Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 1414: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will support a matter (details supplied). [29286/08]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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Since the announcement in May 2008 that a number of housing regeneration Public-Private Partnership projects would not be proceeding as planned, my Department has worked closely with Dublin City Council to ensure that all possible avenues for moving these projects forward are examined, particularly those estates which still have residents in situ. In relation to those specific estates, discussions are ongoing between the City Council and the second bidders for the St. Michael's Estate and Dominick Street projects, and a multidisciplinary team has been established within the Council to identify the next steps for the regeneration of O'Devaney Gardens. My Department will continue to engage closely with the City Council in relation to these projects.

Regarding the existing tenants of the estates in question, I have asked Dublin City Council to prioritise the securing of alternative accommodation for those families who wish to move. To date, the City Council has identified and offered alternative accommodation to the remaining residents of St. Michael's Estate, while those households at O'Devaney Gardens and Dominick Street continue to be prioritised under the authority's normal allocations procedure.

Public Private Partnerships continue to represent an important means for securing the involvement of the private sector in the development of major regeneration projects. Apart from delivering value for money solutions, the housing-related PPP model also represents an effective way of delivering on our objective of building sustainable communities, as it makes provision for social, income, and tenure-mix through the inclusion of both public and private housing, community facilities and commercial development.

Therefore, the involvement of private finance will continue to be a feature in the development of mixed, sustainable communities. However, in light of the experience with certain projects in Dublin, a review of the housing-related PPP process has been initiated. My Department has established an inter-agency group to examine the matters involved and it is expected that this group will report later in the Autumn.