Fianna Fail meeting Oscar Traynor meeting with Housing Minister ‘completely unacceptable’

A GROUP of Fianna Fail councillors have met with Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien to discuss the large-scale Oscar Traynor Road development.

Dublin City Council and local representatives had written to Minister O’Brien requesting a meeting after the local authority voted to retain the entire development as social and affordable housing.

In November 2020, the council voted to reject plans that would see the land be transferred to private property development firm Glenveigh, which proposed the construction of 853 new homes.

Under the failed proposal, 50% of the homes would have been private, 30% would social and 20% affordable purchase.

The meeting was attended by councillors Dáithi de Roiste, Racheal Batten, Claire O’Connor, Keith Connolly, Briege Mac Oscar, Daryl Barron, Deirdre Conroy and was hosted by group leader Deirdre Heney.

It is understood that local representatives from other parties were not invited.
Commenting following the meeting Minister O’Brien said:

“I absolutely understand how frustrating it is for people to see a site like Oscar Traynor Road sit idle for so long.

“We are in the middle of a housing crisis and ramping up the supply of homes is an immediate priority.

“We are making changes to our Serviced Sites Fund (SSF) from September which will see the Government subvention towards the all-in development cost of affordable housing increase in certain instances to €100,000.

“This will ultimately result in the provision of homes, at a discounted rate, in areas where it has been identified that an affordability challenge exists.

“Oscar Traynor Road is one such site which could benefit from the enhanced SSF.”
Minister O’Brien said that it is imperative that the Oscar Traynor site does not lie vacant for an extended period of time.

“I have been clear that I do not want to see a situation whereby the Oscar Traynor site remains idle for the next few years,” he said.

“We have to use every single tool in our armoury to activate sites and our upcoming Housing for All plan will outline a number of measures we will deploy to do just that.”

Group Leader Councillor Deirdre Heney said the councillors are committed to the development.

“The Fianna Fáil group on Dublin City Council has been working, and will continue to work with Minister O’Brien to bring about the delivery of much needed housing on the Oscar Traynor Road site.

“The provision of housing for all our people is the single biggest challenge facing Government at the moment.

“The Fianna Fáil group on Dublin City Council stand ready to help the Government and the Minister to deliver,” she said.

However, local Independent councillor John Lyons (pictured above) says that the Fianna Fail meeting was “completely unacceptable” due to its exclusive nature.

“The back-room meeting of Fianna Fáil councillors with the Minister for Housing is an insult to the people of Dublin and their political representatives on Dublin City Council, who have been calling for months for a meeting with the minister.

“This is the old, stale, failed ways of Fianna Fáil, undemocratically discussing amongst themselves the best ways to facilitate deals regarding public assets that benefit private interests.

“It is completely unacceptable,” he said.

“I am demanding ruthless transparency and respect for the mandate that all city councillors were given by the people of Dublin City in 2019: Fianna Fáil needs to come out into the open and explain why they have actively excluded their fellow councillors with their discussions with the minister on an issue that is by far the biggest one on the council’s housing agenda, an issue that is too serious for silly political games to be played by a political party that is in terminal decline.”

Lord Mayor and Labour councillor Alison Gilliland says she welcomes any progress that can be made on the development.

“Prior to becoming Lord Mayor last month, I myself met with the Minister in my role as Chairperson of the Housing Strategic Policy Committee,” she says.

“Former Lord Mayor Hazel Chu and our DCC Housing Manager were also in attendance.
“There is commitment on all sides to provide social and affordable housing on the Oscar Traynor lands in a timely manner.

“With the Minister’s support, particularly if he increases the serviced site fund for Dublin developments, this can happen.”