1st November 2000

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The reconstruction of Manchester city centre after the IRA bombing, the increasing penetration of the Republic of Ireland by Northern Ireland housing associations, and the increasing housing crisis in Dublin, Galway and Cork will be among the themes addressed at a conference sponsored by the University of Ulster next month.

Called ‘Housing and Economic Development: Renewal and Beyond’, the conference is bringing together housing professionals from both parts of Ireland, plus England, Scotland and Wales, will build on links established at the Conference of the Isles held in Belfast in 1999. It will be held in the Portmarnock Hotel, Dublin on 23 and 24 November 2000

Among those addressing the conference will be

* John Fitzgerald, City Manager Dublin Corporation, on ‘Housing and Economic Development in Dublin’

* Eamonn Boylan, Director of Housing and Community services, Manchester on ‘The Regeneration of Manchester’

* The Disappearing Border: Housing and Planning in the Irish Border Counties – Dr Terry Robson, University of Ulster

* Chris Williamson, NIFHA and Donal McManus, Executive Director, Irish Council for Social Housing, on ‘The Future of the Voluntary Housing Movement in Ireland’

Organizer Mr Paddy Gray of the University of Ulster said:

“The housing sector in Ireland – as in Great Britain – is changing fast. House prices are rising so fast in the Republic of Ireland that social housing is being squeezed out – and that means massive problems for industry, as the lack of affordable housing exacerbates recruitment problems.

“We all have things to learn from each other’s experiences. Social housing providers in the Republic can learn from the experiences of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, just as the Housing Executive can learn from developments in Manchester, London and Glasgow.

“This conference is a tool for housing professionals to share their knowledge and successes, and prevent each other repeating the other’s mistakes. The University of Ulster is proud to have been a catalyst bringing together so distinguished a variety of academic and professional analysts and commentators. We look forward to welcoming delegates from all over the British Isles and further afield to share and discuss ideas about the future welfare of our population.”

For further information, please contact:

Press Office Department of Communication and Development
Telephone: 028 9036 6178
Email: pressoffice@ulster.ac.uk