A chance to get housing right

With increasing rent and property prices, local people will soon be unable to afford living in Dublin Bay South. However, with the development of the Poolbeg West Strategic Development Zone (SDZ), we now have a chance to get housing right in Ireland.

 
At 84-acres, within walking distance of the city centre and with an encapsulating view overlooking Dublin Bay, we now have the chance to provide some 3,000 badly needed new homes. 

The site is a perfect location for a new ‘cost-rental’ model of social and affordable housing. We have continuously argued for this and it gives real fire to tackling our housing crisis. Public transport infrastructure needs to be built so that the new community is sustainable, with the provision for workplaces and shops; an idea that has been promoted by the National Economic and Social Council.

Residents will be able to give their feedback in early January 2017 on proposals for the development zone, with public sessions running over six weeks and results will be published from the consultation by Dublin City County.

Merrion Gates

A daft plan has been proposed by the National Transport Authority (NTA), aimed at taking traffic away from Merrion Gates with a traffic corridor from Sandymount to Blackrock.

The plans come as traffic congestion is expected to increase in Spring 2017. The Green Party have expressed concerns about how traffic should be treated at the Merrion Gates, as traffic may affect the whole area.  The development of a new cycle and pedestrian path along the route is welcomed but we think it could be further improved if it continued along the seaward side of the rail line for all of the route. 

The plans can be view on the NTA website here.

College Green - Cross City Luas

With the building of the Cross City Luas line, we now have a once in a lifetime chance to take traffic out of College Green; turning it into a pedestrianised civic space. 

Works are underway and the line is planned to be in operation by the end of 2017. You can view all the latest developments on the works here;

Show me love

"What business has Eamon Ryan getting up in the Dáil chamber and talking about 'love' when the main parties are trying to get on with the important business of respectfully trying to poison each other with old politics from new bottles?"

Have a read of Miriam Lord's take on Eamon's speech to the Dáil on Tuesday.

Restoring "Environment" to Ministry

It's good news that the Government and Minister Denis Naughten have listened to the feedback from environmental groups, the general public and the Green Party and restored 'environment' to the title of a ministry. 

Minister Naughten confirmed to me in the Dáil on Tuesday that his department will now be called the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment.

You can read more here.

Opening the 32nd Dáil

Eamon Ryan spoke at the opening of the 32nd Dáil. He called on the two main political parties to put aside their historical differences, put the national interest first and form a stable Government.