Tag Archives: social housing

Taoiseach Micheál Martin at the  Respond social housing development in Balgriffin, Dublin 13 yesterday; New Build activity in the second quarter of 2020

This afternoon

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien has published the Q2 2020 Social Housing Construction Status Report, outlining the delivery of social housing across the country.

It states that, at the end of the second quarter of 2020, fewer than a thousand homes were delivered under ‘New Build activity’.

Social Democrats Housing Spokesperson and Dublin Bay North TD, Cian O’Callaghan, said:

“The Government set a target to build 7,736 social homes in 2020. In the first half of the year, they reached less than 10% of that target, building just 725.

“This is a shocking level of under-delivery. Needless to say, Covid-19 has had a significant impact, but this is the third year in a row that the Government has missed its own target for building new social homes.

“We cannot allow this to continue. Thousands of people in this State are homeless. This housing crisis will only end if the Government builds new homes.”

Minister O’Brien Publishes Social Housing Construction Status Report for Q2 2020 (Rebuilding Ireland)

RolllingNews

Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy

Yesterday.

In the Irish Mail on Sunday.

The newspaper’s political correspondent Craig Hughes reported that Sinn Féin’s housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin had accused Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy of “manipulating social housing figures“.

It followed Mr Murphy saying on Friday that 10,000 social homes were provided last year – 6,545 new builds, 1,325 “acquisitions” and 2,130 houses “that local authorities and approved housing bodies acquired through long-term leases”.

Mr Murphy has said that, if he’s re-elected, 60,000 social houses will be delivered over the next five years.

However, Mr Hughes reported that Mr Ó Broin has called this pledge into question, writing:

But Deputy Ó Broin claimed that Minister Murphy is wrong to include more than 2,000 homes that had been acquired through long-term leasing.

According to the deputy, social houses acquired through long-terms leasing should not be included in the social housing delivery figures.

“In 2016 the cross party Housing and Homelessness Committees’ report very clearly defined social housing as housing that is owned by the council or AHB [approved housing body]. It’s only Minister Murphy and his Government that defines social housing any differently.”

Mr Ó Broin was reported as saying:

“The owner of a long-term lease property can withdraw, so you can’t categorise it as social housing as it is not owned by the local authority or approved housing body and ends up costing the taxpayer two to three times the price.”

Mr Hughes reported that the Government’s Rebuilding Ireland plan pledged to deliver 25,000 new homes (private and social) every years between 2017 and 2021 but that it failed to reach its target every year.

He also reported that the number of new homes built in 2019 is estimated to be between 20,000 and 21,000 but the final figures have yet to be released.

In addition, Mr Hughes reported that although a spokesman for Mr Murphy had pledged to provide Mr Hughes with a breakdown of the latest social housing figures – which were finalised last week – no figures were provided.

The spokesman said Mr Ó Broin’s comments were “regrettable” and misleading, adding: “Long-term leases are for 20-30 years with an option to renew. They are social houses and as secure as any other”.

Anyone?

Rollingnews

Yesterday.

Fingal, County Dublin

Liam Coughlan in his new home in the Peter McVerry Trust Ravenswood social housing development.

The scheme is the charity’s first greenfield development consisting of eight one bed homes together with a small community building specifically designed for single people with the most complex needs.

Top from left: Fingal councillor Anthony Lavin, CEO of Peter McVerry Trust Pat Doyle, Director of Housing Margaret Gerety, Fingal Mayor Anthony Lavin , Liam Coughlan and Peter McVerry.

In fairness.

Peter McVerry Trust

Sam Boal/RollingNews

Capital Dock, Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, the tallest apartment block in Ireland. Kennedy Wilson plans to include no social housing in the complex, but instead to provide its social housing obligations in Rialto

There will be no social housing in property investment company Kennedy Wilson’s new Capital Dock apartment scheme on Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, and that just 1 per cent of social homes designated for the docklands have been provided because of high costs.

….Under the planning laws, developers must provide 10 per cent of any development of 10 homes or more to local authorities at a discounted price.

Changes made in 2015 mean councils can no longer take cash from the developer instead of social housing, but they can take homes or land at another location.

…The department [of Housing] requires [Dublin City Council] council to stay within average costs of €286,300 for one-bedroom apartments or €372,100 for two-beds within any development. However, it must not pay over a ceiling of €400,800 or €469,500 respectively for any one or two-bed apartment.

Social housing price caps need to be dropped for docklands (Irish Times)

Rollingnews

This morning

Amid protests, Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy, above with Green Party Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Councillor Ossian Smyth (left) and new resident Marie Miesczcyk, presides over the the official opening of 44 New Social Homes at Rosemount Court, Dundrum, Dublin 14.

Only 299,956 left to go.

FIGHT!

Sam Boal/RollingNews

This morning.

Taoiseach  Leo Varadkar officially opens 42 new social homes at Stormanstown House, Ballymun Road, Dublin 9 on  on behalf of the Oaklee Housing Trust.

Forty two.

More as we get it.

Leah Farrell/RollingNews

Update:

Jump, etc.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar joined by  Damien English, Minister of State at the Department of Housing Stormanstown House this morning.

Rollingnews


This afternoon.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe at the opening of the O’Devaney Gardens project in Dublin 7.

It will see the “development of just under 700 social, affordable and private homes on this site”.

Demolition work is e expected to be completed this week.

Leah Farrell/RollingNews

Friday:The Lost Gardens

Meanwhile…

This afternoon.

Little Britain Street, Dublin 2

Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy launches De Paul’s  2017 Annual Report in the homelessness charity’s hostel in the Rotunds

Good times.

Rollingnews

The demolition of St Teresa’s Gardens complex in Dolphin’s Barn, Dublin in September 2016

Olivia Kelly, in The Irish Times, reports:

The long-awaited construction of 54 social homes at St Teresa’s Gardens in Dublin’s southwest inner city is projected to cost €26.5 million, or almost €500,000 per home.

…The development, which was to be the first phase in the construction of more than 500 homes, was expected to cost €15 million, of which €4-€6 million was to be spent on the demolition and refurbishment work….

Good times.

Social homes on council land to cost €500,000 each to build (Olivia Kelly, The Irish Times)

Sam Boal/Rollingnews

Chartered Land’s Lansdowne Place development

Kitty Holland, in The Irish Times, reports:

The developer behind an exclusive new housing development in Dublin will not be providing any social housing on-site.

In the move, approved by Dublin City Council, Chartered Land developments has bought a block of apartments in Ringsend for social housing rather than provide such housing at its prestigious new Lansdowne Place development of apartments and penthouses in Ballsbridge.

… Up to 2015, under Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000 developers had to provide 20 per cent of units in a development to the local authority at a reduced rate for social housing. Developers could, however, make a financial contribution or provide land elsewhere to the council to fulfil their Part V obligations.

Amendments to the Act in 2015, intended to end this practice of developers “buying their way out” of the Part V rules reduced the Part V requirement to 10 per cent but also removed the “buy-out” options.

There is a provision, however, in the amended regulations that developers may, “subject to the agreement of the planning authority”, instead “transfer…units on site or off site” to the local authority.

…Housing analyst Lorcan Sirr said while he could understand the “pragmatism” of the council’s approach, “it shows how fluid a concept ‘social mix’ really is”.

“It seems to be absolutely crucial in poorer places like O’Devaney Gardens, but not so in Ballsbridge. It also throws into sharp relief the consequences of the State relying on the private sector to provide social housing it should be providing itself.”

Developer not providing social housing at Ballsbridge site (Kitty Holland, The Irish Times)

Pics: Chartered Land


Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and  Joella Dhlamini unveil the stone to mark 84 new social homes Clongriffin, Dublin Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy at left

This morning.

Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar unveiled the foundation stone for 84 new social homes Clongriffin, Dublin.

Moments later…

Oh.

Rollingnews

Meanwhile…

Joella Dhlamini spent World Children’s Day with An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, as part of UNICEF’s Global #KidsTakeOver initiative

RTE reports:

A teenager from Drogheda is to give the Taoiseach a graphic account of the everyday racism she experiences in Ireland.

Joella Dhlamini, who is originally from South Africa, was chosen by UNICEF to represent the views of the children of Ireland after she entered a competition to describe the one change for children she would like to see.

The teenager, who was born in Soweto, in Johannesburg, wrote about the racist abuse she and her family have encountered since moving to Ireland three years ago.

Drogheda teen to tell Taoiseach of racism she experiences (RTE)

Top pics: Sam Boal/Rollingnews