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BLUE AND YELLOW dress attire was dotted through the Dáil chamber this morning as TDs and senators took to their seats for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s address to the joint Houses of the Oireachtas.
Ministers Heather Humphreys, Helen McEntee, Hildegarde Naughten, Josepha Madigan and TDs and senators such as Niamh Smyth, Mary Fitzpatrick and Fiona O’Loughlin were just a few who wore a combination of blue and yellow blazers, skirts and scarves.
Others in the chamber, such as People Before Profit’s Bríd Smith and Gino Kenny, as well as Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald, wore white for peace.
It is a rare occasion that members of the Dáil and Seanad come together to hear an address, with speakers in the past including John F Kennedy, Nelson Mandela, Tony Blair and Nancy Pelosi.
Blue and yellow flowers were placed just outside the chamber doors. Ambassadors to Ireland from other nations filled the public gallery. Refugees holding small Ukrainian flags were also seated high above the Dáil chamber.
‘Ukraine Day’
A ‘Ukraine Day’ menu was also on offer in the Dáil canteen, which included borscht soup, shynka (baked ham), honey babkas and of course, chicken Kyiv.
The atmosphere was highly charged when Zelenskyy’s face appeared on the screens located on either side of the press gallery above the Ceann Comhairle’s seat, where members of the media sit.
To the right of one of the monitors sat the Ukrainian ambassador to Ireland Gerasko Larysa, her staff and a number of refugees who were invited to today’s events.
Zelenskyy opened his address by describing Russia’s actions against Ukraine, saying it is destroying things that are sustaining people’s livelihoods like storage facilities for food, fuel and agricultural equipment, as well as putting mines in fields.
The voice of a translator boomed over the speakers as the president directly referenced Ireland’s response to the invasion.
“Even though you are a neutral country, you have not remained neutral to the disaster and mishaps Russia has brought to Ukraine,” he said.
“I am grateful to you. To every citizen in Ireland, thank you for supporting sanctions against Russia.”
He also thanked the Irish people for their humanitarian donations and thanked Ireland for “caring for Ukrainian people who found shelter on your land”.
In what appeared to be a plea to leaders, he urged Ireland to convince the EU to roll out more sanctions against Russia.
His final words: “I’m grateful to Ireland. Slava Ukraini.”
A standing ovation followed with a long applause by most in the Dáil. A woman seated near the Ukrainian ambassador in the special guest seating box looked visibly upset and moved.
Neutrality
Following the speech, Ceann Comhairle Sean O’Fearghail thanked the president for his words, stating that Ireland is not politically neutral.
He said Ireland would not stand idly by during the conflict. Ukrainian refugees can stay as long as they need a home, he said, something that prompted “hear hear” from the crowd.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin, wearing a blue and yellow ribbon, responded to Zelenskyy’s speech by saying: “Ireland is resolute in our solidarity and support for Ukraine.”
Ireland is militarily neutral but not politically or morally neutral “in the face of war crimes”, Martin continued.
He also said that refugees will find a safe harbour and friendship in Ireland “for as long as you need it”.
“We stand with Ukraine,” said the Taoiseach, which prompted a Ukrainian woman in the special seating next to the Ukrainian ambassador to shout out emotionally in support of his words.
Zelenskyy’s face disappeared from the screens as Tánaiste Leo Varadkar took to his feet. The Fine Gael leader hit out against Russia, saying the country had attacked one of its nearest neighbours. He also said this was something that will never be forgiven or forgotten.
“We have no quarrel with the people of Russia,” he said, and commended those in the country protesting against their Government, words which received a round of applause.
Another round of applause followed when Senator David Norris cheered Green Party leader Eamon Ryan’s remarks, which called for stopping the flow of fossil fuels from Russia.
Mary Lou McDonald, wearing a white suit jacket, a pin with the Ireland/Ukraine flags and an Easter lily pin, stood to her feet and called for the expulsion of Russia’s Ambassador to Ireland Yuriy Filatov.
A smattering of TDs on the Government backbenches applauded her calls.
Noting Russia’s efforts to claim that evidence of atrocities in Bucha and elsewhere in Ukraine were fabricated, McDonald said: “The Russian ambassador wants us to ignore the evidence before our very eyes.”
Condemn all warmongers
People Before Profit’s Richard Boyd Barrett said he stood with Ukraine but added that Ireland can have no credibility in its condemnation of Russia when it refuses to do the same with other countries and alliances engaged in war, such as the US, UK and NATO.
He said he was “duty bound” to call out this double standard, saying the conflict should not be used to increase Ireland’s militarism.
Ireland must oppose all war mongers “whether western or Russian”, he said, with his remarks getting applause from some in the Opposition benches.
Independent TD Cathal Berry, a former member of the Defence Forces, told the chamber that the only way for the conflict to end is for the Russian military to be defeated.
He said that there are anti-tank rockets nearing the end of their shelf life in the Curragh camp, and called for these to be sent to Ukraine.
His comments resulted in a loud outburst of applause from a group of Ukrainians sitting in the public gallery.
Cathaoirleach of the Seanad, Senator Mark Daly, concluding remarks to both Houses of the Oireachtas following the address by the President of Ukraine #seeforyourself @SenatorMarkDaly pic.twitter.com/QJSJlx73PP
— Houses of the Oireachtas - Tithe an Oireachtais (@OireachtasNews) April 6, 2022
One of more emotional contributions of the day came from Chair of the Seanad, Senator Mark Daly.
He asked his colleagues to join with him in welcoming five-year-old Anastasiia to the Dáil. The Ukrainian girl, with pigtails tied up in pink ribbons, was seated with her mother Yana.
The young child sat quietly, looking on throughout the entire proceedings this morning, seated just behind the Ukrainian ambassador.
“Anastasiia’s dad, like thousands of others, is back in Ukraine in a defence unit in Kyiv, fighting to keep it free and independent for his daughter’s future,” Daly told the chamber.
“You have travelled over 4,000 kilometres from Kyiv to Dublin, having to leave your home under Russian artillery fire. We cannot imagine what you have gone through.”
Two months ago, 5-year-old Anastasiia Semonova was going to school in Donetsk.
— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) April 6, 2022
Today she met the Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Ukraine's ambassador Larysa Gerasko after attending a joint Oireachtas sitting addressed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
(📸Maxwells/Oireachtas) pic.twitter.com/eqjPwOzyuG
Anastasiia, in her innocence, stood with her mother as politicians applauded her.
As proceedings ended this morning, politicians and attendees emptied out of the chamber. Before leaving, many stopped to pay their respects to the refugees that attended today, as well as to the ambassador.
“We cannot imagine how it must feel to have your future so suddenly become so uncertain,” concluded Daly.
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Great, I paid more tax than all those bozo’s combined last year. Fantastic.
Michael Noonans legacy to the Irish people. The man is a disgrace a servant of the vulture funds and a servant of his Bilderberg friends (fiends).
Another failure of ff fg Labour supporters giving your country away because of party loyalty well done you must be proud of them.
Keep the recovery going for the vulture funds. The homeless csn fend for themselves. Ireland is a tax haven by government policy. The Irish political class have served the needs of domestic and international capital since the foundation of the state as they ruthlessly crush the living standards of the majority working class . Any ordinary person who votes for FF, FG or Labour is complicit in their own exploitation.
Sad thing is, if there was an election in the morning FG/FF would be voted back in.. The best thing you can do for your kids is to tell them to get as far away from this kip as they can.. Make a life for themselves over in Canada or Australia..
Yet the idiotic masses will continue to vote for FF and especially FG. Someone on the minimum wage pays more tax than those companies, the traitors in FG, especially the pr*ck Noonan, should be in jail for the robbery of billions that they have facilitated with these vulture funds!
There is no tax on assets. Just income.
@Cosmo Kramer: there’s still huge parts of this state with no internet so I put it down to miss information.there’s actually people out there that believe ff have learned their lesson….as well.why does the establishment not want it’s state to thrive is beyond me.
FF and FG are like a septicemia infection with access to travel around every corner and aspect of this country poisoning everything they come into contact with.
Okay Rory, that’s right so nobody is paying these vulture funds any rents or mortgages. Wake up man! This country has been sold by our political elites to their greedy friends for a bag of beans.
Rory, household charge is a tax on assets. TV licence is arguably a tax on assets as it applies if you own a TV regardless of if you receive a service. The planned broadcasting charge will be a tax on assets as it will apply to any device capable of receiving media. Specifically Internet media. Now I don’t know about you but the state is not my ISP.
Cosmo .. sound advice there. .
Are the FF and FG governments servants of these funds or are they the hidden investors, using anonymous funds from accounts and shelf companies in Panama etc to fleece our assets and homes????
Something sinister and corrupt has to be behind these crazy decisions!!!
The LPT is a tax on the family home to pay off the parasite banker’s debts and in most cases it’s more than the €250 per annum that these other parasites pay in tax on their billions. And we see the government fighting tooth and nail to help Apple dodge € 19 billion in taxes and interest. People need to understand that any government led by FF or FG is actively working against the interests of the majority of the population. They govern in the interests of big capital and at the expense of the welfare of the working class.
@rory conway: IS your home an asset or a provider of income ? so why are we expected to pay tax on it if it is neither as it is a family home and does not generate any income, check that out with noonan next time your talking to him….
@Paul Mc: See its not just Noonan. Has to be more wide spread. I would even go as far to say Bertie is more than likely still getting brown envelopes magically appear through his letterbox . See this treatment doesn’t go with out reward. These Vulture fund fella’s are obviously paying alot of people off to make sure the loops are’nt closed and that their part in it is hidden as much as possible. All these people are a disgrace. The Irish People really need to take control of there futures and not let this pass. Stand up and demand change. Starting with an election and then a task force to send these corrupt f#ckers on their way.
As Enda, told us Vulture funds have many needs.
You dont pay tax on assets…..
Paying that low tax. They are hardly bozo’s Barry.
Yes you do : motor tax.
@Shawn Callaghan
Benjy… I agree with you completely on the socialisation of private banking debt and also on Apple’s disgraceful tax avoidance. But what is wrong with a property tax, or “a tax on the family home” which hits those who own the most expensive houses the hardest? Surely it is a cornerstone of a progressive redistribution of wealth? Just curious as to your thoughts
Claire, There’s nothing wrong with a property tax but that’s not what the LPT is. It’s a tax on ordinary family homes to help pay off the banker’s debts. If we wanted to tax trophy homes then it’s easy to do that while leaving the average home exempt. And a real “property” tax would also tax assets other than property. So I would be in favour of a tax on all accumulated wealth (cash, stock etc) above a certain threshold.
Ermahgerd thats so suprising.
Fcuk off
@Claire Ní Chonchubhair: It’s not exactly a property tax, it’s a roof tax. Property tax would take into account all property and land owned. That wouldn’t suit FG’s rich farmer base at all. So it’s simply a roof tax.
I would like brinster and gabby to come on here and explain there partys actions on this matter.
Yet our taoiseach tells us vulture funds have many needs.
Vulture funds pay just €8,000 in tax on €10 billion of assets. Is that part of their needs
@Claire Ní Chonchubhair: its definitely a bankers tax just like the usc and our water was part of the deal too only for people came out onto the streets you would be paying a second time for water.Claire you have to ask your self what services do you get for the taxes you pay.In Ireland we irish we a lot of tax where are the services.The lpt and dont forget our motor tax is still being pumped into iw quango.Ff fg policy is desperately failing this state just look at this http://www.nationaldebtclocks.org/debtclock/ireland back in 2006 our debt was around 36 billion this is the harsh reality of ff fg labour policy our debt is rising by the second why because ff decided it was a good idea to bail out 42% of europes banking debt madness Claire our state is just to small to afford this debt as johnathan sugarman says 40 frigging years before its sorted i dont know about you Claire but i would like some quality of life back Before i get older.
Pay
The most surprising thing about this is that people are surprised. We (not me) but the gullible Irish public/ FF and FG lap dogs voted them back in. You reap what you sow I’m afraid, and we’ll be reaping that sh!te for years. Rip off republic.
@Jeremy McCarthy: terrible when you see innocent people dying over stupid things, and these people, politicians still breathing.
@William, and living like kings. I’m a good believer in what’s for you won’t pass you and I hope it’s true in their case. Biggest gangsters to ever grace this great country.
Yes I see your point Benjy. Thanks for your answer
Except that that means they won’t be able to vote.
No it certainly wouldn’t suit FG!! Would never accuse FG of endorsing a fair distribution of wealth! Thanks Dave
A vulture fund that is suing dozens of Irish borrowers was among a group of financiers and hedge funds that met the Department of Finance ahead of plans to close a tax loophole.
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Finance officials met three executives from CarVal, the American vulture fund that bought €2bn in Irish loans, before the Finance Bill was published to discuss closing the loophole that allowed foreign investors in Irish property to pay little or no tax.
Finance Minister Michael Noonan announced in his Budget speech last year that he was clamping down on foreign investment funds that used special-purpose vehicles, or Section 110 companies, that generate little or no taxable income, to buy cheap property loans in Ireland.
Documents released under the Freedom of Information Act revealed he allowed international and Irish investors to have their say on the planned tax changes before his Finance Bill was published.
Cosmo you can only speak the truth..our whole direct family are talking about leaving as a group. The sad thing is there’s three grandparents willing to move, one of them is 73 but can’t afford to stay here anymore..he wants to come with us.
@rory conway: “There is no tax on assets. Just income”.
Not true. There is NO income from my family home yet this obnoxious government forces me to pay property tax. As far as I know the constitution states that no taxes or charges can be applied to the family home but Noonan and friends couldn’t care less.
@Benjy Dempsey: Sinn Fein will be in Government very soon,with Fianna Failures ,any bets guys.Throughout this Monster European “Onion” when the so called Opposition gets near Power,they change like the Weather.Sinn Fein are no Different,I see 5 Star Movement in Italy have Changed Sides Overnight from Anti EU to Pro EU ,even Le Pen is Shifting when they Smell Power.Farage has Balls ,Orban Has Balls ,the Polish are Showing Balls.Ireland has Edna.This E.U.S.A Plan Is Going to Fall.
@M Bowe: Or Worse.
Bobby I missed this reply earlier I’m sorry. I agree with you 100% on the socialisation of the bankers’ debt. Completely perverse. Why should citizens have to endure the horrific effects of austerity to bail out those who created the financial crisis? As for property tax, I think it should be fair and progressive, should tackle real private wealth and be used to restore our austerity-stricken public services
But Gerry the 2 bed apartment in Dublin would be worth more in terms of market value? Ridiculous I know but how else can you measure a property tax, other than on the basis of the market value of the asset?
But who else is there to vote for? All the parties support free market economics. Every man for himself
I paid 30k in tax last year, mainly income tax, and this year it’ll be closer to 35k assuming there’s not another recession.. Stories like this make me sick. When I see stories and reports of tax evasion but small businesses and individuals like farmers and publicans, garages etc or tax defaulters generally in the last few years I no longer view them as parasites, but rather, almost justified.
@Mr Snuffleupagus:I would hate to be paying that much tax and get no services for it in our broken state.but then again if u vote ff fg you are reaping the rewards for the great sell out of our state for bailing out a broken banking system.
If your self employed not only will you be screwed for taxes but any delay in paying over you’ll be rightly screwed over by revenuge and it becomes an up hill struggle. Then if you become sick fall on hard times there is zero there for you. The reality is that all your taxes is to pay for services and tax loop holes that you never benefit from. It is so wrong that a multinational or vulture fund pay so little tax only because they are being subsidise by little businesses and low to middle income families.
@tom: at the end of the day those little businesses keep voting for establishment partys tom.Sf are offering fairness and equality what more can we ask for.
This Is what happens when we continue to vote in FG/FF/Lab.
These parties are incapable of change.
They are rotten and corrupt to the core.
I said it once and I’ll say it again. The quickest and fairest way to stabalise our property market is to only allow Irish residents buy Irish residential property. Problem solved overnight. Why should foreign companies be able to exploit Irish people for profit on our homes
@Barry Toffy: I’d say EU law wouldn’t allow that on discrimination grounds , and nor should they. Individual councils however, do have room for considerable measures they can take. For example. they already insist if you wish to build in rural areas that you are from or are living and work in the area for 5 years etc.
Think property rights would be open, part of EU free trade?? Maybe better regulations on rent control, property etc. like in germany would achieve same.
It is classed as ‘local needs’ you would see it listed on sites that are for sale.
Thanks for the insight. I just find it repulsive that companies and vulture funds can pick a country clean at bargain basement prices. Facilitated by the crappy banks that we saved and the politicians that we voted for. Then sit on the property portfolio’s for so long that the prices skyrocket and then sell them back to the citizens of that country for ridiculous prices that basically enslave those people to debt for the rest of their lives. The net effect is that a few people get super rich while a whole country is crippled and then a bunch of know it alls start talking about why the current laws don’t allow you to change that status quo. Well I wish those people would grow a backbone and be able to say enough is enough and these laws are a joke and have be propagated and created by the very few making a mint out of the whole thing. As long as we have know it alls apathetically supporting these laws we are sunk. Wake up man. We are being fleeced.
It’s time politicians, judges, civil servants etc are made liable for their mistakes and incompetence. Compensation should be paid too every citizen they fail and docking pay and expenses a given. They should taste the realities of life like every one else.
Rob Mills; is this mistakes and incompetence??? Or is it Neo liberalism as practiced by FF and FG bearing fruits for their own and golden circles of friends and associates.
The days of brown envelopes are gone, to be replaced with off shore accounts and hidden investments through shelf companies!!!these are Billion euro pies with lots of dirty greedy fingers grabbing for a piece. All at the country’s and ordinary man and womens expense!!
Republic my arse!!
Noonan is said to be furious about their tax bill & will work tirelessly to lower it….
Brilliant!!
Unbelievable !!! Shocking beyond words !!!
@Val Akin: Sadly it is believable……
Is it really that unbelievable? Surely people know by now who FG serve and those who vote for the, are complicit in what is happening in this country. One of the latest examples of the great giveaway to come to light is the vulture fund that the government gave a two year contract to house the latest batch of refugees in Roscommon, which bought 50 houses in Roscommon from NAMA last year for ten grand a pop. Why are NAMA giving away houses to foreign vulture funds for next to nothing while denying the Irish people the chance to buy properties at such scandalously low prices? Keep voting FG you dumb f*cks!
GUBU
Reports in the press today saying these vulture funds met with the officials from department of finance before Noonan announced his loop closing…just to give them a head start.
@Kerry Blake: The gas thing is though you will still get the die hard blueshirts coming on hear blaming everything on the unemployed. It is always deflect and then defend the party at all cost.
Youd have to hope that a can of worms may now be opened if consistently unbelievable tax figures as stated here are the norm. If these figures are right, then this is the biggest scandal to hit these shores since rcc child abuse.
Bailing out banks and unsecured bond holders got lots of publicity yet no one in jail despite the banking fraud. Refuse to pay your TV licence and you’ll be dragged in frond of courts
Front
And we wonder why we’ve a health crisis. A homeless crisis. A suicide epidemic. This is political policy by Fine Gael. But Ye, those thugs in home sweet home standing up for us..
The vulture funds are only part of the tax avoidance culture. many sectors pay even less such as “not for profit” charities, religious cults, trusts and foundations all reap the reward of our tax system. If the European commission clawed back all that has being lost by sweet heart deals over the generations the PAYE worker would not be paying 52% of there weekly salary in tax. saver would not be loosing 43% to DIRT taxes. we fight among ourselves for scraps while lobbyist write legislation for Noonan to endorse. None of this is new and it has become so ingrained in our tax laws that is has become standard practice. even the huge multi billion euro stud farms ran by the super rich pay nothing or the tourist getting a vat rate of 9% while the workers fork out 23% vat. We get what we vote for and this dismay at being a tax haven is getting tiring because we will never stand up and reclaim our birth right.
Yet many people still think Sinn Fein would cost the country a fortune with bad economic management. It’s been happening for decades with FF,FG,Labour . Time for real change.
Given that we don’t have an alternative right and I’m not talking “alt-right” but a genuine alternative rightwing party Sinn Fein will almost certainly eventually become an option if for nothing else just to break the FF to FG cycle that has existed since the foundation of the state.
There is one law for the rich and one law for the poor. It’s failed politics that has created this suitation. We need people power now. Our politicians have sold out this country. Judas goats . Time to get marching and take back our country now as we are falling into scandal after scandal.
At what cost now will the Irish people tolerate before we say stop.? Are you prepared now to take back this country.??. I am are you with me. ?
This has to stop! Again we are hit in the pockets while they get away with this farce
Portrait of a broken person – Ayn Rand
Neoliberalism is to Enterprise what Fascism is to State.
Our political overlords have sought justification to impose misery, poverty, a marginalisation of the masses for the wealth of the few. Neoliberalism is that Fascism, and it is written by the broken, Mises, Hayek, and Rand.
http://www.tworoundcorners.com/portrait-broken-person-ayn-rand/
Elect SF/PBP next time
Why aren’t SF and the rest of the left wing parties doing more to highlight this madness? They are failing in their job by not kicking up more of a fuss and let the people know what is happening. At the moment it’s all left to Mick Wallace and the likes of Diarmuid O’Flynn who has a limited reach on Twitter etc.
@PaulJ: because anything sf do is called jumping on the band wagon in the last election they promised a health care system for all abolish the water tax and lpt and tax the wealthy and what did the people do they put ff fg back into government so the Irish just have to suck it up they missed their chance for change maybe in another 4 years of hardship they will change their minds but highly unlikely.I think its sad that we as a state cant try out new things.
Bobby who says that crap but the usual FF/FG stooges. SF need o be highlighting this robbery every time they get on RTE. Wallace and Donnelly can’t do it all on their own!
RTE doesn’t like SF and favours FF FG at every opportunity
Paul J.; Sinn fein are highlighting this continuosly, why do you think that the main stream media keep re hashing old bogey man stories and we have so many paid FF and FG shills on sites like this. They dont want the general public reading or seeing anything near the truth on their TVs or crony owned daily newspapers.
Im even shocked that the national liars at RTE are going to air this programme!! Which raises the question, what is really going on?????
@PaulJ: The onlt time SF get on RTE is when called in to answer the political footballs the establishment make out of certain issues. Otherwise they are ignored.
Speculative and exploitative profits and gains escape tax charge.
Hard earned income is fully taxed.
Capital is advantaged and subsidised.
Labour is exploited and fleeced.
Capitalism thrives.
If we vote for Capitalism, we vote for the consequences of capitalism. It’s not that difficult to understand.
Noonan you (unt….
No doubt fg will come out with some justification for this. It’s in the best interest of the country, and people will actually believe it and vote them back in. They have no interest in the working man or woman.
It’s absolutely sickening. The Irish people are being screwed over and over .Then when the brits do their Brexit we will suffer more financial pain.Also when this nasty Trump starts we will suffer again. Why are our politicians allowing us to suffer like this.?Charlie Flanagan wants to send 2 million euros of our taxes to a foreign country for Aid. What about our own Irish citizens? Do we not matter? Do they think ah,it’s ok,we are doing all right? Well we are not ok. We are working every day to pay bills,high insurance costs.High health care costs.high grocery costs.The list is endless. I’m sick to my back teeth economists saying Ireland is going great.we are not.We are in deep trouble with all this Brexit and Trump coming down the line.We are sandwiched in between these two ruthless countries who don’t really care about us.Wake up and cop on because they will leave us out to dry in this country.
@Gerry Fallon:Gerry Fallon: I agree that we need to stop looking to the UK or America and that we need to vote for change here at home. However, as bad as it seems here there are still places far worse off than us and we have long term obligations and programmes in these countries. Irish Aid is something to be proud of, it chooses target countries based on need and direct access without government interferrance. You and I have helped set up programmes throughout the world allowing young girls and women to get access to education, clean water projects, hiv treatment and health care facilities to name just a few. The founding principal of our government aid proframne is to emulate the actions of the Chactow peoples of America who diring their own plights still managed to collect money and blankets for the Irish sufferring during the famine. They would go on be decimated on the trail of tears.
@Gerry Fallon: It may come as a great surprise to you my friend but Donald Trump is actually on your side in all this.
This is all part of the globalist agenda, Tax the ordinary working class into the ground while making the elites in society wealthy beyond belief. This Fianna Gael government are acting for their Globalist buddies in Brussels and not for the Irish people. This is also happening in America and Donald Trump has vowed to smash globalism around the world ,this is the reason why millions of working class people voted him into office.
Know who your friends are , if the globalists achieve their new world order one world government things will be fifty times worse.
@Peter Murphy: It would indeed come as a great surprise to me if a billionaire, narcissistic, head of a global corporation will be the one to fight for a more equitable world. I expect the exact opposite from him. Let’s hope I’m wrong.
Terrible reflection on a careless government
@Eddie O, careless govt, no carelessness is accidental this was not, it was totally intentional orchestrated by noonan and fg assisted by lab and now indos and ff, roll on the next election and hopefully the people will remember although I wont hold my breath….
Section 110 was closed off in october which allowed these funds to get away with tax payment. Closing the gate after the horse has bolted comes to mind! Noonan what were you thinking? A country on the brink of collapse and you tax its people and not the vultures coming in for the spoils? A country that needed every last cent in revenue. As for Labour presiding over this! A so called socialist party? Tomorrows viewing will be soo painful for us all to watch. They are doing worse in Greece. 40 billion euros of assets are being sold off no doubt to the same vultures! Disgusting. This is like accelerator fuel for the alt right.
What kind of a country are we living in when moral governance of our political financial transactions is/has to be policed by journalist investigative teams? This exposes ingrained corruption almost to the genetic level. So depressing
When will people learn that the leaders that were voted into power have no clue how to run a tap never mind a country. Politicians and politics don’t work. It’s a failed way of life. It’s knowing that people in power look after there own. It’s time the country was run like a business. And remove these amateurs from power once and for all. There’s a number of people just waiting to remove these failures from there posts.
Steven. FF and FG governments are not failures or mistake ridden amateurs, they are and have been playing an absolute blinder on behalf of themselves and their respective ‘ golden circles’. This is the results of long laid plans and objectives as laid down by their joint Neo liberal philosphies.
Any vote for either of them is a vote for the continuation of this organised fleecing and greed fest!!!
@Steven Hillert: I agree Steven, however the country IS being run like a business,
FGFFLAB Ltd.
We desperately need to break this FFFGLAB ongoing cycle
This is criminal. There’s no other way to describe it. The banks, engaging in wholesale mortgage fraud feed these vultures. The government knows very well about the situation, and they do nothing to put a stop to it.
@Dave Doyle:
Fine Gael?
Fine Gael actively encourage this type of neo liberal pilfering of the Irish economy.
It’s in their DNA.
Leo Varadkar is one of the party’s strongest exponents of this policy.
I wish we lived in a country where someone’s head would roll for this kind of bollocksogy
There is absolutely no good reason why these vulture funds can’t be taxed more on their operations in Ireland. There are lots of bad ones however and it looks like the government has decided to put the interests of these funds over the interests of the rest of the taxpayers.
Think about it: these funds have 10 billion in assets, for this they need our legal system, political system, civil service and all sorts or other infrastructure. It is not economic for the ordinary businessman or worker to make use of the legal system due to it’s cost so justice for the ordinary person is unavailable even they shoulder nearly all the cost of this system. The vulture funds with their 10 billion however make use of the High Court all the time. Their assets are protected by a state with strong laws and stable governance, yet they pay for none of it.
A Disgrace!!!!
Jess Christ are the civil servants and politicians of this Republic fast asleep ????
@Tony Hartigan: No they’re what awake and doing exactly what they’ve been told to do by their banking chums/bosses. Well you didn’t really think they work for us now did you?
Holy focuk . The men of 1916 would be turning in there graves
If the vulture funds had paid a proper rate of tax on the gains/profits, how many houses could have been built and provided for housing the homeless and the soon to be homeless?
They sound like right scroungers.
If our forefathers could see us they be ashamed, what they achieved without the power we have yet we sit back and do nothing,
It’s the first time the majority of the world is connected not just by social media but my our employer’s the vast majority work for the same big companies directly or indirectly we nearly all owe debt to same big corporations,
If we all stuck together and all held back our taxes, mortgages, those who rent from the large commercial landlords to bought up thousands of homes held the rent back, took to strikeing
Organise on social media that the world will strike against the unjust system were a few control and benefit from the suffering of others, campaign for real change.
We would have a fairer and better world for all.
‘Vultures are useful creatures in that they clean up carrion and vulture funds perform a similar role in the economy’
Michael Noonan.
The wealthy continue to reap the rewards of the,labour party policies, whether they live here or not.voters have to remember the lies of these two parties in all council and general elections.
Treasonous.
All the whinging about the price of orkambi yet they let €500m slide by. Seriously what are the govt thinking? This is a disgrace, an out and out disgrace. I dont even know where to begin but history will not be kind to Kenny and his fellow snakes.
So why could the Irish Goverment not have borrowed this 10 billion from another source and hold these assets themselves and keep this as a national pension fund because we will need this for the future. I suppose this idea is just too simple. The world of finance needs to lubricate the well off and solicitors and estate agents involved.
I feel like throwing up after reading that, I really do.
Every constituency should field 1-2 candidates with an agreed people’s agenda
Hospitals schools and housing
Jobs for our school leaving children be it army navy or college for 3 years
They can’t turn anymore or they will be facing up again
What are their profits?
You don’t pay taxes on assets.
@Michael O’Neill: Are you paying a tax on your home by any chance?
@ michael o your home is not an asset so why are we expected to pay tax on it ?????
The headline was enough for me. Enda needs to get finger out and start looking after Irish citizens
Since when has he ever done done that? Why would he start now?
Went to see the birds of prey demonstration at Aillwee caves and the vultures were the most amazing animals. But I’ll bet they are rightly pissed with all the negative publicity lately…
This makes me absolutely sick.
I’m not even living in Ireland at the moment and I have paid €240.12 in tax (vat) in 2016 for the storage of furniture while I’m abroad. In 2017 that will increase to €263.88.
There is no ethical, moral or financial reason for this to be the case. The only explanation is that the people making these rules are benefiting financially either directly or indirectly themselves. But don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll find out which politicians/public servants were profiting from this scandal in about a decade after a no doubt lengthy and expensive tribunal which finds no one at fault. Michael Noonan will probably be gone by that stage.
I wonder how much more of this that we as a society can take, before things actually start breaking down? What exactly is this going to lead to? Do politicians even think of the consequences of their actions? They clearly don’t. They are destroying our country.
The poster up thread that said that young Irish people should get out of the country when they can, go to Canada or Australia, is foolish. Do you think this is just happening in Ireland? This is happening all over the globe. You can’t emigrate away from it. And try getting more than just a 2 year work Visa unless you are sponsored by a company. I would guess that most Irish who come to Canada come home when their visa expires. It’s very difficult to get permanent residency and I say this as professional who is educated to Masters level. The amount of people who work part time is huge.
The average house price is CA$1.5 million in Metro Vancouver. The main reason the property prices are so high is because of property speculation from China. They’ve just introduced a new tax to try and limit foreign ownership in the market but it’s too little too late as usual. Canada has just as many problems as Ireland if not more. Check out the article Journal posted on Saturday about the drug problem in Vancouver for some insight.
These scandalous systems exist to a greater or lesser extent all over the world. That ‘s the problem, you can’t out run it.
It doesn’t even matter that it’s fg,ff or labour that is enabling the fleecing because even if we elect a brand new party that claims to give a toss about ‘the people’ there is no mechanism in place to make any political party or politician accountable. Once the ballot closes they can do what they damn want. We’ve watched the three so called stable parties over the last decade make an unbelievable mess of defending the people in this country whether through incompetence or connivance & it’s time the people had some power to curb the excesses of this lot. The citizens constitutional forum recommended plebiscites or citizen initiated referendums along the lines of the swiss model which kenny shot down in favour of the presidential age referendum of course. Its time we adopted this mechanism.
Lookit, the law can legitimise anything. But that doesn’t make it morally right.
This is how the free market works. You will be dirt poor for ever
Everything is being privatised, given a price, sold to private individuals. They tell us this promotes competition giving the consumer more choice. Bollox does it.
Health, education. Public property hands off
This is the kind of business the govt and it’s cheerleaders were so anxious to protect in the bust.
Only in Ireland
This article has been a revelation to me: I always thought you paid tax on income, apparently tax is paid on assets not income. There ya go you learn something new every day.
A lot of comments here by people who were defending Quentin Sheridan yesterday so I guess I can dismiss all those opinions straight away.
@Gerry O’Rourke: He is serious. An excuse to ignore the facts, just like his pals in FG.
have your say