Doubts arise of feasability of SDCC housing targets

COUNCILLORS have expressed doubts over South Dublin County Council’s housing targets in their Housing Delivery Action Plan 2022-2026.

The plan was discussed at Monday’s monthly meeting of South Dublin County Council, where the local authority outlined targets for the delivery of 3,707 housing units from 2022 to 2026.

Of these units, 1,869 are to be located on council land, 852 are to be maintained by Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), and 696 are to come on stream as a result of the Part V planning legislation that requires a percentage of large residential developments to contain social housing.

The remaining 290 units are to be provided by leasing, according to the council.

The majority of the projected units are to be located in the Clondalkin LEA, totalling 1,224, followed by Lucan with 740, Palmerstown-Fonthill with 535, Tallaght South with 485, Tallaght Central with 316, and Firhouse-Bohernabreena with 219, with the lowest amount, totalling 188, in Rathfarnham-Templeogue. A priority-needs analysis in the plan found that 49.5 per cent of people on the priority-needs housing list required one-bed housing, while 33.2 per cent required two-bed units, 15.2 per cent required three-bed housing, and 2.1 per cent required four-bed properties.

When discussing the priority-needs analysis at the meeting of South Dublin County Council on Monday afternoon, a number of councillors expressed reservations about the local authority’s ability to address the priority housing needs.

Fine Gael councillor David McManus said: “If the priority-needs analysis shows 49.5 per cent one-beds, does that mean we’ll see that reflected in what we’re building and what AHBs are building?”

Social Democrats councillor Carly Bailey said: “In terms of one-bed and four-bed needs and priority needs, it’s not a significant number by any stretch, but we seem to be falling substantially behind.”

Sinn Féin councillor Cathal King said he welcomed the plan, but highlighted the increasing need for one-bed housing units in the county.

“One-beds are a huge issue, and we’re in need of one-beds,” he said. “In this four-year plan, are 50 per cent of the [planned] units going to be one-beds?”

In response to the councillors, the council’s director of housing, Colm Ward, said that the units in the plan are “separate from what might come on-stream in private developments” and he added that the council is open to discussions with AHBs and local communities.