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These flats are getting a €29 million facelift

The flats were first built in 1961.

29/06/2016. Regeneration Scheme for Dominick Stree Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie

THE FLATS COMPLEX on Lower Dominick Street in Dublin’s north inner city is to get a major revamp.

Residents have been fighting to have the flats, built in 1961, refurbished for over a decade.

Today, the Department of Environment announced that €22 million had been secured from the Department of Public Expenditure to carry out the work.

Residents’ spokesperson Jerry Carney told TheJournal.ie that the money would mean “space and a decent place to live” for many families, some of whom are living “five or six to one- or two-bedroom flats”.

A further €7 million will come from Dublin City Council, who are now working on the Part 8 process of planning and designing the development.

The new units will be situated on the east side of Dominick Street (currently a vacant site). When developed, the new apartments will facilitate the re-housing of 50 households from the existing west side blocks into the newly built, high quality homes. Environment Minister Simon Coveney told locals today that it would also see refurbishment in the flats on the west side of the road and community facilities put in place.

These facilities will include an all-weather sports pitch, a hall and retail units. The Luas cross-city will pass the front of the flats.

World-class

Coveney said that the refurbishment would mean “world-class homes” for people.

“An investment in this area is also a priority from a social policy perspective, encompassing social housing improvements as well as supporting social, community and economic renewal.

“This development is one of the first new major regeneration projects in Dublin’s north inner city, which has seen more than its share of challenges in recent times.”

29/06/2016. Regeneration Scheme for Dominick Stree Ministers Coveney and Donohoe answer questions from the media today. Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie

Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe, a local TD, said he was happy to see the funding made available after 11 years.

“The development of this site has been long anticipated by the residents of Dominick Street. This announcement is proof of the Government’s commitment to invest in the North Inner City and it is a pleasure to be associated with an event that will have positive outcomes for north inner city residents.”

The new development will also create 22 new homes for people on the council’s housing list. Coveney accepted that wasn’t a massive number in a national context, but said it would be an example for regeneration across the capital.

The plan will be investigated by Dublin City Council before being signed off on by Department of Environment officials “within days” after that.

The Department will be providing €21.615m for the residential element and €540,000 towards community facilities as part of the development.

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52 Comments
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    Mute Alan Currie
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    Jun 29th 2016, 2:49 PM

    Demolish, rebuild, and put people in it who contribute to our society and who need to be near the city centre for work.

    345
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    Mute big d
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    Jun 29th 2016, 2:42 PM

    €580,000 per household ? am i missing something 29mil / 50 and no mention of annual running costs.
    You’d only need €116,000 saved in a deposit ! and €2100 per month in mortgage repayments for a private purchase.
    Glad to see taxes are being well spent.

    296
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    Mute John Gallagher
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    Jun 29th 2016, 5:55 PM

    ABSOLUTE LUNACY ,that is prime city centre space which should be properly developed for people who need to live and work there,move the lazy,useless inefficient breeders who have been leeching off the state for decades into homes on the outskirts of dublin

    194
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    Mute Val Rossi
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    Jun 29th 2016, 6:23 PM

    How did you get that phone into your cell James?

    83
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    Mute Marc Euclio O'Connell
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    Jun 29th 2016, 6:28 PM

    So, John, these people who have been “leeching” should be sent out as far as possible to forever remove any chance they have to actually work in Dublin? Hey, let’s start founding slums! That would be a great idea wouldn’t it?

    37
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    Mute Nick Allen
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    Jun 29th 2016, 6:46 PM

    big d

    Typical negative post with soundbites of the truth. There are 50 existing households going in plus 22 new ones, so thats 72 not 50. Further the cost if for redeveloping the site with sports faculties and retail units. Spend a little more time reading the article before posting inaccurate rubbish

    21
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    Mute Kizzi Yeates
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    Jun 29th 2016, 7:50 PM

    Move them down to cork would be much better and all the junkies……

    21
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    Mute None
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    Jun 29th 2016, 8:45 PM

    Agreed, social housing or welfare should not be an attractive life choice, it should be a short term temporary measure and there should be no social housing in central Dublin.

    40
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    Mute Seán O'Sullivan
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    Jun 29th 2016, 10:51 PM

    indeed! people from all 4 corners of the world fight themselves into those spaces

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    Mute Sean @114
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    Jun 29th 2016, 11:43 PM

    Yes and let’s push the poor out to Dalkey, Howth and Greystones where I’m sure they will be welcomed with open arms by those who ‘contribute to society’. These areas will be more than happy to house methadone clinics also no doubt and don’t forget the new prison. Could you imagine? Upstanding members of the judiciary, RTE, our financial institutions and politicians who ‘contribute to society’ falling over each other to buy penthouses in Dominic St so that they can be close to their place of work. I’d love to see it!!!

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    Mute big d
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    Jun 29th 2016, 11:55 PM

    Sorry Nick, as I said am I missing something. so 72 “households” is over €400,000 per household.
    Is this good value for money. I’m on the fence. The mortgage comparison is to show how difficult it currently is to buy privately.
    I didn’t mean to be negative it seems like a lot to be spending, People deserve housing and tax payers deserve value.

    20
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    Mute ...
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    Jun 29th 2016, 2:46 PM

    They are living 5/6 people in a 1/2 bedroom flat. Eh hold off on having kids so…. Oh no that would reduce the monthly kids cheque from the tax paying workers.

    295
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    Mute Blah blah
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    Jun 29th 2016, 9:25 PM

    The expectation is the more kids the more over crowded, they will get their nice 4 bed semi corpo house.
    Seems like family planning are for those who work and pay tax (and pay full whack for contraception)

    21
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    Mute john
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    Jun 29th 2016, 2:42 PM

    The people who live in these places expect everything done for them and dont want to contribute anything to society.

    243
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    Mute Micheal Johnson
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    Jun 29th 2016, 2:47 PM

    Well then vote for Renua at the next election! Even Fine Gael have dragged down by the loony left! No one is looking out for hard working young families who are commuting for hours and being crucified by tax while barely able to see their children!

    139
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    Mute Sean @114
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    Jun 29th 2016, 7:52 PM

    John are you just throwing out a sweeping generalisation there or have you any facts or figures to backup that statement? I know one guy living there who is a security man. I was in a local pub with him one night and he introduced me to some locals, one was a flower seller at Glasnevin graveyard, another did three cleaning jobs for a contract cleaners and another worked in Dunnes. They may well have been scrounging off the state as well I honestly don’t know but I am guessing that they were paying USC and some tax. Where do the bankers live who defrauded the state? Where do Paul and Patricia Kelly live who defrauded the public? One thing is for sure, they don’t live on Dominick St yet I would have much more respect for my security guard mate and the others who he introduced me to.

    38
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    Mute TheFairWind
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    Jun 29th 2016, 2:55 PM

    Chuck out the povs who haven’t worked in generations and stick them outside the city somewhere (preferably with a high fence around it), demolish all of the manky blocks of flats / council houses between the canals, and use the land for either business premises or housing for citizens who contribute to the economy and don’t want to commute for miles into town.

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    Mute Dave Smith
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    Jun 29th 2016, 2:34 PM

    I always wonder who are the suckers , nobody hands out “world class homes” to working stiffs. Also “world class” , it looks like the kind of nonsense you see in North Korea when the Dear Leader gets photographed opening a new “state of the art” apartment building

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    Mute Do the Bort man
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    Jun 29th 2016, 3:06 PM

    ger up ow a da

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    Mute Roly Burkinshaw
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    Jun 29th 2016, 2:32 PM

    Would that money not be better spent on homeless accommodation?

    119
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    Mute Wayne O'Fathaigh
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    Jun 29th 2016, 2:52 PM

    Government to spend 29million on social housing, what about the homeless?
    Government to spend 100 million on HSE what about the homeless
    Government spend 80milliom on infrastructure what about the homeless?

    Seriously there are many issues in our society not one, anything that improves a not ideal situation for the benefit of citizens of the state is a good thing

    94
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    Mute Roly Burkinshaw
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    Jun 29th 2016, 4:25 PM

    Wayne ..where does your day start ?..where does your day finnish ?..where do you spend time with your family ? ..where do you sleep? ..where do you run back to when things go wrong? …if you have no home you have nothing.

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    Mute Wayne O'Fathaigh
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    Jun 29th 2016, 4:50 PM

    So we should stop all other expenditure until everyone has a home? Genuine question, should every story of government spending that improves some area of Irish life be greeted with whataboutery

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    Mute Roly Burkinshaw
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    Jun 29th 2016, 4:53 PM

    Not comparing like with like ..the story is about money being spent on housing. .not fixing pot holes in Cavan.

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    Mute Wayne O'Fathaigh
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    Jun 29th 2016, 5:02 PM

    So people should be forced to live in units unfit for purpose, until we fix homelessness? Your logic is highly flawed

    19
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    Mute Roly Burkinshaw
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    Jun 29th 2016, 6:50 PM

    I’d rather be in a home with faults then on the street ..your humanity is highly flawed

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    Mute Wayne O'Fathaigh
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    Jun 29th 2016, 7:46 PM

    My humanity? You are the one with an issue with the gov spending money on improving the life of citizens? Without investment these properties would cease to be fit for habitation and lead to more homelessness. You appear to have an issue in the government investing in housing which is odd logic for someone campaigning to minimise homelessness. But i guess we should only spend money on treating really sick people or educating the most intellectually challenged at the expense of everyone else

    9
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    Mute Roly Burkinshaw
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    Jun 29th 2016, 9:50 PM

    Yes your humanity. .you would choose that someone with a house gets that house improved ..new bathroom..new kitchen ..maybe a flat screen tv? ..over someone who has to sleep in a door way in the cold and wet who has no toilet no kitchen ..are regularly assaulted physically and sexually. .are moved on from door way to street corner. .starving for food no where to wash themselves or their cloths ..so yes your humanity.

    2
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    Mute Bhiniáimin Ó Beith
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    Jun 29th 2016, 3:21 PM

    Not cost effective at all isn’t it always cheaper and easier to knock down and build a new. Bad decision all these flats are horrible.

    76
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    Mute JustMade Ireland
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    Jun 29th 2016, 2:43 PM

    Why is it one law for council, the same council the would drag a landlord through court for much worst.

    58
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    Mute Paul Mc
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    Jun 29th 2016, 2:39 PM

    Interesting development but I really wonder will it happen as this government has a tendency to promise a lot but deliver precious little unless it’s looking after their own vested interests.

    54
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    Mute Mary Murphy
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    Jun 29th 2016, 6:11 PM

    Paul Mc you will probably find the owners of Luas are funding this caper. But it makes the politicians look good. Bit like the bike rental scheme

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    Mute sweet Potato fries
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    Jun 29th 2016, 4:03 PM

    What a waste of money.

    50
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    Mute William Clay
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    Jun 29th 2016, 3:03 PM

    Great little pub reopened on the street though. Once the luas is up and running it hopefully will bring some life to the area.

    39
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    Mute Darren Norris
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    Jun 29th 2016, 3:49 PM

    The only way to bring life there is to knock it down, get the welfare brigade out to parks of Ireland with any surplus of homes and low land value and develop high density housing/office/retail on that street

    78
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    Mute Marie Okeeffe
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    Jun 29th 2016, 8:59 PM

    Why is it everyone thinks that if you live in a council flat that you are on welfare most people that live in them work and pay €100 to €150 per week rent and most council flats are sub standard

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    Mute Kate Flaherty
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    Jun 29th 2016, 10:34 PM

    Well said Marie!, these fools on here making comments about things they know absolutely nothing about!, some people are paying up to €170 a week!, along with the €1,000′s they have already spent trying to update their places and bring them into the 21st century!.

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    Mute Sean @114
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    Jun 29th 2016, 11:33 PM

    Marie/Kate, well said. Ignorance is bliss for some people. They have no clue that most of the people in this area are actually working and trying to get money together to better themselves and their families. But sure it’s easier just to generalise and paint everyone with the same brush. Most would probably need a sat nav to find Dominick St anyway.

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    Mute Cian Phelan
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    Jun 29th 2016, 11:41 PM

    I’m currently a quantity surveyor in London engaged on a project of 464 high end apartments over looking the Thames in Greenwich in London, the total budget including the construction of the building comes to about £180m which equates to about €465,000 per apartment! Dublin City Council would want to get its head sorted if they’re spending €580,000 per apartment on a refurb of social housing in Dublin!

    16
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    Mute Janette Jay Jay Cunningham
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    Jun 30th 2016, 12:38 PM

    My mother still lives in these flats and the residents there are far from scroungers. Its amazing how much people pre judge you because of where you live. Most of the residents are working people. Just because we live in council flats doesn’t mean we rely on the welfare system.

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    Mute Kate Flaherty
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    Jun 29th 2016, 11:13 PM

    The irony is most on here were probably reared in council houses!!!

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    Mute Mark Sparky Ó Shéa
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    Jun 29th 2016, 7:23 PM

    Best place I’ve ever lived hopefully get one of the new ones up the corpo

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    Mute Kate Flaherty
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    Jun 29th 2016, 10:44 PM

    Good luck with that one Sparky!!

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    Mute dearg doom
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    Jun 29th 2016, 10:40 PM

    This was out for tender about 8 years ago and then got put on the long finger along with O’Devaney Gardens.

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    Mute Joe Doyle
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    Jun 29th 2016, 9:23 PM

    Typical Irish world news Council flats being refurbished. Lots more going on in the world people. .. get real

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    Mute Catherine Winston
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    Jul 1st 2016, 8:52 PM

    If you read the article it says that the new units will house fifty off the existing householders in the Flat complex. There will be a lot more of the Units built. Not just fifty.

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