Dublin City Councillor Tina MacVeigh, of People Before Profit, top, at Dublin City Council meeting last night
Dublin City Councillor Éilis Ryan, of the Workers’ Party, writes:
“Last night Dublin City Councillors guillotined through, without debate, three emergency motions supporting the building of modular housing and the suspension of normal planning and procurement procedures in order to do this.”
“Fine Gael, Labour and Sinn Fein refused to allow debate on the motions, and refused requests to hold an emergency meeting to allow proper discussion of this critical issue. Modular housing should certainly be considered as part of overall attempts to address the housing crisis; but not by making those who are currently homeless even more vulnerable by rushing through ill-thought-out proposals.”
Anyone?
Meanwhile, on Berkeley Street, Dublin 7…
The Peter McVerry Trust has opened Ireland’s first youth café for children and young people who are homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless.
Fair play, in fairness.
Opening of Ireland’s first Youth Cafe for children and youths in homelessness (Peter McVerry Trust)
First 150 modular housing units for homeless to be fast-tracked (Irish Times, September 30, 2015)
Previously: Absolutely Prefabulous
Pics: Peter McVerry Trust
Very odd. The houses may be modular and quickly built but they still need to be on suitable locations, connected to services and so on. Planning could be expedited but not by-passed.
Exactly, seems like a no brainer to bring in modular homes, but it cant be just a case of we approve now go wild. There needs to be rules and restrictions, such as limits on how long a family can be left in one before permanent accommodation is found, and not having too many in the one place, otherwise we’re just building large American style trailer parks.
Perhaps if the council didn’t wast time debating the 8th amendment and concentrated on the issues it is designed to handle they may have had time to deal with this properly?
agreed, should just have the referendum.
+ 1
or voting against the fluoridation of the water supply, for that matter (another issue where they don’t have any responsibility, yet choose to have silly votes on).
They must be SEEN to do something even if it’s beyond their purview (8th Amend talk, not squaring away housing provision).
+1
A plus one from Clampers Outside? I can retire happily…
DCC meeting minutes here.
http://www.dublincity.ie/main-menu-your-council-council-meetings/minutes-meetings
Whatever about National issues that are outside their remit, Gaza isn’t either but no-one seems to have told Tina McVeigh.
“and the suspension of…. procurement procedures in order to do this.”
Procurement? Watch that space very closely.
Are there any details on who proposed / opposed the decisions?
Fine Gael will think that drop-in centre is too nice for poor people. They don’t deserve clean, quality facilities like this. Hmm, they’ll probably get a bought off hack to write a nasty article on it.
I was about to guffaw at your post. until I actually totally agree with you
This is going to over shadow Joan’s next photo-op at the next soup kitchen opening event !!
Joan will have a feckin’ fit !!
No doubt the homeless will wreck the modular houses once they get them.
They’ll make up excuses like “oh, it’s damp”, blablabla, all whilst living in their own filth.
Jessica, what is your image of homeless people in Ireland? There’s a large percentage of families that are homeless who have been affected by rent increases, Landlords selling houses etc. Why would they wreck a house they are so desperate to receive? There have been a large number of articles written recently about these people so I suggest you look up a few of them. Or if you are just trolling then ignore the above. and jog on…
I felt like I was living in your filth while reading that.
Yes, all the families housed in B&Bs and hotels up and down the country are all being trashed by these very same people.
I’m so glad you didn’t drink that bottle of STFU.
County councils the poor man’s seanad…..waste of time.
It’s called local government. It’s kind of essential in a functioning democracy.
It’s not essential for a functioning democracy (though I would be of the opinion that it is important)
It’s almost a waste of time having councils when the powers they posess to order the Chief Exec of their administrative unit to carry out a particular policy are pretty much non-existent
Isn’t it amazing that a really convenient solution appeared very quickly to a very old problem with a pile of media hype and a fast-track, ‘suspension of normal procurement procedures’ approach from the council?
This makes me wonder:
Why can’t it go to competitive tender? Didn’t the demo houses take a few months to order, locate and erect?
Who is getting to avoid normal procurement procedures?
Who is the Irish agent for these modular homes?
How long has the agent been working this angle with the council?
What circles does the agent move in?: related to whom? shared club membership with? shared alma mater? political party?
Does anyone remember the speed camera van contract, which went to some pop-up consortium who stuck a few benches in the back of Ford Transits and made a killing? Then shifted the company to the Isle of Man to avoid publishing their accounts?
This stinks of filthy luchre. Some private limited shining knight will doubtless step into the breach to facilitate the project management and procurement of aforesaid modular housing at a don’t-mention-it (hardly-enough-to-put-new-tyres-on-the-Landie) paltry percentage fee .
Or this could just be great for homeless people. Who knows?
the providers invited to show their wares in east wall were as follows:
MOM services
Portakabin/Allspace
Gainsgrove Ltd
BalsoonBective Meath Ireland
Nordman Profile Ltd
Roankabin
Skyclad
Spacebox
Modular Homes Ireland
Twill be interesting to see who gets the contract(s). personally i hope it’s not a foreign company or AMWATP.
“Does anyone remember the speed camera van contract, which went to some pop-up consortium who stuck a few benches in the back of Ford Transits and made a killing? Then shifted the company to the Isle of Man to avoid publishing their accounts? ”
Yeah.
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/speed-charges-dropped-in-camera-contract-row-31547443.html
“Yesterday, a solicitor for the accused man claimed the State was “dodging the bullet” in not releasing the copy of the massive contract by withdrawing the charges.
However, Insp John O’Sullivan said that the gardaí were withdrawing the Go Safe prosecution against Mr Hassett’s client.
As a consequence, Judge Durcan’s order for the release of the contract falls”
Millions for hiding in bushes all day, taking pics. C****
Yep key word is “functioning”
I wonder who owns the company who will build these modular homes?
there will probably be a few providers at first.