'Can we stop building Carlow houses in Laois?' councillor asks

"Can we stop building Carlow houses in Laois?" asked Cllr Fergal Browne at a recent meeting of Carlow Municipal District. 

Members were discussing a project on the border between the two counties where 57 houses are being built for Carlow social housing applicants with 20 houses within the development going to people on the housing list in Laois. 

Cllr Browne said: "Can we stop building Carlow houses in Laois?"

The development is by Co-Operative Housing Ireland and is on the Ballickmoyler Road.

In response, Cllr Ken Murnane added: "That's it, gloves, let's go!"

At a previous meeting, Cllr Murnane asked if it was true that "the Carlow houses won't be built until the Laois houses are built". 

Director of Services at the Council, Michael Brennan, said at the time: "Laois houses will come on stream first".

He added that 20 houses within the development would be completed in 2020 with the 57 houses for Carlow expected to begin in 2020 or "possibly 2021". 

There have been a number of cross border developments between Laois and Carlow councils in recent years.

In 2017 to 40 houses in the 74 house Fruithill Manor estate on the Laois side of Graiguecullen went to Carlow waiting list tenants. About 19 homes went to Laois people. Co-operative Housing Ireland developed the houses after the estate came out of NAMA.

Some 800 houses were originally supposed to have been built in Fruithill Manor.