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LOCAL RESIDENTS ARE planning dramatic protests ahead of upcoming Coldplay and U2 concerts at Croke Park to highlight a number of massage parlours on Dublin’s northside that they allege are operating as brothels.
Carrying placards reading “No to Red light district” and “People not pimps”, the demonstrators have already staged several protests on Dorset Street over the past month.
They allege that two massage parlours in the area are operating as brothels while a third business, which has since closed, was also a front for prostitution.
At a meeting on Wednesday night the group set out plans for further rallies before upcoming, high profile events including Coldplay’s gig at Croke Park on Saturday, the Leinster Football final next week and U2’s concert at GAA headquarters on 22 July.
“Sit down protest”
The group plan to up the ante by staging a “sit down protest” to block Dorset street on the night of the U2 concert.
Such a move could cause traffic problems as a huge volume of vehicles will be using the already busy street.
Local resident PJ Brennan, who has attended the demonstrations, said they are looking for action from gardaí and politicians.
One opens and it’s a snowball effect you know. One of them gets away with it and then the next person opens one up… There’s three or four here that we want to close down.
Brennan says the protests are already having an effect: “We’ve been out now a few times and I believe one’s closed down and when we come along the others close their shutters.”
Investigations
Fianna Fáil activist Brian Mohan, who is involved in organising the demonstrations, said the group has been engaging with the gardaí.
“Investigations have found that certain things are going on in certain places that shouldn’t be. They’re not what they advertised and not what the buildings are for. So we’re just trying to keep the pressure up,” Mohan said.
The group is looking for the businesses to be shut down.
“There are young kids in the area and there are houses facing these properties and there are families growing up in this area and they shouldn’t have to put up with this to be quite honest with you.
It wouldn’t happen in Dublin 4, it wouldn’t happen on O’Connell Street why should it happen here?
“We did commit to going out and blocking the roads for the U2 concert. So we’re going to come out on Saturday for the Coldplay concert when there will be a heightened crowd in the area.”
Mohan explained that the group will not block the roads on Saturday but will line the pavement holding placards. “We’re just trying to get as much public attention as we possibly can,” he said.
After meeting with the gardaí the other day they said the more attention you can draw to this the quicker we can get to do something, because more funds [will be] put into it.
“The residents don’t just care about their area, they also care about the welfare of the women who are working in these premises,” Mohan concluded.
Vulnerable witnesses
In a case such as this, the trouble investigators face is that when something is fronting as a legitimate massage parlour it can be difficult to prove that it isn’t what it claims to be.
Another layer of difficulty comes from the fact that the sex workers, who are the key, and most vulnerable witnesses, often have incredibly strong reasons for not coming forward.
Human trafficking
Sex workers who were trafficked into Ireland are often in debt bondage to ruthless and powerful international gangs. They and their families face very genuine danger if they cross the trafficking gangs to whom they are bonded.
Speaking about the plight faced by trafficked sex workers Sarah Benson of Ruhama, who support women affected by prostitution and trafficking, said:
We are aware that people trafficked for prostitution purposes can face very complex situations. A lot of factors in their own situation can prevent them from coming forward.
“As a frontline organisation we support interventions by gardaí that combat those who profit from prostitution,” she said.
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This is a complete myth, it is not easy to switch your mortgage, you essentially have to be completely reassessed again.
@Keith Twamley: of course you do …that’s exactly what a remortgage is
@Mark: Did you read the article Mark?
“Where you have switching that’s easy and fast, you have more competition”
@Keith Twamley: I was fixed for 5 years, 2 years in I asked about switching to the much lower new rate they have, No issue whatsoever no cost at all new rate fixed it for 4 years and reduced the term, all done over email took about 10 days. If you don’t ask you won’t get, I was surprised how easy it was and that their was no cost involved. EBS btw.
@Keith Twamley: It really should be as easy as switching electricity/gas.
Wont happen but it should be.
@Keith Twamley: That sounds great Cormac, unfortunately I don’t think it is the experience most have though, it really should be that easy, but usually is not, which is why most people are so reluctant to do it..
@Cormac Harte: Same here actually. Was on a fixed rate with the bank. I asked them if there would be any fee going to a new lower fixed rate. No problems.
And I did it again where I got a lower LTV rate. Again no problems. All with the same bank over the last 2 years.
@Keith Twamley: I think the issue is if your moving to a different bank you have to go through the whole rigmarole. If people look a little closer to home with their own banks 90% of them have far lower rates that they did 2 years ago worth a try asking for the lower rate I know 2 others mates that did the same thing with a different bank and same thing a very easy process. switching mortgage doesn’t necessarily mean switching banks. It’s worth a shot.
@Cormac Harte: Yes, thanks Cormac, I appreciate it is easier when sticking with the same bank. The article was really talking about switching providers. Just think there are so many things wrong with the banks, central bank has a lot to do with it too. Given the high price of houses currently, it doesn’t make sense to only be able to borrow 3.5 times your salary. And rent not being taken in to account in todays market is also crazy. I am foolishly hopeful that some of these issues will be addressed in next months budget. But think it will always be difficult to switch providers.
@Keith Twamley: that quote was from a commission member, not a Bank CEO. So I wouldn’t rely on it for your argument. Banks need to make sure you’re a good risk, so obviously they’ll do due diligence. Unlike the Celtic Tiger days, and we all know what lax assessment criteria resulted in. So this thorough ressement is the correct, prudent approach for a Bank
@Cormac Harte: switching can be easy enough when you’re staying within the same institution, it’s a completely different kettle of fish when you’re transferring externally. We’ve done it and saved thousands but it’s long and complicated, you also need to consider solicitor fees etc.
@Mark: It’s not a remortgage, that doesn’t exist in Ireland. The ‘person’ at BOI told us ‘they’d never heard of a remortgage’
Remortgaging (or whatever its called here), is like competing in Jumanji
In the process of switching. Taken about six months already
@Rmaybe: I was trying to switch to Avant earlier this year. I gave up after being asked for accountant letter, payslips (for the third time) and other docs. Our mortgage is 15 years old, we’re earning twice what we were earning back then and we’ve never missed one payment.
In the end I just contacted my current lender and fixed at their lowest fixed rate. Not quite as good as Avants but soooooo much simpler and no need for solicitors and it took one phone call and one form to sign.
It’s not that easy to switch I’ve tried and even though I’ve been over paying my mortgage for 4 years the bank says my earnings dont qualify for a mortgage so I’m stuck.
So, here come higher interest fixed rates, in exchange for longer fixed loan terms.
The banks will always win no matter what and that’s ok as long it’s within a reasonable margin ,that end has to be controlled
I still don’t get what’s the reason why we can’t have fix rate for the full duration of the mortgage?
Is the journal fffg in disguise ?
Banker rhymes with w##nker
Well I hope its easier then trying to switch a simple current account from Ulster Bank owing to its exit from Ireland
@Mary Garry: I switched from UB to PTSB. I don’t trust the banks to not fuk it up so I opened the new account and transferred the direct debits manually. It’s a bit more effort but not that hard.
It was a nightmare to switch our mortgage. Aside from finding it almost impossible to get talking to a human or to get a callback, from when we put in the application to when it eventually got processed months later the interest rates rose, thereby wiping out any savings achieved by switching. We got the old rate in the end but if a private company was run as inefficiently as the banks they would quickly go out of business.
CCPC or which ever agency has power should be legislating for switching mortgages to be easier. ( not just rates, but providers)
In the USA you can switch mortgage providers in a matter of days. No re-conveyancing, no silly solicitors fees which are very prohibitive.
If switching was easier it would allow for more competition with existing banks and might even encourage new banks to enter the market because they have a shot at attracting current low risk mortgage payers to their books.
@Rmaybe: I was trying to switch to Avant earlier this year. I gave up after being asked for accountant letter, payslips (for the third time) and other docs. Our mortgage is 15 years old, we’re earning twice what we were earning back then and we’ve never missed one payment.
In the end I just contacted my current lender and fixed at their lowest fixed rate. Not quite as good as Avants but soooooo much simpler and no need for solicitors and it took one phone call and one form to sign.
Almost zero choice in mortgage providers. Well done Fine Gael.
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