A round-up of other home news in brief
Talks resume in attempt to resolve council refuse dispute
Talks will resume this afternoon at the Labour Relations Commission between unions and management in the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council refuse dispute.
The council is seeking to outsource part of its waste collection service to Panda Waste from Monday next, but Siptu which represents the workers is opposing the move.
Siptu organiser Ramon O’Reilly said no progress had been made in the talks so far and union members will be taking industrial action from the start of business on Thursday unless the current deadlock can be broken.
Fianna Fáil names press director
Fianna Fáil has created a senior managerial role for its new press director in a move to improve the party’s communications.
Pat McParland is to replace former communications director Gene McKenna in a role advertised last February. As deputy general secretary with responsibility for communications, Mr McParland will be part of the Fianna Fáil senior management team as well as being responsible for the press and research office.
He is a TCD law graduate and former director of corporate affairs with Northern Ireland Water.
Fianna Fáil general secretary Seán Dorgan said the party was “determined to significantly improve and extend the quality of our communications work” and wanted to expand the role played by the head of press and research.
'Rent-to-buy' scheme unveiled
A “rent-to-buy” scheme for affordable housing units will be unveiled by Dublin City Council today.
It is the first time such a scheme is to be offered by a local authority, the council said. Tenants agree a fixed purchase price with the council, and can rent their home for up to three years. If they opt to buy during that time, some 80 per cent of rent paid will be taken off the price. The other 20 per cent goes on administration.
Some 91 properties in Glasnevin, Rialto and Dublin 11 will come under the scheme.
Priority will go to those already on the council’s affordable housing list.
“The scheme takes all the uncertainty out of the transaction enabling renters to acquire a nice home and plan properly for their future,” Fine Gael councillor Clare Byrne said.
Poc fada contest for Stormont
The inaugural Edward Carson poc fada competition is to be staged at Stormont next month, reports Gerry Moriarty. The “Poc ar an Cnoc” contest will take place on August 7th.
Competitors are to test their long-range hurling ability on the green grassy slopes beside the long Prince of Wales Avenue in Stormont that leads up to the Carson monument.
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams said that while Lord Carson may be unionism’s greatest icon, there was no incongruity in staging a competition for a trophy named after him as he played hurling while studying at Trinity College, Dublin.
There will be a celebrity poc fada competition, with Mr Adams extending an invitation to DUP finance Minister Sammy Wilson to take up the camán and sliotar. The competition will be one of many events running during the West Belfast Festival in August.