Purcell Construction has begun the redevelopment of St Anne’s Court in Raheny for Dublin City Council, delivering 102 age-friendly social homes for older people in a scheme that shows how councils are replacing ageing bedsit complexes with larger universal design schemes as demand from older households rises.

Purcell Construction, headquartered in Galway with a Dublin office, is an Irish building contractor founded in 1988 that has delivered projects from €100,000 to €60m, including the North City Operations Depot and the National Train Control Centre.

Dublin City Council, the local authority for Ireland’s capital, is the client, with the scheme supported by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

The homes comprise 96 universal design apartments and six universal design plus apartments, replacing 61 bedsit units in five two-storey blocks, and are due for completion by summer 2028.

Lord Mayor of Dublin Daryl Barron said the sod-turning represents a commitment to high-quality homes where older people can live independently and with dignity while staying connected to an established community in Raheny. Minister of State for Older People and Housing Kieran O’Donnell joined him at the ceremony.

The scale of replacement is the point: 102 one-bedroom homes replace 61 bedsits on a 0.58-hectare site, lifting capacity by 67% on the same footprint, with the redevelopment designed to keep residents connected to the existing Raheny community.

Demand is rising: households headed by someone aged 65 or over are projected to grow from 481,505 in 2022 to 819,753 in 2040, according to Social Justice Ireland analysis of CSO projections.

The pressure is already visible: 265 people aged over 65 were reported to be in emergency accommodation in June 2026, 164 of them in Dublin, and the Government has said a housing plan for older people is being prepared.

For the sector, replacing low-density bedsit blocks with larger universal design schemes is a repeatable model for council housing programmes, and it keeps mid-sized Irish contractors in steady demand as the older population grows.

Source: 98FM / BuildingInfo / Social Justice Ireland / RTÉ