Latest news with #HAP
Sunday World
4 days ago
- Business
- Sunday World
Election candidate owes thousands to young mum he charged extra to rent his property
Mother of three Kirsty Fitzsimons says she was told to fork out extra for a 'top-up' to the agreed rent costs from Dermot McGuckin. Names to be blurred out on Fitzsimons rent extorsion talking to Alan Sherry in Mullingar Gary Ashe,21/5/2025 Dermot McGuckin says the RTB hearing went ahead without his knowledge An election candidate and landlord who called for more social and affordable housing for struggling families has refused to pay thousands he owes to a young mother after the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) found he had illegally withheld her deposit. Dermot (Diarmuid) McGuckin (58), who is originally from Dublin but living in Fossa, Co Kerry, was ordered by the RTB to pay €3,280 to Kirsty Fitzsimons for illegally withholding her deposit for a property he rents out in Tallaght, Dublin. As well as running as an Independent candidate in the local elections in Killarney, McGuckin has set up firms in diverse industries, including home care for the elderly, tourism, cleaning services and communications. He is also a taxi driver and was elected chair of the Irish Taxi Federation in Killarney. McGuckin further describes himself as a public relations consultant, and a number of years ago set up The Bellarose Foundation, which he said provided cleaning and care services to women going through chemotherapy. Kirsty Fitzsimons with documentation for the RTB He also organised a Great Santa Cycle in Killarney to raise funds for what he called the Bellarose Youth Development Fund. As well as not returning his tenant's deposit, McGuckin was also getting Kirsty to secretly pay an additional €830 per month on top of the €1,950 lease agreement. Kirsty said: 'When we contacted him about renting it, he said, 'I have someone else who is highly interested and it is between you and them. They have offered x, y and z above the lease, what can you offer'? 'I have never seen anything like it – and I've been renting since 2017,' she said. Kirsty said she felt like she had no option but to pay the extra to secure the rental property which is in Forest Lawns in Kingswood. News in 90 Seconds - May 30th 'I had three children and was desperate for a house for the kids and there was no alternative. He had €1,950 down as the lease agreement but was actually charging €2,780. 'When I told the HAP [Housing Assistance Payment scheme] about this they said to stop paying him extra rent. After that, he was contacting me at all times about the top-up. He was actually the most difficult landlord I ever dealt with in my life.' When McGuckin ran in the local elections in Kerry he claimed one of his main concerns was 'more social and affordable housing' for struggling families. Kirsty said her experience with him was 'completely different'. Kirsty Fitzsimons tells our reporter her story 'He said he was for families and all that. If he was, he wouldn't be charging outrageous amounts of rent for young families. I think it was ridiculous. All he cared about was the money. 'I'm waiting for the deposit nearly two years. I think he thought I'm young so he'd be able to take advantage.' In the end, Kirsty only stayed in the house for six months before leaving, but when she did leave in July 2023, McGuckin refused to give her the €2,780 security deposit back. McGuckin has owed the money to the young mother-of-three for almost two years but had point blank refused to give it back, didn't bother turning up to the RTB hearing and has not responded to Ms Fitzsimons' calls and messages since. Things were even more stressful for Kirsty after she received bad health news recently. 'I was going through all this with the RTB and him, and then I found out I had a BRCA1 gene for breast and ovarian cancer. I have to get a double mastectomy and an ovariectomy.' The RTB ordered McGuckin to pay the €2,780 deposit and an additional €500 in compensation. However, when contacted by the Sunday World, McGuckin claimed that he wasn't even aware there had been an RTB case against him. 'To have a court case [RTB hearing] without me being there is very f**king harsh. But I don't know, I'd have to see what notes I have on it and bring them up. 'To go ahead and have a hearing without me having any input whatsoever, surely there's a law against that?' Kirsty is now facing the prospect of surgery A spokesperson for the RTB confirmed there is indeed a law against that and rubbished McGuckin's claims that they would schedule the hearing without informing all parties. 'By law, we must give notice of a dispute hearing. We will only schedule a case for a hearing when we have contact details for all parties,' they said. The spokesperson said the RTB contacts all parties to confirm contact details before sending them hearing notices. As well as claiming he was unaware of the RTB case, McGuckin tried to justify not giving back the deposit and made a series of claims which Kirsty said were outright lies. 'There was a lot of reasons why she didn't get it back at the time,' McGuckin claimed. Asked what they were, he said: 'Damage to the property and there was some stuff gone from the property that was there when she moved in.' Asked for examples of either damage or missing items, he couldn't provide even a single one. 'Ah now, I have a list there I'd have to go through. As I said, this is the first I've heard about this,' he said. Kirsty said McGuckin was lying about damage to the property and any missing items. 'It's complete and utter nonsense. I can't believe he said there were things missing. I've never been accused of stealing before. He can't tell you what was missing because there was nothing missing.' She said every other landlord she has dealt with, including estate agents, have always given her glowing references. McGuckin also claimed he hadn't heard from Kirsty since she left in July 2023. 'I'm at a loss of what to tell you. I haven't heard from her since she left. I think once maybe she got in contact after she left.' However, Kirsty said that was another lie and she has contacted him numerous times since by phone and by email, but he has ignored all communication. Asked if he was willing to give her back her deposit now, McGuckin said: 'I'd have to look in to that. I know it was withheld for a reason and probably multiple reasons, I wouldn't be holding onto anything you know... if everything was OK, there'd be no issue.' Kristy said she was insulted that McGuckin would try to say she was at fault for not getting her deposit back. 'I wouldn't have gone to the RTB if what he was saying was true and wouldn't be doing an interview about it. He didn't inspect the house before we moved in. He got the previous tenant to leave a key under the mat. He also didn't inspect it when we moved out. He had no bill for any supposed damage he claimed was caused, he can't name a single thing missing,' she said. When the Sunday World asked McGuckin why he was looking for an additional €830 in payments on top of the €1,950 lease, he initially said: 'Em, no, whatever was on the lease agreement would have been what was charged.' However, when we pointed out Kirsty had messages showing he was in fact demanding €2,780, he said: 'I can't remember off-hand. I mean you're after getting me completely off hand on this one.' Landlords can legitimately ask for payments on top of HAP payments if the HAP payments don't meet the rent amount, but cannot ever ask for payments on top of what is stated on the lease. The property was also in a rent pressure zone with strict limits on how much rent could be increased by from one year to the next.
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
No chill! Gujarat ranks among India's most heat-vulnerable states
Ahmedabad: Scorching summers aren't new to Gujarat, but 2025 has pushed all limits. A recent study confirms what residents already felt on their skin: not just summer, but even winter months saw record-breaking temperatures across the state. The report, titled 'How Extreme Heat is Impacting India', released by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), reveals that 97% of Gujarat's districts now fall under either 'very high' or 'high' heat risk index (HRI). That places Gujarat just behind Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Kerala, and Maharashtra — the only four states where 100% of districts fall in the highest risk zones. Gujarat's heat profile now surpasses Rajasthan, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh, according to the report. The report also highlighted that compared to very hot days, the number of very warm nights increased for the state in the past decade (2012-22) compared to the climatic baseline (1982-2011). Likewise, in parts of north Gujarat, the difference between day and night temperatures shrank in the same period. According to the study, the risk of heightened heat exposure was higher in dense, urban, and economically critical cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Bhopal, and Bhubaneswar. For the study, a heat risk index (HRI) was developed and used to assess threats in 734 districts of India. The index is based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) framework, which defines 'risk as a combination of hazard, exposure, and vulnerability.' The report classifies districts into very low, low, moderate, high, and very high-risk categories on a score ranging from 1 to 5 based on risk levels. The study highlighted that extreme heat now posed a risk to 57% of Indian districts, home to 76% of the country's population. Districts in 'high risk' categories included Kutch, Aravalli, Mahisagar, Panchmahal, Chhota Udepur, Narmada, and Tapi. Only Dangs was in the moderate category. All other districts were termed as having 'very high risk'. According to the study, most districts in Gujarat experienced 3 to 6 more 'very hot days' between 2012 and 2022 compared to baseline data from 1982 to 2011. In comparison, Kutch and some parts of Saurashtra recorded 9 to 12, and the rest of the state 6 to 9 more 'very warm nights' in the same period. Compared to the Gangetic plain, Gujarat recorded a relatively low rise in relative humidity (RH), which increased by 0 to 3% in the last decade. The report mentioned Ahmedabad – one of the districts with very high heat risk – for its heat action plan (HAP) and initiatives such as parametric insurance for those affected by the Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA) as some of the good practices "to enhance financial resilience and ensure timely compensation for heat-induced losses, particularly focusing on the livelihood losses for outdoor workers". "Ahmedabad, which launched its HAP in 2013, reportedly avoided about 1,000 all-cause deaths annually during 2014–2015 compared to the 2007–2010 baseline," mentioned the report. Public health experts associated with HAP design said that the report should be seen in light of the awareness and mitigation measures. "There are multiple factors responsible for the rise in heat, ranging from climate change to the urban heat island (UHI) effect. Heat affects a very large population in states like Gujarat, and thus measures become crucial. Several good practices are documented in Ahmedabad, and successful ones should be replicated in other parts of the state," said the expert.
Indian Express
20-05-2025
- Climate
- Indian Express
Maharashtra among top 10 heat risk prone states in country: Study
Maharashtra is among the top ten heat risk prone states across the country, according to a recent study published by Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), which found that nearly 57 percent of Indian districts now face the brunt of extreme heat. Released on Tuesday, the study has also flagged a significant jump in very warm nights, as against warmer days, with Mumbai experiencing the highest spike of an additional 15 more 'very warm nights' in the last decade. Aimed at determining how climate change has influenced heat related hazards between 1982 and 2022, the study titled 'How Extreme Heat is Impacting India: Assessing District-level Heat Risk', conducted a heat risk assessment of nearly 734 districts in India using 35 indicators, while also integrating night time temperatures and relative humidity levels. Of the total districts evaluated, the study has found that at least 417 districts – accounting for 57 percent of total Indian districts – are currently at high to very high heat risk. These districts house nearly 76 percent of the country's total population. At the state level, the study showed that nearly ten states are at the highest risk from heat related stress including Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala, Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. According to the findings, while the districts have seen a spike in 'very hot days', 'very warm nights' have seen a much alarming rise over the past decade. The report shows that nearly 70 percent of districts experienced an additional five 'very warm' nights during the summer months spanning March to June, in the past ten years, even as only 28 percent districts experienced additional 'very warm days'. With urban and dense regions identified as most prone, residents in Mumbai were seen experiencing 15 more 'very warm nights', each summer in the past decade, as against the past three decades. Mumbai is followed by Bengaluru which saw an additional 11 'very warm nights', followed by Jaipur, Delhi and Chennai which saw an increase of seven , six and four nights respectively. Experts have pointed to the urban heat island effect, which traps heat during the day, as a key factor influencing this trend. What makes warmer nights detrimental to health is that it prevents the human body from cooling down after intense daytime heat, increasing health risks like heat strokes as well as diseases like diabetes and hypertension. Experts have said that children, women, elderly and marginalised communities are among the most vulnerable. Furthermore, the study has also observed that relative humidity levels have seen a 10 per cent jump across North India and the Indo Gangetic plain over the past one decade, exposing farm workers – who spend long durations outdoors – to extreme heat duress. Amid rising heat-induced risks across the country, the report has recommended that Heat Action Plans (HAP) be regularly updated using granular data and expanded to include measures of night-time heat and humidity stress. Dr Arunabha Ghosh, CEO, CEEW, said, 'We must urgently overhaul city-level Heat Action Plans to address local vulnerabilities, balance emergency response measures with long-term resilience, and secure financing for sustainable cooling solutions.'
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
India's HAP prototype, built for border patrol, complete's key test
BENGALURU: India's indigenous high-altitude platform (HAP) project has completed another flight test campaign — crucial pre-monsoon flight tests with an upgraded certified autopilot system — of its subscale prototype developed by the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL). Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The solar-powered stratospheric vehicle , which navigated through cloud cover during back-to-back test flights between May 8 and 13, holds the potential to boost India's border security infrastructure and surveillance technology, once ready. The tests were carried out at the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) in Challakere in Chitradurga, some 200km from the city. The HAP now utilises a certified sensor redundant control system hardware, enabling fully autonomous vehicle operation through custom control laws, navigation algorithms, and automated fail safes for all possible scenarios. In simpler terms, it now has a certified autopilot system. 'By developing proprietary systems rather than adopting the open-source approach common among UAV developers nationally and globally, NAL has joined the select few organisations worldwide pursuing certification—a critical requirement for integration into the national airspace system,' L Venkatakrishnan, programme director of HAP at NAL, told TOI. The recent tests demonstrated the platform's capability to maintain flight even with reduced energy production due to cloud cover, with the vehicle successfully reaching altitudes of 24,000 feet (FL240 in aviation terminology). The subscale prototype, with a 12-metre wingspan weighing less than 22kg, has already achieved flight endurance of more than 8.5 hours at altitudes of almost 7km above mean sea level during tests conducted in May last year, using an open source auto-pilot system. Border patrolling The certified autopilot system, Venkatakrishnan said, is robust enough to enable completely autonomous flight without human intervention. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'This is the same autopilot which will work on the full-scale vehicle we are building,' he said. Though functioning as a testbed for aerodynamic design and subsystems intended for the full-scale model, the subscale HAP offers significant capabilities in its own right. 'With a payload capacity of nearly 1kg and an operating altitude of up to 25,000 feet, it can patrol hundreds of miles of national borders that would otherwise require human presence. Additional applications include geoinformatics, meteorology, and crowd monitoring,' Venkatakrishnan said. The full-scale HAP will expand these capabilities, offering a 10kg payload capacity from 65,000 feet (20km) altitude with geographic persistence. IAF wants similar systems It's noteworthy that the Indian Air Force (IAF), earlier this month, issued a Request for Information (RFI) for such High-Altitude Platform Systems. However, no comparable system has yet been deployed globally for military or other purposes. Given the unique weather challenges of the Indian subcontinent and strategic considerations regarding asset availability during emergencies, indigenous development is critical. However, procurement will depend on how quickly indigenous systems like the one NAL is developing can become available to the armed forces and how efficiently they work. NAL expects its full-scale HAP to be ready for flight testing by the first quarter of 2026. Beyond military applications, the platform shows promising civilian use cases. The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, has expressed interest in using our HAP to deploy radiosondes for internal measurements of monsoon clouds, while telecommunications applications are also being explored. 'We are already ready to carry a 5G base station because in terms of power and size-weight it can easily do that,' Venkatakrishnan said, highlighting the platform's potential to serve as an aerial telecommunications relay.
Wales Online
15-05-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Empty home owners in Gwynedd could soon face even bigger bills
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Councillors could consider upping the rate of council tax premiums on empty homes in Gwynedd to bring them in line with the rate for second homes in the county. The idea was discussed by councillors as they agreed to extend a project which is aiming to help fight a housing crisis in the county. Cyngor Gwynedd's cabinet approved a proposal to extend its Housing Action Plan [HAP] for another two years to the end of the 2028/29 financial year, at its meeting on Tuesday, May 13. The HAP includes 33 projects aimed at providing Gwynedd residents with access to "suitable, affordable and quality" homes. Among its objectives is tackling homelessness. The cabinet agreed to commit to providing a sum of £6m raised from the council tax premium fund, towards the HAP's extension. Get all the latest Gwynedd news by signing up to our newsletter - sent every Tuesday The council currently charges a 100% council tax premium on homes that have been empty for 12 months or more. It was suggested during the meeting that this could eventually be brought in line with the rate charged for second homes, which is currently 150%. Councillors are due to reassess the premium rates in December. Cabinet member for finance Cllr Huw Wyn Jones said he was "very supportive" of the premium being charged on empty homes. (Image: Cyngor Gwynedd) He said it felt "quite immoral" that there were empty homes around, when some people were "seeking a roof over their head". He asked: "Is it possible to increase the premium even higher on houses that are empty for longer terms? "I can't see any reason for a house to be empty for three, five or ten years. Can we set it even higher, to try and attract those houses back into use?" Cabinet member for housing and property, Cllr Paul Rowlinson, agreed, saying the HAP, used the money raised from the premiums. (Image: Cyngor Gwynedd) He said: "The current level of 100 percent on empty homes is acceptable, but as I said in the full council in December, it would be beneficial to increase the level of houses that have been empty for many years, where they have been paying 100 percent for several years, where the measures have not had the impact we wanted. "I am pleased that the HAP has brought 269 empty homes back into use, through direct support from the council. "This figure does not include houses that may have come back into use without support from the council, where people have been paying the premium but then decide to put their house on the market, or bring it back for use in some other way. "We should definitely consider increasing the premiums on empty homes, those which have been empty for a long time, but keep it at the current level for the ones that are just empty for a year or so." The Council's chief executive Dafydd Gibbard said the topic had been discussed "more than once" over the years. He said: "We did not want to increase the level at one period, but I think it was said last time, when the premium was being set, that we need to review the situation, to shift the rate for empty homes to the same rate for second homes." He added that work looking into the subject was already happening. "It is getting more difficult to justify the different rates," he said. He told councillors: "You will be setting the premiums again in December, when it will be time for you to decide if this is something you want to increase or not." Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now
