300 new Laois social houses to be handed over to tenants in 2026

Keys to over 300 new A-rated social housing units are to be handed over to Laois tenants by the end of 2026.

Laois County Council has given a construction update on schemes in Portlaoise, Portarlington, Mountmellick, Mountrath and elsewhere in the county that are almost completed.

The property completions are anxiously awaited by new tenants, many of whom are paying huge rents while waiting for their homes.

Cushina Avenue, Portarlington is on schedule to deliver seven houses by March, with conveyancing now in progress.

Oakvale Way, Stradbally is on schedule for 19 houses by March.

Convent Lands Portlaoise will deliver Phase 2 of 42 homes by March.

Coill an Easpaig, Portarlington will deliver 27 homes by March.

Ard Branagh, Portlaoise will deliver six homes also by March.

Derrymore Gardens, Rushall, Mountrath will deliver 3 by March.

Number 6 Emmett Terrace, Mountmellick will be delivered by March.

An Lochán, Summerhill, Portlaoise has a final 8 homes to be delivered in early 2026.

Number 13 and 14 Lakeglen, rebuilt after a fire, again by March.

Then with a delivery date of Q2 which is between April to June, are 67 more homes.

A dozen are coming in a development in Doonane.

The long awaited Hepburn Court (Radharc Darach) development of 54 homes is also coming by June.

Finally by June, a single house called Oldcourt, Ballylinan is to be ready.

Over 100 more are expected to be ready by Christmas 2026.

39 are in Curragh na Móna, Abbeyleix Road, Portlaoise.

12 are in Clonroosk, Knockmay, Portlaoise.

Fifty are in Cedar Woods, Mountmellick Road, Portlaoise.

14 are in The Glen, Kilnacourt, Portarlington.

The CEO of Laois County Council Michael Rainey praised his team for beating Governemnt housing targets in Laois, unlike the national trend.

"We've seen really strong delivery. We are waiting on our new targets, but our team will deliver and surpass any targets given. It's been a positive and productive year. Month on month, it's very positive," Mr Rainey said at the council December meeting.

There are 1,449 qualified individuals and families awaiting Laois social homes. A third of them are getting HAP assistance towards the cost of their private rents.

Laois County Council has also given updates for a small number houses to be complete in 2027. There are 24 in Derry Road, Durrow, 12 in Rath Rua, Portlaoise, six in the Orchard, Ballylinan, three in Oakvale Meadows, Stradbally, two in Market Square, Portarlington, and one in Clarmallagh, The Swan.

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Another 159 Laois social homes are in the planning, tender or design stages.

From 2022 to 2025, Laois County Council has housed tenants in 880 new homes, with the assistance of Approved Housing Bodies as well as directly contracting builders. That is almost double its Housing For All target over those four years, of 446.