Residents in Housing Association Developments increasingly questioning value for money of service charges payments

Sinn Féin West Tyrone MLA Michaela Boyle says that she, and other elected representatives in her constituency, are receiving an increasing volume of complaints from residents of Housing Association Developments questioning the value for money they are receiving for service charges they are obliged to pay towards regular maintenance and upkeep costs of the communal areas.   

She has now written to DSD Minister Nelson Mc Causland calling upon him to examine ways in which the sector can be better regulated in order to afford better services and statutory protections for residents.  

She has now written to DSD Minister Nelson Mc Causland calling upon him to examine ways in which the sector can be better regulated in order to afford better services and statutory protections for residents.
 
She said,
“Sinn Fein has been receiving an increasing volume of complaints from residents of Housing Association Developments over what they deem to be the total lack of value for money they are receiving for the service charges they are obliged to pay towards maintenance and upkeep costs.

“Common complaints from residents include dissatisfaction with the standard of performance of their Housing Associations in terms of: failures in responding to complaints at all; unacceptable delays in carrying out regular maintenance and essential repairs; as well as continual complaints about neglect of communal areas within Association developments.

“In overall terms, many Housing Association residents feel that they do not have the same level of service or the same statutory protections as Housing Executive tenants despite being within the same ‘social housing’ sector and despite having to pay additional housing costs through these service charges.

“I have now written to DSD Minister Nelson Mc Causland, as minister responsible for social housing, calling upon him to examine ways in which the sector can be better regulated in order to afford better services and statutory protections for Housing Association residents.

“Sinn Féin is also receiving a substantial number of complaints from residents in a number of private residential developments, who are subject to substantial service charges payable to management agents/companies, and who are also questioning the value for money issue that in some cases the grass-cutting of communal areas within developments is being totally neglected..

“Given the binding contractual nature of these service charges, they are extremely difficult to challenge but in acting collectively residents are better placed to ensure service obligations are being fully met. In cases where there is overwhelming evidence of a gross abdication of these service obligations, consideration should be given to collectively engage legal representation with a view to challenging the basis of the service charges contract."

Mc Hugh welcomes signing of ‘developer waiver’ to make way for Garvan Park bin collections

Derg Sinn Féin councillor Maolíosa Mc Hugh has welcomed the signing of a developer waiver which will make way for the commencement of normal bin collection services for residents of Garvan Park in the Glebe.

He said,

“In recent weeks, I have been endeavouring to secure this outcome on behalf of local residents who have not been able to avail of a normal bin collection services because the development still remains officially un-adopted by Roads Service.

“A number of outstanding issues needed to be addressed and in liaising with Roads Service and the Technical Services Department of Strabane District Council a satisfactory position was arrived at which enabled the Developer to sign a waiver which will now make way for the commencement of normal bin collection services in Garvan Park.

“This progress will be warmly welcomed by local residents."

Mc Cauley meets Housing Executive over plight of Brigade Terrace residents

Strabane Sinn Féin Councillor Jay Mc Cauley met with a senior Housing Executive official on Monday morning to press for the introduction measures to stop young people gaining access to the block of flats at Brigade Terrace so as to prevent its stairwells and common areas being used as a drinking den which has been happening on an almost daily basis.

The local councillor said,

“Residents of the six flats and adjoining homes at Brigade Terrace have described as an ‘ongoing nightmare’ the activities of young people who have been using the stairwells and common areas of the flats as a drinking den.

“On a number occasions, when residents of the flats have tried to prevent this happening by locking the entrance door it has been kicked in and the flats are regularly being occupied from as early as 4pm often right through until into the early hours of the following morning-with residents often unable to get up or down the stairs due to drinkers, who are mostly underage, refusing to budge.

“As well as damage to fittings and fixtures in the common areas, front doors of the individual flats have also been damaged.  After being contacted by residents, I witnessed the aftermath of this activity myself and was shocked to find human faeces and pools of urine among the debris left over from the ‘night before’.

“Given this and the overall anti-social nature of the behaviour of those using the flats as a drinking den who could fault its residents for no longer wanting to stay there or for local residents in the adjoining homes on Brigade Terrace also being at their wits end.

“I met with a senior Housing Executive official on site on Monday morning and he agreed that securing the flats, for tenants use only, was the immediate short-term priority.  The Housing Executive subsequently carried out a general clean up of common areas and is now also scheduling a remedial works maintenance programme to bring the flats up to an appropriate standard."

Boyle expresses concern over increased dog attacks on Postal workers

Sinn Féin West Tyrone MLA Michaela Boyle says that statistics provided by Royal Mail highlighting the fact that 89 postmen and woman suffered attacks by dogs last year, with a corresponding increase of 13% in such attacks across the north since 2010, reinforces the need for dog owners to be vigilant and to ensure that their pet is not in a position pose a danger whenever your ‘postie’ calls.

She said,

“The case of local postal worker Dean Barr who sustained severe physical injuries in an attack by an Alsatian type dog in October of last year shows what, quite often is, the hidden and frightening reality behind these latest worrying statistics.

“The incidence of these attacks is more frequent during the summer months when dogs are more likely to be out in the garden and combined with the innate instinct to protect ‘their territory,’

“I would therefore like reinforce the need for dog owners to be vigilant and to ensure that their pet does not be in a position to pose a danger whenever your postie calls."

Adria graffiti replaced with bright coat of paint

Members of the Jim Mc Ginn Sinn Féin Cumann in Strabane applied a coat of bright paint over the graffiti blighted walls at the entrance of the former Adria factory site in the town on Friday evening.

Cumann spokesperson Stevie Dunnion said,

“Following the large volume of representations we have been receiving about this and particularly complaints about the obscene nature of some of this graffiti which people in the local community have been forced to witness on a daily basis, the local Cumann took advantage of the good weather on Friday evening to replace the offending material with a bright coat of paint.

“This initiative has been positively received and the Cumann will be looking to replicate this in other areas where unsightly graffiti is a problem."

D’fhág freasúra an Dáil an t-Aire Dinny McGinley chun labhairt leis féin tar éis siúil amach

Dúirt an t-urlabhraí Gaeltachta Shinn Féin Peadar Tóibín go raibh díomá uafásach ar mhuintir an Gaeilge agus na Gaeltachtaí.

“Tá fadhbanna ollmhór ag baint leis an reachtaíocht seo. Fadhbanna a déanfaidh damáiste don Gaeltacht. Ta a lán rudaí in easnamh anseo freisin. Déanann an bille seo neamhaird ar na deiseanna atá ann chun fuinneamh nua a anáil isteach sa Gaeltacht. Bheadh sé furasta na heasnaimh seo a réitigh da mbeadh and rialtas dáiríre faoin Gaeilge, da mbeadh an Aire dáiríre faoi an próiseas comhairliúcháin leis na eagrais Gaeilge agus dá mbeadh an Aire dáiríre faoi an próiseas daonlathas san Oireachtas.

“Ta an Gaeilge in áit an leathphingin sá stáit seo. I rith an díospóireacht gairid chualamar beagáinín níos mó ná platitudes agus uaireanta focal nimhneach chomh súil le Language Imperialists ar thug an Teachta Creed ar Gaeilgeoirí. Fiú amháin i gcoiste inné dúirt an Teachta Flanagan go raibh sé in éadain airgead a caitheamh ar eolas sláinte a foilsiú i nGaeilge sa Gaeltacht.

“Táimid ag teacht chuig deireadh na bliana, bliain inar dhearna an rialtas seo dochar do Gaeilge. Dochar don Coimisinéir Teanga, dochair do Gaelscoileanna, dochair do Scéim labhairt na Gaeilge. Bhí sé déistineach a fheiceáil an rialtas ag bagairt Dónall Ó Cnáimhsí a bhí ag labhairt ar son muintir na Gaeltachtaí.

“Is léir nach bhfuil suim dá laghad ag an Roinn no ag an rialtas plé oscailte daonlathas a chuir ar siúil anseo inniu. Mar sin diúltaím leis an próiseas in a iomlán. Nílimid sásta fanacht agus táim chun siúil amach chun mo déistin a thaispeáint ar an córas seo.”

Shiúil an freasúra ina iomláin amach tar éis na óráid gairid. D’fhág siad an t-Aire McGinley chun labhairt leis féin.

Sinn Féin accuses SSA Management of adopting flippant approach to concerns over Strabane JBO downgrade plans

Strabane Glenelly Sinn Féin councillor Michelle Mc Mackin has accused management of the Social Security Agency (SSA) of adopting a flippant approach to major concerns about plans to downgrade the Urney Road Jobs and Benefits Office in the town to a front only service, given its decision to only dispatch two junior officials to meet with Strabane District Council today, while the body had formally requested to meet with SSA Chief Executive Tommy O Reilly to discuss the issues involved.

Cllr Mc Mackin, speaking before the scheduled 2pm meeting today and on behalf of the seven Sinn Fein councillors who will be attending, said,

“Strabane District Council had formally requested to meet with SSA Chief Executive Tommy O Reilly to discuss our wide-ranging concerns, in terms of the clearly negative impact on staff and customers alike, of the Agency’s plans to downgrade the Strabane JBO Office to a front office only service from the Autumn.

“Far from addressing these concerns, SSA senior management has adopted a flippant approach on this matter by dispatching to junior officials to meet with us here today.  We will be making it known to these officials that this approach is totally unacceptable and will be demanding a meeting with senior management.

 “We have also a wide-range series of questions and concerns that we are going to put to these officials today about the planned downgrade of the Strabane JBO Office and in terms of actions we will be pushing for from senior management will be the suspension of the roll out of their plans until a full ‘Equality Impact Assessment’ is carried out as it is clear that they would have differential impacts on Section 75 groupings both in terms of customers or staff alike.