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CHILDLINE HAS HIT ‘breaking point’ as charitable donations continue to decline, prompting fears for its future.
The 24-hour support service for children, run by the Irish Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC), receives up to 1,800 calls and messages everyday.
Already, as many as 1 in 3 calls go unanswered.
Recent controversies in the charitable sector has resulted in a significant decline in the amount of funding the ISPCC has received from the public and also the corporate sector.
Volunteers even claim to have been verbally abused while fundraising.
“I have seen first-hand the difference in how some people treat me when I am trying to raise money,” Monica, a volunteer with the ISPCC, said.
“I have been shouted at, argued with and most often ignored.”
The charity is now struggling under the weight of this, and has sparked fears that some services may need to be curtailed.
“Be in no doubt that the ISPCC is at breaking point and cannot continue to provide vital nationwide 24-hour support if the current trend continues,” Ashley Balbirnie, Chief Executive of the ISPCC said.
“This will leave a huge vacuum for vulnerable children in Ireland… They will quite simply have nowhere to turn and these children who are brave enough to call Childline should not be casualties of a controversy they played no part in.”
Surveys of charities have shown that donations have fallen dramatic in recent weeks in the wake of controversies at the Central Remedical Clinic and Rehab Group.
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Want a home? Then earn it like everyone else. Sick and tired of hearing from wasters, freeloaders, thework shy, junkies, do-gooders and communists wanting everything for free. Why should those of us that have worked all our lives pay for them. Pensioners that have paid taxes and PRSI for 40+ years only getting the bare minimum, when most of the above have scammed the system all of their lives. I heard a story during the week of a couple that have never worked. They go on a sun holiday every year, the husband had stated that if he were to work he would need to get a job paying around €700 PW to make up what they would lose from SW. Welfare payments should be based on what you have contributed to the State in either tax or Labour.
@Mick Jordan: earn it like everyone else? Now? You’re really in touch with working people aren’t you?
@Mick Jordan: At last some common sense. Well said.
@Stephanie Fitzgerald: get a job, save, buy where you can afford. Just like the majority of the rest of us.
@Stephanie Fitzgerald: I have been working for 40 years. I worked part time even when I was at school. Nobody has ever given me anything that I haven’t earned or paid for. So why should I contribute to some waster who has never worked nor will ever work, who goes hand out to the state for everything yet contributes nothing? Why should pensioners who have worked hard all their lives making contributions all that time, get less than some work shy ape who has given nothing and demanded everything?
@Mick Jordan: reading your post as Alan partridge,, it fits perfectly..
@B9xiRspG: I have a job thanks Jim. Saving is tough when renting.
@Mick Jordan: well said Mick. I totally agree. I work with people with young kids but have a 4 hour daily commute because they had to buy in Laois. They pass all the wasters still asleep in their city center social housing. Makes me sick
@Mick Jordan: things were different back then. It was possible to get a mortgage on a single income. Now households with two incomes are struggling. I understand how you feel about people who spend their lives on social welfare though.
@Stephanie Fitzgerald: Precisely my point. Why should a young couple who are working and contributing be entitled to far less, than someone who has never nor will ever contribute anything but will be a constant drain on the public purse. All I hear from the “homeless”, I am not living there, it’s to far from me ma, or it’s not in me area. Then go live with your F….ing ma if you want to live beside her or in your area. Like I said your welfare payments should match what you have contributed in either payments or labour to the state. Contribute nothing, get nothing. Don’t like it, go live elsewhere, the world is a big place.
@Mick Jordan: never a truer word man
I’m saving like a mad man last 2 year’s for a house. Work well over 50 hours a week and travel 2 hours each way to work daily. Tough it is, but hey you gotta work hard to get the rewards. But it’s great to see i can now stop saving my money as ill I need to-do is illegally enter an empty house to make the government listen to me as it’s not fair i should have to buy a house I should be given one for free and not only that but fully kit it out for me also. Sick to death of these gombeens day in day out. 95% are rough as hell and put the poor mouth on daily.
@Mick Jordan: It’s sickening. They are scabby slugs & we are hearing their sob stories every week.
Only a small amount of “the homeless” people are unfortunate enough to be their through no fault of their own & ‘they’ deserve help, everyone needs help at some point. But the others just take the piss. Whole areas full of losers with their hands out all their lives.
Living off of tax contributions made by hard working, decent people.
People need to wake up & stop feeling sorry for these useless leeches.
Drives me mad!
@Mick Jordan: Communists don’t want anything for free. You work hard in communism, bit you get rewarded with that basics like a home and healthcare. The unemployed are given jobs not dole. There is no way to have anything in communism except by working for it – landlords and welfare scammers and other non productive parasites can’t exist.
@Mick Jordan: You started working when a house was only 3 or 4 times a salary so you had it a lot easier than young people today. If they had what you got they’d be happy.
@SC: You obviously weren’t working in the 80′s. When income tax was running at 65% , when mass unemployment was the norm, when immigrating was the only chance for many. When I started work full time after I left school I was getting £15 PW after tax as an apprentice. Out of that I was paying rent for a bedsit, utility bills, food and bus fares to and from work. I couldn’t afford a colour TV at the time so I saved and bought a second hand Black and White TV. In my second year I saved and was able to buy a 20 year old Motorbike. In my third year I could afford to rent a bigger flat and saved to have my first ever foreign holiday. So it was no better then than now. Everything is relative to its time.
@Mick Jordan: liar
@Mick Jordan: No better than now?
There’s no way an apprentice could afford a bedsit now. And nobody can afford to rent a flat after 3 years, that’d be about 75% of your income for the average full time worker.
@Mick Jordan: While I do not agree with you on many things you hit the nail on the head with this one Mick. I hate entitlement everywhere I see it.
@SC: You obviously do not have a slight idea about communism.
Communists in western countries like you think it works that way but people actually living in socialist workers paradise can’t wait to get out of that inhumane system. Communist system is riddled with non-productive parasites while suppressing and persecuting everyone who wanted to get little more than bare basic essentials and that was what took it down.
I experienced living in a communist system for 15 years and I truly feel sorry for people like you who call for one.
@Mick Jordan: A waster, a workshy, a doogooder or a free loader – what kind of Pokémon is your favourite?
@Stephanie Fitzgerald: same boat, would love to buy rather than rent. Ironic that I won’t get approved for the mortgage without a deposit but my rent payments are equal to what the mortgage would be and I’ve never been so much as a day late. So frustrating.
@Mick Jordan: Well said Mick. Spot on
@Mick Jordan: 100%….every new generation think they had it so much harder than the last. If memory serves me right interest rates were in the double figures as well, so even if the houses were cheaper you were basically paying most of your mortgage in interest.
@GorillaGrower: What would you know?
@Mick Jordan: nothing like a story like this to get all the right wing keyboard warriors to crawl from under their rock and make themselves feel good off the misfortune of others.
@Mick Jordan: It must be horrible being so begrudging and miserable. I feel sorry for you.
These people are doing something good, trying to highlight the amount of empty houses sat on by greedy landlords, while homeless people die in our streets. This particular house is one of five in the area, owned by Pat & PJ O’ Donnell. 120 people lived in the 5 houses, 6-8 in a room, each paying between 350 to 450 per month for a bed. All 120 men women and children were turfed out in May and made homeless, and the houses have been empty since.
During those 40 years Mick, maybe you should’ve learned some compassion, and support your fellow man, instead of slum landlords like the O’Donnells.
@Mick Jordan: “it’s hard for me, so it should be hard for everybody else too”
@Mick Jordan:
There aren’t enough houses.
What part of that is so hard to understand?
Just cos you were enough of a rube to pay too much for your house doesn’t mean we should all suffer the same fate.
@Barry Gorman: what have those who occupied Apollo house achieved apart from running off with 160k
@Mick Jordan: you were able to rent a bedsit on a salary £15 per week?
And you think that was tough?
@Mick Jordan: Do you want a Blue Peter badge? You know what they say about self praise and all that…..
@Paddy: Do your research Paddy. All monies donated to Apollo House went into running the house, and anything left over afterwards was given to various homless charities. What they achieved, at the very minimum, was housing people over an extremly cold christmas, feeding them, and keeping them warm and off the streets, and possibly saving a few lives in the process. Is that not enough?
@Barry Gorman: Leaving a property you own empty for a time is not against the law and does not give others the right to steal it from you. If I dont drive my car for a week and you need a car do you have the right to take mine because “I dont need it”? Same thing and before you start, housing is not a human right. This is just the usual pack of wasters and anarchists who expect everyone else to pay their way. Contribute nothing but expect everything for free eh?
@Dr. X (Official Continuity Faction): I see you skipped the part where I said “when I started working” that would be nearly 40 years ago. But inflation doesn’t appear in your world.
@Barry Gorman: Nothing begrudging about it. I don’t begrudge anyone that has worked all their lives a decent Pension. I don’t begrudge anyone with “Genuine” disabilities their money. I don’t begrudge those that have worked and through no fault of their own are temporarily unemployed, their money. But I do have a problem with those that have never worked, nor have any intention of ever doing an honest days work, being handed everything for nothing. Welfare cost the tax payer €20 Billion Euro last year. Being generous and saying 33% of that went to Pensioners and “Genuine” Disabled. 20% went to those that had worked and found themselves unemployed. That leaves 47% going on the Work shy, the Spongers, the Wasters, Junkies and Dipsoes, the Criminals.
@Mick Jordan: according to the CSO inflation calculator, inflation has been 101.9% since August 1985.
So, £15 converted to euro is €19.05. Add inflation @101.9%, and you get €38.46.
Now I don’t expect you to reply, because you have just been mercilessly owned, but could you send a link of a rental I could afford on a weekly salary of €38.46?
@Mick Jordan: If you could afford a bedsit on your own straight out of school you are the most spoilt person I’ve ever heard of. Now on minimum wage you’d be lucky to get a room in a dorm in a slum. How spoilt you are and you think you have it bad.
@Pat Mustard: it’s as if a house is a basic human right and is nothing like a car.
@Dr. X (Official Continuity Faction): My rent at the time was £10. With the other £5, I fed myself and went to and from work. If I couldn’t afford something I did without until I saved enough to buy it. I never looked for or received anything for free. On my second year of my apprenticeship my wages went up to the princely sum of £25 and thus I could afford to save to buy my own transport. Which I did buying a second hand 125cc 20 year old Motorbike. In my third Year my wages went up to £47. And as I progressed so my wages went up. I have what I have today because I was and am prepared to live within my means. I would love to have a big house on Alisbury Road. I would love to have brand new 5 Litre Merc, I would love to fly First Class everywhere. But I don’t.
@Mick Jordan: I didn’t say you didn’t work hard, I said you had it significantly easier that young people today.
£10 in the mid 80s is the equivalent of about €22.
I’ll repeat myself since you didn’t answer the question:
Is it possible to rent somewhere for €22/ week these days?
@Dr. X (Official Continuity Faction): What does a 1st year apprentice get now? That is your answer.
@Mick Jordan: About €200 a week, which is not enough to live on, so you can go ahead and apologize for wasting everyone’s time.
@Barry Gorman: nobody has seen the accounts for the apollo house scam.
@Mick Jordan: Your breakdown is wrong!According to the breakdown of Welfare budget 2016:
Pensions:€6.98B …580,000 people
Illness, disability,carers:€3.53B…307,000 people
Working age income :€3.97B….475,000 people
Children:€2.58B….610,000 families &1.2M children
Note: Unemployment rate at that time was 7.5%, now it’s 5.1%
Note:Over 80,000 on activation schemes
Note:54% of workers earn €30,000& under.Workers can also receive HAP
Note:The numbers of families becoming homeless after receiving Notice of terminations from private landlords/HAP tenancies increased by 3% between 2016-2017.That was one of 2 main reasons for family homelessness in Dublin as stated in April’18 DRHE detailed Report on homeless families in Dublin Region 2016-2017.The other reason was ‘family circumstance’relationship breakdown/overcrowding living with friends or family following loss of private rented accommodation prior to presenting to homeless services.
Note: Several services have been transferred from other Depts over the years to DSP including community services,farm assist payments,even mortgage relief payments in past,etc
Note:Over 18% of workers then receiving reduced JA or JB& others can get HAP,etc
Note:There are 3 income bands to qualify for social housing with the highest equivalent to gross salary of €45,000.
Note: many welfare payments may be subject to tax.
Don’t see them occupying an empty gaff in the middle of Cavan because they want to be near their mammies, not share a house with her mind you but get housed as closely as possible to her because it is their human right…….
@Fat Face 99: who is “they”? that you are referring to?
@Elaine Foy: the people occupying the house Elaine. Seems they are demanding free houses in the city center or do you interpret their demands differently? Are you happy to pay for them because I’m not
@Pat Mustard: they are demanding that something is done with these houses that are boarded up for years that no one is living in. The average house price in dublin is out of peoples reach and so are the rents so where are people meant to live
@Elaine Foy: Plenty of Ghost Estates in Leitrim and Roscommon. Let go live there. Or if that is not to their liking the rest of the world is available. Lots of places they could go to. There may be no Welfare for them to sponge off, but hey that’s life.
@Mick Jordan: the point i am making is there are no affordable houses available for people. So we should just keep the “rich” people in ireland and tell people on a lower wage to leave the country. Cop urself on.
…clearly a working life with all the dignity afforded you from your great big contribution to society has left you with all the compassion and class we’ve come to expect from a whinging incel wind bag. Enjoy your house-that-opportunity built…well for ya. Hope its got a stable for yer high horse.
@Elaine Foy: I’m sure those houses/buildings are owned by someone. Up to them what they do with it. There are plenty empty houses around the country where landlords would only be delighted to get some sort of income on.
@Fat Face 99: That property has half a dozen or more rooms in it, plenty of space for a number of families were as a house in Cavan would do for one family.
@Fat Face
You think the Brazilian tenants’ mammies live in Dublin?
@Mick Jordan: “Plenty of Ghost Estates in Leitrim and Roscommon. Let go live there.”
I work full time in Dublin city centre, I don’t have a car. So should I quit my job and move to them areas?
@Mark McDermott: I think you should be okay if already working and living nearby or using public transport if having no car…no need to quit and move
@Pat Mustard: Social housing is not free, but it would be good if it was.
@Dr. X (Official Continuity Faction): and if you’re unemployed and in social housing, who pays your rent? The taxpayer, that’s who. I’ve no issue with unemployed people who are looking for work and to pay their own way but there is a large class of people in this country who decide to never work a day in their lives and the state lets them.
@Mark McDermott: I work in the City Center too. But I live where I can afford to. So get driving lessons, buy a cheap car and commute like most others do.
@Pat Mustard: this might blow your mind so I hope you’re sitting down: most people in social housing or on rent allowance have jobs. The point is that it’s often impossibe to find somewhere to rent even with a job.
@Dr. X (Official Continuity Faction): so your solution is to break into someone else’s house and live there? That’s anarchy.
@Pat Mustard: If it’s unoccupied, yes. You shouldn’t have the right to leave properly empty during a housing crisis.
Even our awful government at least pays lip service to this, which is why we now have the vacant sites levy.
Some rich parasite’s right to collect rent for doing nothing is less important than everyone else’s right to housing.
@Fat Face 99: correct
@Elaine Foy: let me help fat face . One parent families with more than one child career baby producers.anyone can skip up and have one child but three four and then demand a house as s right for fxxxx sake as fat face said beside me mammy
@Dr. X (Official Continuity Faction): By rich parasite you mean middle income people who have worked hard, paid taxes and saved up enough to invest in a buy-to-let property usually with a hefty mortgage to have an income stream for their retirement – an income stream thats taxed at exorbitant rates btw. No one has a right to housing owned and paid for by someone else.
@Damon16: It will take more than that to make me cry. The house is owned by Pat O’Donnell. He’s not short of money.
If you think the right to own a buy to let is more important than the right to not be homeless then there’s no helping you I’m afraid. You’ve taken the soup.
They are very welcome to live in Summerhill.
@Daveinson: I happen to live on Summerhill, not up to your standards? When was the last time you visited exactly? The level of snobbery is laughable.
@Daveinson: not a lot right with it either
@the druid: C’mon man…..Everyone knows how rough Summerhill is!
It’s a total dump….
@Daveinson: best thing is the road out of it
@Andrew Christian Troy: Two beautiful new student accommodations just built, a health center being built, but please, fill me in on what you know that I don’t that makes it so bad.
@Sean Murphy: it’s not a nice area at all.
@Sean Murphy: escaped 12 years ago and no I would not go back. No amount of gentrification will change the salties living there.
@Daveinson: a lot must’ve changed in 12 years then because I moved in 3 years ago and there’s nothing wrong with the place, nothing bad ever happened to me or anybody I know.
@Daveinson: It doesn’t matter where they locate their protest, point is they are keeping our biggest national scandal in the news because the government are full of snobs also and couldn’t give a flying. Its embarrassing and shameful for me as an Irish man that they have not fully prioritised the despicable situation our homeless fellow humans find themselves in. Can Leo and Co Inc please try to imagine what its like to walk in the shoes of a homeless family, please, for reasons of humanity. We are all equal.
@Sean Murphy: the immigrants moved in. Dublin is charmingly unique, immigrants ghettoising here tends to noticeably improve many areas.
@joeyhem: give it another 20 years when more student accommodation and gentrification gets under way and it’ll be less of a “dump”
@Andrew Christian Troy: bet you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth
@Sean Murphy: It’s full of drug addicts, drug dealers, gangs, rubbish all over the place, wrecked flats + houses & bogey looking people on every corner…..
I mean just passing through you see enough to make you feel lucky you don’t live there…..
@Daveinson: snobby sh*t bag..
@Elaine Foy: whatchu talkin’ about Wilis?
@the druid: I get that. It’s just when someone starts commenting about what a lovely area it is etc etc.
Just want to point out that it isn’t.
I live in Tallaght myself & I’d never try to convince people that it’s a lovely area…..
It has nice people & some ok parts but for me to say it’s lovely would just be stupid!
@Daveinson: What a silly comment
@the druid: does that mean you got off your horse? Literally.
@Sean Murphy: sshhh or they will all want to live there!
@joeyhem: Will you f off, it has problems like literally every place but has a great community spirit that if you ever need anything they will always help each other. Id rather live in a poor area with a good community spirit than a snobby area were people only care about themselves.
@joeyhem: “I get that. It’s just when someone starts commenting about what a lovely area it is etc etc.
Just want to point out that it isn’t.”
That’s your opinion, I would say it is a nice area because as I said already people look out for each other and don’t look down on others like yourself.
@joeyhem: Perhaps an apartheid system would be welcomed by the likes of you. You should lobby your local TD’s to tell them that you are too good to mingle with people below your station, its the only way, roight…..
Their problems are actually with DCC which is controlled by SF and alphabet soup socialists but you will never hear a protest against them from these crunchy types
@Ian McNally: FF, FG, labour, and independents hold nearly 2/3rds of the seats.
@Cathal: the independanta side with fg and the loony left so no you are wrong
@Ian McNally: side with SF and the loony lwft
@Ian McNally: bit early to be on the drink
@Ian McNally: This was literally a protest against DCC. And the people involved definitely aren’t SF supporters. Get off the sauce for a couple hours and try to engage with the ideas of a compassionate group of people trying to do their bit to make Ireland a better place. Melter
We have continuous Mass Immigration to this country “Soft Touch” by people with no means of supporting themselves or Their FAMILY “Family Reunification” , they’re using the Asylum System to enter the country and when their claim is found to be BOGUS “Majority Are” Appeal after Appeal “Free Legal Aid” eventually they receive a “Leave To Remain Visa” basically CITIZENSHIP , which entitles them to welfare and housing, then off to a HOTEL while they wait to be housed.
@Shyster Inc Ireland: the “mass immigration” you speak off is minute. There were 2,910 asylum applications in 2017. In a population of 4 million that’s far from enough to be considered “mass immigration”.
Now if you’re to discuss standard immigration, then you’re talking about people who have come here to work, so your point is lost either way.
@Kian: I think I read somewhere that over half of the people on the housing waiting list are non-Irish? I don’t have a source to link to but I’m sure I read that somewhere
@Shyster Inc Ireland: Ah here it is, blame immigrants. I blame those who don’t build social housing for its citizens.
@Henri Poincaré: Well your wrong, no way is that true.
Who do they think they are?
@Fabio Dillon:
This time you’ve gone too far
Just who do you think you are?
Take it like a man, baby, if that’s what you are
‘Cause I’m movin’ on up, you’re movin’ on out
Movin’ on up, nothin’ can stop me
Movin’ on up, you’re movin’ on out
Time to break free, nothin’ can stop me
Trust it, use it, prove it, groove it
Show me how good you are.
The plan is to knock on doors around the area to see how they feel about the occupation and the housing crisis in general
- That’s sorted then
@Robert Duncan: what are you doing to help with the housing crisis? Come on up off ur bum and do something
@Elaine Foy: sup? house invasion …taxes?
@Elaine Foy: And what do you propose?
“housing crisis” as you said can’t be blamed on government solely. The problem lies deeper than that. Most of these people who demand social housing are of the sort which does or did have one. Do you wonder why councils or state do not build more social housing? It is precisely because their tenants do not bother to pay for the existing one.
So here is a fantastic idea. Let us collect money owed for rent owed by people living in council houses and let council build more houses.
@Pat Patovic: fantastic idea well done
@Pat Patovic: I do love how people go on about those in social housing never pay rent, every person I know who lives in social housing “and I know a lot” all pay rent and work. I don’t begrudge them for getting a social flat because they couldn’t afford over 1k for a crappy little flat.
@Elaine Foy: you post a lot of stuff are you representing something someone??
@Mark McDermott: Lol Mark, nobody is saying that but you. I mentioned a simple fact which is widely reported. Perhaps you know people who work and pay rent fact is that council do have problems with a lot of people who do not bother. Not to mention the even bigger amount of money owed for rates but that is another story. So what do you think the council should do with people who simply do not pay even small council rent? Genuine question.
There’s a big gaff on the corner of Rathmines and the canal that’s been vacant for about 10 years now, and a couple on Capel street too lying vacant for even longer.
CPO the lot and let thebprospective tenantes organise the renovations.
I think they’d be done up and occupied ‘properly’ this side of Christmas, with at least a dozen families homed.
@Cheapy Ryan: I’d love to live in a big house in Rathmines – how do I sign up? what’s the story do I ring up the CPO and start picking out wall paper, i’m out in the sticks at the moment in negative equity land so…
@Cheapy Ryan:
I assume you are aware the state would have to pay full market value for them?
If the state can’t afford (or will not spend the money) to buy houses for homeless people in cheaper areas what makes you think they can do it in Rathmines?
@Robert Duncan:
Typical mé féiner.
‘My life isn’t ideal, so I must make damned sure nobody else’s is any better than mine’.
Stop being bitter, and try letting some compassion into your life.
@Cheapy Ryan: Sadly people think because they pay taxes they don’t have to show compassion, f***ing piss take some people are.
@Robert Duncan:
First you’d have to ring up the hospital and explain that you’re a giant baby who shouldn’t be living in his own house anyway.
@Dr. X (Official Continuity Faction): can I burrow your medicak card??
@Robert Duncan: have a few kids demand at least a two bedroom flat beside your ma no problem
It’s gas, these fools will be untouchable for months and will leave the place in bits no doubt. On the other side of the fence a person whose loan is sold to a vulture fund, has paid thousands to the bank already, miss one payment and they can move in, change the locks and make you homeless in minutes. Be better off under brit rule honest to God.
@Phil Swan: under brit rule! What a ridiculous comment
@Elaine Foy: West Brits seem to flock to this app for whatever reason. I’ve seen a fair few arguments on here for the return of the Republic to the UK.
@Sean Murphy: yeah it’s a shame about the genocide part though.
@Phil Swan:
I doubt if any of those in the claws of the vultures have just missed one payment.
Some seem to have happily missed every one!
@Phil Swan: Think you’re a bit confused. The two types of people you mentioned are on the same side of the fence. The occupation isn’t fighting for the second group of people. How do you not get that
@Phil Swan: “It’s gas, these fools will be untouchable for months and will leave the place in bits no doubt. ”
Why if they are trying to have the placed used for the homeless would they then wreck the place? Do you not see how ridiculous your statement is?
Also be better under British rule? Well go over and kiss the queens arse and stay there.
@Mark McDermott: haa well said
The water protests are over so I guess they need something to keep themselves busy…..
Clowns!
@joeyhem: Rise up and get on to the streets is the only way to get things done. the FF/FG rigged dail will never change. do it from the outside.
@Sean Conway: there’s a lot to be said for a good old march!
@Sean Conway: yea, because taking over Apollo House sorted everything last time.
@Do the Bort man: Coveney made sure of that. and then he moved on for another jocker to take his place.
@joeyhem: Well Mr fake account why don’t you post solutions here then?
“I think people should be angry at things that are worthy of anger. Injustice is outrageous and deserves outrage”
Homelessness isn’t only about a few scruffy men in grimy trench-coats curled-up on park- benches hugging their bottles of cider. It’s about ordinary individuals like you and me, and families like yours and mine, under extraordinary pressure in dreadful circumstances.
The must have nice bosses to give them the time off work!…oh wait……
@GerryCummins: We must be their bosses, considering we pay for their dole.
@Do the Bort man: How do you know their all on the social welfare? Some could have work and took annual leave which every worker is entitled to.
Houses shouldn’t lie vacant indefinitely and the vacant property tax should help in this regard. Sadly many vacant properties are empty for so long that they are beyond repair. The Fair Deal scheme doesn’t help. For those not familiar with the basics here goes. Old person goes into retirement home funded by State and agrees to gift a percentage of their property to the State on their eventual death. The house can’t be sold and there is serious disincentive to rent since the State takes a percentage of income received as rental income too. The result is the house lies empty for 10-20 years. Fair Deal houses are scattered all around the leafier suburbs of Dublin.
@Sean: ehh the house can be sold! To pay off the fair deal debt! Been there!
People need a new deal from politics in Ireland not this constant shambles of greed, mismanagement and corruption.
Neoliberalism has proved only to fuel the social divide. Time Fine Geal stopped been a broken record, flag waving the freemarket at all costs.
https://www.irishcentral.com/news/community/new-deal-ireland
Not much sympathy for the poor and homeless on this website. Well for the privileged some, a cosy and welcoming home.
@Kevin Sweeney: Agreed.
Leo Varadkar masks!,suppose it could be worse, they could be wearing Pinocchio masks.
@Paul Mc: bdsm masks??
What housing crisis. It not something new ever since we left rural Ireland for work in towns and cities it has been but with one different workers cottages where built hundreds of council houseing big government backed housing. Look at our towns cities a huge portion is council. But not any more. Right to buy is great it leads to better communities. But the condition needs that these can only be sold times the minimum wage and councils must build new ones with the money received.
In the highly respected authors book ‘Ireland in the 20th Center’ by Tim Pat Coogan he reports “a torrent of housing being built” this in the late 1930′s whilst the then Saorstat Eireann (Free state) was undergoing an Economic War with Britain and a substantially lower Population more than 17000 houses per annum were provided….so come clean Government your Policies are Criminally inadequate…..JC D4
Will they collect another 160k and disappear?
Problems solved if we ban vulture funds.
The government takes these houses selling them cheaper and therefore the general prices of houses will go down and homelessness solved
No let’s just let a greedy f*cking “business man” take these properties and make loads of money while are country has one of the highest rates of homelessness for a western nation
@Bob Joe: And where does the government get the money to buy these houses? From taxing the people keeping the country afloat even more? Good luck with that, I’m being taxed far too much as it is.
@Do the Bort man: they make it back from selling the houses but with no profit
@Do the Bort man: and anyway the houses are empty so they should have a right to take them over a vulture fund
Irish times report this was social housing for migrants that was shut down by the fire department in may – for some reason these facts were omitted from the Journal article.
It’s not a building you can just put the homeless in right away.
Poor poor paye workers… How many of this cabal work.. Ever worked or ever will.. My daughter working ten years still paying rent
@All Holey: Im working 15yrs plus and still paying rent, what has this got to do with your assumptions that these people don’t work? Did you do a survey of those in that building to ask if they work or are you a typical fool who slates anyone making a stand as unemployed, social claimers.
@All Holey: That’s why they’re protesting, jesus wept.
@Mark McDermott: language old chap… Get a grip of yourself… Very odd!!
Look at job advertising websites. Panic setting in with Dublin employers as people from outside the capital refuse to take up jobs there as accommodation is unaffordable. The Varadkar regime hopes to continually import cheap labour as Irish people continue to emigrate. Many of the immigrants in Dublin have to ensure unsafe, unsanitary overcrowded conditions. Young people need to realise what’s happening to their future, and not be distracted by ‘ bread and circuses’ such as more referendums and the deification of ‘socialist” Michael D Higgins as the acceptable face of the regime. God help Ireland. Michael Davitt must be spinning in his grave. Who would have thought we’d let ourselves reach the stage again where we can’t put a roof over our own heads.
The local authority CPO process seems to be afflicted with severe congestion or inertia, & needs to be speeded up. Many neighborhoods have unoccupied, neglected houses, capable of return to use at moderate expense, but which are at risk of vandalism & forced entry by squatters.
Why does it take years to reach conclusion on this process? 10 years in one near case, & still not finished!
@William Kelly: On the Ballybough road opp the Blind Ref pub there are 6 homes that have been abandonded for well over 10 years and are falling apart. Their an eye sore and give the area a terrible image, the council should be redoing them and sell them to families on low income who want to buy but can’t afford the mad 375k plus prices we see in Dublin.
At least they’re not missing work to occupy somebody else’ property.
To get a house for nothing or next to nothing is to win a Willy wonka golden ticket .its even better if you can get one beside your ma in Dublin one of the most expensive cities on earth st the moment . A house / home is not a right it’s a need we all have . So some people strive to work towards buying one and others strive towards someone else buying them one (oh and call it a right )
Stay strong Folks !
Aren’t most TD’s landlords anyway, so the speed of change is up to these same people?
Odds on these activists have never contributed to society but expect those who do to shower them with gifts.
@DPentony: rights come with responsibilities. In this country we’re good at giving rights but not so good at demanding responsibility in return.
have your say