Paschal Donohoe (Fine Gael)

I thank the Cathaoirleach for the opportunity to speak on this motion. I welcome the Minister of State to the House, particularly in light of the fact that this matter is his ministerial responsibility. Earlier this year, many people took the news that the public private partnership projects for, among other areas, O'Devaney Gardens and Dominick Street had collapsed as an omen that the environment in which Ireland had been operating and prospering was beginning to change. For a long time we were able to rely on a booming construction industry, not only to deliver the tax revenues necessary to fund public services, but to deliver specific social and affordable housing projects. The model of using private industry to meet social needs was often used well and effectively in recent years, but the challenge we now face is our reliance on the industry to meet particular housing needs when the industry is no longer capable of delivering them.

The news has caused considerable misery and fear among the communities dependent on the housing projects. The two projects to which I refer are, unfortunately, two fine examples of the concern that arises when public private partnership projects collapse. The Minister of State and the Department are familiar with the cases to which I refer. Given that he has visited some of the sites and, from a previous life, is familiar with them, I will not outline the background to the projects. Rather, I will provide an update on the current situation.

There is widespread concern that the private industries upon which we have been relying will not be able to deliver the regeneration and social housing projects necessary in Dominick Street and O'Devaney Gardens. Alongside this fear is an even greater concern that Dublin City Council, given the funding it is receiving and the many other services that it must provide, might not be in a position to provide the projects and to ensure their completion within a reasonable timeframe.

I attended a public meeting on one of these projects at which a resident made the point that many of the promises regarding services and improvements were made in 1999. Nine years later the model for the delivery of the services has collapsed. Dublin City Council is doing much work in this regard because it is the council's responsibility to provide leadership to local communities. However, given the scale of these housing projects, it is difficult to see how they can proceed without direct support from the Government.

I understand the capital programme for social housing for next year, as announced in the budget, is €1.4 billion. Will the Minister of State provide an update on the status of both these projects and indicate whether the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government is willing to come to the aid of these communities, if necessary, to ensure the funding is in place to secure the provision of decent housing as soon as possible?