Update
A report from Assistant Chief Executive of Dublin City Council, Brendan Kenny, confirms that the recent deal brokered by the Dublin Agreement Group to deliver 80% social and affordable homes on the O’Devaney site is legal, will go ahead and will deliver for our community.
You can read Mr Kenny’s report in full HERE but the key benefits are outlined in the video below.
Mr Kenny also confirmed that Dublin City Council is not giving away this land to a Private Developer nor are we selling the land. We are using this state land to lever all of the above for the benefit of citizens in Dublin city.
He advised Dublin City Councillors that there is no alternative plan and if City Councillors vote to reverse their decision it will be another ten years before there are homes on the site.
It is especially worrying that a Government which makes great political play on its commitment to fund Social Housing, will not fund Affordable Housing (be it Purchase or Cost Rental), other than via its very limited Site Services Fund. As a consequence, Dublin City Council, unable to sustain the level of borrowing required to fund schemes such as at O’Devaney, must engage private companies like Bartra to bring Affordable Housing to state owned land in the heart of our capital city.
Mary has called on Sinn Féin and Fine Gael City Councillors to stop playing politics, to put constituents who desperately need homes ahead of their personal political interests and to get behind this deal and deliver private, social and affordable homes as well as community facilities on this site.
Mary renews her call to the Minister for Housing to publish without delay an Affordable Rental Scheme.