Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I do not support the Fianna Fáil motion because of the points made by other Deputies. It recalls the launch of the St. Michael's Estate public housing on public land initiative last Thursday week.

At that time, when pressed by Vincent Browne on whether he supports public housing on public land at St. Michael's Estate, Deputy Darragh O'Brien replied "Yes" and he also said that a Fianna Fáil Senator had spoken to the St. Michael's Estate regeneration group. When Vincent Browne then asked whether he would support a national campaign for public housing on public lands, the Deputy dodged the issue and would not give a commitment in respect of it. We sort of agreed that we could put forward a Private Members' Bill on the policy in this regard being brought centre stage in the context of the Government's overall housing policy.

The Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, visited St. Michael's Estate this morning and met the regeneration team, the members of which presented to him a breakthrough model to deliver superb affordable village homes for Inchicore. Inchicore neighbours are working together to secure affordable, energy-smart homes to improve the locality and the amenities. I am pleased to support and work with the St. Michael's Estate regeneration team. My home is on Ring Street, Inchicore, which is down the road from St. Michael's Estate. There is an amazing, empty and secure space of almost 12 acres at St. Michael's Estate in front of the beautifully restored Richmond Barracks and the recently open Goldenbridge cemetery in the heart of Inchicore. The regeneration team and I believe that there is a wonderful, people-centred way to harness this land, which is owned by all of us - the public.

At this time of chronic housing shortage, the State should not be giving publicly-owned land to developers but this is what is planned as part of the housing land initiative. Dublin City Council has selected prime locations in Dublin for development, including St. Michael's Estate. Within this initiative, the council plans to put these lands out to the market and to seek expressions of interest and development proposals. The preferred or selected developer will then secure the land and, in return, will be free to build a substantial amount of private housing, with a much smaller proportion of affordable or public housing.

Earlier today, the Minister of State, Deputy English, in response to a Topical Issue debate on affordable housing put forward by a number of Deputies-----

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