Bradley Bytes  – A sort of political column by Dara Bradley

Bearna is getting 14 cost-rental homes next year, according to Housing Minister James Browne who visited Galway last week. Or is it? It’s hard to tell because the Department of Housing is secretive and has issued confusing information.

In mid-May, Minister Browne, a first-time TD for Wexford, declared “there are 14 cost-rental homes to be provided in Barna in early 2026”.

According to the Dáil record, this, “should be part of a cost-rental equity loan scheme as well”, he said.

Presumably the information was supplied to him by someone in the Department of Housing and was relayed to the Dáil in good faith.

Minister Browne made the comments in reply to his Fianna Fáil colleague, Galway East TD Albert Dolan, during a debate about affordable housing.

Minister Browne did not dwell on the Bearna proposal. And so, the Tribune submitted a few follow-up queries to his Department, to get more details. Nothing major. Just basic enough questions like where in Bearna will the 14 houses be located?

A week after the questions were submitted, and after a reminder issued, the Department replied, “sorry for the delay” and said it was chasing the answers.

The following day, another apology for the “long delay due to an oversight”, was issued as an introduction to the Department’s response, which said: “The first Cost Rental Equity Loan (CREL) project in Galway County will deliver 14 cost rental homes in Barna by the end of September 2025.”

Oh lord! As well as contradicting the Minister – he said it would be early 2026, the Department said September 2025 – the response did not answer the queries asked.

At a very basic level, the Department refused – or was unable – to give a location for the new cost-rental homes, which presumably are already nearly built.

“Further details of the funded development, including exact location, will be announced in due course by the Minister and the AHB (approved housing body) concerned, once contractual and financial arrangements have been concluded,” the Department spokesperson said.

Another email seeking clarity from the Department on the delivery date (is it September 2025 or early 2026?), and address of the proposed 14 cost-rental homes (apparently, it’s Truskey East) was ignored.

The Department of Housing is clearly busy. But based on this interaction over a simple query about 14 homes in Bearna, it wouldn’t exactly inspire confidence in its ability to solve the housing emergency. Especially not when 1,300 people recently applied for Galway City’s first 28 cost-rental homes on Old Monivea Road in Ballybrit.

No wonder the Government is searching for a housing tsar.

Pictured: Housing Minister James Browne at the official opening of new cost-rental homes at Claí Mór in Ballybrit. His Department officials were not willing, or able, to reply to queries about a cost-rental scheme planned for Bearna. Photo: Andrew Downes, xposure