EVERY WEEK WE round up the most vital goings-on in the world of property, so you can stay up to date.
From Apple’s planning conflict in Galway to rural housing debates, here’s what’s been happening over the last seven days…
1. Apple’s €850m Galway plans may fall foul of planning delays
Locals and politicians in Galway have voiced concerns that Apple’s planned €850m project for the county could be scrapped due to planning issues. The computer giant was granted permission to build a data centre on a greenfield site in a Coillte-owned forest back in 2016, but a judicial review is still pending.
Those campaigning for the investment will now have to wait until 17th October to hear the High Court’s decision, after 11 months of waiting.
2. Dublin 8 locals claim homes damaged by hospital construction
A High Court judge has urged parties involved in a row over damage allegedly caused to houses located near the site of the new National Children’s Hospital in Dublin to consider going to mediation.
Locals living near the site of the €1bn project attached to St James’ Hospital claim their homes have suffered as a result of the ongoing construction in the area.
3. Building sites affected by this week’s crane driver strikes
Construction across the country ground to a halt this week as crane drivers took industrial action as part of continued protests over pay.
Trade union Unite said that the drivers are looking for wage rises of around 10% on the maximum amounts being earned. Speaking to Fora, Unite’s regional officer for construction Tom Fitzgerald said the union believes drivers should be earning upwards of €25 an hour rather than the current minimum wage of €16.69 an hour.
4. Do you live in one of Ireland’s most popular counties for tourists?
Residents of Dublin, Cork and Kerry will be pleased to learn that their counties take in the highest tourism spend of all of Ireland, according to new information released by Fáilte Ireland. Last year visitors to this country spent over €4.6bn, with well over €2bn of that in Dublin and the south west.
The figures also reveal the most popular tourist attractions around Ireland, with the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin and the Cliffs of Moher in Clare topping the list of ticketed spots.
5. One-off housing in rural areas comes under fire
The culture of rural families building additional houses on the same patches of land is depriving the country of much-needed agricultural space and should not be considered a given right. That’s according to the former Secretary General of the Department of Finance John Moran, speaking at the MacGill Summer School this week.
He noted that parts of the country were being “destroyed” by “individual one-off housing” and said it was a case of “architectural acne.”
And finally, this week’s property buzzword…
The world of real estate is jargon-heavy, and each week we break things down by deciphering one more property buzzword for you. This week it’s balloon payment, a large payment made at the end of a short-term loan or mortgage to completely clear the remaining balance. Often the previous repayments will have covered only the interest.
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