Minister opens Housing Developments worth over €5 million

Minister for Housing, Local Government, and Heritage Mr James Browne TD, visited Cavan on Friday, where he officially opened housing developments in Cavan Town and Belturbet, representing an investment by his department of €5.67 million.

The Minister opened his Cavan visit with a stop in Belturbet where he officially opened the Lána Uisce Development, where a vacant former public house has been converted into three high-quality social homes.

While in Belturbet, Minister Browne also paid a site visit to the Widow’s Row development, where nine social homes are currently under construction by Sandar Construction, representing an additional €1.76 million investment by the Department.

In Cavan Town, Minister Browne visited two new housing developments, Gort na Carraige and Fort View, which represent a mix of private, social, and affordable housing, before officially opening the flagship St Brigid’s Terrace phase one development.

This welcoming and inclusive development saw the demolition of eight derelict and vacant properties to make way for twenty new energy efficient modern homes on a 0.377-acre site reigniting new life into the town.

Speaking at St Brigid’s Terrace, Minister Browne said, “I am impressed by the work ongoing when it comes to housing in Cavan. The developments I saw are a good example of how local authorities, supported by Government, are delivering much-needed homes for our communities and I want to see more of this happening.”

“From bringing a vacant former public house back into use to transforming derelict sites into new homes, alongside developments offering a mix of private, social and affordable housing, this represents a balanced and practical approach to housing delivery. These projects will help create welcoming, inclusive neighbourhoods for the future.”

Cathaoirleach of Cavan County Council, Cllr John Paul Feeley said, “I am delighted to welcome Minister Browne to Cavan today to showcase the excellent work that our housing construction department has been undertaking with his Department’s support. As a local authority, Cavan County Council is laser-focused on increasing the supply of social housing in the county, and I’m sure the Minister will agree, developments such as those we have visited today, represent an excellent return on the Department’s investment. I thank Minister Browne and his officials for their ongoing support and look forward to continued fruitful collaboration in the future”.

Chief Executive of Cavan County Council, Eoin Doyle said, “Growing the available social housing supply in County Cavan – in line with the Government’s ‘Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030’ plan is a core strategic goal for Cavan County Council, and we are committed to exploring every avenue as we seek to continue to provide high-quality homes for those who need them. The developments visited by Minister Browne today illustrate the multi-faceted approach Cavan County Council is taking to housing delivery, showcasing our own new build programme, turnkey developments, affordable housing and combatting dereliction by reviving vacant properties and derelict sites”.

Cavan County Council’s Director of Service for Housing, Lynda McGavigan, said, “Not only do these developments create high-quality, energy-efficient homes for families who need them, but they create much-needed local jobs, which provide a welcome boost to the local economy. We are delighted to work with local contractors such as Sandar, JJ McCauley, and Crosserlough Construction and design teams like Wynne Gormley Gilsenan and Micheal Fitzpatrick Architects. I’d like to also acknowledge our housing construction team led by Senior Engineer John Wilson for their efforts on these projects and to express our gratitude to the elected members of Cavan County Council whose support and guidance underpins our efforts”.