Oliver Bond regeneration
Deputy Costello said the Oliver Bond report showed unacceptable respiratory impacts from poor housing and demanded action on regeneration. The Taoiseach agreed regeneration was too slow and said Dublin City Council was responsible but not moving fast enough.
I attended this morning's launch in the Oliver Bond flats of the report into respiratory health. It is disgraceful that someone living in the Oliver Bond flats has double the likelihood of suffering a respiratory illness. Promises have been made about regeneration and there has been plan after plan, yet still nothing happens in terms of regeneration.
It is not good enough that Dublin City Council has plans. The Department needs to start leaning on Dublin City Council to make sure these things can happen and to make sure the respiratory health of children growing up in Oliver Bond is not adversely affected as it is to the disgraceful levels seen in this report.
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We need to step up and ensure the promises and plans are actually delivered.
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I thank the Deputy. I concur with him. Regeneration is happening in Dublin city. It is, of course, a matter for Dublin City Council primarily, but it is not happening fast enough. It is not just the Oliver Bond complex. It is also Dolphin House, Donore Avenue and so many other projects that seem to take an inordinate amount of time to progress. Even the O'Devaney Gardens project, which at least is now happening, is happening much slower than anyone would have anticipated. This is something we discussed at the housing subcommittee and it is something that I know the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, will raise directly with the new CEO of Dublin City Council.