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Owen Keegan and Micheál Martin RollingNews.ie

Taoiseach says Dublin City Council CEO Owen Keegan should withdraw comments on student housing

“I couldn’t believe it, I thought it was facile. I just didn’t understand the point he was making.”

TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN has said Dublin City Council’s chief executive Owen Keegan should withdraw his much-criticised comments about student accommodation and apologise.  

In a letter to UCD Students’ Union about purpose-built student accommodation, which the union had criticised, Keegan suggested to Ruairí Power, the president of the UCD SU, that the union should become developers to provide “lower cost student accommodation for its members”.

When The Journal asked the Taoiseach for his reaction this evening, he said Keegan’s comments were “dismissive” of students. 

“I couldn’t believe it, I thought it was facile. I just didn’t understand the point he was making.

“I mean, student unions are not in the business of building apartment blocks or units. So I thought it was very dismissive of student groups and representatives,” he said. 

Micheál Martin added that Keegan’s comments were “unhelpful and wrong”. 

“I was in a student union. Student union officers are there to advocate on behalf of the students and I think it is a great thing that we have student unions,” he said, adding that he tries to meet student unions “whereever I go”. 

“So it was very dismissive. I think he should withdraw the statement and articulate some regret for it. I just couldn’t understand it, I couldn’t believe it,” said Martin.

Sinn Féin councillors on Dublin City Council have called on Owen Keegan to resign. Three Government ministers, including Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien and Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris, have also criticised Dublin City Council’s chief executive for the comments.

When asked if Keegan should resign, Martin said he would not be drawn on that issue, stating that people have contractural arrangements with the council. He said he would not be commenting on that aspect of the controversy.

The Taoiseach said the students were making a fair point in oppositing purpose-build student accommodation being converted into short-term tourist accommodation, and that authorities should want to work with colleges to provide more accommodation that is affordable for students.

“Instead of dismissing student unions, we should actually be working out how to provide  more proper, affordable student-based accommodation, and working with the colleges to enable them to do it,” he said.

Many students and colleges have described the lack of affordable housing for third-level students this academic year as ‘a crisis’, with limited supply and rising rent prices in many cities.   

Last night, Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien said he was “surprised and disappointed” at the chief executive’s comments.

He said: “I issued guidance to all local authorities over two weeks ago on this very issue and I expect it to be adhered to.”

This guidance was for local authorities to examine purpose-built accommodation, the demand for that accommodation in the area, and to assess what should be done according to need.

In response to a query about whether Keegan would be apologising for his comments, Dublin City Council said the Chief Executive would not be giving a statement on the matter.

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    Mute Brinster
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    Dec 11th 2016, 1:12 PM

    This is such an important article.

    Senator Gerard Craughwell is the latest to try to exploit ignorance and fear for his own publicity by jumping on the anti-vax bandwagon. Cynical and irresponsible.

    Measles kills babies who are too young to be immunised.

    The only way to protect them is “herd immunity” – ensuring that everyone who is old enough is vaccinated, so the disease is effectively eradicated.

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    Mute Philip King
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    Dec 11th 2016, 2:04 PM

    Could you imagine how stupid you would feel after losing an infant to polio, the measles or some other preventable disease because of some shite you read on Facebook claiming to be a legitimate scientific study, making outlandish connections in an attempt to confirm some weird conspiracy. If vaccinations were dangerous there wouldn’t be a nurse or doctor in the country.

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    Mute Shawn O'Ceallaghan
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    Dec 11th 2016, 6:07 PM
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    Mute Philip King
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    Dec 11th 2016, 6:31 PM

    Thanks for sharing that irrelevant article.

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    Mute John O'Driscoll
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    Dec 11th 2016, 8:16 PM

    @Brinster: Scentific thinking should be taught as a discipline along with logic, debate, rationality, philosophy, crtical thinking as a subject from around the age of 13 in schools. A compulsory one. Wouldn’t do the astrologists and crystal-sellers and anti-vaxers a whole lot of good biz wise but it might advance the campaign against deadly communicable childhood diseases inter alia.

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    Mute Danny Rafferty
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    Dec 12th 2016, 12:33 AM

    The religious patrons of our schools would never allow it John.

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    Mute Eye_c_u
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    Dec 12th 2016, 7:47 AM

    Wonder do parents get prosecuted for manslaughter if they allow a child to die of preventable disease

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    Mute Mr D
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    Dec 13th 2016, 1:36 PM

    @Philip King: could you imagine how stupid you would feel if your child developed autism from those vaccinations.

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    Mute Philip King
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    Dec 13th 2016, 1:49 PM

    Do you have any peer reviewed scientific evidence to support that claim or did you just read a book by Jenny McCarty who has by the way changed her tune on the whole issue.

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    Mute David Hanlon
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    Dec 11th 2016, 1:28 PM

    Amazing story of a disease which most people living now,would I suspect have very little knowledge of.

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    Mute Brendan Hughes
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    Dec 11th 2016, 1:11 PM

    Words fail me.

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    Mute John O'Driscoll
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    Dec 11th 2016, 8:13 PM

    @Brendan Hughes: ”Brave” ”Gracious” ”Altruistic” ”Kind” ”Intelligent” ”Unembittered” ”Man”. They don’t me.

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    Mute Mandy Seiler
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    Dec 11th 2016, 9:00 PM

    I had the pleasure of working with Jim years ago. He is all that and more. Never had a bad word for anybody, never heard him complain. Jim’s motivation never seemed to cease. If it did, he never let on. He adapted his iron lung to be as self sufficient as possible; was therefore able to read, answer his own phone, etc. Jim as as warmhearted, kind and generous as he is intelligent, determined and innovative. He is an inspiration and will always have my admiration.

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    Mute molly coddled
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    Dec 11th 2016, 1:32 PM

    I can understand exactly what Mr Costello is advocating and is very deserving of this award. My grandaunt who was a gifted pianist got struck down with polio at the age of 16 before polio immunisation became available (pre 1957) the consequences were devastating, paralysed with twisted useless hands and withered limbs, confined to a chair by the fire for the rest of her life as the cold made her suffering greater, she died at the age of 75. A life I would not wish upon anyone, immunisation is essential.

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    Mute Joe Harbison
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    Dec 11th 2016, 1:30 PM

    It’s actually getting a bit worrying. Even on this site you get people referencing false news and misleading reports to try and support their arguments that vaccination is dangerous. We even had someone imply that the campaign that essentially eradicated Polio was in some way dangerous. The evidence for the risk versus benefit of vaccination is pretty near incontrovertible but people still make claims that ‘the truth is being suppressed’ as there is virtually no scientific evidence to support them. The question is how much attention is it sensible to give anti vaxxers. You can run through their arguments with a coach and horses but their antipathy has nothing to do with logic or science and you never change their mind. They just think you are part of the ‘conspiracy’. However, they thrive on the attention. I suspect it’s a reason some do it my making them feel clever and important like the fools who call in hoax fire reports to 999. The problem is vaccination rates are dropping as people decide ‘well it’s not worth taking the chance as who gets measles, or whooping cough or diphtheria these days anyway’, forgetting that the reason people don’t is because of vaccination and herd immunity.

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    Mute John B
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    Dec 11th 2016, 2:47 PM

    Stories like this are important because perhaps they help combat the main downfall of vaccines. And that is their success. People who live wrapped in cotton wool with western medicine have no appreciation of what these diseases did.

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    Mute Lilly Passet
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    Dec 11th 2016, 3:49 PM

    This is such an important article! I can’t even begin to describe how sick and tired I am getting of those people who say that when you vaccinate your child, you poisoin them and that the cons (the imagined side effects from aluminium, or that there is rather poisoin in the liquid etc) FAR outweigh the pros ( immunise the child against deadly diseases by injecting a small number of inactive viruses, which cannot attach to cells and use them to reproduce, making hundreds more viruses. They just don’t get it. They simply don’t do their research and make decisions based on gossip.
    And by doing so put their own and other children, who are too young for a specific vacation, at risk

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    Mute winston smith
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    Dec 11th 2016, 1:44 PM

    I don’t think you can blame parents for worrying about various vaccinees being injected into their infants…it’s pretty terrifying, but like most things in life it has certain risk involved but after reading this article and others on the various childhood diseases of the past I know what option I would take.

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    Mute Brinster
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    Dec 11th 2016, 2:01 PM

    @winston smith:

    I really don’t understand why you would believe that vaccines are terrifying.

    They are among humanity’s greatest achievements.

    If it does cause anxiety, do as much research as possible. Talk to doctors. Read The Vaccine Book by Bob Sears.

    And definitely read up on what these diseases could do to your children. That’s really terrifying.

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    Mute Philip King
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    Dec 11th 2016, 2:18 PM

    The only bad thing about vaccinations is the fact that you have to watch your child have an injection. I really don’t know why it’s terrifying. In all Likelihood you were vaccinated and you turned out ok…… oh wait a minute!

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    Mute Drew TheChinaman :)
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    Dec 11th 2016, 4:42 PM

    Hey idiots worrying about injecting things into your infants? No need to worry… the polio vaccine is delivered orally via a sugar cube.

    Seems like the kind of most basic fact you would have come across in all this extensive research and reading you claim to have done to form such a strong anti-vaccination opinion.

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    Mute Philip King
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    Dec 11th 2016, 4:51 PM

    Hey Drew! Read the comments and try to understand what people are saying before you shoot your mouth off. Comprehension is a big part of having a discussion.

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    Mute Dublin Living
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    Dec 11th 2016, 6:05 PM

    @winston smith: Maybe they should be terrified of their child getting polio or measles or TB.

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    Mute Martin Byrne
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    Dec 12th 2016, 6:53 AM

    Winston – it’s terrifying if you’re ignorant and believe anti-vaxx woo.

    Measles, Rubella syndrome, mumps, polio – all much more terrible.

    I did some work in the blind-deaf community and with a friend who is profoundly deaf and partially sighted. Rubella caused that. Thank science for vaccinations.

    I think it’s everyone’s duty to be vocal about this – we owe it to the kids who will endure terrible pain and suffering if we don’t

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    Mute Mary Beirne
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    Dec 12th 2016, 2:20 AM

    I agree wholeheartedly with Jim, this disease has devastating consequence. I had the privilege of looking after Jim in Cherry Orchard Hospital some years ago and a kinder, nicer man you could not meet

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    Mute winston smith
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    Dec 11th 2016, 10:41 PM

    The verdict is out on delivering multiple vaccines into infants whose immune system is only partially developed…I have had my children vaccinated and I can say as a parent it’s terrifying when you must make critical decsions for your fragile child that you have brought into the world and you are totally responsible for. I decided not to vaccinate against swine flu a few years back after listening to various ‘experts’ casting their nays and yeas and I am happy I made the correct decision. The Polio vaccine has been a great success and I applaud this but not all vaccines will have such success and in time if viruses mutate we might be at risk again.

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