Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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345. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of the provision of affordable housing on the Poolbeg SDZ site; the steps he will take in terms of funding and schemes to ensure the delivery of the affordable housing as approved by Dublin City Council; and if there is a timeframe for the commencement and completion of the affordable homes on the site. [43081/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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In May 2016, the Government designated Poolbeg West as a Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) because of its potential to deliver a large proportion of the extra homes needed in the centre of Dublin. This was followed by the publication for consultation by Dublin City Council of a detailed planning scheme for the area. The Council prepared a draft planning scheme which was considered by the elected members of the Council in May 2017. As a statutory consultee for that process, my Department highlighted the importance of the planning scheme, addressing a variety of housing needs and relevant matters.

I and my Department remain committed to working with the City Council, any relevant housing bodies (AHBs) and either the receiver and/or developers of the SDZ area in order to secure additional social and affordable housing from this site over and above Part V obligations and of the order of magnitude laid out in the adopted planning scheme, but subject to agreement on all the normal and relevant terms, including value for money aspects.

It is my Department's understanding that the receiver is engaging with Dublin City Council with a view to advancing an approach that would both better enable the orderly development of this strategic but complex city location and to assist in delivering much needed additional social housing. My Department stands ready to support such initiatives, subject to observance of all the normal value-for-money, procurement and wider legal aspects.

It should be noted that there is currently an appeal to An Bord Pleanála in relation to the Poolbeg SDZ planning scheme. The progress of development of the site will be dependent significantly on the nature and timing of the decision of the Board.