Construction work has started on the development of almost 20 new homes in Dublin.

The 19 new houses are being built in Beech Hill, Donnybrook.

However, Labour Leader on Dublin City Council, Councillor Dermot Lacey highlighted that it has taken several years and many obstacles to overcome for him to advance the project.

Cllr Lacey said: "Standing on Beech Hill Terrace, a short road roughly half the length of a football field, you can see infill private housing, nine new affordable homes delivered through a local housing Co-Operative, five new social homes delivered by Dublin City Council and now nineteen new homes to be delivered through a Voluntary Housing Association. All built on what you might call "left over" or Council lands.

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"If this can be done in the heart of Dublin 4 it can be done anywhere.

"By my reckoning there are approximately 200 villages or parishes across the Dublin area. If each of these were facilitated to deliver a similar number through local housing initiatives assisted by and not hindered by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government we could deliver approximately 6,800 new homes quickly and through the Credit Unions, could be financed locally and off the National Balance sheets.

"It is time for Minister for Housing Murphy to look outwards and not into a Department singularly incapable of doing the job."

(CD/LM)