Victor Boyhan presses for local democracy and tenants' rights
Victor Boyhan urged stronger local democracy and immediate action on tenants' rights, pressing for input into the terms of reference for a proposed local democracy task force. He demanded a debate on the Housing Commission and called for public tenants to be included under the Residential Tenancies Board.
Task force on local democracy
Victor Boyhan said the programme for government offered less than a page on strengthening local democracy and recalled the commitment to establish a task force on local democracy and local government. He noted the task force follows the initiative of Ger Herlock and the Shannad committee and said he understands the terms of reference are being finalised in the department.
Request to review Shannad committee recommendations
He asked that senators be given time to recap the key highlights of the Shannad committee's recommendations and to feed into the task force's terms of reference. He argued many senators are former local councillors and are closely connected to the electorate, and urged the leader to use his office to clarify the proposed make-up of the task force.
Housing Commission and tenants' rights
Victor Boyhan called for a report and parliamentary debate on the Housing Commission, which he said made extensive recommendations. He raised concerns that government announcements on inspections covered private-sector housing but did not address inspections of local authority houses, and he insisted all tenants should have equal rights of redress and equal access to the Residential Tenancies Board regardless of whether their landlord is public or private.
Evidence cited on social housing conditions
He cited a recent RT News item by Samantha LeBerry describing appalling conditions in a Dublin City Council home - infestation, exposed wiring and unsafe fittings - and said the tenant could get no redress. He used the case to reinforce his call for public tenants of the 31 local authorities to be included in the remit of the Residential Tenancies Board and asked the leader to organise the requested debate.
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At the very outset I want to raise two issues. One is in relation to strengthening our local democracy. It is said that local government is the beating heart of our democracy and how true that is. Yet we just have shy of a thousand city and county councils around this country. In the programme for government there was less than a page in relation to strengthening our local democracy in the programme I have in front of me here. Under the issue of political reform and strengthening our local democracy one of the key aspects was that we would establish or the government would establish a task force on local democracy and local government. That comes from the initiative of yourself, Ger Herlock, who led the Shannad committee in relation to local democracy and local reform. We have very extensive engagement of that. So what I would ask Minister is the terms of reference are being finalised in relation to that I understand from my contacts in the department. So I think it is important that given it was a Shannad committee I think we need to look at that and I think if we could afford some time maybe just to go through the highlights of the recommendations. And also if we could have some influence on the terms of reference. They are after all, the majority of us, they are the electorate of most of the senators in here. We are connected. Many of us are former local councillors ourselves. And I think to demonstrate our absolute commitment. I know that some of the representative bodies of councils were here today meeting some of our senators. So I would ask that we would make time in our schedule maybe just to recap on the key highlights of that report. Feed into the terms of reference for it. And I would ask maybe leader if you could use your good office to find out where is that now? And what is the proposed make-up of that task force? The other thing I would like to just go back on, I would like again to ask for a report on the Housing Commission. We have not had a debate on a very extensive Housing Commission that made very extensive recommendations. And under the Commencements today, I raised the issue of tenants' rights. And the government announced today that all these thousands of inspections for the private sector. But there was no mention of who was inspecting the local authority houses. The social houses in this country. And I believe that all tenants should have the same rights of redress. Should have the same access to the Residential Tenants' Board. Be they public or private. You either have rental sector or rental tenants' agreements in place for everyone. You do not differentiate. The Minister came in here today and told us that no, there is no proposal for local authority members. They might consider it. I am yet again calling for it. And I finish on this. Samantha LeBerry in RT News last night, if anyone saw it. Appalling conditions of a house in Dublin City Council in North County Dublin that had infestation of rats, wires hanging out of the thing, lights hanging off the walls. And the tenant made a very strong case on the news last night. She could get no redress. That is simply not good enough. Therefore I say I want that reviewed again. But more importantly, in the recommendations of this report, the report of the Housing Commission, it strongly recommends that public tenants, local tenants of our 31 local authorities, should be included in the remit for the Residential Tenancy Board. I think that is a good case. And I would like to further elaborate on that recommendation when we have this debate, if you could organise that for this House Leader.
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