Affordable Homes Partnership (Establishment) Order, 2005
Statutory Instruments
Source: Statutory Instruments

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paragraphs: This Order may be cited as the Affordable Homes Partnership (Establishment) Order, 2005.
Commencement.
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paragraphs: This Order shall come into effect on the 1st day of August, 2005.
Definitions
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paragraphs: (1) In this Order—
“the Act” means the Local Government Services (Corporate Bodies) Act 1971 ;
“the Partnership” means the body established under article 4 of this Order;
“the Board” means the Board established under article 6 of this Order;
“the Chairperson” means the Chairperson of the Board appointed by the Minister under article 6(1)(a);
“the Minister” means the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government;
“Greater Dublin Area” means the area comprising the city of Dublin and the counties of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Fingal, Kildare, Meath, South Dublin, and Wicklow within the meaning of the Local Government Act 2001 ;
“Dublin Metropolitan Area” means the area comprising the city of Dublin and the counties of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Fingal, South Dublin and certain District Electoral Divisions in Kildare, Meath, and Wicklow as described as being part of the Dublin Metropolitan Area in the Regional Planning Guidelines for the Greater Dublin Area, 2004-2016;
“designated body” means—
the Minister,
Dublin City Council,
the County Councils of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal Kildare, Meath, South Dublin and Wicklow.
(2) In this Order, any reference to an article which is not otherwise identified is a reference to an article of the Order.
(3) In this Order, any reference to a sub-article or paragraph which is not otherwise identified is a reference to the sub-article or paragraph of the provision in which the reference occurs.
Establishment of the Partnership.
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paragraphs: (1) The Affordable Homes Partnership is hereby established to provide, for and on behalf of the designated bodies, the services specified in this article for the period up to and including the 31st December, 2008.
(2) The specific services to be provided by the Partnership shall be—
(i) to co-ordinate and promote the delivery of affordable housing development in the Greater Dublin Area with particular reference to increasing supply in the Dublin Metropolitan Area;
(ii) to undertake a series of measures on behalf of the local authorities in the Dublin Metropolitan Area to bring land forward for housing development including the invitation and consideration of proposals from builders and or developers for the utilisation of lands not currently zoned for housing but which may be suitable for development;
(iii) to co-ordinate and progress with relevant agencies infrastructural development necessary to support housing in the Greater Dublin Area;
(iv) to develop a communications strategy on affordable housing availability and development on behalf of the designated bodies;
(v) to report on demand for housing and assess the levels of supply;
(vi) to promote a common approach to implementation of Part V of the Planning and Development Acts, 2000-2004 in the Greater Dublin Area; and
(vii) to undertake at the request of the Minister the project planning and procurement of affordable housing on State lands in the Greater Dublin Area.
(3) The Partnership may provide advisory, technical support and secretarial services for any committees appointed under article 6 of this Order.
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paragraphs: (1) The Partnership may do all such things, including the incurring of expenditure, as may be necessary for the effective carrying out of the services specified in article 4 of this Order.
(2) In particular, the Partnership may—
(a) purchase or take on lease any land and may sell exchange, let or otherwise dispose of any land vested in the Board;
(b) make arrangements with another person or body for the use by the Board of premises or equipment belonging to that person or body or for the use by the Board of officers or employees of that person or body; and
(c) plan, procure, and supervise contracts for affordable housing on behalf of the designated bodies.
(3) The Partnership will not be responsible for assessing eligibility, letting properties or ongoing maintenance, or other such functions which are assigned by legislation to designated bodies.
(4) The Minister may, from time to time, issue to the Partnership such guidelines in relation to the performance of its functions as he or she considers appropriate and the Partnership shall have regard to such guidelines in the performance of its functions. The Minister may amend or revoke guidelines issued under this article.
Constitution of the Board.
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paragraphs: (1) The business of the Partnership shall be conducted by a Board appointed by the Minister and comprising the following members—
(a) four persons including a chairperson appointed by the Minister;
(b) four persons nominated by the Minister drawn from the following: the manager of Dublin City Council, the county managers of the county councils of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal South Dublin, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow; and
(c) the Chief Executive Officer of the Partnership.
(2) Members of the Board shall hold office for the period up to and including the 31st December, 2008.
(3) The Board may act notwithstanding a vacancy among its members.
(4) The quorum for a meeting of the Board shall be one third of its membership calculated to the nearest whole number.
(5) A member of the Board may at any time resign his or her membership by letter addressed to the Minister and the resignation shall take effect from the date specified in the letter or upon receipt of the letter by the Minister, whichever is the later.
(6) A member of the Board, may at any time, be removed from membership of the Board by the Minister if, in the Minister's opinion, the member has become incapable through ill-health of performing his or her functions, or has committed stated misbehaviour, or his or her removal appears to the Minister to be necessary for the effective performance by the Board of its functions.
(7) A person shall cease to be, and shall be disqualified from being, a member of the Board where he or she—
(a) is adjudicated bankrupt,
(b) makes a composition or arrangement with creditors,
(c) is sentenced by a court of competent jurisdiction to a term of imprisonment, or
(d) is disqualified or restricted from being a director of any company.
(8) Where a member of the Board or a member of staff of the Partnership—
(a) accepts a nomination as a member of Seanad Ãireann,
(b) is elected to either House of the Oireachtas or to the European Parliament,