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The Editor,
Letters Page,
The Irish Times.

Dear Editor,

The Government is proposing to hold a Referendum to extend voting rights to those aged over 16. No such vote is required to extend voting rights to those same people for Local Elections. This would be a good way to involve young people directly in their own local communities and could be done now in time for the Local Elections due in 2019. Why not just do it. Trust young people and I believe they will return it in spades.

Yours sincerely,

Councillor Dermot Lacey

The Editor,
Letters Page,
The Irish Times.

Dear Editor,

Within the next few weeks, work will start on building nineteen new social homes in the middle of the estate I live in in Donnybrook. This will be in addition to the nine affordable homes and the six additional social housing units that we found space for in this small estate over the last few years. Twenty eight of these will have been developed by Voluntary Housing Bodies and six by the City Council. All built on what you might call “left over” or Council lands. If this can be done in the heart of Dublin 4 it can be done anywhere.

By my reckoning there are approximately 200 villages or parishes across the Dublin area. If each of these were faciliated to deliver a similar number through local housing initaitives assisted by and not hindered by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government we could deliver approximately 6,800 new homes quickly and through the Credit Unions, could be financed locally and off the National Balance sheets.

So come on Minister Murphy look outwards and not into a Department singularly incapable of doing the job. Let the Local Authorities provide the planners, the architects, the quantity surveyors etc. Local Communities can provide the local expertise and indeed the future tenants. We need all kinds of new solutions. Here is one contribution and in our case – we have delivered.

Yours sincerely,

Councillor Dermot Lacey

The Editor,
Letters Page,
The Irish Times.

Dear Editor,

Reports that the Government is considering establishing a National Housing Authority are deeply worrying. Does nobody get it ? The “national” bit is the problem. When Local Councils had the power, resources and staff to deliver Social Housing – they did.

The crisis in Social Housing has primarily risen since the Department of Housing/Local Government has taken over the role. It will pretend that it doesn’t but the Department controls the money, the staffing and the appalling bureaucratic rules that inhibit the building of social houses. Establishing a National Housing Authority effectively under the control of that failed Department would be akin to appointing Arsonists in charge of the Fire Brigade. One of the solutions is clear – give Councils that did deliver back the ability to do so again.

Yours sincerely,

Councillor Dermot Lacey

The Editor,
Letters Page,
The Irish Times,
Dublin 2

Dear Editor,

Ruraidh Conlon Kelly (letters 18th August) is of course right. A directly elected Mayor within a functioning Local Government system could deliver a better City Transport system and the College Green Plaza in a more efficient and timely fashion. Unfortunately a combination of Phil Hogan, former Local Government reform advocates and the anti Local Government Officials in the Custom House put paid to that. I believe Colombia introduced some really innovative legislation for this level of governance.

Yours sincerely,

Councillor Dermot Lacey

The Editor,
Letters Page,
The Irish Times.

Dear Editor,

The report (New forum will offer input into trasnport policy 11th July) is truly alarming.

At present there are at least 44 different statutory bodies, charged to one degree or another, with transport in Dublin, never mind the rest of the Country. The last thing we need is a forty fifth one.

Ireland needs one democratic National Transport Authority with one seperate Dublin Transport Authority that would be accountable to the people of Dublin.

It is incredible and disappointing to see the formerly Anti Quango Minister for Transport, Shane Ross, succumbing to the most frequent Civil Service bluster of “establishing a forum”.

Yours sincerely,

Councillor Dermot Lacey