Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North-West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. The point he makes in regard to the current status of the project is important because it would appear that yesterday Dublin City Council was also unaware that there was no activity on site. While there appear to be some attempts to bring forward some of the public realm elements, a site such as this should be heaving. It should be a hive of activity. More than 200 people were on site at one point, which is very far from the situation I encountered when I visited it on Friday.

The important point is that of course issues will arise on a site. Dublin City Council has every right to make interventions. The provider of the housing should be reaching the client's expectations and also the statutory expectations. All of that should be taken as read. However, whatever is happening on the site would appear to be the beginning of a prolonged period of inactivity. That is what I fear. We have to make sure that whatever is happening is resolved quickly, that we get people around the table and that we ensure that the issues are resolved. I say that because it is not just about this site. In my constituency, we are starting to see more and more Housing for All sites opening up. More than 2,000 units across the constituency are at different levels of design and planning stages. Many of those are now proceeding to the construction phase. We must make sure that where Dublin City Council is the client and, ultimately, where the State and the Department are providing homes, that delays cannot be tolerated or allowed and that where they arise, issues are resolved in a way that ensures timely delivery.

This is very important to the community and the people who want to live there. Value for money, State spending and how we deliver projects are also important, as is the competency of Dublin City Council to deliver. The Department needs to do everything it can to support Dublin City Council, which needs to get around the table with the provider. Glenveagh Homes needs to step up and provide the solutions that need to be provided.

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