Opposition parties defend voting against 1,200-home development

The plan for the Ballymastone site in north Dublin will provide 238 social houses and 238 affordable homes. File picture

Sinn Féin and the Social Democrats have defended their decision to vote against a development of 1,200 homes in Donabate, Co Dublin.

The plan for the Ballymastone site in north Dublin passed the council's meeting on Tuesday by 31 votes to nine, with just Sinn Féin, Social Democrats, and Independents voting against. 

The plan will see 238 social houses provided and 238 affordable homes built and sold for between €250,000 and €270,000. 

However, Opposition parties have criticised the amount being paid for the site by developer Glenveagh. They say that at €11m the site is undervalued by at least half.

€20m in subsidies

They also object to Glenveagh being given around €20m in subsidies to provide amenities at the development.

Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil politicians said those who voted against the deal had tried to stand in the way of much-needed housing, with local TD Alan Farrell saying it was an attempt to deny "real people real homes".

But Sinn Féin councillors Aaron O'Rourke and Ann Graves both said that while they are in favour of homes being built on the site, they are against the use of state lands by private developers.

"The characterisation that we voted against housing is absolutely not fair," said Ms Graves. "There are specific reasons why we voted against this deal."

Mr O'Rourke said: "It's unacceptable that public land is being used to provide private housing. The deal on offer here is a fraction of the value of the land. The deal itself is a disgrace."

Glenveagh confirmed to the council that institutional investors will be locked out of the deal, which Green Party councillor and Mayor of Fingal David Healy said sets "an important precedent nationally".

Referring to the Fingal development in the Dáil, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said "ideology gets in the way" of house building.

Replying to questions from Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy, he said: "We have to get supply up. Everybody in Opposition, including the deputy, says this is an emergency.

"Yet, they seem to think we have the luxury of voting everything down at the last minute when the project is before the council and all of the negotiations between council officials and other parties have been finalised.

"The scheme to which I refer includes over 230 social housing units and 230 affordable homes in a housing scheme of 1,200 units. Ideology gets in the way. People say they cannot and do not want to support that. There is always an excuse to object to something."

Private market

Ms Murphy hit out at the Government's plan to provide increased social housing which she said centres around the private market.

"I am on the record, in 2014, when HAP was introduced, as saying that unless it was accompanied by substantial building what would happen would be that we would be paying in perpetuity rents to the private sector. The State is prolific in the private rental market," she said, and asked the Taoiseach "what's wrong" with directly building social houses.

Mr Martin said the HAP cannot be switched off right now because that would directly impact on the thousands of people who are dependent on the scheme for housing. But he said the solution to the problem is to build more homes and increase supply.