Sir, – New foreign direct investment, while welcome, brings issues like “where will the employees live?” to the fore. It’s currently the number one concern cited by large companies either expanding or thinking about coming to Ireland.
The same problem faced Northgate Exploration in the mid 1960s when they were about to open Europe’s largest lead and zinc mine in Tynagh Co. Galway. They decided to build 52 houses initially in Loughrea ( about nine miles from Tynagh). Later on they built about another 25 houses, also for people who worked in the mines.
The houses were all timber framed with flat roofs and people expected them to last about 20 years. Now, 60 years later they are all standing and are privately owned.
When the mines closed, the tenants, who were all mine workers, could buy the houses at favourable prices.
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The houses were built very quickly and are as warm as toast. I know, as my mother lives in one of them. They were built in blocks of four houses and over the years the neighbours have collaborated to have pitched roofs fitted as the flat roofs did have a 20-year lifespan.
Today they are a sought after house in a sought after location. If this was possible for private industry to do 60 years ago why not right now ? – Yours, etc,
WILLIE SHAW,
Oranmore,
Co Galway.
