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ENVIRONMENT MINISTER ALAN Kelly has said that the language in a letter sent to some Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) tenants by local authorities was “unhelpful and over the top”.
The letter below tells RAS tenants in Co Wicklow that if they fail to pay water charges for the property they’re living in, it could result in a breach of their tenancy agreement. The letter said that this failure to pay “could jeopardize your tenancy”.
A statement from a spokesperson tonight said that Minister Kelly has acknowledged that the language in the letter was unhelpful and over the top and his Department will shortly issue a circular to local authorities.
The circular “will outline the need to ensure that a co-ordinated and consistent approach is taken to communication with RAS tenants concerning obligations in relation to Irish Water”.
It is important that RAS tenants are informed of their obligations without raising any unnecessary concerns.
The statement said that it “should also be noted that the issue of registration and payment of water charges is primarily a matter between the tenant and Irish Water”.
It added that RAS tenants are no different to any other Local Authority tenants or private tenants.
The letter was debated in the Dáil yesterday afternoon between Sinn Féin Deputy Leader Mary Lou McDonald and Tánaiste Joan Burton.
Deputy McDonald presented the letter in the chamber.
A spokesperson for Wicklow County Council told TheJournal.ie at the time that the text of the letter was based on information received from Irish Water, and was responding to concerns from landlords in the RAS scheme.
It also said:
In highlighting particular aspects of the RAS contract Wicklow County Council is attempting to safeguard the RAS scheme and its tenants by reminding them of their obligations under the scheme.
Originally published 10.27pm
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No sign of Shane Ross
@Roy O’Rourke: headline needs fixing.
@Roy O’Rourke: smell of him though
“almost definitely could be potentially the whale that might have been in either Dublin or Liverpool port, while also feeding potentially most definitely feeding on fish, just before it was more than likely certainly murdered by climate change or potentially other causes, that maybe but definitely one of a long list of ways it could have died” classic garbish titles…
@Cryptoalcho: Definately, maybe…
@GerryCummins: .
RIP whale
This the same wale who swam down the liffey to meet his mates in dolphins barn
@John O’Neill: Ah here
More often than not when you find a mammal out of its comfort zone the mammal is in trouble.
Anybody find my bicycle whale on Dollyier?
He must have been sick. Poor thing.
More often than not when you find a mammal out of its comfort zone the mammal is in trouble.
In terms of whales.
A solo whale found out of its normal surroundings usually means that it is in trouble.
Either lost from its pod or lost on its own.
The next time you see any mammal in a position that you don’t expect it to be in presume it is in trouble big trouble.
@Linus Robin: Eamonn Ryan in Dáil Éireann, for example.
@Linus Robin: you ok?
@SFNutters: I’m fine thank you.
I realize that some of my post makes little or no sense.
I will blame that on 3 people calling to my house mid post and not proof reading.
Soz.
Almost definitely?
if not attended to quickly dead beached whales have been known to explode due to the build up of gasses if the whale is not gutted quickly .If your worrying about the smell now better cover your noses.
I’d say it died because of the big gapping hole in the end of it.
Liffey river just doesn’t sound right
I’d say that the untreated stuff coming out of ringsend nonwater treatment plant go him A national protest in needed save the whale campaign we can water we want save whales when do we want it Now.
Towed out to sea and told to stay there but not where it could be a hazard to marine navigation. What kind of morons do this?
have your say