'We've seen the value' Laois community run housing scheme celebrates 20 years

A groundbreaking Mountmellick housing project has celebrated its 20th anniversary, reuniting all who founded it and keep it going.

Last Friday, September 18 marked the 20th Anniversary of the opening of the Wolfe Tone Court Housing Scheme in Mountmellick.

The small estate of 24 maisonettes circles around a community centre, built by a local committee to house local single people most in need of a home.

The committee had decided to mark their 20th anniversary and most importantly to invite retired members to acknowledge their help over the decades.

The committee invited all those who had helped the committee since its first meeting in 2001, included were Michael Rainey, Chief Executive Officer, Laois County Council, John Carroll who along with his late colleague John O Keeffe built the scheme and Paul Kilmartin and Ann-Marie Hynes of KH Energy Services who completed a recent deep retrofit energy upgrade of the estate.

The two oldest residents had the honour of cutting the cake. John Hickey who returned home after working in England, and Mai Kirwan, both living in the estate since it opened.

The committee chairman is John Moloney, former Fianna Fáil Minister.

In his address he had spoken of the value of Voluntary Housing Schemes and explained the work of the Wolfe Tone Court Voluntary Committee from the time they first met in 2001, and importance of Government support, as he told the Leinster Express afterwards.

“There is a Government move away from supporting voluntary housing, in the Public Accounts Committee TDs are questioning the value, but we’ve seen the value. I’ve seen it not just in Mountmellick but in other developments I visited as a Minister.

“We cater for a different cohort of people, people who are elderly or have disabilities. A community comes together to provide safe secure housing. Unlike a local authority who don’t have the staff, we keep in constant contact with residents. Our caretaker visits every day, we support them to do activities. We ensure their needs are met, be it a chiropodist, art, or just coming together.

“Two residents spoke at the anniversary to say how they value the peace and comfort they’ve found here. You can’t replicate that in a local authority, they don’t have the staff. So if you have people willing to do that , why try to go back on that?” he said.

He highlighted the fundraising activities of the committee over 20 years ago, at the time they had to raise €300,000 in order to qualify for grant aid.

He went on to explain the ongoing work of committee members and spoke of living up to their Mission Statement of 2001; to provide safe secure warm comfortable homes for the senior citizens of Mountmellick and surrounding parishes.

Their aim is to continue to improve the housing scheme as a whole.

“On behalf of the committee I wanted to thank the support of local contractors who were always available to come to us whenever there was work/repairs to be done, namely Stephen Lynch, Robbie O Mara, Brian Lynch, Gerry Gorman and Mark Dunne. A special word of thanks also to Michael Meehan, caretaker for his excellent work and his commitment to the committee and to the residents at all times,” John said.

Very Rev Fr. Murphy PP, Rev Lesley Robinson, The Rectory, Mountmellick, Church of Ireland, John Carroll, builder and residents Simon O’Mara and Tony Kane all joined in the after dinner speeches.

The residents, committee members, former members and friends enjoyed an evening of celebration of music and song by musician Joe Wynne, into the late evening.