Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach in his introduction mentioned affordable, social, cost-rental and help-to-buy housing but he did not say a word about strategic housing development, SHD, which is practically all build to let. In Drimnagh, Crumlin, Walkinstown and Ballyfermot, we have been swamped with applications for strategic housing development, which means there will be no sustainable communities and no permanent homes for the tens of thousands of families who are on the waiting list in those areas. It also means another thing, which is that sustainable communities will not be built. The Taoiseach is going to be asked by the community in Cherry Orchard to come out to visit them. They have been subjected to a massive increase in antisocial behaviour, which arises from the social conditions. I hope the Taoiseach does come to Cherry Orchard but he will be shocked. When I moved into Ballyfermot 30 years ago, Cherry Orchard had one shop and it still has one shop, but no cafés and chemist or post office. It does have a very good national school, which the community fought for, and a good equine centre. Beyond that, there are no facilities yet a strategic housing development is being given planning permission to go into that area, with hundreds more apartments, which probably means a few thousand added to the population. Where is the thought for infrastructure for sustainable communities?

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