Housing | Dominick Donnelly

Archive for the 'Housing' Category

Cllr. Donnelly welcomes new tougher planning laws

28th May 2009

Gormley’s changes will make it much more difficult for councillor’s to zone too much land for development

The Green Party’s candidate for the Carrigaline area of Cork County Council and for Passage West Town Council, Cllr. Dominick Donnelly, has said that changes to planning laws announced today by Environment Minister John Gormley will allow for better planning in County Cork.

Cllr. Donnelly said: “The Green Party has brought in major changes to the planning system for the first time since tribunals were established to investigate corruption ten years ago. It will mean better services for our community based on sensible planning, and a clampdown on dodgy developments.”

“I particularly welcome the aspect of the new legislation which requires a two-thirds majority on the county or city council in order to zone land for development, whether it be for the adoption of the county development plan, or for an amendment to the plan. This will mean that no one party will be able to rezone land on their own, and should prevent the kind of corruption which Frank Dunlop used, and which has ended up with his imprisonment this week.”

Cllr. Donnelly continued: “In many ways the downfall of the Celtic Tiger happened in local authorities up and down the country getting too greedy, and zoning too much land for development. Much of this excess zoned land is what now makes up the toxic assets which have brought our banking system to the brink of collapse, and which have necessitated the setting up of NAMA. Most of this zoned land will see no development during my lifetime.”

“It was councillors from all the main parties, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Labour and Sinn Féin who voted through these zonings on councils up and down the country. On many local authorities, it was only the Green Party representatives that opposed the widespread zoning of land for development. A classic example of this was my Green Party colleague on Monaghan County Council, Vincent P. Martin, who was the only councillor to oppose the adoption of their county development plan, a plan which effectively allowed for the doubling of the population of the county. Where are all these people going to come from? They don’t exist, and this sort of overzoning is clearly ridiculous, but it has taken a Green Party Minister for the Environment to sort it out, as all the other main parties are up to their eyeballs in overzoning. They seem to be too busy looking after their friends and backers to do a sensible job,” concluded Cllr. Donnnelly.

Cllr. Donnelly concluded: “On a final note, these most welcome changes will promote a much more sustainable level of development, which will help support the economic renewal of the country, and will help break the cycle of boom and bust economics which all the main parties seem hell bent on continuing.”

Cllr. Donnelly welcomes new legislation to regulate management companies

Published May 28, 2009 Housing , National Issues Leave a Comment

28th May 2009

Green Party candidate for the Carrigaline area of Cork County Council and for Passage West Town Council, Cllr. Dominick Donnelly, has welcomed the introduction of the Multi-Unit Developments Bill which will help regulate management companies. The bill sets out new legislation on service charges, house rules and the resolution of disputes between management companies and apartment owners.

Cllr. Donnelly said: “Over the past decade, we saw a large increase in the building of apartments and small housing estates and the existing legislation under which property management companies currently operate is inadequate to deal with and resolve the various difficulties being experienced by individual apartment owners.”

Cllr. Donnelly continued: “Today’s announcement is a real boost for apartment owners in the Cork area as it provides more security within multi-unit developments. The Bill will improve the management and maintenance of the internal and external common areas in apartment complexes, and specify the calculation of service charges and the holding of annual meetings by management companies. The Bill also includes provisions for the resolution of disputes. These are all issues which have been coming up on the doors again and again.”

For more information see: www.oireachtas.ie

Cllr. Donnelly welcomes Green Party Leader’s clampdown on rogue builders

Published May 13, 2009 Environment , Housing , Local Government Leave a Comment

13^th May 2009

-Developers who leave housing estates unfinished to be targeted

Green Party candidate Cllr. Dominick Donnelly has welcomed moves by Environment Minister and Green Party Leader John Gormley to clamp down on rogue builders who leave housing estates and apartment blocks unfinished.

For the first time, Councils will be able to share information on bad builders and apply it to planning decisions, ensuring that those with a history of unfinished projects will be unable to get planning permission for their next project.

Green candidate Dominick Donnelly who is running for election to Cork County Council and Passage West Town Council said: “The issue of unfinished estates, with poor roads, neglected green areas and lack of lighting has been coming up on the doors again and again. Many of the housing estates built during the boom were never properly finished, leaving those who paid high prices for their houses to put up with neglected and in some cases, dangerous roads, footpaths and green areas.”

The clampdown initiated by Minister Gormley will result in a national system to share information between Councils, who can track a developer or builder’s previous record. Currently, local authorities cannot take a developer’s track record into account when considering planning permission, allowing rogue developers to reoffend.

“These welcome moves will encourage developers to finish off roads and footpaths and to finish garden landscaping, if they want to get permission for their next project,” concluded Cllr. Donnelly.

The new planning laws will come into effect under the Planning bill 2009, which is currently being finalised by Minster Gormley.

Cllr. Donnelly welcomes Government announcement of funding of €2.9 Million for Private House Grants for Older People and People with a Disability for South Cork

Published May 11, 2009 Housing , National Issues , Older People Leave a Comment

11th May 2009

Cllr. Dominick Donnelly, Green Party member of Passage West Town Council and candidate for Cork County Council, has welcomed the recent announcement by Mr. Michael Finneran, T.D., Minister for Housing and Local Services, that his Department has allocated €2.9 million for the funding of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability in private houses for 2009 in Sout Cork, out of a total national allocation of €79.5 million.

Cllr. Donnelly said: “These schemes are vitally important in assisting older people and people with a disability to continue to live in their own homes and communities with the dignity that they deserve. There was a record level of activity under these schemes during 2008, and this year’s funding allocation allows for a high level of activity also. This funding is vital to give the elderly and those with disabilities to continue to live independently in their own homes.”