North Cork towns not included in affordable housing plan

No town in North Cork, apart from Mallow, has been identified as a location for affordable housing, according to a meeting of Cork Co. Council this week, where councillors urged officials to broaden their plans and include towns like Charleville, Buttevant, Kanturk and Newmarket. Speaking at the council meeting, Fine Gael Councillor John Paul O’Shea criticised the fact that only four towns in all of Co. Cork had been included in plans for affordable housing, and he wanted plans drawn up for all 23 of the towns in question.
Speaking to the Vale Star after the meeting, Cllr O’Shea said that there was a need for affordable housing all over North Cork, and the fact that Mallow was the only location chosen was disappointing. The councillor added that the local authority will be advertising shortly for people to record their interest in affordable housing, and he urged everyone with an interest to respond, so that the council will be able to properly assess the need.
Council Chief Executive Tim Lucey told councillors that the local authority had identified a total need so far for an additional 682 affordable housing units to be constructed by 2026, but the Government had tasked them with a target of building just 189 over that period.