John Moran, the first directly elected mayor of Limerick and Ireland’s leading local politician, has expressed greater concern over housing shortages in Limerick than any possible shortage of hotel rooms for the high-profile Ryder Cup golf tournament in 2027. As the projected population growth of over 50,000 people in the coming years is expected to put further pressure on housing availability, one principal proposal from Moran is to build 1,000 modular homes on state land in the county.
When his detailed five-year draft plan for Limerick will be presented to the local city and county councils this Friday, it will propose various schemes aimed at enhancing the liveability, prosperity, and health of the area.
In anticipation of the influx of over 300,000 golf enthusiasts for the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor, the draft plan acknowledges the event as an opening to present Limerick as a foremost tourist hub. However, the mayor dismissed any fears of inadequate hotel accommodation for the event. For Mr Moran, the real advantage for the region lies not in tourism, but the job opportunities generated during the staging of the Ryder Cup.
His proposal for more housing such as the modular homes scheme, he believes, can also provide a solution to any accommodation difficulties that could arise during the golf tournament. Mayor Moran stated that this highlighted his real concern is for the county’s housing shortage, which he considers unrelated to the Ryder Cup. He emphasised that Limerick needs to establish 4,000 new homes annually. The ex-secretary general of the Department of Finance concludes that these measures would relieve the housing scarcity currently apparent in Limerick.
Mr. Moran has proposed that residential properties could be utilised by workers, and student dwellings could be adapted, should the tournament occur during the tertiary education summer recess. As part of his initiative, Mr. Moran is advocating for the creation of what he has termed as “Smart homes”— temporary, affordable rental transition residences — to be established in Limerick.
Modular residences have been a hot topic following a report by the Comptroller & Auditor General, which revealed that accommodation units for Ukrainian refugees are anticipated to be over double their initial projected cost at €440,000 each. The escalation in costs has been attributed to small sites and the preparatory work required before they can accommodate the homes.
Mr. Moran stated that his plan would utilise lands already facilitated with water connections, rather than challenging brownfield sites, which are “more expensive”. He emphasised that the homes he was advocating for represent a different building style, adding that “we’re not going to begin investing substantial funds unless we have a feasible delivery pathway and a good understanding of the cost”.
The proposal has been presented to the Minister for Housing, Darragh O’Brien, and a working group has been formed, in conjunction with the Department of Housing, to explore the concept.
The mayor presented a document titled 101 Days of Action, listing his initiatives since June. Key actions over the last quarter include the establishment of a new office whose methodologies are imprinted into the council’s operations, alongside the development of the mayor’s programme in line with the councillors’ input.
Mr. Moran assumes another responsibility in influencing Government Ministers to fund investments in Limerick, which he predicts will necessitate €2 billion in infrastructure by 2030. The most substantial authority held by the office is proposing the local council’s budget, an action expected to take place in November after the mayor’s programme is completed in the coming weeks.