Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his reply, but there is a difficulty. The majority of elected members have expressed a concern that the 70% of houses to be sold on the open market will not be at affordable prices. In fact, there is no contractual obligation in the draft agreement between the council and the preferred developer to provide any price for those. Given the sale prices being attained in the immediate area, standard family homes begin at €320,000 or €340,000 and increase to €500,000. As such, it is incorrect of the Minister to say that the 70% will be sold at affordable prices. That cannot and will not be guaranteed.

When the Tánaiste was Minister and O'Devaney Gardens and Oscar Traynor Road were being discussed, his intervention at the request of the majority of the elected members secured affordability on those sites. When issues with St. Michael's Estate emerged, the Minister of State, Deputy English, worked closely with Opposition Members and councillors to ensure affordability was delivered on that site. I do not accept that the Minister and the Department sitting down with the council and Deputies from the area to ensure a level of affordability on this site would cause a significant delay in the project. Given that it is the last major piece of development land owned by the council in that part of the county, I urge the Minister to work with us on ensuring affordability alongside the much-needed social housing.

See this speech in context