Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
PERMISSION HAS BEEN granted to demolish the Dublin building that’s currently being occupied by homelessness activists as a shelter for homeless people.
The permission to demolish Apollo House was granted on Friday 16 December, the day after the activists entered the building and just over six months after the redevelopment plans were submitted to Dublin City Council.
Permission was also granted yesterday to demolish the adjoining Hawkins House.
In June, separate plans were submitted seeking to knock down Apollo House and Hawkins House and build a number of office buildings ranging in height from five to 12 storeys tall.
Apollo House was previously used by the Department of Social Protection while the Hawkins House building currently houses the head office of Department of Health.
The redevelopment plans for Apollo House were submitted by receivers Mazars while the plans for Hawkins House were submitted bv the Office of Public Works (OPW).
As well as the office space, it’s planned that there’ll be a café/restaurant on the ground floor of the development and a public space with some greenery at the boundary near the former Screen Cinema.
Seven objections were raised to the current plans for Apollo House. These included submissions from local business owners, local residents and An Taisce.
An Taisce stated that the plans for Apollo House are “significantly higher than the existing building.”
The environmental group also made reference to several protected structures nearby. These include Mulligan’s public house on Poolbeg Street and the watchtower of the former Central Fire Station on Tara Street.
Home Sweet Home
Activists occupying the Apollo House building say they have been installing shower and kitchen units in the building to cater for the homeless people staying there.
Up to 35 homeless people have stayed in the building on a given night since last week but the Home Sweet Home group say they are preparing it to cater for up to 60 people.
Members of the media have not yet been allowed into the building since it was occupied but a short video from the Irish Housing Network has filmed the interior.
A legal letter from A&L Goodbody solicitors acting on behalf of the receivers has been sent to the occupiers.
A spokesperson for the receivers said the occupiers were trespassing and that for health and safety reasons they were asking them to leave with immediate effect.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
This must set the record for the quickest planning decision ever by Dublin City Council.. Maybe we should move in some homeless people to where the new Children’s Hospital is planned or on the route of the Metro..
It was lodged in June……
@Paul: I think Cosmos point still stands.
Paul it’s Ireland we’re talking about, are you telling me six months is a normal turnaround on a demolition planning order.. You’re waiting longer for an NCT test for gods sake.. No doubt a call was made yesterday morning and a form was stamped late last night..
8 weeks is the statutory deadline for a planning decision. 8 weeks! They looked for further information which must be lodged within 6 months. Once that’s done it’s only a matter of weeks again. The decision by the way can now be appealed to an bord pleanala.
@David Clements: thank you. I think that I need to appeal to An Bord Pleanala and pay the fee.
@Micheal OLainn: You need to have lodged a submission on the original application to DCC.
A decision wasn’t to be made until February which was stated before its occupancy !
6 years vacant. People put it to good use and all of a sudden there is a demolition order.. coincidence hmm.. Well done all helping Home Sweet Home. The true spirit of Christmas!
“A legal letter from A&L Goodbody solicitors acting on behalf of the receivers has been sent to the occupiers. A spokesperson for the receivers said the occupiers were trespassing and that for health and safety reasons they were asking them to leave with immediate effect.”
The law is ever a friend to the wealthiest and most powerful and a stick to beat the working class into submission. Solidarity to all involved in the Apollo House occupation.
@Benjy Dempsey: The letter from A&L Goodbody can be recycled as toilet paper.
The law is a friend to those who stay the right side of it.
So trespass is now a law only for rich people Benjy. My my what a distorted view of reality you have.
The department of social protection only vacated it last year. The planning permission was lodged last June. It is also an office block. Completely unsuitable for housing and Dublin needs office space for businesses who create jobs, pay salaries and create revenue for the state.
If they had tried to find a more unsuitable building to occupy they couldn’t have.
@Conor Rock Solicitor, and member of Fine Gael and Young Fine Gael , …….need I say more.
@Ibhar Mac Suibhne: Conor Rock and his ilk are subscribers to the ideology which has produced the housing crisis.
@Conor Rock: Its called Humanity.
@Conor Rock:
But the building would still be lying unused and derelict this time next year.
You know that.
The side of the street is even more unsuitable as a resting space.
But I don’t see you offering any immediate solutions to the homeless humanitarian crisis which is official policy of the FG/FF coalition government.
Until you have an immediate solution to resolve the fact that 6000 people in Ireland are homeless (and those are merely official figures) you can take your fake concern elsewhere.
@Micheal OLainn: Correct , blindly following the same failed and utterly discredited neoliberal policies that the worlds greatest minds have declared as being responsible for ripping apart societies the world over and even environmental destruction….yet still these these idiots preach blindly that its business first above all else!
Of course it won’t be. Walk around Dublin at the moment. There is a huge amount of development going on. This building would join that.
happy Xmas to all the homeless staying at the apollo from DCC. A truly disgusting cold hearted uncaring decision at this time.
@Martin Ryan: Oh don’t worry – nobody is moving.
Apollio House will not be evacuated.
The riots that would result are too risky.
They have a statutory deadline to adhere to.
@mursim: Riots? I think not.
@Do the Bort man: The fact that the occupation of Apollo House is so widely supported by the public means that the government won’t dare trying to evacuate homeless people back onto the street.
This occupation was an act of genius.
It serves as a potent symbol and focal point for the brutality of the FG/ FF policy of keeping so many people homeless.
A government which maintains a housing humanitarian crisis as official policy cannot expect to be allowed to continue to do so.
@mursim: oh it is genius. It really is. But people are not going to riot on the streets when they are kicked out.
I mean, its a genius idea, to raise publicity, and keep this issue in the news. As a long term solution, its not feasible, as in this example, when the owners want to sell/knock/renovate/lease their building, where do the homeless relocated to? Another empty building?
“homelessness activist” aka squatter.
Steven, you sleep well now tonight as others freeze to death you heartless yolk.
@Steven Casey: When there is a homeless humanitarian crisis, squatting vacant buildings is perfectly acceptable.
Calling the residents squatters is not an insult.
The insult is the government engineered homeless humanitarian crisis.
With a general election likely in March, the government needs to realise that the housing crisis is what the election will be fought on.
@mursim: yes. The welfare of people comes before the interests of vacant buildings.
FG trolls will be on overtime with this one…
@xor: Fine Gael and their coalition partners Fianna Fail are the architects of Ireland’s homeless humanitarian crisis and housing emergency.
Remember this at the general election in March.
@mursim: truly said.
We can choose to vote in favour of those who serve the oppressors or those who serve the oppressed.
FG and FF are united in the same ideology and policies which have created this crisis.
First world economy. Worse than third world society.
Thats all you need to know about the state of affairs in this ‘democratic state’ folks….keep being good little dogs and doing what youre told by Enda and Co. now, in 2017…thats it
An Taisce at it again…… Why is this group always against progress?
@Peter Buchanan:
Depends on how you define progress.
@Alex Falcone: Less people sleeping rough on the streets of Ireland is progress.
@Peter Buchanan: Occupying a building that had plans submitted for demolition 6 months earlier is hardly progress either.
@Do the Bort man: redevelopment can wait. The welfare of people come first.
@Do the Bort man:
Allowing a city centre building to lie idle while official figures state that 6000 people are homeless, and this is in fact official policy cannot be allowed.
When the government can come up with an immediate plan to end Irelland’s homeless humanitarian crisis permanently then this occupation (and the inevitable future occupations) can end.
@mursim: Why not relocate some of those homeless to places in the country where rents are cheaper? Its only Dublin that has a housing problem, as the rents are too high, for this reason, I don’t rent in Dublin, although I do work in Dublin.
Forcing the government to “take over” empty buildings is not progress. It just a sticky plaster until more houses are actually built.
They know they will be put out eventually, why put so much money into a building that is only for short term use when it could be invested in long term. Allowing activists to simply take an empty property and keep it could be used to set a precedent in law allowing any property belonging to anyone to be taken over. It won’t happen. Surely those rich celebs involved could rent somewhere or buy a building to donate. Then invest and donate away because it won’t be a case of eviction hanging over their head. It just seems a bad long term use of limited resources. Although, now they are in, they should be left until the demolition is ready to commence, with the understanding they will leave peacefully then.
@Carol Oates: 100% logical and coherent argument…
@Carol Oates: Because the homeless charities cannot resolve Ireland’s homeless humanitarian crisis seeing as it is official government policy.
The occupation is effectively a stunt that it exposing the brutality of our government’s official housing policy to a national and international audience.
If the government intervenes to end the housing crisis then the occupation will end.
Expecting homeless charities to solve this is unworkable.
But you know that already.
@Carol Oates: I have contributed substantially to this noble and worthy occupation of Apollo House. It is cheaper than hotels and bed and breakfasts.
The misery of homelessness is beyond price or financial value.
35 extra people will have shelter, security and warmth for Christmas and New Year.
Who is the ‘official owner’ of Apollo House?
Are they willing to physically evict homeless people back onto the street.
Are the government willing to risk the probably ensuing street riots?
When every homeless person in the country has been housed then Apollo House will be evacuated.
Not a day before.
What is the next empty city centre NAMA building that needs to be brought back into use to solve the homeless humanitarian crisis that has been official government policy for years now?
Riots LOL
@Paul: Yes Paul riots.
If the residents refuse to leave then they won’t leave and nothing can be done about that.
If however private security firms try to forcibly evict homeless people back onto the streets there will be violence. That seems inevitable.
Come off it, when they come knocking they will be forcefully removed by the guards if thru don’t leave.
Who are you lidding about riots, sure can we expect maybe 100,000 to riot?
@mursim: “Are the government willing to risk the probably ensuing street riots?”, you’d be mistaken if you though they care about this. They wont stand in the way, all the government will do is blame someone else.
Actually a violent riot could be the best option for the homeless. They would be sentenced in court, housed in warm, comfortable jails, fed 3 times daily and have access to leisure facilities and a gym.
Ahhh bless, it’s nice to see the usual sub human trolls going out of their way to attempt to belittle any assistance to the homeless. The homeless that this and the last shower of pocket lining vermin created. I’m quite sure their respective parties are over the moon with the cowardly keyboard warriors. Do have a nice Christmas folks and hopefully you don’t choke on your food.
@Michael Clinton: I wouldn’t call ALL of FF / FG subhuman trolls.
They are certainly monsters for enabling homelessness on such a massive scale to protect their vested interests.
And we must ensure that homelessness is the main issue in March’s general election.
The FG/FF coalition will fall over this.
@Murism. I haven’t met a good one yet and those I thought ( hoped ) would be different just followed the gravy train.
Demolish it with the squatters still inside, i don’t care. I’m not feeling very Christmassy today.
@Fred Johnson: it’s good that you can talk about your depression problem, that’s the first step, admission you have a problem, well done.
Commenting in jest about depression scundered? Stay classy.
@canuckandgo: Scundered wrote that in response to Fred Johnson commenting about razing a building with people in it. Which is worse?
@ Fred Johnston; ” demolish it with squatters inside, I dont care”.
That kinda shines a light clean through your faux concern and humanity when your using other victims and deaths to attack others in lots of previous post.
@canuckandgo: Where was I jesting? It sounds like Fred is seriously depressed, as a responsible citizen it is only right to offer the lad some encouragement, it was a big step he made in admitting his lack of feeling christmassy. Maybe an appearance on Dr Phil or the Afternoon Show with Daithi would be the next logical step.
Meaty.. One is easily avoidable, the other one isn’t.
@Scundered: Depressed? He’s sick in the head. He makes Scrooge look like a saint.
Folks put your tin foil hats away. It was vacant in the first place because it was scheduled for redevelopment. Honest to god the brains on here!
Doesn’t it seem unlikely, this sudden urgency to begin construction in the coldest time of the year?
For gods sake. They just got planning permission today from DCC. Anyone who objected can still appeal for 4 weeks. They submitted the plans in june. No one is building anything here for a good while yet. Would ye all cop on. I support the action and this cause but don’t for one second think that this campaign were unaware that this decision was imminent and that it would garner more publicity. And they deserve credit for that. But the conspiratorial nonsense on here benefits noone..
Merry Christmas, love Enda.
Denis O’Brien/Fine Gael party mandate. PROTECT THE BANKERS AT ALL COST
This gov are a disgrace.
They mind the refugees moe than their own.
So the council granted permission to force people onto the street rather than see them get a roof over their heads for Christmas. Does this country get anymore dispicable.
The council should be ashamed of themselves,lying empty for yrs,these corrupt politicians still trying to take a hand at the public.
The homeless crisis reminds me of a Scene from Total Recall. Was Cohagen a member of Fianna Gael?
Cohagen: Yes, what is it?
Underling: Sir, the oxygen level is bottoming out in sector G – what do you want me to do about it?
Cohagen: Don’t do anything.
Underling: But they won’t last an hour sir.
Cohagen: F*ck ‘em.
Just what Dublin needs, more offices. Three cheers for DCC………… not
Actually Dublin does need more offices. Worked in Apollo House over 30 years ago. It’s a kip now just like Hawkins House beside it. The whole site is to be redeveloped. That’s good as the entire site is an eyesore. Apollo House is a winter quick fix. It not a solution. Housing is the solution.
“I predict a riot!’
I hope they stay put for as long as they can
Thank goodness there are still people around with Christian principles organising the Apollo House occupation . Of course this building is unsuitable for long term use for housing the homeless. But a serious point is being made here! This neo-liberal capitalist coalition of FG and FF need to be reminded, and every day, that 000′s of new Council houses are needed. When Hitler demolished many thousands of British homes in the blitz the British government had already been putting together a plan to deal with the expected housing shortage. New build – Fast build factory built modular houses in estates all around UKs bombed cities. I was brought up in one, built near London (Essex). European development loans were made available, which allowed for 125,000 houses, schools, shopping precincts and industrial business parks, transport connections were all built within 5 years of the wars end. Our 70 year old house, a 2 storey prefab, much improved, is still in use with a new family now living in it. I moved out when I married and moved to Galway, and my mother also left moving to live near my sister in Kent. Last night on BBC TV News, a story about a Chinese company wanting to build 6 factories around the UK where they would build a modern form of factory built home was being promoted. These units are high-spec energy efficient houses that are quick to build and cost half of the price of a brick built house. In Dublin, modular houses are only coming on stream after months of wrangling, that will cost more than a normal house build. What chance have we that the Chinese will want to do business here?
have your say