On Monday 8th March a special county council meeting was held by request of People Before Profit Cllr Madeleine Johansson to discuss the Land Development Agency. The Land Development Agency Bill is currently going through the Dail and includes a number of proposals that could have significant impacts on local democracy and decision making in relation to housing development on public land. An emergency motion proposed by Cllr Carly Bailey was passed at the meeting.
Cllr Madeleine Johansson commented: “I called for a special meeting to be held in order to allow for councillors to discuss this legislation which could have serious implications for local residents as well as councillors. The Land Development Agency could potentially be given the power to take sites in council ownership and develop them for housing by selling them to private developers. The agency would also be in charge of the planning process which would remove the public consultation element which is part of the Part 8 process.
“This is another attempt to take public land and sell it to private developers. Instead public land should be developed directly by the councils, funded by central government, for public housing. The so called ‘affordable’ housing contained in the legislation is defined as anything below the median market price, and will not be affordable for most ordinary people.”
“Councillors in South Dublin have made a strong statement to the government that they have serious concerns in relation to the Land Development Agency Bill and are calling for the Minister to halt the process immediately.”
