Government to approve multi-year plan for new town in Dublin
O'brien To New Minister Darragh Is Housing The Expected Project Appove
The Government will today agree to a €186m funding stream to assist in the building of 8,400 homes in a new town in Dublin.
The Clonburris Strategic Development Zone will be located between Lucan, Clondalkin, and Liffey Valley — around 10km from the city centre — and plans approved in 2019 will see 8,437 homes built to house 21,000 people.
The Government is expected to give the green light to a multi-year plan from Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien which would see the Government assist in the building of key infrastructure around the site, including three regional roads and an outer ring road to connect the lands to the N4 and N7.
Sources said it was likely that some of the funding will be used to open the Kishogue rail station at the western side of the strategic development zone.
The minister of State for local government Peter Burke will also seek approval for priority drafting of the legislation to provide maternity leave for city and county councillors.
Mr Burke last month received the go-ahead for the legislation, which will see a councillor allowed to temporarily appoint a replacement for the time they are on leave.
However, if the person would prefer administrative support, they can avail of funding of €230 per week to pay someone to assist with secretarial work.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin and chief whip Jack Chambers will also bring a memo on plans for a new standing order agreed with the Dáil reform committee which would limit pre-legislative scrutiny on bills to eight weeks — a move, the Government claims, that is intended to avoid delays and bottlenecks in important legislation.
The Government came under sustained criticism over the guillotining of bills in the run-up to the summer recess, with some bills given just two hours of Dáil debate.
Last year, President Michael D Higgins wrote to the Ceann Comhairle to say that in "the three weeks since the beginning of July", he had "been asked to consider 19 separate bills", with nine presented on one day, each needing to be signed within a week.
Separately, Arts and Culture Minister Catherine Martin is set to extend the Night-Time Economy Support Scheme (NTESS) with an additional investment of €1.4m, bringing the fund to €4m.
The scheme, launched in June, allows pubs, nightclubs, cafés, and other suitable premises to pay for live entertainment during off-peak times.
Applications can be made for the scheme through a dedicated application website from 12pm today.