Housing Booklet receives positive response
MLRC and the informal housing Group have received many positive comments in relation to the recently launched information booklet “Social Housing Rights Explained”. Hard copies of the booklet are now available and a soft copy version will be available shortly. Click here to read a related press release in the May 2012 Law Society Gazette
Spent Convictions Bill 2012
Many clients of MLRC have made tremendous personal efforts to overcome personal difficulties with mental health, addiction issues and adverse environmental circumstances. Not withstanding these often extensive personal achievements they regularly experience difficulties when seeking to gain access to housing. In some instances minor offences committed many years ago cause them to fail estate management checks.
MLRC welcomes the recently published Spent Convictions Bill 2012 which we anticipate will facilitate many of our clients in gaining access to social housing. MLRC and the Housing Group propose to make submissions in relation to this Bill.
Click here to read Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, Alan Shatter, T.D., Press Release regarding publication of the Bill.
Housing Bill 2012
MLRC advocates on behalf of victims of serious anti-social behaviour who have moved from their Local Authority homes. The surrender or abandonment of a Local Authority home in these circumstances has meant that a barrier was in place to any further applications for local authority housing. MLRC welcomes the Housing Bill 2012 which provides certain measures for reinstatement of tenants entitlements to be placed on the Housing List.
MLRC attended the Housing Conference at NUIG, Galway
Solicitors Bernie Walsh and Geraldine Hynes recently attended the Housing Conference at NUIG “Contemporary Housing Issues in a Changing Europe”. This most successful international conference was attended by delegates from 18 countries with 130 participants and contributions from 12 presenters, click here to read more. Among the Key Speakers at this International Housing Conference were:
- The Hon. Ms. Justice Mary Laffoy – High Court of Ireland
- Ms Jan O’Sullivan T.D. – Minister for the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government with special responsibility for Housing and Planning.
- Professor Stefan Gerlach – Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Ireland
- Professor Martin Partington, Law Commission of England and Wales, and Bristol University Law School.
- Regis Brillat, Head of the Department of the European Social Charter, Council of Europe.
- Ioannis Dimitrakopoulos – Head of Equality and Citizen’s Rights, European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights.
The presentation from Ms Justice Laffoy provided useful insights into the most recent Supreme Court Decisions in the Donegan & Gallagher cases. You can read more about these cases on our website here.
There were also very interesting papers by over 35 presenters at the conference, they took place Friday afternoon and Saturday morning and they included:
- Dr Neil Maddox – “The Concept of Adequate Housing in Human Rights in Law”
- Dr Rory Hearne, Vera Ashton & Linda Burnett – “Realizing Housing Rights in Practice: the experience of local authority tenants in Dublin’s inner city”
- Noelin Fox – “The Right to Housing and the Right to Support in International Human Rights Law”
- Daithi Downey – “Effective Responses to Homelessness: Housing First Policy and Practice in Ireland”
- Maria Antonieta Nestor – “Public Interest Law and Regeneration: The Case of Ballymun Community Law Centre – Connecting the Dots through Community Economic Development.
- Michelle Oren – “Housing in the Consitutional Context: A comparative study”
- Dr Aine Ryall – “Landlords, Neighbours & Misbehaving Tenants: Dispute Resolution Mechanisms under the Residential Tenancies Act 2004”
- Dr Rory Hearne – “Achieving Successful Social Regeneration – what lessons have been learned”
- Sarah Nield – “A Human Property Right? The Impact of Article 8, European Convention of Human Rights on Repossession of the Home”
It is anticipated that the conference papers should be available on the NUIG website shortly.
Disclaimer
All information provided on this Blog is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or a legal contract between this Blog and any person or entity unless otherwise specified. Click here to read more
