Minister for Housing and Planning, Jan O’Sullivan, TD, today welcomed the first meeting of the new interim regulatory committee for approved housing associations.
The interim committee will monitor the implementation of the voluntary regulation code for approved housing bodies, published in July 2013, and report to the Minister on the development of a statutory regulatory system.
“The establishment of the interim regulatory committee is a very positive development. It underlines the commitment within the not-for-profit housing sector to develop and maintain high standards of accountability and transparency. This commitment is fully supported by Government. I have stated my intention to introduce a statutory regulatory system in 2016 and I look forward to the recommendations that the interim committee will have in that regard,” stated Minister O’Sullivan.
The interim regulatory committee is chaired by Ms. Jennie Donald, Northern Ireland Federation of Housing Associations and among its roles is to:
Oversee the implementation of the voluntary regulation code and contribute to the development of statutory regulation for approved housing bodies;
Assess if approved housing bodies are in compliance with the voluntary code and provide guidance to assist individual housing bodies in that regard;
Advise the Minister on the development of statutory regulation.
The other members of the interim committee are:
Oonagh Breen, UCD, Sutherland School of Law
Michael Cameron, Chief Executive, Scottish Housing Regulator
Martina Deans, Tenant Representative
Ann Marie Farrelly, Director of Housing, Fingal County Council
Ronan Heavey, Department of Finance
Gerry Hunt, Chartered Accountant
Eddie Lewis, IPA, Housing Policy Lecturer
Donal McManus, Chief Executive, Irish Council for Social Housing
Mary Lee Rhodes, TCD, School of Business
Damian Allen, Department of the Environment, Community & Local Government
Note for Editors:
The approved housing body sector currently provides 27,000 high quality, secure homes throughout Ireland.
The sector serves mainstream social housing need and also provides housing to people with a special housing need such as people with a disability, the elderly and people who are homeless.
Tracing its roots back to the 1890s the sector is now poised to play an enhanced role in the delivery of social housing, a role that is recognised in the Government’s Housing Policy Statement.
All approved housing bodies signing up to the voluntary regulation code will submit a signed Charter of Commitments on a yearly basis and make themselves available for examination by the interim regulator.
The voluntary regulation code uses a three tier system, aligned to the size and profile of approved housing bodies. It outlines a range of minimum regulatory standards that will apply to all AHBs as well as additional standards and requirements that will apply to larger AHBs or those taking on more risk / lending.
To date, just over 80 approved housing bodies have submitted a signed Charter of Commitments. This represents approximately 15% of the total number of active bodies. Over the past two years, 176 bodies in the not-for-profit sector have been de-listed as approved housing bodies.