Housing Minister urges Dunnes to ‘re-engage’ over unoccupied apartments in Macroom 

Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien has urged Dunnes Stores to ‘re-engage’ and allow 20 apartments above the company’s store in Macroom to be used for housing. The apartments have been unoccupied since the complex opened in 2005.

Mr O’Brien was in Macroom as part of a tour of council social- and affordable-housing developments throughout Co Cork. The first site he visited in Macroom, a social housing site with eight apartments in Cúirt an Dúiche (District Court) in Sleaveen, had been derelict for 45 years before its development.

Just north of this, the apartments over Dunnes Stores were included in the original development proposal, alongside the store, but have never been occupied, despite being equipped with washing machines and other household appliances.

The minister said that his Fianna Fáil colleague in Cork North West, Aindrias Moynihan, TD, and Cork County Council had been engaging “on a regular basis” with the owners of the apartments.

“The council continues to engage,” Mr O’Brien said. “Of course, I’d love to see them used, to see them occupied; we all would.

“I would encourage Dunnes Stores to re-engage. We will certainly be very helpful.

“We won’t be found wanting, if it’s for cost-rental or units or even long-term leasing, or, indeed, social units to purchase.

“We’re open to all options. The owners are aware of that, even through our approved housing bodies, if need be.”

“The owners are aware of that,” Mr O’Brien added. “I’d love to see re-engagement there; it’s a shame to see 20 units that could be occupied by people.”

“Dunnes are a fantastic Irish company. They employ thousands and thousands of people. This is important, though, for Macroom.

“Any support I can give as minister, and Aindrias knows that, we will continue to work on that, and the door is always open for Dunnes to talk to me directly.”

Dunnes Stores has been contacted for comment.

In the course of his tour of Cork, Mr O’Brien visited developments in Bantry (cost-rental housing), and in Macroom, Carrigtwohill, and Mitchelstown.