Offaly County Council was pleased to welcome Minister of State for Planning and Local Government, John Cummins TD, to Beechwood Court, Daingean, for a site visit to view the strong progress made on this Age Friendly housing development, which is now approaching completion.
Designed with accessibility and independent living at its core, Beechwood Court will provide high-quality accommodation tailored to the needs of older persons and those requiring universally designed homes.
Arranged in two terraces, the scheme has been carefully designed to create a safe and accessible residential environment, with level pathways, easy-to-navigate layouts, and on-site parking supporting ease of access for residents.
Minister of State for Local Government and Planning John Cummins TD said:
This development in Daingean is a great example of what can be achieved when local authorities work closely with delivery partners to provide high-quality, age-friendly homes that enable people to live independently in their own communities.
“I want to commend Offaly County Council and all those involved in bringing this project to fruition. As our population ages, developments like this will become increasingly important. They provide not just homes, but dignity, security and the opportunity for older people to remain connected to the places and communities they know best.
“This is exactly the type of collaborative, well-designed housing delivery that we need to see replicated right across the country, and I look forward to supporting more projects of this kind in the years ahead.”
Chief Executive of Offaly County Council, Eoghan Ryan, commented:
“Beechwood Court reflects our focus on delivering housing that responds to real community needs. By combining universal design principles with high energy efficiency standards, we are providing homes that will enable people to remain living independently in their community, while also ensuring long-term sustainability.”
The homes are being delivered to Near Zero Energy Building (NZEB) standards and will incorporate air-to-water heat pump systems, with each unit targeting an A2 Building Energy Rating.
The scheme has been developed by Offaly County Council’s Housing Team, supported by J.J. Carroll, Age Friendly Technical Advisor, in collaboration with SDS Design Engineers (civil and structural), Hayes Higgins Partnership (mechanical and electrical), and Tobin Consulting (quantity surveying). Construction is being carried out by Carroll O’Keefe & Co. Ltd., with works having commenced in late June last year.
Funded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage under the Social Housing Investment Programme, the €3.4 million project forms part of the Council’s wider programme of housing delivery across the county.
