Some councillors worry that transferring council sites to these not-for-profit bodies to provide social homes on them could lead to privatisation. Is that valid?
“People have a great affinity for confectionary,” says Cormac Moore. “Their eyes light up when they think of long-forgotten sweets they had as children.”
More than a year ago, CHAS was criticised for moving out elderly social-housing tenants, and renting to students. Students are still living there, and now the charity wants to buy the land.
A six-week programme to improve community connectedness got serious when it came to the competition for the best coddle. “It got very competitive,” said Craig Keeley.
They say they’re concerned current plans might just push problems downstream. A spokesperson for South Dublin County Council says they’ve taken that into account.
In the last week, Tina MacVeigh of People Before Profit, Críona Ní Dhálaigh of Sinn Féin, Michael Pidgeon of the Green Party, and Rebecca Moynihan of Labour were out canvassing. Fianna Fáil’s Michael Watters has joined the push, too.
One of the five homes managed by HipHipStay was advertised as the “Bobby Sands Suite”. “We just name all our properties after famous or historic Irish people,” says the company director.
Back in September, a fire broke out at a council-owned complex near Queen Street in Stoneybatter. Some residents say they’re still not confident the cause has been identified and fixed.
It’s going to rain more in Dublin in the future, says Adrian Conway, Dublin City Council’s senior environmental engineer. But the city’s drainage system isn’t ready for that yet.
Weeks after councillors approved the plan, debate continues over whether it was a good deal for the state – and for people living in Dublin, who need more homes they can afford to live in.
