Solidarity Protest organised at City Hall over collapse of PPP Regeneration projects

dublin | housing | press release Thursday June 05, 2008 17:03 by St Michael’s Estate - Regeneration Team

St Michael’s Estate are organising a protest in collaboration with St. O Devaney Gardens & Dominick Street on Monday the 9th of June at 6.00pm at City Hall to coincide with the Dublin City Council meeting scheduled for 7.00pm.

Speaking about the protest Rita Fagan, St Michael’s Estate Regeneration Team explained “Nothing has happened to date. To our knowledge Bernard McNamara has not signed the agreed PPP regeneration deal, nor has Dublin City Council spoken to the second bidder. We were assured by Ciaran McNamara, Assistant City Manager, Dublin City Council that we would have an agreement signed by tomorrow Friday the 6th June, but we have nothing”

Rita went on to say “They hope we will go away and stay in our long forgotten ghettos across Dublin City. We will return to our homes not to forget our dreams of a decent place to live but to organise our fight against Dublin City Council. We are asking people to come out and support us, to wear black and bring pots and pans to make plenty of noise. We will not be silenced. We want our 14 acres site developed as agreed.”
St Michael’s, O’Devaney Gardens and Dominick Street had the PPP process forced on them. Dublin City Council confirmed on May 19th that the Public Private Partnership regeneration deals it had with Castlethorn/McNamara would not go ahead as planned.
Dr. John Bissett, another Member of St Michaels Regeneration Team and author of a forthcoming book Regeneration, Public Good or Private Profit said, “Promises were made by the state nationally and locally to our communities. The collapse of the PPP model is not our problem. We want our full plans delivered by whomever as fast as possible ”.

The agreed PPP Regeneration plan included the physical and social regeneration of the 14 acre site at St Michael’s Estate which included 720 dwellings (165 social, 75 affordable, 480 private) with a civic centre with library, parish centre, three creches, youth cafe, family resource centre, healthcare centre, two football pitches, play areas, new urban square, village green and public square. St Michael’s Estate Regeneration Team, made up of residents and local community groups from St Michael’s Estate and the Inchicore area work with and on behalf of the residents in the regeneration process since 2001. For more information check out www.stmichaelsestate.ie
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Contact: Dr John Bissett, St Michael’s Estate Regeneration Team - 087 9889132
Rita Fagan, St Michael’s Estate Regeneration Team - 087 6319004