Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 January 2013
444. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a breakdown in tabular form of the funding cuts to the Ballymun Regeneration Project, Dublin, since 2012 outlining in detail where exactly these cuts were and are to be made; the projects that will not be finished and the way it will impact on the completion of the regeneration of the area. [2540/13]
View answer445. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government when will the remaining eight storey block on Silloge Road, Ballymun, Dublin, be demolished; it is out to tender at the moment and was due for demolition in 2012. [2541/13]
View answer446. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans for all the empty spaces within the regeneration area in Ballymun. [2542/13]
View answer447. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will outline the expected date that BRL will finish completion of projects on in Ballymun. [2543/13]
View answer450. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide a report of the work of Ballymun Regeneration Limited, Dublin, to date including a report on the consultation process with local residents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2582/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 444 to 447, inclusive, and 450 together.
My Department currently supports an ambitious programme of regeneration projects to deliver integrated physical, social and economic regeneration, ranging from large-scale urban regeneration projects such as Ballymun regeneration to smaller estate-wide regeneration projects in Dublin city and in a number of regional towns around the country. My Department has provided over €700 million to support the Ballymun regeneration programme to date. This has facilitated the demolition of all but one of the towers and nearly all the flat blocks as well as the construction of over 2,900 social, voluntary, private and affordable residential units, new local parks and playgrounds, neighbourhood centres and a new traditional style main street. The programme has also provided state of the art community facilities, such as the Axis theatre, the Leisure Centre and Civic Centre. The Ballymun regeneration project has now moved into the completion phase and my Department’s priority is to ensure that the remaining housing need is met while the investment provided to date is fully protected. All demolition and construction projects are expected to be substantially completed by end 2014.
In 2012, my Department committed to providing some €51 million over the period 2012 – 2014 to ensure that outstanding housing need in Ballymun would be met in full and that infrastructure projects needed to protect the substantial investment in regeneration to date would be provided. In 2012 funding of €30 million was provided to BRL to meet the costs of construction and demolition projects underway, ongoing social regeneration programme costs and the BRL administrative overhead. The 2012 outturn represented an increase of 20% on the initial 2012 allocation and demonstrates my ongoing commitment to supporting this important project. In August 2012 my Department issued approval in principle to Ballymun Regeneration Ltd (BRL) for the inclusion of a number of sites in Ballymun as part of an overall site reinstatement strategy and sought further information in relation to a number of additional sites. The overall objective is to protect the investment to date and concentrate on at-risk open spaces and areas which have the potential to become the focus of anti-social behaviour. A submission in this regard has recently been received from BRL and is currently under examination in my Department. In October 2012, my Department approved BRL’s tender recommendation for Demolition Contract 8, which provides for the demolition of the flat complexes on Shangan Road and Sillogue Road. It is now a matter for BRL to progress this contract. I understand, however, that the demolition of these units will be completed towards the middle of this year.
In terms of the consultation and communications process, given that this project is now moving towards completion, the emphasis has changed from the initial strategic level consultation with stakeholders, local community groups and residents associations in relation to the development and implementation of the regeneration masterplan to the local level of one-to-one engagement with residents in relation to relocation. Consultation and communication on matters relating to regeneration policy and practice is also facilitated by having local community and public representatives on the Board of BRL. BRL’s offices are located at the Civic Centre on Main Street and are open to the public from Monday to Friday between the hours of 9.00 and 17.00. BRL have a dedicated Communications Team available at their offices to deal with telephone and email queries and also to deal with queries and complaints from members of the public in relation to any matter within its remit.
Notwithstanding the constraints on capital expenditure across the public sector, my Department will continue to support the National Regeneration Programme, including the completion strategy for Ballymun. I intend to announce details of the capital allocations for 2013 as soon as possible.
