Irish Examiner view: Limerick decision shows lack of leadership amid our housing crisis

It is dispiriting that the ESB and Department of the Environment will not transfer Rosbrien Rd site to the Land Development Agency

Given the housing crisis, it was particularly disappointing to learn of the loss of a site in Limerick that might have accommodated up to 410 houses. Picture: Denis Scannell/Irish Examiner

Given the hardship being generated by the ongoing housing and accommodation crisis, it was particularly dispiriting this week to learn of the loss of a site in Limerick that might have accommodated up to 410 houses.

The disappointment was compounded by the involvement of State agencies in the loss of the 5.3 hectare site, located at Rosbrien in Limerick. 

This newspaper has reported that the Department of the Environment and the ESB recently informed the Government that they had “not consented” to transferring the site to the Land Development Agency.

The agency’s raison d’être is to maximise the supply of affordable and social homes on public land in a financially sustainable manner, supporting the creation of thriving communities, and delivering ongoing positive social impact.

On the face of it, Rosbrien looked like a tailormade opportunity — but the department and the ESB have thrown the proverbial spanner in the works.

In its defence, the Land Development Agency has pointed out that it “currently has no powers to compel” State bodies to co-operate with it.

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However, that is also an acknowledgement of a fundamental flaw in how the organisation was constituted. 

If it does not have the power to compel other State bodies to comply, then it is difficult to see what its purpose is. 

Identifying opportunities is not the same as maximising those opportunities.

The situation does not reflect well on the Department of the Environment or the ESB. While land ownership and development are notoriously complicated legal areas, the lack of urgency on the part of those two bodies is deeply disappointing.

This is always true when the institutions of the State are not actively interested in improving the lot of ordinary citizens. 

It is no exaggeration to say that Ireland is experiencing a national crisis when it comes to accommodation and housing, and that the country is seeking real leadership and imaginative solutions. Sadly, both are lacking in this case.

Children's health is at risk 

The ongoing issues in the health service can sometimes appear too diffuse to be appreciated fully — until a specific problem or set of circumstances becomes too pressing to ignore.

That was the case yesterday with the growing awareness of a crisis in Mullingar, Co Westmeath. Professor Michael O’Grady, the head of the Paediatric Diabetes Services in Regional Hospital Mullingar, wrote to parents whose children attend the hospital, outlining his concerns for the future of those services.

Prof O’Grady’s warning, which soon circulated widely on social media and the airwaves, was a stark one. He told parents that a staffing crisis meant the services were “once again without any nursing support”.

While outlining the precise implications of that crisis, he added that the services’ current advanced nurse practitioner has a nursing workload that is intended for 2.6 nurses.

Three years ago the services shut down temporarily due to staffing and resources issues, but there are no guarantees it will reopen if it shuts again. In his letter, Prof O’Grady said: 

We cannot assume that the outcome this time will be a positive one, and if things don’t change, the service will again be facing permanent closure. 

The implications for children using the services are serious: those using Mullingar at present would, in the absence of those services, have to travel to Galway or Dublin for treatment instead. This is manifestly unfair to those living in the Mullingar area as well as posing a risk to their health, not to mention the undue stress and pressure being placed on staff who must contend with excessive workloads.

The problems with staffing levels in Mullingar should be addressed. The health of the children using the services is the top priority.

This case also has serious implications for the State’s commitment to balanced regional development.

If such straightforward medical services cannot be guaranteed in a regional hospital, then there must be doubts about whether such development can succeed.

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Retain the direct Wexford-Dublin train

The challenge of balanced regional development rears its head elsewhere on this page regarding Regional Hospital Mullingar, and it also casts a shadow over the Rosslare-Dublin rail service.

There are reports that the National Transport Authority is examining whether northbound users of that line should change trains at Wicklow town or Greystones and continue their journey to Dublin on the Dart service, and the reaction from politicians and pressure groups has been negative, to say the least.

The points they make in favour of retaining a direct service are persuasive — they point out that passengers who are used to a direct service from Rosslare to Dublin will be inconvenienced by changing trains in Wicklow or Greystones and may opt out of train travel as a result. They have also stressed that such changes are not imposed on passengers using lines from the regions that terminate in Heuston Station.

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The most persuasive point is the sheer success of the Rosslare-Connolly service, which has seen passenger numbers from Wexford town double between 2013 and 2022.

If the service was not being used, the need for change would be understandable, but it is difficult to see the rationale behind any proposed downgrading of the service when it is twice as popular as it was.

At a time when the State is trying to incentivise public transport, this is one case where a direct service, if not direct action, needs to be retained.