Waterford housing delayed – no end in sight
The Ormonde House Apartments - still incomplete according to Waterford City and County Council.
Beginning in 2019, the Ormonde House Apartments saga is far from over.
These 22 apartments, which have been privately developed, have still not been handed over to the council.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, an elderly man told the Waterford News & Star that he is living with his brother because he was offered a place in Ormonde House Apartments but has no idea when he will get to move in.
The Waterford News & Star have seen records that show the Council offered people places in Ormonde House Apartments before July 31, 2025.
However, the Department of Housing has a different story. On November 4, 2025, the Department sent the Waterford News & Star a statement saying: “The Department has been informed by Waterford City and County Council that the project is currently at snagging stage, and that allocations of the units have not yet been made.”
The man said that at a meeting organised by the council on August 7: “They told us they’d be in touch with us soon, that they were doing a snag list.”
He raised concerns about the other people who were offered places in the apartments: “There were two old ladies at that meeting with zimmer frames.”
The man said he has paid the council a small deposit for the apartment.
“It’s just never-ending,” he said. “It’s ‘soon’, it’s ‘ongoing’, they’re the words they use.”
At the last Dungarvan-Lismore District Council meeting, Walter Holden, senior architect, said that “significant” work had been done on the apartments before Christmas, but did not say when people would be moving into the apartments.
When asked about this issue, Waterford City and County Council issued the following statement: “The Ormonde House units were advertised on CBL in May 2025, and letters of offer were issued to approved applicants in mid-July. Subsequently, a number of issues were identified with the building. Waterford City and County Council informed applicants of these issues and advised that, should they prefer, alternative accommodation could be sourced in place of the Ormonde House units. To date, alternative accommodation has been sourced for three applicants.
"The developer is currently completing any outstanding works, and the Council continues to actively engage with the developer to progress the project to completion.”
Meanwhile, in a response to an FOI request about how much the council have spent on the Ormonde House Apartments, the council revealed that they have not yet fully paid for the apartments and that contract negotiations were still ongoing. This raises the question of why the council promised people on waiting lists a place to live without having paid for the accommodation they were offering.
