Tánaiste Joan Burton has called for the type of neglected inner-city Dublin locations that feature in the RTÉ crime series Love/Hate to be regenerated and turned into premium housing sites.
Burton has referred to the gritty drama on a number of occasions in recent weeks, as she flags a housing investment programme focusing on social and affordable homes due to be announced on or around budget day.
"At the bottom end of the Phoenix Park, about 100 yards from the new court buildings, we have the O'Devaney Gardens site, which in recent years has been mainly used for some scenes in Love/Hate," she told a policy workshop in UCD's Geary Institute recently. "It's a magnificent site. In any other country that would be a premium housing site . . . not being sat on but actually being developed. They're in the city, they're beside schools, they're beside transport and they're beside employment."
Des res developments
The Tánaiste has a point. She contrasts the “des res” developments at the top end of the capital’s Phoenix Park with the largely unloved locations at the opposite end. Such areas probably would be cherished in other countries.
Burton returned to the theme again at an emotionally charged conference on homelessness in Dublin at the weekend. She was interrupted and heckled during a question-and-answer session at the Impact event.
"For those of you who know O'Devaney Gardens, it's probably one of the most fantastic housing sites actually in Europe," she said. Burton referred again to the filming of Love/Hate in the area. "I want to see O'Devaney Gardens restored. It's right beside the Phoenix Park. Two miles away is . . . some of the most sought-after housing in the country. And my ambition for O'Devaney Gardens is to see it rebuilt."
The troubled story of that particular development has been well documented. It was one of many dreams to fall foul of the downturn, and reference to it prompted one delegate at the conference on Saturday to shout: “Well, fund the council to build them. Provide the funding.”
Housing programme
Burton’s response was that the Government was in the process of putting a housing programme together. This may prove the trickiest part of the budgetary process. Housing availability, both social and private, has become a serious issue as senior Coalition Ministers complete their discussions.
Various hints have been dropped about the details of the housing investment document, which is currently being finalised. It will focus on so-called “starter” homes for young people, as well as social and affordable homes.
The package will include an ambitious building programme with an increased use of private sector construction.
A mix of State funding, private finance and EU funds will be explored in the proposals, along with ways to maximise use of existing housing and reform and resource the social housing sector. The National Asset Management Agency (Nama) will provide up-front funding as one of the measures designed to tackle the social housing crisis.
