The Workers’ Party calls on Dublin City Council to withdraw the Oscar Traynor Road housing site from the Housing Land Initiative

Jimmy Dignam, Workers’ Party representative in Dublin North West, said:

‘Following the passing of a Workers’ Party motion at Dublin City Council to develop the O’Devaney Gardens site in Dublin 7 as publicly-owned mixed-income housing, I am now calling on Dublin City Council to commit to developing the Oscar Traynor Road site in the same way and to stop the giveaway of public land to private developers.’

Dignam continued:

‘Our successful council motion on the O’Devaney Gardens site was based on the Workers’ Party’s new housing policy, ‘Solidarity Housing‘. Under current plans only 30% of Oscar Traynor Road would be public housing, while the rest would be given to the private sector.’

‘Under the ‘Solidarity Housing’ proposal, 100% of housing would be public and aimed at a range of incomes, above and below the current social housing income threshold. I believe that a large scale building programme based on our ‘Solidarity Housing’ proposal is the best way to solve the appalling housing crisis facing this country.’

Dignam concluded by calling on other parties to back the Workers’ Party stance:

‘I welcome the recognition by Dublin City Council that the Housing Land Initiative is not the right way to develop public land at O’Devaney Gardens. Public land should be used to serve those with housing needs and on the housing waiting list, not to enrich private developers and landlords. Sinn Fein supported the Housing Land Initiative giveaway but have now voted for our motion on O’Devaney Gardens – they need to step forward now and push for the same on Oscar Traynor Road.’