Ahead of tonight’s Dublin City Councillors’ vote on plans to privatise the redevelopment O’Devaney Gardens, Social Democrats Councillors have restated the party’s opposition to the current proposals which will not deliver homes at affordable prices.

The SocDems’ five Dublin City Councillors are opposed to Council management’s current plans to privatise the redevelopment of O’Devaney Gardens on the grounds that they will not deliver homes at affordable prices and will do nothing to address the rental crisis in the city.

Cllr Gary Gannon said:

“The proposed sell-off of the O’Devaney Gardens site to Bartra Capital is an incredibly bad deal for the city and for people who are struggling to buy family homes at affordable prices. We reiterate that we will not be complicit in an unaffordable development that further excludes people and families already excluded from the prospect of secure tenure or home ownership in our city.”

Cllr Catherine Stocker added:

“Progress can’t be made on tackling the rental and housing crisis in our capital city in the absence of an affordable rental scheme. It’s time for the Minister for Housing to step up and provide this as a framework for the Council to deliver public housing.

“Minister Eoghan Murphy has dragged his feet on details of such a scheme since announcing the proposals for the St Michael’s Estate site in Inchicore in June 2018 as a ‘major government priority’. We call on the Minister to act to immediately put in place an Affordable Rental Scheme.”

ENDS

7th October 2019

Notes to Editors:

Social Democrats Councillors on Dublin City Council are: Mary Callaghan (Ballymun-Finglas); Tara Deacy (Kimmage-Rathmines); Gary Gannon (Cabra-Glasnevin); Patricia Roe (Artane-Whitehall): Catherine Stocker (Clontarf).

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