Paschal Donohoe (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Finneran, and wish him the best of luck in his new role.

I tabled this Adjournment matter in light of the events which took place this week. Five housing projects in the city of Dublin, due to be delivered for those most in need of them, were cancelled or have been significantly delayed owing to problems with the public private partnership scheme. Four of the five affected projects are in my constituency. I am very much aware of the needs of the communities in O'Devaney Gardens, Infirmary Road and Seán MacDermott Street. The people looking for these housing projects to be delivered and community facilities to be built are, by and large, those who have had the positive things which have happened in Irish society pass them by. These people are in the greatest need in terms of housing and the facilities these projects were due to deliver. Through no fault of their own, the developer in question has pulled out.

Having had discussions with Dublin City Council, it is clear the only two options open are to restart the public private partnership process and to try to get the ball rolling with another developer or for the council to reallocate the capital funding it has and use it to kick-start these initiatives or to fund them itself.

I call on the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Government to give every support they can to Dublin City Council to ensure the delivery of these projects is not impeded and that they are delivered as quickly as possible given the distress caused to the community and the people involved. It is very likely that Dublin City Council will have to step in and provide capital funding to deliver these projects. That will require substantial support from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Government. We must not reach a stage where we believe it is wrong to commit taxpayers' money to provide social housing and housing projects for communities which need them. The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government may need to step in quickly. I would like to hear the Government's response to this matter and I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to give it.