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PRESSURE IS MOUNTING on Paschal Donohoe to outline the full details around his election expenses.
The Public Expenditure Minister is to make a further statement involving his 2016 general election campaign and other matters raised by the opposition next Tuesday.
Labour’s finance spokesperson Ged Nash said the minister had several opportunities over recent years to clarify the situation but that the first attempt at this was a “hastily arranged press conference last Sunday where limited information was providued to the media”.
“The minister now is trying to make the case, and I think he’s failing to do so convincingly at least, that this is a donation that was made to the Fine Gael Dublin Central constituency organisation,” Nash told RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland programme.
“But in fact, in the context of an election, there really is no such thing and the only person who can incur expenditure on behalf of, or authorise expenditure, is the election agent on behalf of the candidate.”
Elsewhere, one of Donohoe’s own colleagues from the government parties has queried how he calculated the work carried out for his campaign.
Neasa Hourigan, who represents the same Dublin Central constituency as Donohoe, said the figures amounting to the duties provided “seem slightly low”.
“It’s six people and a van and that seems like a very good rate he got,” Hourigan said on RTÉ’s Late Debate last night.
“He’s not only my government colleague but he’s also my constituency colleague so I’m not trying to have a go at Paschal particularly.
“But it is actually a lot, it is a lot of support. and if you’re somebody who’s trying to get elected, we have to keep it a level field. ”
While answering parliamentary questions in the Dáil yesterday, Donohoe told the chamber that he would make a further statement on the matter at the earliest opportunity.
While the Dáil business committee had the view that it would have been preferable for the statement to have been made yesterday, Donohoe told the Dáil that he would be unable to make a statement until later.
He has since confirmed he will appear again for a further statement and questioning next Tuesday.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Prime Time last night, Sinn Féin finance spokesman Pearse Doherty questioned whether businessman Michael Stone paid for putting up Donohoe’s election posters in 2020.
Speaking on the same programme, Minister of State for European Affairs Peter Burke said the Fine Gael TD would come forward with all the details next week and called for a proportionate response.
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But no mention of the thousands of men being bussed into the country being given free accommodation, free food, medical cards and social welfare. Surely if our fiscal situation is so vulnerable then why keep bringing in these men? How much are they costing the state?
@Nurse On Call.: LMAOROFL
@Nurse On Call.: you mean you don’t know? Ah stop. Next you’ll be telling me that you can’t actually prove that you’re not talking exclusively out of your hoop.
@Nurse On Call.: It’s great as a country we can offer it.
@mani mus:
nurse has the common sense backing of the majority of people
@B6Tr3OgE:
offer scammers coming from save countries through other save countries/”lose their ID’s also (offcial stats prove it) endless cash? we barley deport anyone and this knock on effect means it attracts more here
@Nurse On Call.: You’re not a very caring nurse, God help one any asylum seekers that need care from you.
@Nurse On Call.: thousands of men being bussed into the country? This is news to me. Please tell me more
@SYaxJ2Ts:
“bussed into the country” is a phrase!
Thousands have entered the country this year alone and majority will have “lost” their ID’s… OFFICAL FACTS BTW, before you ask me for prove/call me this or that
Offcial facts and stats are always the things that people like you with an agenda/smug/virtue signally hate as its destroys your agenda as facts trump opinions!
@Nurse On Call.: Can’t say that
@empty: no wait until there isn’t even a tent left then we’ll start to talk about maybe trying to manage population Vs housing, hospitals and proper infrastructure in place wait until then when it can no longer be dealt with
@empty: bussed into the country is a dog whistle phrase that suggests an agenda. Re the stats, so show the ones which prove that the majority of those who come here seeking international protection have lost their ID?
@empty: and by the way, the poster doubled down on his bussed into the country “phrase” by stating “why keep bringing in these men”
@SYaxJ2Ts: So what. Get with the programme. Its not wanted.
@SYaxJ2Ts:
kevin just google “asylum seekers entering country with no ID’s”
its an RTE report, over 60% have “lost” their ID’s when getting off the plane/ferry
@Nurse On Call.: The laughing part of it is between increase in tax on fuel this month and the one next month more tax will be accumulated and knock on effect on food etc will increase tax aswel more money going into the tax pot and straight down the drain into space for the working people,you can have you’re 200 off electricity for it and they’ll clean up with everything else we’re being fleeced
@empty: fair enough, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that their claim is bogus
@Chett Richards: what’s not wanted?
@SYaxJ2Ts: I L L E G A L I M M I G R A T I O N
@Nurse On Call.: Article yesterday about record number of migrants for one day crossing the Channel to get to the UK….. is France not safe enough
@empty: 75% of refugees in the EU are in 5 countries. 25% are in Germany alone. Guess what: those countries all have working infrastructure, better housing markets, better healthcare systems, etc.
And trying to blame refugees when we had every single one of these issues BEFORE the war in Ukraine just makes you look out of touch with reality.
Let me guess, you think refugees should feck off, because the Irish were addicted to voting for FFFG for a century, insuring that nothing works?
How very clever of you.
@Chett Richards: no need for caps there Chett, but you should learn to use the space bar. And of course nobody want illegal immigration – who ever suggested that?
@SYaxJ2Ts:
its not a good look if they are being truthful
@Chris O’Brien:
Let me guess you hear a sob story and let them stay (btw Im not against real claims) just I am against bogus ones and there is thousands
I bet you are 1 of those, who gets an e-mail from a “nigerian prince” and u hand over all your details
Are u a fan of some1 claiming to have cancer so they can get freebies aka go fund me etc as thats what bogus claims do, they try and scam by lying about something terrible.
People like you is why the western world is going “right wing”
@empty: agreed, but can be explained – someone fleeing a country for the purposes of claiming asylum may not have a passport, and applying for one could be impractical given their situation
@empty: the thing is – so we’re clear – the problems caused by huge large number of refugees and asylum seekers isn’t because of those numbers. Germany – rightly – copped that the people that manage to flee countries aren’t poor and uneducated, but are usually hard-working and well educated. Leaving anywhere requires money and brains, even during a war.
They took in a million refugees in one year (and are still taking in 25% if the EU total). How does that work?
They have functioning infrastructure, and healthcare, and a far more stable housing market than we have. And they know they NEED workers. We are one of the least populated countries in the EU with a minuscule population density. We’re basically empty compared to most EU countries. The issue isn’t space. It’s a hundred years of mismanagement and corruption. But that’s NOT the fault of refugees and it doesn’t forgive us our agreed to responsibilities in the EU.
You can spout xenophobia all day, but if you ACTUALLY want Ireland to be better, work at integrating new people, and encouraging them to work hard and help our economy.
Trying to blame refugees for FFFG isn’t clever.
@empty: One more point: the reason the right is gaining power is that simple narratives about race and culture are far easier to sell than complex truths. While the right may win elections all you have to do is look at what 100 years of right-wing government has done to Ireland to realise its a dead end. If you want to live in a better world, fight for better fact-based policies and more competent governance. Two things Ireland has no history of.
@SYaxJ2Ts: how do they get on the plane without their passport? 60% seem to lose their documents between getting on the plane and arriving in Ireland. No one is suggesting that genuine refugees shouldn’t be taken care of, but the majority at the moment are benefit shopping which is tarnishing the real cases and costing the state an obscene amount of money.
@Helen Murphy: Of course this isn’t vaguely true, and I hope you’re just being xenophobic and don’t actually believe that.
First, at the height of the problem, it was 40%. Not 60%. Second, that number is now MUCH lower. “Large drop in numbers arriving in Ireland without passports” You can google that and read it.
The claim that, “the majority at the moment are benefit shopping” is not based on anything at all. You’ve just made that up.
And of course, we take almost no refugees compared to our neighbours, the problems that you think refugees are responsible for existed a decade ago, and if I had to guess, I’d wager you’ve spent your life voting for the parties responsible for these issues.
Meaning, to be clear, if you’re looking for someone to blame for the state of Ireland, a mirror would be far more useful than blaming refugees.
@Helen Murphy: by falsifying travel docs and then destroying them on arrival at final destination. How do you know that the majority are benefit shopping?
@Nurse On Call.: spot on, sadly, this country is getting worse.
@SYaxJ2Ts: The space bar was used, but you probably don’t have the logical capacity to know that when caps are used, spaces aren’t as obvious. Your arguments are very very weal by the way, to the point of failing. Embrace the unscripted change currently underway, people have had enough.
@SYaxJ2Ts:
but how do they enter the country so when most are flying in, as no airline will let someone fly with no passport etc
@Chris O’Brien:
so im “xenophobic” because im against scammers? lmfao
jog on and hug a thug u krusty the klown
@Chris O’Brien: how come ireland then? Why travel over multiple safe countries with considerably worse social welfare and migrant perks? Surely if your fleeing for your life, a country on the far west of europe is not first in your thoughts? Do you really think that 42 million a month is not obscene? I despise this government for what they are doing to ordinary irish people and adding tens of thousands of people isn’t going to help. And again, if they’re ripping up their passports, why?
@Chris O’Brien:
liar, plz stop spreading fake news u wannabe trumpie, RTE report said over 60%
ur some spoofer who thinks hes the “good guy” lmfao
@Chris O’Brien:
chris u have made yourself look like a right (dont pardon the pun) buffoon
@Nurse On Call.: what’s wrong with men Karen ?
@empty: people here just won’t get it through they’re heads until the country has a way larger population worse housing crisis, hospitals, infrastructure etc then the light may flicker in the dail that the country’s resources are beyond they’re limits and they’re driving the deficit up without any concerns for possible outcomes or consequences of people here or those entering needing help,as Putin himself said theyrll be no winner’s,if you ran a business the way the government runs Ireland it would be on its knees in no time but the money rolls in continuously by raising tax like on fuel now and next month because they know it’s needed now and more with it,bit off more than we could chew we could be in for some shock yet could be more going on inside government than we’re aware of
@Rowe: he’s a disgrace,wrong on us and them there’s no where to rent that’s affordable or even AVAILABLE here now, shame on him
@Paddy C: not you Kevin,Roderic o gorman our heroic false liar of a misister
@Nurse On Call.: well the 30 million a month on bed nights for hotels for a start ….just completely wasting money ….once the night is over there’s nothing to show for it …..and they will point to any other sector and finger wag but where other countries have all reassessed the futility of using the single most expensive nightly cost for new arrivals in hotels and Clane’s down there’s not a pip about the issue here just the relentless drum beat of “we have a crisis “…. And we will continue to flutter your taxes away in hotels …..disgraceful
@Chris O’Brien: completely ignoring that the fiscal management for handling refugees is disgraceful , absolutely disgraceful , some hotels – hotels / are paid 250000 a month !! Hotels , the budget is 3O million a month , a month – nothing like that a decade ago / not blaming refugees at all / blaming incompetence and poor use of our taxes / what do we get to show for hotel nights other than the self evident fact that we fluttered away by far the most expensive amount of cash to house refugees at top quality accommodations have you seen the new holiday Inn near airport , block booked this past year for accommodating new arrivals / so don’t lecture accusations about xenophobia to miss the point / the mismanagement. Of our taxes is the issue
@Nurse On Call.: Not even a fraction of what corporations get away with by avoiding/evading tax,, both of which are morally wrong. Whereas helping out our fellow humans is morally right, not that I’d expect you to understand that
@Helen Murphy: How come Ireland?
First, they legally can choose where they want.
Second, the VAST MAJORITY don’t choose Ireland.
The vast majority choose Czechia and other local places.
Why has some minority chosen Ireland?
I’d imagine it’s different from person to person.
Why do you choose what you do?
Probably because you’re awful and want to hurt others.
Or maybe. Just maybe. For other reasons.
Get of social media and try and remember what caring for other humans feels like.
The amount of tax we pay here is unreal. My top line is not to bad but when I look at the bottom line it scares the life out of me
@Shaun Gallagher: It has NOTHING to do with levels of tax and EVERYTHING to do with how that money is managed. Scandanavians pay more in taxes, but what do they get?
Stable housing markets, world-class education, lower crime, booming domestic manufacturing, world-class healthcare and public transport.
The trick isn’t lower taxes, but proper governance.
@Chris O’Brien: I’m working and living in Scandinavia. You couldn’t be more correct. What we could have in Ireland but we don’t.
I’m living and working in a smallish town that couldn’t be quieter, cleaner, neater, organised, has a large municipal hospital, schools, proper cycle lanes, more than ample places to walk that are looked after and clean – a pleasure to go for a walk day or night, barely a spot of rubbish thrown anywhere. Everything above is what Ireland DOESN’T have. Ireland is a filthy, dangerous, unorganized mess. A 2nd world country purporting to be a first world place.
@Thomas Meaney: unfortunately we don’t have leadership or general cop on at any level in leadership just mushrooms who’s father’s,father’s,father was a TD in power lining they’re pockets making careless unconscious stupid decisions without thinking of real long term possible consequences
@Paddy C: People often ask me why I don’t run for office and I always say the same thing: I didn’t go to the right rugby school to be a politician.
We should be electing people with a vision for the future, and not just voting for someone because they’re a cousin of someone you knew from secondary school.
But c’mere I’m describing a different country.
@Chris O’Brien: the problem is anyone who has good ideas is quietly told stay quiet and tow the line like George lee was in fine gael out he went,it won’t change because if you get in you do as you’re told get money from the tree or leave with nothing
@Chris O’Brien: fair enough point
@Chris O’Brien: Governance is more that just politics or the public sector. Culture is important. Swedes have a different culture, a lutheran culture. They put a lot of emphasis on personal responsibility and accountability. If you can work, you’re defintely expected to work. If you cheat, you’ll be called out. Things are expected to be done properly by the book, shortcuts aren’t tolerated. Rules are king. Everyone pays into the system. Everyone contributes. We have more of a Southern Europe catholic vibe, failures are excused if we like or know you, rules are there to be broken, incompetence is tolerated because … ah sure, he’s sound like, better to be popular than to be right etc.. We all participate in this whether we admit it or not and there’s pro’s and cons. There’s A LOT of lonliness is Sweden, people can be very critical with each other. People are distant and cold in public etc.
@Tom D: I’ve lived around the world and never lived somewhere that espoused “personal responsibility” more than Ireland. Sure we’ve heard it over and over in the last few days re the roads.
The problem is that personal responsibility is an ideology, not public policy.
eg. Finland has a far more generous social safety net than Ireland. BUT being on welfare in Finland doesn’t make you most hated in the nation like it does here. the Fins don’t hate the poor and idolise the rich the way we do. And they don’t endlessly vote for right-wing parties based on fear and religiosity.
What we need isn’t self-regulation, but competent governance. And we need consequences when things go wrong.
We have none of that.
We have unregulated everything, bottomless wells of corruption and no notion of anyone ever being held responsible, except the poor. Boy, we love bashing them at every chance.
I agree that culturally we have huge issues, but want solutions that run though defining policies, not just hoping people cop on. Thank you for your thoughtful response.
@Shaun Gallagher: compared to rest of EU, taxes on work here are amongst the lowest
@Oisin CK: Add in we are one of the dearest(if not the dearest) countries to live in we pay over the odds than nearly all in the EU
@Oisin CK: is that you Leo?
@Thomas Meaney: The truth has been spoken.
@Thomas Meaney: I disagree. Ireland is not that bad. You just choose to see the negative and compare it which is fine I used to do that too. But having lived in places like Malta and southern Europe you realise how clean and organised Ireland is. Them places are dumps. Potholes, aging infrastructure, lazy culture more so. And yes compared to scandanavia it’s miles behind but compared to many places in Europe and the rest of the world it’s great.
@Chris O’Brien: 100% this. Our biggest problem is solutions.
So wait, letting multinationals run riot in Ireland – often at the expense of the Irish people – isn’t a magic wand for permanent financial stability????
How have Finland and Denmark managed to survive?
Oh right, Finland and Denmark have spent 100 years developing their domestic manufacturing base, not perfecting being a tax haven for multinationals.
Surely, though, a huge percentage of their economy must be data centres for the extremely toxic social media industry?
Turns out no. Apparently, you can have an economy without data centres. Weird.
And these countries, I assume that, since they have the same population as Ireland they also have no public transport, failing healthcare systems, spiralling crime and housing crises?
Denmark’s biggest problem is housing prices falling.
Finland is the only country in the EU where homelessness is falling, and despite it having slightly more people (about 500K more) it has a third as many homeless.
So wait, Ireland is – despite it’s similar population and levels of education – and despite the fact that Ireland is now the only native English country in the EU – doing far worse than these two countries?
Why?
Well, Finland and Denmark have spent most of their modern history with left-wing parties in power. Not Irish Tories.
Those parties spent billions modernising infrastructure, education, and the economy. They prioritised WORKERS and a SOCIAL SAFETY NET.
So wait, voting endlessly for right-wing parties leaves workers at a grave disadvantage?
Turns out, yes.
@Chris O’Brien: could we really believe that our government deliberately ran our native industries into the ground. Its not like we stopped peat production to save the environment and now import briquettes, or we let other countries have rights to our natural resources and then call for self reliance on energy production which we have no way to store reserves, or have food cheaper to import than use our own home grown products increasing our carbon footprint (but carbon taxes will cover it). They have made us an “economy” but screwed our society
@Spanner: the fact that we’re evening talking about peat as a major part of the Irish economy in 2023 says it all.
We have a population that could EASILY develop and work in highly skilled manufacturing. But no… just open the doors to tax cheats and tempory employment from foreign multinationals.
Depressing really.
@Chris O’Brien: @chris O’Brien
Excellent message, unfortunately it’ll go right over the heads of those who want to keep the status quo
@Phillip Joseph Keegan: Thank you… and sadly yes, you’re most likely correct.
Getting the excuses in early.
@Corporal clegg: 14 extra TDs should fix it. According to Micheal Martin, we can afford it. It’s also great value for money spending €42 million a month on refugees and asylum seekers. €6 Billion a year to NGOs is a steal. We can print more, right?
@Helen Murphy: yes,I was probably like most people oblivious trying to figure out what would fix it and now it makes sense let’s keep going and destroy the country good and proper the next generation will be living in garden sheds or tents on rented spots of land they’ve destroyed they’re futures,couldn’t make a worse balls of it,shame on them
Vat on concrete increased by 5% on Friday.roughly means an extra €7 per square metre.completely sick of all these tax increases.i know that was to pay for the mica scandal.its the middle income earner who suffers most in this country because they have to pay for everything..
@morgan crowe: we shouldn’t have to pay for the donegal nixer built houses
@: Of course we have to. The government we elected was meant to regulate that, but its Ireland, so that didn’t happen. Voting has consequences. Spend a century voting for incompetence and corruption and the bill is often eye-watering.
@morgan crowe: it is probably only a matter of time until the bubble bursts now but how bad the public finances will get by then is anyone’s guess but if we can’t provide housing and hospitals to meet the needs of population now we’re in for a right mess when this bursts and the tax take won’t be there what then
@morgan crowe: how much concrete does the average tax payer buy every year?
If you and your ilk don’t stop the scandalous waste of our money paying for illegal immigrants to have free B&B there might be some left in the coffers.
@Gerry Lamont: I’d rather we end paying welfare to ignorant xenophobes
@Gerry Lamont: of course this is a nonsense.
First, we barely take in any refugees compare to the rest of the EU. In fact five EU countries take in 75% of them.
Second, the problems caused by a relatively large number of new people here aren’t the fault of the new people. And we KNOW THIS becuse Ireland has 10k homeless people before the Ukraine War.
Being angry at refugees because Irish people voted for 100 years of Irish Tories, which ruined our housing market, healthcare etc., isn’t clever.
If you’ve ever voted FFFG you have more responsibly for Ireland issues than any refugee ever will.
Maybe you feel guilty, but don’t displace your guilt onto people who bear no responsibility for the state out country is in.
@Chris O’Brien: per capita, we have taken in the greatest number of Ukrainian refugees of any Western European country, including Germany. Source: L Varadkar
@Chris O’Brien: You do understand what “per capita “ means, yes?
@Corey Dalton: The problem with xenophobes like you is you don’t seem to be able to google things.
For the record:
“Ireland has fifth-highest number of Ukrainians per capita”
- 2022
“According to new Eurostat data, Czechia is host to the most Ukrainian refugees per capita in the EU.”
-2023
“Estonia and Czechia had the highest number of Ukrainian refugees per thousand inhabitants”
-2023
In actual fact, the fake claim you’re regurgitating comes from the far right conspiracy site Gript.
Stop spreading BS.
@Chris O’Brien: The problem with self-righteous people like you is that you don’t pay attention to what others are saying, especially if you have deemed them to be “xenophobes”. I specifically said that Ireland was the top *Western* European country for accepting Ukrainian refugees, ahead of Germany. It’s obvious that the countries on or near Ukraine’s borders would have the highest numbers. It’s not so obvious why Ireland, a country quite remote from Ukraine, should have such high numbers. Do pay attention.
No **** sherlock,so maybe it’s time to stop spending it foolishly in certain departments and concentrate on the main issues which badly need addressing housing,hospitals and waiting lists miles long for children with disabilities and people needing operations wake up out of cloud nine and realise if major companies pull out of Ireland with a recession or slowdown we’re in serious trouble
@Paddy C: Isnt that basically what their indpendant taxation commission reccomended and warned about?
An over reliance on a few small MNCs is a bad thing and lead to volitility in the tax takes. They reccomendeed diversifying taxation away from just a few companies and slowly ramping up tax takes from various other sources including wealth.
The Government saw this report, saw the reccomendations, heard about the possible over reliance on a few companies for tax takes. Then said nahh it sounds too much like what SF want to do.
Today? They say we are too reliant on MNCs tax receipts and its unstable for the future.
@Hurrly 90: yes but because of the housing crisis and hospital situation among other things huge amounts of funding is needed due to it being ignored for 10 years now and with the amount of people now in the country and entering,it needs to come from somewhere and the ordinary Joe soap has been ignored for too long now on these issues so it’s unexceptable now, they should have prepared for all of this it’s was like an elephant in the room and we’ll continue to be hit harder for they’re careless decisions
China is in a recession won’t be long until it happens here and it will make the last one look like a walk in the park
@: And as always, Ireland goes through another boom that benefitted almost no one.
But before it hits the government needs to get the country’s finances into a worse boat than it is now knowing things are at a dangerous point with inflation and recession looming wait till it hits then react worked great last time
@Chris O’Brien: except those who were rich beforehand.
I think most people here are talking through their hat to be honest. Sweden, Denmark and Finland are among the top ten countries in the World, never mind Europe for the percentage of income tax paid at over 53%. Most people I know are quite happy with their life in Ireland. Two holidays a year, generally abroad. Kids are in good local schools, probably go to Unoversity, which is among the lowest costs in Europe, chance of a decent well paid job in government or in a private company. Lowest unemployment rate of anywhere. Many families have two cars, one of the probably electric. Sports participation is high, with GAA , soccer, rugby , golf, athletics , and tennis probably most popular. So all the moaners on here should get a life, get out of the bunker, enjoy the fine weather, because most people are getting on with enjoying life, you should join them
@Peter Byrne: stop speaking sense, the whingers and SF/IRA trolls don’t like actual facts.
@Peter Byrne: we she the 80th worst healthcare system in the world. We have record homelessness. We have a perpetual housing crisis with record number of adults forced to live with their parents into their 30s. We have abyssmal infrastructure. We don’t meet our climate promises. We are reliant on foreign multinationals as we’ve never developed native industry outsode of farming. We have cheep universities yes, but they’ve all slipped in global rankings and their cost is rising. Last year we had university students in tents, because of lack of housing.
When’s the last time you left Rathmines?
@Chris O’Brien: ‘we don’t meet our climate promises’?…anytime anything is suggested it’s shot down because it impacts us or costs us a few quid.yes,we have homelessness but it’s low compared to other countries in Europe.we don’t have domestic industries,maybe because we have demanded to have the second highest minimum wages in Europe……yes,we have issues in this country,but I believe ‘we’ are as much to blame as any government.
@Chris O’Brien: dont live in Rathmines did years ago in a bed sit alright years ago and enjoy the beers and the craic
No I have an apartment which I worked and saved very hard for in middle class land
And a far as I can see, most of my neighbours worked hard and saved the same way
Plenty people buying houses around here and not waiting on SF to come to power. At present we ate living in Irelands best period for our country
Most people have good jobs , nice houses , sun holidays, electric cars, shops are jammed, pub is full at weekends, airport is always rammed, Dunlin just won the All Ireland beating Kerry , which was sweet. All people talk about at the club is their holidays or weekends away, and not always in Ireland either. We are the best travelled nation bar none. Listen to Ray Darcy on RTE, everyone on his quiz, is having a great life. You should try it
@uUleRhCu: So you agree we don’t. Perfect.
And no our homelessness isn’t low. There’s almost no standard way to measure homelessness, but eg we have 3x the number as Finland, with the same population.
And no, high minimum wages doesn’t stop domestic industry. That’s a right wing talking point.
Finally, “we” elect the government. So by that measure we’re to blame, yes.
@Chris O’Brien: dont know where you get the figures for homelessness. Great soundbite though
Actually on the streets of London or Paris, there are 4000 people in each city. Dublin have recorded 91
We have 12 000 in emergency accommodation , England and France have more that 350 000 each . Every city I have ever visited in France , La Rochelle, Carcassonne, Toulouse or Paris have rough sleepers , so the problem is not in anyway unique to Dublin or Ireland
There are people sleeping on the streets in Moscow and it gets very cold in November and December. If the problem of homelessness was easy to fix, it would have been fixed years ago
Yes we have a problem with providing houses and apartments to buy , as does almost every developed economy
One thing we should as a country be doing is repurposing former shops retail units quicker, and giving grants to do so, it should be happening faster, we have 100s of thousands of them
We can’t afford Ukrainian’s leaving the safe North of Ukraine and coming into this under pressure Country with our own National citizens on the streets.
@vxQ6cYzh: Elaborate on this please, I’d love to hear your logic
@vxQ6cYzh: of course we can… We can afford anything we want… As generations of governments have shown.
What we really can’t afford is voting for the same right wing parties that created the issues that refugees are exacerbating.
You wanna blame refugees for the damage voting for FFFG for 100 years has caused. That’s not very clever.
Yep, time to get the government money tree in control.
@Anonymous User: Eh no.
Ireland has some of the lowest rates of social welfare payment in the EU. Finland and Denmark are the same size and have much higher stronger social safety nets… and working infrastructure, and healthcare, and schools, etc.
So, while you may enjoy attacking the poor – and the rich thank you for your help – your underlying premise is predicated on utter nonsense.
Sure it won’t stop them trying to buy next years election.
That’s the problem with tax haven revenue, it’s great to have but so unpredictable.
Is is that a Ladybird Book under his arm?
FFG. Pure incompetence.
Mabey if they paid the actual 12% instead of 1% the country would be great it’s just pure greed
According to FFG figures we have had 10,000 Ukrainians arrive here this past FOUR months ..
how is this sustainable or good for our current population .. it is madness .. FFG madness .
I was in Poland recently and unless they are hiding their refugees somewhere .. there was none to be seen in the 3 cities I visited .. only polish people .. how’s that ?
It’s great to have ministers with such deep economic insight.
I wouldn’t believe that, just an excuse to not deal with all the other problems building up, putting on the poor mouth.
Built a house of cards
The Tanaiste Michael Martin says and defended. Extra (14) TDs are ‘an expense we can afford’. There is no concern for drop-in budget here, Tanaiste.
have your say