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RollingNews.ie

How O'Devaney Gardens went from 100% public housing to a 'less than perfect' redevelopment

On Monday, councillors voted to push forward with the redevelopment of the site on Dublin’s northside.

MONDAY’S VOTE TO green-light the redevelopment of O’Devaney Gardens on Dublin’s northside brings to an end more than three years of discussions at Dublin City Council, following an 11th hour “agreement” struck between councillors and developer Bartra.

The deal – which came in for heavy criticism – foresees the site being divided between 30% social housing, 30% affordable-rental, 20% affordable purchase and 20% private dwellings.

In the context of a housing crisis and spiraling rents, however, few councillors believe it is perfect deal. It wasn’t so long ago they voted for 100% of the site to be public, mixed-income housing.

So, what happened in the meantime? 

To get a clear picture of how we reached this point, we’ve to head back 10 years ago and work through the motions of local authority debate. 

‘Shifting Focus’

Built in 1954, O’Devaney Gardens – once home to 272 social houses – was originally set to be redeveloped in 2008 through a public-private partnership between developer Bernard McNamara and Dublin City Council.

That deal collapsed due to the economic crash and, in 2012, the council said it could no longer afford to redevelop O’Devaney. A number of blocks were demolished yet no new units were built. 

The council tried, in July 2015, to revive the redevelopment in its Housing Land Initiative to seek out potential developers. Buildings on the site were torn down the following year. 

The council’s Housing Land Initiative aims to work alongside developers to build a mix of social, affordable and private housing on large council-owned sites. 

In July 2016, councillors approved a motion, put forward by Workers’ Party Councillor Éilis Ryan, that the redeveloped site should be 100% public, mixed-income housing.

At the time, Ryan, who is no longer a councillor, argued that the aim of her plan was to “shift the focus from looking at whether or not there is a mix of renters and owners [mixed-tenure], to how much people earn,” she told Dublin Inquirer in October 2016. 

Ryan’s proposal catered for 50% of homes rented to the council’s housing list applicants and 50% for those with a “demonstrated housing need”. In other words, those who are above the social housing threshold, but struggling in the private-rented sector.

‘A Solid Outcome’ 

In September 2016, however, Ryan’s plan was rescinded.

Councillors decided instead – after negotiating with then-Housing Minister Simon Coveney – that the homes replacing the old units should be 30% social housing, 20% affordable-to-buy and 50% private residential, following a motion from Sinn Féin. 

At the time, Coveney was originally willing to only earmark 10% of the homes at O’Devaney for social housing. 

Those in favour of a mixed-tenure development at O’Devaney, like Sinn Féin’s Daithí Doolan, argued that having mixed tenure, instead, could lead to a more sustainable community. 

At the time, Sinn Féin’s Doolan said that 30% social housing for the 14-acre site was “a solid outcome” under a Fine Gael minister. 

o'd Cranes tear down 1950s flats at O'Devaney Gardens in 2016. CónalThomas CónalThomas

In December 2016, Dublin City Council said building was set to start on the site in November 2017 and that land on which private housing will be built at O’Devaney will be transferred to a developer in exchange for a project of public benefit.

The council recently completed building on 56 social housing homes for the site. 

Councillors voted to push forward with the plans in January 2017 and the procurement process began. 

In July this year, the council said it planned to use the land for 580 homes under the 30-20-50 mix. 

‘Dublin Agreement’

Following May’s local elections, the ‘Dublin Agreement‘ was drawn up between city councillors from Fianna Fáil, the Green Party, Labour and the Social Democrats. 

In it, councillors said they’d “reject any selling off of publicly owned land to private developers within the city boundaries” unless “the monetary benefit to the Council far outweighs the long term social and economic benefit”. 

By September, the council had picked Barta Capital Property as the preferred bidder to develop O’Devaney Gardens. 

Shortly after, councillors were shown plans drawn up by O’Mahony Pike Architects for the redeveloped site, replete with parks, bicycle lanes and community spaces. 

“I suppose what we were trying to do here is we were trying to create a sense of place,” said John O’Mahony of O’Mahony Pike, who added that O’Devaney Gardens is “probably the best site in the North Inner-City”.

Capture Impression of a redeveloped O'Devaney Gardens. O'Mahony Pike Architects O'Mahony Pike Architects

A council report from Deputy Chief Executive Brendan Kenny published that day said that, of the 824 homes on the site – 768 built by Bartra – 411 would be private dwellings, 165 would be affordable-to-buy and 248 would be social housing. 

Under the plan, 50% of the homes at O’Devaney would be sold to Bartra at market prices. 

The council report said that the “affordable” homes would be sold with a 30-40% discount. 

The council also laid out the cost for the affordable units; €240,000 to €250,000 for a one-bedroom apartment and from €300,000 to €320,000 for a two-bedroom apartment.

And for housing at O’Devaney-  €260,000 to €300,000 for a two-bedroom house and €300,000 to €320,000 for a three-bedroom house.

‘The Government’s Door’ 

By the time a new Dublin City Council sat this September – altering the political make-up of the council and bringing a cast of new councillors who hadn’t voted for the original plan in 2016 – the landscape had shifted.

A number of councillors said they’d vote against the O’Devaney plan ahead of a meeting on 7 October. Objections were continually raised around the “affordable” price-tags for the homes. Some councillors said any private homes at O’Devaney was a poor use of State land.

In early October – once had it became clear that the deal would be rejected at the meeting – councillors agreed to delay a vote on whether or not to proceed with the DCC/Bartra-led development at O’Devaney Gardens to allow for discussions with Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy. 

Writing to councillors, Murphy said funding for the O’Devaney redevelopment could be reconsidered if councillors rejected the plan on the table and that it could delay the entire project by five years. 

“Funding from my department to both reduce the cost of homes and help fund much-needed community facilities will also be lost if elected members decide not to proceed with this important project,” Murphy said, in a letter to councillors. 

As Dublin Inquirer reported earlier this month, there was not much scope for changes – due to contrainsts in the procurement process – in the O’Devaney plan that could bring more councillors on board.

Prices for the affordable units were assessed by the National Treasury Management Agency and the council’s own Quantity Surveyor’s Department.

TURNING THE SOD 778_90548752 First phase of O'Devaney Gardens regeneration. RollingNews.ie RollingNews.ie

Labour said in a statement shortly before the council meeting that it couldn’t back the sale of over 410 units at O’Devaney at over €500,000 per home, despite backing the deal in 2016. 

Labour councillor Alison Gilliland argued that by October 2019, rents in Dublin had risen 30% and that family homelessness had doubled.

“The key reason families find themselves homeless is that they cannot afford private rents,” Gilliland said, adding that the O’Devaney plan did not deliver “for those families and individuals and the reason for that lies squarely at the government’s door.”

‘Full-steam ahead’

Following the deferral, the plan hung in the balance and ‘Dublin Agreement’ councillors moved quickly to secure a deal with Bartra to push the redevelopment through and end years of inertia. 

In the end, councillors said that they had “secured a commitment” from Bartra that 30% of the total units will be purchased from the developer at market price and offered as “affordable-rental” in an attempt the end the deadlock. 

Long-time skeptics of the O’Devaney plans continued to object.

Independent councillor Cieran Perry said O’Devaney Gardens “has the potential for accommodating over 800 public homes but councillors have accepted crumbs.

“Developers shouldn’t be profiting from public lands,” said Perry. 

The “commitment” from Batra CEO Michael Flannery is to sell 247 of the 411 private dwellings at O’Devaney to an Approved Housing Body (AHB), which in turn will offer these units as “affordable-rental”. 

On Monday evening – amid protests at City Hall – councillors voted to approve plans for the redevelopment of O’Devaney Gardens. 

Following the vote, Independent councillor John Lyons said the decision “further entrenches the Fine Gael model of housing delivery which is fully dependent on the private sector to deliver” while Green Party councillor Neasa Houirigan said the deal “will produce a good neighbourhood to live in the long-term and not an empty wasteland while we wait for the perfect conditions to arise”. 

For now, questions remain around what “affordable-rental” will look like at O’Devaney, whether an AHB will actually come on board to deliver these units, where the money to buy these units will come from and whether or not the Department of Housing will play ball.

Bartra is expected to lodge a planning application with Dublin City Council early next year. Once planning is approved, on-site works must begin within four weeks. 

Ultimately, few councillors agree it is a good deal. Yet as one council official told TheJournal.ie this week; “It’s full-steam ahead”.

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    Mute Thomas Sheridan
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    Nov 9th 2019, 11:16 AM

    Strange country we live in when you can either study hard to get a job and then do a 3 – 4 hour commute every day to pay for a barely affordable house in a commuter belt OR never do a day’s work but create plenty of work for gardai and welfare services and be handed a high spec house in a urban location.

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    Mute Charliegrl80
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    Nov 9th 2019, 11:37 AM

    @Thomas Sheridan: It’s such a pity that you wouldn’t include in your statement very hard working minimum wage workers, our military and other very hard working in our communities that could never afford to buy or qualify for a mortgage to buy a home. Many welfare recipients are pensioners, disabled, carers, all who work very hard for nothing looking after our most vulnerable so please do not say we do not contribute to our country. Many unemployed people lost their jobs during the downturn and many are at an age that no one wants to employ them, Many employers just want to hire younger people that they can pay much lower wages to. Get real not everyone in Ireland lives in your glass house and remember those that throw stones get broken windows!

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    Mute Bleurgh
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    Nov 9th 2019, 12:06 PM

    @Thomas Sheridan: I agree, as someone who bought in Dublin town, an “outsider” with an education and office job, im made feel that I should have bought on the commuter belt, spend 3 hours a day in the car, so that someone “local” who has numerous educational and employment opportunities close at hand but chose not to avail, and instead put their names on a housing list, not work should have a priority to a tax payer funded accommodation.

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    Mute Levante Dublin
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    Nov 9th 2019, 12:18 PM

    @Thomas Sheridan: very well put Thomas

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    Mute Thomas Maher
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    Nov 9th 2019, 12:39 PM

    @Thomas Sheridan: that kind of statement says more about you than anything about people who qualify for social housing

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    Mute Aine O Connor
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    Nov 9th 2019, 12:41 PM

    @Thomas Sheridan: You are tarring everyone who is not earning enough to be ever able to afford to buy a house with the same brush. There are thousands of local authority estates all over Ireland in every town and village where the residents take care of their property and their estates. But people like you continue to suggest that people who need housing are wasters and troublemakers. There are some but they very much in the minority.
    Just be glad that you are fortunate enough like me to be in a position to buy your own house.

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    Mute The Bogger
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    Nov 9th 2019, 1:01 PM

    @Bleurgh: “Dublin town” really?? Don’t be that guy.

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    Mute GrumpyAulFella
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    Nov 9th 2019, 1:03 PM

    @Thomas Sheridan: of course many do work too but can only hold down min wage jobs. That doesn’t suit the narrative for some though. Many were born and bred in the area also, have roots and family there. Where were the middle class whingers when houses were affordable around the city centre. Why did they not snap houses up then? Some did of course and are now renting to, exploiting even, others. Offer most accommodation there now and they would still turn their noses up at it, a bit too close to the working class perhaps.

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    Mute GrumpyAulFella
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    Nov 9th 2019, 1:06 PM

    @Bleurgh: but sure if life is so great on the housing list then why don’t you stick your name down? I’m sure it’s not all Lattes and Brown Thomas. You do realise that there are many people working hard on min wage on that housing list?

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    Mute ken gray
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    Nov 9th 2019, 1:37 PM

    @Thomas Sheridan: well said !

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    Mute Thomas Sheridan
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    Nov 9th 2019, 1:47 PM

    @Charliegrl80: – of course I cannot speak for everyone in a short post and I am happy to accept your views and share your sympathy for low wage earners. They are mearly rent and tax slaves with no way out.
    But perhaps you should read my post more carefully because I only made reference & comparisons with people being rewarded after never working.
    Google “Gilmartin Road” for just one of many examples that I could give.

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    Mute Home CCTV
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    Nov 9th 2019, 2:26 PM

    @Thomas Sheridan: the people living in these flats are being harassed by guards, not the other way around. You clearly have no idea what it’s like to walk outside your home, minding your own business to be pulled up on by 4 guards in 1 car asking questions that don’t need to be answered, intimidating and conducting illegal searches every single day. There is a reason they get treated disrespectfully in these areas and I’ll give you one clue: it’s not because they treat us respectfully.

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    Mute Dave Stewart
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    Nov 9th 2019, 2:34 PM

    @Thomas Sheridan: another whinger, bahaba poor you

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    Mute Bleurgh
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    Nov 9th 2019, 3:09 PM

    @GrumpyAulFella: I’m merely making a point that as someone who is not from Dublin, bought a private house in a largely social housing area in the city that the narrative that is being put about is that I should have bought on the commuter belt, that I took a house that the council should have bought and given to a “local working class family” that as myself and my spouse are “office workers” not from they area that we were denying those families a house…I spent my early formative years in a council house, where my parents saw it as a hand up, not a hand out. Many of those living now where I live, of my age, complain they didn’t have the opportunities, yet college grants were available to them tpo, and universities and colleges within walking and cycling distances!

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    Mute GrumpyAulFella
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    Nov 9th 2019, 3:38 PM

    @Bleurgh: if you bought a house in the city then you d

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    Mute GrumpyAulFella
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    Nov 9th 2019, 3:39 PM

    @Bleurgh: if you bought a house in the city then you deserve that house. Anyone who thinks otherwise deserves no respect. Anyone who taints all people on the housing list with the same brush also deserves no respect. It’s not east to be admitted to some 3rd level colleges with certain addresses.

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    Mute Philip O'Dowd
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    Nov 9th 2019, 7:11 PM

    @Thomas Sheridan: No one stopping you from doing the same! If it’s this easy handy life!

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    Mute Gary Kearney
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    Nov 10th 2019, 2:53 PM

    @Bleurgh: An outsider as you have an education, you certainly dont come across as educated with comments like this one.
    People do not choose to put their name on a housing list as is an easy way to get a home, its not. It can take years.
    I know this as I ended up on the housing list through no fault of my own. As it was it would have taken me 15 years to get a home on the list

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    Mute eileen boles
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    Nov 18th 2019, 7:24 PM

    @Thomas Sheridan: so all people from coucil houses create trouble for the state u should try gettin out more.

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    Mute eileen boles
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    Nov 18th 2019, 7:26 PM

    @Thomas Sheridan: & keep feeling sorry for youself, its v attractive.

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    Mute herp
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    Nov 9th 2019, 11:04 AM

    Brown envelopes aplenty..

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    Mute clemguis
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    Nov 9th 2019, 11:21 AM

    How? When DCC councilors started getting involved, i.e. from the start. This land should have been sold to the highest bidder in order to generate the most money for the city. The developer should have been selling the homes at market price (with the standard provision for social housing but no more than that). This was a golden opportunity for many hard-working people who have been saving a deposit for months/years to buy their first home or trade-up/down in a great location.

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    Mute Gary Kearney
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    Nov 10th 2019, 2:56 PM

    @clemguis: THat does not work as we saw in the last building boom. Public Housing is not something that can be done in a PPP.

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    Mute Karl Charlie
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    Nov 9th 2019, 11:07 AM

    These should be redeveloped as 100% social housing or very affordable housing, i havent seen any affordable houses built in this country unless you move to donegal

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    Mute Tim McCormack29
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    Nov 9th 2019, 11:32 AM

    @Karl Charlie: no they shouldn’t be 100% social housing.. Dublin doesn’t need more inner-city slums.

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    Mute Sinead Merrigan
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    Nov 9th 2019, 11:32 AM

    @Karl Charlie: 100% social housing has proven time and again not to work and perpetuate social problems

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    Mute Grainnewhale
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    Nov 9th 2019, 12:15 PM

    @Sinead Merrigan: Where do Hutch/ Kinahans live – Dublin 4?

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    Mute Gordon Hughes
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    Nov 9th 2019, 12:29 PM

    @Grainnewhale: the same location was a prime example of 100% social housing not working. Its needs to be a good mix

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    Mute GrumpyAulFella
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    Nov 9th 2019, 1:09 PM

    @Grainnewhale: the General lives in Rathmines, Hutch lives in Clontarf and Kinahan, if he wasn’t in Dubai, wouldn’t be living in Oliver Bond flats.

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    Mute Colonel Grant
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    Nov 9th 2019, 1:46 PM

    @Tim McCormack29:

    Agreed . Lest we forget O Devanney gardens was a 100 per cent social housing scheme for the past 50 years and for all if that period it was a pure kip of a place encompassing the worst social problems, Drugs , violence , murders etc.
    A balanced mix is the only way forward here.

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    Mute angie
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    Nov 9th 2019, 1:57 PM

    @Tim McCormack29: I agree with you- local to the park I can honestly say this area has been a no go area for well over 20 years with 100% social housing so proof it hasn’t worked so why repeat the same model? Duh! O’D gardens was blighted by anti social behaviour and drug use, 30% social housing is about right IMO, it’s a great part of the city especially now all those flats have been demolished- the champagne socialists will never be happy!

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    Mute angie
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    Nov 9th 2019, 2:05 PM

    @Colonel Grant: well said – guarantee none of the 109% social housing gang ever saw what it was like……or even know where it is!

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    Mute Gary Kearney
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    Nov 10th 2019, 2:57 PM

    @Colonel Grant: Did you live there as I know many people who did and loved the place.
    Drugs destroyed the place as it did a lot of areas.

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    Mute eileen boles
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    Nov 18th 2019, 8:02 PM

    @angie: but 50% private housing? too much I grew up in a private public housing estate vast majority was public housing worked v well.

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    Mute JDel
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    Nov 9th 2019, 12:11 PM

    mix of private/affordable/social is by far the best mix. anything heavily tilted towards 100% public housing, of any type, is a recipe for social problems.

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    Mute Niall Bourke
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    Nov 9th 2019, 11:19 AM

    Apart from the division of the units look at how long it all took. 11 years! On top of that in fifteen years time we’ll hear about all the faults leading to calls for the demolition and rebuilding and nobody will be accountable.

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    Mute JDel
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    Nov 9th 2019, 3:27 PM

    @Niall Bourke: and its only going ahead now because of the SocDems, FF, Greens and Labour. FG and Sinn Fein tried to sink it last week and cause further delays.

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    Mute tipptop9
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    Nov 9th 2019, 12:09 PM

    €250,000 for a 1 bed apartment, affordable don’t ya know

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    Mute ken gray
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    Nov 9th 2019, 1:40 PM

    Oaklee housing on the ballymun road cost millions full of criminals local and foreign and unemployed who won’t work ! The place is wrecked already !

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    Mute Padraic O Sullivan
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    Nov 9th 2019, 11:45 AM

    Check out Vienna. We are a joke.
    https://youtu.be/d6DBKoWbtjE

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    Mute Mary's Abbey
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    Nov 9th 2019, 1:32 PM

    @Padraic O Sullivan: The Vienna Model works because Austrian Citizens and long-term residents receive first preference in the allocation of housing, thus ensuring better social cohesion

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    Mute Gary Kearney
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    Nov 10th 2019, 2:58 PM

    @Padraic O Sullivan: Fully agree with you but there is no profit in that for the builders and developers and a certain party loves privatisation.

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    Mute Kate Fogarty
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    Nov 9th 2019, 12:31 PM

    mix of private/affordable/social housing by far is a recipe for big problems for those who will live in private and affordable!

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    Mute Aine O Connor
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    Nov 9th 2019, 12:45 PM

    @Kate Fogarty: Why are the people who live in private and affordable houses all model citizens and those who qualify for social housing all troublemakers. Have you proof of this.

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    Mute Kate Fogarty
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    Nov 9th 2019, 12:51 PM

    @Aine O Connor: yes! Go in Island Key apartments in East Wall and ask anybody living in blocks 1,2,3,5

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    Mute Bleurgh
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    Nov 9th 2019, 2:59 PM

    @Kate Fogarty: yes or ask those who have lived there who sold up!

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    Mute Aine O Connor
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    Nov 9th 2019, 5:08 PM

    @Kate Fogarty
    : Thats hardly representative of Ireland as a whole.

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    Mute Gary Kearney
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    Nov 10th 2019, 2:59 PM

    @Aine O Connor: Snobs are snobs

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    Mute @mdmak33
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    Nov 9th 2019, 12:57 PM

    Soc dems, greens,and of course labour sold the community out.

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    Mute tgemainman
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    Nov 9th 2019, 5:17 PM

    Why not 100% private and make it high end housing for professionals and Chuck the social housing wasters into an extension in the grounds of mosey with the other parasites.

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    Mute eileen boles
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    Nov 18th 2019, 8:20 PM

    @tgemainman: must be great living in your black & white world.Should Get out more.

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    Mute Padraic O Sullivan
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    Nov 9th 2019, 12:38 PM

    Remember the word ‘ lobbyist’ does not exist in the Irish politicial lexicon or in main stream media. Lobbying doesn’t take place here. No siree….

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    Mute William Kelly
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    Nov 9th 2019, 5:34 PM

    More evidence that this government, & it’s fellow traveller co-conspirators in the supply & confidence scratch my my back & we will scratch yours deal, do not have any intention to provide sufficient social housing for working families.
    Their policy is to leave them to the vagaries of the rental market, with very little security of tenure, & perpetual squeeze on incomes to pay ever increasing rents. It’s a case of just include a minority quota of social housing to ensure that the market valuations for banks, builders, & offshore corporate investment reits are not affected.
    Voters need to see that this policy leads inevitably to the yuppification of our cities with a migrant office based population, displacing our own young folk to commuter towns, & OAPs unable to pay the rents after work.

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    Mute Mary Ward
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    Nov 9th 2019, 1:00 PM

    People are going to really have to start taking on politicians. Who makes the rule here . The department ? The minister who is bound by terms of a deal made by b lenihan for eu imf loan never laid before the dail cos TD opted not to have the govt account to the dail under at 28 and yet will vote thru estimate giving min permission incl murphy to SPEND ( he is telling council u go by that plan or i wont give the money) xxxxxxxx billions out of public fund but cant tell us the the 44 billion of the loan monies also in the fund wont be touched cos the deal not laid before the dail.

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    Mute Eddiewaldorf
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    Nov 9th 2019, 1:03 PM

    You my change the kennel but you have to out the dog back in

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    Mute Mary Ward
    Favourite Mary Ward
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    Nov 9th 2019, 1:35 PM

    TD have been giving far to many power to minister.

    They still have not learned lesson of the infamous promissory note that left us and the people struggling for housing with the burden of 30 billion debt to central banks cos minister exercised a power he was given by TD in legislaiton.

    B Lenihan would not have been able to do that with out the vote of TD in dail eireann The latest legislation only three month ago setting up rainy fund giving min access to pension funds to remedy ‘excessive budgetary deficit but no social housing.

    Do people realise the importance of TD vote on our lives. And here is another cost.

    Min Says to council u will not get the money unless u go by my plan and is is DAIL that gve the money no one else. He cld not say that without TD VOTES.

    TDs abdicated from the responsibilities under art 28 of constitution that government account to the dail and it show in the voting scandals now coming out .

    The terms of that laon to B Lenihan stick conditions on us to pay for banks or a euro but that loan and those loan terms never laid before the Dail and it need to be laid before it and reduce public deficit until the terms are approved by the dail and 44 billion loan funds ‘ringfenced until that done and that is our TD job /

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    Mute Gary Kearney
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    Nov 10th 2019, 3:02 PM

    From everything I have read and heard it was a situation where it was never going to be a win situation for the councillors.
    Council management will say if this does not happen it will take years to get something done and it will be worse than this.
    Public Private Partnerships is not the way forward. The Vienna Model of Social Housing is

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    Mute Dermot Lacey
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    Nov 10th 2019, 2:51 PM

    Conal for the record. I believe this is a good deal. Good on housing, good n housing initiatives and good for the wider community. As Councillors we have a broad responsibility – housing is one of them, building strong good communities with a good mix and good planning. I stand over this deal which in all the circumstances was the best deal deliverable- most Political people who criticised it have never delivered a single additional home in their entire political careers.

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