Major housing boost for local Northside areas

THERE was a much-needed boost for housing on the Northside last week when the Government announced approval for 34 public infrastructure projects worth €226 million across 15 local authority areas.

These projects will pave the wave for thousands of new homes to be built as part of the Government’s Action Plan for Housing.

Under the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) the local areas to benefit will include:

• The Donabate Distributor Road which is to receive €15.5 million that will facilitate 1,200 housing units in the short-term (2021) and 2,200 in the long-term, 

• €6.18 million has been allocated to road upgrades, wetlands and a park in the Baldoyle Stapolin area which will lead to 800 housing units by 2021 and 1,500 beyond that, 

• €4.9 million has been approved towards a road upgrade in the Oldtown-Mooretown area West of Swords which will facilitate 800 housing units initially and 3,200 eventually, and

• A €3 million Distributor Road upgrade in the Belmayne and Clongriffin area will facilitate 1,380 housing units by 2021.   

Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Simon Coveney, and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Paschal Donohoe made the announcement at Government Buildings which was warmly welcomed by local public representatives.

Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton, welcomed, in particular, the news that Belmayne, Clongriffin and Baldoyle will get 2,180 new homes by 2021, with the potential for 2,880 houses in total in the long term. 

“This funding will help deliver a strong mix of private, rental and social housing delivery at appropriate locations and create new and attractive local communities to live in at affordable prices and rents,” he said. 

“We know there are housing and accommodation shortages in certain areas. Everyone has a right to a home and we are ensuring this is possible. We will continue this work throughout the 32nd Dáil.

“Together with other complementary and targeted measures under the Government’s Action Plan for Housing, the delivery of this housing in the next four years will have an extremely positive impact on the availability of housing in the short to medium term.”

Both Fingal County Council chief executive Paul Reid and Mayor of Fingal Cllr Darragh Butler welcomed the approved funding for their county. 

Mayor Butler said: “On behalf of Fingal County Council I welcome this investment in what are three crucial pieces of strategic infrastructure. 

“I look forward to seeing work commence as soon as possible so that houses can be built. 

“I hope that this will be the beginning of regular investment by Government in strategic infrastructure as there are other prime sites across the county such as Balbriggan, Skerries, Rush and Dublin 15, where the council is also well placed to have any necessary infrastructure delivered.”

Dublin Fingal TD Alan Farrell (FG) said: “Such is the need for the development of housing in the north county, and across the country, that it is essential that the ongoing use of a collaborative approach between all relevant bodies is maintained.

“I will continue to actively engage with Minister Simon Coveney to ensure the needs for further investment, and housing provision, in Dublin Fingal, remain to the fore of his Department’s agenda.”

Anthony Lavin, a Fine Gael councillor for the Malahide Howth Local Electoral Area (LEA), said he is delighted that the Government has agreed to support three of Fingal’s major strategic infrastructure projects.

“This will allow Fingal to continue to build on the great progress Fingal has made in recent years in creating an environment where houses can be built which is the primary objective of Rebuilding Ireland,” he said.  

“This funding will allow Fingal to quickly unlock the development potential of zoned residential lands there as we are ready to proceed on these projects.”