Work has started on a new €100 million scheme to regenerate O'Devaney Gardens in Dublin.

Construction work to deliver the first phase of 56 social homes is now underway under a budget of more than €20m. Once finished, the overall development will deliver approximately 600 homes featuring a mix of tenures, social, affordable and private homes.

The scheme is being delivered under the Rebuilding Ireland programme. As a Pathfinder project, the development will showcase the provision of large scale, mixed tenure housing in an inner city setting.

Overall, it is one of three development sites owned by Dublin City Council which offer the potential to provide over 1,600 homes in three new urban quarters. The other two sites are at St Michael's Estate in Inchicore and at Oscar Traynor Road in Coolock.

Speaking at the sod-cutting ceremony today, 04 July, Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy said: "I am delighted to turn the first sod on these new homes for tenants of Dublin City Council. It is also a good day for the regeneration of this area.

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"Regeneration goes beyond mere bricks and mortar and in order to be successful and sustainable in the long term, requires the re-building of a community and a strengthening of community bonds.

"These new social homes will be built to the latest standards and the highest quality and I'm sure the tenants will be delighted with them when they are finished. Arrangements are well in train to complete the development of the remainder of the site."

Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said as a Pathfinder Project, the scheme has the potential to be a model for sustainable communities with mixed tenure accommodation, "co-located with educational, social and cultural amenities".

"The regeneration of O'Devaney Gardens will provide much needed social and affordable homes in a thriving quarter of the nation's capital," he said.

"I commend the hard work of both Dublin City Council and the Department of Housing Planning & Local Government in bringing the development this far."

The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Nial Ring, added: "It gives me great pleasure to be here today for the turning of the sod for this long awaited regeneration of O'Devaney Gardens.

"I commend the work of all those who were involved in bringing this project to this stage including Central Government, who have provided funding and the local community who have waited patiently for the work to begin.

"This project will re-generate this part of the city by providing quality homes which will enhance the lives of those who are from here and those who will live here in the future."

(LM)