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An example of a modular house Nicky Ryan/TheJournal.ie

Can 500 prefabs like this solve Dublin's homeless crisis?

The government has announced that 500 modular housing units are to be built in the capital with 150 delivered within four months.

AROUND 500 PREFABRICATED modular housing units are to be built in Dublin as part of efforts to solve the housing and homelessness crisis.

The government this evening announced that an initial 150 units will be ordered and constructed in the capital within the next four months under expedited procurement and planning provisions.

It comes as the latest figures indicate the homeless crisis has deteriorated in recent months. At the end of August there were over 600 families housed in either hotels or homeless accommodation, including 1,275 children.

Modular homes can take a number of different forms, but are based around the principle of stacking individual modules together to form a house. This means they can be produced off-site in factory conditions, and quickly assembled on-site.

The units cost in the region of €100,000 each, excluding the cost of land. This means the initial 150 units would cost around €15 million.

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Taoiseach Enda Kenny told the Dáil earlier that he was impressed with the quality of the units that will be ordered.

The order will be placed once sites have been assessed and selected by Dublin’s four local authorities.

Dublin city council’s head of housing, Dick Brady, said yesterday that the search for appropriate sites has already begun.

Environment Minister Alan Kelly is due to come back to government with details on site assessment and selection on 20 October.

Read: Could one of these six homes be the answer to the homeless crisis?

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129 Comments
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    Mute Me Darlin' Dublin
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    Sep 5th 2019, 7:20 PM

    The attitude of the Government is appalling. Swing low sweet chariot…

    294
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    Mute TamuMassif2019
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    Sep 5th 2019, 9:42 PM

    @Me Darlin’ Dublin: They want to know what everyone does but they don’t want anyone to know what they do as in brown envelopes, lobbying and whos pals of whom…

    97
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    Mute Gus Sheridan
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    Sep 6th 2019, 9:33 AM

    @Me Darlin’ Dublin: just get rid of the deluded Regina Doherty, save a fortune, clueless

    17
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    Mute Ciaran Adamson
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    Sep 5th 2019, 7:34 PM

    So the tax payer picks up the tab for the legal fees for all sides of this case… sure you might as well let it run for a few years so… no rush.

    136
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    Mute TamuMassif2019
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    Sep 5th 2019, 9:43 PM

    @Ciaran Adamson: After the next election anyway if not before Xmas?

    16
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    Mute Willy
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    Sep 5th 2019, 7:54 PM

    Something has not surfaced yet that FFG are determined to bury..
    If FF were a separate party , they would have pulled these yokes out a long time ago. Fact is FFG are one and all in it together and we accept it not only but endorse it at the polls…

    121
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    Mute Diogenes
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    Sep 5th 2019, 7:15 PM

    Pay for your food Leo.

    89
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    Mute Nuala Mc Namara
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    Sep 5th 2019, 8:45 PM

    What is in the full Report about the PUBLIC Services Card that the PUBLIC not allowed to see? Government had a draft of this Report noting concerns since 2018 so had sufficient time to respond!
    Is the plan to delay releasing Report until after a General Election?

    74
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    Mute ThatLJD
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    Sep 5th 2019, 7:31 PM

    So expert state body uses powers against state and state dept and jumped up minister’s and head civil servants know better!!! Sounds about right! The state of it! Stop trying to better brexit for ridiculousness!

    116
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    Mute @mdmak33
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    Sep 5th 2019, 8:24 PM

    These people must be removed from office ASAP

    86
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    Mute TamuMassif2019
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    Sep 5th 2019, 9:44 PM

    @@mdmak33: Have you got a method for that, just joking as you know the flock here, they’re all sheep?

    15
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    Mute Gerard Carthy
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    Sep 5th 2019, 7:35 PM

    On the one hand it’s seems stupid to be required to have a card to access stuff you could already access without a card. If they want to introduce a National Identity card, they should do that, and stop the subterfuge. The collection of stat and the need to prove negatives is making everything a pain in the arse. The underlying motivation seems to be that everyone is trying to commit fraud, launder money and or cheat and must prove in ever increasing circles of hell who they are, where they live and whether they really are who they say they are when they want to pay a bill for example. Apparently there are loads of people pretending to be me and trying to pay my ESB bill, or something.

    On the other hand I am sick of data protection, which is causing problems insisting on protecting innocuous information for ridiculous reasons that have to do with a conflation of ideology and an apparent belief that all electronic information is somehow useful to fraudsters and charlatans because data in and of itself has a value.

    I wonder would the old phone book be outlawed under the Data Commission?

    No joined up thinking or common sense appears on either side.

    69
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    Mute ThatLJD
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    Sep 5th 2019, 7:45 PM

    @Gerard Carthy: I get you Gezza, I really do, now if I could just have your mother’s maiden name please and I’ll get that bill paid for you! And it was Glanmire you went to school and blue still your favourite colour. Good man.

    58
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    Mute Commentator
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    Sep 5th 2019, 7:41 PM

    It’s too big to stop, the cost goes beyond 60 million, it includes the integration cost of each new service by each department i.e. passport that must now stop. This is the new p-powers. It will come in over 100 million.

    36
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    Mute tommytukamomo
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    Sep 5th 2019, 8:30 PM

    I look forward to seeing these parasites getting the Labour treatment and consigned to where they belong…
    The bin of history.
    Even their trolls,shills & hacks want f all to do with them.

    59
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    Mute Trish Talty
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    Sep 5th 2019, 7:19 PM

    Boom!

    27
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    Mute Artugal
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    Sep 5th 2019, 10:51 PM

    It’s sad that you delete perfectly valid comments. It would be understandable if it were lies, or foul-mouthed. Sad state of affairs in this country; if our journalists actually critiqued our government then posters wouldn’t have to.

    24
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    Mute Jim O Brien - TechBuzz Ireland
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    Sep 6th 2019, 7:25 AM

    I hope she goes to town on them

    10
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    Mute Kerry Cavanagh
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    Sep 5th 2019, 10:19 PM

    Never got one but I’m still working and contribute my tax so what’s the importance of them? Not like the system is gonna be wiped! I like old fashioned keep your Pps number to yourself! Stops false passports etc

    12
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    Mute Kieran Feely
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    Sep 5th 2019, 11:42 PM

    Glasnost and Perestroika! An initiative of the government of Ireland!

    9
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    Mute Paddy Murray
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    Sep 5th 2019, 10:04 PM

    What’s this “sensitive information” they’ve got on the PSC? I’ve asked. But nobody seems to know. And the reason they don’t know is – there isn’t any. Seems everyone here thinks an unelected bureaucrat should be allowed to order a democratically elected government around!

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    Mute Frank Naughton
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    Sep 6th 2019, 12:38 AM

    @Paddy Murray: well said!

    3
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    Mute Dave Doyle
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    Sep 6th 2019, 6:11 AM

    @Paddy Murray: What “democratically elected government”? FG was in a coalition gov. with the Lab party in 2011. In GE 2016 Lab got wiped out and FG lost 26 seats. If ever two parties lost any mandate to govern that was it. Yet here we are 2019 and FG are in power, a minority government propped up by a secret backroom deal with a party FF who are duty bound to oppose and hold the FG minority government to account.
    Both parties have thumbed their noses at democracy and accountability. Engaged in forcing policies they have no mandate for.
    Given the lies FG have told, the Corporate friendly policies they force on the people, the numerous scandals in health, the Gardai, the Moriarity findings, homelessness, housing, vulture funds, cuckoo funds, water,etc. the country is being ruled by a Plutocratic Dictatorship were rule of law means nothing.
    All that stands between you and a Fascist Dictatorship is that “unelected bureucrat.

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    Mute Will
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    Sep 6th 2019, 10:02 AM

    @Paddy Murray: You don’t like it when government is held to account? Interesting!

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    Mute Ali Flaherty Bedford
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    Sep 6th 2019, 8:53 AM

    About time someone started to stand up to this Government.

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    Mute Aoife Cullen
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    Sep 5th 2019, 10:29 PM

    I wish they would change that picture. Fed up of looking at her everyday

    7
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    Mute shin
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    Sep 6th 2019, 11:38 AM

    D’ya know what’s be GAS craic altogether? A statement from our Minister for Data Protection Pat Breen on where he sits with all of this – will he be backing his colleague Regina Doherty and the government on this challenge, or the DPC defending the rights of us citizens?

    6
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    Mute Daniel Lehane
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    Sep 6th 2019, 2:08 PM

    I don’t understand all the furore over this. The point of the card is that your proof of address, PPSN, proof of identity etc are all in one place, so you don’t have to go rooting around for various documents. Which can actually be a nightmare now, as most bills etc are electronic, with no hard copy. Seems very useful to me. Maybe I’ve misunderstood it, feel free to correct me.

    As regards our data, we’ve all handed over our data to FB and Twitter so we can come on here for a moan. They’re using it to send us dodgy ads and influence elections and referenda. At least the government can use it to adjust public services to maximize their impact. And if they try to influence elections and referenda, hopefully they have our best interests at heart. Cambridge Analytica et al definitely don’t.

    1
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    Mute Artugal
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    Sep 6th 2019, 2:24 PM

    @Daniel Lehane: you are incredibly naive if you think this government is going to use your personal, sensitive information for your benefit. Take the cost, add the cost of the investigation, now of the appeal and eventually the fine that will come with it. Definitely for your benefit…

    It doesn’t matter if it’s the Irish gov, Facebook, google or yer man down the road that is risking your info… if you want to give all your personal information feel free but don’t lump us all in with you. Some of us actually hold privacy in high regard.

    3
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    Mute Daniel Lehane
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    Sep 6th 2019, 3:10 PM

    @Artugal: You are incredibly cynical if you think the government is out to get you. And incredibly naïve if you think they don’t already have it. You’ve replied to my comment on social media, they know an awful lot about you, fake profile or not. The investigation and what follows is a necessary process to clear up the new GDPR laws. They haven’t been tested yet. Privacy was the price we paid for the internet. If it is of such concern to you, and everyone else that I didn’t lump anywhere, you should consider not using it. Or the bank. Or anywhere else you have to sign your name.

    1
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