Just as they do in energy, healthcare, education etc there is a “Social Housing Summit” purporting to cover: “Planning, Building & Delivering Our Social Housing Needs
This event will be of real interest to all housing specialists, local authorities, consultants, social workers, housing agencies, government departments, regulators, universities, suppliers and manufacturers to the sector. A one-day conference at the Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin on 8th February 2017″
No mention of the end users – the people at the centre of the housing crisis, evictions, homelessness or the people voluntarily helping them everyday. There is some train of thought that these prohibitively expensive conferences actually serve a purpose! Tax payers money lines the pockets of the conference organisers to bring industry and government together to waffle over issues they have failed continuously to address. There are all sort of hypothesis and proposed solutions floated in an air of momentum that lasts the day and then they all go home. They get up the next day and NOTHING changes. Without all of the parties involved there will never be a solution. Without all sides of the story being openly and honestly discussed nothing will be addressed. I’m sure they know this but they are only after the parties with the money to spend on the problem.
It is a centralised, capitalist approach to issues affecting people throughout our country. Housing is something we should be having local conferences about. An issue we should be inviting the people involved to. Clare county council is listed as attending as are other local authorities. Are they bringing anyone from the grass roots with them or is this specifically for the people who talk housing and homelessness from 9 to 5 Monday to Friday? Surely the fee and expenses for attending this could be better spent on a small local authority based or a collective regional conference thereby allowing the public access to it. Anyone who read my blog regularly during the energy policy phase knows that I don’t agree with these events. They are back door entry to policy and exclude most of the population.
Hey and look who is sponsoring it! Inspex is a company that specialises in the inspection of private rental properties included in public sector housing schemes. We are currently involved in the inspection of HAP properties on behalf of Dublin City, South Dublin, Fingal and Dunlaoghaire Rathdown County Councils.
Our core philosophy is that all public bodies, private organisations and individuals in receipt of public funding should comply with the relevant requirements of the Public Spending Code. This means that private rental properties included in social housing schemes should be appropriately inspected and meet the rental standards.
Our service is an ideal solution for Local Authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHB’s).
Gotta keep in there with the Minister and civil servants and make sure the public spending continues to be wasted in talking shops.
Theresa O’Donohoe
January 31st 2017
TheresaOD.com 
I only found out recently that if you’ve been on council waiting list then get privately rented accomodation on HAPS scheme you are then removed from council list. When tenancy finishes you’re back at the bottom of the list! Logical not.