Donegal County Council has opened four housing developments, the first such projects in at least a decade.
With no funding available, it is at least ten years since Donegal County Council was in a position to build social housing.
Today, the council officially opened four developments, which were recently completed and turned the sod on two more planned developments where contractors are about to be appointed.
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Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy did the honours at the six locations - turning sods in Donegal Town and Letterkenny and cutting ribbons at four completed schemes in Stranorlar, Newtowncunningham, Manorcunningham and Letterkenny.
At one of the estates in Stranorlar, new resident Angela O'Brien was the person to actually cut the ribbon.
She and her family moved into their new home just a few weeks ago and she said it was the best Christmas present ever.
The O'Briens had been on the housing list in Donegal for five to six years and said this was now their "forever home".
The house is in what might have been termed a ghost estate, an unfinished estate begun by a developer and completed by the council.
The completed schemes include a 34-unit development in Letterkenny and seven units in Newtowncunningham, while the planned sites will see the construction of 34 units in Donegal town and 29 units in Letterkenny.
The total cost of the six developments is in the region of €23m.
The minister said the schemes were part of the important work going on around the country, which need to continue for the next two to three years.
Director of Services with Donegal County Council Joe Peoples said that the new developments are part of a bigger programme of social housing in the county.
Coming from a situation where they were providing no social housing at all he said the council hopes to be working on six or seven sites this year.
He said the council currently has a net need for housing for 900 families and they hope to be able to provide that over the next few years through a combination of building on the council's own land bank and turn-key developments.
