COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, January 09, 2023

MOTION NO. 2

MOTION: Councillor T. Costello

To ask South Dublin County Council to develop a protocol whereby Councillors can make representations on behalf of constituents to Approved Housing Bodies to ensure that AHB's will have a pathway to communicate with Councillors when they contact them on behalf of their constituents. Given the growing number of tenancies in the County which are being managed by AHBs this protocol will ensure that tenants get the necessary support and level of representation which they are entitled to. 

REPORT:

A Dublin regional Approved Housing Bodies (AHB) Forum was established in February 2020 to improve co-ordination between the Dublin local authorities and AHBs.  This forum meets quarterly and is attended by representatives from Housing Departments in all four Dublin local authorities and all AHBs operating in the Dublin area along with other stakeholder/representative agencies.  It also provides for working groups to be established to consider specific issues and make recommendations in relation to relevant policy and operational matters which allows any issues from Elected Members to be raised with AHB representatives as required.

In addition, a draft protocol for communications between the Council and Approved Housing Bodies was considered at the Housing SPC meeting in November 2022.  This protocol aims to provide clarity on all aspects of engagement and communication between Council stakeholders and all AHBs operating in the County including the role of Councillors.  It recognises the importance of the Councillors’ advocacy and representative functions and seeks to agree mechanisms to liaise with Councillors such as meetings, presentations and information sharing.  Input from the members of the Housing SPC will be incorporated into the draft protocol will be circulated to AHB representative organisations for review and comment. It is intended that a final draft will be brought to the next Housing SPC meeting in February 2023 for sign-off and it will then be circulated to all twenty-six AHBs operating in our administrative area for agreement.

A list of all AHB developments along with appropriate contact details in each AHB was also previously circulated to all local Councillors to facilitate representations to be made directly to AHBs as necessary, with contact further facilitated by staff in the Housing Department where required and representatives from the Housing Alliance, a collaboration of six of Ireland’s largest AHBs: Clúid Housing, Circle Voluntary Housing, Co-operative Housing Ireland, Oaklee Housing, Respond and Tuath Housing, attended the November 2022 meeting of the Housing SPC.