The new chairperson of the Dublin City Council Housing Strategic Policy Committee, Cllr Alison Gilliland has issued a call for greater progress on major building projects across the city.

Labour representative Cllr Gilliland spoke out following her election, identifying housing as one of the greatest challenges the council will face over the next five years.

Cllr Gilliland said: "It takes far too long for projects to move from conception to realisation due to the cumbersome and protracted project approval process between Dublin City Council and the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. This must change and I call on the Minister to trust our Council and give it the autonomy, capacity and funding it needs to ramp up building to a scale appropriate to needs.

-- Advertisement --

"Another challenge we face is bringing vacant spaces, particularly those over shops, in to productive use. I will work with my colleagues and Council Officials to establish a one-stop-shop facility to provide advice and support in navigating regulations and best practice in planning, fire safety, design and energy sustainability so as to enable owners of such units to bring these units into use.

"I intend building on the work done by the Housing SPC during the last Council and working with my colleagues and Council Official to meet these challenges head on and deliver enhanced housing supply and housing security for the citizens of out city."

(CM/JG)