O’Devaney homes ‘scandal’
TAXPAYERS are being ‘fleeced’ by the controversial O’Devaney Gardens development, which was given Cabinet approval yesterday, Sinn Féin’s Eoin Ó Broin has suggested.
The Government agreed to begin building 1,047 homes on the site owned by Dublin City Council in Dublin 7 in the second quarter of this year. The total expenditure will be €134million, and there will be 275 social housing homes, 248 affordable purchase homes and 524 developer/private homes (48%). Dublin City Council confirmed to the Irish Daily Mail last night that the apartments and houses will be available for purchase for between €240,000 and €320,000.
Of the total expenditure, €111million will fund the social housing units, while €23.5million will fund the affordable housing units.
This means it will cost the Government €403,636 to buy each social home. Mr Ó Broin told the Mail: ‘This is not affordable housing. This is not a good use of taxpayers’ money. It’s an absolute scandal... This is a very bad deal for the local community.’
Developer Bartra made an option agreement with the council whereby the latter or a nominee will have the right to buy some or all of the 524 developer/private units. A council spokesperson told the Mail there are ‘ongoing discussions between the developers and two Approved Housing Bodies (Circle and Tuath) with respect to the provision of the cost rental units’.