Sinn Féin Leader on Dublin City Council, Cllr. Daithí Doolan, has welcomed tonight’s vote by city councillors to adopt Sinn Féin’s motion highlighting the government’s failure to deliver affordable housing at Oscar Traynor Road and requesting an urgent meeting with the Minister for Housing.

He said that the vote was significant as it showed an acceptance by councillors that commitments in the government-backed plan to deliver genuinely affordable homes on the site had been breached.

He added that while tonight’s vote was a step in the right direction, that there needed to be a step-change in delivering council and affordable housing on public land, and reiterated his call for government to transfer land at TUD Aungier Street to Dublin City Council.

Cllr. Doolan said:

“Tonight’s vote is hugely significant. City councillors have adopted Sinn Féin’s motion challenging the plan for Oscar Traynor Woods. It is an acknowledgment by councillors that commitments to deliver affordable housing made in the government-backed plan have been breached.

“The next scandal waiting to break is the cost of cost-rental properties. If the current situation is anything to go by, these too will be unaffordable to ordinary families. This will be yet another blow to the housing needs of Dublin.

“The Minister for Housing is forcing unaffordable housing down the throats of Dublin City Council. He held this city to ransom until this plan was accepted. This was wrong. We are now reaping a sorry harvest.

“The motion tonight demands an urgent meeting with the Minister. We will ensure he hears at first hand our anger and opposition to this plan.

“We will also be demanding that the Minister for Housing commits to transfer the TUD Aungier Street site to Dublin City Council, and to fund council and real affordable housing on this site.”