CORK North West Fianna Fáil TD Aindrias Moynihan has called on Dunnes Stores to release the apartments above its shopping complex in Macroom to allow people to live there.
he Cork North West TD was responding to a query from The Corkman as he welcomed the beginning of construction on new one and two bedroomed social housing units in the Slieveen area of the town.
“The development at Slieveen will mean that single people and smaller families will have an opportunity to get housing here,” said Deputy Moynihan.
Regarding the Dunnes Stores apartments, which also would be aimed at single people and small families, the TD had this to say:
“The owners should release them and give people a chance to live there.
“I’ve raised it over a number of years with the owners.”
The comments follow a recent call by Sinn Féin TD for Cork North Central, Thomas Gould, who said Dunnes Stores should make the apartments available for people to occupy or Cork County Council should move to compulsorily purchase them.
The Dunnes Stores development got planning permission in 2004 as a mixed ‘retail and residential development’.
There were subsequent applications for planning permission for a restaurant upstairs and while these were granted, the last such permission, which was conditional, was granted in 2012 and has expired by now.
