Ireland, to develop and implement new models of organisation and collaboration. This support for innovation should provide an opportunity for new models of housing delivery such as community led housing, community land trusts, and the diverse range of housing co-operatives. The recent Affordable Housing Act includes for this potential new model of delivery.

Speaking about the scheme at Barraduff and the importance of the contribution of AHB’s in response to Ireland’s housing need, Minister O’Brien said, “I was delighted to visit these exceptional houses in Barraduff which have been built to a very high standard. Co-operative Housing Ireland, along with Kerry County Council are delivering 56 much needed social homes here and it’s clear to see the effort which has been made to ensure the homes are safe, secure and sustainable long into the future. I’d like to commend all involved in bringing this project to fruition”, he concluded.

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Speaking about the visit, Cathaoirleach of Kerry County Council Jimmy Moloney, “Kerry County Council is delighted to welcome Minister O’Brien to the county and to showcase some of the housing schemes we’ve provided in partnership with organisations such as Co-operative Housing Ireland. It’s schemes such as this one in Barraduff that provide much needed quality housing here in Kerry.”

Minister O’Brien was on his official visit to Kerry when he visited CHI’s scheme.

In conclusion Mr O’Shiel said, “Co-operative Housing Ireland, at its heart, works in partnership and co-operatively with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Local Authorities, funders including the Housing Finance Agency and Pillar Banks, and builders. Housing for All supports us to grow and develop further. Organisationally we are on target to delivering more than 500 homes in 2021 and with the increased funding contained within Housing for All we will have the capacity to increase this for 2022.”

CHI’s scheme at Barraduff consists of 56 homes, 52 of which are three-bed and four of which are four-bed. It was developed in co-operation with Kerry County Council in response to the housing need in the county and is located on the Killarney side of Barraduff village enroute to Mallow. It has a village-street style layout which was insisted on by Kerry County Council.  The estates within the scheme consist of neighbourly clusters, with roads deliberately narrowed to stop cars speeding and priority is given to safe play areas and greens close to houses, where parents can keep a close eye on children. The A-rated homes were made possible through funding from the Housing Finance Agency, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and were built by KPH construction.

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