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A LABOUR SENATOR has warned that Ireland’s image as a “lawless utopia” will damage its ability to attract foreign direct investment.
Lorraine Higgins cited several “disturbing” incidents linked to Irish Water and water charges that have taken place in the past nine days which she says have damaged the country’s reputation internationally.
Higgins referred to the controversial protest in Jobstown over a week ago, as well as the death threats to Environment Minster Alan Kelly, an Irish Water engineer having a gun pulled on him, Irish Water vans being burnt out and a man attempting to throw himself across the Taoiseach’s car in Sligo all in the last week.
“I have no doubt that the lawlessness shown this past week will affect our international standing as a country and will absolutely damage our ability to attract jobs to the country,” Higgins said this morning.
She told TheJournal.ie: “It’s not acceptable. It’s giving the impression that the country can’t deal with these episodes of lawlessness. I understand people are hurting, but the way to show how they feel is through the democratic process and peaceful protest.”
While she did not suggest any link between the various incidents beyond the broader issue of water charges the Galway-based senator blamed “sophisticated anarchists who are not interested in seeing peace on the island”.
Higgins said that the reporting of the events of the past few days online will, in her view, damage the way potential international investors look at Ireland.
“I was browsing the internet over the weekend and all these issues registered on news websites. The Financial Times was reporting on it, that’s our target audience and they are speaking in a negative sense.”
She added: “Can you imagine CEOs of international companies looking to the possibility of Ireland as a place to do business?
“The last week has hardly been comforting and certainly would not convince them we would provide the right environment. The type of behaviour we have seen sends wrong messages the world over.”
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Can I have my money back now
It’s like’…..burning your furniture – to keep warm!
Why are PwC saying this instead of IBRC and NAMA?
As property prices start to rise nama , ibrc start to dump property
Can someone explain why?
Dumping loans philip, not property. They’re Dumping the loans as they’re non-performing and want to get them off the balance sheet.
If they had the patience, they’d put arrangements in place to allow the properties to return to positive equity and then seek a sale, this recouping more of the tax payers money.
Unfortunately, they’ll sell the loans for a discount and allow the new purchasers to do this and net a tidy profit.
The article outlines that IBRC (IBROKE would probably be a better name) will offload € 15 billion in loans.
Yet the linked article tells us that IBROKE have already offloaded 90% of its loanbook, € 19.8 billion out of € 21.7 billion leaving just € 1.9 billion on hand.
This can only mean, if the previous article is correct, that it is NAMA that is offloading the majority of the loans.
Why the subterfuge?
Why make people think that this is some kind of joint enterprise when it is NAMA that is leading the charge?
Have the shiny suit brigade from the canal something to hide?
Given their obsession with secrecy it would not surprise me if they have, perhaps selling the loans to some preferred customer with an inside track at a serious discount.
The way things go it will all be wrapped up before we know anything, plus ça change.
Who in their right mind would buy this junk?
It might only be worth 30% of face value but if you buy it for 20% it’s a good deal. For the buyer anyway.
@ Irish Revolution
The Banks?
Hedge funds bought it. They will now sell off all the ghost estates etc at a lower price so people that have houses for sale at the min will eventually have to sell for half or take them off the market.
Fab house here in drogheda asking price €325. Hilarious. You could now nearly get a house for that on raglan road or ailsbury road!! So that house is realistically worth less than €150 really.
People and notions ha
What about Bank of Scotland selling on my mortgage & others in their Irish portfolio to a company called Tanager Ltd.
I’m in a tizzy all day because I don’t know what it means for us.
have your say