Seven new Council homes on the way for Rathcabbin

SEVEN new Council homes are on the way for Rathcabbin during 2026, the recent meeting of Nenagh Municipal District was told.
Cllr Michael O'Meara made a query about where the project stood and was told by a member of the Council executive that the project is at the Part 8 planning stage, and therefore well advanced, with construction work scheduled to start during the third quarter of 2026. The meeting was told that the sewage system in the village is in a favourable state, meaning that there is a reasonable amount of serviced land ready for development.
Cllr Joe Hannigan pointed out that in Puckane, a 21 house development is being held up because of a lack of serviced land. “The story behind that bit of land in the village is quite a saga,” remarked Cllr Hannigan, “because it was bought 20 years ago and the housing development still hasn't happened. There's also a parcel of land in Stereame Nenagh which is just sitting idle there for a very long time.”
Cllr Hannigan said the housing situation in many places in North Tipperary needs to get a move on. He said social housing is needed for middle income people on €30,000 to €40,000 per annum because they can't afford a mortgage due to the fact that their wages are too low. “A middle income person is really goosed,” he remarked, “because if he or she is earning more than €30,000 then they don't qualify for social housing.”
The Councillor also pointed out that those who are working five days a week on the minimum wage are only on €28,000 a year. “This means they are also goosed when it comes to getting a mortgage as they are not earning enough.
“The system often doesn't make sense or is simply unfair. Meanwhile the government is planning to install a Pipe from Lough Derg to Dublin for billions of Euros. At the same time there is no money for upgrading a number of water and sewage systems in a number of villages in North Tipperary, places like Puckane, Silvermines, Ballycommon and Cloughjordan. The wool is being pulled over people's eyes. This lack of a decent water and sewage infrastructure is a massive problem for Lower Ormond.”
A member of the executive said a number of people in Lower Ormond applying for a housing loan had been refused in their applications “because it was deemed that their income was too low and they wouldn't be able to afford paying the loan back.”
Cllr Pamela Quirke O'Meara told the meeting that a number of her constituents had complained to her about not qualifying for a housing loan. “The system needs to be re-examined and thought about again, because it's not sufficiently people friendly.”
Cllr O'Meara criticised the slowness of housing delivery throughout North Tipperary. “I often get the impression that hidden forces are at play which are just slowing everything down. It's very frustrating. I see state bodies at the moment, such as Uisce Éireann, who, as far as I can see, are just time and again kicking the can down the road when it comes to installing the infrastructure that is needed. We in the Council used to have power over water and sewage development but that was centralised several years ago and now we are at Uisce Éireann's mercy. Therefore places like Cloughjordan have been at water and sewage capacity for several years with no expansion in sight. The situation is holding communities back. It's the same with the village of Carrigahorig which has been waiting for traffic calming measures for a very long time, but Transport Infrastructure Ireland seems to be on a go-slow.”
On a different topic, Cllr John Carroll pointed out that a number of villages in North Tipperary have been affected by the problem of illegal burning of waste in housing estates. “Sometimes the Fire Service has had to be called in to put them out,” he remarked.
A member of the executive said the Council is presently looking at possible sites for more housing in Ballingarry and Borrisokane.
The meeting was also told that there are thousands of landowners in Tipperary, North and South, who will be subject to the Residential Zoned Land Tax. He said the Council will be publishing a RZLT map for landowners to examine at the end of January. Cllr Phyll Bugler asked if the landowners had been written to about that, by the Council. The executive member said they hadn't, “because under the legislation we are not required to do so.”
He added that the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant is being raised, which will benefit those people who are planning to convert former commercial properties into apartments. This new system will come into play by the end of the first quarter of 2026. It could benefit people who own buildings with working shops on the ground floor ("Vacant above the shop"), and wish to convert the floors above into apartments. The new grant, depending on which bracket people fall under, could be as much as €140,000.
This extended grant aims to bring underutilised space above existing commercial premises into use as homes, while recognising the complexities involved. The higher grant amount will contribute towards these works.
A grant of up to €95,000 will be provided where one residential unit is being created, with an additional grant of up to €20,000 where two residential units are being created and a further €20,000 where three or more residential units are being created. Furthermore, up to €5,000 will be made available towards expert advice on conversion of these properties for residential use. This will bring the total grant package available towards the refurbishment of these properties up to €140,000. Cllr Joe Hannigan warmly welcomed this news, calling it a gamechanger. He added that another significant problem which needs to be tackled is the number of derelict/vacant one off houses scattered across the countryside. Cllr Fiona Bonfield said she knows many people who want to get planning permission for homes in the countryside but have been turned down.
In separate business, the Senior Executive Officer Rosemary Joyce said the Council has been given Planning Permission to improve the harbour area in Garrykennedy. Cllr Hannigan said the toilet block in Kilgarvan Quay requires upgrading work. A total regeneration of the inner lakeside harbour in the scenic village of Garrykennedy is being planned. The works will involve the clearance of unsightly boats that have been abandoned by their owners.

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