SEANAD NEWSLETTER Phone: 051 641641 Seanad Office: 01 618 3000 Denis Landy Mobile: 087 2326138 Email: [email protected] @landydenis MINISTERS MEET COUNCILLORS ASSOCIATIONS Dear Colleague I recently facilitated a meeting involving the Association of Irish Local Government, the Local Authority Members Association, and Alan Kelly T.D. Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. Discussed issues included: I Elected Members workload, terms & conditions and supports I Current Local Government Reform Evaluation Process I Application of “Mayor” Title All sides agreed the meeting was very worthwhile and a clear pathway for From left to right: Cllr Tom MacSharry,Senator Maurice Cummins, Senator Denis progression was set out. Landy,Cllr John Sheehan, Minister Alan Kelly, Senator Denis O Donovan, Cllr Mags Murray, Cllr Colin Brophy, Cllr Dermot Lacey, Cllr Padraig McNally. On the same day I organised a meeting between the delegations from the Association of Irish Local Government and the Local Authority Members Association and Kevin Humphreys T.D. Minister of State at Department of Social Protection. This meeting was focused on the issue of Councillors paying PRSI without any benefit accruing to them. This meeting was very productive and additional information will be forwarded to the Minister by the Associations. Email me to arrange a tour of the Seanad and Leinster House. From left to right: Cllr Irene Winters, Cllr Terry Shannon, Cllr John Sheehan, Cllr [email protected] Lettie McCarthy, Minister Kevin Humphreys, Senator Denis Landy, Cllr Mags Murray, Cllr Padraig McNally, Cllr Sinead Guckian. DERELICT SITES ISSUE DERELICT SITES REGISTER 2013 In June I raised the vexed issue of the number of County 1.01.13 Entered Removed 31.12.13 derelict sites in the country and requested details on Councils how many of these were in the ownership of Local Carlow 13 1 0 14 Authorities through a motion on the floor of Seanad Eireann. Cavan 40 0 0 40 In response Paudie Coffey, Minister of State agreed Clare 55 23 15 63 that derelict sites are a blight on Irish towns and Cork North 99 4 2 101 villages and confirmed Local Authorities have a statutory responsibility to deal with them. Section 9 Cork South 35 6 8 33 of the Derelict Sites Act provides that it should be the Cork West 274 0 32 242 duty of every owner and occupier of land, including a statutory body and a State Authority to take all Cork City 30 1 3 28 reasonable steps to ensure that the land in question Donegal 62 0 0 62 does not become, or continue to be a derelict site. Dublin City 33 9 5 37 Dun 19 5 7 17 ATTENDANCE AT Laoghaire CONFERENCES Fingal 0 0 0 0 I have been contacted by a large number of Galway 18 0 8 10 Councillors regarding the new reduced conference Galway City 17 2 2 17 allowance. Following a comprehensive examination of this issue I agree that the reduced allowance Kerry 119 13 25 107 makes it extremely difficult for any elected representative to attain meaningful upskilling on Kildare 15 14 9 20 new legislation in housing, planning, transport, Kilkenny 37 0 0 37 health etc. on this low budget. With this in mind I have examined the current Laois 87 9 5 91 relevant circular LG5/2015 which clearly indicates Leitrim 27 0 0 27 on PG 25 that Councillors can attend training conferences provided by the Irish Planning Institute Limerick 98 8 4 102 and The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland outside of the conference allowance provided by Longford 35 0 1 34 their Local Authority. Louth 48 4 1 51 Extract from Part 5 B 2 (c) of Circular LG5/2015 (Courses for which expensed for attendance may Mayo 126 4 14 116 be paid) -attendance at appropriate events Meath 8 0 0 8 organised by national representative bodies for functions for which local authorities have Monaghan 104 1 1 104 responsibilities. The bodies must have a remit in Offaly 27 0 3 24 relation to the relevant functional area, and represent relevant bodies or individuals active in Roscommon 9 0 0 9 relation to that function across a range of matters other than provision of training. Examples would Sligo 33 0 4 29 include the IPI and RIAI in relation to planning South Dublin 1 1 1 1 functions; Link to Full Circular LG5/2015 Tipperary 65 4 4 65 http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/ Waterford 44 0 5 39 Notwithstanding this information provided above, I will continue to work on an ongoing basis with the Westmeath 111 32 26 117 AILG and LAMA to reverse the unfair reductions to Wexford 51 1 1 51 conference allowances and overall expenses after the local election 2014. Wicklow 15 1 1 15 CASE MADE FOR PROPER SALARY FOR COUNCILLORS Extract from Seanad debate on Minimum Wage legislation 11th June 2015 “I wish to speak in particular about 949 Councillors throughout this country who are expected to live on €16,724 per annum. That is not even the minimum wage. I have conducted a survey on this and between one fifth and one quarter of serving Councillors are full-time public representatives. The previous speaker, Senator Zappone, spoke about FIS and those Councillors qualify for FIS by virtue of their low basic pay. I have always said that democracy is for everyone, not just for those who can afford to participate as public representatives. What is happening now, and I know this from my ongoing contact with Councillors, is that many can no longer afford to be public representatives. They cannot raise their families or pay their bills, and that is wrong in a democracy. I acknowledge the recently established Review of Local Government, Putting People First, initiated by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Kelly, which introduced reforms to Local Government last June following the local elections. However, that document did not address, in any shape or form, the basic living standard that Councillors should have by way of their earnings. While approximately 75% of Councillors have another source of income, 25% or more do not and those people must be respected and must be able to live. I ask that as part of the review of Putting People First, the Minister of State, Deputy Nash, would intervene on the issue of Councillors' income. Deputy Nash, as a former councillor in County Louth for many years, knows what I am talking about in this regard. Indeed, we often spoke about it when we were both serving as Councillors. Will the Minister of State comment on this issue today because it is extremely important? I know good people of all parties and none who say openly to their communities that they cannot represent them anymore because they cannot afford to do so on the pay they receive. Will the Minister of State comment and use his office to ensure the review that is taking place also considers the wages and expenses of Councillors? There has been much media derision of this issue. Indeed, when I told a two-person deputation earlier today that I would be raising this issue in the House, they told me that they thought that Councillors were earning approximately €30,000 per annum but Councillors are earning only €16,724. The Acting Chairman was also a councillor and knows what I am talking about. We have often discussed this issue. Democracy is for everyone, not just for the rich. Public representation should also be for everyone, not just the rich. I look forward to the Minister of State's response.” SUPPORTING CLERY’S WORKERS HOUSING INFORMATION As part of the targets of the Social Housing Strategy 2020, It is expected that some 7,400 new social housing units will be provided in 2015, as follows: I 1,400 units built or acquired by local authorities and approved housing bodies (AHBs); I 3,000 units under the Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP); I 1,000 vacant local authority units to be returned to use; and I 2,000 new Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS ) units, In addition, a further 8,400 households are to be assisted through the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). Information on built or acquired units is available up to quarter 1 of 2015 and shows 216 delivered at that point. To the end of June 2015, 557 units have been delivered through SHCEP, with a further 947 approved for funding. These are a combination of units leased by local authorities and AHBs, including units leased from NAMA’s Special Purpose Vehicle, and purchased or built by AHBs under this programme. There have been 539 new transfers to the RAS to 30 April 2015, which is 27% of the 2015 target, while more than 2,600 households are now supported by HAP throughout the pilot areas. MEETING MY ROAD IMPROVEMENT SCHEME Funding has been provided by the Government for SPORTING HEROES improved road maintenance, public transport, rail stock, Tipperary Hurling rail safety and bus fleets. Also included in the allocation is Manager Professor funding towards Community and Local Improvement Eamon O’Shea Schemes, which are administered by the Local Authority. These schemes have been the bane of local Councillors for Below: Meeting 1992 many years now because they have been absolutely Welterweight Olympic Champion Michael starved of funding. I am pleased this round of funding Carruth now allows for 10% of maintenance money to be allocated to the Local Improvement Scheme, and for 20% to be allocated to the Community Improvement Scheme. This will ensure small improvements for local roads which will have a big effect on people's lives, particularly for those who are living on private and public lanes on which the Councils have been unable to carry out work.