Can the Public get access to information on accommodation recognition payment contracts

Infoseeker1975 · 06-02-2025 06:09PM #1

We live next to a holiday home complex which has being let out to Ukrainian refugees for the last few years.

Is there anyway to find out if the contract will be renewed as there is some talk that it will expire next month though it seems to be idle gossip.

DayInTheBog · 06-02-2025 06:11PM

It will be classed as financially sensitive information

RichardAnd · 07-02-2025 10:39AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123141613#Comment_123141613

Hmm, if the state is paying for the contract, doesn't it fall under the realm of public information?

Xterminator · 07-02-2025 01:55PM

if you are putting as job out to tender do you think it okay to tell one party what the other has tendered for so they can adjust their bid ? Hint : that is illegal.

So same logic applies to state tenders/contracts. Making public the contracts for accommodation would jeopardies further and current negotiations - IE. cost the taxpayer more money.

Specific section in FOI act.

(1) Subject to subsection (2), a head shall refuse to grant an FOI request if the record concerned contains—

(a) trade secrets of a person other than the requester concerned,

(b) financial, commercial, scientific or technical or other information whose disclosure could reasonably be expected to result in a material financial loss or gain to the person to whom the information relates, or could prejudice the competitive position of that person in the conduct of his or her profession or business or otherwise in his or her occupation, or

(c) information whose disclosure could prejudice the conduct or outcome of contractual or other negotiations of the person to whom the information relates.

Infoseeker1975 · 07-02-2025 06:35PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123144425#Comment_123144425

The context that I was asking was that we have shared facilities with the holiday complex; those facilities are wrecked as they are used 365 days a year whereas before it was used primarily in the summer. We have sought assistance for funding but were declined. We are reviewing whether we should repair them though our kids rarely get to use them [a different issue] though for now we are looking to get them removed, the owner of the complex will not contribute.

I could not care what our Government pay for this, a lot of our houses are now being used in the ARP scheme via the Red Cross, the Council, etc.

Xterminator · 09-02-2025 02:31PM

That sucks alright. sounds like an issue i would bring to your TD if the facilities have been damaged and the burden is falling on the residents.

Infoseeker1975 · 10-02-2025 03:20PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123151080#Comment_123151080

I did contact a minister that I know about a year ago to see if there was any fund we could access; we did get a response but it was a no, well more this is whom you need to contact who then said no.

We have had discussions with the various liaison officers for the Ukrainians & again no joy. It is probably a fairly unique set up to have shared facilities with a holiday complex which is being used to host Ukrainians & as a result it is a square peg round hole scenario, just frustrating.

beachhead · 10-02-2025 03:39PM

That sounds like a merrygoround

Ray Palmer · 10-02-2025 04:16PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123145439#Comment_123145439

So you are renting and the landlords doesn't want to replace a playground? You want the government to provide a facility on privately owned property?

csirl · 10-02-2025 04:20PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123144425#Comment_123144425

Not correct. Public bodies are required to disclose the total cost and contract duration for all public contracts if the information is sought under FOI.

Infoseeker1975 · 10-02-2025 07:26PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123155515#Comment_123155515

We own our home; we have an unusual setup in that there are shared facilities between a cluster of privately owned homes and a holiday complex.

We should share the costs to maintain but the owner of the holiday complex has refused to pay for many years so we pay this entirely ourselves.

We have never asked the government for anything; the impact of hosting the Ukrainians is the holiday complex is 100% full all year round which prior to their arrival only occurred for July & August, as a result it is far more expensive to maintain the shared facilities and we cannot get any help with this. The landlord is a millionaire many times over, needs no staff now and get a massive monthly payment which I think is tax free.

I am not complaining about this, I have spent a lot of time chasing national politicians, locally elected people, the council, liaison groups but we do not tick any boxes for assistance. As a result we cannot afford to maintain these facilities which our kids do not get to use so we have no option but to let them go into disrepair.

Ray Palmer · 11-02-2025 04:12PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123156301#Comment_123156301

The local councils are local government and you asked them to provide something on private property. So you asked the government for help. If it shared land then there must be some agreement on maintenance which you should look up. Who maintains the shared space now?

Yeah Right · 12-02-2025 11:46AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123156301#Comment_123156301

Your issue is with the landlord.

I've no idea how you ended up in a situation where they can just refuse to maintain the facilities under their control. Is there an OMC? Who owns these facilities? What happens at the AGM? Is there a service charge and/or money allocated for maintenance?

Sounds like joint ownership between yourselves and the landlord, if he's not paying his share you need a solicitor, not an FOI application. A property specialist is who you need to speak with. I'd be looking at clawing back 50% of what I'd spent over the years too. Sounds like a mess.

We have sought assistance for funding but were declined

Yeah, of course you were. Why would should public funding be given to maintain private facilities? It's basically the same as me asking the council for money to do up my back garden. There's no way they should ever be paying for anything of this nature.

Infoseeker1975 · 12-02-2025 03:41PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123162349#Comment_123162349

This has gone a bit off topic from what I asked.

Without wanting to go into any detail, our OMC has pursued the landlord through the court system via the District Court and moved to High Court due to figures involved, this action has been ongoing for many years.

I did get an update from a local councillor on the matter, it will be renewed and the landlord will get another million plus for the coming year.

On a personal level, we have decided to move back to the OH parents and ironically rent it out to a Ukrainian family via the ARP scheme as a short term solution as it is not a good environment to live in at the moment.

Thanks for all the replies, much appreciated.

Can the Public get access to information on accommodation recognition payment contracts

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