Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for agreeing to take this issue. Since 1999, when I was elected to Dublin City Council, I have been deeply involved in regeneration projects across the south inner city, including locations such as St. Michael's estate, Fatima Mansions, St. Teresa's Gardens, Dolphin House and many more.

I am concerned that, due to the collapse of public private partnerships, some regeneration did not happen, particularly in St. Michael's estate where I live. A wonderful job has been done on Fatima Mansions and work has now commenced on St. Teresa's Gardens. In the 1950s, Dublin Corporation built St. Teresa's Gardens with 346 flats in 16 blocks, as well as ten houses and ten shops. At the time it was heralded as the greatest place to live. I know many people who grew up there over the years and they would still say the same thing today.

Since those years, however, many problems have occurred within the flat complex, including dampness, mould and sewerage. The area has fallen into a poor state of repair. These problems are at times compounded by serious anti-social behaviour, criminal activity and drug dealing. The situation has become a nightmare for the 120 residents living there.

The regeneration board was established in 2005 and spent several years working on a masterplan for redeveloping the flats complex. The project was to be completed through a public private partnership. In 2009, however, the plan was abandoned as that regeneration project and four others in the city fell victim to the recession and the demise of the developer Mr. Bernard McNamara who was supposed to complete the projects at that time. It was devastating news for the residents, public representatives and the wider community.

Since then, the remaining residents of St. Teresa's Gardens have been left in limbo. The council has been unable to proceed due to lack of funding, as the Minister knows. Conditions have worsened and the tenanting process has come to a halt. This is because the city council is finding it difficult to re-house the other 120 residents.

Last October, Dublin City Council started to demolish two of the housing blocks, and that work has now been completed. In recent months, residents have been called to meetings about the rebuilding of St. Teresa's Gardens. They have been asked to consider the refurbishment of three of the blocks there - which did not go down very well at one of the meetings - and the development of 57 new units, including 27 houses and 30 apartments. This is still not progress because no masterplan has been produced for the people living there.

Can the Minister clarify whether this project will proceed in future and, if so, how will his Department support it? Rumour has it that the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government will supply funding to develop 57 housing units, which are included in a plan shown to local residents. Because of the time that has elapsed since 2009, people feel that answers are required. I look forward to the Minister's reply in this regard.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I know that Deputy Catherine Byrne has taken a great interest in this issue and has raised it on many previous occasions. I want to assure her that my Department also has a great interest in seeing this commenced and completed to the satisfaction of the residents.

The national regeneration programme targets the country's most disadvantaged communities. My Department supports the ambitious programme of regeneration projects which seeks to address the causes of disadvantage in communities through a holistic programme of physical, social and economic regeneration.

Of the €397 million spent under the 2012 housing capital programme, some 25% was used to progress regeneration projects. Almost €50 million of this was spent on regeneration projects in Dublin, including Ballymun and the former PPP projects such as St. Teresa's Gardens, O'Devaney Gardens, St. Michael's Estate and Dolphin House.

Dublin City Council previously intended carrying out the redevelopment of St. Teresa's Gardens by way of a public private partnership. To the great disappointment of everyone, including public representatives and local tenants, the PPP model became non-viable.

With the support of my Department, the city council established a special housing taskforce to examine alternative redevelopment options. As a result of this, the city council submitted a draft schematic regeneration proposal, developed in consultation with the regeneration board for St. Teresa's Gardens, to my Department last year. The Department is continuing to work closely with the city council to try to develop those proposals further.

Last December, the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, visited St. Teresa's Gardens to discuss the proposals with the relevant city council officials. She impressed on them the absolute necessity to finalise the master planning process and get the demolition and refurbishment programme underway. As Deputy Byrne has said, initial works were carried out at St. Teresa's Gardens.

The Department has received the draft 2013 regeneration work programme from Dublin City Council. This includes a programme of demolition and refurbishment works at St. Teresa's Gardens. There are no firm proposals for the construction of the new homes yet, in advance of the master plan. However, departmental officials will meet with Dublin City Council shortly to discuss this year's work programme. The regeneration proposals for St. Teresa's Gardens will be high on the agenda.

Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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I acknowledge the Minister's commitment to regeneration and the social agenda nationally. His reply did not contain the news I was expecting, but we are where we are. The fall of the public private partnerships, while disappointing, is a reflection of what happened in the economy. As someone who served on the regeneration boards, I feel it was a reflection of the many community groups which really put the nail in the coffin of many such boards that were supposed to go ahead at that time.

I welcome the fact the Department has received the new works programme from Dublin City Council. I look forward to working with the Minister and the city council to keep the hopes of those still living in St. Teresa's Gardens alive. Hopefully, they will be able to have new homes in St. Teresa's Gardens and in the wider community also. This regeneration programme is long overdue so I hope some pressure can be put on the board to get on with the job. The board members do not live there, but the local people do.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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I am giving Deputy Byrne an undertaking to make representations on her behalf to the relevant officials in the Department's housing and planning unit, as well as to Dublin City Council, to express the community's concerns on the need to accelerate the regeneration project for St. Teresa's Gardens. I wish to reiterate the commitment by the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, and myself to see that the project is implemented.

Despite the funding challenges facing the Government, we are committed to tackling the root causes of disadvantage in many of our large social housing estates and flat complexes.

Regeneration is critical in this regard and I hope the Department will be in a position to announce details of the capital allocations for the regeneration programme very shortly. I assure Deputy Catherine Byrne that the level of funding for the Dublin city projects in 2013 will not act as a brake on progress.