Call to identify 'good clusters' of derelict properties that could be brought back into use

Six derelict homes in Abbeyfeale, with a combined market value of more than €1m, will form pilot and are expected to be refurbished and made available to tenants next year

Limerick mayor John Moran: 'Six homes that lay empty are about to become good-quality homes at fair rents for working people who have been shut out of the local rental market.' File picture: Brendan Gleeson

Limerick councillors have been encouraged to identify "good clusters" of derelict properties that could be brought back into use after the mayor's Vienna-model housing pilot was approved for Abbeyfeale.

Under the model, derelict properties are acquired and refurbished through the council's development company before being rented at below-market, cost-recovery rates to households who earn too much to qualify for social housing but struggle to afford private rents.

Six derelict homes in Abbeyfeale, with a combined market value of more than €1m, will form the pilot and are expected to be refurbished and made available to tenants next year.

Rents are expected to range from about €800 a month for a one-bedroom property to €1,200 for a three-bedroom home.

The initiative was initially met with strong opposition, with some warning  Limerick City and County Council project development company Limerick Twenty Thirty’s participation in the scheme was “meddling in the private market”.

Under Section 183 of the Local Government Act 2001, the homes were transferred to Limerick Twenty Thirty Strategic Development DAC (LTT).

The disposal of the six properties will form part of a targeted approach to providing a cost-recovery rental model. The properties are located at Convent Road, 6 and 7 Colbert Terrace, 8 Old Church Street, and units 1 and 2 at the Bridge Inn.

LTT will complete the purchase of the homes later this month.

Further properties already identified in Abbeyfeale could be added if demand for the six homes outstrips supply over the coming weeks, while a pipeline of towns and properties is being built up for 2027 and beyond.

Limerick mayor John Moran said: "Six homes that lay empty are about to become good-quality homes at fair rents for working people who have been shut out of the local rental market. 

"Getting here took far longer than I would have liked, but all approvals are now in place. 

"The lesson for me is that Limerick has to keep pushing when we know there is a better way of doing things, even when it doesn't fit the standard national template.”