Homeless families: Delayed homes expected by mid-January

An updated programme for the completion of modular homes in Dublin, delayed last month by local protests and weather conditions, will be submitted to council officials on Thursday.

The homes are expected to be ready by the middle of January.

A seven-day hold-up on the completion of 22 units which were to be made available to homeless families by Christmas was blamed by Dublin City Council on demonstrations at the Balbutcher Lane site in Ballymun.

The site had been picketed at the end of November in support of the CTSL co-op, which has planning permission for 40 homes in the same area.

In a statement on Wednesday, the council said the contractor had returned to the site on January 4th to complete the work.

“Prior to Christmas there were a number of days lost through protests and inclement weather. It is anticipated that the completion of this development will be in mid-January 2016,” it said.

“Following on from a site meeting on the afternoon of the 6th of January, the City Council have been informed that the contractor will submit an updated programme [on the] 7th of January for the completion of the 22 modular homes.”