In a recent letter, Dublin City Council (DCC) CEO Richard Shakespeare has apologised to Fórsa members for remarks made about staff capacity and assured the union that there will be full engagement on the long-term management of a new cost-rental housing development at Emmet Road.  

The issue arose at a January meeting of the Council’s housing committee where it was alleged by a Council official that estate management for a new housing scheme in Inchicore would be outsourced.  

The comments implied that outsourcing would be necessary to mitigate risk due to the cost of the development, and that a housing development serviced by private operators might be more appealing to tenants.  Members reacted angrily, calling for an apology and for greater resources to be allocated to housing maintenance and estate management.  

Fórsa represents workers in DCC estate management, who support tenants and manage building maintenance in housing complexes, as well as caretakers who are members of the union’s municipal employees’ division.   

In his letter the CEO reassured Fórsa that trade union engagement will take place, saying: “There is no intention on our part to bypass the agreed procedures or industrial relations mechanisms and Dublin City Council committed to engaging positively in this regard going forward.” 

Fórsa official Maura Cahalan welcomed the letter and the commitment to engage with unions, saying: “By having all parties at the table we can get better outcomes. We appreciate the reassurance provided by the CEO that engagement will take place and reiterate our call for greater resources to be allocated to the teams who maintain and manage the Council’s housing stock.”  

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