Victor Boyhan on Department Refusal to Fund Pierce House

Thank you and I would like to welcome the Minister back to the House. You were here last week, of course, and there is an interrelated matter which is fairly interesting because last week I talked about the public regulation for the public versus the private sector and if there ever was a case to be made for my last week's proposals, this today illustrates the sort of problems, Minister, and the challenges we have around our public housing. But let's get to the point, Minister, in a recent article in the Irish Times by Olivia Kelly, there was a headline, Government Refuses Funding for the Pierce House Dublin Flats at the City Centre Regeneration. I think that prompted me then to look into it in more detail, I read all of the national papers every day and so therefore I made contact with Dublin City Council, some of the councils involved in Dublin City and I also made a number of other enquiries. And it now appears that the Department of Housing and local government has refused funding for Dublin City Council plans to regenerate Pierce House complex. I understand that the Department have decided not to fund the proposed project of amalgamating smaller flat units to create newer large homes on the site. The reason cited by your department is that the Council's plans would result in the reduction in the total number of homes despite the fact that the existing smaller flat units do not meet the current minimum size standards. The first phase of the work would have seen 78 flats at the 1930s Pierce House complex, a protective structure which is a complication in itself, amalgamated into 44 new residential units for the city. Something I would have thought you and the Department and I certainly would very much welcome. Seven years ago Dublin City Council announced plans to regenerate more than 6,000 of Dublin City's oldest flats made in dilapidation state under a 15-year plan to raise social housing standards across the city of Dublin. Many of the older residential flats of Dublin City Council's books simply do not meet the current building standards regarding accessibility, fire safety, building quality. significant number of issues including mould, condensation and service problems and issues around health and safety, all issues that I spelled out to you only a week ago. You will be aware that Dublin City Council was the subject of a ruling of the European Committee of Social Rights in 2017 over the poor condition of some of its older flat complexes. The Strasbourg-based committee found that human rights of tenants had been breached because of the failure to provide them with adequate housing. In 2020 Dublin City Council produced plans for the Pierce House complex, you will be aware of them. The complex has 345 social flats designed then by the renowned architect Hubert Simms and built around 1936. So there are challenges with these buildings, you and I know that. The project was to be completed in 11 phases over 12 to 15 years, reducing the number of flats to between 215 and 275. We have not even got the first phase of this plan underway. In response to queries the department said it was not in a position to support the proposal that would result in significant loss of homes. Minister, surely it has to be about quality of standards like the numbers and the numbers are quite small. So I am not too sure what all that is about. It has been suggested by some. This is simply a delaying tactic by the department to come behind the scheme. I am not saying that but it has been suggested. So Minister, I finish on this. St Mitchens House, Chancery House, Oliver Barn Street House, Markovitch House are complexes that are old, they are complex, they need significant work. And I think we need to show a case to the local authority that were behind them. I would be interested in your response. Thank you, Les. Thank you, Les. I want to thank Senator Boyan for raising this important matter. Piers House, as he rightly pointed out, is a flat complex of some 345 homes which was designed by the city housing architect George Herbert Sims and built from 1936 to 1938 for Dublin Corporation under the Housing Act 1932. The project plan for the regeneration of Piers House is a matter for the local authority concerned. However, Dublin City Council have advised the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage that they are further developing proposals to advance the regeneration of the Dublin City Council. Having first received capital appraisal approval from my Department in April 2021, the subsequent pre-planning proposal by Dublin City Council for the regeneration of blocks L, M, N and P in Piers House was to reduce the number of homes from 78 to 44. This would have resulted in Dublin City Council having to find permanent accommodation for some 34 families. We are all very acutely aware of the challenges in terms of social housing provision across the country and the Department were not in a position at that time to support the proposals that would result in a significant loss of homes. Dublin City Council, however, have informed the Department that they have instructed their integrated design team to review the design strategy to maximise all possibilities to ensure that the maximum number of homes are available post refurbishment. This work is currently ongoing and Dublin City Council will continue to liaise with the Department of Housing in order to progress the submission of the revised funding application. This work will ensure that the project continues to fruition with the most optimal design for all parties concerned. One of the challenges of the project is that Piers House complex is included in Dublin City Council's record of protected structures. This presents certain complexities when undertaking structural works, as the Senator will appreciate. As stipulated in section 51 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, the formulation of the record of protected structures is a reserve function of the elected members and planning authority. As per section 30 of the Act and notwithstanding section 28 or 29, the Minister shall not exercise any power and control in relation to any particular case which the planning authority or the Board is or may be concerned. A review of the record of protected structures is undertaken typically as part of the development plan review process. The planning authority can also make an addition or a deletion from the record of protected structures at any time following the procedures set out under the Act. As I have said in my response, we are awaiting Dublin City Council to come back to the Department post the design appraisal that they are undertaken in order to maximise the quantum of housing that will be delivered on the site post regeneration. The Department are absolutely committed to receiving those proposals and looking forward to receiving them when they are forecoming. Thank you Minister for your response. I suppose really just to say it ties up with this whole thing about standards in the public and private sector one which we will revisit at another time. In relation to Pearce House, we need to send out a clear message. Are we commissioned or not? The issue whether there is a protected structure or not is not an issue here. There are challenges around protected structures, you as a former councillor and me as a councillor in Dunlea and other councillors. That is a reserve function. They have taken advice. They have made that decision. In fact, I think the Department are very sympathetic to the retention of old housing stock. We have to respond to the challenges. I suppose the key message is you can't encourage a local authority to go down a road and then stop halfway. This is some of the most deprived parts of Dublin. This is very old social housing stock and we cannot compromise the quality of the standard. Remember there were regulations set down about the current standards. The standards that apply in the private sector must also apply in the public sector and vice versa. That is the problem. I am not prepared to stand over or sell or make a case for compromised size or compromised standards in accommodation for people regardless of their income or regardless of where they are coming from. What I would say, Minister, on this point, please, please, will you make this or your officials make this a priority? I do want to thank the Senator for raising this and state unequivocally that the Department are absolutely committed to this regeneration and many other regenerations of flat complexes across the country. But we also have to get it right. That is why we are awaiting those proposals to come forward from Dublin City Council in that regard. We provide funding through a number of different channels, through the social housing investment programme, the affordable housing fund, the capital advanced leasing facility, cost rental equity loan and regeneration for remedial works. This would be through our estate regeneration fund. We look forward to receiving those proposals from Dublin City Council when they are forthcoming so that we can find that balance between the quantum of units to be delivered on the site, to regenerate the site to a high quality standard for the people that live there and also ensure that that we continue in the work across other areas as well as Pearce House. Thank you.