Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 13 Feb 1997

Vol. 474 No. 8

Adjournment Debate. - Ballymun Redevelopment.

Ms Shortall

Like the 20,000 of my constituents who live in the Ballymun area I am quickly running out of patience at what seems to be endless delays in deciding the future of the Ballymun estate. There are 2,800 flats in Ballymun, all of which are over 30 years old. They comprise 15, eight and four storey blocks. All the flats have reached the end of their useful lives. The roofs are in poor condition and several flats on the top storeys have had to be de-tenanted because of their poor condition. Some of the flats on the next floor have had to be vacated for the same reason. Water is running down the walls and the panels on the fronts of the buildings are cracked. Water has ingressed into many flats on all floors while the lifts are continuously out of use. All services are problematic and there is no security in the complex. The open and high rise nature of the complex renders it impossible to manage properly or to secure in an acceptable way by today's standards.

Many of the tenants living in Ballymun could be said to be living in third world conditions. I regularly marvel at the success people in Ballymun make of their lives. They are up against the odds and it is incredible that so many manage to survive and remain sane in such appalling physical conditions.

The Minister and Minister of State have taken the trouble to visit Ballymun to view the poor condition of the flats. Anybody who has visited the flats cannot deny that Ballymun is an urgent project that needs Government attention. A pilot refurbishment was carried out on part of the estate. It was considered to be reasonably successful but, at this point, people are of the view that refurbishment is not an option. The scale of the structural and social problems in the estate is such that only demolition and the building of new housing and low rise flats is an option.

Dublin Corporation has researched this option thoroughly and has consulted widely by seeking the views of all residents. The overwhelming view is that it should proceed with the demolition programme. Much of the ground work in that regard has been carried out by Dublin Corporation and the community fully supports its proposals. In addition, the other agencies which work in the area are enthusiastic about getting a comprehensive programme for Ballymun under way. We are not talking about just structural change; we are seeking the type of high quality services that are required in an area such as Ballymun which the people have been denied for so long and to which they are entitled.

Dublin Corporation and the other agencies involved are poised to commence development. Lack of Government decision is holding back the development. It is easy to consider this issue in academic or theoretical terms, but insufficient consideration is being given to the people who are living in the horrendous conditions of Ballymun and who have been left in limbo for the last five years while nothing has happened in terms of improving their housing conditions. Morale in the estate is low. Governments have neglected the area for many years and there do not appear to be grounds for hope or for expecting better treatment in the system. That has a devastating effect on the morale of a community.

I ask the Government to make an urgent decision on the future of Ballymun. The proposals from Dublin Corporation have been with the Government for several months. They are comprehensive and well researched and they are supported by public representatives in the area. Doing nothing is not an option. Sooner or later a crisis will arise which will pose a serious threat to people's lives. That could happen within the next year or so because of the poor condition of the flats. A decision from the Government is urgently required. It should give the proposal the goahead. The people of Ballymun deserve nothing less. Virtually no costs will be incurred this year because, even if the Government approved the proposals today, it would be two years before anybody would get a key to a new home.

I implore the Minister of State to use all her influence to ensure an early decision is made by the Government on this most important matter.

Miss Flaherty

I am glad to speak in support of the case made by my colleague, Deputy Shortall, on the need to make an urgent and public decision on the future of Ballymun. The level of frustration and anger in the community is rising daily because the progress of Ballymun has been stalled for almost four years. Added urgency has been given to the case by the reports on the condition of the buildings which were made public in the past two weeks. They indicate that chunks of the panels of the buildings are falling off. They are sufficiently large to cause danger to the inhabitants. No matter what we do about Ballymun it will be uninhabitable in a relatively short period of time. Extra securing and supervision of the buildings will be required in the short to medium term.

The Minister of State has been closely involved with this issue and I look forward to a substantial decision on the matter in the near future.

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment (Ms McManus)

No one doubts the need to improve the Ballymun estate. Dublin Corporation and the local community have expended considerable effort and energy over the years in developing initiatives for the estate which have helped to maintain a good community interest and involvement in the area. The problems, however, are complex and require a far-reaching solution.

The Ballymun estate was constructed in the late 1960s as an urgent response to a critical housing shortage. It consists of 3,214 dwellings and is unique in Ireland in terms of its scale and construction. Originally intended as a new town, it has failed to reach that status and remains primarily a large housing area beset with many social problems, including a high level of unemployment. The nature of the development and its associated maintenance and management problems have added to the decline of the area.

A first attempt to tackle the physical problems of the estate was made in the early 1990s, following extensive consultation with the residents. A pilot improvement scheme for 282 flats, costing almost £7 million, was completed in 1993. At the instigation of my Department, the corporation appointed consultants to evaluate the pilot scheme and its appropriateness as a solution for the remainder of the estate. Following the consultants' report, and in light of continuing extensive consultation with the residents, Dublin Corporation in January 1996 proposed to demolish six of the seven tower blocks, replace them with new housing and refurbish the remaining flats in the spine blocks and walk up blocks, at a total cost of about £110 million.

Subsequently, the corporation commissioned an examination by independent engineering consultants of the immediate and long-term structural condition of the precast concrete panels. The consultants concluded that, while the panels are structurally sound, their external leaves require remedial measures to overcome certain defects and to protect against entry of water. They recommended "stitching" back all the panels in the short-term, within two to three years and, for the longer term, a programme of over-cladding. The extra cost involved in rectifying this would bring the total to £144 million.

The corporation now believes that refurbishment is no longer an economic option and favours demolition of all the tower and spine blocks, their replacement with new housing and the refurbishment of the walk-up blocks. Necessary remedial work to the roofs and to "stitch back" the panels would have to be carried out in the short-term. The corporation's revised proposals, including necessary remedial measures, are estimated to cost £179 million over a period of eight years. The proposals are currently under consideration and a decision will be made as soon as possible.

No time will be lost in bringing this matter to finality. However, it must be recognised that we are not dealing with a straightforward proposal for the improvement of a housing scheme. We are considering a major social project which will have implications not only for Ballymun but for the city as a whole. Housing based proposals alone will not resolve the underlying deficiencies and weaknesses of Ballymun as a major urban area. A more strategic approach is required to secure the future of Ballymun for its community and for the people who will live and work there in the future. The residents of Ballymun and other local interests are entitled to no less and they will continue to have a role in decisions affecting the future of the community in Ballymun.