Some works on the site at Oscar Traynor Woods in Coolock have now been stalled as investigations are carried out into failures to meet building regulations.
Dublin City Council Chief Executive, Richard Shakespeare, shared a report on the works with councillors this week.
It said concerns had been raised with Glenveagh Developments, site management, and the assigned certifier, that works on the housing project were “not progressing in a workmanlike manner” and in accordance with the requirements of the building.
The report went on to say that Glenveagh is engaging with the process and “continuing investigations” on site to identify all potential issues, including pausing some works to allow for these investigations to be carried out.
Discussions are ongoing between Glenveagh and Building Control to agree on what action is required to rectify “non-compliant work”.
The Building Control Authority is prioritising the inspection of the development and is set to continue regular routine inspections over the coming weeks and months, and through to completion of the project.
Mr Shakespeare also told councillors that “increased resources” have been provided on site by Glenveagh in terms of supervision and site management.
The issues, identified during inspections, have raised red flags regarding the quality and progress of the development, which was originally advertised to offer affordable housing to low and middle-income buyers.
The development, which includes 853 homes, is being built by Glenveagh under a deal finalised in 2021.
The first 16 homes, part of a highly anticipated affordable housing scheme, went on sale in early January 2025, attracting 260 applications.
These homes have also sparked controversy due to their high prices, with some of the larger options reaching up to €475,000.
Labour Party Group Leader Darragh Moriarty voiced serious concern about the impact of these issues on public confidence, particularly given that the housing development is located on council-owned land.
“Any failure to meet basic building standards on a site as significant as the Oscar Traynor development is concerning,” he said.
“This is one of the largest housing projects in the country, intended to deliver much-needed affordable homes in the middle of a housing crisis.
“The fact that inadequate building standards were not flagged until DCC Building Control carried out inspections raises serious questions about the supervision and oversight by Glenveagh prior to this intervention.
“Even more concerning is that the public only became aware of this issue because it was leaked.
“The lack of transparency is unacceptable when we are talking about a development that should set the gold standard for affordable housing projects.
“We need to ensure every home built on this site is of the highest quality, offering safety, security and value to those who will live there.
“Anything less would be an insult to the thousands of families waiting for housing,” he added.
Independent Councillor John Lyons described the discovery as a “bombshell” and called for greater transparency around the exact nature of the defects and what will be required to repair them.
Glenveagh Developments has been contacted for comment.
