Dublin City Council received approval from the Department of the Enviroment on the 27th July 2012 for the redevelopment of Liberty House. The funding will provide for the demolition of the existing blocks E+F and the construction of 56 new residential units, a basement car park and a small community building. Residential accommodation will include a mix of one, two and three bedroom apartments and houses. Construction is expected to start by the end of October 2012. The contract duration is for 104 weeks. This is great news for the north inner city and will go some way to providing much needed social housing. Mary

New National Drugs Strategy
Minister for Drugs Jennifer Murnane O’Connor recently updated me in Seanad Eireann on the new national drugs strategy. Her new strategy is designed to respond to the significant changes in drug-use patterns in Ireland and to ensure equitable access to services across the country. The draft strategy proposes five strategic



