A couple who own two businesses have built three houses for their employees and plan to have another 17 developed on a not-for-profit basis:
Patricia and Tony Walsh have sold the houses that have already been built to three families that work for them more than €30,000 below their market value.
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The couple, who own Walsh Colour Print and Educate.ie based in Castleisland, County Kerry, have sold one of the properties to Anna and Marcin Wojs - two of their employees who have two children.
Before the houses were built, Mr and Mrs Wojs were struggling to save enough money to secure a mortgage and were forking out between €800 and €1,000 per month on rent.
Marcin told RTÉ News how he spoke to his boss about the problems his family was facing - which meant that they had even considered going back to Poland.
Walsh Colour Print, a trade printer, and Educate.ie, a publisher and printer of texts and books for primary and secondary schools, employ almost 120 people.
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Patricia Walsh told RTÉ: "In this country, there aren't many [trained staff[. Availability isn't great. So, we seek staff from Eastern Europe because the skill set over there is every bit as good as here and there is a bigger population to choose from.
"For that reason, it's an attraction, a perk of the job. When we are listing why you should come working for our company, this would be one of the perks available."
The site that Patricia and Tony purchased is owned by Walsh Colour Print and it can accommodate up to 70 houses. The couple applied for planning permission back in 2017.
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Around 50 of the houses will be sold on the open market with the other 20 reserved specifically for members of staff to buy.
Mr Walsh said: "I would encourage other people to do it because the satisfaction you get out of doing it and the satisfaction from your staff. I think the long term prospects for the company when you have to improve if you have good, happy staff.
He also said: "Mercin and Anna and their family are over the moon. For the first time in their lives they own something. We are going to roll this out now to the rest of our staff and, at the end of their time, when they are finished working with Walsh Colour Print and Educate.ie, they can close the door and say 'we own this'."
Mrs Walsh added: "It is something that can be emulated throughout the country, I can't see why not."
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Work on the next stage of building will begin in January and anyone that buys homes from the company will be asked to remain working with the company for 10 years but that will be agreed informally.
Featured Image Credit: RTÉ NewsTopics: Ireland, Inspirational, Community