Chris Andrews
Labour Panel · Sinn Féin · Ireland
“I want to move an amendment to No. 1 on the Order Paper, proposing an orderly winding down of the accommodation recognition payment scheme in a way that is fair and efficient. I note today is the last day of Dáil and Seanad sittings before the summer recess.”
“The Government can point to housing and claim that there are huge successes. There is only success for the wealthy, the well-off, the developers and the landlords. They are all delighted with Government policy.”
“Government will say, "Look at the positives", but there are a huge amount of challenges. You need not look any further than the housing crisis. Of course, the Government will point to an increased number of housing developments. However, those housing developments are for the very well-off.”
“We supported the development of housing on the Glass Bottle site. We worked hard to ensure to get more social housing. Unfortunately, the Government would not do that. Now it seems that the so-called "affordable housing" on the Glass Bottle site will be unaffordable.”
“I move amendment No. 14: In page 7, between lines 25 and 26, to insert the following: “Annual report 11. The Minister shall, within the first six months of the year, lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report outlining the application of this Act, providing an update on— (a) how many successful actions were brought under section 14…”
“I move amendment No. 2: In page 4, between lines 4 and 5, to insert the following: “ “settlement service” means a service provided in whole or in part within a postal code or relevant occupied territory to which this Act applies;”.”
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“I thank the Minister of State for coming in. I appreciate that she took the time. Your day really is not all that different. You leave the house and go to work. It is the same as it is every day. Maybe you go for a drink with colleagues or to a match afterwards, then you come home and it is so empty. The house is so unbearably empty. A piece of your life is gone forever in one tragic event. This is a story many of us know. Almost everyone has had the experience of this tragedy in life, if not with their partner, then within their family, among friends or through neighbours. This tragedy plays out every day in our country, again and again. I am talking about suicide.”
“I suggest that, if there is not change by the Camogie Association, the Government needs to review the funding for camogie and the Camogie Association.”
“This must change. As the players here behind me said, when there is a need for change, men’s football is changing. For example, they are changing two-pointers. There are a range of measures being made in men's football to keep up with the changes needed. Why can camogie not change? I spoke to one of the camogie players involved in the Dublin and Kilkenny match and she said that when they got back to the dressing rooms on Saturday to change into the skorts, the atmosphere was eerie and demoralising. That is just not what sport should be about. This has gone way beyond the Camogie Association. It is not going to go away. It is now an equality issue and there needs to be change by the Camogie Association.”
“I acknowledge and welcome the Laois camogie players today from Camross, O'Moore's and The Harps clubs. It is great to see young people and young athletes being interested, engaged and concerned about what is effectively an equality issue. The issue at the weekend has highlighted the demand for women to wear skorts playing elite sports. As a father of two daughters who play and love camogie with Ballinteer St. John's, it is positive to see female athletes engaging in what is an equality issue. This is about equality and choice. Camogie players must have both, just like the male players. When I watched the Dublin versus Kilkenny match at the weekend and saw the older male referee sending 40 young female elite athletes back to the dressing room to change into skorts, I found it unsettling and unfair. The symbolism of it was unsettling.”
“If Ireland is truly invested in the European project, we need to stand up for its core values and against the rising tide of militarisation. We need a European Union that seeks peace, human rights and equality, not one that furthers war and subjugation.”
“Since 7 October, the EU, and particularly Germany and Italy, has exported hundreds of millions of euro in weapons and bombs to Israel in direct support of its genocide of the Palestinian people. Ursula von der Leyen has used her role in the European Commission to give Israel Europe’s unconditional support no matter how many crimes it commits in Gaza. The Irish Government has done nothing to challenge this and has allowed Ireland to be wrapped up tighter and tighter in the EU’s growing imperialist ambitions. At a time when we need less war and more peace, the Irish Government is actively working to undermine our neutrality and align us with the security apparatus in Brussels. Moves to scrap the triple lock and militarily integrate with Europe will do nothing to improve our security and will only put us at increased risk.”
“The EU defines one of its key aims as contributing to "peace, security, the sustainable development of the Earth" and the upholding of international law, but the actions of the EU and its member states paint a very different picture. The European armaments industry is rapidly expanding to meet Europe’s demand for weapons and war. Rather than addressing social and economic crises in our communities, billions of euro are being funnelled into arms manufacturing, solely to the benefit of a small, wealthy elite who profit off the oppression and suffering of people in faraway countries. Europe is militarising at an alarming rate, readying itself for war and selling its weapons to the highest bidder, all while branding itself is a beacon of peace and human rights. Nowhere is this hypocrisy clearer than in respect of Palestine.”
“In recent years, however, the EU has drifted dangerously far from these values and continues to dilute the ideas that made it a vehicle for positive change at home and abroad. The original vision for the EU as a community of sovereign nations working together for the benefit of all its people, promoting peace and prosperity is under threat from the rise of militarisation, racism, privatisation, corporate interests and individual greed. Where are the values of respect for human dignity and human rights, freedom, democracy, equality and the rule of law when it comes to Palestine? Where are they when it comes to eradicating poverty and ensuring that we all have access to housing, healthcare and adequate employment?”
“I am not misleading. We are happy to have a respectful debate. We do not necessarily agree with the Government, but that does not mean we cannot discuss issues and have differing opinions. In the more than 50 years since Ireland joined what would eventually become the European Union, we have experienced rapid and welcome change. Membership of the EU has served as a catalyst for so much good in Ireland, advancing civil rights, economic growth and investment, environmental protection and social equality. I do not think anybody could doubt that. The shared values that formed the foundation of the European project are positive and constructive forces that have contributed a great deal to this country and the rest of the Continent, securing peace and improving the lives of millions.”
“I ask that the Minister come to the House to discuss simple measures that can be implemented and do not require hours of debate or legislation. A simple measure such as the one I outlined would have a hugely positive impact on dog welfare. It is very doable. I ask that the Minister come in to discuss it.”
“The crisis in dog welfare continues daily and is obviously having an impact on dogs. I know the Minister has been very supportive of dog and animal welfare. This is also having a hugely damaging impact on those working in rescue centres. It is devastating for those who work tirelessly in this area to pick up the tab for Government failure on dog welfare. I highlight the many measures the Government could take to improve dog welfare. They are simple measures to encourage responsible ownership. One example that Animal Law Ireland proposes is to reduce the dog licence fee from €20 to €10 for those who have their dog neutered and increase the fee from €20 to €60, €70 or €80 for those whose dogs are not neutered. This is a very simple measure that would encourage responsible dog ownership.”
“I acknowledge and recognise that we are not going to police our way out of this. There has to be an investment in community services. Talk about Youth is a youth service on Pearse Street. It does not have its own-door premises. It is the only youth club on Pearse Street and it has to rent and book its activity spaces a week in advance. It does not have the resources to work with under-10s. By the time a child in the inner city gets to 10 years of age, the chances are that his or her future and destiny are determined. There needs to be an investment. There is no boxing club on Pearse Street. The community infrastructure that is needed is not there. There needs to be an investment in gardaí and community services.”
“It is mayhem. As has been said, the gardaí, including Superintendent Dermot McKenna and the community gardaí, have been second to none. They have been professional and engaged but there are not enough gardaí to address the issue. With the good weather coming in, young people are out and about more than they would have been. There are more distractions for them. Last night, there was a stabbing on the street at City Quay. A garda was arresting one of the young people and a brick was thrown at him. Residents on City Quay are afraid to leave their houses in the evenings now. On these fine evenings, they are afraid to leave their houses. That just simply is not good enough. The violence that is happening down on City Quay would have made headlines in the news ten or 15 years ago but now nobody even gives it a second thought.”
“I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. As outlined by the previous speakers, this is an important issue. Speaking for my constituency, there is a real demand and need for gardaí right across the inner city because in nearly every aspect it has been neglected for years - the south inner city in particular. The Dublin city task force report did not include the south inner city. That has led to disparity relating to funding and supports for community groups. One issue that is currently causing residents huge distress is down on City Quay, only five minutes from here. Maybe on their way home this evening, people could walk down and have a look at the chaos and mayhem that will be taking place on and around the bridge at City Quay. For the past few nights, there has been absolute mayhem. That is all you can describe it as.”
“Sinn Féin had a Bill to improve it and bring culture and arts back into Moore Street. That is what we have to do. We are not going to police our way out of it. As Senator Clonan said, there have to be other measures, but we have to ensure policing resources are put in place and that is not happening. Retailers feel under siege at the moment. That has not happened overnight. It has not happened in the past few months. It happened under a Fine Gael Minister for Justice and that is the reality. I know we are not supposed to be overly political here, but the reality is that a Fine Gael Minister for Justice oversaw the demise of the retail sector in Dublin and right across the country. We cannot just wipe the slate clean as if Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil had nothing to do with the demise of the retail sector over the past few years.”
“In 2024, the Dublin city task force produced a report about improving the public realm and living in Dublin. That would be of benefit to retailers. However, it seems to be gathering dust. It is having no impact on inner city communities and the area it covers does not extend into the south inner city. It covers Westmoreland Street and around Trinity College, but that is the entire extent. You have a south inner city community and a north inner city community. The previous Mulvey report divided the one community into two, in the context of resources, facilities and community resources for community and youth clubs. While the Bill is welcome, retailers are under siege. Up around Moore Street the place is horrific to shop in. It is the Senator's own constituency, and she knows it well. There are plans to improve that.”
“I thank Senator Fitzpatrick for introducing the Bill. It is important that retailers and retail staff are protected. The suggestion that it would be extended to hospitality workers should be considered. Having worked in bars and restaurants and having been a retailer myself at one stage, I know quite well the challenges that retailers are facing. I do not think there is anything in this Bill that people will argue about or that is contentious because my understanding is that, if someone is assaulted, it is an offence. As Senator Ryan said, the difficulty is that there is not the necessary enforcement of those offences, and there needs to be. You can introduce all the laws in the world, but unless they are enforced and resources are put into policing them, it does not really matter. That is not to diminish the purpose of the Bill.”
“I find it absolutely bizarre that, on the one hand, we can have genocide in Gaza and, on the other, we have the Taoiseach and media focused on Kneecap. The Taoiseach is holding Kneecap to a higher standard than genocidal Netanyahu. I have not heard the Taoiseach criticise Keir Starmer or Giorgia Meloni who have been complicit in facilitating genocide, yet he takes time to criticise Kneecap. As I said, it is insane. The reason for this is the Taoiseach and many in the media are looking to close down any discussion or criticism of Israel. The Taoiseach needs to come in to the House and explain how he considers Kneecap more dangerous than genocidal Israel.”
“There has been a lot of discussion in the media about Kneecap and what its members said or did not say. It is important to note that they did issue an apology. I find it incredible that the Taoiseach would take time out to criticise Kneecap, yet I have not once heard him criticise Benjamin Netanyahu. Benjamin Netanyahu is overseeing the slaughter and genocide in Gaza - the killing of tens of thousands of people. While the Taoiseach may have been critical of Israel, his actions show that he is complicit in the slaughter and genocide in Gaza. The Taoiseach's criticism of Kneecap is stronger than it has been of genocidal Benjamin Netanyahu. There are 200 journalists who have been killed and murdered in the Gaza Strip by Israel, yet the media is focused on Kneecap and what they have or have not said.”
“If you live in the affluent area of Donnybrook, you are, at worst, a NIMBY. In news reports, residents were complaining that their multimillion euro houses were going to be devalued because of the IPAS centre. This is how Ireland works; there is one law for the wealthy and another law for working people. Wealthy communities can pick and choose what is built in their areas while working-class communities have it imposed on them with little or no consultation or input. We need to know how these decisions are made, who actually makes them and if wealthy communities have a veto unlike working-class communities. We also need the Minister to come in here and explain how these decisions are made.”
“I, too, extend my good wishes to Martin Groves on his retirement. He obviously knew something we did not and picked his moment when the weather was good. He has always had a good sense of judgment. Over Easter, news came out that an International Protection Accommodation Services, IPAS, centre was not going ahead. All we hear from the Government is that communities do not have a veto. It seems, however, that the wealthy and affluent in Donnybrook and other affluent areas do have a veto. If you live in the inner city or in other neglected communities that are lacking basic resources and amenities, your voice is not heard by the State. If you are living in flats that are below any acceptable standards and the State treats you like a second-class citizen, then it will claim you are anti-immigrant.”
“Yesterday, I put a specific question to the Minister of State, Deputy Troy, as to why Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael had proposed in their manifestos a betting tax levy increase of 1%, from 2% to 3%, yet when they got into government, it was abandoned. There is no sign of it in the programme for Government. I got absolutely zero answers as to why it has been abandoned. It is not good enough that Ministers come in and avoid answering any question whatsoever. It is all just non-answers. Will the Government include the 1% increase in the betting levy in the budget later this year. It would be really important that the Minister for sport would come in and debate the need for investment in sport because it is a critical issue.”
“In 2021-22 that rose to €72,704 a day. In 2022-23 that rose again to €91,919. In 2023-24 that rose again to €107,000 per day, transporting children out of their communities to schools. So far in the 2024-25 school year it is working out at €122,453 per day. That is just bizarre; it is bonkers. That comes to €612,000 per week which is almost €2.5 million per month. Over the seven months of a school year it works out at €17 million a year. How does that make any sense? How can the Government stand over and defend that? How does that make sense for anybody in society?”
“I welcome the Minister of State and congratulate her on her new role. I hope she is successful. It is important for many people that she is. The Minister of State may have heard of Involve Autism, an advocacy group based in Dublin 6. It is very constructive, positive, detailed and solution focused. One of the things it has highlighted is the cost of transporting children with special educational needs and children with disabilities to school just in south Dublin. I have raised this here before. In south Dublin, from Ringsend, Pearse Street and Kevin Street out to Terenure and Rathfarnham, in 2021 the State spent €63,579 per day on taxis and buses to transport children to school. That was to transport children way out of their own communities, meaning they had to leave their siblings, get on a bus and off they went.”
“Enforcement should not be a luxury. Silence is, in effect, protecting cruelty. The fact somebody could take a zebra into a pub and face no consequences shows how abysmal the Government's attitude is to animal welfare. This issue must be raised with the Minister and we need a debate on animal welfare, including the welfare of dogs, in the Seanad.”
“Last week, a young zebra was brought into a bar in County Clare. Colleagues might imagine I am about to tell a joke but this is actually true. Many people thought it was an April Fool's Day joke. Bizarrely, this is not against the law and it highlights the lack of legislation and enforcement relating to animal welfare. My Lovely Horse Animal Rescue recently called for urgent reform of legislation on dog breeding and enforcement of control of horses. When we consider the various incidents involving horses around the country, it is horrific how society and the Government have been unwilling to enforce the laws or fund enforcement. My Lovely Horse Animal Rescue is calling for the establishment of an independent animal crime unit within the Garda to protect vulnerable animals. The organisation is also launching an "Enough is Enough" campaign.”
“The Government needs to commit to a new approach to sports funding that places communities, not corporate interests, at the forefront.”
“It seems that the Government has bowed at the altar of the gambling industry, while sport and Irish football have to pick up the tab. I find it hard to take that the discredited and abusive greyhound industry gets €19 million a year, and Irish football and other sports get hardly a fraction of that figure. Governments will talk about sports capital and individual funding projects, as the Minister of State has done, but what is needed is sustained and reliable long-term funding, not once-off payments. That would be helped by increasing the betting levy by 1%. The Minister of State also mentioned that as it is the Exchequer, there is no ring-fencing of betting levy receipts to any sport or sporting body, but we all know that is not true because the horse and greyhound lobby has got funding that equates to the sums gambled.”
“It is just another example of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael putting corporate interests over communities, families and society at large. I have a specific question for the Minister of State. Why did Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael promise to increase the betting tax for the benefit of sport only to abandon this promise once their hold on power was secured?”
“It is about investing in local and national infrastructure that will deliver long-term benefits for our society, economy and national team. We need to invest in facilities and academies at a community level and ensure the League of Ireland is supported and pushed to achieve its potential. A modest increase in the betting tax is a simple first step towards achieving this goal. Practically the only opponent of this move has been the gambling industry and its army of lobbyists, profiting off the misfortunes of others. Prior to the election, increasing the betting tax from 2% to 3% had the support of practically every party in the Oireachtas. Once the votes were counted, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael decided to renege on this promise. This has the gambling industry's fingerprints all over it.”
“Ireland's betting levy is already the lowest in the EU at 2%, a clear indicator of the privileged position the gambling industry enjoys in Ireland. In contrast, Portugal has a 3.5% betting levy. The revenue is distributed directly to sport. This has generated more than €182 million for the Portuguese football association over a six-year period, accounting for 30% of its annual revenue and enabling investment in every level of football in that country. Ireland is simply not matching this level of investment and is falling further and further behind as a result. If Ireland has the ambition to compete at the same level as Portugal internationally, we have to commit to building a football industry from the grassroots up. This is not about Irish football receiving State handouts.”
“Prior to the last election, both the Minister of State's party and its coalition partners made firm commitments in their manifestos to increase the betting tax from 2% to 3% and to use this funding for investment in sport. This commitment strangely vanished from the programme for Government with no mention of the betting tax or additional capital investment in sport infrastructure and academies for Irish football. A 1% increase in this levy would have raised approximately €50 million in desperately needed funding for Irish sport. This modest increase is a common-sense move that would help to address the chronic underfunding of Irish sport over recent decades. It would also enable investment in facilities and academies vital for participation and success in sport.”
“European countries benefit from the arms industry. We have to ensure we stand up and the voices giving away our neutrality are challenged because our neutrality is something we have defended for years and we must continue to defend.”
“The hostile articles towards critics of apartheid Israel are having a chilling effect on those holding Israel to account. In relation to neutrality, the only time the establishment is concerned about working people is when it needs them for the front line in a war. Without working people, there would be no front line. The Irish people do not support Ireland losing its neutrality. The Government can dress it up any it wants but the reality is that getting rid of the triple lock is the first step on the road to ending neutrality and joining a military alliance. In 2023, Germany approved arms exports to Israel worth €326 million including military equipment and war weapons, a tenfold increase on 2022. The establishment and those running these companies are the winners in this war. It is in their interests.”
“The genocide of Palestine is important not just for Palestinians, but for all of us, particularly for those in small countries because Gaza and Palestine have been dismantled and are being used as a template to dismantle European international law and order and human rights. The genocide in Palestine should be important to all of us because it is being used again and again to dismantle human rights. It is concerning that the Government is clamping down on those who are critical of Israel and critical of genocide. What happened with the Mothers Against Genocide protest on Monday is a concerning development in the harassment of those who are critical of Israel and genocide. It is also concerning that the media are increasingly hostile towards those critical of Israel and genocide.”
“However, it is hard to figure out how that works in practice because there are no consequences. There is loads of condemnation of Israel but there are no consequences. Francesca Albanese recently said that the first victims of Hamas are Palestinians and she is correct. I spent time working in the Gaza Strip and I know the Palestinian people there. I have lost friends who worked and lived in the Gaza Strip. They want peace and justice. If we have justice, we will have peace. As extreme and all as Hamas is, what Israel and the USA with support from EU weapons manufacturers have unleashed on the defenceless population of Gaza and the West Bank is unacceptable, disgusting and completely disproportionate. Israel is clearly out of control; there is no other way to describe Israel.”
“I extend my condolences to Mick O'Dwyer's family on his passing this morning. He was an icon of Irish sport and football. His loss is a huge loss. On the issue of genocide in Gaza, I would like to know why this Government has accepted the normalisation of genocide. Israel continues with a colonial settlement project and there are absolutely no sanctions for it. Those colonial settlements continue today without sanction. There are no sanctions for the starving of Gazans. There is no sanction for cutting off electricity. There is no sanction for the killing of over 18,000 children in the Gaza Strip. There is no sanction for the destruction of human rights and international law. I heard the Tánaiste say that he was concerned and that what is happening in the Gaza Strip is a disgrace.”
“I hope that each and every one of us has the courage to stand up and ensure that we are not complicit in Israel's genocidal killing machine. I also thank the IPSC and grassroots activists for their efforts in pushing this legislation. I think everybody in the House received hundreds of emails demanding that we do the right thing, and I hope the Members in this House will listen. There is no doubt that the Irish people stand shoulder to shoulder with the Palestinians, and it is time the Government, as well as the Oireachtas, does the same.”
“In each of the first two months of this year, 142 flights were permitted to transport munitions of war. It is absolutely unconscionable that any of these weapons of war, whether they come from the United States, Germany or Italy, would pass through Ireland on the way to further genocide of the Palestinian people. My colleague, Senator Stephenson, asked whose side we are on. The Irish Government's actions suggest that the Government is on the side of Israel. That is the sad truth. Israel is ethnically cleansing Gaza and the West Bank, and Ireland and the Government cannot simply stand by and let it happen. Some 18,000 children have been killed and slaughtered, and I suggest it is probably more. I thank my colleagues in the Civil Engagement Group for introducing this important Bill.”
“The EU is complicit, and the Irish Government is complicit in allowing the supply of weapons to kill and murder people in the Gaza Strip. Since 7 October 2023, the United States has officially provided - I have no doubt there is a lot more - at least €12.5 billion in direct military aid to Israel, including bombs, bullets, tanks, planes and everything in between. The only winners out of all of this are the armaments industry, the banks and the establishment. The number of aircraft permitted to bring military weapons and ammunition through Ireland or on Irish-registered aircraft has hit a 13-year high. With 1,354 flights sanctioned last year, this represents an increase of 14% on weapons flights in a year, and a 67% increase since 2016. Early figures show that significantly more exemptions will be granted again this year.”
“The Government has condemned what is happening in the Gaza Strip, but it has not ensured that there have been any consequences for the horrors that apartheid Israel has unleashed on the Palestinians, and it shows no signs it will do that. There is a huge disconnect between Irish people and the Irish Government. The vast majority of Irish people support the Palestinians. They support justice because if they know that if there is justice for Palestinians, there will be peace. We do not need to continue to tolerate the supply of bombs by the Americans and the EU. The EU is complicit in the slaughter and genocide. Germany and Italy are huge manufacturers of weapons and have supplied Israel for many years. I do not have the figures, but I know they have supplied significant amounts of weapons to Israel.”
“When I said it is hard to believe that the Government was horrified, while it recognised the State of Palestine, that is supporting Palestine and Palestinians, but it has never sanctioned Israel for anything it has done. There have been no sanctions whatsoever for Israel. Not only is the Government not willing to introduce the occupied territories Bill, it is trying to water it down. Now, it seems it is trying to shelve it altogether. That is completely unacceptable and shows whose side the Government is on. The Government is on the side of Israel. That might sound harsh, and it probably is harsh, but it is the reality.”
“The Minister of State's colleague, the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, said that every member of Government was horrified by what was happening in Gaza. I hear that, but it is really hard to believe it because the actions suggest that is not the case. The Government's actions suggest that it is actually complicit in the horrors that are happening in the Gaza Strip. This Bill seeks to close one of those loopholes, one of the ways in which this country - the Government - is facilitating the murder of thousands of people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The horrors unfolding in the Gaza Strip are horrific, but it will happen in the West Bank next, and anybody who thinks any different is not keeping up with the news.”
“Thousands of people will be living on that site. It is important that any homes there are affordable and are made available in the first phases of the development. There is concern that the affordable homes will not be in the first phases of the development of the Irish Glass Bottle site. This would make it increasingly difficult to deliver affordable homes at a later date. I will make a final point. Anybody in Dublin seeking a meeting with a housing adviser in Dublin City Council has to wait seven or eight weeks. They could be homeless at that stage. It is completely unacceptable and needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.”
“The paperwork and the processes need to be shortened so that each of the four phases of redevelopment and regeneration projects is much quicker. Residents right across the city feel that before the election, the Government was telling people it was committed to the regeneration of flat complexes in the inner city and to supporting communities, but as soon as the election was over, the Pearse House regeneration project was dropped and residents have again been dropped from the plans to regenerate the flats on Pearse Street. The Irish Glass Bottle site is a big site that will house between 7,000 and 10,000 people. The Luas was supposed to go there. The previous Government knocked it back in order that the Luas will not reach the Irish Glass Bottle site for another ten years. The site will be almost finished at that stage.”
“In fairness to the council, it is committed to the regeneration and is looking to come up with solutions but the Department is not flexible around this. The standard of maintenance in the flat complexes is abysmal. There is raw sewage and there are rats running around the flats. The kids are having to step over them. I am not exaggerating when I say this. There are electrical faults. All the flats across the city of Dublin have to be regenerated. Unfortunately, this Government has neglected inner-city communities for so long. The people living in flat complexes like Ross Road, Nicholas Street and Bishop Street, and in our inner-city communities, have been forgotten and neglected for decades. There needs to be a step change in the urgency and investment into regeneration projects in the inner city.”
“There is a need for regeneration at Oliver Bond flats, at Mercier House, at Beech Hill in Dublin 4 - people do not seem to recognise that there are issues in Dublin 4 as well - and at Rathmines Avenue in Dublin 6. The conditions in which people are living are horrendous and completely unacceptable. It would be worth the Minister’s while to visit flat complexes such as Pearse House or Glovers Court. As I have said previously, there are more drug dealers than residents in Glovers Court. Residents are waiting for regeneration but it is moving at a snail's pace. People are putting their lives on hold. One resident said to me that they are not living, they are surviving. All they are doing is surviving the conditions imposed on them by Dublin City Council and the Government.”
“We will not be able to create modern, livable homes for people at these locations if we are going to look to maintain the flats at the small size that they currently are. The Department needs to knock two flats into one in many cases in order to make them bigger and more livable. It is not going to be possible to get additionality with the 1930s Herbert Simms buildings. Flexibility needs to be built into the scheme. Verschoyle Court, which is not too far from there, it is a very large site with plenty of room. There is a very small number of homes in the senior citizens complex on that site. The Department could get additionality on a site adjacent to Pearse House flats. The work is already at a snail’s pace.”
“The lack of maintenance within the flat complexes is equally shocking and slow. Within the last ten days to two weeks, I have been contacted by residents whose flats have been flooded with raw sewage coming up through the toilet and flooding the entire flats. The flats are then unlivable and they have to move their families to the homes of friends and neighbours. This is happening on an ongoing basis, however. Pearse House, like many of the Simms buildings, was built in the 1930s. They are very small flats. They need to be regenerated. The Department is saying it needs additionality on the site. The reality is that it will not get additionality with buildings on a small footprint that are the size of Pearse House or any of the other flat complexes.”
“I wish the Minister the very best in his new position. It is important for everybody in the country that he is successful. I wish him the best. When it comes to housing, it is hard to know where to start. The list is extremely long. I will start with the regeneration of flat complexes in the city of Dublin. In my own constituency of Dublin Bay South, Pearse House is a large flat complex that was in the process of being regenerated. Stage 1 had been passed. They were looking for stage 2 planning but the Department has put a hold on that and said it is not going to go ahead. This, of course, is really devastating for residents. I was down there yesterday meeting with residents again. The regeneration is not just about Pearse House; it is about all the flat complexes throughout the inner city.”