I was very keen to accept your invitation today because I knew this event was going to be a celebration of community spirit. The words of the previous speakers really bring today’s milestone ceremony out of the offices and into the heart of O’Devaney Gardens. Indeed, Dublin City Council’s Regeneration Programme sincerely places the community at the heart of the decision-making process. It brings to life the message of “delivering homes, sustaining communities” which is at the core of the Government’s housing strategy.
Housing is a central element of the recently launched National Development Plan and it is also a major theme of Social Partnership. It is now 20 years since our original national agreement made the first tentative steps on the road to partnership. This journey has paved the way for the collaboration between Dublin City Council and the Regeneration Committee, plotting the way forward for the O’Devaney Gardens Community.
“Joined up” thinking between various Government agencies also plays an important part in developing the vision for this project. We have secured a marriage between Dublin City Council’s proposals to redevelop the O’Devaney Gardens complex and the Government’s decision to earmark part of the adjoining St. Bricin’s Hospital site for affordable housing. In addition to the 280 social and 299 private residences to be provided in this project, 250 affordable homes are also to be delivered. This will provide a significant boost to the availability of affordable housing in this part of the city. I want to thank my colleague, Willie O'Dea, Minister for Defence, for making the St. Bricin’s site available and for contributing to the wider integrated renewal of this area.
Indeed, I also commend Minister of State Noel Ahern for his unstinting commitment to his housing portfolio. Through his efforts, the Government continue to play an important role in increasing and accelerating the delivery of social and affordable housing across the city.
Apart from the St. Bricin’s site, we have assigned a number of other State properties around the city to the Affordable Housing Initiative. Indeed, Dublin City Council has completed the procurement process for the delivery of some 400 affordable homes on two of these sites – one on Infirmary Road, close to where we are today, and the other in Jamestown Road in Inchicore.
Along with this, I am pleased that we have provided three other sites, which have been swapped for the early delivery of completed affordable housing. As a result of these three swaps, almost 500 families are gaining access to high quality affordable homes. Many of these homes have already been delivered and the remainder will be made available during this year. Of course, all of this is additional to the wide range of projects being undertaken by the City Council on its own land and the affordable housing coming on stream through the Part V mechanism.
I would like to thank members and officials of Dublin City Council for their hard work on this project as well as for their wider efforts in helping Dubliners to realise their dreams of having their own home. They are ably represented today by the Lord Mayor,Cllr. Vincent Jackson, the City Manager John Tierney and Brendan Kenny, who heads up the housing programme. I am confident that Castlethorn Construction will be a worthy partner in this exciting adventure for this community.
We all hope for a better future. But the future does not happen by chance. I am confident that the community here in O’Devaney Gardens understand this and will work to make this project a success.
So, once again, thank you for your kind invitation. I know that the approach we are taking is the right one and that the commitment of the O’Devaney Community will be matched by its partners in this project. I will continue to follow its progress with keen interest.
ENDS.