Councillors demand update on delayed Pallaskenry housing scheme

Independent councillor Tommy Hartigan has called on Limerick City and County Council for an update on the stalled Orchard housing estate in Pallaskenry, describing the project as “an absolute disaster from the beginning”.

Hartigan says he has repeatedly asked the council for a progress report but has received no response. At the September Adare/Rathkeale area meeting he called the lack of information “an absolute joke”.

Fine Gael councillor Adam Teskey seconded a motion demanding answers, calling it “laughable” that the issue remains on the agenda after a promised resolution twelve months ago. Teskey recalled that in October of the previous year the council had been told a developer would dispose of the houses within six to eight weeks, a timeline that has not been met.

Councillor Stephen Keary (FG) noted that eight of the 16 units were originally intended as private homes, with the remainder council‑owned, but that the plan changed when the developer entered liquidation. He criticised the prolonged delay, suggesting the project has been ongoing for six or seven years.

Limerick Council responded that it completed the purchase of eight houses at The Orchards in August 2025. Eight units remain to be finished, with seven slated for acquisition by Focus Housing Association under the Capital Assistance Scheme and one retained by the council. Senior engineer Sarah Newell said units 13‑16 should be ready for snagging by the end of September 2026, while units 5‑8 are expected to be handed over in early 2027, citing builder and subcontractor availability as the cause of delays.

Source: Limerick Post. Photo: D Goug / Pexels.