The Dublin City Council has announced plans to develop around 1,500 "public" homes though a public - private partnership (PPP) project.

The project is expected to be developed in five differents sites, three are around the city's north fringe and the other two are to the west of the city in Ballyfermot and Cherry Orchard. The council wants to use its own land to carry out the project.

The largest plot, a 15 hectares site, could accommodate about 700 homes. The next larger plot, a 8.2-hectare site, could accommodate about 400 homes.

Through the PPP the council will supply the land and the preferred bidder will build social and private housing.

According to sources, under a new model, housing would remain in the rental market due to the fact that if property prices collapses, developers usually pull out of the deals, leaving several planned housing schemes unbuilt.

We recently reported about another PPP project in planning stage in Ireland, the Skibbereen Community School in Cork County. The project will bring together three schools in the same 900-pupil facilities.