Laois delivered the most low cost 'Ready to build' sites in Ireland
Laois County Council delivered half of all the sites supplied nationwide under the Government scheme
Laois County Council has delivered more low cost serviced sites under the Ready to Build Scheme than any other county in Ireland.
In a Parliamentary Question, Kerry TD Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to introduce a major low-cost sites scheme in County Kerry and across the country as part of the solution to the housing crisis.
In a written response, on Tuesday, July 14, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage James Browne said: “The Ready to Build Scheme, funded by the Croí Cónaithe Towns Fund, to support addressing vacancy, was launched in September 2022. Under the Scheme, local authorities can make vacant, serviced sites in towns and villages available to potential individual purchasers to build a home.”
He explained that under the scheme local authorities identify vacant sites in towns and villages and make them available for sale to private individuals who want to use them to build a home.
“Once serviced, the local authority will make the site available for sale at a discount on the market value of the site. The level of discount to the individual will depend on the level of servicing cost incurred by the local authority before the sale of the site, up to a maximum of €30,000,” Minister Browne stated.
“The scheme is managed and administered by local authorities on behalf of my Department. To date 32 sites have been made available for sale by four local authorities, five sites in Wicklow, 16 sites in Laois, four sites in Tipperary and seven sites by Kildare County Council,” he said.
Nationally, a further over 100 sites have been identified by various local authorities for possible inclusion in the scheme. These sites are at various stages of consideration to determine the costs involved to service the sites and ascertaining the potential level of interest in site purchase. The Vacant Homes Unit in the Department of Housing is continuing to engage with local authorities in relation to these sites.
Minister Browne informed Dep Cahill that no sites had been made available in Kerry.
“The housing plan Delivering Homes, Supporting Communities commits to expanding the current Ready to Build Scheme through local authorities whereby they will service sites in, and close to, towns and villages to enable construction of clusters of homes. A mix of private, social and affordable homes can be delivered on the same site, creating new mixed tenure communities. Work is ongoing in relation to advancing this commitment,” he stated.