As the government courts more international money for Ireland’s rental sector, tenants say they want more transparency around who they are renting from.
Homeless HAP rates, which are higher, should be available to people earlier, say some Dublin councillors – although that raises questions about inflation of rents.
Dublin City Council said this week that the building doesn’t fit the law’s definition of “derelict” – and that the council has not moved to put the building on its list of derelict sites.
Residents of Glovers Court have been asking the council for years to address the issues at the 1976-vintage flats. The council has been looking at ways to better insulate them.
Some councillors say the tax is unfair and plan to vote to keep it as low as possible until there is reform – even though this means millions less to spend on public services.
Part of the discussion focused on why the council had opted for affordable homes to sell, rather than to rent – and whether it was possible to revisit that.
Martin Keane told the council he probably didn’t need to highlight his “considerable financial resources” and “full legal team, ready, willing and able to take on this challenge”.
Some said they’d sought, and gotten, assurances that it wasn’t suitable for housing. Others questioned whether it could have been used for something else.
Irina Lapshina and Jurij Pučkov have been given notices to quit. They want greater assurance that, after the landlord refurbishes, they’ll be able to move back.
Planning documents show that Bartra has been granted permission to give money instead of providing public space, but don’t give any specifics as to why.
Developers wanting to build big apartment blocks have to say if there’s enough social infrastructure around. Their answers often differ from residents’ views.
