Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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I welcomed the announcement on Monday from the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government that a "breakthrough" had been reached in the mediation process on Priory Hall within the 21-day deadline. I particularly welcome the opportunity and space given to residents to examine the framework of solutions proposed. It is significant that the Minister indicated that the Government would establish an oversight process to ensure that the framework is implemented effectively so that individual issues can be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

We must allow the residents and owners of the Priory Hall apartments all necessary time to consider the proposals on the table and determine whether they are happy with what has been proposed. At this delicate time, I would not like to comment further on any of the reported key proposals in order to allow the residents and owners the space they need to make a decision on what has been put before them.

It is astonishing and appallingly sad, however, that the resolution now being considered could not have been brought forward much earlier in the almost two years that owner-occupiers and residents have spent out of their homes. As the House will remember, today is one of over 100 occasions on which I have raised the matter of Priory Hall since I contacted the Dublin fire chief on the matter in 2009.

There are some concerns on some of the broader aspects of the reported resolution, however.

For example, will the Minister be able to indicate to Dáil, even at a later stage, what arrangements are being put in place regarding the large number of apartments owned or formerly owned by the developer Tom McFeely given his responsibility for the debacle at Priory Hall?

There are grave concerns about the statement made by the Minister, Deputy Hogan, to the effect that the Priory Hall complex may be refurbished and managed by Dublin City Council as the agent of the Department. The Taoiseach has repeatedly and rightly said that Priory Hall was one of the worst examples of the failures of the Celtic tiger era. However, the failed planning and invigilation of the Priory Hall development was overseen by Dublin City Council under managers John Fitzgerald and John Tierney, both of whom have major questions to answer not only in regard to Priory Hall but on the wider serious problems of the North Fringe. The flotilla of developers in the North Fringe, led by Gerry Gannon, and including Tom McFeely, also bear a heavy responsibility for problems in the North Fringe.

Dublin City Council and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government have a track record of botched regeneration projects across Dublin city which take decades to complete or ultimately end up being demolished. Many are questioning whether Dublin City Council is the appropriate agency to refurbish Priory Hall and whether the North Fringe deserves a totally fresh start with a new much more competent overseeing body. It has been the view of constituents for a long time that Priory Hall should be demolished and that the part of Clongriffin Boulevard on which it stands should be totally rebuilt and redeveloped westwards to Belmayne and the proposed Clare Hall town centre. The Minister of State will be aware that part of Priory Hall is located on the boulevard connecting the proposed new two town centres for the North Fringe. The Minister, Deputy Hogan, indicated that demolition and reconstruction of the complex was being strongly considered.

Even a cursory cost benefit estimate based on information given in briefings to public representatives in 2011 and 2012 seemed to clearly indicate that demolition was the best and most cost effective option. Why has this view now changed and can the Minister of State provide information on the cost benefit analysis, including all external costs, on which this apparent decision is based? It is hoped that the shocking saga of Priory Hall will now swiftly be resolved to the satisfaction of the owner-occupiers and other stakeholders in the complex. The Minister and the Department need to address all of the wider issues of the North Fringe to which I have referred, including, for example, including designation of the whole area as a strategic development zone and putting the North Fringe Forum a statutory basis? The Minister of State may recall my proposals in relation to the North Fringe approximately 12 years ago.

Priory Hall aside, new residents and their representatives have had to deal with serious issues such as pyrite damage, insulation and fire safety issues and a failure to deliver key health, shopping and other services to the wider North Fringe. At this important time in the development of this new urban region, the Minister has an opportunity to undertake a fundamental review of the North Fringe area, which as the Minister of State will be aware, is approximately the same size as Waterford city. Planning and invigilation of this area has thus far left much to be desired.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I thank Deputy Broughan for raising this matter, in which I am aware he has had a strong interest for a long time. I am taking this topical issue on behalf of Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Hogan.

As Deputies will be aware the Minister, Deputy Hogan, announced a welcome development in regard to Priory Hall earlier this week in the form of a proposed resolution framework resulting from a process of engagement with the stakeholders best placed to deliver the necessary solutions that he established three weeks ago. I echo the Minister's acknowledgement of the manner in which all parties concerned have engaged in good faith in this difficult and complex process and the very tight timeframe within which they have produced a framework for resolving a unique and exceptional situation which was not of their making.

Priory Hall residents have been kept abreast of the discussions and have been briefed on the framework. Understandably, they have asked for an opportunity to consider the proposals carefully. Therefore, to respect the wishes of the residents, details of the proposed framework will not be made public at this stage. I would welcome Deputy Broughan's support in this regard. In broad terms, the proposed framework recognises the exceptional and unique difficulties faced by the home owners in Priory Hall over the past two years and offers a fair and reasonable solution to their housing needs. The proposals are now being considered by the residents. I hope they will be found to meet their needs and thus provide them with an opportunity to get on with their lives. Discussions with the residents in relation to the proposed resolution framework are ongoing.

As regards the future of the Priory Hall complex, the intention is that in line with the framework proposal Dublin City Council will undertake to ensure that Priory Hall is refurbished into a desirable, high quality, safe location that will include a mix of social and private residential units in line with current housing policy. The Government also intends to establish an oversight process, with participation from the residents, to ensure that the framework is implemented effectively and to deal with specific issues that arise on a case-by-case basis.

The problems at Priory Hall are many and complex. Attempts to resolve them are currently at a delicate and critical point and I would remind all concerned who are not directly involved of the need for sensitivity in this regard. I understand that when the residents' response to the proposed framework is to hand later this week, the Minister, Deputy Hogan, will formally update all members on the outcome of the recent process of engagement. He is also mindful of the commitment given by the Taoiseach during Leader's Questions on 19 September 2013 and will arrange for a formal briefing of local representatives on the resolution framework and for regular briefing on key developments thereafter during the implementation phase of any agreement which may arise.

Priory Hall was one of the worst examples of the failures of the Celtic tiger years. I met with some of the residents and was told of the dreadful plight in which they found themselves, which as I said earlier, was not of their making. I am pleased that we now have a process in place to resolve the situation. New building regulations and building control reforms will also ensure that what happened in the case of Priory Hall will never happen again.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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I thank the Minister of State for her response and for her efforts over the past year and a half or so to try to resolve this matter. I also welcome her commitment that representatives of Dublin Bay North will be briefed during the implementation phase of any proposed agreement. Is the Minister of State prepared to visit the North Fringe and meet residents of the wider area and their representatives, perhaps through the North Fringe Forum, to hear their concerns and in relation to future plans for the whole area? I hope that next week the Minister for Finance will during his Budget Statement announce, on behalf of the Minister of State, a dynamic new programme of social housing development in the context of the 100,000 houses for which I have been asking for years. I would welcome some first steps in this regard next week.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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We are doing our best to recover the economy.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Yes. However, as the Minister of State knows, I would have done it differently. I would still like to see those houses come on stream. The North Fringe will form part of this. I ask the Minister of State to ensure that the framework is appropriate in this regard. I understand the sensitivity of the issue at this point but will Dublin City Council play a key role in the architecture of any settlement in relation to any possible refurbishment? Is it a fait accompli that the complex will be refurbished rather than demolished-reconstructed?

The Minister of State will be aware from her work in this area that Dublin city and Fingal planners have prepared a new North Fringe Development Plan for the North Fringe in both counties. Proposals have been already made which are totally at variance with these plans. I again ask the Minister of State to consider the idea of the North Fringe as a strategic development zone, of which there are a number throughout the country that are working well. I also urge her to give statutory basis to the North Fringe Forum.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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It is hoped that the ongoing discussions will provide a definitive resolution of the extraordinary difficulties experienced by the Priory Hall residents over the past number of years.

With regard to the part of this which comes directly within my remit as Minister of State with responsibility for housing, I met today with the new Dublin City Manager. I contend that the issue of Dublin regeneration is very much on track. While the former residents of Priory Hall are our most important consideration we do have to plan for the future of the area. I would be willing to consider any request from any body in the North Fringe to meet to address issues which come within my responsibility as Minister of State with responsibility for housing.

The most important task in the coming days is to find a resolution that will address the extraordinarily difficult position in which residents of Priory Hall have found themselves in recent years, having bought homes in the development in good faith have. What will happen in future is a secondary consideration.