€8m Spent, 1,400 Jobs In Limbo As Housing Projects Halted — Athy Among Sites Hit

Thursday, 19 June 2025 09:50

By Martin Osborne

As previously reported by Kfm, the 486-home project - planned across six sites in Kildare, Dublin, Wicklow, and Sligo - was just weeks away from breaking ground when Housing Minister James Browne pulled the plug, citing overall cost concerns.

Over 1,400 construction jobs and €8 million in preparatory work have been thrown into disarray following the Department of Housing’s sudden halt of a major social housing project, despite the scheme having twice cleared financial assessments.

As previously reported by Kfm, the 486-home project - planned across six sites in Kildare, Dublin, Wicklow, and Sligo - was just weeks away from breaking ground when Housing Minister James Browne pulled the plug, citing overall cost concerns.

Developers, according to The Journal, had already assigned a workforce of 1,400 for 18 months of work.

Much of that employment is now in limbo, with local contractors blindsided and major partners - including Equitix, Kajima, JJ Rhatigan and Túath Housing - left scrambling to assess losses.

The consortium, which was set to deliver the homes under a Public Private Partnership (PPP), had already invested over €8 million into planning, design, and site preparation before the government’s decision.

The Construction Industry Federation has warned that the cancellation risks “undermining investor confidence” in Ireland’s social housing pipeline, particularly as four other PPP projects - each set to deliver hundreds of homes - have also been paused for review.

In Kildare, a 79-unit development in Athy had a contractor ready and planning permission secured before being halted at the last minute.

Local representatives are now demanding urgent answers on why a green-lit project was halted so late in the process.

Speaking to Kfm this morning, Labour Cllr Aoife Breslin said the latest revelations are "shocking and unbelievable".

She said many local people could have gained employment through the building of the homes in Athy and that the homes are urgently needed.

She said "serious questions" need to be asked and she also confirmed that the Housing Minister has not yet responded to requests by local representatives to meet them to discuss the sudden the halt of the scheme.

The Department of Housing has refused to answer direct questions submitted by Kfm.