Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Unfortunately, the Minister, Deputy Simon Coveney, is not present. I know he knows the site in question, given the fact that he visited it only yesterday and failed while he was there to meet the community that has been raising major concerns about the selection of a community hall as a new homeless centre in the heart of Dublin 8. The hall in question is the St. Nicholas of Myra Hall and Carman's Hall, just off Francis Street. If the Minister of State wants a quick lesson on what is happening in the area, there are more than 600 emergency beds there, including long-term support beds, drug treatment beds, homeless beds and hotel beds, all within one square mile of this hall. That is the concentration of supports this community has accepted and agreed to. It has worked with homelessness organisations to ensure that these unfortunates, some from the area, have the benefit of a roof over their heads. Therefore, this is not NIMBYism, a "not in my back yard" approach.

This issue is being raised because a community had a community hall and was seeking to convert it back into a community hall following its closure on fire protection grounds only a few short months ago. It is very bad faith on the part of the Archdiocese of Dublin not to have continued to engage with the community but instead to refuse to return calls and so on from people including the former mayor, Críona Ní Dhálaigh. While she was mayor she tried to advocate on this issue, along with Dublin City Council, which was willing to take over the hall and bring it back to the work it was doing, including its use for meals on wheels and many other outreach programmes in the area. Overnight, the Minister and his officials have come in and used emergency laws to allow work to begin, but there are major questions as to whether or not that is legal.

There was no commencement order. Work had started five days before that appeared. I have been told they are working through the night in a residential area, which is not within any regulations. The nearest house is literally across the road, a distance equivalent to that between myself and the Cathaoirleach in the House tonight. That is not the type of place to start building works in the middle of the night. I remind the Minister of State that the yard of this hall is used as the crèche playground. They are now being asked to share this with a homeless facility. This is not the site.

On many occasions, I have suggested alternative sites not only to the Minister here in the House but also to Mr. Brendan Kenny, who is now the housing manager of Dublin City Council. Even this morning, I suggested two additional sites in the locality to him which the community would be happy with. Only last year, there was a fortune spent on Brú Aimsir on Thomas Street. That is to be closed and the services moved to this centre. It is illogical. We supported Brú Aimsir and the extension of time granted for it to remain. We do not know why that timespan cannot be extended again or, at the very least, why an alternative location cannot be found for it that is next door, because all of the buildings next to Brú Aimsir are derelict at present. This is a bad move. The use of emergency legislation to rush it through is in bad faith.

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