The regeneration of one of Dublin's oldest flats complexes will now not proceed as planned after the Department of Housing said it could no longer support the proposal.
The Department of Housing has said it couldn't support Dublin City Council's regeneration plans for the Oliver Bond complex, saying they didn't represent value for money.
In a statement the department said it cannot support the proposals, which would have seen smaller flats amalgamated to make larger homes, saying it could not back such "a large reduction in homes during a housing crisis".
It added that it would have meant a reduction from 74 to 46 for the three blocks proposed and would have left 28 households without a home.
It also said it fully supports the regeneration of older flat complexes such as Oliver Bond House to bring these homes up to modern standards.
The Department has now requested that Dublin City Council update its proposal to provide for a deep retrofit of the existing flats and houses while ensuring that there is not a significant reduction in homes.
It's understood that the council was due to submit a planning application later this year, in October, with construction planned to start in late 2028.
The first of the new homes were expected to be ready in 2030.
The complex, built in 1936, is made up of 391 flats across 14 blocks and is situated between the River Liffey and the Liberties in the southwest inner city of Dublin.
In recent times, it has been beset by social problems.
In 2024, a report found its residents had around double the levels of respiratory illness, compared to other parts of Dublin 8.
Residents have continually complained about damp and mould as well as anti-social behaviour.
Opposition parties have slammed the move, with Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald telling the Dáil it was "cruel".
"Yesterday you pulled the plug - your minister for housing blocked funding," she said.
"It's absurd, it's cruel, and it's a betrayal of this community," she said, and insisted that the Taoiseach reverse "this utterly disgraceful, disgusting decision".
Social Democrats TD Jennifer Cummins said that she was "really disappointed" in the Government's treatment of the issue.
Councillors were told of the decision before the residents at a meeting today, she said, and demanded an apology.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin defended the Government's performance and said that he would raise the issue with the minister.
"We are investing huge amount in regeneration," he said.
But he acknowledged that "something happened in terms of engagement" today, and repeated that he would talk to the housing minister about it.
