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Programme
Chairperson: Noeline Blackwell

9.30am Registration

10am Welcome and official opening of Seminar by Lord Mayor Cllr. Michael O'Connell.

10.15am Aaron O’ Connell
Member of Cork Social Housing Forum

10.30am Dr. Michael Punch
Lecturer in the School of Sociology, University College Dublin.

11am Time for questions / comments /clarifications

11.15am Coffee break

11.30am John O’ Connor
Chief Executive Designate, Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency.

12 noon Time for questions/comments/clarifications

12.15pm Donal Guerin
Resident Participation Officer Housing and Community Department, Cork City Council and Close of seminar and invitation to view stands and meet organisations - 1pm Finish
Biography of Speakers
Aaron O’Connell is the Assistant Director with Cork Simon Community since 2002. He is a member of the Cork Homeless Forum, Youth Homeless Forum and the Cork Social Housing Forum. Aaron is also a community representative on the Cork Local Drugs Task Force.
John O’Connor is the Chief Executive Designate of the new Housing and Sustainable Communities Agency, established on an administrative basis in May 2010. He was previously the Chief Executive of the Affordable Homes Partnership and Executive Manager in Dublin City Council’s Housing Department.
Michael Punch is a Lecturer in the School of Sociology, University College Dublin. He has also worked in a research and consultancy capacity with a range of community groups and NGOs in Dublin City and nationally on various aspects of housing and urban regeneration, particularly with respect to inequality and social justice.

Seminar Chairperson
Noeline Blackwell is a solicitor and is the Director General of F.L.A.C. (the Free Legal Advice Centres). F.L.A.C. is a human rights organisation based in Dublin which advocates for equal access to justice for all. Noeline has been working with F.L.A.C. since 2005.
Cork Social Housing Forum awarded grant to organise Seminar.
Cork Social Housing Forum has been awarded a grant as part of the 2010 European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion.
The European Commission and the Social Inclusion Division of the Department of Social and Family Affairs supports the organising of the Seminar as part of its funding initiative for the 2010 European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion.
A half day Seminar is now planned for September 15th 2010 . The purpose is to:
  1. highlight poverty and social exclusion issues relating to housing and homelessness in Cork City
  2. provide information on the services and work of member organisations
  3. present an analysis on the challenges and difficulties experienced by client groups in terms of accessing and retaining housing and accommodation
  4. make recommendations on what can be done to address these challenges and difficulties and to seek as far as possible their implementation.
 Human dignity and human rights (in particular the right to housing and accommodation) are at the core of the work of the Forum. The services provided by Forum members seek to demonstrate how dignity and rights can be put into action.
Cork Social Housing Forum was established because organisations believed in the need to work together to address issues, share information, training and experiences. The Seminar creates an opportunity to raise public awareness of poverty, inequality and social exclusion regarding housing and accommodation.
It will also create an opportunity to seek to engage with the key public policy decision-makers at local level in order to work together towards solutions. The goals of the seminar are in keeping with the important objectives and themes of the European Year – dignity, human rights, shared responsibility/participation, cohesion, commitment and practical action.
The European Council and the European Commission designated 2010 as the European Year for combating poverty and social exclusion. The purpose is intended to reaffirm and strengthen the initial political commitment of the EU at the start of the Lisbon strategy, March 2000, to making a decisive impact on the eradication of poverty. Four main objectives lie at the heart of the European Year
  • Recognition of the right of people in poverty and social exclusion to live in dignity and to play a full part in society
  • An increase in the public ownership of social inclusion policies, emphasising everyone’s responsibility in tackling poverty and marginalisation
  • A more cohesive society, where no one doubts that society as a whole benefits from the eradication of poverty
  • Commitment of all actors, because real progress requires a long-term effort that involves all levels of governance.
For more information on the 2010 European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion visit links.