Minutes:
The Lord Mayor opened the meeting by expressing condolence to the family and friends of the following recently deceased. A minute’s silence was held as a mark of respect to the deceased:
Margaret Byrne who was the last live-in House Steward in the Mansion House who died 9th March 2018.
May Mac Giolla, former Lady Mayoress who died 24th March 2018. Her husband Tomás Mac Giolla was Lord Mayor of Dublin 1993 / 1994.
Fr. Joseph Mallin, Freeman of Dublin, who died in Hong Kong on 1st April 2018. He was the last surviving child of an executed leader in 1916 Easter Rising and was conferred with the Honorary Freedom of the City of Dublin on 21st March 2016.
Mrs Nora Lacey, Mother of Councillor Dermot Lacey who died on 7th April.
The Lord Mayor then expressed the appreciation of all the Elected Members to the staff of Dublin City Council, including Dublin Fire Brigade and all front line workers, Civil Defence, the local communities and all other agencies who worked to keep the city moving and working over the recent weather especially over the St. Patrick’s weekend. Tributes were then paid to Dublin Fire Brigade and the Emergency Services on their swift response to the fire at the Metro Hotel in Ballymun on 21st March 2018 and to all others who helped the victims of the fire.
The Lord Mayor also informed the Members that he had written to Minister Murphy conveying their widespread concern over the implications contained in Circular Letter 02/18 in relation to the discussion of Planning Applications and requested him to withdraw the circular. Permission was then sought and given to the attendance of any Member of the City Council at the Annual Planning Conference 2018.
The Lord Mayor then requested permission of the City Council to take Emergency Motions No 2, 4 and 6 at that point as some Members had to leave the meeting early. Accordingly, the City Council suspended Standing Orders to agree the following emergency motions:
Emergency Motion No 2@
Dublin City Council reiterates its support for the agreed Poolbeg Peninsula SDZ and its commitment to deliver 900 social & affordable homes. This council calls on the Minister for Housing, Eoghan Murphy TD, to ensure that the Deloitte appeal to An Bord Pleanála based on the inclusion of more than 10 per cent social housing in the Poolbeg Peninsula SDZ is immediately withdrawn
Submitted by Councillors D. Doolan, J. Boylan, C. O’Moore, R. McHugh C. Andrews, L. O’Toole & G. Kelly
Emergency Motion No 4:
Recognizing that the basis to the Poolbeg SDZ adoption was the agreement on the provision of 900 Social and Affordable Housing, Dublin City Council calls on the Minister for Housing, Eoghan Murphy, to clarify and publish the deal between his Department, Dublin City Council and Deloitte to provide same on that site in Ringsend. This comes as the receiver of the Glass Bottle site, Deloitte, have sent in an appeal to An Bórd Pleanála about the provision of social homes on the site.
In the Poolbeg Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) Planning Scheme adopted last May by Dublin City Council, 900 social and affordable houses were required to be built out of a total of 3500 homes to be built there. Dublin City Councillors voted through for this scheme on the clear understanding that there was to be a financial agreement between the Department of Housing, Dublin City Council and the receiver, Deloitte that 25 per cent of the homes on the site would be social and affordable. The news that the receiver, Deloitte, are appealing the plans to build 900 affordable and instead only build 300 is shocking and disappointing.
Dublin City Council reiterates its demand that this agreement be honoured and call on the Minister for Housing, Eoghan Murphy to publish the deal his Department made with the City Council and Deloitte last May and provide clarity to not just councillors but to his constituents who have been working so hard to ensure that social and affordable housing will be made available on this site. The Poolbeg model was being heralded across the country as a template for providing strategic social and affordable housing in areas where it is so desperately needed on land owned partly by the State.
The homeless figures in Dublin alone have increased by 32 per cent in the last year. The announcement that there would be the provision of 900 social and affordable homes in Dublin City provided a glimmer of hope to many. What we need now is a clear statement from the Minister that he will ensure that there will be no backing down from his Department on the provision of 900 social and affordable homes in his own constituency.
The Council further agrees to submit the terms of this motion to An Bord Pleanala and calls on that body to ensure the integrity of the publicly and democratically agreed SDZ procedure by ensuring that all parties to the agreement deliver on the 900 Social or Affordable homes agreed.
Submitted by Councillor D. Lacey & the Labour Group
Emergency Motion No 6:
In light of the Glass Bottle site receiver seeking to reduce the amount social and affordable homes in the Poolbeg SDZ, Dublin City Council agrees to: call on the Minister to release the text of any agreements with his Department in relation to the Poolbeg SDZ site and the provision of social and affordable housing given that Councillors had been told this figure of 900 social and affordable homes was agreed with the receiver; to call on the Minister to use his powers to increase the number of social and affordable homes; and to write to the Minister to press him to address a meeting of Dublin City Council on this issue.
Submitted by Councillor P. Costello
Following the agreement of these motions by the City Council, it was proposed by Councillor M Freehill and seconded by the Lord Mayor “That the Lord Mayor writes to Minister Murphy seeking an urgent meeting to discuss this situation” This motion was also agreed.