Families 'locked out' of their new €499,999 homes in Laois says Senator
Architects interpretive design plan for the Sand Wood housing estate in Portlaoise.
LAOIS based Sinn Féin Senator Maria McCormack has raised serious concerns over the ongoing delay preventing 80 families from moving into their new homes in Portlaoise.
The homes, starting in price from €499,999, are in the newly constructed Sand Wood estate located just off the Southern Circular Road between the O’Devoy (O’Deevy) and O’Kelly roundabouts in the Summerhill area.
Senator McCormack described the situation as “completely unacceptable,” and said: “Despite having purchased their homes and prepared to move in as far back as January, the families remain unable to access them due to ongoing ESB connection issues.”
She said: “These families were told they’d be in by January or February of this year. Then it was pushed to May. Now they’re being told October. Children are already enrolled in nearby schools and now, come September, some will be travelling from as far as Dublin just to get to class.
“Some families have even had to reapply for their mortgages due to the time delay. That is an outrageous burden to place on people who have done everything right.”
According to the Senator, the developer, Holybrook submitted the connection application to ESB in March 2024.
“However,” she said: “The ESB has cited capacity issues at the local substation in Portlaoise as the reason for the ongoing delay.”
She also raised concerns that ESB’s planning and capacity estimates were based on outdated figures from the Department of Housing, failing to reflect the reality of Laois’s growing population and housing needs.
“Portlaoise is a rapidly growing town. We are taking the overspill from the cities as a commuter belt county, but we are not being prioritised when it comes to critical infrastructure like power and water. This is the direct result of years of poor planning and a lack of investment in key services in smaller counties like Laois,” said Senator McCormack.
She said: These homes are built. They’re ready. The only thing standing between families and a roof over their heads is red tape and a lack of forward planning. That’s not good enough. The government must step in and ensure these families are not left waiting another day longer.”
