SEANAD NEWSLETTER Senator Aideen Hayden Leinster House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2 Tel: 01 618 3178 Mobile: 087 231 1921 Email: aideen.hayden@oir.ie Web: labour.ie/aideenhayden @aideen_hayden
Welcome to the latest Newsletter from Senator Aideen Hayden. Seanad Labour Spokesperson on Housing, Children and Youth Affairs Member of the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform
Dear resident, The Irish people voted in the recent referendum in October to retain Seanad Eireann. I am very clear however that they voted for Seanad reform and not business as usual. There have been many reports on Seanad reform and proposals made, however if we are to be true to the peoples mandate the type of reform we should seek must be based on the type of Seanad we need and what it can contribute to the overall political system. I don’t believe for example that we need a slimmed down version of Dáil Eireann which duplicates both the work and the electoral system of the Dáil. Rather the Seanad as a chamber should bring forward expertise to the greatest possible extent. The Seanad should also ensure diversity by ensuring the representation of minority groups and those suffering from economic disadvantage. I welcome both the Taoiseach and Tánaiste’s undertaking to consult with Political Party leaders to identify ways in which the Seanad can be made more effective. Any proposals in relation to the future role of the Seanad must not be made in isolation but must take account of the overall reform of the political system. The Constitutional Convention has been given the remit of discussing political reform and in particular systems of voting and representation. Seanad reform was excluded from this debate. I have been very impressed by the standard of debate at the Convention where every strand of society is represented. To date the debate on political reform has been critical of the current political system and the fact that it is perceived as too clientalist and dominated by the largest political parties. I would now like to see Seanad reform discussed by the Constitutional Convention There has been criticism of the scrutiny of EU legislative measures and a view that the Seanad could play a greater role in the scrutiny of EU legislation. Other proposals include permitting Senators to introduce more Private Members Bills without being subject to the party whip. But perhaps the most exciting proposal is to give the Seanad a role similiar to the Constitutional Convention, to engage directly with the public and civil society groups. It is now important to move on with Seanad reform and I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this and any other subject.
I am delighted to invite constituents to contact me at any time. For updates and links to my speeches please check out my Seanad facebook page. You can contact me at aideen.hayden@oir.ie facebook.com/ SenatorAideenHayden @aideen_hayden Joining my colleagues Cllr.Donna Pierce, Cllr. Jane Dillon-Byrne and Emer Costello MEP at a seminar on the Youth Guarantee Scheme in Dun Laoghaire
NCT NEEDED FOR RENTED HOUSING Substandard accommodation and the failure of landlords to carry out repairs is a significant problem for tenants. There is currently no way for a tenant to know if the property meets legal requirements before they rent their home. I have called for the introduction of a certification system – an ‘NCT for housing’ - that requires the landlord to provide that their property is fit to live in before a tenant moves in. Great strides have been made in the last decade in improving the conditions of tenants living in the private rented sector. Credit is due to charities such as Threshold who have campaigned for these improvements. The Residential Tenancies Act introduced in 2004 has given tenants greater protection from eviction and arbitrary rent increases. The Private Residential Tenancies Board operates an out-of-court dispute resolution service for tenants and landlords. Progress has been slow in other areas, such as enforcement of minimum standards. New regulations introduced in recent years have sought to improve the standards of property in the private rented sector. The traditional bedsit where toilets are shared between flats was abolished. It is also now a requirement under the law that tenants have a cooker and a fridge for example. Responsibility for enforcing these basic standards rests with local authorities but their track record in doing so is at best ‘hit and miss.’ Some local authorities have performed better than others but we still have a situation where one third of all rented properties don’t meet these minimum standards. This can’t be allowed to continue and a certification system that clearly puts the responsibility on the landlord to make sure properties for rent are ‘fit for purpose’ would be a very good start. Minister for Housing, Jan O’Sullivan, has indicated that she would like to hear more about this proposal.
PERSONAL INSOLVENCY - BANKS MUST BE HELD TO ACCOUNT
Launch of the Threshold Annual Report
EMER COSTELLO MEP
I welcomed the publication of the Personal Insolvency Guidelines. The guidelines will set a floor and not a ceiling on what is considered reasonable expenditure within a family budget and the amount those dealing with the new Insolvency provisions will be able to retain for their own use. What’s more important is that these guidelines will provide certainty for those very worried people who have been waiting for the Personal Insolvency Act provisions to come into force so that they will know better where they stand going forward. These guidelines will also provide guidance for other financial institutions, which in some instances have treated individuals disgracefully examining household expenditure receipts in minute detail and even questioning families on where they do their shopping. It will be very difficult for banks and other financial institutions to justify that kind of intrusion where the expenditure concerned is meeting the Personal Insolvency minimum guidelines. I also called for the setting up of an expert free independent mortgage support and advice service paid for with bank funds. The current situation is not acceptable and banks must be held to account. A borrower dealing with a financial institution is not on a level playing field and because banks insist on dealing with everything on a case by case basis the whole process is shrouded in secrecy. While all cases are different there should be some certainty as to how a borrower will be treated both within individual institutions and between institutions. The current situation is prejudiced in favour of better resourced borrowers who can access advice. More vulnerable borrowers are depending on MABS who are over worked and under resourced and in some cases need to be able to access expert legal or accountancy advice to assist the client. The only other significant scheme available to distressed borrowers is unfortunately very limited and can only be accessed by borrowers after negotiations are concluded and a settlement is already on the table which is too late for any meaningful intervention. For every distressed borrower there is a lender who has to take responsibility for their part in this disaster.
Aideen with Emer Costello MEP
As Dublin's MEP Emer has been delighted to support heritage and cultural projects in Dun Laoghaire. Emer has been a strong advocate for the campaign to have an International Diaspora Centre on Carlisle Pier. As the former Heritage Co-ordinator for Dun Laoghaire, she believes that Dun Laoghaire is ideally located to host such a centre which would create much needed employment and establish Dun Laoghaire as a cultural hub. Emer is working to help secure European funding for this project. She was delighted to participate in the Dun Laoghaire 1913 Lockout commemorations last year. In particular the commemorations of Dun Laoghaire martyr James Byrne resonated with her as research she had conducted in 1990s uncovered James Byrne as one of the forgotten heroes of the period.
LOCAL NEWS UPDATE THE LABOUR PARTY WORKING FOR YOU LOCALLY CULTURE AND EDUCATION ■ Blackrock Town Hall refurbished. ■ Opening of Blackrock Library, Senior College and Public Offices in early 2014 on Carnegie site. The library is hoping to relocate in March 2014 and the Senior College will commence the academic year in the old tech wing of the building.
PARKS AND RECREATION ■ Bring the seaside to Blackrock Village through renewal of seafront. ■ Plans for the DART forecourt, new footbridge over the railway line and a refurbishment of the seashore paths underway. ■ Four new playgrounds have been opened. ■ Supported Sutton to Sandycove Way initiative in the Development Plan.
At launch of Art Exhibition in Town Hall for Autism Initiative Group with An Cathaorlach, Cllr. Carrie Smyth, Local Area Rep Angela Collins Timlin and Rebekah Fozzard,Social Development & Inclusion Unit, DLRCoCo.
■ Family Days, Tidy Districts, a Blackrock Animation Festival continue a pace with very vocal and energetic support of the Labour Group.
LOCAL ENVIRONMENT ■ Social housing at Benemore is successfully accommodating its new residents who have formed themselves into a residents association. ■ Constant improvements to Seapoint Beaches to ensure award of Blue Flag. ■ Sought improvements for pedestrians and cyclists as part of Frascati Road improvement schemes.
COUNTY/CONSTITUENCY WIDE ■ Local Authority rented dwellings upgrade to include: central heating, window replacement, boiler replacement, re-wiring, wall and attic insulation , gutter replacement, door and shed door replacement. ■ Various grants for disabled people made available. ■ County wide footpath replacement programme underway. ■ Commercial Rates at or below the rate of inflation. ■ Significant investment in the Library Services i.e purchase of books and refurbishment of all library buildings. ■ Regular street sweeping schedule. ■ Continue to support and develop Estate Management
Aideen with Local Area Rep Deirdre Kingston, visiting the Blackrock Library site, due to open soon
Your Local Representatives working with Senator Aideen Hayden Deirdre Kingston
Angela Collins Timlin
A LITTLE ABOUT MY BACKGROUND I am the Labour Party Spokesperson on Housing, Children and Youth Affairs and a member of the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform. As Chairperson of Threshold, a national housing charity, I have campaigned for over ten years to improve the housing conditions of some of the most vulnerable people in Ireland today. In the Seanad I continue to champion solutions in the area of personal debt, mortgage relief and reform of the banking sector, I am a qualified solicitor with a degree in economics and a PHD in Housing, I have worked for many years in the area of housing and social policy. I am married to Chris O’Malley and we live with our daughters Elizebeth and Joanna on Albert Road in Glenageary.
CLLR. NIAMH BHREATHNACH STEPS DOWN
Welcoming the ring fencing of funding for the homeless in 2014
After 30 years in public life, Cllr. Niamh Bhreathnach has announced her retirement from public office. A long time Labour Party activist, Niamh was first elected in the Blackrock Ward in 1991 and has represented the area nationally and locally since.
Aideen with colleagues Brendan Ryan TD and Dominic Hannigan TD at our recent Labour Party Conference
Senator Aideen Hayden Leinster House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2 Tel: 01 618 3178 Mobile: 087 231 1921 Email: aideen.hayden@oir.ie Web: labour.ie/aideenhayden
facebook.com/ SenatorAideenHayden
A native of Blackrock, she is particularly delighted to see the Blackrock Town Hall project delivered by this Government. Niamh is looking forward to the reopening of the library, much increased in size, and welcoming back to its original setting the Further Education College. “This is the jewel in the crown of historical buildings and it is with great pride I have been associated with the successful campaign to refurbish the Carnegie building and reopen the library.”
Working with Deirdre Kingston 087 234 0409 deirdreforblackrock@gmail.com @deirdrekingston
Angela Collins Timlin 086 1527623 angela_timlin@hotmail.com @angelatimlin
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@aideen_hayden