New Building Regulations & Self-Build Scenarios

On 26 February 2014 Dept Environment issued an Information Note on the Implications of SI No. 9 of 2014 for Self-Builders to local authorities and industry stakeholders, including the Irish Association of Self-Builders.

·         The Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014 place no restrictions on self-build. There is no difficulty with a self-builder signing the statutory form of undertaking by the builder at commencement stage or the statutory certificate of compliance on completion.

·         The twin aims of the new regulations are to:

1.       ensure that buildings are designed and constructed in accordance with the requirements of the Building Regulations, and

2.       strengthen competence and professionalism on site.

·         From a self-build perspective, the new regime will work as follows:

·         The owner will, as before, assume responsibility as the builder for ensuring that the building works will comply with the building regulations.  They must also satisfy themselves that any one they employ to undertake part of the works is competent to do those works.

·         At commencement, they will notify the local authority that they themselves are the builder and sign the builder’s undertaking required for building control purposes.

·         At commencement a Self-Builder must also assign a competent, registered construction professional (i.e. architect, building surveyor or chartered engineer) to:

o   certify the design, and

o   inspect the works and certify the completed dwelling (the assigned certifier).

·         The Assigned Certifier will be the point of contact with the building control authority for lodgement of compliance documentation and certificates, etc.

·         At completion the Self-Builder and the Assigned Certifier will both certify the building.

·         Work involving repair, renewal and renovation work or extensions less than 40 square metres to existing dwellings do not come within the scope of the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations.

Neighbourhood Awards in North West Dublin

76 Applications forms were sent to residents associations / groups & schools in the North West Area for the 2013 City Neighbourhoods Competition.  The competition consists of 19 categories. We received 38 entries.   All applicants were offered support and assistance from the North West Area staff.

The Citywide Awards took place on Thursday 26^th September in the Croke Park Conference Centre.  The North West Area did exceptionally well this year. We were short listed in 16 categories out of an overall total of 18 and scooped awards in 8 categories with 5 First Place Awards.  The schools will be awarded on 6^th December in the Mansion House St. Canice’s Girls School Finglas, will represent the North West Area.

The winners on the night are as follows:

St. Helena’s Daisy Roots also won the overall Businesses Award. This is the first time that a group from the North West Area scooped this Award it was a wonderful achievement & well deserved. Congratulations to all involved.

Regards,

Jackie O Reilly

Neighbourhood Awards Northwest Dublin at Ballymun Civic Centre

Sharon Shirley (The Top Student) and Dawn Hart at UU

Points made by Minister Bruton on RTE’s This Week re abolition of Seanad

Please find a briefing note on the Referendum attached. The Party launched its poster campaign at the weekend.

Personalised leaflets for councillors should be ordered through your Regional Organiser.

· Every family and business in the country has had to change and adapt and politics must too

Reply- Accountability, competence and secrecy are factors that bedevil the Irish political system. Currently, the country is rules in essence by the cabinet economic core of four ministers none of whom have training in economics and finance; none of whom would be qualified to apply for a job as a financial director of a major company but all of whom want to abolish the Seanad, which if reformed could have competent people elected to such a body to the advantage of the country.
In the UK, expertise in the Lords is used to address national problems and report on solutions for and against proposals and laws and hold detailed enquiries into national incidents and problems. The government wants to define abolition of a representative body as a way forward in a parliamentary system that guillotines most bills and takes its cues overwhelmingly from the permanent civil service or nods through European regulations without debate and dissection.

Pathetic really..

· Only two out 16 small countries in the OECD have 2 houses

Reply: There is no compelling reason why Ireland should imitate OECD small countries. Politics in Ireland is a participation sport and we are the better for it. IN the US, politicians have to persuade others as to the value of their positions to pass votes and laws. In London, ‘rebellions’ in parliament do not result in mas expulsions of MPs. Valuable politicians often end their careers in the Lords and don’t have to prove Enoch Powell’s assertion at all political careers end in failure. (I will ignore the rejoiners on Brian and the Bert)

· 1% of our population participated in its election

Reply: That is only true in the literal sense. Only just over one hundred people elect the Taoiseach to that post but thousands elect their proxies, the TDs. There are fewer proxy voters for Senate Panel Elections because voter turnout in Council elections is lower. But the universities have a large vote even if the electorate is elitist. ( Few claim that reform is not necessary). Thus that 1% claim is disingenuous and again is

Pathetic really

· 90% of Senators were appointed by politicians

Reply: Those politicians are elected to represent the people and the politician electorate is broader based that the TDs. So that is a populist barrel scraping denigration.

Pathetic really

· The Taoiseach’s nominee guarantees a majority

Reply: This is a statement of the blindingly obvious as if it is in the current context somehow a disgrace.

Pathetic really

· Last time the Seanad delayed legislation was in 1964

Reply: Well if the Taoiseach ensures a guaranteed majority to obey orders, is this point anything except predictable. How many amendments to Bills originating in the Seanad have been accepted in that period. That would give a wholly different hue to the above question and show the partiality of the comment.

Pathetic really

Reform

· This is about making sure that the Dáil which is elected by all the people is more effective.

Reply: All the people do not vote and are not obliged to as in Australia for example. This attack on the Seanad will not make the Dail more effective. Less scrutiny will lessen the quality of Law enacted.

This is not about making sure the Dail is more effective, it is about abolishing the Seanad. There is no guarantee that the outcome will be a more effective Dail.

So more distortion (spin)

· We need a modern one chamber parliament which is elected by all of the people

Reply: The parliament is elected by those who vote. Does that mean compulsory voting? We need computer screens in front of all TDs. Do we need much fewer TDs with a cabinet of advisors paid for by the public surrounding them? No we don’t, we can reform the Seanad for quality purposes. A one chamber parliament is not synonymous with ‘modernity’.

So more distortion (spin)

· The Protection of Life and Pregnancy Bill gives provided us with an insight into how legislation will be fashioned in the new reformed Dáil. There will greater scrutiny of legislation by Committees from the outset and outside experts invited in to inform debate.

Reply: Reminds me of quoting Lindi St Clair, the original Miss Whiplash. The refinition of abortion as non-abortion and the misuse of clear language to obfuscate was demonstrated many times in those debates. How were outside experts invited? Who decided ? How was the conflictiing evidence weighed? And in the end, a law about abortion used to expell dissenters via a whip with threats. Not exactly a template to demonstrate the attainment of adult autonomy through education!

So more distortion (spin)

· There is much stronger oversight from outside Parliament than when the Seanad was originally created in the form of Ombudsman’s offices and other bodies.

Reply: Abolition of the Seanad will weaken oversight. The Regulators need to be kept on their toes and the Ombudsman’s offices have complained about governments’ attitudes and actions on many occasions. The Seanad was not set up as a form of Ombudsman Service so why imply that it was?

So more distortion (spin)

· The easy option would be to leave the Seanad in place.

Reply: As if that is the only alternative. Have you heard of change and reform? A YES/NO option as the only choice. I am certain that Richard Bruton’s Belvedere, Clongowes Wood, UCD and Oxford education record precludes him from believeing this rubbish. So Richard, tell us in public that you believe this! I’d dare you.

So more distortion (even more incredible spin)

Costs

· The abolition of the Seanad would save €20 million per year. These figures have been provided by the Oireachtas Commission.

Reply: So representation costs? This is a disputed €20 million. I don’t think the cost is excessive. Costs can be better contained in any reform programme. Advisors can be made generic to all senators and form a talent pool by open competition.

Populist Rhetoric

· This includes direct annual savings of €8.8 million

· Indirect costs of running the House brings that figure up to €20 million

· When the upper house is gone, people and resources can be redeployed elsewhere.

Reply: How much do public enquiries cost? How much do your backroom staff members cost Mr Bruton? How well qualified are the political staff appointments? Why pay them so much?

Finglas at the Council Elections.

The burning issue of planning and Finglas Co Co inside the M50 is untouched.

Ballymun Area

I expect some empty vessels to float in the campaign sea with massive hubris and soaring egos.

The removal of West and South Finglas is disappointing as it severs the impetus for development of the old village of Finglas.

Primary Care Health Centre in Finglas

We want the HSE to act in the public interest and in the interest of best planning practice.

Primary Care Health Centre in Finglas – Village only

Finglas Village has been a particular focus of the Area Committee for some time. With the collapse of Marumba and the recent sale of most of the village to a Wexford property buyer, the ramifications are evolving. It is a few weeks since there was a meeting with Finglas Traders in the Ardmore Hotel to discuss ways of regenerating and repopulating the village. Footfall is an important consideration for the survival of small businesses. Only earlier this month, Michael Bowe of the Tolka Area Partnership informed us that a person was employed for a period to support the traders in their efforts to plan a better future.

Read more

Coolmine Therapeutic Community

Coolmine Therapeutic Community will be holding an open day on
Wednesday 27th of March starting at 1pm in Dublin 15.

This open day will be about the range of work Coolmine’s various
services provide to help people overcome addiction.

They will have presentations from all our services including; outreach
& clinical services, stabilisation & welcome programmes, women’s
residential, our unique mother & child programme, day programmes,
men’s residential, client participation forum and family support.

There will also be a variety of information desks and client
involvement on the day too.

To register your interest now email; jenniferd@coolminetc.ie