Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State says it is up to Dublin City Council and it is the owner but there is also an onus on the Department. We are talking about housing, apartments, building and looking for projects and this is a prime site on the Ballymun Road on the way to Dublin Airport. It is situated in a good spot to access the city and the airport and it is in a good position but it needs a push from the Department and it needs funding to be made available, as was made available under the regeneration carried out by Ballymun Regeneration Limited. This was the heart of Ballymun and I grew up around the area. I know what it is like and I know what it was like when we used to go into the shopping centre. There was a great atmosphere and mixing of the people in the area, which was fantastic. We want to see a village-style effect there. We have the metro coming, which will enhance the area and it will be a vital stop for people in Ballymun and the surrounding areas. It is close to the M50 and we know that further up, in Northwood, the metro will be anchored with its depot, from where it will be built. This area is being massively built up all along the Ballymun Road, on the Northwood side and on the Ballymun side at the shopping centre. As far as I know, my comrade, Deputy McAuliffe, has said the Taoiseach made a commitment to visit Ballymun. I am hoping he will fulfil that commitment because I would like to see him there and to show him the shopping centre and the damage that was done in losing it. It was vital to the community and I would like to press the urgency of this on him.

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