Cathaoirleach of the county of Kildare, Cllr. Naoise Ó Cearúil welcomed An Taoiseach Micheál Martin to Castlefen in Sallins today where he officially opened 29 new homes delivered by Tuath Housing in partnership with Kildare County Council. The official opening also featured a visit, by An Taoiseach, to the local community hall where he met with members of the Castlefen Resident’s Association.

All 29 homes are located within the preexisting Castlefen estate, a growing area within Sallins between the Liffey and Clane Road. Kildare County Council provided the site for this project and Tuath is delighted to have worked in partnership with the Local Authority on this direct build development consisting of nine 1 bed houses, 12 two bed and eight 3 bed houses. These new homes have been funded via private finance from the Housing Finance Agency and a loan from the Department of Housing. The average price of the 29 A rated, contemporary homes delivered at Castlefen is €261,500, representing excellent value for money. The new homes are currently being allocated by Tuath Housing to people from the Kildare County Council housing waiting list.

Tuath delivered its first homes in Kildare back in 2010 at Kilcock, Athy, Cellbridge and nearby Liffey Square East in Sallins. The approved housing body has continued working with the local authority since then to deliver over 520 homes, with aims to deliver a further 200 homes in the County by the end of 2022. This pipeline also includes two cost rental projects which will introduce a new form of long-term sustainable home rental for moderate income earners. The Association now has over 8,500 homes nationwide in every local authority area, housing over 23,000 people, and is on course to deliver over 1,400 homes in 2022.

An Taoiseach Micheál Martin commented “Modern, safe and secure homes such as the ones delivered here at Castlefen are instrumental in fostering sustainable communities. I hope the security and comfort that they provide, backed by the support of Tuath, Kildare County Council and an active resident’s association, will continue to make this a vibrant and caring place to live for all residents, new and old. Housing is the number one priority in my view, that is why I am delighted to be here to witness firsthand the end result of collaboration between AHB’s, local authorities and our financial institutions, working together with government for our collective goal of providing more homes for those who need them.”

Cathaoirleach, Cllr. Naoise Ó Cearúil said “Kildare County Council has had a strong relationship with Tuath since 2010 and that partnership has ensured that over 520 homes have been delivered in the County. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Tuath for their partnership over the past 12 years and look forward to seeing more homes being delivered in the future. Today’s announcement of 29 homes is wonderful news for 29 families that will make Castlefen their home. I’d like to thank the Taoiseach for being with us today and for his and the Government’s commitment to delivering housing for all.”

Daragh O’Sullivan, Chairman of Tuath’s Voluntary Board of Directors said “We are delighted to be working with Kildare County Council once more to provide new social homes in the County and, with a strong pipeline in place for 2022 look forward to continuing this strong partnership. As an Approved Housing Body, we aim to continue investing in people and places by providing more homes and more choice.”

 Barry O’Leary, CEO of the Housing Finance Agency noted “The HFA is delighted to support this new development in Castlefen which will provide a mix of superb one-, two- and three-bedroom homes for individuals and families in Kildare. We will continue to provide competitively priced long term fixed rate finance to Tuath, and others in the sector, to support the strong delivery of social and affordable homes across the country.”

The TORC Housing Partnership is delighted to announce that it has reached a significant milestone with the completion of all 465 ‘A’ rated energy efficient homes in the 2nd Social Housing PPP Bundle.

These homes have been delivered in eight schemes across six counties – Cork, Kildare, Clare, Galway, Waterford, and Roscommon – as part of the Government’s Social Housing PPP Programme which aims to deliver around 1,500 new homes in Ireland.

The TORC Housing Partnership was awarded the contract with the consortium led by Equitix who, together with Kajima Partnerships, are the lead sponsors and long-term majority investors in the project. The construction works were completed in a joint venture between JJ Rhatigan & Co. and the Spanish firm, Obrascon Huarte Lain S.A (OHLA).

Facilities management services will be provided by Derwent FM for a 25-year service period and Tuath will provide tenancy management services. The homes remain in State ownership and are returned to the local authorities in a pre-defined condition at the end of the service period.

Construction works commenced on the project in November 2019, with a phased completion between Q2-Q4 2021. Well done to the construction joint venture team of JJ Rhatigan & Co. and OHLA which has completed and handed over all units to the respective local authorities for immediate occupation.

The TORC Housing Partnership looks forward to continuing our collaborative relationship with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the approving Authority, Cork County Council, the sponsoring agency and lead authority, the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA), procuring authority, project manager and financial advisor, and the five other local authorities in the bundle.

TORC Sustainable Housing Holding Ltd, Reg address 7/8 Wilton Terrace Dublin 2
Directors: R Ochoa De Ocariz, A Rymer, K O’Brien, C Smailes, K Taylor, S O’Connor

TORC Sustainable Housing Limited, 24 Marlboro Street, Cork, Co. Cork, T12 X0KR.
T: 01 485 2020 E: [email protected] W: www.torcsustainablehousing.ie

Please view Report below:

86 New Homes for the people of Cork

Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Colm Kelleher welcomed An Taoiseach Micheál Martin to the City who officially opened new homes at Bishop’s Avenue in Farranferris, delivered by Tuath Housing, in partnership with Cork City Council

Bishop’s Avenue is a standalone development of 86 homes in total, comprising of 10no x three bed bungalows, 8no x two bed houses and 68no x three bed houses built by developers Citidwell. The homes have 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. To date, 80 homes have been allocated to families from the Cork City Council housing list and with a cost per home of €294,000, the new homes represent excellent value for money. The 10 bungalows have been specifically built to meet the requirements of those on the housing waiting list with certain disabilities and for older persons.

Tuath delivered its first homes in partnership with Cork City Council back in 2011 at Blarney Street, Douglas and the nearby Meadows Estate in Knocknacullen. The Association now has over 1,500 residents in the city. The approved housing body has continued working with the local authority to deliver over 539 homes throughout the City with a further 244 homes now on site. The delivery of the new homes at Bishop’s Avenue coincided with a milestone for Tuath Housing who surpassed the 1,000 homes in management mark in the County. The Association have now over 8,300 homes nationwide in every local authority area, housing over 22,000 people. With a strong pipeline in place, Tuath are on course to deliver over 1,400 homes in 2022.

 An Taoiseach Micheál Martin commented “I am delighted to be here today to officially open these 86 safe and secure homes which are much needed for those on the Cork City Council housing waiting list. Housing is without doubt one of the biggest challenges facing this country, so it is a pleasure and a privilege to meet families moving into these new homes and beginning a new phase in their lives. Our new ‘Housing for All’ strategy will provide unprecedented levels of funding as we embark on the most ambitious social housing programme in the history of the State. I believe this Tuath development is a great example of how our AHB’s, local authorities and our financial institutions can all work together with government for our collective goal of increasing social housing stock and providing homes to those who need them.”

Lord Mayor of Cork of Cork City, Cllr. Colm Kelleher said “I am absolutely delighted and welcome the launch of these 86 new homes by Tuath Housing here in the legendary Farrenferris grounds in the Northside of our City. This is going to be an exciting new community and I congratulate all involved in bringing this scheme to fruition; such large schemes don’t appear overnight. Special mention must be made to the builders Citi Dwell, a local company which has delivered excellent housing already for Cork City Council and the quality of their workmanship on display here today is a joy to behold. Also, the City Council’s Housing Directorate have been instrumental in getting this off the ground and their continuing trojan work in this area must be acknowledged as well as the Government grant aid and support which is critical. We have the people and the skills here in Cork City to deliver quality homes and communities, so let’s keep up the good work. Congratulations to everybody again.”

Tuath Vice Chairman Prof. Paddy Gray noted that “Tuath is proud of the strong working relationship it has with Cork City Council that has resulted in the delivery of over 530 homes since 2011. The 86 homes here at Bishop’s Avenue are another fine example of what can be achieved through this relationship, backed by the financial support of government and the Housing Finance Agency.”

 Barry O’Leary, CEO of the Housing Finance Agency said “The HFA is delighted to support this new development in Bishop’s Avenue which will provide superb two- and three-bedroom homes for families in and around Farranferris. We will continue to provide competitively priced long term fixed rate finance to Tuath, and others in the sector, to support the strong delivery of social and affordable homes across the country.”

Minister Burke Officially Opens 14 Homes in Native County

On Monday 30th August, the Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage Deputy Peter Burke TD w welcomed to his home town by Cllr. Aoife Davitt, Mayor of the Mullingar Kinnegad District and Tuath Vice-Chairman Paddy Gray to officially open 14 new homes at Farran Row, Mullingar. The Farran Row estate is one of a number of visits that Minister Burke has made to developments in the county this summer, including officially opening another 12 Tuath homes at Rochfortbridge in June.

Farran Row is a Tuath Housing Direct Build project consisting of 14 new homes that have been allocated to families on the Westmeath County Council housing waiting list. The development consists of four 2 bed bungalows, funded through the Department of Housing’s CAS grant scheme, five 3 bed and five 2 bed semi-detached houses, funded via private finance from the Housing Finance Agency and a loan from the Department of Housing.

The new homes are situated within a preexisting Westmeath County Council housing estate and are a 15-minute walking distance from Mullingar town centre. The land was provided by Westmeath County Council under the low-cost sites scheme with building contractors, TH Contractors Ltd. The average cost of a home in the Farran Row development is €195,000, representing excellent value for money.

Minister of State Peter Burke commented “I am delighted to officially launch 14 new homes for 14 local families here in my hometown of Mullingar. It is great to see Westmeath County Council and Tuath working collaboratively to provide a new start for families in our local community. These houses are finished to a very high standard and close to all local amenities, with great use being made of a small greenfield site within the existing residential area. I am delighted to meet some of the new tenants here today and I wish them the very best as they embark on an exciting new chapter”.

Cathaoirleach of Westmeath County Council Frankie Keena said “Westmeath County Council is delighted to work with Tuath Housing in the delivery of this new social housing development at Farran, Mullingar on lands provided by the Local Authority. Tuath is an important partner for the Council in the delivery of social housing throughout the County with a number of developments such as this already completed and a number in the pipeline for future years.”

Tuath Vice-Chairman Paddy Gray noted the strong partnership that exists between Tuath Housing and Westmeath County Council “We are humbled to be here in Westmeath once again for the opening of a further 14 homes for the people of Westmeath. The strong links that Tuath maintain with Westmeath County Council are important in providing more homes in the county. I would like to thank the Department of Housing, the Housing Finance Agency and our developer and contractor partners who support this partnership with their full backing, experience and expertise. I wish all the new residents at Farran Row every health and happiness in their new community”.

Barry O’Leary, CEO of the Housing Finance Agency said “The HFA is delighted to support this new development which will provide much needed two- and three-bedroom homes for families in Mullingar. We will continue to provide competitively priced long term fixed rate finance to Tuath, and others in the sector, to support the strong delivery of social and affordable homes across the country.”

Launch of application process for Cost Rental homes at Stepaside

On Tuesday 7th September, applications were open to people who are eligible for the 50 purpose built Cost Rental homes at Enniskerry Road, Stepaside, Dublin. These Cost Rental homes will be managed by Respond and Tuath Housing and are being delivered for Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council on land provided by the Housing Agency under the land aggregation scheme.

The application process was launched on DAFT and eligible tenants will be randomly selected. The 50 2-bedroom apartments will be let from October at a monthly rent of €1,200, a significant reduction when compared to market rents for 2-bedroom apartments in this location. The rent charged to tenants has been designed to only cover the actual costs and will not be driven by market movements. People can register at www.respond.ie and www.tuathhousing.ie. We strongly advise that people check their eligibility before applying. This includes:

• Net household income is below €53,000 per annum.
• Not in receipt of any form of social housing support (Including a HAP payment).
• Do not own a property.
• Household size is appropriate to the size of the property advertised.
• Can afford to pay the rent for the property.
• Household has only entered one application for cost rental property per development.

The project is the result of an innovative collaboration between Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, the Housing Agency, Respond and Tuath Housing Associations. Funding for the development is being provided through the Housing Finance Agency and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

Minister for Housing, Darragh O’Brien noted: “Cost rental is about providing secure, high-quality homes at affordable rents. It’s been much talked about in recent years, but now we are delivering. I’d like to thank Tuath and Respond for all their work on this project at Enniskerry Road, which is a perfect example of how Government can support our Housing Bodies and local authorities to build real affordable homes that will make a real difference to people’s lives.

Increasing the scale of Cost Rental in Ireland is a key Government objective and an important part of our Housing for All Plan. We want to see 18,000 Cost Rental homes delivered in our urban centres by Local Authorities, Approved Housing Bodies and the Land Development Agency over the duration of this Plan. The success of projects such as this show that we can absolutely reach that ambitious target.”.

Daragh O’Sullivan, Chairman of Tuath Housing commented;

“Tuath is delighted to be working on these cost rental homes in partnership with Respond, Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, The Housing Agency, The Housing Finance Agency and the Department of Housing Planning and Local Government. We are thrilled to be involved in a project which offers moderate income households the choice of a more affordable, long-term and stable form of rental tenure than exists presently, with the added benefit that their rent will not be driven by price changes in the private rental market.”.

CEO of Respond, Declan Dunne said:

“Respond are excited, with our partners, to be able to bring these 50 Cost Rental Homes to people who for a long time have been caught in an impossible situation where they do not qualify for social housing yet a mortgage or private rental accommodation is not an option for them. This would not have been possible but for the coming together of these different partners for a unique collaboration. This is a new departure in the delivery of housing in Ireland, providing a new type of housing tenure in addition to social housing, private renting and private purchase. We look forward very much to being able to deliver other cost rental developments around the country to those who are eligible.”

CEO of the Housing Agency John O’Connor:

“The Housing Agency has been central to developing a vision for cost rental homes in Ireland. The Agency has been working on the Enniskerry Road project with Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council over a number of years. Having managed the transfer of lands to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council as part of this project, The Housing Agency has worked closely with the local authority as well as with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Tuath, Respond and the Housing Finance Agency in bringing this project to completion. We would like to congratulate our partners on this great achievement and wish the future residents of these homes many happy years in Enniskerry Road.”

CEO of the Housing Finance Agency, Barry O’Leary noted :

“The HFA is delighted to support this new scheme on the Enniskerry Road, providing 50 new affordable rental properties at a significant discount to current market rates and also another 105 much needed social homes for those in need. This innovative approach involving collaboration between two of the most active AHBs, Tuath and Respond, and competitive long term fixed rate finance from the HFA is a model which can be replicated for future transactions to support large scale mixed use developments.”

Cathaoirleach Lettie McCarthy commented:

“It is wonderful to see these 50 cost rental units being advertised and they will provide much needed homes for the people of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. This collaboration is a yet another new connected community that has been developed close to amenities, with access to public transport, local commercial centres and only a short walk from the beautiful Fernhill Park and Gardens. I would like to thank the Council staff and our partners in Tuath, Respond and the Housing Agency for bringing this scheme to fruition and look forward to any future collaborations.”

For further information and interviews contact:

Editors Notes:

The Enniskerry Road Project was designed by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council for the construction of 155 social and affordable homes, a community facility along with green spaces at Enniskerry Road, Stepaside, Dublin 18. The site is located near to a wide range of amenities, public facilities, schools, health services, local community and sports groups. Enniskerry Road provides access to the LUAS Green Line, the 47 bus route, and the M50 motorway. The project is the result of a collaboration between Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, the Housing Agency, Respond and Tuath Housing Associations, and the Housing Finance Agency. Financial support is also being provided through the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government.

The project includes 50 Cost Rental homes and 105 social homes to be apportioned between Respond (78 homes including 25 Cost Rental) and Tuath (77 homes including 25 Cost Rental). The homes are a mix of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom properties. All of the 50 Cost Rental homes are 2-bedroom apartments.

For more information on eligability and to apply please click on the link HERE:

Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien’s visit to Forgelands, Enniscorthy Friday 3rd September

Minister Visits New Homes for Families in Wexford

Minister for Housing, Darragh O’Brien visited County Wexford on Friday including a stop off at a Tuath development at Forgelands, Enniscorthy

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien today visited a recently completed 59 home development delivered by Tuath Housing Association in partnership with Wexford County Council at Forgelands, Enniscorthy. The visit was part of a wider tour by the Minister to County Wexford on the day.

All 59 homes at the Forgelands are to be allocated by Tuath Housing, to people from the Wexford County Council housing waiting list. To date, 41 of the homes have been let, with the final phase of 18 homes recently completed and soon to be let. Tuath is delighted to have worked in partnership with the Council and developers, Adamar Developments Ltd, on this scheme consisting of 3 & 4-bed houses coupled with 2-bed apartments and 3-bed duplex units. These new homes have been funded via private finance from the Housing Finance Agency and a loan from the Department of Housing. The average cost of a home in the Forgelands development was approximately €218,000, representing excellent value for money.

The Forgelands development will extend to over 400 homes once completed and will include recreational amenities for young families to enjoy. It is located near to Enniscorthy, giving tenants access to a wide range of amenities and, with its close proximity to the M11, it is ideal for commutes to nearby towns. Tuath already manages 200 homes throughout the county with a further 68 homes on site in Gorey due for delivery across 2022 and 2023. Tuath currently has over 7,500 homes in management nationwide and with a strong pipeline in place are on course to deliver 1,700 homes in 2021.

Martin Loughran, Tuath’s Director of New Business and Property Development said “Tuath Housing is delighted to deliver these new homes in partnership with Wexford County Council, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Housing Finance Agency and Adamar Developments. We have a significant pipeline of projects on site with the Council and look forward to collaboratively delivering many more safe, secure homes for the people of Wexford”

Chief Executive of the HFA, Barry O’Leary noted “The HFA is delighted to support this wonderful new development by Tuath in Enniscorthy. We wish all the families well in their move and remain committed to providing competitively priced long term fixed rate finance to support the strong delivery of social and affordable homes across the country