Sinn Féin Councillor for Ringsend and the South East Inner City, Daniel Céitinn, has called on Dublin City Council to reject the proposed deal for the Poolbeg West SDZ, which risks much-needed affordable housing to rent and buy. 

He called on the Government to transfer the NAMA interest in the site to DCC to enable the Council to deliver affordable housing. 

Councillor Céitinn said that the Sinn Féin group on Dublin City Council will be seeking a rejection of this deal by council management until 15% of the units are set aside for affordable homes as per the site master plan. 

Councillor Céitinn said:

“The proposed deal for the glass bottle site falls far short of the expectations of the local community, and far short of the agreed master plan which stipulated that 15% of the units would be for affordable housing for rent and purchase.

“For seven years, the Irish Glass Bottle Housing Action Group and the local community campaigned to ensure that at least 15% of these homes would be affordable for working people.

“This was supported by all Dublin City Councillors, and it was included in the legally binding SDZ masterplan which was approved by An Bord Pleanala in 2019.

“The proposed deal, as reported in the Business Post, provides for just 25 affordable units in the first phase of development. That is just 4% of the units. It also provides that these units might be sold on the open market if they cannot be sold as affordable units because of the Government’s failure to secure truly affordable prices. 

“This puts the delivery of the promised 500 affordable homes at risk. That is entirely unacceptable. These homes are needed in the local community, where housing prices have skyrocketed, and local families have been driven out by sky-high rents. 

“To ensure that affordable housing is delivered on the site as promised, we are calling on Dublin City Council to demand that this deal is rejected and improved.

“Council management must secure 15% of the units for affordable housing. That is the mandate set by the Council. The Government should transfer NAMA’s 20% interest in the development to the City Council to enable the Council to deliver genuinely affordable homes for working people.”