Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 March 2018
1024. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he has satisfied himself that Dublin City Council has the necessary resources to advance plans for the construction of 640 housing units on its site at Oscar Traynor Road, Santry, Dublin 9; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12113/18]
View answerThe active management of the publicly-owned housing land bank is part of a range of complementary actions being progressed under the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, designed to accelerate and increase housing output.
The Oscar Traynor Road site referred to is one of three significant sites being brought forward by Dublin City Council under its Housing Land Initiative (HLI), the aim of which is to ensure the delivery of mixed-tenure homes in the Dublin City Council functional area. All three sites under the HLI are identified as Strategic Development and Regeneration Areas (SDRA) within the Dublin City Development Plan 2016-2022.
Mixed-tenure developments are an important policy objective in Rebuilding Ireland and uphold the principle of sustainable mixed communities, where housing needs are not subject to rigid segregation, based on income levels. They also provide an opportunity to see major sites developed more quickly, and integrated into existing communities and areas.
Oscar Traynor Road has the potential to yield 640 mixed-tenure homes and the elected members of the City Council have determined that the homes will be provided on the basis of a 30% social, 20% affordable, and 50% private tenure-mix.
The progression of this project is being undertaken by Dublin City Council, working closely with my Department. In terms of the publicly funded elements, like all publicly funded construction projects, the development of this site must comply with the Government’s Capital Works Management Framework and procurement rules, to ensure greater cost certainty, better value for money and financial accountability.
This is a priority project for the Council and it is progressing through procurement with the Prior Information Notice (PIN) published on 20 June 2017 and the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) issued on 9 February 2018. My Department and I remain committed to working with Dublin City Council to ensure that the necessary resources are in place to deliver the mixed-tenure homes planned on what is a key site for the sustainable development of Dublin City.
