State must control and manage the housing supply, says TD Casey Funds for art projects
THE STATE must control and, crucially, manage housing supply in Ireland, Fianna Fáil Deputy Pat Casey told the Dáil. ‘I believe that housing is a right that every citizen should expect the State to supply it as part of the social contract between Government and the citizen,’ he said. ‘It is my strong conviction that the State must control and supply housing for rent and affordable sale to citizens.’
Speaking during a debate on a Sinn Fein Private Member’s Bill on housing, Deputy Casey said Fianna Fáil, in a principled and pragmatic effort to secure housing units for public use, introduced the Part V process. This process was controversial at the time, with many elements of the construction industry opposed to it.
‘Originally, the Part V process allowed for up to 20% of new housing units to be provided as public housing,’ he said. ‘Despite its success, it needed to be reviewed and amended. However, Fine Gael made the mistake of reducing the Part V requirement to 10% from 20%, a 50% reduction, thereby contributing to the worsening of housing supply. Its commitment to ideology resulted in shrinking the public stock of housing coming on stream when houses were most needed. Fine Gael’s inability to take the necessary steps to ensure that every family and person in this country could have a home is another failure of public policy.’
The construction industry in Ireland is engaged in its entirety in the private sector, he said. This fact is not ideological.
‘It is not neoliberal or capitalist; it is just the truth. Quantity surveyors, plant machinery operators, bricklayers, carpenters, electricians and plumbers are engaged with private sector employers, or are self-employed, to build the houses the people need.’
‘The essential solution is so easy as to be frustrating to so many people,’ he added. ‘We need a massive increase in the supply of houses, particularly publicly-owned housing, and affordable houses for sale. Increasing the supply of housing means that we must increase the number of new housing units constructed.’ ARTISTS are being asked to submit applications for the sixth annual Strategic Projects in Wicklow.
The project which are being run by Wicklow County Arts Office aims to boost the arts offering in the county.
Applications are being invited from artists, national resource organisations, individual curators, and/or artist collectives who have the potential to propose projects which will nurture practice, create connectivity, generate new perspectives and voices within County Wicklow and support a diversity of approach.
In 2019 there will be two streams of application. Under Stream A proposals should be for new initiatives which add significant value to arts practice, experience and participation in Wicklow and support the Arts Office strategic goals.
Under Stream B the council will also consider repeat applications for existing recipients who wish to consolidate or develop an area of practice previously awarded under this Scheme.
The Scheme is open to individuals and organisations from across all arts disciplines, and applicants need not be based in County Wicklow. Reflecting the balance of other elements of the Arts Office programme, the Arts Office would particularly welcome strong applications in the artform areas of literature, film, dance, artist development, music and the visual arts.
Examples of possible outcomes from proposed projects may include the following: Development of the artist collective(s)/community(ies) of practice within Wicklow County; Inter-regional collaborations by County Wicklow based artists for work to culminate in presentation in the county; Development and/or presentation of ambitious new work sited/situated in the county; Projects which will create strategic connections for artform development; Those which propose high quality public participation opportunities; Projects which may increase artists’ networking and professional exchange.
The total amount of the fund available is subject to finalisation of the Council’s own funding for 2019 but is likely to be a maximum of €40,000.
The Arts Office may fund up to four individual projects to a maximum of €15,000 for any one application as a result of this call. The Arts Office will particularly welcome applications where the support from the Arts Office may form part of a wider budgetary framework for the initiatives proposed by applicants. For application details and further information please contact lian.bell@ gmail.com. The closing date is Thursday December 6 at 4 p.m.