Latest news with #TenantinSitu
RTÉ News
07-07-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
DCC raises 'grave concern' over Government's expected apartment plans
Dublin City Council has supported an emergency motion accusing central Government of "overreach" amid reports of plans, expected to go before Cabinet tomorrow, that local authorities would be precluded from requiring community facilities within apartment schemes. Minister for Housing James Browne is expected to bring proposals to Cabinet tomorrow to change requirements around minimum apartment sizes, the mix of apartments in developments and communal spaces. It is understood the proposed new guidelines specify that communal, community or cultural facilities within apartment schemes will not be required on a mandatory basis due to the implications such requirements may have on the viability of projects. The emergency motion, which was tabled by the Green Party and Labour Party, said the proposals would "gut the provision of 5% community or cultural space in SDRAs (Strategic Development Regeneration Areas) and developments of 10,000sq/m or more". This, it described, as "a hard-won provision in the 2022-2028 Dublin City Development Plan". It expressed the council's "deep dismay" at the proposals as detailed in "media reports" over the weekend. It said these proposals would also "reduce the size and quality of people's homes", and represented "a developer-led race to the bottom and further reduction in minimum standards and guidelines when it comes to apartment developments, without any consultation or engagement with local authorities". "This council expresses its grave concern at central Government overreach, its undermining of local democracy and its efforts to undermine the principle of sustainable community development," the motion said. "The council seeks immediate clarity from Government on these guidelines and agrees to write to Minister James Browne seeking an urgent meeting," it added. A spokesperson for the Department of Housing said that "in advance of the Cabinet meeting tomorrow, the department will not be commenting or issuing a statement". It is understood the minister will tell Government colleagues the proposed changes will cut building costs by between €50,000 and €100,000 per apartment. In May, Mr Browne acknowledged it would be "challenging" to reach the Government's housing output target of 41,000 homes this year. A number of emergency motions critical of Department of Housing actions under Mr Browne have been passed by Dublin City Council since the start of March. The first motion called for Mr Browne to release funding for the Tenant in Situ scheme. Another motion, passed last month, criticised the minister's decision not to fund three public private partnership social housing projects. The minister pulled the plug on funding for a number of projects, which were about to begin construction, citing value for money concerns. In all three emergency motions, including tonight's, meetings were requested with Minister Browne. Mr Browne was accused of issuing a "blanket refusal to engage" with Dublin City Council by then lord mayor Emma Blain of Fine Gael, when two meeting requests she issued following the March motion on Tenant in Situ funding went unanswered. A third invite was met with a reply that said the minister was "unable to facilitate this meeting request". After Ms Blain contacted the Taoiseach Micheál Martin about the matter, Mr Browne invited the then lord mayor to a meeting to discuss the Tenant in Situ scheme in May.
The Journal
05-07-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Tenants' protest planned for Dublin today as 80 unions seek momentum for all-island fight
MORE THAN 80 trade unions and organisations have lent backing to a housing protest taking place in Dublin city centre later today. Organised by the renters group called Community Action Tenants Union Ireland (Catu), it is seeking for the Dáil to immediately implement a number of measures to protect people across the island from homelessness. The demonstration will start at 1pm at the Garden of Remembrance in Parnell Square. These include the introduction and re-instatement of the eviction ban, which expired in March two years ago, and a commitment to ensure no child is living in emergency accommodation by 2026. It also wants 'proper resourcing' of the Tenant in Situ scheme, which has been hit by changes and restrictions that risked sending people into homelessness . The union also demands a rapid expansion of community mental health and addiction supports to address the complex harms experienced by many people forced into the homeless system. Describing itself as an all-island union, it also wants the same measures implemented by Stormont in the North. Advertisement Organisations who have endorsed include Forsa, Siptu, Conradh na Gaeilge and Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland. John Bohan, a member of Catu's national committee, said today's protest is trying to capture 'anger' on the issue that he feels was lost due to the pandemic. 'There had been such momentum on housing as an issue. Before the pandemic hit, you had these massive protests, occupations of key buildings like Apollo House , you had pushback against evictions, and you had the big Raise the Roof rallies ,' Bohan said. 'Covid just put a pause on that. I think the big danger is to turn housing into a new healthcare, where people are like, 'Oh, that's that's a joke, it's been broken for years and it will take a load of years to fix it so what can you do?' That sense of apathy has really built up.' The latest figures show that 15,747 people were living in emergency accommodation in May. The figure includes 4,844 children – some 69 more than last month. The statistics do not include people rough sleeping, refugees, asylum seekers, individuals in domestic violence shelters, or those experiencing 'hidden homelessness', such as sleeping in cars, on couches, or other unsuitable living conditions. Bohan said the the aim of today's protest is that to direct anger towards people who are 'responsible delivering policy decisions, to help organise and focus our friends and neighbors towards people with power who change things'. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Daily Mirror
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Daily Mirror
Housing protest expected at Dail as Government accused of 'assaulting' renters
The opposition has accused the Government of "gaslighting" and "assaulting" renters ahead of a large housing protest expected to take place outside Leinster House on Tuesday evening. The "Raise the Roof" protest will gather outside the gates of Leinster House from 6pm to coincide with a joint Dáil motion submitted by the opposition. The initiative, initially put together by Ireland's trade unions, will hold another protest in Cork on Saturday. The Dáil will debate an emergency motion on housing on Tuesday, calling on the Government to "dramatically increase" investment in public housing, introduce stronger taxes on vacancy and dereliction and greater use of Compulsory Purchase Orders to bring empty homes back into use. It also calls on it to introduce a rent freeze rather than changing Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs), introducing a ban on no fault evictions and restoring full funding for the Tenant in Situ scheme. Last week, the Government introduced new measures which they claimed will "protect renters". This includes extending the RPZ cap nationwide to limit rent increases to 2 per cent. It will also create six-year tenancies and introduce no fault evictions. However, the plan to allow landlords to increase rents after six years or when a tenant leaves voluntarily has been widely criticised. Speaking at Leinster House, Sinn Féin's housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin further criticised Government action on housing. He said: "[The motion contains] things that we think could be done immediately, would make a real difference and we want to see them implemented. "These proposals have the support of all of the affiliates of the Raise the Roof coalition. "The Raise the Roof campaign is going to be showing, in its numbers, the strong support from civil society, trade unions, political parties, but also, crucially, people impacted by the housing and homelessness crisis that these are the kinds of emergency measures they want to see, not the all out assault on renters In the private rental sector we've seen from the Government essentially allowing all rent over a period of time to be reset to market rents." Labour's housing spokesman Conor Sheehan, meanwhile, suggested that the measures announced by Government "will throw renters under the bus". He suggested that there was anecdotal evidence that landlords were already putting up rents ahead of the introduction of nationwide rent controls and the change to RPZ legislation next March. He added: "This government does not care about renters and when it claims it cares about renters, it is gaslighting renters. "The confusing, incoherent, ill thought out measures that they introduced last week, or said they would introduce, are going to send rents skyrocketing."
RTÉ News
16-06-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Dáil to debate emergency motion on housing and homelessness
The Dáil will tomorrow debate an opposition motion calling for emergency action to address the deepening housing and homelessness crisis. A Raise the Roof protest will take place at the gates of the Leinster House to coincide with the motion which has the support of Sinn Féin, Labour, the Social Democrats, PBP-Solidarity, several Independent TDs and the Green Party. It is calling for a dramatic increase in public housing investment and it is seeking to have stronger taxes imposed on vacancy and dereliction. The opposition motion wants greater protections for private renters through the freezing and cutting of rents and it warns against any changes to the Rent Pressure Zones that would increase rents. There is also a call for the reintroduction of the ban on no fault evictions and to fully restore the Tenant in Situ scheme. Sinn Féin's Eoin O Broin said tomorrow's protest will be the first in a series of rolling demonstrations across the country. While Labour TD Conor Sheehan's revealed there is anecdotal evidence that landlords are hiking rents in the aftermath of the Government's reform of the Rent Pressure Zones which he described as incoherent and confusing.
Irish Independent
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Emergency meeting in Cork over ‘cowardly' government defunding of homelessness scheme
It came as councillors roundly agreed on a motion to write to the Taoiseach and Housing Minister James Browne to reinstate proposed funding for the Tenant in Situ scheme. The meeting, which was called following a decision by central government to withdraw any further necessary funding on the scheme, came after representatives, including those in government party Fine Gael, signed a letter on the issue to the Housing Minister. 'I had no hesitation in signing this letter, the government has got this completely wrong,' said Fine Gael councillor Des Cahill at the meeting. 'We were recently told 37.7% of homelessness preventions in Cork City were achieved thanks to the Tenant in Situ scheme. Quite often Ministers will ring to ask why grants aren't being used, which tells me when they announce something, they want it to be used. 'We've never been prevented from building a house due to money, now to find out that this scheme was going to be pulled back, it's reprehensible. 'We shouldn't have to come with a begging bowl to look for funds that is absolutely crucial for our constituents who desperately need it. It's a disgrace that we have to go this far to expose something that should not have gotten to this stage.' Cork City Council Chief Executive Valerie O'Sullivan outlined the report issued to councillors, which outlines a near €1.7 million shortfall in finances to implement the scheme, having been allocated €20 million in total by central government for 2025. "Cork City Council makes no apology for being ambitious when it comes to housing funding and housing targets' said Chief Executive O'Sullivan. 'However, we wouldn't be able to achieve those targets without government funding. Our ambitions don't take us outside targets." With members of families affected by the move sitting in the gallery, Sinn Féin councillor Ken Collins called the move 'not just short-sighted, it's dangerous, pushing people to the brink and giving them no options and no shelter. 'Housing is a matter of dignity, human rights, and social justice,' he concluded. Party colleague Michelle Gould said that 'the most vulnerable adults in this city will be left on the streets. Homelessness is something which traumatises a child, it will change a child's life forever. 'Reverse the decision, do the right thing, and shame on this government for letting it get this long.' Fianna Fáil councillors Tony Fitzgerald, Seán Martin, and Terry Shannon, who didn't sign the letter on the motion, argued that the idea of the scheme being scrapped was 'nonsense', and outlined the schemes already available for those looking to buy housing. 'Our clear focus in Fianna Fáil is to increase the supply of new-build, social and affordable housing,' said Cllr Fitzgerald. 'I know well the needs of the constituents that I represent, increasing the overall housing supply is key to the housing supply, eliminating long-term homelessness.' 'There's an issue about 'who said what', people took that as their word and drove on with policy,' said Seán Martin to the chamber, adding that he didn't 'need any cover' from brother and Taoiseach Micheál. 'The amount of building hasn't been surpassed since the 1970s. Is there an issue with this year? There is. Saying that the Tenant-in-Situ scheme is gone is nonsense; we were given €20 million. Do we need more? We do.' 'I'll take no lectures from those other members,' said Cllr Shannon, who criticised Sinn Féin's track record on social housing in Northern Ireland. 'We've hundreds of millions of euros being spent by this Fianna Fáil government on housing. We have a very strong economy, which is never mentioned in this house.' However, the decision not to provide further funding was called 'cowardly' by Green Party representative Oliver Moran. 'It seems like we are being punished for our success.' 'It's not being dissolved, it's being defunded, which is possibly the most cowardly way to close a scheme. If it is now being defunded, we need to bring back the eviction ban.' The call to reinstate the eviction ban was initially proposed by Labour councillor Peter Horgan, who says that the lack of funding has now given 'false hope' to families who had submitted applications earlier this year. 'The Council has honoured its duty with integrity and diligence, but can't work miracles without means,' said Independent Ireland councillor Noel O'Flynn. 'The Department has left us unable to act. What message does this send to the vulnerable?' A flashpoint broke out in the chamber, when Sinn Féin's Joe Lynch alluded to Fine Gael's Colm Kelleher's line that the issue was an 'accounting problem' as 'appalling', however Kelleher called the line 'outrageous' and out of the context in which it was said, which Kelleher said was in reference to the Chief Executive's report. 'You're going round in circles', one of the concerned family members shouted at government party councillors from the balcony. Eventually, the majority of councillors agreed on the motion, stating: 'Cork City Council will write to the Minister for Housing and the Taoiseach requesting urgent increased funding for the Capital Acquisitions Scheme 2025, to prevent families and individuals from becoming homeless and to allow the scheme to function as previously given its success.'
