By Jimmy Woulfe

Fianna Fáil social protection spokesman Willie O’Dea tried to block the development of 43 social houses on a site near an upmarket area of Limerick City, it has emerged.

Mr O’Dea has now been called on to explain how he can oppose a housing plan on council-owned land near North Circular Rd in Limerick when his party condemns the national housing crisis.

All six Fianna Fáil members on the 21-member Limerick Metropolitan District of the council, led by Fianna Fáil’s Mayor James Collins, voted against the plan.

It was voted through by Fine Gael (5 votes), Sinn Féin (3), Labour (2), and others (4).

Kieran O’Hanlon, Fianna Fáil’s longest serving councillor in the city said: “I heard Willie O’Dea saying he was opposed to the development. I knew his views on it and aware he was opposed to it.”

Mr O’Dea told a local radio station he was against the plan as it was against the “integration policy”.

He said: “Here you have one particular type of housing; there’s going to be no private housing proposed there. So it is solely (social) housing. So it goes contrary to the integration policy.

Independent councillor John Gilligan, a former mayor, said Fianna Fáil on the council’s Metropolitan District followed Mr O’Dea’s line, voting en bloc against the development.

“We have over 3,500 people in Limerick looking for houses between those on the waiting list and those on rent subsidies,” he said.

“In the Dáil day in, day out, Fianna Fáil is crying tears over the homeless, castigating the minister.

But here in Limerick, its frontbench spokesman on social policy is trying to block the council building 43 houses on council-owned land.

“Willie O’Dea should now come out and tell the homeless people of Limerick how he could oppose council houses being built on council land.

“We were told by officials that there could not be a mix of council and affordable houses there.”

The houses are to be built on council land adjacent to Condell Rd.

Residents in North Circular Rd and Clonmacken opposed the plan.