Local Government

The Social Housing Fundamentals course is designed for newly appointed (technical and non-technical) staff in Local Authorities (Grades 3-6) and Approved Housing Bodies who provide social housing services.  It will provide participants with an overview of key elements of housing policy, the social housing market and housing services.  It is available as a series of pre-recorded training videos and can also be delivered as bespoke course within an Irish Local Authority.

Standards for Rented Houses is a training programme for all staff, both professional/technical and administrative, who have responsibilities related to enforcement of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019. The IPA, working in close collaboration with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, present this four-day training progamme. 

The programme seeks to bring about a common understanding among Inspectorate Staff, and thereby a standardisation, in interpretation and implementation of the Regulations and Guidelines both within individual local authorities and across the sector generally.

Understanding Local Government Finance is a specialist-led online one-day course that is designed to provide participants with a basic understanding of how an Irish Local Authority sources their income to fund day to day expenditure and capital expenditure. The course will also provide participants with an appreciation of how the budget process works in a Local Authority and an understanding of the Income and Expenditure Account and Balance Sheet of a Local Authority. Finally, the course will examine the role of internal and external audit in a local government context.

Strategic Policy Committee (SPC) Training looks at the role, purpose and policy/strategic nature of Strategic Policy Committees as set out in the Local Government Reform Act 2014.  It is available for delivery as a bespoke course for Irish Local Authorities.

This programme is aimed at developing within individuals the capacity to understand and change organisational systems and to understand and change oneself.

A key objective is to build capacity in individuals to operate outside of their functional responsibilities and to broaden their understanding of organisational and system issues, enhancing their ability to operate at a strategic level. The programme therefore challenges individuals to move beyond their current functional roles and behaviour; to open up to approaches when working with others to achieve goals and to generate more efficient and innovative outcomes.