Housing

The Housing Commission has failed to reach a consensus on constitutional change and is set to publish two rival reports as a result, according to The Irish Times. The Commission was tasked with considering housing policy in general as well as bringing forward proposals on the wording for a referendu

The High Court has held that the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) does not have jurisdiction to determine whether a valid tenancy existed in possession proceedings and, as such, refused an application by a defendant to adjourn the High Court proceedings until the RTB made a determination on the ten

A&L Goodbody LLP has provided pro bono housing law support to more than 500 people since the launch of a unique partnership with Mercy Law Resource Centre and Focus Ireland five years ago. Established in 2018 with the help of the Public Interest Law Alliance (PILA), a project of legal rights gro

More than nine in 10 property professionals believe that streamlining planning would have the biggest impact on boosting housing supply in Ireland, according to a survey by business law firm Mason Hayes & Curran — but only four per cent feel that a new government would have the most signif

The Irish housing crisis is serious but solvable, global law firm Eversheds Sutherland LLP has said after hosting a conference addressed by housing minister Darragh O'Brien. Around 70 representatives from lenders, banks, developers and social housing bodies attended the real estate conference focuse

Law students Katie Morrissey and David Lynch have been named among three winners of an essay competition themed around "Social Justice & the City". Ms Morrissey and Mr Lynch are students on the Law with Social Justice course at University College Dublin (UCD) and took part in the competition org

The political row over extending Ireland's eviction ban shows why a constitutional referendum on housing is "urgently needed", a senior housing lawyer has said. Aoife Kelly-Desmond, managing solicitor at Mercy Law Resource Centre (MLRC), said the controversy "highlights the challenge faced by govern

Olivia McCann has been appointed as director of legal services and compliance at Respond, one of Ireland's largest housing associations. Ms McCann brings considerable experience of the commercial property sector to the association, where she will manage an in-house legal team of solicitors and legal

Mercy Law Resource Centre (MLRC) has called for changes to law and practice to tackle barriers that people with mental health difficulties face in accessing social housing and emergency accommodation. Mary Butler, the minister of state for mental health and older people, formally launched the law ce

Property professionals want the new An Coimisiún Pleanála to be required to determine planning appeals within 16 weeks, according to a new survey by Mason Hayes & Curran LLP. The business law firm polled more than 250 agents, developers and property managers at its recent real esta

Michelle McArdle of BHSM LLP considers what the proposed housing referendum could mean for Ireland. It is anticipated that the Commission for Housing will shortly recommend holding a constitutional referendum to incorporate a constitutional right to housing. This is timely, as issues in relation to

A long-awaited government plan to tackle energy poverty should be put on a statutory footing with legally binding targets, Community Law & Mediation (CLM) has said. The law centre welcomed last week's publication of the Energy Poverty Action Plan, in particular the establishment of a cross-depar

Plans to further restrict judicial reviews of planning decisions — including a ban on actions brought by residents' associations — will be discussed by ministers this week, according to reports. A bill to be discussed by the Cabinet tomorrow would require judicial reviews to be taken by

Nearly three-quarters of Irish property professionals believe that 50,000 new homes must be built every year to solve the housing crisis, according to a survey by Mason Hayes & Curran LLP. The business law firm surveyed more than 200 agents, developers and property managers at its recent ‘

The Abhaile scheme providing financial and legal advice to people who are insolvent and in mortgage arrears on their homes has been extended until the end of 2023. Since its establishment in 2016, the Abhaile scheme has supported over 19,300 households at risk of losing their homes. Of those, 80 per