The Taoiseach, Simon Harris, has taken the decision to exclude government-owned lands at the prior DIT college location on Aungier Street from a regulation mandating their restoration to include low-cost and subsidised residences. This move has been criticised as ‘utterly absurd’ by many. This criticism was spearheaded by the Sinn Féin leader, Mary Lou McDonald, who condemned the turning over of such land to commercial constructors as catastrophic for the affordability of housing.
In contrast, Mr Harris insisted that the plan was always to offload these properties with all profits directed towards education initiatives. In response to Ms McDonald’s critique, the Taoiseach expressed regret at her supposed distortion of the government’s stance regarding Aungier Street. He also pointed out as a Member of Parliament for Dublin Central, she is more informed than most about the passed law establishing the Grangegorman Development Agency (GDA). The GDA’s remit was to dispose of federal properties and invest the resultant profits in her constituency.
The Taoiseach defended his decision, suggesting he would not entertain her artificial indignation, and highlighted that she was fully aware of the law in regards to the Grangegorman Development Agency. The GDA, which is controlled by the state, can glean full market value from the land transfer, which is a proposition the Land Development Agency (LDA) stated it won’t consider.
The LDA Act dictates that any development involving five or more dwellings on pertinent land must dedicate a specific proportion for low-cost and subsidised residences, though exceptions can be given. The exemption order was authorised by Mr. Harris at the Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien’s behest, leaving Aungier Street out of the Act, which demands complete low-cost and subsidised housing on relevant land in Dublin.
Ms McDonald brought up this concern in the Dáil, accusing the Taoiseach of deciding to give the government-owned land to a private builder unconditionally. Furthermore, she stated that he refused to admit that giving public land to private developers is unsound policy.
The woman expressed her displeasure saying, “The constructors have been granted exemption from constructing affordable and social houses on valuable city centre land. This seems like another ill-conceived decision, knowingly making another enormous error.” Ms McDonald contended that a comparable blunder was made by the Government on the issue regarding the land at Oscar Traynor Road in Coolock, located in Dublin’s northern sector. She claimed that there, individuals are being asked “to shell out between €400,000 and €475,000 for a three-bedroom property under your supposed budget-friendly housing programme. The cost for a single-bed flat ranges between €264,000 and €309,000.”