Fine Gael plan backed by capital funding will deliver affordable homes in Dublin – Geoghegan

Fine Gael’s plan for housing which is backed by capital funding will ensure affordable homes are delivered at scale in Dublin city, according to Dublin Bay South bye-election candidate James Geoghegan.

Cllr Geoghegan said the country needs stability of government to ensure the rapid escalation in supply of housing can be delivered with certainty for the future.

His comments come as new research reveals Sinn Féin has objected to almost 6,000 homes in the three local authority areas of Dublin City Council, South Dublin County Council and Fingal County Council, since 2018.

Cllr Geoghegan claimed Sinn Féin’s populist national political strategy and centralised control over their local representatives forces their own councillors to vote against housing projects, that in many cases, they themselves pushed forward at a local level.

Cllr Geoghegan said: “Voting against almost 6,000 homes across Dublin in the past three years is astonishing. It cannot be explained away with glib remarks. Sinn Féin representatives are being instructed to vote against these developments by the party hierarchy.

“An analysis of Sinn Féin’s voting record on housing developments in South Dublin County Council, Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council since 2018, accounts for how their councillors have objected to almost 6,000 homes in one form or another in Dublin.

“In Dublin City Council, Sinn Féin councillors voted against the development of 824 homes in O’ Devaney Gardens and against 853 homes in Oscar Traynor Road. Last year, Sinn Féin voted against the rezoning of industrial lands which would provide up to 1,575 homes.

“In 2017 Sinn Féin initially voted for the plan for O’Devaney Gardens following two years of negotiations between council officials, the Housing Department and city councillors. Yet two years later, they u-turned on their position and voted against the same scheme because it didn’t reflect what their housing spokesperson was saying in the Dáil.

“Thankfully the planning application for over 1,000 homes at O’Devaney Gardens was submitted recently and includes affordable homes for purchase prices ranging from €260,000 to €300,000.

Cllr Geoghegan’s record on housing since being elected to Dublin City Council in 2019 includes;

• Voting in favour of more than 3,000 homes.
• Successfully passing an all-party motion seeking higher state subsidy for affordable homes to buy and rent on Dublin City Council land.
• Delivering an audit on construction costs of public homes to drive down cost and increase affordability.
• Member of the special committee on homelessness which has led to reforms of how the Dublin Regional Homeless executive interacts with service users which a much greater focus on wrap around care and scrutiny over service providers.

He continued: “The state is currently building 1 in 3 homes and the Tánaiste’s commitment for 40,000 homes is backed by actual funding and will be delivered.

“The evidence in this report is startling. Sinn Féin’s strategy on housing is to make a lot of noise in public, but my experience as a councillor is that the party frustrates progress on the ground.

“The biggest opportunity for affordable homes to be delivered in Dublin Bay South is on the Glass Bottle Site in Poolbeg where over 900 affordable and social homes will be built. However, during this campaign, the candidate for Sinn Féin has wavered in her party’s commitment to the scheme.

“The Land Development Agency (LDA), also set up by Fine Gael, sets out to use state lands to build affordable homes and sustainable communities. Affordability is a key pillar for the LDA.

“We know that progress must happen faster and my key priority is delivering more affordable homes to purchase and rent in Dublin Bay South should I be elected to Dáil Éireann.”

Richard Bruton, Chair of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party said: “This report lays bare Sinn Féin’s hypocrisy on housing. Sinn Féin’s housing policy is unworkable and will stall progress on this major priority. This is aggravated by their ideological obstruction of projects that would deliver badly needed homes for our entire community.

“It demonstrates the need for public representatives like James Geoghegan who are dedicated and passionate when it comes to finding solutions to the challenges that people face.”

Fine Gael Councillor Anne Feeney, who represents Kimmage-Rathmines, said: “The Fine Gael group on Dublin City Council have been proactive in voting for housing projects that give young people and families a real chance of owning their own home.

“I know James’ track record and commitment to increasing the supply of housing and he is the right person to represent his constituents if elected to Dáil Éireann.”

ENDS

See link to report: Sinn Féin – Blocking Housing Construction in Dublin