Chris Andrews (Dublin Bay South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Housing in the Ringsend, Pearse Street and Kevin Street areas is a significant issue. There is not enough of it. There is not enough social or affordable housing nationally, but in Ringsend, Pearse Street and York Street in particular, and in Dublin 2, 4 and 8 more generally, the lack of housing is particularly acute. Flat complexes in Ringsend such as Whelan House, O'Rahilly House, George Reynolds House and Canon Mooney Gardens are no longer fit for purpose. They need comprehensive regeneration and investment, not a facelift. The time for carrying out minor works has long passed. We need energy-efficient modern homes that can house working families. We do not need small flats that are riddled with dampness or overcrowded and unhealthy for young families.

The recent budget trumpeted its commitment to affordable homes, yet residents of Ringsend village still have no clarity as to whether there will be affordable homes on the glass bottle site. The Government needs to give certainty to the Irish Glass Bottle site housing action group and the residents of Ringsend who have fought every step of the way to ensure that the glass bottle site is developed in the interests of those currently unable to get on the property ladder. Patsy, Susan, Richie, Kevin, Tom, Joe and Christine, to name but a few of the glass bottle site housing action group, have kept the fight for affordable homes at the top of the agenda.

In 2017, Dublin City Council and the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government agreed to fund 650 affordable homes on the glass bottle site in addition to the public housing promised, yet there is still no clarity as to whether they will be delivered and no certainty that they will be affordable. It has been suggested that the so-called affordable housing cost will be between €350,000 to €400,000 per home. How can anyone claim that is truly affordable? Ordinary working families in Ringsend will not be able to afford €350,000 or €400,000. The homes need to be genuinely affordable and no costlier than €230,000 in order for anyone to get even close to being able to afford them. We need to know what the Government deems to be affordable and to have direct intervention from the Minister and the Department. Only €110 million was allocated for affordable housing in the recent budget.

The National Asset Management Agency, NAMA, still has not reached a commercial agreement with Dublin City Council. The Minister needs to intervene to ensure that affordable homes will be delivered on the glass bottle site. Significant public funding is being invested to ensure that the glass bottle site will be developed. Construction of public bridges, and of infrastructure to allow the homes to be built on the glass bottle site, is being funded by the public purse. We cannot allow developers to benefit from this investment without ensuring that affordable and public housing is built on the site.

I assure the Minister of State that the residents of Ringsend will not roll over. They will resist any attempts to cut the provision of affordable housing on the glass bottle site, even if that takes direct action. I will stand shoulder to shoulder with them in Ringsend and Pearse Street. All the residents will resist any attempt to cut social and public housing on the glass bottle site.

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