NICE TO SEE the cranes and pile drivers back in the city centre, and even better when it’s for a good cause. Residents around Dublin 1’s Gardiner Street will have noticed an increase in activity as Collen builders have been laying foundations for two buildings to replace the old Fr Scully building that stood on the site for 40 years.

Work is under way on two joined buildings, one of five storeys and one of seven storeys, part of an €18 million investment mainly funded by the Department of the Environment for the Catholic Housing Aid Society to provide affordable accommodation to older people of limited means. The 99 high-spec one- and two-bed apartments are due for completion by spring 2014, and they will be fitted for people with limited mobility.

Next year, Dublin City Council and the Catholic Housing Aid Society will begin selecting prospective tenants. About a third of the residents will be existing tenants of Fr Scully House, while the remainder will be split between the Council housing list and others assessed on application.

catholichousing aidsociety.com