In a week when the government outlined its top 21 priorities, Fórsa national secretary Richy Carrothers wrote to newly appointed Minister James Browne TD at the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage. His letter served as both a reminder of previous commitments and a statement of what union members want to see addressed.

Richy’s letter briefly outlined the programme his division has been campaigning on, emphasising its five key policy pillars: housing, water, waste, democracy, and energy. 

On the Programme for Government, he made it clear that Fórsa intends to engage with the newly announced Local Democracy Taskforce. The union continues to support local authority-led cost rental public housing and a direct labour model for home energy upgrades, maintenance, and void management. It also backs a referendum to enshrine the right to housing in the Constitution. 

Richy championed local government in the letter describing it as “our greatest and most underused resource. It touches every aspect of our daily lives and impacts upon everyone who lives and works in Ireland. It is in our schools, our homes and our public parks. It is in our work, and our play.” 

“It is also the first point of contact that many people in Ireland will have with public services and democratic structures. We acknowledge that the nature of our society is rapidly changing. How and where we live our lives is constantly evolving. The rigid, centralised system of government and service provision no longer fits the changing face of Ireland,” Richy remarked. 

On water and waste, the letter outlined Fórsa’s continued push for a constitutional referendum to secure public ownership and calls for greater investment and financial autonomy for local authorities, full implementation of the EU Charter on Local Self-Government, and the introduction of directly elected mayors. It also reaffirms Fórsa’s commitment to fostering a culture free from hate speech and intolerance. 

Richy also laid out the case for local authorities to lead the charge on micro-generation and community-owned renewable energy projects. 

The most pressing industrial relations issue for local government workers, according to Fórsa, remains the lack of a job evaluation scheme. The union is calling for a fair, open, and transparent system to address pay equity and help tackle recruitment and retention challenges.  

Highlighting how similar schemes already exist across other public sectors in Ireland and in local government in Britain and the North of Ireland, Richy pointed out: “Fórsa is seeking to ensure the introduction of a scheme that is fair, open and transparent. We believe that an agreed evaluation scheme would greatly assist with the significant challenges on recruitment and retention.” 

Fórsa has consistently championed fairness and equal opportunity, arguing that local government workers deserve no less than their public sector counterparts. 

In a week when the government outlined its top 21 priorities, Fórsa national secretary Richy Carrothers wrote to newly appointed Minister James Browne TD at the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage. His letter served as both a reminder of previous commitments and a statement of what lies ahead. 

Richy’s letter briefly outlined the programme his division has been campaigning on, emphasising its five key policy pillars: housing, water, waste, democracy, and energy. 

On the Programme for Government, he made it clear that Fórsa intends to engage with the newly announced Local Democracy Taskforce. The union continues to support local authority-led cost rental public housing and a direct labour model for home energy upgrades, maintenance, and void management. It also backs a referendum to enshrine the right to housing in the Constitution. 

Richy championed local government in the letter describing it as “our greatest and most underused resource. It touches every aspect of our daily lives and impacts upon everyone who lives and works in Ireland. It is in our schools, our homes and our public parks. It is in our work, and our play.” 

“It is also the first point of contact that many people in Ireland will have with public services and democratic structures. We acknowledge that the nature of our society is rapidly changing. How and where we live our lives is constantly evolving. The rigid, centralised system of government and service provision no longer fits the changing face of Ireland,” Richy remarked. 

On water and waste, the letter outlined Fórsa’s continued push for a constitutional referendum to secure public ownership and calls for greater investment and financial autonomy for local authorities, full implementation of the EU Charter on Local Self-Government, and the introduction of directly elected mayors. It also reaffirms Fórsa’s commitment to fostering a culture free from hate speech and intolerance. 

Richy also laid out the case for local authorities to lead the charge on micro-generation and community-owned renewable energy projects. 

The most pressing industrial relations issue for local government workers, according to Fórsa, remains the lack of a job evaluation scheme. The union is calling for a fair, open, and transparent system to address pay equity and help tackle recruitment and retention challenges.  

Highlighting how similar schemes already exist across other public sectors in Ireland and in local government in Britain and the North of Ireland, Richy pointed out: “Fórsa is seeking to ensure the introduction of a scheme that is fair, open and transparent. We believe that an agreed evaluation scheme would greatly assist with the significant challenges on recruitment and retention.” 

Fórsa has consistently championed fairness and equal opportunity, arguing that local government workers deserve no less than their public sector counterparts. 

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