Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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671. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will confirm that €4 million has been set aside for the redevelopment of an area (details supplied) in Dublin 8; the specific works that will take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46167/13]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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My Department currently supports an ambitious approach to regeneration which seeks to address the causes of disadvantage in communities and large social housing estates through holistic programmes of physical, social and economic regeneration. This year, my Department is providing funding of over €31million in respect of regeneration projects in Dublin city, some €15 million of which is earmarked for projects which were previously included in the City Council’s Public Private Partnership (PPP) programme, including St. Teresa’s Gardens.

A draft schematic regeneration proposal for St. Teresa’s Gardens was developed by the Council, in consultation with the Regeneration Board, and submitted to my Department in March 2012. Since then, my Department has liaised on an ongoing basis with the Council to advance these proposals and to get the demolition, refurbishment and construction processes underway at the earliest possible date.

My Department recently approved the City Council’s proposals for the retrofitting of apartments to facilitate the de-tenanting of those apartment blocks which are scheduled for demolition. It is anticipated that 16 units will be completed by the end of this year. This will facilitate the demolition of vacant units and the start of preparatory work for the construction of 50 new apartments on the cleared site.

I recently met with some residents of St. Teresa ’s Gardens to hear their views on the de-tenanting/relocation arrangements and the plans for the construction of the 50 new apartments. Following this meeting, I also met with the new City Manager and the Assistant City Manager with responsibility for housing, with the objective of agreeing a strategy for completing the necessary preparation works and ensuring the commencement of construction of the new housing units at the earliest possible date.