Scrapping of plans to regenerate Oliver Bond flats 'cruel and a betrayal' says Mary Lou McDonald
The decision by the Department of Housing to refuse funding to refurbish Oliver Bond House has been slammed by Mary Lou McDonald.The Sinn Féin Leader criticised Taoiseach Micheál Martin after the planned regeneration of Oliver Bond House was scrapped. TD McDonald described the decision by the Minister for Housing as "absurd, cruel and a betrayal."Oliver Bond House is a protected structure. Dublin City Council had planned to begin construction on redevelopment in 2028, with new homes completed by 2030, but the Department of Housing has withdrawn its approval of the scheme.The Dublin Central TD said that the denial of the development is a "disgraceful and disgusting decision."“For decades, Dublin inner-city flat complexes like Oliver Bond flats have been failed by the state with families forced to live in damp overcrowded flats and communities left to battle neglect, antisocial behaviour and organised crime alone. Dublin City Council agreed a regeneration plan to deliver safe modern homes for local families but yesterday the Government pulled the plug," TD McDonald said.“The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage blocked funding. Why? It was because some overcrowded flats were to be amalgamated to make them big enough for families to live in because the Government chooses to keep them in small overcrowded flats. Think about that. It is absurd, cruel and a betrayal of this community.“The Taoiseach visited Oliver Bond flats in 2020, looked residents in the eye and promised regeneration. He must reverse this utterly disgraceful and disgusting decision and fully fund this project.”Labour’s housing spokesperson Conor Sheehan TD said Government’s decision to pull the plug the regeneration commitment made to Oliver Bonds is disgraceful. Raising it with the Taoiseach in the Dáil today, Deputy Sheehan urged Government to reverse this cruel decision.Deputy Sheehan said: “The decision to walk away from commitments to the Oliver Bond regeneration project is a breach of trust, a failure of responsibility and a clear dereliction of duty. For decades, this almost 400 flat development in the heart of Dublin’s Liberties has been beset by damp, mould and severe antisocial behaviour.“The decision to backtrack on commitments to regenerate the complex is reprehensible. High levels of mould and dampness have been documented, with a 2024 study finding that over 80% of residents reported these issues.“Research has shown that residents are 2.4 times more likely to have asthma compared to other local patients, linking poor housing directly to health rights.“The European Committee of Social Rights found in 2017 (and reiterated in later reports) that Ireland was in breach of its obligations regarding social housing quality, specifically citing damp and mouldy conditions.“It’s a shameful step in the wrong direction. I’m calling directly on the Taoiseach, the Minister for Housing and his Department to stop interfering in estate regeneration because of an arbitrary obsession with units.“Central Government must let Dublin City Council get on with estate generation, rather than looking for excuses to backtrack. Today’s news also leaves questions for the Pearse House flat regeneration project. The disrepair of homes in respect of which DCC is the landlord is deeply concerning, and it cannot be allowed to fall off the political agenda.”"For the Government to pull the rug from under the Oliver Bond Regeneration when we are a few short months away from planning being lodged is gut-wrenching."I've sat on the Oliver Bond Regeneration Forum since it was established and we have never been closer to the start of this project becoming a reality."The Taoiseach himself has visited Oliver Bond and heard directly from residents on the realities they and their families face every day in terms of damp, mould, cramped and overcrowded conditions. To attempt to justify the Government's refusal to progress this vitally needed regeneration project by saying it can't support the loss of units in a housing crisis is galling."This is a crisis of this Government's making due to decades of underfunding and neglect. The families and people of Oliver Bond are collateral damage in the Government's efforts to play optics and inflate their housing delivery numbers. It is shameful."The Government must reverse this disgraceful and tone deaf decision as a matter of urgency and James Browne must commit to visiting Oliver Bond, standing in one of the flats that is falling down around him and answer the question, would he live like that?"Want to see more of the stories you love from Dublin Live? Making us your preferred source on Google means you’ll get more of our exclusives, top stories and must-read content straight away. To add Dublin Live as a preferred source, simply click here.Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content.We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. 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