SINN FÉIN’S MEMBERS on South Dublin County Council have been accused of “political cowardice” over the building of 48 social houses in Clondalkin.
South Dublin County Council has proposed to build 48 homes on Letts Field in the Neilstown area, filling in a popular play area with social housing.
Although the money has been made available, Sinn Féin councillors have argued that the number of houses built on the site should be lowered to 20, with 28 built at another council-owned site.
Sinn Féin and other local representatives argue that the field is in use already, despite not being an official playground.
In May, local resident Annemarie Halpin told TheJournal.ie that the site is an open space.
But it’s really, really well kept. The people of Clondalkin look after it because it is used. It is used by clubs, football clubs, used by local people of the community for walking dogs.
Local Labour TD Robert Dowds, however, says that proposal is necessary to address the housing crisis.
On the one hand, Sinn Féin is saying that more action needs to be done to tackle the housing crisis. Labour has provided the money for 50 social housing units to be built at Lett’s Field in Clondalkin to house 50 families in need. Now Sinn Féin want the number of houses being built to be reduced from 50 to 15. Once again, we are seeing Sinn Féin speaking out of both sides of their mouth, asking for action on something, but then opposing that action once work begins.
“In a recent edition of a local newspaper, (Sinn Féin councillor) Eoin Ó Broin was talking about the scale of the housing crisis in one article on page 3, and in another article on page 6 proposing reducing the number of new houses being built at Lett’s Field for the those on the housing list and homeless people.
“That kind of hypocrisy just speaks for itself.”
O’Broin, however, hit back at those claims, saying that local representatives, including a Labour councillor, had met with the council and asked that 20 units be built.
‘Sinn Féin has called for the proposed development at Letts Field to be reduced from 48 houses to 20 to ensure that the much used football pitch and local amenity is retained. We also want to ensure that the newly built special autism unit in St Peter Apostles school is not unduly affected by any development
‘My understanding is that this is also the position of Deputy Dowds Labour colleague on the council.
‘Unfortunately due to Government cuts to social housing funding, which Deputy Dowds voted for, South Dublin County Council has been unable to build a single house since Fine Gael and Labour took office.”
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