Meath County Council was delighted to welcome Minister John Cummins to the Thrive Centre of Business Excellence on Monday, 9 March 2026, for a series of briefings focused on housing delivery, town centre regeneration and ongoing collaborative work between the Council and the Department. Minister Cummins began the day by meeting with Fine Gael colleagues, followed by a detailed briefing from the Chief Executive of Meath County Council Kieran Kehoe, the Council’s Housing Department, and Ashbourne Municipal District Elected Members on the Ashbourne Affordable Housing Scheme at Coach, Ashbourne.
This scheme proposes 92 affordable homes, comprising 27 one bed homes, 49 two bed homes, and 16 three bed homes. The development also includes a crèche and retail units within the same block. Construction is scheduled to commence in April 2026, with completion anticipated in September or October 2027.
Following this briefing, the Minister met with the Chief Executive, An Cathaoirleach Councillor Wayne Harding, and the Council’s Senior Management Team for a constructive discussion on ongoing projects and future opportunities within Meath. Minister Cummins’ visit concluded with a short tour of Brews Hill in Navan, where significant progress has been made on a key town centre regeneration site. Work commenced on Brews Hill in January 2024 and is on track for completion in the middle of 2026. Pictured above at Brew’s Hill – L to R: Corrina Elder, Senior Engineer, Meath County Council’s Housing Department, Fiona Fallon, Director of Services for Housing at Meath County Council, Kieran Kehoe, Chief Executive of Meath County Council, Minister of State John Cummins, Cllr Wayne Harding, An Cathaoirleach of Meath County Council, Mayor of Navan Cllr Padraig Fitzsimons, Aisling Dempsey, TD, Cllr John Duffy.
This project has transformed a previously derelict area through the demolition of former properties at to make way for 12 new homes—six one bedroom ground floor apartments and six two bedroom duplex units. The two apartment blocks front onto Brews Hill and Emmett Terrace, with a shared landscaped courtyard providing high quality communal space for residents.
Cathaoirleach of Meath County Council, Cllr. Wayne Harding, welcomed the Minister, stating: “We were delighted to welcome Minister Cummins to Meath today and to share with him our work, our progress, and our future plans. The Council is deeply committed to sustainable housing, strong communities and vibrant towns, and we appreciate the opportunity to demonstrate the positive impact of our ongoing
projects.”
L to R – Corrina Elder, Senior Engineer, Meath County Council’s Housing Department, Minister of State John Cummins, Fiona Fallon, Director of Services for Housing at Meath County Council looking at plans for the Ashbourne Affordable Housing Scheme
John Cummins TD, Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with Responsibility for Local Government and Planning said: “I’m delighted to visit Meath this morning and hear about the plans for a new Affordable Purchase scheme which will see the delivery of 92 homes. This is a perfect example of how partnerships between the local authority, Government and
local builders are working together to deliver homes for people. “A wide range of schemes are now in place to support people who want to buy their first home. These initiatives offer real, practical pathways to home ownership, and I would strongly encourage prospective buyers to engage with them, explore what’s available, and take advantage of the supports that are there to help turn the goal of home ownership into a reality.”
Chief Executive of Meath County Council, Kieran Kehoe, added: “Meath County Council is proud of the scale and quality of our housing delivery, and we were pleased to discuss both our ongoing projects and future pipeline with Minister Cummins. Our briefing to the Minister on the Ashbourne Affordable Housing Scheme in particular reflects our commitment to delivering well designed, affordable homes
alongside essential community infrastructure.”
