‘For God's sake’ – Micheál Martin fumes as Meath house buyers wait over 12 months to move into homes
Tánaiste Micheál Martin has slammed differences between Uisce Éireann and local authority bosses in Meath that have left a number of families waiting over a year to access their new homes, saying: “For God’s sake would they go away and get it done.”
Some couples who bought houses in the new Johnstown Demesne estate in Enfield paid deposits in April 2023, but are still no nearer to knowing when they will be handed their keys.
The development by Westin Homes comprises two, three and four-bedroom homes that are A-rated.
In recent weeks, Coonan Property, the estate agent handling the sale, informed buyers there have been delays connecting the water supply and electricity.
A number of home buyers who snapped up three-bed houses handed over deposits of €38,500, but have been forced to spend thousands more in rental costs in the midst of the ongoing delays.
The issue was raised on the floor of the Dáil by Sinn Féin TD Johnny Guirke.
The former Meath county councillor said the situation had become so dire for some families that they now faced being made homeless.
“Many of these families gave up their tenancies in private rental homes and have ended up with nowhere to live,” he said.
“These people are being treated very badly by the developer and Uisce Éireann.”
Mr Guirke said the fallout centred principally on issues between the developer and Uisce Éireann concerning a road opening licence.
He told the Dáil a local authority engineer had informed him the council were waiting on a risk assessment, a traffic management plan and the submission of a method statement from Uisce Éireann.
Mr Guirke said over the intervening two weeks there had been little or no progress, branding the situation “a joke” and Uisce Éireann one of the most “incompetent organisations” he had ever encountered in public life.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin, however, said the onus on remedying the current malaise lay not with the Government, but rather Meath County Council and Uisce Éireann.
“What the Deputy is presenting is ridiculous,” he snapped.
“It should be resolved between the two State agencies. The Deputy has said the county council and Uisce Éireann have an issue.
“They should sort it. With the greatest respect to everybody, there are people on the ground working with the two agencies. For God’s sake would they go away and get it done.”
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