Siobhan O'Dwyer, our founder and Chairman, has been an active lobbyist for consumer rights and protections campaigning for for many years for:
- Legislative Reform of the Multi-Unit Developments sector
and
- Regulation of the Management Profession serving the sector
Despite a huge volume of Multi-Unit Developments in Ireland, limited legislation was simultaneously developed to accommodate appropriate rules and regulations for the design, construction and finish of multi-unit developments. The limited legislation gave rise to poorly built and uncompleted developments and most significantly an absence of consumer rights and protections for redress and remedy.
With Siobhan's extensive practical experience and knowledge she has worked tirelessly over the past few years to highlight and bring the consumer issues arising from the absence of an adequate legislative framework, to the attention of government. Her commitment and work contributed significantly to the development of the Multi-Unit Developments (MUD) Act 2011, which was enacted on 1st April 2011.
Similarly, in the absence of any regulatory authority for the property management profession, Siobhan has lobbied for a regulatory body, the development of best practice standards and entry requirements into the profession. The Property Services Regulatory body was established in 2008, however it is still pending formal enactment which is not expected before early 2012.
She originally spoke at the National Housing Conference in 2006 to highlight the issues facing property owners in multi-unit developments, and from there served as a member of the Law Reform Commission’s Multi-Unit Developments Working Group and The National Consumer Agency's Multi-Unit Stakeholders Forum.
She was author of the “IPFMA’s Position Paper on Residential Multi-unit Development and Management - 2008” and "IPFMA - Interpretation and General Observations of the Multi-Unit Developments Bill 2009 - A submission to Government - August 2009" and various other papers and articles.
Key Contributions toward Better Legislations
2006
Served as a member of the Law Reform Commission's Working Group on Multi-Unit Developments- Read more
2007
Spoke at the National Housing Conference to highlight the many issues and problems apartment purchasers were facing. Read more
2008
Represented the Irish Property and Facilities Management Association IPFMA in presentations to the ODCE, the LRC, the NCA and various other government bodies seeking to highlight the need for legal reforms.
2008
Authored a submission to the (Office of the Directors and Corporate enforcement) ODCE on behalf of the IPFMA. Read more
2008
Served on the National Consumer Agency's Multi-Unit Stakeholders Forum in relation to the research and development of improved information for purchasers of apartments and general consumer protections. Read More on Guidance Documents
2009
Appointed council member and Junior Vice Chair of the IPFMA with a view to enhancing the quality and standard of residential management practices in Ireland during this time with the intent to influence and encourage regulation and legislative reforms authored various submissions to Government including the "IPFMA's Position Paper on Residential Multi-unit Development and Management- June 2008" and “The IPFMA’s interpretation and general observations of the Multi-unit Developments Bill 2009”
2009
Designed and chaired the IPFMA’s annual conference which was themed “Seeing through the MUD - The path to positive best practice in property and facility Multi–Unit Development management”. The conference provided a forum for the convergence of associated professions and experts to discuss and agree wider and more effective regimes and to this day the group continues to operate and serve positively as an effective influence on developing and pending legislation. See pictures from the conference. Watch an online video of the conference here.
2010
Continues to lecture and write articles on the requirement for an appropriate legal framework for multi unit development in Ireland and in her mission to promote excellence within the residential management profession.