Submission on Rural Housing To the Oireachtas Committee on Environment and Local Government

6th Nov 2003 , Emer O’Siochru

This submission makes a case for promoting small compact housing settlements rather than dispersed housing. It examines precedents for this development model in Ireland, arguing that most Irish villages and towns came into existence as a result of conscious planning. It suggests that the tax system be used to influence decisions about housing construction in favour of compact settlements, and that a ‘Participatory Budget’ system be introduced, following the example of Sao Paulo in Barzil, with the County Development Boards playing a strong role.

The full version can be downloaded as a PDF file

2003 Feasta Annual Lecture: Designing a Truly Democratic Economy – Marjorie Kelly

Date: 3-4 November 2003
Venue: Dublin and Belfast
Kelly, a US ethical business advocate, spoke on how the rights of shareholders in contemporary companies are similar in many respects to those enjoyed by the aristocracy of feudal regimes. Kelly is the author of Divine Right of Capital – Dethroning the Corporate Aristocracy and the editor/co-founder of Business Ethics, a US publication on corporate social responsibility.…