Tenders for another 131 modular houses for Dublin’s homeless families will be issued this month, Dublin City Council has said.
Work is already under way on 22 prefabricated houses in Ballymun at a cost of €4.2 million. Executive manager of the council’s housing department Tony Flynn said that although progress stalled last week due to protests at the site the council expected the homes to be ready by December 21st.
The site was picketed last week in support of the CTSL co-op, which has planning permission for 40 homes on the site chosen for modular housing.
The co-op wants the council to reimburse a €200,000 deposit invested by its members. The council is engaging in talks with the co-op and Mr Flynn said he hoped the matter would be resolved today.
The council is to seek bids in the coming weeks to provide 131 more modular houses at sites in Finglas and Darndale on the northside and Crumlin and Ballyfermot on the southside of the city.These 131 houses would be completed over a longer time frame but be in place by June 2016, Mr Flynn told the council’s housing committee.
Several councillors raised concerns about the costs of the houses in Ballymun, which they had expected to be about €85,000 per house.
“A cost of €190,000 plus per unit, that is totally unacceptable,” Lord Mayor Críona Ni Dhálaigh said.
Representatives of CTSL said they would be holding an emergency general meeting of members before responding.
