Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I absolutely agree that it has been a very successful project over the nearly the 20 years that it has been in existence. It brought something that was almost inconceivable, namely, the idea of very high-tech companies locating operations in the Liberties, on land formerly occupied by the Guinness company, in what was traditionally a major manufacturing area. It has served that role and the review found that has now been provided for. We have the National Digital Research Centre, Dogpatch Labs and other accelerators. There is plenty of office space in the area. The review found that there is no longer a need for what had been provided, but that it had delivered a great degree of regeneration in the area. It also found that what is needed now is housing and that the LDA can provide 500 homes for 500 families in the area. That is a form of regeneration. It will not just be housing on its own, it will also be civic spaces and everything that goes along with creating a real community that is not just apartment blocks or transient workers but is actually focused on the long-term and sustainable creation of communities, which is really the heart of regeneration.

There will continue to be various other locations for high-tech start-ups or where people can start businesses and so on. We know that in the course of the past year there has been a move away from the idea that we absolutely need physical space for office work to happen. At least half of office workers will probably be working from home. The demand for office space will be reduced as a result. People have got used to virtual working.

Our current focus is on housing. We believe the form of regeneration that is needed in the south centre of the city is through the LDA and assembling State lands, no matter which agency owns them, so that they can be combined to create a space that is large enough to build an entire new community within a district that needs regeneration and housing.

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