Housing Minister to Meet Oliver Bond House Residents After Regeneration Plan Scrapped

Minister for Housing James Browne will meet residents of Oliver Bond House next week after the Department of Housing withdrew approval for Dublin City Council’s redevelopment plans. The council had planned a «deep retrofit» and amalgamation program for the nearly 400 flats, built in 1936, which suffer from damp, mould, sewage issues, and rat infestations.

In 2023, the council secured approval to appoint a design team for the first phase, involving combining 74 old flats into 46 new ones. However, on April 27, the department stated it could no longer support «such a large reduction of homes during a housing crisis,» citing a loss of 28 homes. Mick Mulhern, head of housing for the council, called the decision «disappointing.» Former chief justice Frank Clarke, who chairs the Oliver Bond Regeneration Forum, had written to Browne in mid-April, expressing concerns about the project's lack of progress. A cross-party group of councillors has urged Taoiseach Micheál Martin to reverse the decision.