O’Devaney Gardens demolition welcomed – ‘No one deserves to live in such conditions’

THE DECISION by Dublin City Council to demolish the empty blocks at O'Devaney Gardens estate to make way for new social housing has been welcomed. But local councillors have called on the local authority to ensure the nine residents still living in the largely empty blocks are rehoused in the immediate area.

North Inner City Sinn Féin Councillor Janice Boylan, who is from O'Devaney Gardens, said:

“Taking into consideration the opinions of the nine remaining residents, it was vital that these blocks be demolished due to the high level of anti-social activity and fires that occur nightly. The conditions in which the remaining tenants are in are awful and no one deserves to be living like that.”

She called on the Housing Manager and Dublin Mayor to allow the remaining residents, some of whom have children in local schools, to be rehoused in the areas they have preference for, most of which are nearby estates.

“We need to make the remaining tenants feel like we are not forcing them out and accommodate them in the areas that they are looking for,” she said.

“They have been through enough with the failure of the Public Private Partnership and failed regeneration of the complex. The least we can do now is to make sure they are accommodated in areas and homes that they well deserve.”