Almost 300 new homes being built in Offaly since January – Clendennen

Housing commencement numbers since January show strong Government commitment to improving housing supply, Fine Gael Councillor John Clendennen has said.

The latest report from the Department of Housing for Offaly shows 299 commencements this year up to May, compared to a full year figure of 375 commencements in 2023, reflecting significant progress in housing.

Councillor John Clendennen said: “Supply of housing is really ramping up and Fine Gael wants to be sure that people across Offaly can own their own home.

“Nationally, almost 2,000 units were commenced last month, and this has seen the grand total of 32,121 houses commence since the first of January.

“That’s 98% of the whole number of houses constructed last year. In five months of this year, we’ve achieved almost all the housing commencements we did last year.

“Clearly initiatives such as The First Home Scheme and the Help to Buy scheme are having a real impact for people wanting to get on the property ladder.

“Sinn Féin are in power in Northern Ireland, and they’ve admitted their own social housing targets would collapse this year. Sinn Féin has no plan for housing, while Housing for All is clearly delivering results.

“The signs of this accelerated progress to deliver homes is evident here in Offaly and the 299 new homes commencements so far this year represents a new start and a bright future for those individuals, couples, and families who will live in them.

“The evidence of the Government’s commitment to housing is made clear by these figures. Fine Gael is dedicated to continuing to help more people become homeowners, and we know that boosting housing supply is crucial to this goal.

“People across Offaly can be assured that the Government is doing everything it can to keep the momentum going in increasing housing supply”, concluded Councillor Clendennen.