Community Action Network

Equal Power Relationships WHY Universal (Vision for Society) Rights v Needs Stops Stigmatising Evidence Based Outcome Focused Accountability Equal Power Relationships

CAN - HUMAN RIGHTS WORK The Right to a Home - Local Campaign The Collective Complaint - a National Campaign The Right to Health - Service Users Rights in Action Emerging Campaigns

Outcomes Larger Alliances of Communities Created Significant Measureable Outcomes 40 +homes upgraded Agreed regeneration plan – phase 1 almost complete – 90 new homes 44 new senior citizen homes under construction Ground-breaking work on structural nature of problems Inspirational demonstration site Challenging – time, resource implications, one area does not change the system Larger Alliances of Communities Created Testing the methodology in 5 other geographical communities Community Benefits Primer Collective Complaint process within the Council of Europe

Collective Complaint Ireland is member of Council of Europe Signed Revised EU Social Charter 2000 Protocol – Collective Complaint Ireland did not sign Article 31 but previous judgments established that the right to housing covered under Articles 16 Also invoked Articles 17, 11, 30 and E

Accountability Systems Absence of Accountability Systems No representative body No independent complaints process No access to independent investigations No regular assessments of needs, resources, results Creating Accountability Systems Ireland in global context International treaties and bodies holding Ireland to account

Stages Research and gather evidence Lodge initial complaint via a recognised European organisation Committee of Social Rights decides on admissibility If admissible they notify the Attorney General and all relevant parties State response Our response Committee assesses merits and makes recommendations which are sent to the Council of Ministers. Not legally binding but are morally and politically Are reviewed thereafter

Substance of our CC Failure to adopt Social Charter rights within legal, policy and administrative frameworks of housing for Ireland Adequacy and habitability, suitability of some LA housing Regeneration programmes do not respect housing provisions and other rights in Charter

Decision The Committee finds that the Government has failed to take sufficient and timely measures to ensure the right to housing of an adequate standard for not an insignificant number of families living in local authority housing and therefore holds that there is a violation of Article 16 of the Charter in this respect.