Dublin mayor Christy Burke to block O’Devaney Gardens plan

Lord Mayor of Dublin Christy Burke will this evening block plans to refurbish the dilapidated O'Devaney Gardens flat complex to provide temporary accommodation for up to 400 homeless families in the city.

Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly wants Dublin City Council to refurbish 64 empty flats in the 1950s complex which is scheduled for demolition. Work to bring the flatsup to a livable condition would cost €4.72 million.

Homeless

The flats would be used over the next five years to house 300-400 homeless families and then be torn down to allow for a more comprehensive regeneration planned for the estate almost 10 years ago.

Following the death near Leinster House last December of homeless man Jonathan Corrie, Mr Kelly published an action plan on homelessness. The refurbishment of empty flats in Dublin City Council estates designated for demolition and regeneration was one of the central components of the plan.

Following an assessment by the council it emerged that just two flat complexes, Croke Villas and O’Devaney Gardens,might be suitable. The council has agreed a €6.4 million deal with the GAA in relation to the redevelopment of Croke Villas, leaving O’Devaney Gardens as the only likely option for the refurbishment scheme.

However local councillors, including Mr Burke are opposed to the plan. “I don’t believe that spending nearly €5 million on temporary accommodation is a good deal. I could buy 40 houses for that money that wouldn’t have to be demolished in five years’ time. I believe Mr Kelly came up with this plan with the best of intentions but it isn’t going to work.”

Stability

Mr Burke said he would use his powers as Lord Mayor to remove the item from the agenda of tonight’s council meeting. He would then list a motion for next month’s meeting to allow homes to be built on the site to house the 14 families still resident in O’Devaney Gardens.

“It is not right to put homeless families into substandard accommodation that they will have to leave anyway; where is the stability those families and those children need?”

The complex of about 300 flats close to Phoenix Park in Dublin 7 was to have been redeveloped under a public-private partnership between the council and developer Bernard McNamara but the deal collapsed in 2008.

The council drew up plans to redevelop O’Devaney Gardens using public money and secured planning permission for the project in 2011 but two years ago conceded it could not raise the necessary funds.