‘I don’t make these decisions lightly’ councillor says after deferral decision
Councillor Deirdre O’Donovan voted against deferring the St Aongus plans

‘I don’t make these decisions lightly’ councillor says after deferral decision

A COUNCILLOR who voted against a deferral for an older persons’ residential development in Tallaght, and in favour of a deferral for a similar development in Ballyboden, has insisted that each development should be judged “on its own merits” and that she didn’t “make these decisions lightly”.

A motion to defer the Part 8 for the 12-unit older persons housing in St Aongus Green in Tallaght was defeated as 17 councillors voted against it while 16 voted in favour at a council meeting in September.

At the same meeting last month, a motion about the deferral of a Part 8 for a 10-unit older persons housing development at Pearse Brothers Park in Ballyboden was tabled, which passed after 17 councillors voted in favour and 16 voted against.

As previously reported in The Echo, this caused anger among some councillors and residents who backed the deferral of the Tallaght development, and who questioned why a councillor voted in favour of the Ballyboden deferral but switched their vote for the Tallaght development.

The councillor in question, Fianna Fáil’s Deirdre O’Donovan, who represents Firhouse-Bohernabreena, told The Echo she voted against the deferral of the Tallaght development as she didn’t want a delay in the delivery of the housing project.

“At the meeting, council management made it quite clear that nothing was going to change with the plans, and that if we put it back for a deferral [and changed the site] it would be another two years before we got back to the same point,” said Cllr O’Donovan.

“The manager said that if the site was changed, they’d have to start a brand-new Part 8.

“I don’t make these decisions lightly, but we’re in the middle of a housing crisis and I’m not going to vote against housing.”

In relation to the Pearse Brothers Park development in her constituency, Cllr O’Donovan said she voted in favour of the deferral because she felt there was not sufficient engagement from residents in the area and a deferral would afford them the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the plans.

“I agreed with the deferral because it gives time for the residents who were not engaging with council management to get the full picture of the plans,” said Cllr O’Donovan.

“Through no fault of their own, the residents hadn’t engaged with the council in terms of the public consultation, and it was important for them at the last council meeting to hear that their concerns had been raised.

“The point of the deferral is to get the residents to go back and look at the plans.”

When asked about her views on the proposed development in Ballyboden, Cllr O’Donovan said she was against it for a number of reasons, but conceded that there is a need for housing.

“I think it’s outrageous to take away this teeny tiny space, it makes no sense,” she said. “But the reality is that we are in the middle of a housing crisis.”

The Pearse Brothers Park Part 8 was deferred for a month, and is expected to be voted on at this month’s full council meeting.

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