COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, October 10, 2022

HEADED ITEM NO. 4 d) (ii)

Minutes of Housing Strategic Policy Committee meeting held on Thursday, 12th May 2022 (Hybrid Meeting)

In attendance:

Cllr. D. O’Donovan (Chair), Cllr. W. Carey, Cllr. L. Donaghy, Cllr. B. Lawlor, Cllr. S. Moynihan, Cllr. J. Tuffy, G. Stockil (PPN) and S. Harty (PPN).

Apologies:

Cllr. K Mahon and B. Tyrell-Collard (ICTU).

Officials in attendance:

C. Ward (Director of Services), B. Pierce (Senior Executive Officer), N. Hanly (Senior Executive Officer), E. Leech (Senior Executive Officer), M. Murtagh (Administrative Officer), F. Keane (Senior Staff Officer) and Margaret Farrell (Clerical Officer).

Also in attendance:

M. Hayes (Director, Dublin Region Homeless Executive)

The meeting was chaired by Cllr. O'Donovan and commenced at 5:30pm.

H1. Minutes of Previous Meeting

The minutes of the previous meeting of he committee, held on 10 February 2022, were proposed by Cllr. Lawlor and seconded by Cllr. Carey and agreed.

H2. Dublin Regional Homelessness Action Plan 2022-2024

Mary Hayes, Director of the Dublin Region Homeless Executive, gave a presentation outlining the process and consultation for the development of the new Dublin Regional Homelessness Action Plan as well as summarising the key aspects of the proposed new plan which will require approval from all four Dublin Local Authorities. 

Questions from Cllr. Carey and S. Harty were responded to by C. Ward in relation to facilities in the county including the future establishment of a family hub, status of those in Direct Provision and their exit from the program, and an update on the ethnic indicator on social housing application forms. He also advised that the plan was being considered by the Housing SPCs in each of the Dublin local authorities and would then have to progress to full council subsequently.  The report was noted and it was agreed by the committee that the draft plan would be brought forward to the full Council for consideration.

H3. Affordable Housing Regulations

E. Leech provided an update to the committee on the recent Affordable Housing and Cost Rental regulations dealing with eligibility, advertisement, allocation and pricing for affordable purchase housing as well as cost rental developments.  The committee was advised that, as per the work plan for the SPC for this year, a working group of up to four SPC members will be convened to work with officials from the Housing Department to draft a Scheme of Priority for the Allocation of Affordable Purchase Dwellings for consideration by this Committee and subsequent recommendation to full Council for adoption.  Following questions and contributions from Cllrs. O'Donovan, Carey, Moynihan, and Lawlor, C. Ward and E. Leech responded, confirming the incomes thresholds for applicants, how new affordable schemes will be advertised and promoted, the committee agreed to establish the working group and noted the report.  Members of the committee were requested to express their interest in participating on the working group to E. Leech.

H4. Energy Efficiency Retrofit Programme & Planned Maintenance Schedule

E. Leech presented a report outlining funding and the proposed 2022 work plans for both the energy efficiency retrofit and planned maintenance programmes across LEAs.  There were questions and contributions from Cllrs. O'Donovan, Moynihan and Carey and S. Harty that E. Leech responded to, providing detailed numbers of houses benefiting from the energy retrofit programme and confirming that it is a rolling programme.   She also provided information on planned maintenance in Balgaddy and a mechanical ventilation system being piloted as well as confirming that tenants in rent arrears will still have their homes included in the programme given that the Council will continue to maintain their asset.  C. Ward also advised that there is a dedicated team working on the Energy Retrofit and Planned Maintenance programme after which the report was noted by the committee.

H5. Housing Delivery (pre-recorded)

A pre-recorded presentation by B. Pierce was circulated in advance of the meeting which outlined the current status of the housing delivery programme.  Following contributions by Cllrs. Lawlor and O'Donovan, B. Pierce confirmed that the Council would engage with contractors on a case by case basis once full details on recently announced Inflation Co-operation Framework were available.  The report was then noted by the Committee.

H6. Allocations (pre-recorded)

A pre-recorded presentation by N. Hanly was circulated in advance of the meeting detailing housing allocations in 2022 as well as profiling the housing list with information on homeless, medical and age friendly need.  The report also outlined the processes under our Rightsizing Policy for allocation of the new age friendly homes that will shortly be completed in Springfield.

There were questions and contributions from Cllrs. Tuffy, O'Donovan and Carey and G. Stockil in relation to the status of age friendly/right-sizing developments and the number of smaller units in developments which C. Ward responded to, including to confirm that providing one-bedroom homes in age-friendly housing developments through rightsizing will, in turn, make larger three and four bedroom homes available in existing communities.  The committee then noted the report.

H7. Items for Noting

Reports were uploaded for the Committee’s information relating to:
a.) Housing Disability Steering Group (HDSG): A report from the HDSG meeting in March 2022 was provided and reports from the HDSG meetings will be reported to the SPC on a quarterly basis going forward.
b.) AHB Forum & AHB Engagement with Elected Members: providing an overview of the operation of the AHB Forum and outlining potential means of improving engagement between Elected Members/Housing SPC Members and AHBs that will be considered further at the AHB forum.
c.) Traveller Accommodation Programme Mid-Term Review: providing an update on the status of the formal TAP review process for which guidance is still awaited from DHLGH as well as details of accommodation provided under the current TAP.

These reports were noted by the committee.

H8. Fire Safety in Multi-Storey Apartment Buildings

A presentation was made by G. Stockil, which was previously circulated to the committee, which was noted by the committee and C. Ward advised that he would liaise with the Council's Director of Environment, Water and Climate Change who has responsibility for engagement with Dublin City Council in respect of Dublin Fire Brigade operational matters.  G. Stockil requested that Fire Safety Matters would be a recurring agenda item at future meetings of this SPC which was agreed by the committee.

H9. Any Other Business

C. Ward advised committee members that they could contact the Chair or him about potential future agenda items.  Cllr. Carey mentioned that he had proposed an item on rent arrears and C.Ward advised that this would be followed up with him in advance of the next committee meeting. 

There was no other business and the meeting concluded at 7.00pm.