New homes for Mullingar as Taoiseach visits Westmeath

Cathaoirleach of Westmeath County Council, Cllr Aengus O’Rourke welcomed An Taoiseach Micheál Martin to the county today to officially open 44 new homes at Royal Canal in Mullingar, delivered by Tuath Housing in partnership with Westmeath County Council.

Royal Canal is a high quality mixed-tenure development that will consist of 159 homes on completion. The 44 Tuath-managed homes contain a mix of housing types catering for varying needs such as single persons, families, older persons and people with disabilities. Thirty six of the A-rated energy efficient homes were funded through the Department of Housing’s Capital Assistance Scheme, and the other eight were delivered via private finance from the Housing Finance Agency and a loan from the Department of Housing.

Tuath delivered its first homes in partnership with Westmeath County Council in 2009 and has continued working with the local authority to deliver a further 200 homes throughout the county; 24 are due for delivery soon in Kinnegad.

Tuath now has some 24,000 residents nationwide and with a strong pipeline in place, is on course to deliver over 1,700 homes in 2022.

An Taoiseach Micheál Martin said: “It’s a pleasure to be here in Westmeath to witness the result of some great collaboration between local authorities, AHBs and financial institutions. I want to pay tribute to both Westmeath County Council and Tuath for delivering these homes, that I hope will provide security and comfort for the new residents of Royal Canal.

“Housing for All is about delivering homes in areas where we need them most. It is only through working together that we can foster and support sustainable communities across the nation, providing more homes and choice for people.”

Minister O’Brien added: “Housing for All is about transforming lives, and we know that high-quality, well-located social homes like these do exactly that by providing security, stability and quality of life for families and individuals. I’m proud that this government is building social homes on a scale not seen for many years, with 9,000 to be built across the country this year and record investment committed to sustain and build on that momentum in the years ahead. I’d like to thank Tuath for making these beautiful new homes in Mullingar a reality, and I’d like to wish the new tenants the best of luck in their new homes.”

Cllr O’Rourke stated: “I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the hard-working and dedicated housing staff in Westmeath County Council led by director, Mark Keaveney, our customer service, liaison staff, administration, capital housing team and all involved in this challenging department. As cathaoirleach, I am looking forward to working with Tuath and other Approved Housing Bodies in the implementation of the council’s Housing Delivery Action Plan for the delivery of both social and affordable homes in Westmeath.”

Mr Keaveny said that the council are “delighted to work with Tuath Housing”.

“Tuath is an important partner for the council in the delivery of its Housing Delivery Action Plan throughout the county with a number of developments such as this (and its earlier phase of 14 units) already completed and a strong pipeline of future developments.”

Cllr Hazel Smyth, mayor of the Municipal District of Mullingar Kinnegad, said: “It is so exciting to see this wonderful new housing development officially being opened today. In the midst of a housing and climate crisis, these houses, so well-situated near the town centre, greenway and other local amenities, are fantastic, particularly with the new active travel access routes nearby. As mayor of Mullingar, I am delighted for the new residents and for Mullingar to have these new, energy efficient homes and a new community created. Wishing the new occupants all the very best.”

Barry O’Leary, CEO of the Housing Finance Agency commented “We are delighted to have been involved in the financing of these new homes, in this fantastic new development at Royal Canal Park, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath. We have an excellent relationship with Tuath Housing Association, and we hope to collaborate in the delivery of many more homes into the future. The provision of competitive funding by the HFA is seen as an important component in the delivery of social and affordable housing by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage under its Housing For All plan.”

Tuath Chairman Prof. Paddy Gray said “I am delighted to be here once more in Westmeath for the opening of more homes in Mullingar. Tuath’s partnership with Westmeath County Council, backed by the Government, continues to grow stronger each year. Backed also other partners such as the Housing Finance Agency, and developer partners like Dalcar, we can deliver more high quality, secure homes in the area.”