The latest news on the Crann Ard debacle is that the contractor may well get on site by next Wednesday (May 28th). This was stated by Cork County Council’s housing section in a letter to councillors last Thursday.

The ongoing saga which the Council point out is ‘not a housing problem but one of completing works on an estate’, has kept families out of the homes they had been allocated on the estate for a year and a half now.

The update from the council says the bank has now provided them with the up to date position and states: “As members are aware, the Council has no knowledge on, and cannot comment on, the private dealings between any bank and its customers. However the update provided by the bank states that they have received the permission of their customer to inform us that his contractor will shortly be in funds to commence on the site pending the clearance of the AF2 notice that has to be submitted to the HSA. The update from the bank also states that in terms of time lines and resulting from the AF2 notice period, his estimate for his contractor to enter the site is Wednesday, May 28.”

The AF2 notice referred to in the bank’s statement is a form that the project supervisor must submit to the Health and Safety Authority.

The Housing Department is reminding members that it is ‘not a party to any negotiations or discussions between the bank and its customer’.

Cllr Noel McCarthy who has been campaigning for the families to go into their promised homes as soon as possible this week told The Avondhu that he won’t believe the work will start until he sees workers on site in the estate.

“I welcome it with caution and I hope that everyone keeps their word and that the works will commence,” he said. He added that if the works starts on May 28, it could be August by the time the families are in their homes.

The news was welcomed by Cll Kevin O’Keeffe who said if works do commence on Wednesday, ‘it won’t be a day too soon’. “These people have waited far too long,” he told The Avondhu.