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27 December 2000
Minister lashed over giving up £27m housing budget
Army barracks should be used for social housing
Sinn Fein is keeping up its pressure on the Government to make a New Year present of Clancy Army Barracks, at Islandbridge, to Dublin Corporation for social housing.
The 13-acre barracks site - larger than Fatima Mansions - is due to be vacated by March and sold on the commercial property market.
Sinn Fein also hit out at Environment Minister Noel Dempsey's decision to hand £27 million of his housing budget back to the Exchequer before Christmas because he hadn't managed to spend it. Sinn Fein Dublin South Central representative Aengus Ó Snodaigh said:
``It's an outrageous act a housing minister. If the Minister hasn't the wit or the imagination to spend his housing budget in the middle of an accommodation crisis then he should hand it over to the groups who have the will to cut the waiting lists and reduce the number of `rough sleepers'.
``And if Noel Dempsey thinks he can afford to give £27 million back to Charlie McCreevy then Bertie Ahern can afford to give Clancy Barracks to house the people of Dublin.''
4 Details: Aengus Ó Snodaigh @ 087 414 0856
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