Dublin South East Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Doolan - Ring fence money for social housing

Published: 19 August, 2004

Sinn Féin Representative for Dublin South East, Councillor Daithí Doolan, has today proposed that, "any money raised form the proposed sale of City Council flats must be ring fenced and used for social housing."

Councillor Doolan said:

"This city is in the depths of a housing crisis with the numbers needing housing growing on a daily basis. The proposal by City Manager, John Fitzgerald, to sell City Council flats will generate an estimated 3 billion euros. It is crucial that this money not go to central government but is ring fenced and used to replenish housing stock that will be lost through the sale of council flats. If necessary this money must be matched by funding from the Department of Environment to guarantee proper and adequate housing. City Council are currently not meeting the housing needs of those in Dublin, so to allow their housing stock to be simply sold off and not replenished contradicts logic. "

Mr. Doolan concluded by calling on the City Manager to, "immediately engage with those who have a democratic mandate and ring fence the money to ensure the sale of City Council flats does not leave the city deeper in crisis than it already is."ENDS