Fingal County Council is currently preparing a Social Housing Assessment Summary.
The purpose of the Assessment is to capture the total number of households qualified for social housing support across the county whose social housing need is not being met, in order to understand the level of need for such support. Fingal County Council is contacting certain applicants who have applied for social housing support prior to the 20th of April 2017 to confirm that they still require social housing support. Each applicant must confirm their requirement to the Council by completing the assessment form which has been issued. Applicants who have applied after the 20th of April 2017 will not be written to as your file has recently been assessed so there is no need to contact the Council unless there is a change in circumstances. Transfer applicants, HAP and RAS tenants are not included in this assessment. Completed forms should be submitted no later than Friday 25th May. FORMS: http://www.fingal.ie/housing/social-housing-assessment-2018/ Just 220 of 660 low interest mortgage applications have been granted
to date while over 50% have been refused Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Housing, Darragh O’Brien TD has said that the rate of approval for the Government backed low interest mortgage must improve to have any meaningful impact on the high rate of demand from first-time buyers. Information received by the Deputy through Parliamentary Question reveals that only one in three low interest mortgages have been granted to first time buyers nationwide under the Government’s Rebuilding Ireland housing strategy. Since the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan came on stream, 54% of the applications examined have been refused by the Housing Agency and a further 181 applications are yet to be assessed. O’Brien said, “The Rebuilding Ireland home loan scheme is a flagship policy of Fine Gael’s efforts to secure affordable homes and have even proclaimed it to be ‘a success story.’ “That’s pretty hard to fathom given that only 220 applicants have benefitted from it; a drop in the ocean against a rising tide of house prices. The reality is that this scheme is not helping affordability. “The capping of house prices in cities such as Dublin, Cork, Galway, Kildare, Louth, Meath and Wicklow at €320,000 and €250,000elsewhere in the country is an ill-considered move. “Anyone who is observing current market trends can tell you that the likelihood of finding a home within these limits is near impossible. Even the homes for sale that could narrowly fit within these parameters are choosing to raise the price from €250,000 to 290,000 or €320,000 to €350,000. “While house prices heighten, the Housing Agency is refusing majority of those applying for the Government backed loan scheme. “There must be a fundamental re-assessment of the Government’s policies on home affordability to ensure that ordinary income earners can ever fulfil the prospect of owning their own home. “That has to start with a establishing a comprehensive Affordable Home Scheme across the country.” Local Fianna Fáil TD, Darragh O’Brien has said local Government representatives are trying to hide from the fact there is no concrete plan or timeframe in place to ensure the reopening of the Garda Station in Rush, North County Dublin.
The Deputy received information from the Minister for Justice, Charlie Flanagan earlier this month which confirms that there is no timeframe in place for re-opening Rush Garda Station and that it is still only at design and planning stage. “It’s been over 6 months since Rush Garda Station was approved for reopening, yet the only progress that has been made is estimating a cost for the works that need to be carried out,” said O’Brien. “It is clear that there is no real energy coming from Government quarters in the effort to reopen the station despite Rush being a major urban area with a growing population of over 10,000 people. “It made no sense to close the station in the first instance but the delay in getting it back operational is even more damning. The fact that the area is without a full time Garda Station is indefensible and it is leaving the people of Rush unprotected. “Crime is one of the most pressing issues in Fingal and without a full time Garda station with additional Garda resources, the level of criminal activity will likely rise. “The decision to re-open Rush Garda Station was trumpeted by our local representatives in Government but I haven’t heard much from them in terms of an update or timescale of when people can actually expect the station to be operational. He concluded, “For all we know we could be another 6 years waiting for a full time Garda presence to be restored in the area.” Rents in Ireland have spiralled out of control while Government
continue to claim their plan is working Fianna Fáil Housing Spokesperson, Darragh O’Brien TD has said it is abundantly clear that this Government must dramatically change its approach in trying to curb the rocketing price of rent nationwide. The latest Daft.ie Housing Report published earlier this morning indicates that the average price of rent in Dublin has reached a record high and is currently 23% higher than previously ever recorded. O’Brien commented, “News that the average rent price in our Capital has reached such a peak, coming close to €2,000 a month, will be demoralising to so many across Ireland this morning. “A 12.4% rise year-on-year is categorical proof that this Government’s ill-thought, underwhelming measures are not working. “Rising costs in rent are not just confined to Dublin either; prices are in fact continuing to shoot up elsewhere in the country too. Galway, Limerick, Waterford and other places around the country such as Tipperary and Louth have all risen by over 10%. “Forking out for rent increases that are thirty times inflation – is it any wonder that there are more people forced out on our streets than ever before? “Supply has reached an all-time low while the degree of pressure on the private rental sector means more and more have no hope of ever owning their own home. Paying rent at these prices makes saving for a mortgage impossible. “Government must immediately strengthen and enhance the Rent Pressure Zone System by providing the Residential Tenancies Board with investigatory powers. “The Taoiseach and his Housing Minister need to realize that the housing crisis is not a PR opportunity. It requires focus and new thinking and a level of energy that we have not seen to date”, concluded O’Brien. FF Justice Spokesperson, Jim O’Callaghan TD addresses
Fingal public meeting on crime prevention Local Fianna Fáil TD, Darragh O’Brien says the Government is failing to crack down on crime in Fingal, and needs to come up with new measures to protect communities in the North County. Deputy O’Brien was commenting following his public meeting on crime and policing held in earlier this week St Sylvester’s Parish Centre, Malahide. He explained, “The reality is that the people of Fingal have had their Garda presence severely curtailed and in fact, 1 in 5 Gardaí have been lost in Fingal over the past 5 years alone. “This Government has long ignored the seriousness of the crime related issues in our region. Donabate and Portane are just two of the areas that make up a substantial portion of the population in the North County but that remains without any Garda resources. The Government has stalled on the re-opening of Rush Garda Station, despite continued promises. In the meantime, Malahide station operates on limited opening hours. “Fianna Fáil's Spokesperson on Justice, Jim O’Callaghan TD was on hand at the meeting to offer our party's vision on effective policing while Garda Inspector; Oliver Woods made some excellent and very important contributions. “It is clear from the huge attendance at our meeting that local residents are fed up with the implications of these cuts on our area. The value of a permanent Gardaí presence in communities and on streets in Fingal cannot be underestimated. “My party colleagues and I have been consistently raising the decrease in Garda presence across Dublin and Fingal in particular, on the floor of the Dáil. “We wish to see the introduction of additional measures to prevent criminals from targeting vulnerable people in Fingal. It is crucial also that increased resources are allocated for Gardaí to crackdown on repeat offenders. This Government need to get tough on criminals and protect communities in the North County”, concluded Deputy O’Brien. Local Councillor Eoghan O’Brien added, "The large turnout at our meeting highlighted the degree of concern that exists among people in the North County regarding crime and the lack of Garda resources. "There was one resounding message from the meeting – the Government’s inaction on crime and the poor level of resources provided to Gardaí to effectively combat criminality across the community will no longer be tolerated.” Any attempt to delay the publication of Department’s data on homelessness must be stopped Fianna Fáil Housing Spokesperson, Darragh O’Brien TD has written to Minister Eoghan Murphy to demand that no changes are made to the publication of homeless figures. The Deputy’s letter comes following reports that the Government intend to prolong the monthly release of figures and will instead publish them once every three months. According to the latest figures published in February, there are currently almost 10,000 homeless people in Ireland, this includes 3,755 children. Deputy O’Brien commented, “Delaying the publication of very crucial data related to homelessness is in my mind a very clear attempt to minimise the scale of the crisis. “It would appear as though the Government are trying to keep this rising number of homeless people out of sight and out of mind but there is no hiding from the fact that this is about more than just a number. “These figures represent real lives, real families and children struggling to secure a roof over their heads or a comfortable place they can call home. They act as reliable proof of the Government’s weak policy on housing. “The general public rely on the regular publication of figures to be reminded of the depth of the crisis in homelessness; that this is a problem that is not going away. He added, “In addition to holding the Government to account, this is essential information for those in NGOs operating at the centre of the crisis as it allows them effectively respond to emerging trends. “I am vehemently opposed to any change to the current process of publication and I have written to the Housing Minister to demand that figures on homelessness will continue to be released on a monthly basis. “I will also be raising this issue on the floor of the Dáil later this week. “The Government cannot bury its head in the sand over this crisis and cannot be allowed to hide the figures. Should Ireland ever get to grips with the crisis, transparency and full accountability are imperative,” Deputy O’Brien concluded.
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NEWSArchives
November 2023
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