Dublin City Council is examining options to end its role as a local authority landlord.
A discussion document, drawn up by the assistant city manager, Mr Brendan Kenny and circulated to the Housing, Social and Community Strategic Policy Unit, and seen by The Irish Times, says it is "timely to strategically consider new options for the future management and maintenance of the council's current rented housing stock".
Mr Kenny says in the document that ownership of the housing stock should also be considered. The council is currently landlord to 26,500 dwellings - 10,000 houses and 16,500 flats.
The two biggest housing estates are in Darndale on the northside and Cherry Orchard on the southside.
The biggest flat complexes are in Ballymun (2,812 flats), Fatima Mansions in Dolphin's Barn, (360), St Michael's Estate in Inchicore (360), which are currently being either demolished or redeveloped.
Earlier this month the council abandoned plans for the flagship €63 million redevelopment of St Michael's Estate, plans for which it had drawn up over two years with residents.
Citing lack of funds, the council announced it intended to sell the 11-acre site to private developers, who would provide some social housing.
From the document on the future role of the council in social housing, the main concern about continued ownership of these estates appears to be one of cost.
"Over the last few years, currently and over the next five to eight years close to €1 billion will have been spent on regenerating those flat complexes and this is in addition to day to day maintenance costs (€50 million for 2003) and very significant areas of welfare, rent collection, estate management and general management issues."
While a lot of money has been spent on these and while there has been some success, he says, the areas "have not moved from disadvantage to advantage".
Mr Kenny proposes that housing stock be handed over to "a new form of landlord" and he mentions the housing association model or co-operative "made up of residents assisted by a housing association".
