Minister puts off plans to visit social housing developments
By Aideen O'Flaherty
HOUSING minister Eoghan Murphy has postponed plans to visit two new social housing developments in the county this week, while a councillor has called on South Dublin County Council to address the “severe shortage of social and affordable homes” in the region.
Minister Murphy was expected to visit Sheehy Skeffington Meadows in Tallaght and Mayfield in Clondalkin on Thursday, which was to be followed by a sod turning event in St Cuthbert’s in Clondalkin.
Minister's visit is postponed
A spokesperson for the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government told The Echo that the minister had postponed the visit “due to a potential schedule clash with other commitments”, and that it is hoped that the visit will be rescheduled to a date in September.
Meanwhile, 717 new applications for public housing were made to South Dublin County Council during the first six months of this year, meaning there are now over 17,000 people, including 8,304 children, on the public housing waiting list in the county.
Fianna Fáil councillor for Tallaght Central, Charlie O’Connor, said: “The severe shortage of social and affordable homes in South County Dublin is forcing countless children and families into overcrowded, unsuitable and insecure accommodation.
“According to the council’s schedule [that] I received last December, we were told to expect the delivery of 127 social housing units this year, and just 27 in 2019.
“There are already more than 17,000 people on the social housing waiting list in South County Dublin.
“That means that less than one per cent of the public housing that’s urgently required will be provided this year.”
Meaningful consultation
Cllr O’Connor added: “While quick solutions to the homelessness crisis must be found, it’s crucial that the council properly engage in meaningful consultation with the public regarding proposed locations for construction.
“We may be in the midst of a crisis, but we cannot make for the provision of shoddy standard or unsuitable developments either.
“The council’s programme was not designed for or aimed at dealing with another 700 plus applications. It must be reviewed now to incorporate this increase in housing demand in our area.”
Mayor Mark Ward tabled a motion at last Monday’s meeting of South Dublin County Council, calling on the incoming director of housing to develop a new “housing action plan”, as the social housing targets for the council under the Rebuilding Ireland 2018-2021 “will not meet the existing level of need”.
In response, the council stated that the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government’s target for SDCC to deliver 2,758 social housing units for the period of 2018 to 2021 will “cover units to be delivered through build, acquisition and leasing programmes and include delivery by AHBs.
“The sites to deliver these schemes have been identified.
“In setting out our delivery programme, consideration has been given to factor in timelines for planning, procurement, construction and conveyancing.
“Work is ongoing in bringing sites to Part 8 stage for housing unit delivery by 2021.
“At all times we continue to work very closely with the department to secure funding and proposed project approvals.
“We will, in conjunction with the master planning of Clonburris, bring forward additional capacity should an opportunity arise to increase these targets.”
