Minister eyes up CIE land as location for social housing

Housing Minister Simon Coveney is eyeing up CIÉ-owned lands at Ceannt Station, as a prime site with the potential to alleviate the city’s social housing shortage.

Minister Coveney has sought a meeting with Galway’s two top Council officials to explore the possibility of using the site behind the city centre train station, as well as other lands in public ownership, to build new homes.

Gaeltacht Minister SeánKyne said he met with Minister Coveney, who has requested a meeting “soon” with Chief Executive of Galway City Council, Brendan McGrath and Chief Executive of Galway County Council, Kevin Kelly to discuss their plans for a programme of social housing construction in Galway.

Minister Kyne said the CIÉ-owned land at Ceannt Station is one of the sites Minister Coveney is interested in seeing in a ‘master plan’ drawn up to include a housing element.

“He wants to meet with them to know their plans. Some parcels of land in the ownership of the councils cannot be used for social housing because of the Galway City Ring Road. That is the problem, but the Minister wants to know what other lands there are, can they get involved with a developer who is not in a position to complete a full estate. And the CIÉ site in Galway, can there be a master plan? He can’t tell them where to build, the solutions and plans must come from Galway,” said Minister Kyne.

For more on the city’s housing and homelessness crisis, see this week’s Galway City Tribune.
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