Housing Minister Simon Coveney Is A Greedy Corrupt Landlord and A Traitor To Irish Citizens of Ireland

Housing Minister Simon
Coveney is a landlord
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Minister for Housing Simon Coveney who now presides

over Irelands housing crisis is a landlord one of at
least 30 politicians who must declare they earn more
than 2,600 a month in rent.
Minister Coveney is tasked with controlling the housing market
in Ireland which has seen rents spiral to record levels in
Dublin. While thousands of Irish families are homeless.
He has had to declare he owns a rental property in Hartys
Quay, Rochestown, Cork city.
The revelation has emerged at the same time that one of the
biggest landords in the country has admitted the rental market
in this country is reaching its limit.
It is the responsibility of TDs to register rentals when their

share of annual rent exceeds 2,600 a month. But Irish
politicians dont have to admit they have rental properties
that they, their spouse or child lives in.
It is suspected well over 20% of political
representatives in Ireland are landlords, the most
recent registry of members interests has revealed.
Kerry Deputy Michael Healy Rae and Fianna Fils John
Mc Guinness are listed as owning the largest number of
properties they rent out. Each politician owns at least
eight properties.
Michael Healy Rae is one of the biggest political landlords

Healy Rae rents out two farmhouses, a property in
Kilgarvan, Co Kerry, a rental apartment in Killarney, Kerry,
houses in Kenmare, Castleisland and Killarney, and

student accommodation in Limerick.
Mc Guinness rents out three properties in Dublin, three in
Kilkenny, a property in Limerick, a property in Tipperary,
and an interest in a nursing home.
The Irish Examiner reported that at least 30 of the 158

TDs own rental property they are leasing out to tenants.
However, the figure could be much bigger. 52 new TDs are
still to record their land and property interests with the
Oireachtas registry before January 2017.
The revelation has emerged at the same time that one of

the biggest landords in the country has admitted the rental
market in this country is reaching its limit. properties
that they, their spouse or child lives in.

It is suspected well over 20% of political
representatives in Ireland are landlords, the most
recent registry of members interests has revealed.
Kerry Deputy Michael Healy Rae and Fianna Fils John
Mc Guinness are listed as owning the largest number of
eight properties.
Michael Healy Rae is one of the biggest political
landlords
Kilgarvan, Co Kerry, a rental apartment in Killarney,
Kerry, houses in Kenmare, Castleisland and Killarney,
and student accommodation in Limerick.
Mc Guinness rents out three properties in Dublin, three
in Kilkenny, a property in Limerick, a property in
Tipperary, and an interest in a nursing home.

TDs own rental property they are leasing out to
tenants.
However, the figure could be much bigger. 52 new TDs
are still to record their land and property interests with
the Oireachtas registry before January 2017.
IRES Reit chief executive David Ehrlich told the Irish

Independent he had never seen a rental market such
as the one now in existence in Ireland, which has such
an imbalance between supply and demand.
Ehrlichs company controls 2,087 homes in the country,
mostly in Dublin where rents are peaking.
The average rent in Ireland is now above 1,000 per month
and in some parts of the capital it has reached beyond
2,000 a month.
We believe there will be a consultation process and we
hope to be part of that, he added.
We all know what happened before construction
essentially stopped and now we have this huge issue
around supply, he said.
IRES charged on average rents of 1,372 per month up
until the end of December That was a 9.1 per cent
increase from a year earlier when the company
charged 1,250 per month.
Ehrlich said such increases are not good in the long term.
, he said.
The building industry has stated the cost of and regulation
of construction needs to be reduced for more homes to be
built.
IRES has spent hundreds of millions of euro buying
apartments, mostly entire apartment blocks from banks
and Nama.
Last week it agreed to buy 203 apartments at Elm Park in
south Dublin in a deal worth 59m. It is also building
apartments in Sandyford.
HERE IS A LIST OF TDS WHO ARE LANDLORDS OR
LANDLADIES AND WHAT PROPERTIES THEY RENT OUT:
1 Kerry Deputy Michael Healy Rae: At least 8 properties:

2 farmhouses, a property in Kilgarvan, Co Kerry, a rental
apartment in Killarney, Kerry, houses in Kenmare,
Castleisland and Killarney, and student accommodation in
Limerick.
2 Fianna Fils John Mc Guinness: At least 8 properties
and an interest in a nursing home: 3 rental properties in
Dublin, 3 in Kilkenny, a property in Limerick, a property in
3 Social Democrat, Stephen Donnelly: 2 properties:
Rental property in Beacon South Quarter in Dublin and in
Clara, Co Offaly.
4 Former ceann comhairle and Fine Gael TD, Sean
Barrett: Shareholder in 1 property: Barrett states he is a
shareholder in a company that owns an office block and
which is leased to a tenant.
5 Minister for Housing Simon Coveney: 1 property:
Hartys Quay, Rochestown, in Cork.
6 Agriculture Minister Michael Creed: Interests in 3
properties: Money invested in three addresses in
Macroom, Co Cork.
7 Fianna Fils Dara Calleary: 2 months rental income
from a property that he once lived in on Distillery Road in
Dublin but sold it in July 2015.
8 Fine Gael Galway East TD, Ciarn Cannon: An
executive director in a property company.
9 Fine Gaels Marcella Corcoran Kennedy: 27 acres at
Ferbane, Co Offaly that has been rented out.
10: Waterford TD, John Deasy: 1 rental apartment in
Citywest in Dublin.
11: Pat Deering: 1 rental property in Rathvilly, Co
Carlow.
12: Chief whip Regina Doherty: 2 properties:
One in Ashbourne Business Park and City Campus in
Limerick.
13: Fianna Fils Timmy Dooley: 2 properties: One in
Charlotte Quay, Dublin and one in Rathfarnham, Dublin.
14: Charlie Flanagan: 1 property: He lets a holiday
house in Co Sligo part of the year.
15: Sean Fleming: Rented a former post office in County
Laois for part of last year.
16: Independent Noel Grealish: 2 properties and land:
He let out a house in Galway and a apartment in Dublin.
He also owns a 8,800 sq ft commercial unit in Briarhill,
Galway.
17: Martin Heydon: 1 rental property in Co Limerick.
18: Paul Kehoe: 2 properties: Renting a property in
Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, and an apartment on Haddington
Road, Dublin 4.
19: Fianna Fail Cork TD, Billy Kelleher: Rents out an
apartment in Glanmire, Co Cork.
20: Fianna Fils Brendan Smith: 1 rental apartment in
Dublin.
21: Robert Troy: 2 properties: 1 in Mullingar and 1
inDublin.
22: Wexfords Mick Wallace: 2 properties: Both are
rented out in Wicklow.
http://irelandtodaynews.com/index.php/housing-minister-simoncoveney-is-a-landlord/

Coveney is a landlord
Only in Ireland , would a Landlord be put in Charge of
sorting the Rental crisis.
Housing Minister Simon Coveney is a landlord

Minister for Housing Simon Coveney - who now presides over
Ireland's housing crisis - is a landlord - one of at least 30 politicians
who must declare they earn more than 2,600 a month in rent.
Minister
May 17, 2016
Minister for Housing Simon Coveney who now presides

over Irelands housing crisis is a landlord one of at
least 30 politicians who must declare they earn more
than 2,600 a month in rent.
Minister Coveney is tasked with controlling the housing
market in Ireland which has seen rents spiral to record
levels in Dublin. While thousands of Irish families are
homeless.
He has had to declare he owns a rental property in Hartys

Quay, Rochestown, Cork city.
News Top News
http://irelandtodaynews.com/index.php/housing-minister-simoncoveney-is-a-landlord/
Ministers Coveney and English launch

rental sector strategy
Dec 13, 2016
Housing Ministers Simon Coveney and Damien English today
published the Strategy for the Rental Sector, part of the
Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and Homeless.
The Strategy sets out a range of measures under the headings
of Security, Supply, Standards and Services which will address
both immediate and long term issues affecting the supply, cost
and accessibility of rental accommodation.
An Expert Group is also being established to explore the
opportunities for developing a viable cost rental model for
Ireland and a larger and more dynamic not-for-profit and
Approved Housing Body sector. The group will examine the
experience of other countries and develop a roadmap to grow
new capacity for delivering cost rental options.
Speaking at the launch, Minister Coveney said;
Our rental sector is not delivering for tenants, landlords or the
country. We need a strong and viable rental sector as a long
term tenure of choice for families and as a secure investment
environment for landlords. Dramatic rental inflation puts
families under pressure, damages our national competitiveness
and stability in the investment environment. We need to tackle
the consequences and alleviate short term pressures and we
need to address the long term causes by delivering increased
supply.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4p9BR-qmkE
Simon Coveney hopes to welcome up to

12,000 refugees to Ireland in the next
two years
Aug 21, 2016
"In 2 Years Ireland will be welcoming 10,000 - 12,000
Refugees... Next Year ERSI is projecting we will have net
immigration of 10,000. That figure combined is more than all of

the houses completed last year. Unless we have a dramatic
ramping up of supply (of housing)... we are going backwards
quickly."
Simon Convey is a traitor who needs to be given a ride on a C17 and air dropped over Mogadishu with a chute and a letter of
introduction.
Simon Coveney Fine Gael, Minister for Housing, Planning and
Local Government.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKsNL5BsTlc
Landlords of Leinster
House declare interests
Shane Ross
PUBLISHED
19/04/2015
3
Leinster House
Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams receives a

pension from the Queen of England. The
ghosts of nationalists past must be haunting
his Donegal holiday home.
The last republican standing in Limerick, Fianna Fail's
Willie O'Dea, is a director of - and a shareholder in - a UK
company called 'Union Jack Oil'. The party's founder,
Eamon de Valera, must be rotating in Glasnevin cemetery.
Ten Labour Party TDs (one-third of the parliamentary
party) are landlords or landowners. James Connolly would
have imploded.
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/shane-ross/landlords-of-leinsterhouse-declare-interests-31153379.html
Irish Independent
Evictions of tenants
to be blocked in
cases where homes

sold
02/12/2016
Housing Minister Simon Coveney has

indicated he is prepared to stop landlords
selling 10 or more units and evicting tenants.
The move is being suggested as a
compromise after Opposition TDs and
senators tried to set the figure at five houses
or apartments.
The Planning and Development (Housing)
and Residential Tenancies Bill 2016 had
proposed that a landlord who wants to sell 20
or more units in a development had to allow
tenants to remain in their homes.
However, following an amendment proposed
by senators Alice-Mary Higgins, Colette
Kelleher and Lynn Ruane, the number was
reduced to five.
The 'Tyrrelstown amendment' arose after a
large number of tenants living in a
development in west Dublin were served
notices of eviction after their homes were
purchased by a so-called "vulture fund".
However, at report stage in the Seanad on
Tuesday night, the Bill was changed and the
number reduced from 20 to five.
The Bill returned to the Dil yesterday where
Mr Coveney described the section of
legislation as "significant".
"This amendment was the subject of much
debate in the Seanad and the original figure
of 20 dwellings was reduced to five on foot of
a report stage amendment tabled by the
Opposition.
"I am in the process of taking advice on this
change and may need to come back to the
House on it if it makes sense to do so," Mr
Coveney said.
"I do not believe we should try to bring small
landlords into this category because we will
disincentivise people staying in the landlord
market if we do that.
"That is why we had suggested, in the
changes proposed, that the figure should be
10 rather than five, but we can discuss that
on committee and report stages."
Sinn Fin's Eoin Broin said the threshold of
20 was too high because "it means the vast
majority of people who are currently at risk of
homelessness, or who are in emergency

accommodation because they were made
homeless as a result of a property being
repossessed by a bank and the landlord
giving notice to quit, will get no additional
protections".
"The minister knows that landlords who have
20 properties or more represent about 0.56pc
of landlords and 15pc of tenancies. It would
be great for those people but the other 85pc
are left out," he said.
Fianna Fil's Barry Cowen did not address the
issue of the 'Tyrrelstown amendment' during
his Dil speech yesterday but his party
allowed the reduced figure pass through the
Seanad.
Ruth Coppinger of AAA-PBP said the minister
should respect the Seanad decision as his
original figure of 20 would only cater "for a
tiny number".
She said 70pc of tenants live in properties
owned by a landlord with four properties or
fewer.
http://www.msn.com/enie/news/other/evictions-oftenants-to-be-blocked-incases-where-homes-sold/ar-
AAl2oBz
Coveney to bring housing

planning Bill to Cabinet
Councillors concerned about proposals in Bill giving
powers to An Bord Pleanla
Tue, Sep 27, 2016, 01:02
Sarah Bardon
Minister for Housing Simon Coveney: plans will mean developers will hold
initial informal discussions with councils, to be completed within a maximum of
nine weeks. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times
New legislation will allow planning applications for large

housing developments of more than 100 homes to be
made directly to An Bord Pleanla rather than to local
councils. Minister for Housing Simon Coveney is to bring
the draft heads of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions)

Bill 2016 to Cabinet today.
Housing and Planning Bill
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/lbill/20152016/0087/16087.pdf
A Guide to Planning Enforcement in Ireland

http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/migratedfiles/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/Planning/Fil
eDownLoad,31564,en.pdf
Department of Housing, Planning, Community
and ... at the disclaimer document on the Irish
Statutes ... SI 135 of 2007
http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/migratedfiles/en/Legislation/DevelopmentandHousing/Planning/pla
nning_and_development_regulations_2001__2015_unofficial_consolidation_annotated_17_12_2015.p
df
Irelands Housing Crisis. ... Initially under Part V of the
Planning and Development Act 2000 up to 20% of
developments
Housing crisis has become part of Irish vocabulary

in the last couple of years. But what are people
talking about when they use the phrase?
Are they talking about rising rents? The increase in
homelessness? The growing number of house
repossessions? The lack of construction?
Unfortunately, Irelands housing crisis does not
involve a single issue, but represents a confluence
of problems that have been growing under the
surface for many years, and each issue
exacerbates the others.
I will look at the issues individually, examining the
background, the keys figures, the causes and the
suggested solutions.
Background
Our housing system is based on a three pillar

system; home ownership, private rented
accommodation and social housing.
Home Ownership
The majority of the Irish population own their

homes rather than renting or receiving
accommodation from the State. According to the
National Economic and Social Council (NESC), 71%

of the population were home owners in 2011, with
19% renting on the private market and 9% renting
from a local council or approved housing body.
The NESC noted that home ownership was heavily
promoted by Government policies such as
mortgage interest relief and local authority loans.
The ECB economist Klaus Regling suggested that
the Irish were obsessed with home ownership.
Many historians say this was as a result of our
colonial past and having to pay tithes to English
landlords. Others says that owning property was
seen as a form of financial security or a future
pension plan.
Whatever the reason for our obsession with
owning property, it is becoming clear that we will
not be able to maintain such high levels of home
ownership into the future. This is partly due to a
lack of availability of housing, and partly because
of the strict mortgage controls which have made it
harder to get a loan to buy property.
Private Rented Sector
The number of people residing in the private

rented sector has doubled in the last five years,
from 10% of the population to over 20%.
This is due to two things: first, people are finding it
harder to buy property and are therefore renting
for longer periods.
Second, the Government has to a certain extent
privatised its social housing programme. The
Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009
recognised social housing as now including
housing supports which the Government provides.
Housing supports include rent supplement, the
Housing Assistance Payment and the Rental
Accommodation Scheme. All of these involve the
Government paying to cover the rent for a claimant

who is renting on the private market.
Social Housing
Local authorities are the main providers of social
housing for people who cannot afford to buy their
own homes. Local authority housing is allocated
according to eligibility and need. Rents are based
on the households ability to pay.
If you qualify for social housing you will be put on a
housing waiting list. However, there has been a
chronic shortage of social housing.
Currently there are in excess of 100,000 people on
the social housing waiting list, with some people
waiting in excess of ten years.
1) Lack of Supply
Statistics
R
R
R
Data from the Housing Agency shows that we need

to build a minimum of 21,000 houses a year in
order to meet demand.
However, figures from the Department of
Environment indicate that we are only building
about 11,000 houses a year. We will be about
4,000 housing units short of the estimated 7,000
units that need to be built in Dublin this and every
year for the foreseeable future.
The lack of supply is being demonstrated in other
ways:
There are over 100,000 people on the social
housing waiting list currently
There are 4,000 homeless people
Monthly rents in Dublin are just 2.3% lower than
they were at the height of the boom
It was recently reported that there are currently no
houses or apartments available for purchase in
Dublin city centre.
Problems
Initially under Part V of the Planning and

Development Act 2000 up to 20% of developments
above a certain size had to be set aside for social
and affordable housing.
However, Chief Executive of Threshold, Bob Jordan
argues that:
Unfortunately there were too many get-out

clauses in that legislation and the net
result wasnt 20% or anywhere near it, it
was more like 6%.
Ireland currently only has 9% of its housing supply
as social housing or local authority housing, while
England, for example, has 17%.
In the case of local authorities, there is almost a
total lack of new supply because of borrowing
constraints, and the fact that building costs are not
covered by the differential rent.
Jordan argues that we fell behind in house building
as a result of the recession.
Part of the bail-out programme was

reducing capital spending and
unfortunately housing took a massive hit
spending on social housing went down by
80%. The output of social housing went
down by 90%, and that continued for
seven years until recently. So we have had
almost a lost decade in which virtually no
social housing has been built and
obviously were paying the price for that
now.
2) Rising Rents
Taking into account inflation, rents in Dublin are at

almost the same levels as they were during the
height of the boom.
In the last year alone rents in Dublin have
increased on average by 9.3%.
However Jordan says that this masks what people
on the lower end of the market are facing.
50% of people coming to Threshold face a

rent increase of 200-400. To put this in
perspective, such a rent increase means
that a family on low income is expected to
find an extra 3,000-4000 a year just to
stay in their homes.
According the Threshold there has been a rise in
economic evictions, where people are forced to
leave their accommodation because they cant
afford to pay the rent any more.
Background
The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act

2015 amended the main legislation covering
tenancies, the Residential Tenancies Act 2004.
Under Part IV of the 2004 Act you have security if
you reside in a property for more than six months
and you abide by the terms of the agreement, such
as paying rent and not acting in an anti-social
manner.
This security lasts until the tenant has been
residing for four years, after which time the clock
reset.
The landlord can terminate the tenancy for one of
the following reasons:
The landlord wants to sell the property within the
R
R
R
R
next 3 months
The property is no longer suited to the needs of the
occupants
The landlord or a family member wants to move
into the property
Vacant possession is required for substantial
refurbishment of the property
The landlord intends to change the use of the
property
The 2004 Act provided that the landlord could only
increase the rent once a year, with 28 days notice,
and not more than the market level of rent for a
similar property in the area.
This legislation only covered a tenancy in the
private rented sector, and did not include renting
from an approved housing body or renting when
the landlord was also living on the property, among
others.
The Amendment Act modified the reasons for
terminating a Part IV tenancy. Where the property
is going to be refurbished the landlord must
include a copy of the planning permission, and
specify the name of the contractor and the dates
on which the works will be carried out.
If selling the property, the landlord must give a
signed statement that they intend to enter into an
enforceable agreement to transfer their whole
interest in the property for full consideration.
Where previously the maximum amount of notice
given for termination of a property any time after
four year was 112 days, the notice now increases
incrementally between 4 and 8 years. 224 days is
the new notice period for tenancies which have
existed for 8 or more years.
The Amendment Act put in place a temporary
provision to allow rent increases only once every
two years, and requires the landlord to give 90
days notice of an increase. It required that notice

be in writing, and include three examples of similar
properties in the area with the rent level sought.
It replaced all mentions of the private rented
sector with the rented sector in order to include
publicly owned rented buildings under the scope of
the legislation.
It also provides for a deposit retention scheme,
where deposits will be held by the Private
Residential Tenancies Board rather than the
landlord.
Problems
The Private Rented System

isnt fit for purpose
Until recently the private rented sectors was seen
as a place where people stayed for short periods of
time. They were students, or people saving to buy
a home or to move on to local authority housing.
While in the past renting was perceived to be
transient, there are an increasing number of people
who will be renting for the foreseeable future.
Unlike other countries where many people rent
long term or for the entirety of their lives, the Irish
system is built to be temporary. This is reflected in
the legislation, where definite security of tenure
only lasts four years.
Additionally, the Irish market is characterised by
landlords who only own one property. They often
buy these properties to increase their assets and
try to cover their mortgages through rent.
Currently two out of three landlords own only a
single property.
These amateur landlords are often ignorant of the
law or they will disregard it altogether. They do not
have economies of scale. Where something goes

wrong they are not familiar with the legal process
to pursue tenants for unpaid rent, damage to the
property, or where the tenant refuses to leave the
property despite being legally evicted.
These difficulties make landlords more likely to
leave the market in the long term, and to simply
sell their property when it becomes profitable.
Therefore, the market is unstable for both landlords
and tenants in its current form.
There are problems with the

quality of the housing
We saw two high profile scandals where large
blocks of housing turned out not only to be
substandard quality, but also dangerous.
While we have legislation in place which is
supposed to require minimum standards for
property being rented, it is hard to enforce.
If a property does not meet the standards the
tenant is supposed to refer the case to the local
council. The council will inspect the property
(which may take a while to happen depending on
their backlog) and if repairs are to be made they
will leave an Improvement Notice outlining the
required changes.
If the landlord does not carry out these works, the
housing authority may issue a Prohibition Notice,
directing the landlord not to re-let the property
until the breach of the regulations has been
rectified.
If the landlord does not abide by the prohibition
they then may be taken to court.
As a result of this long drawn out process not many
landlords are held up for renting sub-standard
accommodation.
Threshold suggest that properties should have to
be certified as meeting the minimum standards set

out in the legislation prior to being let.
Rent supplement limits do not

match the cost of renting
Government have not raised rent supplement
limits since 2013. They argued that increasing the
amount of money provided would only push up
rents further.
However, this has resulted in a rent supplement
limit of 950-1,000 for a family in Dublin when
the average rent is over 1,300.
Currently, rent supplement will not cover the rent
of 95% of properties.
It is even more problematic when you consider that
under the law you are not allowed to top up your
rent supplement.
Therefore, those who were already on the margins
of the housing system have been pushed even
further out.
The Government may reconsider limits now that
there is a two year rent freeze.
3) Homelessness
As of 30 November 2015, there are nearly 4,000

people who are homeless in Dublin, according to
the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive (DRHE).
According to Cathal Morgan, the Director of the
DRHE, the biggest change in the homeless
situation has been the number of families
becoming homeless. There has been a 105%
increase in families becoming homeless since the
start of the year. On average 60-70 families
become homeless every month.
Previously those who became homeless were
referred to as the mad, sad and bad: people who
became homeless due to mental health and
addiction issues, relationship breakdown or a

history of institutionalisation.
However, due to rising rents, the increase in home
repossessions and the lack of supply of affordable
housing, there has been a growing number of
families who have ended up in emergency
accommodation.
Problems
There are a number of different

bodies responsible for dealing
with homelessness
Morgan argues that part of the reason there has
been a lack of building of social housing is that
there is no one body in charge of housing policy or
the construction of housing.
At the moment we have different

institutions responsible for different
elements of it. The Department of the
Environment is the lead department. It has
a housing division. The Housing Agency is
there as well, which is kind of a support to
the Department and to local government
as well. And then you have local
authorities and you have housing cooperatives and you have voluntary housing
bodies as well. And then you have the
private rental system. So that to me
doesnt suggest coherence.
Cathal Morgan on the need for a long term housing
strategy
The lack of social housing

means that a large number of
families are being placed in

hotels
Of the 705 families who are homeless, 500 are
currently living in hotel rooms which are being paid
for by the State.
Morgan argues that not only is this financially
inefficient, but it also have negative consequences
for the families.
If youre in a hotel you cant cook for

yourself, youre eating out all the time,
youre making arrangements to send your
child perhaps ten, twelve miles to school.
So theres a lot of hidden costs We cant
deny the psychological and the physical
aspects of being in homeless services are
quite substantial for the households.
Homeownership and Rental- What Road
is Ireland On? No. 140 December 2014
http://files.nesc.ie/nesc_reports/en/140_
Homeownership_and_Rental.pdf
Published on Tuesday 13th December 2016
Ministers Coveney and English launch rental

sector strategy
Housing Minister Simon Coveney speaking at the launch of the

Strategy for the Rental Sector in the Government Press Centre
Housing Ministers Simon Coveney and Damien English today published
the Strategy for the Rental Sector, part of the Rebuilding Ireland: Action
Plan for Housing and Homeless.
The strategy sets out a range of measures under the headings of
Security, Supply, Standards and Services which will address both
immediate and long term issues affecting the supply, cost and
accessibility of rental accommodation.
An expert group is also being established to explore the opportunities
for developing a viable cost rental model for Ireland and a larger and
more dynamic not-for-profit and Approved Housing Body sector. The
group will examine the experience of other countries and develop a
roadmap to grow new capacity for delivering cost rental options.
Speaking at the launch, Minister Coveney said;
Our rental sector is not delivering for

tenants, landlords or the country. We need a
strong and viable rental sector as a long
term tenure of choice for families and as a

secure investment environment for
landlords. Dramatic rental inflation puts
families under pressure, damages our
national competitiveness and stability in the
investment environment. We need to tackle
the consequences and alleviate short term
pressures and we need to address the long
term causes by delivering increased supply.
Strategy for the Rental Sector
Mr. Simon Coveney T.D., Minister for Housing, Planning, Community
and Local Government, and Mr. Damien English T.D. Minister of
State with responsibility for Housing & Urban Renewal today (13
December 2016) published the Strategy for the Rental Sector,
following Government approval of the comprehensive and
ambitious plan at todays Cabinet meeting.
Speaking at the launch, Minister Coveney said, Our rental sector is
not delivering for tenants, landlords or the country. We need a
strong and viable rental sector as a long term tenure of choice for
families and as a secure investment environment for landlords.
Dramatic rental inflation puts families under pressure, damages our
national competitiveness and stability in the investment
environment. We need to tackle the consequences and alleviate
short term pressures and we need to address the long term causes
by delivering increased supply.
The development and publication of a Strategy for the Rental Sector
delivers on a commitment made under the Rebuilding Ireland:
Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness which was published in
July 2016. The development of a viable and sustainable rental sector
that can provide choice, quality and security for households and
secure, attractive investment opportunities for landlords has never

been more important. The Minister announced that he is
introducing with immediate effect a rent predictability measure
that will moderate the rate of rent increase in those areas of the
country where rents are highest and rising quickly. The measure is
based on the concept of Rent Pressure Zones; these are areas
where annual rent increases have been at 7% or more in four of the
last six quarters and where the rent levels are already above the
national average. In these Rent Pressure Zones rent increases will be
capped at 4% per annum for the next 3 years. The measure will be
introduced with immediate effect in the four Dublin Local Authority
areas and in Cork city. Rent pressure zones will be designated for a
maximum 3 years, by which time new supply will have come on
stream and pressures will have eased somewhat in these areas.
The Strategy also contains a number of measures to support supply
by encouraging new investment and bringing unused capacity to the
market. Measures include Build to Rent developments and the
accelerated roll out of Repair and Leasing and Buy and Renew
Initiatives.
Speaking at the launch, Minister English outlined that the
Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) is core to delivering on a daily
basis the services that meet the needs of both tenants and
landlords. The strategy puts forward a number of measures that will
broaden and strengthen the role and powers of the RTB to more
effectively provide key services to tenants and landlords."
The Strategy sets out a range of measures under the headings of
Security, Supply, Standards and Services which will address both
immediate and long term issues affecting the supply, cost and
accessibility of rental accommodation.
Security bringing greater tenure and rent certainty to landlords
and tenants;
Supply maintaining existing levels of rental stock and encouraging
investment in additional supply;
Standards improving the quality and management of rental
accommodation; and
Services broadening and strengthening the role and powers of the
Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) to more effectively provide their

services and empower tenants and landlords.
The measures include:
Accelerating Dispute Resolution timeframes by reducing time for
appeals from 21 to 10 days and by providing for one person
tribunals in certain cases; allowing the RTB to hold more tribunals.
Developing a One Stop Shop within the RTB to improve access to
information for tenants and landlords.
The RTB will introduce a voluntary landlord accreditation scheme
to support landlords in accessing best practice and promoting a
comprehensive understanding of the statutory obligations.
Simplify the law and regulatory framework through a new
consolidated and streamlined Residential Tenancies Act.
Reducing risk and increasing security for both landlords and tenants
is essential to the development of the residential rental sector as an
attractive tenure choice for tenants and as a safe and viable
investment choice for a range of investors. The strategy includes a
range of measures aimed at enabling a shift towards secure and
long-term tenancies which serve the interests of both landlords and
tenants. Measures include;
Effective Termination Procedures - changes to RTB procedure will
be introduced to reduce the time taken to repossess a property
when a tenant is not complying with their obligation to pay rent.
Changes to the obligations of institutional landlords where multiple
units are being sold - the sale will be subject to the existing tenants
remaining in situ.
Enhanced protections for tenants during receivership of
encumbered buy-to-lets.
Encouraging long term letting by providing for unfurnished lettings
where leases are 10 years or more.
Minister Coveney also announced the establishment of an Expert
Group to explore the opportunities for developing a viable cost
rental model for Ireland and a larger and more dynamic not-forprofit and Approved Housing Body sector. The group will examine
the experience of other countries and develop a roadmap to grow
new capacity for delivering cost rental options.
The actions on standards for rental accommodation as set out in the
Strategy will ensure that an effective regime of quality assurance is

in place for the rented sector. Tenants will be reassured that the
properties they are renting are safe, efficient, durable and
comfortable. Landlords will be made fully aware of their obligations
through a consistent and uniform shared service approach by local
authorities.
The implementation of the Strategy is supported by 29 Actions
under the headings of Security, Supply, Standards and Services.
Timelines for the various actions are included, with immediate
enactment being targeted for the rent predictability measure via the
Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential Tenancies Bill
2016 which commences Committee Stage in the Dil today.
A Package to deliver Rent Certainty

and Housing Supply
uesday 10th November 2015
Introduction
This integrated housing package, agreed by Government, is a
comprehensive set of measures to deal with the problems currently
being observed in the Irish housing market. Since taking office,
Government has been dealing with the fallout of the property
collapse. Now, as the recovery takes hold, a new set of problems has
arisen in the market that require Government action, particularly in
relation to the private rental sector and in relation to the lack of
supply of housing in areas where it is needed. The package also
contains important measures which will help tackle the on-going
issues in relation to the increasing numbers presenting as homeless,
and help those most vulnerable to falling into homelessness to find
accommodation.
The Government has already taken several measures to improve
outcomes, such as launching a 3.8 billion Social Housing Strategy
which will deliver 35,000 new social housing units and an additional
75,000 new social housing tenancies by 2020. Government has also
introduced other measures to stimulate the supply of housing, such
as the introduction of a Vacant Site Levy in 2019 and other
measures provided for in the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act.
The measures set out below are an integrated and appropriate set
of changes to the sector which are designed to give certainty to

tenants in relation to their rent, to better protect tenants in their
homes, provide clarity to both tenants and landlords as regards
their rights and obligations, and to stimulate the supply of housing
provision in areas where it is needed.
There is no doubt that these changes will be of substantial benefit to
the 700,000 or so people now living in the private rented sector in
Ireland. As the numbers renting have doubled from just over 10% of
households to over 20% of households in less than a decade, these
measures are an appropriate and timely set of policy changes which
recognise the more important role which private renting now plays
in the Irish property market.
Ultimately, the rapid increase in rents seen in recent years is being
caused by a mismatch between levels of supply and demand for
rental accommodation where it is needed. This package includes a
considerable number of proposals to increase the number of
housing units being delivered at affordable levels. When taken
together with the on-going implementation of the Construction 2020
Strategy and the Social Housing Strategy, a comprehensive
framework is in place to deliver more homes for those who need
them.
1. Measures to Improve the Private Rented Sector
Approximately 1 in 5 Irish households, living in approximately
320,000 properties, is now renting their home in the private sector.
One third of those households are in receipt of State rental support.
This represents a doubling in size of the private rented sector
between Census 2006 and Census 2011. Further analysis shows that
the social rented sector in Ireland (i.e. rented from a local authority
or Approved Housing Body), relative to most other EU countries,
makes up a small percentage of housing tenure. Social housing in
Ireland makes up 9% of households, as compared to 15% in France,
22% in Germany, 31% in the Netherlands and 20% in the UK. One of
the effects of this is that there is a considerable reliance on the
private rented sector for the provision of social housing in Ireland.
By any standard, this is a rapid change in the structure of Irelands
property market, which in the context of the on-going market
conditions, and taken together with the lingering effects of the
property collapse, strengthen the argument for measures to be
taken to provide for a better functioning and more stable rental

market. Rental levels have increased significantly since 2012, and
are now increasing in Dublin by 9.2% per year, 10.1% per year in
Wicklow, up to a high of 14.4% per year in Co. Meath, and by close to
or greater than 10% per year in most other large urban centres
across the State (Daft.ie Q2 2015 Report).
The most recent data from the PRTB shows that in the second
quarter of 2015 rents were 7.1% higher nationally than in the same
quarter of 2014. These annual rates of increase were driven mainly
by the Dublin market. Annual growth in rents for the market outside
Dublin was more subdued; in the 12 months to end of Q2, 2015,
rents there were higher by 5.8%. The latest PRTB stats show that
rents in Dublin were only 3.5% below where they were at their
highest in 2007. They are likely to have closed the gap even further
since then.
In terms of supply, with a projected residential unit completion in
Dublin of 2,700 units for the year to end 2015, compared to a supply
requirement of roughly 7,000-8,000 units per year, there is clearly a
lack of delivery of sufficient supply, which is putting upward
pressure on rents.
The average rent in Dublin is now 1,262 per month while the
average monthly rent outside Dublin is 677. The average monthly
rent nationally is 878. The issue of rapidly rising rents is particularly
acute in Dublin but it is also an issue in other cities and, increasingly,
in the commuter areas adjacent to Dublin as tenants who can no
longer afford to rent in the city looks to the commuter counties for
affordable accommodation.
Housing affordability is measured by the proportion of household
income that is spent on mortgage or rental payments. According to
the National Statement of Housing Supply and Demand 2014 and
Outlook for 2015-2017, published by the Housing Agency in July
2015, as a general guide a rent set at below 35% of net income is
deemed to be a sustainable rent. Data from the NESC Report on
Homeownership and Rental in Ireland indicates that while the
amount of household income spent on housing has increased for all
tenure types, this increase has been most pronounced in the private
rented sector. The report Rent Stability in the Private Rented Sector
commissioned by the PRTB and carried out by DKM Economic
Consultants found that a single person on average earnings of
36,000, paying a (lower than average) monthly rent of 957 for a 1
bed apartment in Dublin, would be allocating 41% of net income to
the cost of renting. On this basis, renting as a single person in the
Dublin market is not generally affordable and has not been so for
some time. For households earning below the average income there
is clearly an affordability issue in the main cities, most notably
Dublin, as competition from medium and high income households is
squeezing them out of the market and there is an inadequate supply
of housing at rents these lower income households can afford.
While the ultimate cause of the rapid increase in rents is the lack of
supply of suitable accommodation, and while appropriate measures
are also set out in this package to deal with the issue of supply, it will
be some time yet before that supply comes on stream. As the supply
of housing is very inelastic in the short run, measures in the rental
market are required to deal with the situation currently being
observed. A package of measures is set out below to deal with the
twin issues of rapidly rising rents and insufficient supply of housing
in the right areas. Measures are also proposed that will significantly
improve the legal protections for tenants and to substantially
increase tenants awareness their rights.
Measures are also set out below which will directly help vulnerable
families either already assessed as being homeless or at risk of
homelessness to find accommodation.
The Government is determined to tackle these issues in a forthright
and determined manner, and to take the action which is now
required to deal with the problems in the Irish rental market.
1.1 Measures That Will Benefit Tenants
A package of legislative measures is being introduced to provide for
greater rent certainty and also improved operation of the sector,
including through the role of the Private Residential Tenancies
Board, to the benefit of landlords and tenants alike. The following is
a summary of the measures involved, which will be given effect
through Committee Stage amendments to the Residential Tenancies
(Amendment) (No. 2) Bill which has completed its passage through
the Dil and is awaiting Committee Stage in the Seanad. The aim is
to have the legislation passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas as
early as possible in the current session.
Extended Period for Rent Reviews
The primary measure proposed is to amend the Residential
Tenancies Act so that from enactment of the necessary legislation,
rent reviews for all tenancies will take place every 24 months rather
than every 12 months as currently is the case, subject to a sunset
clause which will revert the period to 12 months in 4 years time.
This will involve no change to the fundamental mechanism for
determining rents under the legislation, which is by reference to
market rent, yet will provide the tenant with a longer period of
predictable rent.
Example 1: Deirdre and Anthony, a young couple with two children,
renting a 3 bed house in Dublin, signed a lease in April 2014, at a
rate of 1,200 per month. The landlord may increase the rent every
12 months, so in April 2015, the landlord increased the rent to
1,300 per month. Deirdre and Anthony are worried that the
landlord will increase the rent again in April 2016. The landlord had
planned on increasing the rent to 1,400 per month. With this
change, the landlord cannot increase the rent until April 2017.
Deirdre and Anthonys rent is frozen for 2016 at 1,300. Deirdre and
Anthony save 1,200 in rent as a result.
Example 2: Rachel, a lone parent with one child renting a 2 bed
apartment in Galway, signed a lease in December 2014, at a rate of
800 per month. Rachel is worried that the landlord will increase
their rent in December 2015. The landlord planned on increasing
the rent to 875 per month but, with the enactment of these
measures, cannot increase the rent until December 2016. The rent is
frozen until December 2016 at 800 per month. Rachel saves 900
in rent in 2016 as a result.
Example 3:
Michael and Stephen, a couple renting a 2 bed house in Cork, signed
a lease in March 2015, at a rate of 900 per month. Michael and

Stephen were worried that their landlord would increase the rent in
March 2016 to 1,000 per month. Now, Michael and Stephen do not
need to worry about a rent increase until March 2017.
Example 4: Larry and Mary, a couple living in Dublin, with their 3
children, rent their 3 bed house for 1300 per month. Their last rent
review was in September 2013. Upon enactment, Larry and Marys
landlord can initiate a rent review at any time, as it is more than two
years since their last rent review. However, once the other measures
in relation to rent reviews outlined below are brought into effect,
their next rent review will have to respect the new requirements
involved.
Other Measures to Improve the Rights of Tenants:
In addition to the primary measure set out above, the Government
will substantially improve the rights of tenants in the private rental
sector, through the following measures:
Longer Notice of New Rent
The current requirement for a landlord to give their tenant a
minimum of 28 days notice of new rent is to be extended to a
minimum of 90 days, giving tenants a longer period to find new
accommodation, if necessary.
Form of Notification of New Rent to Tenant
In future, a landlord, when notifying a tenant of new rent, will have
to provide the notification in a particular format, which will include
providing information to the tenant in relation to the dispute
resolution procedures that a tenant can pursue through the PRTB,
where necessary, and specifying supporting information that will
need to accompany the notice, including information in relation to
the rents of 3 other similar dwellings in the area.
Notification of Rent Increases to the PRTB
In addition to notifying the PRTB of an increase in rent within 1
month, as is currently required, landlords will be required to also
provide additional supporting documentation, including a signed
statement by the tenant that they have been made aware of their
rights and supporting documentation in relation to market rent for 3
similar dwellings in the area.
Longer notice period for tenancy terminations
Building on the current legislative position, whereby the period of
notice of tenancy termination increases according to the length of
the tenancy, up to a maximum of 112 days notice for tenancies of 4
years or more, further graduated increases in the notice period are
to be introduced, up to a maximum of 224 days for tenancies of 8
years or more, as follows:
5 years or more but less than 6 years 140 days
8 or more years 224 days
Strengthen protections for tenancy terminations
In order to guard against unscrupulous landlords evicting tenants by
falsely declaring that the property is needed for a family member, or
that it is going to be sold etc., measures are being put in place to
better protect tenants from such behaviour. These measures
involve:
i) a landlord having to explain in a written statement to the tenant
why a property might no longer be suitable to their accommodation
needs having regard to the number of bed and the size and
composition of the household;
ii) a landlord having to make a statutory declaration as to their
intention to sell a property;
iii) a landlord having to make a statutory declaration that the
property is needed for his or her occupation or that of a family
member.
Confirmation of tenancy additional information to landlords and
tenants
While the PRTB currently sends an acknowledgement of a tenancy
registration to the landlord, in future, both landlords and tenants
will be notified of tenancy registration and the notice will also advise
both parties of their rights and obligations and of the dispute
resolution procedures that are available through the PRTB.
Sharing information with Revenue Commissioners

In order to support further compliance in the sector, the notification
from the PRTB to the landlord and tenant confirming a tenancy
registration will also state that the PRTB routinely discloses
information to the Revenue Commissioners.
Deposit Protection Scheme
Under this scheme, landlords will lodge tenancy deposits with the
PRTB at the same time as they are registering their tenancy. The
PRTB will hold these deposits for the duration of the tenancy.
If the landlord agrees, the deposit will be repaid to the tenant at the
end of the tenancy. Where there is no agreement between the
landlord and tenant on how the deposit is to be repaid, the parties
may apply to the PRTB for dispute resolution.
1.2 Measures That Will Benefit Landlords
Measures are being introduced to make it easier for landlords to
deal with tenants who engage in anti-social behaviour, or those who
refuse to pay their rent.
Enforcement of PRTB Determination Orders
Landlords have consistently called for more and faster enforcement
by the PRTB in order to deal primarily with cases of rent arrears and
anti-social behaviour. The relevant legislation will be amended so
that PRTB Determination Orders can be enforced in the District
Court rather than the Circuit Court, reducing costs and case
processing times.
Validity of Notices of Termination
The legislation will also be amended to address an issue of key
concern to landlords regarding Notices of Termination so that,
where there is a dispute between a landlord and a tenant, a minor
error in the Notice of Termination does not have the effect of
invalidating the notice and causing a dispute resolution case to fall.
1.3 Measures That Will Help Tenants in Need of Support
Tax Incentive for Landlords who take HAP/RAS/RS Tenants
A tax relief scheme will be introduced to incentivise landlords to rent
their properties to tenants in receipt of social housing supports such

as rent supplement payable by the Department of Social Protection
and the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), payable by certain local
authorities.
The scheme will operate on the basis of providing a 100% interest
deduction for landlords as an expense against rental income
(increased from the current 75% limit applicable to residential
lettings), where they commit to providing accommodation for those
in receipt of the above payments. The accommodation would need
to be available for a minimum period of 3 years and the tenancy
would have to be registered with the Private Residential Tenancies
Board (PRTB)[1].
The increase in the deduction (from 75% to 100%) would be
provided to the landlord on a retrospective basis after the three
year period has ended and where necessary certification is provided
to confirm that the terms of the scheme were met.
The legislation to provide for this change will be brought forward by
the Minister for Finance at report stage of the Finance Bill, 2015.
Increasing the homeless HAP Pilot limits by 50%
The maximum rent limits applying to properties that can be
accessed by people assessed as being homeless in Dublin are being
increased to 50% over rent supplement limits. This means that a
homeless family in need of a 3 bed in Dublin will now be able to find
accommodation to the value of 1,500 per month.
Example: A family with 3 children is assessed as being homeless and
placed in emergency accommodation. They are in need of a 3 bed
home, which has a regular rent supplement limit of 1,000 per
month in Dublin. Before this package, the homeless family could
only access private rented accommodation to the value of 1,200
per month (1,000 rent supplement limit + 20% under Homeless
HAP uplift). Now the family can rent accommodation up to the value
of 1,500 per month and the landlord can gain the additional tax
incentive, laid out above, if they are eligible. This increases
substantially the number of properties available to be accessed by
homeless families.
Affordable Rental
Affordable rental schemes operate on the premise that a provider of
housing receives some form of subsidy or concession from the State
for the provision of dedicated rental accommodation in return for
which the rent charged is pitched below market rent typically 7080% of the market rent. The overall objective of an affordable rental
programme would be to provide long-term affordable residential
accommodation for low to moderate income key-worker
households in urban areas of high demand. A model for an
affordable rental pilot project will be developed and launched in
early 2016.
2. Measures to Support Increased Housing Supply
A major contributing factor to the current rental crisis is the lack of
sufficient construction activity in the Dublin and Cork regions,
causing a lack of sufficient supply and putting pressure on rental
levels. Action is required to increase the number of new homes
under construction in Dublin and Cork, particularly in relation to
units which are required at below certain price points.
In addition, a range of factors arising from the housing downturn
are holding back the activation of existing planning permissions at
the more affordable price levels urgently required, notwithstanding
the progress made by the Government under the Urban
Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 in reducing costs arising from
Part V obligations and by local authorities in reducing their
development contributions
While the policy, funding and legislative measures being taken by
Government and local authorities under Construction 2020, such as
the Vacant Site Levy which takes effect in 2019, will begin to have
wider effects in reducing costs and improving affordability in the
housing market from 2018 onwards, a more immediate initiative is
required to encourage supply in the interim.
In particular, the Government has noted the analysis undertaken by
the Dublin Housing Supply and Co-ordination Task Force (DHTF) and
other local authorities, which confirms that there are a significant
number of houses and apartments for which planning permission

has already been granted in Dublin and Cork, where the issue is
most acute, but on which construction activity is not occurring.
Latest figures show that for the first 9 months of 2015, Dublin house
completions were at 2,057 units; down 14% on first 9 months 2014
(projected end-year output of some 2,700 units, as compared to a
projected supply requirement of approximately 7,000-8,000 units).
In addition, much of the new housing supply coming on stream is
costing in excess of 300,000 which is a price level that is beyond
the reach of new house purchasers.
Therefore, the Government has decided to bring forward supply
related measures designed to enhance the viability of construction,
in the locations of greatest need and at price points people can
afford.
In addition to the primary measure of a targeted development
contribution in Dublin and Cork for housing delivered at certain
price points, a number of other measures to stimulate facilitate the
provision of housing supply are set out below.
These measures include changes to planning guidelines on
apartment standards, support by ISIF for the delivery of housingenabling infrastructure, measures to maximise the potential of
Strategic Development Zones (SDZs) and measures by NAMA to
finance the delivery of 20,000 residential units by 2020.
Taken together, these provisions are designed to speed up the
delivery of housing supply, which will help alleviate the situation in
the rental market and increase the number of affordable homes.
2.1 Targeted Development Contribution Rebate
To enhance supply at prices people can afford a once-off initiative
will be put in place to kick-start increased supply of new housing
construction at more affordable prices under 300,000 in Dublin
and 250,000 in Cork.
The initiative will provide for the following;
Accelerate delivery of up to 7000 more affordable homes in Dublin
(the 4 local authority areas) and Cork (city and contiguous suburbs),
where there is a significant mismatch between predicted demand
and the current market response in terms of supply;
Establish an Exchequer funded Infrastructure Fund to meet the cost
of the rebates so that the local authority would not be at the loss of
development contributions revenue which they require to deliver

local infrastructure investment programmes on roads and services
and parks and amenities for newly developing or regenerating
areas;
Rebates will apply to developments where a project plan is
submitted to the relevant local authority indicating that the
development is for more than 50 units commenced after the announcement of
this package, and completed and sold in 2016 and 2017;
units, within appropriate floor areas, will be priced under 300,000
in Dublin and 250,000 in Cork.
Once homes are sold in line with the agreed project plan and price
points, a rebate would be payable from the Infrastructure Fund in
2017 and 2018 to developers subject to meeting agreed price points
and delivery targets and quality assurance, tax compliance and
limits on construction costs as a proportion of the sale price.
The initiative comes on top of reductions of 26% in development
contributions in the Dublin area, legislative changes to allow this
reduction to be applied to existing planning permissions, reductions
in Part V obligations (estimated at c. 10,000 per unit) and proposed
changes to the apartment planning conditions in Dublin City (which
will lead to an estimated average cost reduction of 20,000 per unit).
Arrangements will be finalised over the coming weeks with the
relevant local authorities with a view to the scheme being launched
before year end, at which stage full details of the application process
will be published. Provision will be made within the scheme to cover
any developments which commence from 11 November 2015, and
will otherwise meet the qualifying criteria, within the initiative.
2.2 Planning Guidelines on Apartment Standards
There are very few apartment schemes being developed at present
in the key urban areas and good quality apartment development
has a key role to play in meeting housing needs while avoiding
urban sprawl.
Therefore, the Minister will use his powers under the Planning and
Development Acts to issue guidelines on apartment standards which
will set a consistent national approach and ensure that planning
authorities do not seek requirements above the national standards.
These new guidelines, to be published by early December, will build

on the floor areas set in 2007, following detailed research and deal
with specific issues such as number of lifts per number of
apartments, car parking provision, provision of dual aspect
apartments (apartments with windows facing on more than one
side) that are not specifically addressed in the current guidelines.
The approach will also allow for variation in relation to meet the
needs of certain categories of dwellings housing for older people,
students and to allow for some level of studio apartments in
managed build to let developments.
The focus of the changes will be on ensuring a consistent approach
that enhances practical aspects to viability for investment in
apartment development generally rather than a reduction of
standards.
2.3 Supporting Infrastructure Delivery
As part of the cross Governmental action to deliver sustainable
housing supply in the future, the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund
(ISIF) will support the delivery of housing-related enabling
infrastructure in large scale priority development areas. This
support is in order to kick start the development process, provided
such financing can be done on the basis of appropriate risk and a
commercial return for the risks taken. Proposals will be assessed on
a project by project basis.
2.4 Strategic Development Zones
In line with Action 24 of the Governments Construction 2020
strategy, review of the existing arrangements for Strategic
Development Zones (SDZs) has been undertaken with input from
stakeholders. Following on from this, it is proposed to introduce
new legislative provisions which would allow An Bord Pleanla to
approve alterations to SDZ planning schemes without the proposer
having to start the process again. In particular, the aim will be to
facilitate changes to some site configuration or phasing, where there
was no change to the overall objective of the scheme.
2.5 Supply of Units through NAMA
The Minister for Finance has already indicated in Budget 2016, that
in line with the NAMA Act, he asked the NAMA Board to review the
residential sites under its control and to estimate what it could

deliver on a commercial basis, in terms of residential units, over the
next five years consistent with NAMAs mandate to deliver the best
financial return to the taxpayer. In response, NAMA is aiming to
fund the delivery of 20,000 residential units before the end of 2020.
This initiative is designed to maximise the return that NAMA can
generate on behalf of taxpayers from funding the development sites
under its control. NAMA is currently carrying out a detailed, site-bysite, bottom-up review of the residential sites controlled by its
debtors and receivers and estimates that 90% of these units will be
in the Greater Dublin area. About 75% of these units will be houses,
mainly starter homes.
THE WAITING LIST for social housing is much longer

than the government has previously disclosed, according
to new figures released by Fianna Fil today.
Figures from each local authority in the country show that
there are just over 130,000 households who have applied
for and are on the social housing waiting list and not the
89,000 the government has claimed.
Fianna Fil says this number is from 2013 and there has
been a surge of 45% nationally since then.
However, the Department of Environment has disputed
the Fianna Fil figures claiming its analysis is more
comprehensive, rigorous and accounts for potential

duplication on some housing lists.
The new figure of 130,008 was complied from data Fianna
Fil collated from 28 of the 31 local authorities that
responded to Freedom of Information requests.
The scale of this problem is far greater than the
government would have you believe, Fianna Fils
environment spokesperson Barry Cowen said today,
describing the situation as a scandal.
It is my contention that they have been economical with
the truth from their perspective and the cat is out of the
bag. The real figure is 130,000 applications on the social
housing waiting list.
In Roscommon the housing waiting list has increased
157% from 252 to 648 while in the Taoiseachs
constituency of Mayo there has been a 100% surge from
1,479 to 2,965.
Heres a full breakdown of the figures provided by each
local authority to Fianna Fil:
*Denotes that this local authority did not respond to

Fianna Fil and figure is drawn from national average
of 44.99%
In Dublin city there has been a 30% increase from 16,171
to 21,015. While in both Galway city and county there has
been an increase of over 80%.
Cowen said that in many cases the figures include joint
applicants and families. The Laois Offaly TD estimated
that the actual real number of people in need of social
housing could stand at 300,000.
He said in some cases families have been waiting up to

seven years on a social housing waiting list.
The governments own analysis is that of those in need of
social housing, 44 per cent are single person households
and 30 per cent are single adults with a child or children.
Fianna Fils Robert Troy said he had never come across a
problem as big as this in his 11 years as a public
representative.
I can honestly say that I have never witnessed anything
like the number of representations that I am getting on a
daily and weekly basis in relation to the area of social
housing.
In its social housing strategy published last November, the
government committed to responding robustly with a
roadmap that will accommodate 90,000 households, the
entire Housing Waiting List, by 2020.
This includes the provision of 35,000 new social housing
units and providing housing support through the private
rental sector for 75,000 households.
Apples as oranges
Environment Minister Alan Kelly

Source: Hugh O'Connell
In response to queries, a spokesperson for Environment

Minister Alan Kelly said that Fianna Fil was
counting apples as oranges and claimed that the 2013
figure of 89,000 is a result of a comprehensive analysis
that removes duplicates.
This is a detailed analysis which removes duplicates
(people on multiple housing lists) Another assessment will
be carried out next year and every year after that,
something Fianna Fail never did.
Peoples circumstances regularly change which is why the
analysis needs to be comprehensive and carried out on a
yearly basis.
The 2013 summary of social housing needs involved local
authorities contacting households to confirm their
continued requirement and qualification for social housing
support.
The spokesperson took issue with what it says was a
snapshot of housing need in any given county at a point
in 2015.
While these figures are of course subject to on-going
fluctuation due to households being allocated housing and
new households applying for housing support, to say that
the 2013 figures differ from what is currently on file in a
local authority is erroneous because it does not compare
like with like.
To take a snapshot of housing need in any given county, at
a point in time in 2015, and compare it to the 2013 data,
which was compiled as a result of rigorous analysis will
have methodological weaknesses which could distort the
overall picture of need. The 2013 figures do not include
duplicate entries and those already in local authority,
voluntary and co-operative housing or the Rental
Accommodation Scheme, and as such are the most
accurate that are available.
The Department said it intends to increase the regularity
of social housing assessments and conduct them annually
from 2016 onwards.
Supreme Court gives clear statement that

legislators need to act now, courts for code of
conduct on arrears
Mon, Jul 20, 2015, 07:00
A judgment involving Irish Life and Permanent PLC put final nail in the coffin of
the Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears as a consumer protection measure
The recent judgment of the Supreme Court in the case of

Irish Life and Permanent PLC and Dunne and Irish Life
and Permanent PLC and Dunphy puts the final nail in the
coffin of the Central Banks Code of Conduct on Mortgage
Arrears (CCMA) as a consumer protection measure in
repossession proceedings.
Paul Joyce on the origins of the mortgage

crisis
Dec 18, 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=Ma0WuAAhv4k
FAQ New regulations on residential

mortgage lending
https://www.centralbank.ie/pressarea/press-releases/Documents/FAQ%20
%20New%20regulations%20on
%20residential%20mortgage
%20lending.pdf
The Mortgage Crisis
As can be seen from the above graph, the amount

of mortgage cases in arrears of over 90 days has
been gradually decreasing.
Paul Joyce, Senior Policy Analyst with FLAC (the
Free Legal Advice Centres), suggests that this is
partly due to improving financial circumstances
over the past twelve months, which are allowing
people to start making mortgage payments again.
Additionally, the banks have been working with
people to put together alternative repayment
arrangements. The most common repayment
arrangements include temporary interest only
payments, term extensions on the loan, arrears
capitalisation and temporarily reducing the
payments.
However, the amount of accounts in arrears of over
two years has not budged.
Joyce says that while there are some solutions
that have been found the longstanding
intractable mortgage arrears cases are not being
solved.
There has also been a steep increase in housing
repossession orders granted by the courts.

In 2013 the number stood at just 244. However, in
the first nine months of 2015 that number was
more than four times as large, standing at 1,088
orders granted.
Joyce argues that the only reason the orders
granted before 2015 werent larger was because
the banks didnt want to repossess homes which
were in negative equity where more was owed on
them than they would have sold for.
Problems
The alternative payment
arrangements arent
necessarily sustainable
When a borrower falls into arrears, the lender is
obliged to make every reasonable effort to agree
any alternative repayment arrangement.
In theory the lender should take into account your
personal circumstances, your overall indebtedness,
your current and future repayment capacity and
your previous repayment history. However there is
no way of knowing whether the bank undertook a
full assessment.
The bank then decides if it wants to offer you an
alternative repayment arrangement. It is not
required to offer any particular option.
The fastest growing alternative repayment
arrangements is capitalisation of arrears. This
involves a new, higher payment because there is a
greater principal amount and more interest needs
to be repaid. Obviously this is problematic as it
involves the borrower or borrowers paying a
greater amount than when the problem arose in
the first place.
Joyce says its quite telling that one in every four

capitalisation of arrears cases is not meeting the
terms of the arrangement.
There has also been an increase in split
mortgages. This is where you split the amount
owed in your mortgage in two e.g. instead of a
100,000 mortgage you have two 50,000
mortgages. The second part is parked in a
warehouse until a certain point.
This has the advantage of being more affordable in
the short term, as you dont have to pay as much
interest. But there is a large capital balloon
payment that will have to be faced in the future.
There are a lack of fair

procedures in the mortgage
process
R
R
R
R
R
The mortgage resolution process, as set out under

the Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears, should
go as follows:
Where a borrower defaults on their payments the
bank will write to inform them of the default and to
give them a specified period during which to pay.
Where an account has been in arrears in excess of
31 days the bank will them examine the mortgage
to see whether it is sustainable and offer an
alternative repayment arrangement. The borrower
can suggest an alternative but they only have
power to accept or reject the arrangement the
bank has offered.
The bank can initiate legal proceedings if:
They deem your mortgage unsustainable
They offer an alternative repayment arrangement
and you dont accept it
They deem you non-cooperating
If you mortgage is unsustainable or you reject the
alternative repayment arrangement then the bank
can initiate legal action after three months. If they

deem you non-cooperating, which includes not
replying to letters, failing to provide information
within a reasonable amount of time, or not
contacting the bank when you were in arrears for
more than three months, then they can take legal
proceedings immediately.
However, a recent Supreme Court decision has
made it clear that even the above rules are not
binding on lenders apart from the moratorium on
legal action.
This creates a situation where there is no defence
to repossession in legal proceedings except to
argue that you dont owe any money or that it is
not your property.
And while you can appeal a decision by the lender,
they are not required to provide you with the
information of what arrangements they considered
and why they made a particular decision in your
case.
Joyce says You have a right to appeal but how do
you appeal when you dont know the basis upon
which the decision was arrived at? You would never
get away with this in a court. And yet, in this
private engagement between lender and borrower
it seems that fair procedures can be shortchanged.
Your mortgage can be sold on

to a vulture fund
While there is very little legal protections when you

have a mortgage with one of the banks, there is
little or no protection where your mortgage is sold
to so-called vulture funds. Such vulture funds are
not regulated by the Central Bank and therefore
are not subject to any of the rules under the Code
of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears.
Banks can sell on their mortgage portfolios to

these funds. The borrower will still owe the
remaining amount on the loan, but may be subject
to increased interest rates which cant be
challenged by taking a case to the Financial
Ombudsman.
When asked how it can be legal to have your loan
sold on to a different entity, Joyce explained that
when there is a clause allowing it in the mortgage
agreement.
Unfortunately the problem is when you

enter into a mortgage agreement you
agree to all of these things without
necessarily knowing half The terms and
conditions always authorise the lender to
sell that loan on to an entity of its choice.
By signing all the paperwork you tacitly
agree to that.
Currently the Sale of Loan Books to Unregulated
Third Parties Bill 2014 is before the Oireachtas. The
Bill would require the funds to comply with the
Code of Conduct on Mortgage Arrears
The mortgage crisis is driving

homelessness
Part of the increase in families becoming homeless
is due to the parallel increase in the number of
repossessions of houses, the majority of which are
primary homes.
Additionally, a large proportion of landlords bought
property during the boom and ended up renting
out the property in order to pay their mortgages.
This has lead to a scenario where if a tenant
cannot afford to pay their rent or to pay a rent
increase this can have the knock-on effect of
causing the landlord to be unable to pay their
mortgage.
The law surrounding repossessions of property
where a tenant is already residing is murky. Often
there is a clause in the mortgage agreement
between the lender and the borrower which allows
them to force a tenant out to get vacant
possession of the property.
So where a borrower fails to pay their mortgage
this can have the effect of making their tenant
homeless.
Its harder to get a mortgage

The new mortgage controls require the mortgagee
to provide 20% of the mortgage upfront as a
deposit, subject to exceptions. You will not be given
a loan of more than 3.5 times your income (or
shared income if you are borrowing with another
person).
The creates two distinct problems. The first is,
given how expensive rent is currently, it is hard for
anyone to save up the amount required for the
mortgage deposit.
Second, according to the CSO, the median Irish
income is 28,500. So if you have a couple who are
both earning this average income they would only
be able to get a mortgage to the value of just
under 200,000. But the median house price in
Dublin is 400,000.
The Central Bank has said they will reconsider the
lending controls in November of this year.
Conclusion
As we can see, all of the problems are inextricably

linked.
The lack of supply has lead to increased
competition between renters and therefore an
increase in rents. Homelessness is mostly being
driven by the increase in rents, which has resulted

in people being economically evicted. The
mortgage crisis is causing families to become
homeless, and tenants are being evicted by banks
where properties are being repossessed.
But all of these current and pressing issues also
mask a number of underlying problems that
existed in the system even before the recession.
We dont have a funding model which
ensures the supply of housing: While the
recession and the cut in funding for building social
housing are a large part of the problem were
seeing today, even before the bail-out programme
we were not producing enough social housing.
Local authorities were not getting enough money
from the differential rent being paid by tenants to
fund, or even maintain, the social housing stock.
We also relied heavily on private investors to
provide us with housing under Part V of the 2000
Act, but this failed to produce even half of what
was required.
We need to find a way of funding the production of
housing that is politically feasible, but doesnt rely
completely on private interests.
Our social model is subject to market cycles:
The Governments opposition to raising the rent
supplement shows that they are sensitive to the
market and the sudden swings in the cost of rent.
And as a big player in that market, the
Governments decision to change the amount of
rent supplement offered can influence the cost of
rent.
This negatively effects Government when were
doing well economically and the cost of property
increases. It also negatively effects Government
when more people are reliant on social welfare and
they therefore have to pay out more. Right now we
have the worst of both worlds.

We have an outdated private rented sector:
The private rented sector has doubled in five years,
and before the end of this decade it is quite likely
that one in four Irish people will be residing in
rented accommodation.
However, we currently dont have security of
tenure, and we also dont have a way of ensuring
good quality, affordable housing.
Our focus should be on keeping people in
their homes: Paying to put families up in hotels is
not only expensive, it also causes health and
psychological problems for those families.
We need to figure out a long term strategy to avoid
another homeless situation similar to the one we
have currently.
The mortgage process leaves borrowers at
the mercy of lenders: The legal process
surrounding mortgages does not provide borrowers
with any clear information as to what to expect
from their lender, and what their rights are.
Overall, there has been a lack of joined up
thinking, or a coherent policy which addresses all
of the areas. We dont have one specific housing
body. We dont have a clear way of funding the
housing system. We dont have a way of ensuring
that everyone will have affordable and good quality
housing. Ultimately, the lack of a strategy or plan
for the future has resulted in the housing crisis
which we are experiencing.
RENTS NATIONWIDE HAVE risen by 10% in comparison

to the same period last year.
According to the latest Residential Tenancies Board (RTB)
rent index, Dublin rents have bypassed Celtic Tiger prices.
Rents in the capital are now 3.9% higher than the 2007
peak.
Increases were not confined to the Dublin region, but also
occurred in other parts of the country.
The report shows the market is not slowing down, despite
measures by the last Government to put a two-year freeze
on rises.
On an annual basis, nationally, rents were 9.9% higher
than in the second quarter in 2015 up from 869 to
956.
Rents for houses across the country were 9.3% higher
annually in second quarter up from 850 to 929, while
apartment rents were 11.7% higher than in the same
quarter of 2015 up from 908 to 1,014.
Dublin market
The Dublin market is up by 9% from 1,251 to 1,364.
Dublin house rents were up by 7.5% from 1,388 to 1,492
and apartments in the capital were higher by 9.8% up
from 1,246 to 1,368.

The index shows the surge in rents has spread outside of
Dublin, with the average rental price jumping from 669
to 740.
Again the performance differed by property type. Monthly
rent for houses outside Dublin increased by 9.9% from
688 to 756, while apartments outside Dublin
experienced an increase of 12.7% 647 up to 729.
When comparing rent prices for the first half and second
half of 2016, rents in Dublin grew by 4.5%.
The director of the RTB, Rosalind Carroll, said there was a
slowdown in rents in the previous two quarters, but the
rate of growth in rents is increasing again, particularly in
the Dublin market.
Carroll said there are a number of drivers pushing rents up
nationwide.
Adding to the underlying supply and demand imbalance is
the return of net inward migration as confirmed by the
Central Statistics Office last month (+3,100) for the first
time since 2009.
The Central Bank will publish the findings of the first
review of its controversial new mortgage lending rules in
November,
Professor Lane, who succeeded Patrick Honohan as head

of the Central Bank, said earlier this month the rules
would be reviewed this summer.
However, it was only yesterday in his first public speech
addressing the Institute of Directors spring lunch at
Dublins Shelbourne Hotel he offered more clarity
around when the results of the review would be known.
I expect the first review of the mortgage rules to be
published by November this year.
"This review will be based on an analysis of the evidence
provided by data on the first year of the operation of the
rules, while taking into account other factors that may
have influenced the mortgage market during this period,
he said.
The lending rules, introduced last year, call for first-time
buyers to hold a deposit of 10% of the first 220,000 cost
of a home and 20% of the remainder of its value.
The timescale of the review means that mortgage
applications will continue to be measured against the new
rules for much of this year.
Again, yesterday, Prof Lane said the review could result in
an altering of the rules, but they could either end up being
tightened or loosened.
The Central Bank is open to tightening or loosening the
calibration of these rules in response to the evidence; still,
the value of stability in a rules-based framework means
that the evidence threshold to justify adjustments to these
rules is significant, he said.
He said earlier adoption of such tools as the new
mortgage rules would have mitigated Irelands boom/bust
economic cycle of the last decade.
He said the bank is firmly committed to deploying such
tools on an ongoing basis, with periodic reviews.
Ahead of the publicaton of the Central Banks first
quarterly bulletin of the new year, on Tuesday, Prof Lane
said that Irish GDP likely grew by 6.5%-7% in 2015 and
should grow by 5% in 2016.
He also stressed a need for more transparency at the
bank; saying it will shortly begin publishing minutes from
its monthly management/Commission meetings.
The minutes will be published six weeks after each
meeting, with those relating to Prof Lanes first meeting, in

December, due to be made public early next month.
The bank will also start publishing staff salary structures
and pay scales on an annual basis and is promising more,
as yet unannounced, transparency issues.
I am conscious more needs to be done to build the level
of trust among the public that the Central Bank will take
the correct actions to safeguard financial stability and
protect consumers.
"At a basic level, we believe that people will be more
confident that we act independently and in the public
interest if they have greater insights and understanding
about what is going on inside the bank, Prof Lane said in
his speech.
He said the regulator also plans to carry out reviews of the
health insurance sector and strengthen the consumer
protection code relating to variable rate mortgage holders.
We will also increase our firm-specific engagement with
low-impact firms, including intermediaries and debt
management firms, Prof Lane said yesterday.
The Central Bank is also set to hire 150 new staff this
year, taking its total workforce to around 1,650.
Housing Minister Simon Coveney has

offered to fast-track the designation of Rent
Pressure Zones outside of Dublin and Cork,
Independent.ie understands.
In a letter to Fianna Fils Barry Cowen, the minister says
he wants to give the party some assurances around the
time-frame for next steps of his rent strategy.
Coveney says 4% cap on rent increases will

not change
Video by: RTE
It is the first significant move aimed at reaching a

compromise between the minority government and Fianna
Fil.
Fianna Fil have demanded that rent increases in Galway,
Limerick, Waterford and commuter towns around capital
be capped, as will be the case in the two main cities.
They also want the cap to be lower than the 4pc proposed
by Mr Coveney.
The minister has this afternoon indicated that he will not
reduce the 4pc figure but will attempt to extend the Rent
Pressure Zones (RPZ) early in the New Year.
Coveney accused of taking

100,000 selfie over PR
strategy
FFs Barry Cowen hits out at cost of Rebuilding Ireland
communications plan
Thu, Dec 8, 2016, 08:58
Marie O'Halloran
Resident Carol Wolfe greets Simon Coveney on announcing approval of the

regeneration scheme for ODevaney Gardens, Dublin on Wednesday.
Photograph: Eric Luke/The Irish Times
Minister for Housing Simon Coveney has been accused of

taking a 100,000 selfie with the creation of a website
for the Rebuilding Ireland programme, established to
tackle the housing crisis.
Simon Coveney announced last night on Pat Kenny show that he is

not going
to bring in Rent certainty linking rents to the Consumer Price
Inflation.
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/coveney-accused-of-taking100-000-selfie-over-pr-strategy-1.2897741?mode=sample&authfailed=1&pw-origin=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews
%2Fpolitics%2Fcoveney-accused-of-taking-100-00-selfie-over-prstrategy-1.2897741
The essence of the problem we have in Ireland

today regarding housing is the conflict between the
need of Ireland's youth to have housing so that they
can get married and have children, and so ensure
the survival of our race - and the desire of the
landowner and landlord classes to enrich
themselves from that need.
Appointing a landlord as housing minister shows
which side of that conflict this rgime has decided
to gun for. The only result of this criminal policy can
be the further decline of the Irish population, and
the further flooding of Ireland with immigrants to
make up for the loss.
http://irelandtodaynews.com/index.php/housingminister-simon-coveney-is-a-landlord/
The Government's plan to limit rental prices in key
'Pressure Zones' in Cork and Dublin has been cautiously
welcomed by some tenant groups and criticised by
landlords.
Minister Simon Coveney has unveiled plans to limit rent
increases which he wants to turn into law before Christmas.
Both cities will be designated as rent Pressure Zones with
landlords only permitted to increase payments by up to 4% per
year over the next three years.
The Property Owners' Association (IPOA) has called on the
Government to review its decision - it argues that the rent
control measures will "further deplete the supply of properties
as property owners withdraw units" as they will not be able to
afford to manage or maintain properties.
The statement adds that "rather than playing politics, face
reality and listen to the practitioners in the sector and
encourage supply."
"Gross interference in the role of the private rental sector,
impose further restrictions on periods of time that rent can be
increased and amounts of the increase which is not fair or
equitable and moves to a point where the landlord is being

forced out of the provision of accommodation for tenants as a
result of interference," it continues.
The group believes that increased State interference in the
market will lead to less investment in rental properties. The
group described rent control as a "death knell for the private
rental sector."
Landlords TDs call rent

controls
Minister Simon Coveney hopes to have these measures
introduced before Christmas...
IMPACT leader organiser and Secure Rents campaign

spokesperson Joe OConnor also criticised the measures.
While the Secure Rents campaign acknowledges that
Minister Coveney has shown a willingness to move on rent
predictability for Irelands 750,000 tenants, we believe these
specific measures are not in themselves sufficient to assist
renters across Ireland.
Talk about a conflict of interest. I shall watch with a keen eye.
Worse still he is a Bilderburger and so a traitor.
This despite Rents being at higher levels than the excesses of the
Celtic tiger.
Dublin rents have bypassed the Celtic Tiger peak and reached an
all-time high
This despite Irelands largest landlord feeling sorry for Irish tenants.
Ireland
Its a great market, Ehrlich agrees. Weve never seen rental
increases like this in any jurisdiction that were aware of.
It also looks as if there will be no protection for tenants whose
properties are in receivership
despite legislation in this area promised as far back as 2013.
My question is where is this long promised legislation to protect
tenants who are paying their rents

but whose landlord is in receivership and how high does Coveney
want rents to go before he acts.
Why must Rents and House price increases be higher than the
normal cost of living ?
This...
That's fvcking disgusting. What a putrid little banana republic

we have here. Politicians are a fvcking scourge and this is just
the latest example of such a scourge.
apping rental growth at the rate of inflation will result in less
construction of new homes, which will ultimately damage us
more. If the state wanted to make housing affordable it must
tackle the supply issue under three simple headings:
When you buy a new apartment in Dublin, 40% of the price tag
will be taxes.
More than half of households who will live in central Dublin will
be carless, yet developers are required to spend big money
excavating basement car parks.
Building heights in our capital city are effectively capped at 4
storeys, making new residential development unprofitable for
small, expensive patches of land. This 4 storey cap is enforced
by An Taisce, David Norris and the Irish Georgian society, i.e.
people who are wealthy enough to never be forced to spend
half their lives travelling from Kildare.
But of course for the moment it is not in the interest of
government parties to reduce the cost of housing because the
tax payer is still heavily invested in nama assets. So the
government will simply come up with optical illusions that they
are tackling the crises with these silly schemes. The fact is up
until the recent election Labour party candidates were
opposing residential development that they felt 'wasn't right
for their area'. While talking out the other side of their mouths
about increasing rent allowance.
"While the so-called pressure zone measures will seek to

curtail the excessive rent increases projected for both Dublin
and Cork, were greatly concerned by the apparent exclusion
of other high pressure areas."

He added that the group is concerned about rapidly rising
rents in Limerick City and Galway City.
The Secure Rents campaign is a partnership between a
number of union groups including IMPACT, Mandate Trade
Union, and SIPTU.
The Dublin Tenants Association has cautiously welcomed
Simon Coveneys measures to regulate rent increases but
added that they do not believe that they go far enough.
Under Pressure
The Minister for Housing is hoping caps on rent increases for
Dublin and Cork could be in place before the end of this week.
The Pressure Zones are areas where annual rent increases
have been at 7% or more in four of the last six quarters - and
where rent levels are already above the national average.
Minister Simon Coveney announces his plan for the rental sector.
Photo: Doug OConnor
Reflecting your concerns on this matter, I have instructed

the RTB to make this an absolute priority to ensure that
empirically sound data on an area specific basis is
available for these areas by end February to allow the
designation process occur where the qualifying criteria
have been met, Mr Coveneys letter states.
Housing Crisis Q&A: What is a

Rent Pressure Zone?
Why just Dublin and Cork?
For an area to be designated as a RPZ the average rent
registered with the Residential Tenancies Board must be
above the national average and rising at a year-on-year
rate of 7pc for four out of the last six months. Dublin and
Cork city have been deemed as qualifying for the changes
immediately but the RTB will have to study the rest of the
country.
Are all rental properties in Dublin and Cork
covered?
No. Properties that are new to the market (not leased at
any time in the previous two years) will be exempt as will
properties that have been "substantially refurbished".
What happens after three years?
A RPZ status ends automatically after three years meaning
the rent review process will revert to normal.
There were calls to link rent increases to the rate
of inflation. Why didn't Simon Coveney take this
approach?
The minister said a "blunt rent cap" would disincentive
landlords entering the market and "literally shut off supply
overnight". Noting that inflation for this year is negative,
Mr Coveney said: "We want landlords to make a
reasonable return."
How does this affect the 'rent certainty' measures
introduced last year?
The last government introduced measures that restricted
rent reviews to every two years. This rule will still apply
outside of RPZs. They will cease to apply in Dublin and
Cork but not until rents fall due for review.
What supply measures are being proposed?
The minister has announced a series of measures aimed at
kick-starting supply, including:
- Examining the tax/fiscal treatment of accommodation
providers
- Using publicly owned land for development

- Promoting a build to rent model
- Supporting credit availability for bringing vacant stock
into the private rental market.
- Exploring the potential to bring into use, for rental
purposes, vacant properties where owners move to a
nursing home under the Fair Deal scheme.
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/coveneywrites-letter-to-fianna-fil-offering-to-change-rent-plan35294199.html
Rental increase limits are to be

introduced in Dublin and Cork
Dec 13, 2016
The Minister for Housing, Simon Coveney has brought his new
rental strategy to cabinet today
New figures show the level of homelessness in Dublin

has shot up by over a third in the past year.
The latest report from the Dublin Region Homeless Executive
has revealed there were a total of 5,146 adults and children in
emergency accommodation last month - a 35% increase in the
last year.
The figures surrounding homeless families in the city make for
even starker reading - with 1,026 families in homeless
accommodation including hotels, a 45% increase on last year.
Homelessness charity, Focus Ireland said 67 families who
became newly homeless in October were referred to its family
services in Dublin.
The organisations Director of advocacy, Mike Allen said the
figures paint, a really appalling, bleak picture as we head into
Christmas.
The number of children without a home has more than
doubled over the same time period - from 916 to 2,110.
Mr Allen said the report details much higher figures than
previous years and the numbers keep on going up.
It is hugely worrying. It has been so cold over the last few
days, he said.
The street team that we run jointly with the Peter McVerry
Trust have been out every night but there arent enough beds
for people.
The Taoiseach says the latest number of people homeless in
Dublin is "not satisfactory... you can't deny that".
"You have to do something about it - and we're doing
something about that in a very serious way, over the five
different pillars of the housing action programme."
The Minister for Housing, Simon Coveney has pledged to put
an extra 210 emergency beds in place in Dublin by December
9th and Mr Harris said the sooner those are in place the
sooner we can get people off the streets.
Minister Coveney said the Civil Defence will also provide an
extra 20 beds, bringing the nightly emergency accommodation
capacity for single adults in the city to 1,800.
The Dublin Region Cold Weather Plan commenced operation
at the start of the month and will be subject to on-going
review, he said.
It is essential that we have sufficient beds to meet any
increased demand during cold weather.
He said the Civil Defence will also provide an extra 20 beds
and said the nightly emergency accommodation capacity for
single adults in Dublin now stands at 1,800.
While there has been progress in terms of moving families out
of homelessness - Focus Ireland supported 230 Dublin
families into secure homes this year - Mr Allen said more
people are losing their homes all the time and the numbers
keep on going up.
The charity said constantly rocketing rents and a growing
number of buy-to-let homes being either repossessed or sold
is causing a constant rise in the homelessness numbers.
Focus Ireland renewed its call for urgent action from the
Government to stem the level of evictions, particularly from
buy-to-let landlords to stem the homeless crisis.
There are over 15,000 buy-to-let landlords who are in arrears
by over 2 years, said Mr Allen.
Banks and financial institutions are repossessing these
homes and evicting the tenants at a rate of 100 a month.
We are calling on the Government to outlaw this practice and
ensure that that where banks repossess such properties they

sell them on with the tenant still in place.
Focus Ireland relies on donations at this time of year more
than ever to raise vital funds for its work.
You can support the charitys Christmas appeal by donating at
focusireland.ie or 1850 204 205.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v6rUW-v2cM

Strategy for the Rental Sector
Minister Simon Coveney T.D., Minister for Housing, Planning,

Community and Local Government, and Minister Damien
English T.D. Minister of State with responsibility for Housing &
Urban Renewal today published the Strategy for the Rental
Sector, following Government approval of the comprehensive
and ambitious plan at todays Cabinet meeting.
Speaking at the launch, Minister Coveney highlighted Our
rental sector is not delivering for tenants, landlords or the

country. We need a strong and viable rental sector as a long
term tenure of choice for families and as a secure investment
environment for landlords. Dramatic rental inflation puts
families under pressure, damages our national
competitiveness and stability in the investment environment.
We need to tackle the consequences and alleviate short term
pressures and we need to address the long term causes by
delivering increased supply.
The development and publication of a Strategy for the Rental
Sector delivers on a commitment made under the Rebuilding
Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness which
was published in July 2016. The development of a viable and
sustainable rental sector that can provide choice, quality and
security for households and secure, attractive investment
opportunities for landlords has never been more important.
The Minister announced that he is introducing with immediate
effect a rent predictability measure that will moderate the rate
of rent increase in those areas of the country where rents are
highest and rising quickly.
The measure is based on the concept of Rent Pressure
Zones; these are areas where annual rent increases have
been at 7% or more in four of the last six quarters and where
the rent levels are already above the national average. In
these Rent Pressure Zones rent increases will be capped at
4% per annum for the next 3 years. The measure will be
introduced with immediate effect in the four Dublin Local
Authority areas and in Cork city. Rent pressure zones will be
designated for a maximum 3 years, by which time new supply
will have come on stream and pressures will have eased
somewhat in these areas.
The Strategy also contains a number of measures to support
supply by encouraging new investment and bringing unused
capacity to the market. Measures include Build to Rent
developments and the accelerated roll out of Repair and
Leasing and Buy and Renew initiatives.
Speaking at the launch, Minister English outlined that the
Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) is core to delivering on a
daily basis the services that meet the needs of both tenants
and landlords. The strategy puts forward a number of
measures that will broaden and strengthen the role and

powers of the RTB to more effectively provide key services to
tenants and landlords.
Strategy introduces Rent Pressure Zones

to provide rent predictability in areas of
unsustainable rental inflation.
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The strategy sets out a range of measures under the headings

of Security, Supply, Standards and Services which will
address both immediate and long term issues affecting the
supply, cost and accessibility of rental accommodation.
Security bringing greater tenure and rent certainty to
landlords and tenants;
Supply maintaining existing levels of rental stock and
encouraging investment in additional supply;
Standards improving the quality and management of rental
accommodation; and
Services broadening and strengthening the role and powers
of the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) to more effectively
provide their services and empower tenants and landlords.
The measures include:
Accelerating Dispute Resolution timeframes by reducing
time for appeals from 21 to 10 days and by providing for one
person tribunals in certain cases; allowing the RTB to hold
more tribunals.
Developing a One Stop Shop within the RTB to improve
access to information for tenants and landlords.
The RTB will introduce a voluntary landlord accreditation
scheme to support landlords in accessing best practice and
promoting a comprehensive understanding of the statutory
obligations.
Simplify the law and regulatory framework through a new
consolidated and streamlined Residential Tenancies Act.
Reducing risk and increasing security for both landlords and
tenants is essential to the development of the residential rental
sector as an attractive tenure choice for tenants and as a safe
and viable investment choice for a range of investors. The
strategy includes a range of measures aimed at enabling a
shift towards secure and long-term tenancies which serve the
interests of both landlords and tenants. Measures include:
Effective Termination Procedures changes to RTB

procedure will be introduced to reduce the time taken to
repossess a property when a tenant is not complying with their
obligation to pay rent.
Changes to the obligations of institutional landlords where
multiple units are being sold the sale will be subject to the
existing tenants remaining in situ.
Enhanced protections for tenants during receivership of
encumbered buy-to-lets.
Encouraging long-term letting by providing for
unfurnished lettings where leases are 10 years or more.
The Minister also announced the establishment of an Expert
Group to explore the opportunities for developing a viable cost
rental model for Ireland and a larger and more dynamic notfor-profit and Approved Housing Body sector. The group will
examine the experience of other countries and develop a
roadmap to grow new capacity for delivering cost rental
options.
The actions on standards for rental accommodation as set out
in the Strategy will ensure that an effective regime of quality
assurance is in place for the rented sector. Tenants will be
reassured that the properties they are renting are safe,
efficient, durable and comfortable. Landlords will be made fully
aware of their obligations through a consistent and uniform
shared service approach by local authorities.
The implementation of the Strategy is supported by 29 Actions
under the headings of Security, Supply, Standards and
Services. Timelines for the various actions are included, with
immediate enactment being targeted for the rent predictability
measure via the Planning and Development (Housing) and
Residential Tenancies Bill 2016 which commences Committee
Stage in the Dil today.
http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/launch-strategy-for-therental-sector/
Minister Coveney
welcomes
opening of new
facilities
to tackle rough
sleeping in Dublin
The Minister for Housing, Planning, Community & Local

Government Mr. Simon Coveney, T.D., today welcomed the
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opening of two homeless facilities for rough sleepers in Dublin

this evening. 165 beds are being provided.
The Dublin City Council facilities that are opening this evening
are:
Peter Mc Verry Trust (PMVT) will provide all on-site supports
and engagement for 70 adult persons at 7- 9 Ellis Quay,
Dublin 7.
Depaul Trust will provide all on-site supports and engagement
for 75 adult persons at Little Britain Street, Dublin 7.
The Civil Defence service will operate a 20 bed service at
Wolfe Tone Quay during severe weather incidents.
A further facility to be operated by the Dublin Simon and
Salvation Army for 65 adults at Carmans Hall, Dublin 8, which
was also due to open today, is delayed by court proceedings.
Once a person has been assessed as homeless by the
relevant Dublin local authority, they will be placed into a bed
space via the Dublin Region Central Placement Service and
Freephone Service. Access to each facility will be via a
scheduled booking time between the hours of 18.30 and 21.00
each evening.
The long-term solution to homelessness is

to increase the supply of both social and
private housing and that is what we have
set out to do under Rebuilding Ireland.
On Wednesday I visited the facility at Ellis Quay with the
Taoiseach to view the works underway there firsthand and I
wish to commend the Dublin Region Homeless Executive
(DRHE) for the quick turn-around in delivering these facilities.
Rough sleeping is sometimes due to complex addiction
problems and these facilities offer somewhere to these people
to sleep and get a meal. The long-term solution to
homelessness is to increase the supply of both social and
private housing and that is what we have set out to do under
Rebuilding Ireland.
These additional bed spaces, coupled with the enhanced
Housing First programme (increased from 100 to 300
tenancies by end-2017), will be enough to cater for all those
currently rough sleeping while allowing for additional capacity,

ended Minister Coveney.
http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/minister-coveneywelcomes-opening-new-facilities-tackle-rough-sleepingdublin/
Landlords of Leinster House

declare interests
Posted on: April 20th, 2015
The last republican standing in Limerick, Fianna Fails Willie ODea, is a

director of and a shareholder in a UK company called Union Jack Oil.
The partys founder, Eamon de Valera, must be rotating in Glasnevin
cemetery.
Ten Labour Party TDs (one-third of the parliamentary party) are landlords or
landowners. James Connolly would have imploded.
Yes, the latest TDs register of interests reveals that ideology counts for little
when it comes to personal financial affairs. Conviction goes out the window
when business interests are on the line. The scent of a quick profit will up-end
a lifetimes political commitment.
Only Fine Gael are consistent. They have always owned land and property.
And they still own land and property. Lashings of it.
Gerry Adams UK pension comes from his time in the Northern Ireland
Assembly a unique double for anyone with an Oireachtas salary , let alone
an individual committed to a united Ireland. A divided Ireland seems to suit
him better financially.
Union Jack Willie has a weakness for oil exploration shares. His portfolio
includes such big losers as Dragon Oil and Ormonde Mining. But as Gerry
Adams might say, Tiocfaidh ar la.
Our Labour Party TDs love affair with property could give them enough TDs
to form a splinter group called Landlords for Labour at the next election.
Labour should clean up on the landlord vote.
Cabinet member and deputy leader Alan Kelly lists himself as a landlord in
the register. The Tipperary minister lets a house in Walkinstown, Dublin.
Labour deputy Michael McCarthy as the proud rent collector from a property
in Co Cork also lists himself as a landlord.
Former Labour Party leaders Eamon Gilmore and Pat Rabbitte both own land
in the West of Ireland while socialists to benefit from property income include
Dublin TD Sean Kenny (with a house he lets in Galway), Clares Michael
McNamara and Kerrys Arthur Spring. Former minister Joe Costello volunteers
that he owns properties in Dublins Sean McDermott Street and North Circular
Road which he uses for office and storage. Meaths Dominic Hannigan has
property in both Italy and London. Long-time Labour heroes Willie Penrose
and Jack Wall complete the socialist property fad with real estate interests in
their respective counties of Westmeath and Kildare.
The inheritors of the mantle of the men of no property are now men of
property aplenty.
No wonder they find such common ground with Fine Gael. The blueshirts
never change. They still own farms, property and shares.
Jobs Minister Richard Bruton has a formidable portfolio of assets. He is no
Willie ODea risk-taker. Richard has stuck to blue-chip stocks. Like, er Bank
of Ireland, AIB and Irish Life and Permanent. He has presumably taken a
hiding in this traditional safe haven. He is on safer ground with his shares in
food star Aryzta, Smurfit Kappa, CRH, Kingspan, FBD Holdings and an AIB
Investment Fund.
His share portfolio is beefed up by joint ownership of 175 acres of land in the
plush pastures of Dunboyne and 50 acres in Drumree both in his native
Meath. Investments as dull as ditch water maybe but Richard is likely to
have fewer sleepless nights than Willie.
Richard was lucky enough to receive a gift of a watch from the Saudi Arabian
government. He very honourably gave it up to the Exchequer, as Fine Gael
people do.
Another Fine Gael cabinet minister, Simon Coveney, may not be as loaded as
Richard but it could be a close-run contest for the richest man in the
Cabinet.
Both have inherited huge wealth but Coveneys declaration reveals less
than Richards. He describes himself as a landlord with a single property, but
admits to holding shares without being specific. Coveneys more opaque filing
merely reveals that his shares are part of Irish Wealth Managers and that he
has an interest in the Coveney Family Investment Club c/o Davy
stockbrokers. Mmm.
Coveneys reluctance to reveal more detail makes it difficult to judge who is
the canniest financial punter in the Cabinet, but the investment decisions of
Minister for Finance Michael Noonan have caused a few raised eyebrows.
While Bruton has shown confidence in Irish equities, Noonan does not like
investing in Ireland.
During the worst days of the crisis he headed for Germany and sunk much of
his wealth into low-yielding German bonds. Last year he decided to go for
gold, traditionally a hedge against high-risk equities.
He has diversified further by investing in US Treasury stocks and benefited
from the strong dollar. He does not list a single Irish stock in his eight-strong
portfolio. Apart from 20 acres of mixed pasture attached to my residence he
holds no property either.
Noonans patriotic instincts and bullishness about the economy do not extend
to his choice of personal investments.
Noonans fellow Fine Gael TDs are still deep into farms and property, many
with huge portfolios. Backbenchers Frank Feighan (with 10 listed properties);
Aine Collins (with seven); and Alan Shatter (with 14 jointly owned) lead the
field of property fans.
Lucinda Creighton, leader of the recently launched Renua party, has returned
a clean sheet indicating little reserve firepower in the event of emergency
financial injections for the new party. However Creightons husband, Paul
Bradfords Seanad declaration shows that all is not lost. Bradford owns 55
acres of farmland in Mallow, Co Cork and lists shareholdings in AIB Euro
Bonds and AIB Global Bonds.
Their party colleague, Terence Flanagan, declares a half share in a house in
Blanchardstown but gratuitously volunteers (in case Lucinda comes calling?)
that there is massive negative equity on the property.

More real wealth seems to exist in the Seanad than in the Dail.
Independent Senator Feargal Quinns portfolio stretches to three pages with a
global diversification that will undoubtedly safeguard the former supermarket
kings wealth.
Elsewhere long-time Fine Gael Senator Paul Coghlan declares a formidable
combination of shares, directorships and land both in Ireland and overseas.
Another Independent, John Crown, admits to four occupations apart from his
Seanad activities. The cancer doctor is an oncologist, a medical practitioner, a
medical lecturer and yet another landlord.
Indeed the Independents entries make fascinating reading. Newcomer
Michael Fitzmaurice responds to the question about whether he has received
any travel facilities with the blunt riposte that I have my own car. He
additionally insists that his job as chairman of the Turf Cutters Association
costs me money.
Independent TD Stephen Donnelly nominates himself as a landlord with
properties in Dublin and Offaly.
Is there something missing? The really embarrassing bit in the register is
deliberately buried at the bottom of this piece. My own entry exposes me as
one of the most diabolically incompetent investors in the Oireachtas.
I reveal a shipwrecked share portfolio. My Irish shares include two of the
biggest dogs in the stock market, Bank of Ireland and (dare I say it here?)
Independent News & Media. Both may be on the recovery trail today, but I
bought them back in the glory years to bolster my pension.
They promised a steady stream of dividends to carry me into my dotage. It is
many years since they delivered. They are worth less than 10pc of their
purchase price. Combined, they are worth less than 10 grand.
Some pension!
Apart from loss-making share investments the balance of my savings are
overseas, determinedly sunk into German and US bonds which yield nothing
or give negative returns. Even Michael Noonan abandoned such caution.
The only bright spot in my declaration last year is a gift of a ticket for
Wimbledon Centre Court. I promptly had a blazing row with the donor. So
there will be no repeat this year.
Instead, I think I will follow the Labour Party punters into property.
Coveney: Rent caps are

not up for negotiation
4pc rent hike cap planned for
properties in Dublin and Cork is not
up for negotiation
Cormac McQuinn, Michael Cogleyand Kevin Doyle

PUBLISHED
14/12/2016
Leo Varadkar Photo: Damien Eagers
Housing Minister Simon Coveney has said

that the 4pc rent hike cap he wants imposed
on properties in Dublin and Cork is not up
for negotiation.
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Fianna Fil has said it's not satisfied with that figure and
want a lower percentage, but Mr Coveney warned that the
government won't support an amendment to its legislation
that would set the cap as low as 2pc.
Put to him on RT Radio that this could mean the
government would face defeat on its plan to tackle the
crisis in the rental sector, Mr Coveney replied: "Then I
don't think the legislation will be going through before
Christmas."
He added: "And if Fianna Fil want to take that on
themselves well then so be it."
He said that "there are things we can do in relation to
some of the Fianna Fil queries" but argued that there are
"an extraordinary number of issues across the broader

rental market" in the strategy that the rival party had
sought.
Mr Coveney said he's not willing to negotiate the 4pc
figure because "it has already been negotiated".
"That's why we've been through a long consultation
process with all the stakeholders."
He said he never sought the limit to be linked to the
consumer price index.
"I have always looked for a figure of around 4pc because
it's the right thing to do."
He said 4pc is a "very modest margin" above an inflation
rate of around 2pc.
Mr Coveney said; "My job is to make sure that we have a
growing expanding private rental market. If we don't have
an appetite for new buildings to come into the rental
market, for vacant properties that are currently there to
come into the rental market.
"If we don't increase the number of properties that are
available for rent in, well then we're going to continue to
have pressure building and building and building which is
driving up prices.
He said that only considering the plight of tenants would
have been "populist" because without landlords "you don't
have a functioning market".
Mr Coveney said his plan allows modest rent increases
"where appropriate" while benefiting tenants by putting a
stop to "price gouging".
Earlier this morning, social protection minister Leo
Varadkar said Housing Minister Simon Coveney has the
full support of his Government after introducing a
controversial plan to implement rent caps in areas within
the countrys main cities,as said.
Varadkar was speaking to the Dublin Chamber of
Commerce where he praised the "sterling and pioneering"
work being done by Mr Coveney.
"It's going to take time but good progress is being made
and he has the full support of Government in doing what
he is trying to do," the minister told a room of 200

business leaders.
Varadkar insisted Coveney had full support after reports in
the Irish Independent he told ministers he had been
annoyed by the lack of consultation for the plan.
Mr Varadkar spoke on a number of issues including
increasing the population between Grand and Royal canal
in Dublin City.
He told of a need to build both higher and denser in the
city centre.
Minister Coveney's new proposal will involve the
introduction of "rent pressure zones" in both Dublin and
Cork that will cap rent increases to 4pc per year.
The proposal with opposition from Fianna Fil, which
threatened to block the introduction of the zones.
Rent caps
Varadkar speaks as a new rent cap will be extended to all
of the cities across the country and the commuter belt
around Dublin.
And the measure allowing landlords to push up rents by
up to 4pc a year is to be watered down.
Housing Minister Simon Coveney's new rent plan came
under immediate attack. Ministerial colleagues
complained about a lack of consultation and Fianna Fil
threatened to block the introduction of 'Rent Pressure
Zones' in Dublin and Cork.
The key element of his plan to tackle the crisis is based on
preventing landlords hiking rents by more than 4pc
annually for the next three years.
Fianna Fil wants Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and
Waterford covered by the rent cap, along with the
commuter belt around the capital.
The party is not happy with the 4pc increase and wants tax
incentives for landlords to be part of the package.
Concessions in these areas will be the price of FF support.
But Mr Coveney has already said he would not make
"fundamental" changes to the plan.
Fianna Fil 'concerned' over

plan for 4% cap in rent
increases
Rent increase limits are to be introduced in Dublin and Cork
Fianna Fil say they have "genuine concerns" over plans

for a 4% cap in rent increases in major cities.
The limit on annual rental increases is being proposed under
new measures published by the Government today.
Housing Minister Simon Coveney wants the measures put into
law before Christmas but Fianna Fil is reportedly looking for
the cap to be lowered.
Minister Coveney unveiled new measures to limit rent
increases, which he wants to turn into law before Christmas.
Both Dublin and Cork will be designated as rent pressure
zones - with landlords only permitted to increase payments by
up to 4% a year over the next three years.
The zones are areas where annual rent increases have been
at 7% or more in four of the last six quarters - and where rent
levels are already above the national average.
But Fianna Fil says it has "genuine concerns" with elements
of the current model and with its limited geographical scope.
Housing spokesman Barry Cowen said: "We are anxious that
other cities be added immediately and will be asking that
Galway, Limerick, Waterford and large population centres
surrounding Dublin and Cork city are included from day one.
"We are not satisfied that the proposed 4% increase is
appropriate and we also believe that tax incentives for
landlords should be part of the package.
"I am open to further discussions with Minister Coveney to
address these outstanding issues."
In introducing the plan earlier, Mr Coveney rejected calls from
homeless charities - including Focus Ireland and the Simon
Community - to link rents to the consumer price index.
He said linking rent to inflation would "cut off supply" and
insisted a 4% increase is a fair balance.
"We are talking about steady, stable, predictable, potential rent
increases," he said.
"Of course, that is a ceiling so if we manage to get supply up
significantly it's possible that we wont even reach 4%."
Other areas around the country could follow suit if prices
continue to rise above the national average.
The new scheme will aim to bring about greater security of
tenure and rent certainty for landlords and tenants - while also
aiming to improve the quality of rental accommodation.
Housing charity Threshold released their annual report today
warning that while the new measures could curb unexpected
hikes by landlords rental prices around the country are still
far too high.
Rents have already increased dramatically this year by an
average of 11.7% - according to the latest Daft.ie report - the
biggest 12-month increase recorded since its series started in
2002.
The latest report from the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB)
has alsoshown that rents grew by 2.3% in the third quarter of
2016. slightly slower than in the previous three months.
Under the new plan, the RTB will now be responsible for
deciding which areas of the country qualify for caps.
Minister Coveney said the strategy aims to ensure landlords
are able to make a reasonable rate of return - but not charge
whatever they want.
"We have to take account of viability for landlords as well as
viability for tenants," he said.
The idea that you would simply introduce a blunt rent cap
which essentially is what would be proposed if you were to link
it to CPI (Consumer Price Index) cause CPI this year is
actually a negative figure.
I think that would be a significant disincentive to many people
who want to enter the landlord market or the rental market on
a permanent basis.
"Major anti-climax"
Anti Austerity Alliance TD, Ruth Coppinger said the plans do
not go far enough in controlling rents and will not solve the
crisis faced by people in the rental sector.
"It has taken Minister Coveney six months to put this plan
together but it is a major anti-climax for tenants," she said.
"It guarantees landlords the ability to increase rents by 4% well above the rate of inflation or the Consumer Price Index
which is actually at -0.1% so rents should actually be falling."
She said the new rules will only apply to current tenancies
thus "leaving landlords with a huge incentive to end tenant
leases or evict tenants to leave themselves free to jack up
rents beyond this level."
The Social Democrats said the Government should be looking
at measures that reduce rents rather than maintain current
levels.
TD Catherine Murphy said: "It is telling that the language
around this issue has changed from rent certainty to rent
predictability but what we must be talking about is rent
affordability."
"It is one thing being able to predict rent rises but its entirely
different to be able to afford or sustain those raises. 4% per
annum represents nearly 4 times the average salary
increase," she said.
The Social Democrats co-leader Roisin Shortall said the
measures are a "Fine Gael-led response to a housing
emergency that priorities landlords over tenants."
Minster Coveney is hoping the new strategy can be in place
before the government breaks for the holidays - however he
will need the support of Fianna Fil to get the legislation
through the House.
Skyrocketing rents" fueling

homelessness crisis Threshold
Housing charity unveils its annual report to coincide with the
release of new Government plans to limit rental prices in key
areas around the country
'Skyrocketing rents' are among the main causes of

homelessness according to a leading housing charity.
Threshold is unveiling its annual report today - to coincide with
the release of new Government plans to limit rental prices in
key areas around the country.

The charity says potential rent caps in 'pressure zones' like
Dublin and Cork could curb unexpected hikes by landlords but warned that rental prices around the country are still far
too high.
According to the report, the number of people contacting the
charity with concerns over their tenancies rose by 54% last
year.
Threshold chairperson Aideen Hayden said half of the people
that approached the charity last year were, people who were
working and at immediate risk of losing their homes.
One of the issues that is going to be critical here is what is
going to happen in relation to providing affordable rental
accommodation, she said.
People will be renting in this country for the foreseeable
future and affordability is going to be a major, major issue.
Rents have already increased dramatically this year by an
average of 11.7 per cent - according to the latest Daft.ie report
- the biggest 12-month increase recorded since its series
started in 2002.
The Minister for Housing's new plan for the rental market has
been met with scepticism by opposition TD's - with Anti
Austerity Alliance (AAA-PPP) TD Paul Murphy saying the 4%
cap is above the current rate of inflation and "still running
ahead of the general cost of living."
Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy said people have
been "driven out of affordability" in Dublin.
Threshold reported a 26% rise nationally in the number of
tenants seeking advice and support for rent reviews in the
past year
Ms Hayden said tenants have been approaching the charity
with rent increases of up to 40%.
She said if the government plans can limit rent rises to 4% that
would be an improvement.
Enda Kenny has said the Government will scrap its
proposal for rent caps, if Fianna Fil doesn't agree to its
proposals.
This poses a real threat to all tenants, and is resulting in the

most vulnerable, low-income tenants being squeezed out of
the market and in some cases, falling into homelessness, she
said.
The current crisis in the private rented sector has been
caused by a perfect storm of unaffordable rents, shortage of
supply and a regulatory framework that simply does not
support long-term renting.
Disproportionate rent increases in particular are pushing
hundreds of families into homelessness at an accelerated
rate.
The 54 per cent spike in calls that Threshold experienced in
the past year is indicative of the huge issues that are faced by
those living in the private rented sector.
The Threshold report has also found the standard of private
rented accommodation to be a major concern affecting the
most vulnerable in society.
The most common complaints received by threshold included
poor fire safety standards and ventilation issues with other
breaches relating to heating, sanitation, damp and mould.
This issue of poor standards is, worryingly, a growing trend,
said Ms Hayden. This is being compounded by the current
availability crisis, and we are seeing increasing incidences of
overcrowding.
Also, the need for adequate standards is brought into sharp
focus with the cold weather - making standards the number
one concern for Thresholds clients at this time of year.
Threshold is calling on the government to introduce an NCT
style certificate scheme for rented accommodation.
Under the proposal a landlord would require up-to-date
certification endorsed by an approved professional to rent a
property and avail of tax credits, subsidies or housing
payments delivered in the private rented sector.
Ms Hayden said the system could make it easier for local
authorities to enforce the law and provide greater protection
for tenants.
Rents in Ireland at highest ever level
Charities call for the introduction of rent certainty and a
"housing-led solution" to address spiralling prices
NEWS
Rental prices across the country are now at their highest

ever level, according to a new report.
This year saw the largest annual increase in prices since
property website Daft.ie began its report almost 15 years ago.
Irelands average rent is now 1,077 - an increase of 11.7%
on this time last year and a new all-time high.
The country has seen double-digit rent rises in 37 of the 54
areas analysed - up from just 17 as recently as last year.
There were just over 3,600 properties available to rent
nationwide on October 1st, the least amount of properties
available in October since the start of the series.
Just two years ago - on October 1st 2014 - there were almost
6,000 properties listed.
With rents now dwarfing those experienced during the Celtic
Tiger era, the report said the prices are "having a disastrous
effect on social cohesion as well as on Irish competitiveness.
It notes that the complete absence of any meaningful level of
construction over the past five years is a systemic failure in
desperate need of policy solutions.
There is no more urgent task facing the Minister for Housing,
his department and advisers, and the Housing Agency, than
understanding why the costs of building - and building
apartments in particular - is so dramatically out of line with our
own incomes and indeed with the cost in other countries.
Tom Parlon, director general of the Construction Industry
Federation said rents won't come down until the supply of
houses is increased:
"The powers that be need to sit down and look at what
couples can afford to borrow within the Central Bank
regulations," said Mr Parlon.

"They need to look at the costs and look at where those costs
are coming from.
"Whether it be the VAT again or the very substantial levies that
are there, I believe they have to be addressed if we want to
reduce the cost of the construction of houses."
In Dublin, rents have risen at a rate of 12.1% - the highest rate
of inflation in over two years - with rents in the capital now
nearly 10% higher than their previous peak in early 2008.
Homeless charity, the Simon Community has one again called
on the government to introduce rent certainty and "enhanced
security of tenure" in order to address the crisis.
The charity yesterday submitted a strategy to the Department
of Housing which, they say, will address the "spiralling rents
and dwindling supply that have characterised the private
rented sector in recent years."
National Simon Community spokesperson, Niamh Randall
said todays figures are very worrying.
Keeping people in the homes that they already have is key to
stopping the flow of people into homelessness, she said.
People renting their homes must have the security of knowing
that their rents are in line with real market rates and index
linked - for example to the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
Kerry Anthony, CEO of homeless charity service Depaul said
the past year has seen persistently high levels of families and
children accessing homeless services.
Ms Anthony said if the government does not urgently
accelerate the provision of social and affordable housing,
vulnerable families and children will continue to fall through
the cracks.
Homelessness can be particularly devastating for children,
with homeless children at higher risk of mental, physical and
behavioural issues that can have life-long consequence, she
said.
The impact of homelessness on a childs sense of self-worth
cannot be overstated.
She said the homelessness crisis requires a housing-led
solution.
While Depaul works tirelessly to help transition families from
homelessness into more permanent accommodation; the
housing crisis continues to pose a huge barrier to our ability to

do this.
Trinity College Economist Ronan Lyons - the author of the
report - said the rate of inflation is extremely worrying:
Trinity College Economist Ronan Lyons
Mr Lyons said the government needs to make properties

cheaper to build and introduce policies that will fill vacant
homes in order to tackle the crisis.
With the number of homeless families and with the height of
winter approaching, it is extremely urgent that we really tackle
this from a practical point of view, he said.
Why are homes vacant? Is it to do with the legal process? Is
it to do with Fair Deal? Is it to do with a lack of incentives in
the tax system?
How can we make sure that all the properties that we have
built are in use and then how can we build more?
He has told a meeting of Fine Gael TDs that the proposed
4% cap on annual increases will not be adjusted.
Fianna Fil has tabled a Dil amendment looking to lower

the annual cap to 2%.
But at the private meeting tonight Enda Kenny has refused
to consider lowering the cap, and says the plan will be
withdrawn unless the 4% cap is accepted.
New campaign asks people to

give up the price of a pint for
homeless families
The money will be used to help people living in emergency
accommodation.
December 14, 16
Image: Shutterstock/cunaplus
/Photo Text content

A NEW CAMPAIGN is asking people to donate five euro to
help homeless families this Christmas.
#5GiveAFiver and St Vincent de Paul (SVP) are aiming to
raise 5,000 for families and children in emergency
accommodation in Dublin.
There are currently more than 1,000 families in
emergency accommodation in the capital.
The fundraising effort is asking people to give up the cost
of a pint or burrito for a good cause.
In November alone SVPs East Region (Dublin, Kildare
and Wicklow) received approximately 10,000 calls, which
is an increase of 7% on the same period last year. Similar

trends are being experienced in different parts of the
country.
Sarah Dunne, director of #5GiveAFiver, said: We are
facing a homeless crisis on a scale not seen before in
Dublin and across the rest of the country. How
insignificant can 5 sometimes be? Its the price of a drink
and scarily enough the price of a coffee in some places.
But what if we all donated a fiver to SVP this Christmas?
What if you and five of your friends sacrificed your next
pint in the pub or next coffee to donate 5 to those in
desperate need of your help?
What if those five friends passed on the challenge? It
would make a difference. It wont solve the entire problem
but it would help give a child a Christmas. Who is to say
your fiver wont make a difference?
More information on the campaign can be read here.
I have never seen anything like

this': Homelessness in Galway
hits crisis point
More and more families are presenting as homeless in Galway, where
no social housing has been built since 2009.
Nov 28th 2016,
TWO YEARS AGO, TheJournal.ie published an

extensive study of homelessness in Ireland. Since then the
issue has gained traction and is of huge national concern.
This week, we are examining homelessness beyond the
capital. What is the situation around the whole of
Ireland? And what is being done to improve it?
THE CONVERSATION ABOUT homelessness in Ireland is
often, naturally, centred around Dublin given the sheer
scale of the problem in the capital.
However, homelessness is becoming a huge issue in
various parts of the country, including Galway.
John Dolan, the team leader of Galway Simons
resettlement service, has worked in the area of
homelessness for years. He took a career break from

March 2015 to July 2016.
When he returned to work a few months ago, he says it
was a completely different landscape to what he was
used to early last year, with a lot changing in a relatively
short period of time.
I was shocked by the increase in the number of people
seeking access to homeless services, and the change in
demographics, he tells TheJournal.ie.
Dolan says in previous years it was common to deal with

the same service users on more than one occasion, noting:
Galway is a pretty small place, you would know [people]
from the past.
Its completely different now, there are new cohorts of
people that are accessing homelessness services. People
that have never navigated this territory before. There is
huge pressure on services here in Galway.
The level of the crisis that exists is quite frightening to be
honest. I have worked in homeless services for a very long
time and I have never seen anything like this.
Its very frustrating as well. We would love to have
options to give or solutions to give people. The
demographic of people accessing services has really
expanded.
High rents
Dolan says some of the people seeking help may have

rented for many years but been asked to leave their house
as the landlord wants to sell it or allow a family member to
move in.
Taniste Frances Fitzgerald has played down the rising
number of homeless people in the Dil today, welcoming
the slow-down of the rate of increase.
Figures published yesterday show a 35% increase year on
year, while the number of children in emergency
accommodation has gone from just over 900 to more than
2,100 in the past year.
Fianna Fil raised the issue in the Dil today, but Mrs
Fitzgerald said the focus should be on the slow-down,
stressing the figures were from October.
"None of us want to see families going into homeless
accommodation or hotel accommodation," she told the Dil.
The organisations Director of Advocacy, Mike Allen said the
figures paint, a really appalling, bleak picture as we head into
Christmas.
The street team that we run jointly with the Peter McVerry
Trust have been out every night but there arent enough beds
for people.
"The Taoiseach says the latest number of people homeless in
Dublin is "not satisfactory... you can't deny that".
Focus
Ireland Director of Advocacy, Mike Allen
The Minister for Housing, Simon Coveney has pledged to put

an extra 210 emergency beds in place in Dublin by December
9th and Mr Harris said the sooner those are in place the
sooner we can get people off the streets.
Minister Coveney said the Civil Defence will also provide an
extra 20 beds, bringing the nightly emergency accommodation
capacity for single adults in the city to 1,800.
It is essential that we have sufficient beds to meet any
increased demand during cold weather," he said.
John Dolan
Source: Galway Simon
Due to rents being too high for many people, Dolan says
they are left with very little option but to access homeless
services.
Dolan says that while some aspect of the governments
housing action plan are to be welcomed, hes not sure its
a plan that can really solve the issue as it stands because
its such a crisis.
As part of the Rebuilding Ireland plan, the government
aims to build 25,000 homes a year by 2020 and provide
47,000 new social housing units, at a cost of over 5

billion.
Part of the plan will see mixed developments of social and
private housing in various locations.
Dolan says the plan is over-reliant on the private-rented
sector, something that will not work by itself.
There are a lot of bandages being thrown out there, he
says, adding that not introducing rent controls lacks
foresight.
Social housing
Dolan, like many others on the frontline of homelessness
services, believes building more houses has to make up a
large part of the response to what is a perennial national
housing crisis.
We were able to build a huge amount of social hosing in
the 1970s when we didnt exactly have a lot of state coffers.
Its a question of political will in terms of what we do with
the finances that we do have, he notes, saying the 500
million worth of tax cuts in the Budget might have been
better spent on building houses.
No social housing has been built in Galway since 2009.

Helena Martyn of Galway City Councils housing
department told us the first phase of new social housing
(14 units) in the city is expected to begin construction on
Ballymoneen Road in mid-December and be completed by
2018, at an estimated cost of 3.1 million.
The second phase, a minimum of 55 units, is expected to
be delivered shortly thereafter, but its too early in the
planning process for a cost estimation.
Read: My son said to me well need to put up
a Christmas tree this year please God well have
a house first
Speaking about the plan in the Dil this month, Housing
Minister Simon Coveney said: As with all social housing

proposals, there is an onus on the local authority and on
my department to ensure best value for money and a
reasonable density within the development to meet
respond to social housing need.
Accordingly, contacts between my department and Galway
City Council have included the consideration of options in
relation to the density and design for this development,
but such considerations should not delay advancement of
the project.
Coveney added that the two Galway local authorities city
and county have a combined target of 1,126 social
housing units for the period out to 2017, supported by an
allocation of 58.5 million, to be invested in a
combination of building, buying and leasing schemes.
A recent social housing needs assessment found that there
are approximately 3,500 households on the citys housing
waiting list.
The council works with a number of bodies to provide
accommodation, including Clid Housing, Tath Housing
Association, Co-operative Housing Ireland and Respond.
25,000 per month
The average monthly spend by the council on private
emergency accommodation to date in 2016 is 25,272.90,
compared to 16,856.58 per month in 2015.
Martyn notes that this is significant money, describing it
as a short-term solution rather than an ideal one.
Its not fair to expect a familys home to be a hotel. Thats
not an appropriate setting for families. she says, adding
that living in emergency accommodation is not a healthy
environment to grow up in.
Martyn says private emergency accommodation is the
main option available to Galway City Council. It has made
a number of transitional units available to homeless
families and these are used when they become available.
They are always fully occupied.
Obviously where children are involved we make sure some
form of accommodation available. No child should be child
left sleeping on the streets. Thats one of my biggest fears.

Martyn notes that, to the city councils knowledge, this has
never happened, but it if did Tusla, the Child and Family
Agency, would be notified. She says this is something that
could happen if a family didnt contact the council or
organisations such as Simon or COPE.
Martyn says that while homelessness is less prevalent in
the nearby counties of Mayo and Roscommon its still an
issue, with more and more families facing the prospect of
losing their homes.
She adds that while private rented accommodation has its
role to play in responding to the housing crisis, more
houses need to be built nationally.
Lack of accommodation remains a huge issue and new
builds are needed.
The charity's figures show that 65 families became newly
homeless in the city in September.
It brings the total to 736 families - including 1,389 children having become homeless in Dublin in the first nine months
2016.
Meanwhile, national figures released by the Government this
evening show there are a total of 6,709 people homeless
nationwide. That includes 1,173 families and 2,426 children in
emergency or temporary accomodation.
Focus Ireland Director of Advocacy, Mike Allen, said: We
need to stop the constant flow of families and single people
becoming homeless. Our frontline staff have seen first-hand
that the two key reasons families are becoming homeless is
one, landlords are selling up and getting out of the business,
and two, rising rents.
"Both these issues are within the power of the Government to
tackle and while they have taken some actions they have
clearly not done enough, fast enough," he added.
Sinn Fin housing spokesperson oin Broin, meanwhile,
said the latest figures are "not surprising given the
Government's inaction".
He suggested: Every single day more people are presenting
as homeless. Home repossessions, vacant possession of buyto-let properties, spiralling rents and family breakdown are the
key reasons.
It is also deeply disappointing to see the Minister delay the
release of the September figures and then quietly post them
on the Department's website late in the evening when the
country's media is focused on the Brexit Forum. This smacks
of trying to brush this bad news under the carpet," he added.
http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/homeless_report__september_2016_0.pdf
A DCU student who was homeless as a child has urged

her peers to support an annual charity drive.
Laura Hogan was speaking in a video to promote a 24-hour
broadcast organised by the DCU Media Production Society in
aid of the Peter McVerry Trust.
The Dublin student explained that she only realised she was
homeless after receiving a Christmas gift box similar to one
she had prepared in school for other homeless children.
Laura was in fifth class at the time, living in a shelter with her
family after they lost their home.
"Most people think you become homeless through having a
bad family, like your family are on drugs. [This] was not the
case for me at all, which made me take a long time to realise I
was homeless," she said.
"Even when it was a really rough night, staying in a car or
sitting around on the streets," she added, "it still didnt dawn
on me I was actually homeless. I thought it was normal."
Now, Laura said, her life has "completely changed".
"Since then, we've come so far. My mam is my main
cheerleader. Anything I do, she is just so impressed by.

"I got one of the highest [Leaving Cert] results in my schools. I
got into DCU; I'm now in final year doing journalism.
"Donating to charities is so important because it helps people
like me get to where I am. Now, I can actually live a normal
life."
DCU student on being homeless- 'I thought it was normal' Laura
Hogan describes her journey from homeless shelter to university Oct
25th 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxCsT-pcyRA
The St Vincent de Paul (SVP) charity is drawing attention
to concerns at the housing and homeless crisis by
transforming its Dublin shop front.
For two days the window of the SVP shop on South Great
Georges Street is being transformed into a unique 'hidden
homeless' estate agency window.
This initiative is to draw attention to the SVP's concern at the
homeless crisis - and the lack of social housing in Ireland.
SVP wants to see real progress on the targets for 2016 set out
in Rebuilding Ireland, the Government's Action Plan for
Housing.
The charity says the 'hidden homeless' are people and
families in hotels and B&Bs - made homeless by hikes in
private rented sector rents - and also people making do with
cold, damp and poor quality rental units or 'sofa surfing' in the
homes of friends or extended family.
"These families and people are a key concern for SVP as its
members visit them, every week of the year, across Ireland
but particularly in and around Dublin, Cork and other cities",
the charity says.
"SVP directly assists in preventing homelessness, in an
informal way, for low income families in private rented housing
who face significant rent increases".
John-Mark McCafferty, SVP head of social justice and policy,
adds: "SVP volunteers assist with practical support including
financial assistance and referral to relevant agencies. SVP
also provides social housing and emergency accommodation
and is therefore at the heart of the housing and homelessness
issue."
This Monday and Tuesday, visitors to the shop and passers-by
will see a very different type of estate agency window - with
properties advertised in terms of what many low income
families face.
Shop visitors and members of the general public will also be
asked by younger SVP members from university branches to
sign a petition to join the call for Government to ensure that
enough social housing is built or bought to meet current and
future need.
Among the properties advertised are:
Hotel rooms with the opportunity for children to mix with a
variety of people from stag parties and business conferences:
Source: SVP
Compact flats with kitchenette with open vent for constant air
circulation and occasional hot water:
Source: SVP
A relatives couch within a multi-use environment that can also

be used for relaxing and entertaining guests:
Source: SVP
SVP says there are 90,000 households waiting for social

housing across Ireland and over 2,000 children living in
homeless accommodation in Dublin.
Martin OConnor, Assistant CEO of COPE Galway, says the

city is an example of somewhere where when the crash
happened, there was no overhang of unfinished
properties. He says there were small pockets of
apartments, but not many housing estates close to
completion.
Without additional housing its simply not going to be

possible to manage the crisis, he notes.
Rough sleeping
Dolan says homelessness in Galway has become much
more visible in recent times.
Its the first time in many peoples memory that visible
homelessness is now an everyday topic of conversation.
Thats significant. Squatting always happened, but now
there is more of a spillover onto the streets people
sleeping in bus shelters, in front of foyers of hotels.
COPE estimates that about 20 people sleep rough in the
city every night.
OConnor says this figure is likely to be higher as there are
also people squatting in semi-derelict or derelict buildings,
and sleeping in the stairwells of car parks.
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He says there are usually more men sleeping rough than

women, and a small number of couples. He notes that
some of their relationships formed while on streets,
sometimes due in part to reasons of safety for women.
On top of this, Dolan says there are the invisible
homeless, people who are couch-surfing or staying in
hostels, B&Bs or hotels.
Services
Simon provides a number of services in Galway city,
including a moving on service that aims to help men
move into independent living (a service they also provide),
community housing, long-term housing and a youth
homelessness service.
Heres a breakdown of the number of people Galway
Simon has helped in 2016:
Households worked with from January to September:
529 (up from 366 in the whole of 2015)
Households helped by the community support team
from January to September: 285 (up from 227 in 2015)
Number of people housed in their services from
January to September: 101 (113 in 2015)
Referrals from January to October 2016: 251 (226 in
2015)
Number of families worked with from January to
October: 112 (up from 32 in 2015 and five in 2014)
Dolan says some of the young people they support
previously lived in the care system or may have ended up
on the streets due to a family breakdown.
He adds that youth homelessness is a huge issue, and
something Simon works very much in tandem with other
agencies to tackle.
Read: I dont want to be 40 living in a tent
waking up with a bottle of vodka beside me
In a joint initiative between a number of organisations and
the city council, a new complex that will house 18-25 year
olds is due to open by the end of November with the aim
of getting young people off the streets before the weather
worsens.
Its very hard to get your head around, in terms of how
these people have been left with so few options, Dolan
notes.
Drug use
Dolan says some of the service users Simon works with
have substance dependence and mental health issues, but
describes this as a chicken and egg scenario, with some
issues developing or worsening as a result of
homelessness.
Much of this can come as a result of homelessness or
some kind of trauma that existed in childhood and teenage
years. he notes.
Source: Shutterstock/Olena Yakobchuk
OConnor says COPE has noticed an increase in heroin use

in the city in recent years. He says this can lead to a
difficult dynamic in shared emergency accommodation.
Were very clear about whats permissible. We wont

facilitate active drug use in homeless services. We will link
people and refer them to addiction services with a view to
getting them on a methadone programme.
OConnor notes that its much easier to access services in
Dublin and many addicts have to leave the west to access a
detox programme.
One of the big deficits is the near complete absence of
detox and rehab services in Galway and the surrounding
areas.
He says COPE is aware of a small number of cases where
women have engaged in sex work in order to get money for
drugs.
There is a waiting list for the local methadone programme
which can cause issues because, as OConnor puts it, there
might only be a small window of opportunity to engage
with somebody.
Evictions
COPE has also seen a rise in the number of families
seeking help in the last 18 months in particular. OConnor
says that since then there has been a very notable
increase in the number of families starting to access
services, and that level of need has persisted.
A number of families are currently being put up in a hostel
originally designed for single women.
Like Simon, all of COPEs beds are full and the demand
continually outstrips supply.
OConnor says a lack of affordable housing means some
people end up staying emergency accommodation for
extended periods of time.
COPE is working with about 60 families who are homeless
or at risk of homelessness, with four or five new families
presenting for help each month.
Martin O'Connor
Source: COPE Galway
OConnor says about 10 new families were presenting

monthly earlier this year, but fortunately this number has
dropped recently.
COPE is working with a number of families who are in
notice-to-quit situations and facing eviction. OConnor
says the organisation has had some success in getting
families more time to try to strike a deal with their
landlord.
He says some landlords are sympathetic and trying to be
amenable, with some very regretful in certain instances,
but they might want to sell the property or have more rent
coming in so dont want to continue with the current
arrangement.
He notes that a number of landlords are also not renewing
contracts to provide housing for local authorities when
they come to an end, as they might be able to make more
money by selling the house or renting it privately.
OConnor says nine of the 60 families being helped by
COPE are experiencing hidden homelessness where
they have lost their accommodation and are staying with
family of friends something that is not sustainable in the
long-term.
Roughly half of the families COPE is currently helping are
Traveller families who were settled but lost their
accommodation, often due to the landlord taking the
property back to sell it or for their own family to use.
OConnor says it can be particularly challenging for
Travellers to access new privately-rented accommodation
as there is an added prejudice.
Void properties
OConnor says the number of void properties available to
be refurbished and used as accommodation in Galway city
is pretty much exhausted.
He notes that many of the few three-bedroom houses
available in the city cost over 1,000 a month. He says
some parents struggle to make up the difference between
the rent and their rent supplement entitlement of 875 if
they have two children or 900 for three children
especially when they are competing with the rest of the
market.
The HAP was introduced in Galway in February. OConnor
says its early days for the scheme in Galway, but it has
seen some success.
Day centre
Source: COPE Galway
As well as providing an emergency accommodation

response for families experiencing homeless, COPE also
runs a number of hostels.
Its Fairgeen facility is a 26-bedroom hostel that provides
emergency and short-term accommodation for men. A 12unit hostel, Osterley Lodge, provides emergency and
short-term accommodation for women on their own or
with children.
Domestic violence
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COPEs Waterside House is the only 24-hour accessible

refuge in the western region. It provides accommodation,
information, support and court accompaniment to women
and their children experiencing domestic violence. There
is an outreach service for women in the city and county
who are in abusive relationships and need support and
information.
In 2015, almost 600 women and children received support
from across our range of domestic violence services
including our refuge. However, a further 288 individual
women and 405 children who sought safe refuge could not
be accommodated due to lack of space. In these instances
women were offered referral to refuges elsewhere in the
country.
Heres a breakdown of the domestic violence-related
services provided by COPE to date in 2016:
Refuge admissions: 68 women (58 individual); 74
children (70 individual)
Unable to accommodate: 162 women with 197
children
Outreach appointments provided: 545 in Galway city
and county
Court accompaniments: 59 women accompanied 110
times
Play therapy sessions: Provided for 93 children
Healthy relationships sessions: Provided in 33
secondary schools
The refuge has capacity to accommodate six women and 15
children at any given time. The building is unfit for
purpose its based on single room bedsit-type
accommodation and cannot facilitate onsite cooking or an
outdoor play area for children.
Osterley Lodge
Source: COPE Galway
A new facility is due to be built on Forster Street in the city

centre.
It will comprise nine self-contained accommodation units
(seven one-beds and two two-beds), each with a
kitchen/living room, bedroom/s and bathroom. It will
have an overall capacity to accommodate a minimum of
nine women and about 20 children. Units will be shared to
facilitate further capacity when needed.
The building, which will also have communal and office
rooms, was donated by the Sisters of Mercy on a 99-year
lease in 2013. The redevelopment is set to cost about 2.5
million, with a 1.16 million grant being provided by the
Department of the Environment, Community and Local
Government.
IRELAND IMMIGRANT
INVESTOR PROGRAMME
NOVEMBER 8, 2016
The Ireland Immigrant Investor Programme was

introduced in 2012 to allow foreign investors to
obtain permanent residency status in Ireland.
The ultimate objective of the programme is to
create jobs and facilitate further economic
development in Ireland.
The Irish Governments five year plan seeks to
attract 900
new businesses to the country.
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further economic development in Ireland. The Irish

Governments five year ... 300,000 immigrants into the
country in 2017,
Have a minimum net worth of 2,000,000

Be of good character, and not have been convicted
of any
criminal offenses.
Invest 500,000 into an eligible Irish company for a
minimum of 3 years.
Investments must support the creation or
maintenance of
employment in Ireland.
Investments must be made in the name of the
applicant.
Investments made for the purpose of purchasing
publicly
traded securities or real estate for the purposes of
leasing
or renting will not be considered as eligible
investments.
Benefits
Residency requirement of only 1 day per year.

Children up to the age of 24 can be included as
dependents.
No previous management or business experience
required.
Simple Documentation and One-Step Approval
Process.
Over 1,000 refugees

expected to arrive in Co
Kildare in 2017
CPPI 3 hours ago Irish News 0 Comments 65 Views
Well now arent we the lucky ones? It seems that the

Celtic people of Kildare are going to have to
welcome over 1000 invaders ( oh I do mean poor
down-trodden refugees ) in 2017.
Well thats very nice. Im sure that this little
homeless Celtic girl will happily sleep under the
portico of the GPO so that we can house thousands of
invaders.
Over a thousand are anticipated to arrive in Co

Kildare by September next. Ireland is committed to
offering asylum to 4,000 Syrian refugees.
Has any of us actually been asked if we want this?
Meanwhile, the Focolare Centre, based in
Prosperous, is organising a Christmas fair in aid of
refugees in Syria this Saturday from 11am to 4pm.
One of the event organisers, Susan Gately said: We
have been very touched by the refugees that we have
met. Syria is in our hearts.
Thats so nice of Susan. But does she actually know
what these Syrian refugees are doing in Germany?
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdLQk6WbEY8
I guess Susan would not want to know about the true

nature of these poor refugees as it would go
against her demented leftie thinking.
Maybe Susan might change her mind if she saw this
footage of poor Syrian refugees attempting to rape
a young French girl.
Jhttps://www.youtube.com/watch
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdEKynBCxzU
State television broadcast footage reveals a tide of

hundreds of refugees walking along a ravaged street,
wearing thick clothes against the rain and cold, many
with hoods or hats pulled tight around their faces,
and hauling sacks or bags of belongings.
Yes well the media whores of RTE are only too happy
to encourage the ethnic cleaning of the Celtic People
of Ireland at every opportunity by guilt tripping them
into accepting the invasion of our beloved Ireland by
millions of turd worlders.
The International Committee for the Red Cross
appealed for all sides to spare civilian lives. As the
battle reaches new peaks and the area is plunged into
chaos thousands with no part in the violence have
literally nowhere safe to run. Speaking to Kildare
Now, Mr Power says that the refugees in Co Kildare
are happy to be here.
Ill bet they are happy to be here. They will be given
priority housing ahead of our Celtic People and will
be fed and clothed forever and all at our expense. In
effect we are paying to have our country invaded.
Have you noticed that EVERY week the number of
negros and asiatics increases on the streets of every
Irish town and city? And if these people are genuine
refugees, why then did they not stay in Turkey or go
to Israel or Saudi Arabia? Because there are no free
handouts there. Thats why.

There are NO legitimate war refugees in Ireland. For
someone to claim refugee status they must go to the
first safe port of call. Ireland is not any refugees first
safe port of call. Therefore the traitors of Dail
Eireann are deliberating importing millions of turd
worlders to change our Celtic country into a turd
world hell hole.
In power we will expel all

those who arrived on our
shores illegally and will hod
to account all those who
aided and abetted the
invasion of Ireland by
negros and asiatics.
http://www.cppireland.org/2016/12/14/over-1000-refugees-expectedto-arrive-in-co-kildare-in-2017/
Enda Kenny appeals to

Fianna Fil to pass proposed
rent measures before
Christmas
Fianna Fil has said they "are not satisfied that the proposed
4% increase is appropriate"
NEWS
Image: RollingNews.ie
The Taoiseach has set the Government on a collision

course with Fianna Fail by defending the proposed caps
for rental increases.
Housing Minister Simon Coveney unveiled new measures
yesterday, which he wants to turn into law before Christmas.
Both Dublin and Cork will be designated as rent pressure
zones - with landlords only permitted to increase payments by
up to 4% a year over the next three years.
Fianna Fil says the 4% limit for rent increases in the two
cities is too high and needs to be lowered.
In a statement yesterday, the party's housing spokesperson
Barry Cowen said: "We are not satisfied that the proposed 4%
increase is appropriate and we also believe that tax incentives
for landlords should be part of the package."
He also suggested that Galway, Limerick, Waterford and other

large population centres are added to the scheme from 'day
one'.
Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast this morning, Deputy Cowen
argued: "Let's see the proposals, let's amend them, let's
debate them, let's analyse them, and let's reach a consensus.
That's what the democratic process presents us with the
opportunity to do and I hope that won't be lost."
However Enda Kenny is standing by the 4% level, saying it
needs to strike a balance.
In the Dil he has appealed to Fianna Fil to allow the
measures be passed into law before the Christmas break on
Friday.
"This is a really important matter for thousands of people now,
and I do hope that this legislation will nto be delayed," he told
deputies.
http://www.newstalk.com/En
da-Kenny-appeals-to-FiannaFil-to-pass-proposed-rentmeasures-before-Christmas
Finance Accounts 2014
Dec 8, 2015
https://www.youtube.com/wa
tch?v=josVLnNiRvQ
Johnathon Sugarman (Whistleblower)
With Vincent Browne
Dec 6, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUpmZV8QZiw
Hell hath no fury like a Justice scorned | Shane Ross | Irish Times |
07/12/16 |
It is important, as the chief justice has said, that politicians and judges owe
respect to the other.
And so we should. A prerequisite for such respect is that the method of judicial
appointments is transparent and democratic. Currently, it is not.
My Independent Alliance colleagues and I inserted a few paragraphs in the
Programme for Government insisting on long overdue reforms in the selection
and scrutiny of our judges.
The judges have greeted the proposals with thunder in their voices.
The dogs in the street know that party -political loyalties have played a
shameful part in the selection of Judges in Ireland. Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and
Labour barristers have often been forced to wait for regime change until they
were elevated to the bench.
I have campaigned for reform of this flawed system for years. I wrote chapters
in books on it. I even suggested that interviews might be held for the first time
ever. Being recently privileged with a place in the cabinet seemed a pretty
good perch from which to implement the changes. Fine Gael agreed to them.
At long last it seems that the appointment of judges is to be taken out of the
political arena.
And it is. Even Fianna Fail has agreed that the good old days of governments
appointing party pals to the bench are over.
A new Bill hit the Dail a few weeks ago, largely removing the selection of
judges from the political arena.
The Bill was proposed by a Fianna Fail barrister, Jim O Callaghan. It was
warmly welcomed in the Dail by all sides, as it tackled the cancer of political
patronage. A few other barrister TDs, besides Jim, joined Frances Fitzgerald
and me in our initial welcome of the breakthrough.
The Bill was far from perfect. While it largely removed political leverage, it
gave someone else legal eagles a majority on the new commission
selecting judges. The old system, a board that sent up a long, long list of likely
names to the minister for justice, would end. Under Jims Bill the judiciary and
their legal friends would control the choice. Political patrons would be
replaced by legal insiders.
Irelands judges will not have been displeased by what they call Jims Bill.
Yet the prospect of legal eagles in control of the appointment of judges runs
directly contrary to the Programme for Governments commitment. We
welcome judges and lawyers on the selection board, but not in control. The
Independent Alliance agreed to an independent layperson in the chair, flanked
by a majority of lay people advised by judges and lawyers, offering their
expertise. The chief Justice would be welcome among their number. While all
the lawyers would be full members, the legal professions iron grip would be
loosened. We do not want to see judges on the inside appointing their chosen
ones. What sort of replacement would that be for political cronyism? And,
acknowledging an omission in the programme for government, I proposed that
Judges should be legally obliged to declare all their financial and other
interests. Just like TDs.
Perhaps prompted by some rather colourful rhetoric from me and by Fianna
Fail support in the form of Jims Bill, Irelands lawyers took to the media. Two
weeks ago the chief justice broke cover. The newspapers responded with
massive coverage. I came under sustained attack. Journalist Colm Keena
chastised me for alleged inaccuracies. Keena himself, without checking with

me, put his name to an article claiming that I had insisted on attending a
meeting with the judges having learned of the meeting. Keena was not
inaccurate. He was wrong.
The powerful law lobby moved into full gear. The number of lawyers offered
space to defend their patches was staggering. The Irish Times led the field in
giving openings to this privileged group. Ten days ago the chairman of the Bar
Council Paul McGarry penned a piece entitled Criticism a threat to
independence of the Judiciary. On Friday columnist Noel Whelan headed his
column Rosss fixation on judges is mere political posturing. OK, but
perhaps Whelans eagerness proves a transparency point. In his hard hitting
piece , addressing the Independent Alliance ( whom he dislikes) and the legal
eagles (his colleagues) he fails to reveal not one , but two , missing
declarations of interests. Readers might be surprised to know that Whelan is a
former Dail and Seanad candidate for Bertie Aherns Fianna Fail. Nor does he
mention that he is a senior counsel. His political comments echo those of Jim
OCallaghan, the Fianna Fail barrister in the Dail. His column serves both
Fianna Fail and the legal eagles well. Pity he didnt declare his interests.
Such transparency does not fit well with the traditions of the Law Library
where Noel does his day job.. No doubt Noel does not nurse any ambitions to
hit the bench? He would undoubtedly have told us.
He maintains that in the present controversy it is politics, not the appointments
system, that are the issue. He is wrong. The judges and the lawyers, like
Noel, are the issue. Nor is it just the appointments, it is the near- impossibility
of removing a bad judge, that must be resolved in coming legislation.
Judges are good at fighting rearguard actions. Their opposition to a cut in
their pay in the 2009 referendum was not their finest hour. Nor do they like
being challenged. Most of them are good people, doing an honest job.
Following the chief justices foray into the public arena, the president of the
Circuit Court Raymond Groarke hit the headlines. In an intemperate response
to the prospect of a shortage of judges, he declared that if the government did
not give him judges he would not be able to obey their legislative strictures. I
am sure the judge did not intend to imply that he was willing to break the law.
In response to Judge Groarke and to ensure that we do not obstruct the
needs of justice- the government has agreed to appoint new judges, albeit
under the old flawed system.
Judge Groarke, might in turn, listen to the chief justices words of the need for
respect for the other. Let alone for the law of the land.
The interview you all have being waiting for. Finally Irish
mainstream interviews Johnathon Sugarman, author of the
book Whistleblower. Johnathon goes into great detail
surrounding the complete lack of lawful behaviour of our
banks, the regulator and of the Irish government.
My apoligies for the quality, sadly I need to upgrade all my
computing tech.
Find Truthful Irish @ https://www.facebook.com/truthful.irish/

Contents used under the Fair Use acts.
Show is edited, all ads and newspaper reviews have been
removed. Watch the full uninterrupted video here.
http://www.tv3.ie/3player/show/41/0/T...
What Irish Bankers Hoped The Irish

People Would Never Discover.
Nov 21, 2016
What Irish Bankers Hoped The Irish People Would Never
Discover.
Now the questions the Irish People are starting to ask?
WHY IRELAND BAILED OUT NOT JUST "IRISH BANKS", BUT 42%
of Europes Banks ?????
This Videos exposes the hidden fraud that took place, Time for
jailing the Minster For Fraud ....M Noonan and Co..
tch?v=UOUVL_3eIGw
Interviews of whistleblowers to Vasileios
Katsardis 15 11 2016
tch?v=c7d3Cx-9ta8
Whistleblower protection: What must be
done?
Nov 16, 2016
Below all the soundbites in English
Kouloglou
There must be laws for protecting the whistleblowers. To
facilitate people who have secrets but are afraid to talk in
order to avoid suffering what the previous whistleblowers
suffered. Europe, the EU should take such initiatives. In a time

when populism is gaining ground, where citizens feel unsafe
and unprotected, enraged by cleptocracy, by the 1% getting
continuously richer at the expense of the 99%. It is essential
that the European Parliament votes for protection measures for
whistleblowers. Otherwise we will have many little Donald
Trumps, throughout Europe. And we do not protect only the
whistleblowers. By protecting whistleblowers we will in fact
protect our society, democracy, our children and their future,
ourselves.
Only from the Falciani list that has to do with only to one bank,
the American state gained 1.9 billion dollars by imposing a fine
on only one bank HSBC. After investigation on the list, France,
Spain, Great Britain -and I hope Greece- have earned at least
half a billion euros.
Sugarman
I think people should realise that literally people have gotten
away with murder. When you hear about the suicide rates in
places like Greece, when you hear about the fact that
something like 10% of the Greek population goes to bed
starving, this didnt happen because of an earthquake. It
happened because people in key positions did not do their job.
Either by neglect or criminal conduct, deliberate conduct. And
nobody has been held to account. Every bank in Greece has at
least one manager. In some large retail banks you might have
at least 50 people working in risk. Who signed all those loans?
Halet
It is a very good thing to keep on putting pressure on both the
European Commission and the politicians at national level, be
it Greek, and it is by making this kind of conferences that we
will continue to put pressure, that we will continue to talk
about whistleblowers, especially about how to find solutions to
protect them.
Elmer
I think it was a very important event because we talked about
the law which needs to be changed in respect of protection of
the whistle-blowers. That is an absolutely key issue. Because if
there is no protection for whistleblowers then the information
the society needs will not be revealed. We are talking about
tax evasion, tax fraud, terrorist financing, corruption, even
money laundering, even issues for instance in a hospital where
doctors abuse their power, they just go for the money. So, the
protection of whistle blowers is absolutely key to make our

society a better place.
tch?v=HMsMsi0NFyo
A Functioning
Private Rented
Sector Needs
Landlords - SF
A functioning private rented sector needs
landlords, according to Sinn Fin.

The party's Housing spokesperson, Eoin Broin
TD, made the call ahead of the launch of the
Government's strategy for the private rented
sector.
He also said Minister Simon Coveney has a "unique
opportunity to bring forward ambitious reforms".
Deputy Broin said: "We would like to see the
Minister committing to a review of the tax
treatment of landlords in advance of Budget 2018.
There needs to be parity in how the 65% of
Landlords that own just one property are treated
and how institutional landlords are treated.
"We all know this sector is in urgent need of
reform. The Minister's focus on the supply issue
alone will not provide any relief to over 700,000
struggling with increasing rental costs. Greater
protections for an ever increasing number of
tenants must form the cornerstone of this strategy.
We hope that despite the Minister's reluctance to
support it in the past, rent certainty will be part of
the government's plan. We urgently need to put a
halt to spiralling rental costs. Neither the tenant
nor the landlord benefits from seismic peaks and
troughs in rental prices. Linking rent increases and
decreases to an index like the consumer price
index provides certainty to both parties."
He continued: "Rent certainty must be introduced
in tandem with greater security of tenure. Sinn Fin
would like to see the option of tenancies of
indefinite duration introduced. The notion of the
private rented sector being transient in nature,
where students dominate needs to be dismissed.

"One quarter of people in Dublin are now living in
the private rented sector. In order to build
sustainable communities, there must be some
move towards providing for five, ten or twenty year
leases. We would also like to see tenants protected
by removing the sale of the home as a reason for
evicting tenants. This measure would help many
families avoid homelessness.
"Finally, we would like to see the Minister making a
commitment to increase resources and funding for
local authority inspections and for the work of the
Residential Tenancies Board (RTB). Renters should
not have to put up with sub-standard
accommodation and the RTB must be adequately
funded so that landlord-tenant disputes are
resolved speedily."
http://www.constructionireland.ie/constructionnews/223319/a-functioning-private-rented-sector-needslandlords-sf
Mr Simon Coveney TD, Minister for Housing, Planning,
Community & ... As the landlord continues to service his
mortgage throughout the term, with all relevant
http://www.ipav.ie/sites/default/files/ipav_submission_novemb
er_2016_-_rebuilding_ireland__strategy_for_the_rental_sector.pdf
Irish landlords to be
offered five years rent for
vacant properties
European News
21 Sep 2016
Landlords in Ireland will be offered five years rent up front or

as much as 30,000 for vacant properties as part of a new
Government initiative aimed at resolving the housing crisis in
the country.
Housing Minister Simon Coveney is developing a scheme which
will see local authorities approach owners of vacant properties
and offer them a lump sum in return for leasing the properties.
Council officials will offer landlords grants for vacant houses
under a repair to lease scheme. It is hoped the project will
incentivise people to renovate old houses which have sat idle
for a number of years, before renting them to tenants through
local authorities.
Approved housing agencies will also be able to avail of the
scheme and organisations will be encouraged to identify vacant
properties which could be leased. Pilot projects of the scheme
are to be rolled out in Waterford and Carlow before it goes
nationwide.
The Housing Agency has also been given 70m to purchase and
renovate vacant properties for rent. There are an estimated
250,000 empty properties around the country.
http://www.property-investornews.com/news/european_news/2016/09/21/irish_landlords_to_be_offer
ed_five_years_rent_for_vacant_properties.html#.WFHb7Tsy6FI
Investing in Student
Accommodation - The
Common Pitfalls
Celia Berg, Partner and Sophie D'Ivangin,
Associate, in the Real Estate practice at Berwin
Leighton Paisner, comment
Student Market
4 Jul 2016
Global investment into the UK student housing sector is

growing and is set to grow further as an asset class providing
stable long term income streams and rental growth with the UK
being the second most popular post graduate destination for
international students. Part of the alternatives class of assets, it
is governed by its own rules and risks with a mix of residential
and commercial property considerations.
We have mentioned below some practical examples of where
things can go wrong, to highlight some of the risks inherent to
investment in student accommodation.
Tax planning
VAT Recoverability - Trying to obtain zero-rating eligibility to
ensure the recoverability of VAT is a recurring issue in student
accommodation development.
Example: - The builder/developer charges VAT on the
construction costs. The owner of the property attempts to
reclaim VAT but HMRC determines that no VAT should have
been payable so it cannot be recovered (as the developer
should have zero-rated). The owner can end up having paid
millions in irrecoverable VAT.
http://www.property-investornews.com/article/student_market/2016/07/29/investing_in_student_acco
mmodation___the_common_pitfalls_.html#.WFHcLjsy6FI
Minister
Slammed Over
Plans To Permit
Landlords To
Increase Rents
Sinn Fin has hit out at Housing Minister

Simon Coveney over plans to permit
landlords to increase rent prices by 4% every
year for the next three years.
Spokesperson on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation
Maurice Quinlivan TD said the proposals will do
nothing for struggling renters in Limerick.
Deputy Quinlivan said: "The measures announced
will do nothing to assist a family renting an
average home in Limerick for 1,200 per month, or
single people who are struggling to pay
exceptionally high rents on one and two bedroom
flats in Limerick. Low and middle income families
and single people simply do not have this money.

They cannot afford further rent increases.
"The fact of the matter is that for those living
outside the so called 'rent pressure zones' rents
will continue to rise.
"The latest quarterly rental report for Daft.ie
showed that tenants in Limerick City faced an
average annual rent increase of 13.2% which is
higher than in Dublin at 10.9%.
"The onus is now on Fianna Fil to support a cross
party amendment and do what Minister Coveney
and his colleagues in Cabinet are not willing to do,
namely to give struggling renters a break."
http://www.constructionireland.ie/construction-news/223377/ministerslammed-over-plans-to-permit-landlords-to-increase-rents
Simon Coveneys Big

House Con
By SW Editor on 27th July 2016Comments Off on Simon Coveneys Big
House Con
Simon Coveney has launched his new

Housing Action Plan with quite a fanfare.
Unsurprisingly much of the media has
echoed Coveneys own view of his
proposals: a game changer, 47,000 new
social houses!, the biggest housing
programme in the history of the state.
Simon Coveney has launched his new Housing Action Plan

with quite a fanfare. Unsurprisingly much of the media
has echoed Coveneys own view of his proposals: a game
changer, 47,000 new social houses!, the biggest housing
programme in the history of the state.
Tragically and it is tragic for the homeless on the streets
and the 140,000 on the housing waiting list this is spin
and hype, a huge con.
Start with the headline figure, the 47,000 social houses;
bearing in mind the 140,000 (and growing) on the waiting
list this is not enough. And when you look deeper into the
Plan you find that even this figure is unlikely to be
delivered: it actually talks in terms of building up to
25.000 by 2021. Up to here is politician speak for less
than
Then there is the fact highlighted by People Before Profit
TD Richard Boyd Barrett in the Dil that there is NO
figure in the Plan for the number of actual Council Houses
to be built. Boyd Barrett put this question direct to Enda
Kenny but got, as usual, no answer.
Another feature of the Plan is that it does not address the
crucial question of rent control, despite the fact that more
and more people are being priced out of their homes by

rapacious landlords.
This reflects the underlying problem with Coveneys Plan
and with the governments whole approach: that they
insist on relying on market mechanisms and the private
developers to deal with the housing crisis.
The whole report is littered with references to incentives
and the private sector, by which they really mean vulture
funds. The government is going to hand over 75% of state
land and funds to private developers who will build
houses, only 25% of which will be social housing.
This is despite the fact that it is has been proven over
decades that relying on the profit motive to provide
housing doesnt work it just makes the problem worse.
Simon Coveney has said he is staking his political career
on his plan working. He may live to regret that pledge.
What we need now is what People Before Profit and AAA
have been arguing for all along: declare a National
Housing Emergency; treat housing as a basic human right;
take over vacant housing; introduce emergency rent
controls; start a massive programme of council house
building.
And defy any instructions from the EU that it cant be
done: the housing needs and right of our people come
before EU rules!
Fianna Fil has

concerns over
Government's rent
plan
Article meta info, bylin, date etc
Updated / Dec. 14,
Dublin and Cork have been designated rent pressure

zones
This is the actual article body
The passage of legislation underpinning the

Government's rental strategy through the
Oireachtas in its present form is in serious
doubt after Fianna Fil raised concerns about

a number of elements in it.
Minister for Housing Simon Coveney earlier
announced plans to limit how much landlords
could increase rents in designated areas;
with the central proposal a 4% annual limit
on rent rises in designated areas.
The system would last for a maximum of
three years.
Following a meeting of the party's frontbench
tonight, Fianna Fil spokesperson on housing,
planning and local government Barry Cowen
said he was open to further discussions with
Mr Coveney to address the outstanding
issues.
However, he said Fianna Fil had "genuine
concerns" with elements of the strategy.
He said Fianna Fil was anxious that a limit
on rent increases would apply to other cities
apart from Dublin and Cork.
The party wants Galway, Limerick, Waterford
and large population centres surrounding
Dublin and Cork city also included from the
outset.
Mr Cowen also stated tax incentives for
landlords should be in the package and he
added they were not satisfied that the
proposed 4% annual limit on rent increases in
designated rent pressure zones was
appropriate.
It is understood members raised the prospect
of introducing a 2% limit.
At the launch of the strategy, Mr Coveney
said he was not able to be flexible if

fundamental changes were required.
Minister of State for Housing and Urban
Renewal Damien English tonight ruled out
any change to,the proposed 4% cap on rent
increases.
Speaking on RT's Prime Time, he said the
cap had been decided by Cabinet and would
not be altered despite demands from Fianna
Fil.
Mr Coveney outlined his plans for rent
pressure zones to Cabinet this morning.
The limits will first be introduced in the socalled rent pressure zones of Dublin and Cork
city.
The areas meet two designated
criteria: that annual rents have risen by at
least 7% in four of the past six quarters; and
that the average rent is above the national
average in the past quarter.
The measure will come into effect when
tenants in the designated areas have their
rents reviewed or new tenancies begin.
In other areas, rents can only be increased
every two years under a provision to expire in
2019.
Properties that are new to the rental market
and those that have been substantially
refurbished will be exempt from the 4% rent
increase limit to ensure supply
Mr Coveney said the Residential Tenancies
Board would be in a position to come back to
him next March on the possibility of other

areas being designated as rent pressure
zones.
Where the rental market has stabilised, some
areas will be removed from the list of special
designated rent-free zones.
Mr Coveney said that he was trying to get a
balance and respond in a sensible and
proportionate way that would also incentivise
supply.
He said linking rent rises to inflation would
have a negative impact and disincentivise
people to enter the rental market.
Other measures announced in the strategy
include fast-tracking the termination of a
tenancy where there has been a failure to
pay rent.
There are also enhanced protections for
tenants where receivers are appointed to
repossessed buy-to-lets.
It also proposes allowing tenants to remain
in-situ where landlords propose to sell
multiple units within a large development at
the same time,
Rent pressure zones are being introduced
with immediate effect in the four Dublin Local
Authority areas and in Cork city.
Rent increases in these areas will now be
capped at 4% a year for the next three years.
The proposal comes amid debate that rent
increases or reductions should be linked to
the consumer price index while others
oppose intervening in the market.
The most recent report from the Residential

Tenancies Board showed that rents are still
rising.
In the third quarter of 2016, monthly rents
grew by 2.3%, although this is marginally
slower than the previous three months.
he latest Residential Tenancies Board rent
index shows that, nationally, rents rose by
just under 10% in the second quarter of this
year, when compared to last year.
In Dublin, rents are now at a new high, 3.9%
above the previous peak in 2007.
The Simon Communities in Ireland have said
the figures show the market is not slowing
down, despite rent stability measures
introduced last year.
The RTB index shows that 25% of all
properties rented in April, May and June this
year in Dublin cost more than 1,300 a
month.
RTB Director Rosalind Carroll said there is a
continuing lack of supply and an increase in
short-term lets has left fewer properties
available for long-term leases.
Significant increases were also seen
nationally, with rents up 9.9% in the second
quarter this year.
Rents for houses nationally were up
9.3% from 850 to 929 per month - and
apartments increased by 11.7%, up from
908 to 1,014 per month.
However, while rents outside the capital are
increasing, they are still 11.2% off their peak
levels.
Ms Carroll said the RTB now has a total of
323,271 tenancies registered, representing
172,121 landlords and 704,332 occupants.
Speaking on RT's Morning Ireland, she
said the return of migrants is another
contributing factor to the shortage of supply,
with "more people coming into the country,
probably particularly into the cities.
"We obviously have continued under-supply
and seasonal factors, short-term lets
happening more and more and that's putting
more pressure on the market."
Ms Carroll also stated that relationships
between landlords and tenants are generally
working well.
"We have a slight increase in the disputes but
nothing significant.
"We had over 4,000 disputes last year, but
that only represents 1% or 2% of all
tenancies so that shows most relationships
are working well between landlords and
tenants."
She said the nature of disputes has
somewhat changed with more issues such as
rent arrears and over-holding - where people
stay beyond their notice of termination indicating that perhaps these people have
nowhere to go.
The chairperson of the housing charity
Threshold said many of its clients are
subjected to rent increases as high as
30% and urgent action is needed to tackle

what she termed a situation akin to a
"runaway train" .
Speaking on RT's Today with Sean
O'Rourke, Dr Aideen Hayden said the rent
freeze introduced last year has protected
some people in existing leases and has
helped somewhat.
However, she said there is "a window where
the rent freeze will end" and said Threshold is
disappointed that Government strategy did
not introduce a model of rent certainty to link
rents to an index such as the Consumer Price
Index.
Director of the Residential Landlords
Association Fintan McNamara said rent
control is one reason for the rise in rents.
Speaking the same programme he said
landlords know that when they rent a place
now it is fixed for two years and they can
make no changes.
"And any rent they get, 60% goes back to the
State in taxes and charges."
He said the rent control which was brought in
last year has had some benefit for those in
situ.
"That is why 80% fewer properties are
advertised for rent now than they would be in
a normally functioning market. It is harder to
get accommodation."
Mr McNamara said that when rents are rising
you would expect that landlords would come
in and expand their properties to benefit from
this.
"In fact many are not expanding but
downsizing and some are getting out of the
business altogether," he said.
A new survey carried out by the Simon
Communities has found that 80% of rental
properties are beyond the reach of people
depending on State housing benefits.
It also found that there are less than half the
number of rental properties available when
compared to May 2015.
Speaking on RT's Morning
Ireland, spokesperson Niamh Randall said the
survey was a snapshot survey carried out in
ten areas.
It found 518 homes were available to rent
during the three days the study was
undertaken in August, down 19% from 637 at
the same time last year.
102 of the 518 homes available for rent were
within Rent Supplement/Housing Assistance
Payment (HAP) limits, with just eight of these
available for single people and 11 for
couples.
"Of huge concern is the ongoing reduction in
the availability of homes to rent down by
19% from August 2015 and by a shocking
55% since May 2015 when 1,150 homes were
available to rent," Ms Randall said.
"The increase in the limits, which happened
in July has made a difference, it's made a
small difference. So 80% of properties that
were available, were beyond the reach of
people in receipt of rent supplement or HAP

payments.
The report is the first since changes to the
rent supplement payment were introduced by
Minister for Housing Simon Coveney last July,
and seems to suggest the increases have had
little impact.
The number of properties available to people
in receipt of these payments increased by 54
homes since the same time in August 2015.
Ms Randall called for initiatives to be put in
place to keep people in their homes and to
increase supply in the private rental sector,
with possible tax breaks for landlords, rent
certainty and an increase in tenure to
prevent people being pushed into
homelessness.
"What we've called for, and we repeat our
calls, is for rent certainty, where rents are
linked to the consumer price index. That
would reduce the volatility in the private
rented sector. It would have much more
certainty both for tenants and for landlords
alike."
She said that rental accommodation should
not be treated as simply a stepping stone to
owning a home.
A recent survey by the Simon Community
also found that 80% of the rental properties
available that it reviewed were beyond the
reach of people receiving State housing
benefits.
Mr Coveneys proposals on the rental sector

examine key areas, including supply and rent
security and include 'Build to Rent'
developments, the accelerated roll-out of
'Repair and Leasing' as well as 'Buy and
Renew' initiatives to bring unused capacity
back to the market.
Housing charity Threshold has said there has
been a 26% rise in cases of rent increases
nationwide.
It said hundreds of people contact it from
around the country every day with stories of
rapidly rising rents and difficulty finding
affordable housing.
https://static.rasset.ie/documents/news/thres
holdannualreport2015.pdf
Launching its annual report for 2015, the
charity said there was a 54% increase in the
number of people calling its helpline.
Threshold says one in five households are in
private rented accommodation in Ireland and
disproportionate rent rises are pushing
hundreds of families into homelessness at an
accelerated rate.
The Residential Landlords Association says
the measures would be very difficult to
implement while Threshold is concerned
about avoidance of the regulations.
Kelly says plans will not provide
certainty
Former housing minister Alan Kelly said Mr
Coveney's plans will not provide rent

certainty.
Speaking on RT's News at One, Mr Kelly said
the scheme would allow a 4% yearly rent
increase over three years in Dublin and Cork well above inflation and the consumer price
index.
The Labour Party TD added that it will be
difficult to administer the plans, describing it
as a bureaucratic nightmare.
He said he does not believe Fine Gael wants
to deal with rent certainty, saying the plans
amount to "a hotchpotch way of trying to do
something."
He said there are huge rental issues across
Ireland, adding that it does not make sense
why Dublin and Cork are the only cities being
looked at.
Coveney writes letter to Fianna Fil

offering to change rent plan
Irish Independent
December 14, 16
Housing Minister Simon Coveney has offered to fast-track

the designation of Rent Pressure Zones outside of Dublin
and Cork, Independent.ie understands.
In a letter to Fianna Fils Barry Cowen, the minister says
he wants to give the party some assurances around the
time-frame for next steps of his rent strategy.
It is the first significant move aimed at reaching a
compromise between the minority government and Fianna
Fil.
Fianna Fil have demanded that rent increases in Galway,
Limerick, Waterford and commuter towns around capital
be capped, as will be the case in the two main cities.
They also want the cap to be lower than the 4pc proposed
by Mr Coveney.
The minister has this afternoon indicated that he will not

reduce the 4pc figure but will attempt to extend the Rent
Pressure Zones (RPZ) early in the New Year.
Reflecting your concerns on this matter, I have instructed
the RTB to make this an absolute priority to ensure that
empirically sound data on an area specific basis is
available for these areas by end February to allow the
designation process occur where the qualifying criteria
have been met, Mr Coveneys letter states.
Housing Crisis Q&A: What is a Rent Pressure Zone?
Cork city have been deemed as qualifying for the changes
immediately but the RTB will have to study the rest of the
country.
Are all rental properties in Dublin and Cork covered?
properties that have been "substantially refurbished".
There were calls to link rent increases to the rate of
inflation. Why didn't Simon Coveney take this approach?
The minister said a "blunt rent cap" would disincentive
landlords entering the market and "literally shut off supply
overnight". Noting that inflation for this year is negative,
Mr Coveney said: "We want landlords to make a
reasonable return."
How does this affect the 'rent certainty' measures
The last government introduced measures that restricted
The minister has announced a series of measures aimed
at kick-starting supply, including:
- Examining the tax/fiscal treatment of accommodation
providers
- Using publicly owned land for development
- Promoting a build to rent model
- Supporting credit availability for bringing vacant stock
- Exploring the potential to bring into use, for rental
Simon Coveney - ireland will take 12,000

asylum seekers over next two years
Jul 11, 2016
Fine Gael Minister Simon Coveney says Ireland will take 12,000
asylum seekers over next two years as part of the EU
plantations and will mix them with existing communities in
order to make everybody diverse
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=sFdmTb1R9wI
we need to hang these cunts

Disgraceful. When he's using terms like "the right mix" it really
shows the social engineering/destruction behind it. 'EU
plantations' as you put it is the best term for it.
I'm nearly sure that the Government told us last year that the
figure that Ireland would be taking in would be 4000.
We need to start making a list of these Irish traitors. Obviously,

it was that kike Alan Shatter who let in the 50,000 foreigners in
2011. Still gotta keep an eye on these leftie cunts like this
man. And settle up some day. Edna Kenny is ultimately
responsible for this, it happened on his watch. Probably the
greatest fucking retard we have ever had in office.
Simon Coveney - Ireland

will take 12,000 asylum
seekers over next 2 years
By Mr O Reilly
Mon , July 11, 2016 ,
Fine Gael Minister Simon Coveney has said that Ireland
will take 12,000 asylum seekers over the next 2 years

alone as part of the EU's new Common Asylum Area . he
says the government will mix them with existing
communities in order to make us all more diverse
Stop making people Homeless

1/3 of our Homeless are Children
Shame on FF and FG
Evict Them from our Dail
Elect Sinn Fein to sort out this mess!
Speaking on the Courts Bill 2016. Repossessions must be

stopped.
I have tabled amendment No. 5, the first paragraph of
which encapsulates its intent. It states,"Dil ireann
formally declares that a housing emergency exists in the
State and while this emergency continues the right of any
person to remain in the dwelling in which the person
currently resides will take precedence over any property
right of any other person", and there are actions flowing
from that. Fundamentally, the greatest issue facing the
country now and for some time to come is the housing
emergency. The Minister for Housing, Planning,
Community and Local Government told the Irish Examiner
last May that he accepted there is a housing emergency.
This is clear to the thousands of people who are homeless
currently. A total of 6,847 people are homeless, of whom
2,470 are children. According to figures published
yesterday, 420 families lost their homes over the past
three months, which equates to four a day.
Many of them are forced by banks and building societies
to hand back their homes, the homes of others are being
repossessed. The Minister for Housing, Planning,
Community and Local Government accepts, and is quoted
publicly as saying, that there is a housing emergency. I
heard the Tnaiste acknowledge that in the House a

fortnight ago. We need to take real action to ensure that
those people who face the ultimate trauma of losing the
roof over their heads are protected. It is essential and
urgent that this Dil formally declare a housing emergency
in order to ensure a halt to evictions, to impose a rent
freeze, to ensure that private property rights are made
subject to the common good and to see to it that the right
of individuals and families to remain in their homes
supersedes the right to private property.
This Government declared a financial emergency and
introduced legislation to cut the pay and pensions of
public servants. It renewed that emergency on 30 June
last. There is major trauma and daily evictions. We need to
ensure that families facing homelessness, through no fault
of their own, are protected and have a roof over their
heads this Christmas. The formal declaration of a housing
emergency is an absolute necessity. The Taoiseach has
written to the European Commission on this issue. While
we have not declared a housing emergency, the
Commission will not take that request seriously. There has
been no response to the request. The Commission needs
to know the problems in this country with people living in
tents, hostels and hotels. Focus Ireland tells us that 20
families and 40 children are made homeless per month.
Recent figures from the Central Statistics Office, CSO,
show that there are more than 14,500 buy-to-let
properties in arrears of more than two years.
Unfortunately, whether the tenants in those properties
know it or not they face eviction. Most of the families
made homeless in the past 12 months were renting buyto-let properties whose landlords were forced to sell by the
banks. That practice needs to be stopped.
This situation developed as a result of the privatisation of
the public housing programme in the early 2000s by a
Fianna Fil Government. I was a member of South
Tipperary County Council at the time and when that was
announced at our housing meeting, I said it would give
rise to huge problems. We need a large quantity of local
authority public housing for our citizens. In the 1970s we
were able to build up to 10,000 local authority houses
each year and we need to get back to that level. The
Minister and the Government are simply tinkering around

the edges. We need to declare a housing emergency in
order to ensure that every citizen and family has the right
to a roof over their heads this Christmas. The
repossessions, which remind us of the battering rams used
down the centuries in this country, need to be stopped.
Stop making people Homeless
1/3 of our Homeless are Children
Shame on FF and FG
Evict Them from our Dail
Elect Sinn Fein to sort out this mess!
The government's Strategy for the Rental Sector is flawed,

writes Dr Rory Hearne in the latest Progressive Economy
blog. It does not link rent increases to inflation, excludes
areas outside Dublin and Cork, does not provide security
of tenure, proposes the sale of public land below market
value to global real estate funds to increase supply, and
is based on the failed (and contradictory) market
assumptions that increasing rents will lead to further
supply and increased supply will lead to affordable
rents/house prices. #rentalstrategy #housing #inequality
Pic: Doug O'Connor, Irish Independent
Rental strategy insufficient for affordable homes

Rory Hearne: The governments Strategy for the Rental Sector ,
while containing the welcome provision of rental restrictions is
ultimately f...
PROGRESSIVE-ECONOMY.IE|BY RORY HEARNE
14 December 2016
Rental strategy insufficient for

affordable homes
Rory Hearne: The governments Strategy for the Rental Sector, while
containing the welcome provision of rental restrictions is ultimately
flawed because it does not link rent increases to inflation, excludes
areas outside Dublin and Cork (particularly the commuter counties),
does not provide security of tenure, proposes the sale of public land
below market value (i.e. give away/privatising a valuable public
resource) to global real estate funds to increase supply, and is based
on the failed (and contradictory) market assumptions that increasing
rents will lead to further supply and increased supply will lead to
affordable rents/house prices.
Firstly, in relation to the Strategy for the Rental Sector, there is no
evidence or research provided by the government or the Department of
Housing as to how the 4% increase in rents is being justified. For
example, 4% per annum represents 8 times the increase in annual
earnings for full-time employees in 2015. It has no justification from
price inflation as the (Consumer price index) is running at -0.3%. Within
the CPI there is a specific category, Furnishings, Household Equipment
& Routine Household Maintenance, which you would think would be a
reasonable indicator as to the main on-going cost for landlords. Inflation
for that category is running at -4.3%.
Furthermore, the most recent PRTB rent index for Dublin showed in the
last quarter that rental growth moderated significantly, and fell to 0.6%
and the annual % change for Dublin houses was 3.3% in Quarter 3 of
2016. So the 4% level is above this market level. This is why rent
increases should be linked to inflation (the CPI) which is running at
-0.3%.
Secondly, it excludes areas outside Dublin and Cork from the
designated pressure-zones. But it indicates they could be included at
some point next year. All areas across the country have seen
significant increases in rents in recent years so why are they being
excluded? For example rent in Wicklow increased by 9%, Meath 15%,
and Kildare 12% last year. Landlords are very likely (as is already
reportedly happening today in Dublin) to inform tenants of substantial
rent rises immediately in anticipation of being designated a rent
pressure zone in these areas across the country in the coming months.
This is why the entire country has to be included in the rental
restrictions.
Thirdly, the Strategy for the Rental Sector does not sufficiently address
the other major aspect of the rental crisis that is security of tenure.
There is no change to the situation whereby landlords can evict tenants
if they intend to sell the property or want it for family use and there is
insufficient protection for tenants being evicted from buy-to-let
properties in receivership being sold on to vulture funds. Without proper
tenant security the rental sector is not a secure form of tenancy
whereby people can make a long term home as tenants are left living in
constant fear and threat of eviction and homelessness.
The rental strategy proposal actually gives landlords a potential
incentive for evicting existing tenants. Properties that are renovated or
not let for two years are exempt from the rental restrictions so a
landlord could evict lower paying tenants, engage in renovations (or
leave it idle for two years) and then get new tenants in and charge them
much higher rents - which gives the landlord a bigger return over the
long term. The Rental Strategy in fact could worsen security of tenure
and homelessness through its proposal for a fast track processto
enable landlords to regain possession quickly where the non-payment
of rent constitutes the grounds for termination.
Finally, the strategy does not address the fundamental issue of the
current unaffordability of rents. Rents are already too high. So rather
than facilitating a further increase in rents there needs to be a strategy
to reduce rents. An affordable rent is around 20% of your disposable
income. Yet tenants are paying 50% and more on their rent and as a
result are going without basic necessities in order to cover their housing
costs.
Flawed approach to achieve supply
The governments principal policy approach to achieve affordability is to
increase supply. As the strategy states:
Ultimately, the most effective way to reduce and stabilise rents in the
medium to long term, with benefits for the entire sector, is to increase
supply.
But in order to increase supply, the government argues, you have to
make the building and provision of rental property (and similarly they
make the case for property for house purchase) economically viable i.e.
sufficiently profitable to entice developers and financiers. And to do that
you have to provide them a sufficient return that is why the 4% level
is set and, more importantly, that is why new property is being excluded
from the restrictions. It is to make the Irish rental sector attractive for
global property and financial speculative investors.
So government policy is to allow and facilitate increased rents (and

house prices) to make the Irish rental and housing property market
attractive i.e. hugely profitable to entice private investors, developers
and financiers (many large global wealth funds) to increase supply
which will, down the line, according to the government achieve reduced
rents and prices.
But this is a flawed and clearly contradictory approach as prices and
rents that have been increased to encourage supply are not going to be
reduced by investors and landlords any time soon and, ultimately, there
is no guarantee that increased private market supply of housing leads to
reduced rents and prices. The governments policy approach is based
on the theory of the ideal free market laws of price equilibrium being
reached when supply meets demand under assumptions of unrestricted
competition. But this is theoretical neoliberal nonsense. In the real
housing world, there is significant monopoly control over major parts of
the housing system by private speculative interests who hold large
amounts of land, control over the building process and own large
amounts of buildings. They hoard land and allow asset price
appreciation and they fix prices so that even with incentives they do
not necessarily build and increase supply and the supply they provide
is always aimed at profit maximising not provision of affordable
housing.
What this shows is that it is only the government the state that can
guarantee the provision (supply) of affordable housing and homes. This
government is doing everything it can to avoid this reality and instead is
focused on increasing the profitability of landlords, developers,
financiers, and global wealth funds.
An alternative strategy for affordable homes: A 'New Deal' for
housing
What is needed to provide affordable rental and homes for ownership is
a Roosevelt-like New Deal for housing. A massive state-led house
building and renovation programme that provides 30,000 affordable
homes per year. It could be done through a new affordable housing
state authority like the ESB delivered electricity across Ireland that
would launch a new housing tenure community affordable housing
involving housing for a broad range of income groups from the lowest
income to average and above average income workers. It would use the
huge existing land banks including that of NAMA to build mixed
income affordable community homes for rent and ownership. Crucially
though, the land and housing would always be held in trust by the state
and not sold on the market owners could sell it back to the trust
housing wold thus be kept affordable. Local authorities, housing
associations and co-operative housing associations could do it directly

or through arms-length trusts. It is cost-neutral as the state can borrow
at very low interest rates and it would make a return from the range of
rents and ownership models. It would also direct some of the 500 million
going to private landlords back to the state. It could purchase and bring
it to use the 35,000 vacant homes in wider Dublin area, and the 27,042
buy-to -lets in arrears (and derelict sites and land being hoarded by
vulture funds, NAMA and developers.
Rental Strategy privatises much-needed public land
This is what the public land of local authorities should be used for and
not, as the Strategy for the Rental Sector outlines, to be sold to private
developers and speculators providing build-to-rent. The proposal to sell
off local authority lands is the most serious mistake (and indeed
tragedy) in the rental strategy and the governments wider housing plan.
Page 15 of the strategy outlines that, in order to "Kick-start supply in
rent pressure zones Lands held by local authorities in rent pressure
zones will be brought to market on a competitive tendering basis, with a
view to leveraging the value of the land to deliver the maximum number
of units for rental targeting middle income private rental households".
This is a shameful use of public land selling it cheaply for global
vulture funds to provide unaffordable housing. As the strategy notes
through this land subsidy for private developers and financiers the cost
of providing rental units will be permanently reduced by lowering the
initial investment and development costs for providers. Local
authorities are being given immediate instruction, by end January 2017,
to identify a number of sites with the potential for up to 1,000 units of
accommodation and will move forward, as soon as possible, to issue
calls for proposals from parties interested in developing rental
accommodation for middle income households. As the report notes
these developments are potentially a major engine of growth of supply
for the rental sector by tapping new sources of finance from institutional
investors such as pension funds and Real Estate Investment Trusts.
The ironic thing is the private interests who will get below market land
from the state will then not be subject to the 4% restriction rent caps as
they will be providing new housing. This is the same approach being
used in the land initiative for public land in social housing estates like O
Devaney Gardens and St Michaels Estate. This is a new form of Public
Private Partnership, but as in the previous housing PPPs, the value of
the land will be appropriate in the main by the developers and
financiers.
Political Choice and Public Attitudes-time of opportunity
So there is a clear political choice here. To focus, as the government is,

on achieving supply through global wealth investors, vulture landlords
and speculative property finance- or the state to lead in a historic
programme of providing affordable homes for rent and ownership. One
approach will enshrine unaffordable rental and house prices into the
future and associated poverty and financial stress for large sections of
our population. It will increase economic inequality as wealth is
transferred from the lower income groups in Ireland (renters, young
people, first time buyers) to the top 10% wealth holders (from Ireland
and across the world). the other approach can deliver and guarantee
the human right to housing for all our citizens. It is a choice the
government, and we as a country, have to make. But it is one that
where we already know the outcomes for each path.
It is important to note that the proposed rent restrictions are not a policy
this government wanted or wants to introduce. But the government has
left (and caused) the housing crisis reach such a disastrous point that it
is has become a major political issue. New housing pressure groups
have formed that are being very effective in not just bringing attention
within the media and wider public to the plight of people in the rental
sector but are also, for the first time in Ireland, importantly organising
tenants into active public campaigns. Notable here are the Dublin
Tenants Association and the new trade union alliance and Uplift
campaign around rent certainty and security. And the most recent
Eurobarometer, 2016, which surveys peoples views across Europe,
shows that for Irish people housing is their first priority concern (in
contrast to being the 11th position concern across Europe). 45% of
people in Ireland citied it as their first priority which is up from 34% in
2015 (in contrast, EU wide just 8% cited it as their priority concern). This
shows the opportunity for a radical change in policy as there is strong
public support for bold government action (such as outlined above a
New Deal affordable community homes programme) to guarantee
affordable, secure, and high quality homes for all in Ireland.
http://www.progressiveeconomy.ie/2016/12/rentalstrategy-insufficient-for.html
Free childcare scheme for

children affected by
homelessness
Figures show over 2,177 children are among those accessing
emergency accommodation
NEWS
The Government is to launch a new childcare scheme for

children affected by homelessness.
Children's Minister Dr Katherine Zappone, who has just
returned from an official visit to Greece, will announce details
of the scheme on Thursday.
It is being billed as a "major initiative" by the department.
In a statement Wednesday, Minister Zappone said: "This
initiative grew as a direct response to issues raised by people
who are homeless, frontline organisations and campaigners
during a summit - hosted in my office during the summer.
"Since then my officials have been working in partnership with
Dublin City and County Childcare Committees and Focus
Ireland for the roll out of a scheme which will benefit children
and their families on a daily basis.
"It is my hope that the details we will announce will help ease
the huge childcare burden on families impacted by the current
crisis", she added.
Figures from Focus Ireland show there are 6,525 people
'officially homeless' in Ireland.
This figure includes adults and children with their families.
The number of families becoming homeless has increased by
over 40% since last year - and one in three of those in
emergency accommodation is now a child.
In June 2016, there were over 1,000 families accessing

emergency accommodation, which included over 2,177
children.
The Invasion of European Countries by

Non EU Illegal Immigration TTIP
BLACK Trade
Jan 5, 2015
Video sources:
Is this enough ammo for SHTF ? (2013)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpN2z...
Stockpiling Ammunition Responsibly
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5TpP...
7 Year Old's First Time Shooting AR-15
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttMuv...
Fight Like a Girl? Watch This Little Girl Shoot Like a BOSS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3f8Vm...
11 Year Old Girl Shooting AR 15 at 100 Yards
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwCj7...
https://www.youtube.c
om/watch?
v=HnJZ2haLPCw
A priest in Italy has caused uproar after announcing
there would be no Christmas nativity scene at the
local cemetery this year because it could offend
Muslims and atheists.
Fr Sante Braggi said there would be no crib in the cemetery in
the northern city of Cremona because it may anger people of
others faiths or none whose relatives are buried there.
A small corner of the cemetery is reserved for Muslim
graves, Fr Braggi said. A crib positioned within sight of
them could be seen as a lack of respect for followers of other
faiths, hurt the sensibilities of Muslims, as well as Indians and
even atheists.
He also cited a lack of council workers to set up the crib as
another reason for abandoning the tradition.
https://www.jihadwatch.org/2016/12/italy-priest-bansnativity-scene-for-fear-of-offending-muslims
Some 131 refugees

set to land on Irish
shores before
Christmas
And the country is set to welcome 80
migrants a month next year
BY ANGELA MULLIN 12th December 2016,
Some 131 refugees are expected to land on Irish
shores from camps in Greece before Christmas,

according to Minister Katherine Zappone.
The Minister for Children has said from the start of 2017,
this country will take in approximately 80 refugees a
month.
The Minister is preparing to welcome the new arrivals
She told Morning Ireland that the Government is

considering putting a call out to charities, agencies and
churches to check there will be enough accommodation
for the new arrivals.
She also said the country is readying itself to deal with
underage refugees who may land here without their
parents.
Zappone said: Our officials have assured us that before
Christmas we will be receiving another 131 refugees, and
that we would anticipate having the full number of
refugees coming from Greece and Italy, in the resettlement
programme, by the end of 2017. Thats about 2,600 of the
4,000.
Earlier this year, Ireland pledged to take in 4,000 refugees.
Zappone is currently on a three-day visit to Greece to visit
camps where those who fled to Europe are currently
staying.
The Minister is currently in Greece preparing for the new

refugees
Gardai and officials were interviewing potential candidates

for resettlement to Ireland she said.
https://www.thesun.ie/news/287083/some-131-refugeesset-to-land-on-irish-shores-before-christmas/
I think I am a human being living as one of the PEOPLE on

this land! (Therefore I am!)
Recently WE THE PEOPLE bailed out the banks.
I now see POVERTY, HOMELESSNESS, IGNORANCE ,,,,more
rife than ever! The PEOPLE need a BAILOUT!
WE THE PEOPLE DEMAND THE BANKS BAIL US OUT! (Well I
do anyway....who's with me
Only in Ireland , would a Landlord be put in Charge of
sorting the Rental crisis.

Minister for Housing Simon Coveney - who now presides over
Ireland's housing crisis - is a landlord - one of at least 30 politicians
who must declare they earn more than 2,600 a month in rent.
Minister
It looks like many of these guys have skin in the game, and
maintaining a housing shortage by not building, and
unchecked immigration, results in increased demand for any
houses or apartments coming on the rental market - win, win,
for the landlord class, and of course the Revenue who get 51%
of the take.
This approach assists these landlords, who more than likely
would have invested in these properties at the top end of the
boom in house prices, and maintaining high rents at the
present level is helping them to pay off their mortgages.
FF/FG/Labour are happy with the present situation, making

young Irish first-time workers and Irish families trying to
access accommodation, the first to suffer. The rest are
somehow looked after and housed by our various PC liberal
oriented Government, state agencies and quangos.
Not hard to figure out. google_ad_section_end
Last edited by BACKTOBASICS; 8th December 2016
Dont you love non landlords telling everyone that they know exactly
how everything works.
Landlords are paying up to 51% on profit rent and still have to pay
the mortgage.
Hard to believe that facing an extra 11% in taxes and LPT that rents
have gone up substantially.
Yeah, then you've got the hassle of getting rid of problem

tenants, the board always take their side.
Whole narrative in the media is 'greedy landlords exploit the
poor' - as if its 1849 or something.
Then people wonder why there's a shortage. Give me a break.
Why would you bring in something that increases demand while
reducing supply?
Oh here is another Junior Cert business-level student. Listen

here, bucko. The normal rules of supply and demand do not
apply when Landlords can accumulate whatever they
would make by renting a second house simply by
increasing the current cost of their first property.
Apartments in Kilmainham increased in price by 70% from
2011 to 2016. 70%. The house next to me went from 1100
to 2000 in three years.
The fact that the Government have thrown open the gates to
immigration from every corner of the globe doesn't help
things. They reckon there are 30,000 short-term migrants in
Dublin alone. 30,000 more are undocumented/illegal. All of
this makes rent surge.
Why would a Landlord invest in a new property when they're
making enough as it is? How would his tenant ever buy a
house anyway? It is a rent circle. It doesn't break through "the
benevolence of the noble Landlord." Get a grip.
Capping rental growth at the rate of inflation will result in less

construction of new homes, which will ultimately damage us more. If
the state wanted to make housing affordable it must tackle the
supply issue under three simple headings:
No social houses were built under AK-47. Until we accept that

the Government has an active part in maintaining and
perpetuating the rent crisis, it will not be resolved.
No rent caps. No rent certainty. Tax breaks for Landlords. No
active participation in building houses.
It is a situation that is wholly anti-capitalist and reflects the
worst case of State intervention. Actively against the people's
interests.
Just introduce mortgage tax breaks for landlords as previously.
Maybe just on apartments to avoid sending house prices spiralling.
Would increase supply immediately.
Why would anyone bother being a landlord these days. Endless
hassle, taxed to hell.
You people are working off logical economics.

The Irish Government and their Landlords have no desire to
increase the number of households. A huge amount of TDs are
neck-deep in the rental market.
Wake up.
Lets give a basic example for non landlords
Mortgage 300,000
Interest 4% pa
Service Charge 2,000
Mortgage repayment 1,800 per month
Rent 2,000
What is the landlords cash flow ?
What is the landlords after tax income ?
Tenants who stop paying

rent can live 'free' for 18
months
Charlie Weston Twitter
EMAIL
PUBLISHED
23/07/2014 | 02:30
1
Landlords claim renters can escape without paying rent for a year
and a half
Tenants who stop paying the rent and play

the system can effectively live in a property
rent-free for up to a year-and-a-half,
landlords have claimed.

1
They have criticised the system for dealing with problem

tenants and the Private Residential Tenancies Board
(PRTB), which regulates the sector.
A number of landlords, who inherited property or are
renting out their home after moving back in with their
parents, complained about delays in getting
determinations from the PRTB, being left without rent but
still having to pay mortgages, and tenants ignoring
requests to pay arrears.
The PRTB was set up to replace the courts in disputes
between landlords and tenants and operates on a quasijudicial basis.
Margaret McCormick of the Irish Property Owners'
Association said there was a growing problem of tenants
building up rent arrears, with others engaged in anti-social
behaviour but refusing to move out.
"If they don't pay your rent they can stay in the property
for a year-and-a-half by playing the system and using the
legislation. It is a nightmare for landlords as it protects the
people who break the rules," she said,
The group, which has 5,000 landlord members, said the
process of taking a case against a tenant refusing to pay
rent is long and cumbersome, and subject to appeal. The
whole process can take 18 months.
Enforced
Even when the PRTB reaches a determination its order
can only be enforced though the circuit court, she said.
"A landlord can do nothing until this process has been
completed, and in the meantime forgoes rental payments,
access to their dwelling and incurs ongoing costs
associated with the dwelling."
She said landlords cannot force people out as the fine for
an illegal eviction is 20,000.
Most landlords in Ireland own just one property, while
around 475,000 people now rent, up 46pc since 2006.
Dublin-based landlord Ciara Kennedy said her tenant
stopped paying the rent in May last year, leaving her to

pay 11,000 in mortgage repayments in the meantime.
"I went through the usual channels of notifying her that
she was in arrears. She didn't heed the notification to pay
so I lodged a dispute with the PRTB," Ms Kennedy said.
She said the PRTB had done little to help her and she was
still waiting for a determination.
A spokesman for the PRTB said: "The board takes very
seriously the issue of non-compliance with its orders and
since 2012 has referred some 900 cases to its legal
advisers (Eversheds) for formal enforcement through the
courts."
It has obtained in excess of 300 court orders to date, he
added. Most of these orders relate to landlord cases for
rent arrears. Another 30pc of cases were taken by tenants
seeking the return of deposits.
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/tenants-whostop-paying-rent-can-live-free-for-18-months-30452306.html
Coveney writes letter to

Fianna Fil offering to
change rent plan
Kevin Doyle Twitter
EMAIL
PUBLISHED
14/12/2016
2
Minister Simon Coveney announces his plan for the rental sector.
Photo: Doug OConnor
http://www.newstalk.com/Fre
e-childcare-scheme-forchildren-affected-byhomelessness
Here's what you need to

know about the latest iOS
update
Apple has added in a whole host of new features, including
100 new emoji!
NEWS
Share to LinkedIn
iOS 10 arrived earlier this year and brought with it some

of the biggest changes we've seen to the operating
system since it was first released. Apple unveiled iOS
10.2 last night and here's what you can expect when you
update.
Wallpapers
Apple has added three new wallpapers that can be used on
the new phone models; iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Each has
its own name - Droplet Blue, Droplet Red and Droplet Yellow.
100 New Emoji
You may well wonder if there's any real need for 100 more
emjoi, but you're getting them anyway! The new emoji
additions include male and female versions of firefighters and
judges.
"Press and Hold to Speak
You'll find Press and Hold to Speak within the Settings app >
General > Accessibility > Home Button. This allows you to
activate Siri or Voice Control when you press and hold
the circular home button.
Videos Widget
Apple has added a new widget for videos to the lock screen.
This widget will show you the latest videos recorded to the
device.
Headphones Icon
You'll find a small headphones icon in the status bar, which will
indicate when the headphones are connected. This is very
helpful for those of us using Bluetooth headphones.
http://www.newstalk.com/He
res-what-you-need-to-knowabout-the-latest-iOS-update
Apple Sidesteps
Billions in Taxes,
Heres How
Apple has established subsidiaries in locations that
offer low or zero taxation rates., and have created
corporate strategies in which clearly takes
advantage of the taxation loopholes. Should we
congratulate them or not?
By IT Ninja December 14, 2016
We all know that Apple is the worlds most successful

and profitable technology company based in Reno,
Nevada. However, the company doesnt design their
iPhone there, neither does the company run their
AppleCare Customer service from the city, nor does
this technology giant manufacture their MacBooks,
iPads, iAnything anywhere near there.

However, with only a handful of employees working at
the Reno location, the techno giant has managed to
pull off something crucial to the companys operations.
Apple has managed to avoid paying several millions of
dollars in taxes in California, as well as 20 other
states.
Apples headquarters are nested in Cupertino,
California, and by placing an office merely 200 miles
away in Reno, the side office is charged with collecting
and investing the companys profits. Going about it
this way allows Apple to sidestep the states income
taxes on some of their profits.
While Californias corporate taxation rate is 8.84%,
Reno has a taxation rate of 0.0%. All over the world,
Apple has established subsidiaries in locations that
offer low or zero taxation rates. Locations included in
the list are Ireland, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and
the British Virgin Islands.
Naturally, all corporations do their best at minimizing
their taxes. Its human nature. However, for our
friends at Apple the savings ratio on their taxes are
alarming given their extremely high profit yields.
According to Wall Street analysts, Apple is capable of
yielding $45.6 billion in the current fiscal year. If they
accomplish this, itll set a new record for any
American-based business.
Apple is serving as a mentor on how large technology
companies can take advantage of tax codes. Some
profits for large companies including Apple, Google,
Amazon, HP, and Microsoft have derived their profits
not from that of physical goods, but from
royalties coming in from their intellectual property.
Such property includes patents on programs that
makes different devices operate.
Even when comparing against other tech companies,
Apples taxation rates are ridiculously low. Yes, Apple
has remade several industries, helped ignite economic
growth, and has enlightened their customers.

But theyve also created corporate strategies in which
clearly take advantage of the taxation
loopholes. Using a special type of accounting
technique, also known as the Double Irish With a
Dutch Sandwich, the company avoids high taxes by
routing their profits through their Irish subsidiaries
and then via the Netherlands before finally paying
their taxes when the money hits the Caribbean. And
now, in todays world, that very same tactic is used by
several large corporations.
http://anonhq.com/applesidesteps-billions-in-taxesheres-how/
Housing refugees in family
homes Positive Action in
Housing petition
We call on the British government to harness the goodwill
of those individuals and families who are willing to take
refugees into their homes and quickly resettle Syrian
refugees so that they may begin the process of rebuilding
their lives.
Thats the rallying cry of the Change.org petition launched by

Positive Action in Housing, the UK charity behind the Room for
Refugees scheme which whereby people offer to take
refugees into their own homes.
Running in partnership with 147 caseworkers from refugee
support agencies (including the British Red Cross and the
Refugee Council), they have over 3,000 fully-registered
refugee hosts across the UK, and since September 2015 the
scheme has provided over 12,000 nights of shelter for people
seeking asylum and refugees.
Theresa May the then UK Home Secretary told the Home
Affairs Select Committee that she would consider refugee
housing schemes. But nothing happened. Yesterdays report
from the committee revealed that under the Vulnerable
Persons Relocation Scheme, the UK Government has only
resettled 1,602 Syrian refugees since September 2015. This
falls far short of the 5,000 a year target.
Rooms for Refugees

emergency and humanitarian relief.
The scheme began in response to the increasing numbers of
destitute refugees coming to our drop in surgeries. They were

being left without basic human needs e.g. food, shelter, financial
means, emergency hostels, the right to work and recourse to
public funds.
This problem of enforced destitution as a way of forcing people to

leave the UK is not working. More and more refugees are being left
destitute. We want to prevent vulnerable people from being forced
to return to unsafe countries due to the dire situations they found
themselves in It makes a difference by giving vulnerable people
the breathing space to assess their options and secure the support
needed to gain a positive decision on their asylum claim or be
granted Leave to Remain.
As of February 2016, Rooms for Refugees have 2,800 refugee

hosts. And in the year since April 2015 they have provided
over five thousand nights of shelter to refugees in Scotland,
England and Wales.
Could you offer temporary

shelter to someone forced to
flee their country who does not
have the means to support
themselves ?
R
R
R
If so, you could be a host with Room for Refugees.

We receive referrals from the British Red Cross,
Refugee Council and established immigration and
asylum advice agencies. We assess all referrals
and we do not offer space to those with a history of
criminality, violence or substance abuse. We aim to
match guests who are seeking asylum in this
country with hosts offering a spare room.
Placements can be for as short or as long as you
choose. If you are interested in becoming a
host, please read the information below and then
complete the online registration form.
KEY FACTS
Room for Refugees was pioneered by Positive
Action in Housing in 2003. It is the longest
running refugee hosting scheme run by a
registered charity in the UK or Western
Europe.
We specialise in safe refugee hosting for
those facing emergency homelessness.
Room
for
Refugees went
viral
in
September 2015.
A major practical resource in terms of
a human
and
compassionate
approach
to supporting refugees to rebuild their lives
with an unrivaled level of pastoral support by
sharing what we have too much of in the
Western world.
We are accepting registration from potential
refugee hosts in Scotland , England, Ireland,
Wales, Northern Ireland, Western Europe,
Canada* and the U.S.*
We
are
building links
with
refugee
organisations across the globe.
Hundreds of families and individuals have so
far been assisted under the scheme, helping
us to give hope to thousands more

individuals and families and help them
achieve stability in their lives.
Fleur Houston addressed the Churches Refugee
Network conference in Coventry on Tuesday. The author of
You Shall Love the Stranger as Yourself: Biblical Challenges in
the Contemporary World took delegates on a tour of European
migration policy over the last 12-18 months.
You can listen back to Fleurs talk as well as read the fuller
version of her comments below.
She reminded us of the contrast between the welcome that the
relatively small number of resettled refugees receive and the
harsh treatment experienced by those who spontaneously
arrive and often treated as having engaged in criminal activity
even though they have as the Refugee Convention
acknowledges been obliged to use illicit means of entry to a
safe country.
Fleur finished by talking about fear: the fear felt by some
European citizens faced with uncertainty and
disempowerment, the erosion of public welfare, and the scale
and pace of cultural change; the the fear of those seeking
asylum as they encounter violence at the borders of Europe,
and worry about their children. She concludes that what is
needed is to quote human rights barrister Cian Murphy
not just the furious energy of activism but the ferocious power
of political love.
A ferocious power which is based on the repeated public
affirmation of the dignity of all human beings, of the calling to treat
all people with fairness and humanity, even if it is at cost to
oneself, a power that is learned and shaped in social interaction, a
determined commitment to political love.

How welcome now are refugees in Europe?
Fleur Houston, Coventry, 22 November 2016
Now is a small word, so small that it often passes unnoticed,
almost an apology for a word. Yet here it has particular weight.
For now, today, Germany, Hungary, Austria, France are facing
significant political elections. And the key issue for all four is
the extent to which they are prepared to welcome refugees.
Two days ago, Angela Merkel announced that she was going
to stand again as Chancellor of Germany. There was a
widespread sense of relief. After three terms in office she still
has high popularity ratings both within her own party and in
Germany as a whole. She is widely respected as being one of
the few political leaders in Europe to defend universal moral
values which she has summarized herself as: democracy,
freedom, as well as respect for the rule of law and the dignity
of each and every person, regardless of their origin, skin
colour and creed, gender, sexual orientation or political views.
In 2015, with Europe in disarray, she emerged as guardian of
the principle of international asylum.
Mrs Merkel has made it clear that she and her government
were hit out of the blue by the mass movements of people that
were triggered by the conflicts of the Middle East. But she has
never distanced herself from the decision to open Germanys
borders to avert a humanitarian crisis in Hungary and has
always rejected calls for an upper limit to asylum seekers. She
has also rejected a banning of people on the basis of their
religious beliefs, claiming that this was incompatible with
Germanys constitution and her own partys ethical
foundations. Following a series of violent attacks on Germany
she affirmed that a rejection of the humanitarian stance we
took could have led to even worse consequences. Assailants,
she continued wanted to undermine our sense of community,

our open-ness and our willingness to help people in need. We
firmly reject this. Fear, she suggested, cannot be a substitute
for political action. Yet with the resurgence of the Far Right
party, Alternative fr Deutschland, which plays on fears about
immigration, she is nonetheless facing the toughest electoral
campaign of her career. By and large, at present German
citizens are displaying a can-do attitude. There is, its true, a
certain amount of local unease in villages about the scale and
speed of change. But by and large, they are proud of the
example they are setting other countries in Europe by making
refugees feel welcome.
There is greater ambivalence in Germanys neighbours. Take
Hungary. Viktor Orbans hard-line rhetoric about refugees led
last September to calls for Hungary to be expelled from the
EU; he built a fence to drive refugees back to Serbia people
were chased by dogs and beaten. He is now calling for a
second border fence allegedly to protect Hungary from
refugees. He vigorously opposed the EU project to relocate a
relatively small number of refugees in Hungary. And on 2
October he held a referendum, urging citizens to reject the
plan. It was a deliberate attempt to give political legitimacy to
his desire to exclude refugees. And he hoped that there would
be a series of copycat plebiscites in other countries of Europe.
In the Czech Republic, for instance where president Zemans
intemperate and offensive language about Muslim incomers
marks him out as a likely ally, or in Poland, or Slovakia, whose
leaders take their cue from Mr Orban. But Viktor Orban failed.
Spectacularly, the turnout fell short of the threshold, and the
vote was invalid. A majority of Hungarian citizens had refused
to support their prime ministers attitude to refugees. And so,
while the impasse regarding EU common asylum policy is
likely to continue, Viktor Orbans ideological momentum at

European level has stopped.
Austria stands somewhere in between Germany and Hungary.
The two main candidates in the presidential election to be held
on 4 December are running neck and neck and the battle is
being fought largely over refugee policy. Mr Van der Bellen
has stressed Austrias obligations to integrate the newly
arrived refugees and is in favour of keeping Austrias borders
open; Mr Hofer, on the other hand, is stoking fears about
immigration and hatred of Muslims. The electorate is highly
polarised. The result will be crucial for European integration.
Can, will the people in just over a weeks time, declare that
they wish Austria to welcome refugees?
France too is in the early stages of a presidential election. And
here the right wing National Front has assumed a new aura of
political correctness under the disciplined leadership of Marine
Le Pen. It presents itself as the only true defender of Western
liberties and identifies Muslim immigrants as the primary
threat to the secular values of the Republic. It reshapes
national identity so as to exclude from nationhood those who
have legitimate claims. And its message is beginning to
resonate wildly with a fearful population, suffering from
terrorist attacks.
It is clear from these electoral campaigns that the values that
underpin civil society in Europe are under significant threat.
The voice of Europe which in the aftermath of the second
world war spoke out so strongly for human rights and refugee
protection, is now in danger of being stifled by a strident
rhetoric of Islamophobia and xenophobia; the open borders
which were till recently a sign of free association are now
blocked by barbed wire and fences, and patrolled by security
guards, police with batons, primed not to protect, but to
exclude.
The second point I would like to make is that while a small
number of refugees are welcomed by western democratic
states through programmes of resettlement, spontaneous
arrivals are likely to be treated harshly and induced to leave.
To arrive by unauthorized means is seen by many people as
criminality. Yet as the Refugee Convention acknowledges,
refugees may be obliged to use illicit means of entry to a safe
country. They may never have had documentation or their
papers may have been lost or destroyed in the chaotic
circumstances of their flight. In consequence, host countries
shall not impose penalties. Yet to enter the UK without
papers or with false documentation supplied by a smuggler is
consistently seen by border officials as criminal activity or a
threat to national security.
These spontaneous arrivals are perceived to carry a criminal
virus to a civilized world. Not only do they flout national
boundaries, they typically consort with criminal smuggling
gangs to do so. But they may have little choice. Many are
fleeing for their lives. They may spend their life savings on
securing the services of a people smuggler to take them and
their families to safety in Europe. This may involve a journey
across the desert in a rickety vehicle or across the
Mediterranean or Aegean seas in an unsuitable craft.
Hundreds of thousands of men, women and children die on
the way. While Italian coast-guards, Greek fishermen and
other philanthropic individuals do what they can, acting on the
basic moral instinct that when people need help, you save
them, toddlers are still being washed up on the beaches while
the nations of Europe argue over who has responsibility for
sea rescue.
As the catastrophe continues to unfold, Europe continues to
build fences. Some of these are diplomatic. Take the Dublin

system. Under this regulation, refugees must claim asylum in
the first country they reach. But this is under severe strain.
Those who survive the journeys from North Africa or SE
Europe arrive in Italy and Greece who are increasingly unable
to support such an influx on their own. The need to move
beyond Dublin is obvious, but so far, there is no collective will
in Europe to do so. So many refugees are forced to settle in
squalid camps, depending for survival on the good will of
volunteers and charitable organizations. It was the images of
children, not in Greece or in Italy, but in the Jungle camp in
Calais that first brought home to many people Britains
institutional violence and inhumanity.
I would like to make one final point. Political relationships are
highly emotional. 2016 has been characterised so far by fear
and anger. Faced with uncertainty and disempowerment, the
erosion of public welfare, and the scale and pace of cultural
change, many inhabitants of European countries are afraid.
Asylum has come to be seen by them as a proxy for foreign
brutality and alien values impinging on western life. Refugees,
especially Muslim refugees, are seen as a threat. Politicians
often play into such fears by linking extremist terrorism with
EU border policy, and an increasing emphasis on sovereignty
and security concerns has meant that humanitarian concerns
for refugees have had to take a back seat.
And those who are seeking asylum are also afraid. They are
afraid of the violence they encounter at the borders of Europe,
they fear for their children, they fear to return. They and their
advocates are angry at perceived injustices. Such fear and
anger has its uses, it can drive demos, petitions, litigation. It
can challenge unfair practices and lead to changes in
government policy. But in itself it is not enough. In the end it
stokes more fear and anger and eventually consumes the

fearful and angry. What is needed at present and I quote the
human rights barrister Cian Murphy, is not just the furious
energy of activism but the ferocious power of political love. A
ferocious power which is based on the repeated public
affirmation of the dignity of all human beings, of the calling to
treat all people with fairness and humanity, even if it is at cost
to oneself, a power that is learned and shaped in social
interaction, a determined commitment to political love
http://focusonrefugees.org/republicof-ireland/
Deputy Robert Troy asked the

Minister for Justice and Equality her
plans to ensure that refugees who
come to Ireland will be integrated
into the communities in which they
are sent; and if she will make a
statement on the matter. [2320/16]
Answer
Minister for Justice and Equality (Deputy

Frances Fitzgerald): The Deputy will be aware
that the Government took a decision to establish
the Irish Refugee Protection Programme on 10
September 2015 as a direct response to the EU
migrant crisis. Ireland has agreed to accept
approximately 4,000 persons in total under
resettlement and relocation programmes by the
end of 2017. The figure of 4,000 includes
approximately 2,600 persons to be taken in from
migration hotspots in Italy and Greece under the
new EU programme and 520 programme refugees
from Lebanon and Jordan, which the Irish
Government has committed to taking in by the end
of 2016 under Ireland's Refugee Resettlement
programme. The mechanism by which the balance
of the 4,000 will be taken in, has yet to be decided
by Government.
Among the measures agreed under the programme
was the establishment of a network of Emergency
Reception and Orientation Centres which will be
used to provide emergency accommodation and
meet the basic needs of the 4,000 people who are
expected to arrive over the next two years. Also
among the measures announced was the
establishment of a cross-Departmental Taskforce,
chaired by my Department, to coordinate and

implement the logistical and operational aspects
associated with the Irish Refugee Protection
Programme. This will include the provision of
emergency
accommodation
and
orientation
services in the first instance, and facilitating the
longer term integration needs of those with
refugee status through the provision of a
sustainable housing strategy, health services,
education, social welfare, and social inclusion
activities.
With specific regard to refugees arriving under
resettlement schemes, one hundred and seventy
six refugees arrived in the State under the
resettlement programme in 2015. Post arrival, the
'programme' refugees participate in a language
training
and
orientation
programme
for
approximately 8-10 weeks before being moved into
permanent accommodation in the community. The
resettlement team of the Office for the Promotion
of Migrant Integration convenes and supports a
local interagency working group which operates for
approximately 18 months after the transfer of the
refugees to the receiving community. Grants are
made to the receiving community for the
establishment of homework clubs, links with
sporting and other clubs and the employment of a
local resettlement person to support the refugees
during their first year in the community.
A similar integration strategy is being developed
within the Department of Justice and Equality for
the estimated 2,600 persons relocating to Ireland
from migration hotspots in Italy and Greece, once
they receive refugee status.
http://justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/PQ19-01-2016-300
Day of intercession in
memory of those who have
lost their lives
at the borders of the EU
Information, Intercessions and Ideas
http://www.ccme.be/fileadmin/filer/c
cme/20_Areas_of_Work/01_Refugee
_Protection/2016-06-08Intercession_day_June_2016.pdf
No homes for 2,470 of our children UN report shames our country
Monday, December 12, 2016
Irish Examiner Editorial
HOW many times does the Government have to be

reminded that the number of homeless children in Ireland
is a crisis that must be tackled with the utmost urgency?
It isnt as if the powers-that-be have not had constant

reminders.
In February 2016 the UN Committee on the Rights of the
Child told our Government it was deeply concerned at
reports of families affected by homelessness facing
significant delays in accessing social housing and
frequently living in inappropriate, temporary or emergency
accommodation. Just last month the annual report of the
special rapporteur on child protection concentrated on
emergency accommodation, stating that policies need to
be more effective in responding to real needs in Ireland.
To mark International Human Rights Day on Saturday, the
ISPCC highlighted the fact that children who are homeless
in Ireland are worse off than those in similar circumstances
in the UK where emergency accommodation is very much
the exception rather than the norm.
Unlike in England, Wales and Scotland, children in Ireland
who are homeless do not have a right to temporary
accommodation and assistance. In England and Wales,
children have a right not only to assistance but also to
temporary accommodation that meets certain standards.
In Scotland there has been a ban on the use of B&B
accommodation since 2004, with similar bans in England
and Wales introduced more recently.
ISPCC chief executive Grainia Long gives one startling
statistic: In the month of October alone, 44 children
became newly homeless thats the equivalent of more

than one classroom.
The figures of children who are homeless continue to
rise, says Ms Long. The right to an adequate standard of
living is a critical right for all children including those
who are homeless and living in emergency
accommodation. The state must, therefore, ensure limited
use of emergency accommodation, similar to neighbouring
jurisdictions.
But it doesnt, despite the fact that unlike Britain we
passed a referendum on childrens rights and later
enshrined it in law. It was passed in November 2012 and,
while the main thrust of the referendum concerned
adoption, guardianship and custody, it contains the
following provision: The State recognises and affirms the
natural and imprescriptible rights of all children and shall,
as far as practicable, by its laws protect and vindicate
those rights.
Our stated commitment to childrens rights as human
rights goes back even further than that, to our
Constitution in 1937 and the 1948 UN Declaration of
Human Rights.
We have a habit of enshrining noble ideals in our domestic
laws and then doing little or nothing to implement them.
It should never be forgotten that childrens rights are
human rights.
There are now 2,470 homeless children in Ireland. The
liklihood is that they will remain so for Christmas. That a
national scandal of international proportions.
Human rights group call on Ireland to

show "moral leadership" on refugee
issue
Thursday, April 21, 2016
By Caroline O'Doherty
Senior Reporter
The States independent human rights watchdog has

criticised Irelands support for the EU-Turkey deal on the
return of refugees and migrants.
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission said the

agreement represented a disturbing European trend of
regression from fundamental human rights values.
It called on Ireland to show moral leadership in pushing
to replace it with real protections for people fleeing Syria
and other conflict zones. It said Ireland must improve its
offer to take in 4,000 refugees by the end of 2017.
A meeting of the European Parliaments civil liberties,
justice and home affairs committee takes place today to
review the agreement a month after it came into force,
allowing refugees and migrants arriving on Greek islands
via Turkey to be sent back before they get a chance to
apply for asylum, with the intention that for each person
returned, someone in an official refugee camp in Turkey
would be resettled somewhere in Europe.
The commission said preventing refugees from seeking
asylum and returning them to Turkey where their safety
was in doubt ignored the EUs duty to protect people
fleeing persecution. Offering protection to people fleeing
systematic human rights violations is not optional, nor is it
charity. It is a matter for Ireland and the EU of legal and

moral obligation. The Irish government, and the EU, have
failed to adequately meet this obligation, it said.
It added the drowning this week of hundreds of African
migrants in the Mediterranean showed the problem would
not be solved by addressing the Greek-Turkey route alone.
Letter from Human Rights

Campaigners
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Dear Deputy,
On 22nd March 2016 the Acting Taoiseach, Enda Kenny TD, will report
to the Dil on the meeting of the European Council attended by himself
and Acting Minister of State, Dara Murphy TD, in Brussels on 17 and 18
March 2016.
As a group of organisations we are seeking your commitment to the
following:
Outlining the concerns about the EU-Turkey deal and the ways in which
it will place people at risk and undermine Irelands commitment to its
international obligations
Ensuring greater participation in the relocation of asylum seekers and
resettlement of refugees
Advocating for an increase in the number of refugees allowed to settle
in Ireland
The EU-Turkey deal

We are calling on you, as a newly elected TD in the 32nd Dil, to take
the opportunity in the Dail on Tuesday 22nd March to outline why the
EU-Turkey deal, agreed at theEuropean Council on 17/18 March 2016,
is unjust and unworkable and will not address the current refugee crisis.
The deal will see the return of irregular migrants arriving in Greece
from midnight on 20th March 2016 to Turkey. The policy agreed by the
European Council will have a huge impact on the lives of very
vulnerable people seeking safety in the EU and has potential far
reaching consequences for our obligations under international law and
risks breaching the fundamental right to seek asylum.
The agreement on 18th March 2016 followed a decision of the
European Council on 29th November 2015 to provide 3bn to Turkey to
prevent people crossing to Greece. Despite that agreement, nearly
2000 people continued to make the crossing on a daily basis. In
addition, the attempts made by the Turkish authorities to deter people
from crossing have been shown to put lives at risk.
The deal is premised on the understanding no decisions will be taken
unless they are fully compliant with EU and international law. Given the
current situation in both Greece and Turkey, it is difficult to accept that
such statements are grounded in reality. The whole emphasis of the

European Councils decision is that of return as opposed to the
settlement of refugees who have arrived or will arrive in Greece. It has
been estimated that Greece will require 4000 personnel in order to
properly register and accommodate asylum seekers, assess the
admissibility and if necessary determine claims for international
protection and process appeals against negative decisions and
removals. At the time the European Council took the decision on
18th March 2016, an estimated 45,000 people were trapped in Greece,
unable to move to other EU countries because of border closures. The
UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, has previously estimated that 90% of
those arriving in Greece from Turkey are from the top 10 refugee
producing countries, including Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq.
There is therefore a real possibility of one of two consequences arising
from the EU-Turkey deal on returns to Turkey: either Greece will grant
refugee status to the majority of those who have or will arrive in the
country or they will be returning prima facierefugees to Turkey where
they will face an uncertain future. Turkey has not only already
accommodated 2.7 million refugees, many without the ability to support
themselves, it has also not signed the Protocol to the Refugee
Convention and is itself facing challenges to its own security. The
agreement to provide resettlement for every Syrian national registered
in Turkey for every one returned from Greece itself (one in, one out) is
alarming and has very little chance of success. The agreement already
in place to resettle refugees from Lebanon and Jordan in EU states is
already well below target. Furthermore, the emphasis on resettlement
from Turkey of those who have not previously entered or attempted to
travel to the EU is punitive, undermining the right to seek asylum and
exacerbating the trauma which many refugees have already
experienced in taking flight and being forced to take perilous journeys.
International organisations have been highly critical of the proposal to
enter into this agreement with Turkey. These include Human Rights
Watch, Amnesty International and the European Council on Refugees
and Exiles, Oxfam International and Medecins Sans Frontieres. Given
that the plan to return people to and resettle people from Turkey has no
real prospect of success, the questionable legality of the deal and the
reality that many will continue to travel to and be trapped in Greece, we
would welcome an opportunity to work with a joint Oireachtas group on
real alternatives to the EU-Turkey deal.
Irelands participation in relocation and resettlement

schemes
Even if the EU-Turkey deal remains in place, Ireland could and should
be doing much more to honour its commitment to previous agreements
on relocation and resettlement and increase the number of refugees
that it is willing to take.
Ireland opted-in to the European Agenda on Migration and made a
voluntary commitment to accept 4000 people, over 1000 of which are

due to be resettled from Lebanon and Jordan and just under 3000 from
Greece and Italy. To date, according to the information available to us,
only 10 people (one family) have been relocated from Greece and less
than 300 from Lebanon and Jordan. We would ask you to ensure that
the government fulfils the commitments that it entered into in 2015 and
increases the rate of relocation and resettlement, particularly given the
immense pressures on Greece and the inhumane conditions in some
parts of the country. The European Asylum Support Office (EASO) has
recently indicated that the numbers applying for asylum in Greece have
increased significantly and many more are now willing to be considered
for relocation. Given the inevitable delays in putting resources in place
to deal with the new EU-Turkey deal, both relocation and resettlement
from Jordan and Turkey can be implemented without delay.
In addition, given the pressures on the countries surrounding Syria, we
would ask you to call on the government to increase the available
places for resettlement of refugees from outside the EU. By comparison
to the population of other EU countries, Ireland has not yet taken an
equal proportion of refugees, despite a clear indication from Irish people
that refugees are indeed welcome in Ireland.
Ireland will co-host an international conference on the migration crisis
at the UN in September 2016. The invitation to co-host with Jordan is an
indication of the respect in which Ireland is held in the wider
international community. We cannot now undermine our international
good standing by not taking a full and active role in the current
humanitarian crisis and fail to fully participate in both relocation and
resettlement. Thank you for your consideration of this. We look forward
to receiving your response.
We trust that you will endeavour to use the debate on Tuesday 22
March 2016 and your presence in the Dil to raise these concerns and
seek Irelands full and proper participation in resolving the current
refugee crisis in a manner that is in full compliance with our international
human rights obligations.
Yours faithfully,
Action Aid
Comlmh
Community Work Ireland
Conference of Religious of Ireland
Cultr
Doras Luimn
Immigrant Council of Ireland
Irish Missionary Union
Irish Refugee Council
Mercy International Association
Migrant Rights Centre Ireland
http://immigrantcouncil.ie/pages/arti
cles/2016/10
Slow intake by Ireland and human rights
fears about EU plan must be addressed in
Dil statement
Statement by the Immigrant Council of Ireland

Serious human rights concerns over Ireland and the EUs
response to the refugee crisis must be answered by acting
Taoiseach Enda Kenny in the Dil this morning (Tues March
21st 2016), according to the Immigrant Council of Ireland.
The Council says there are a number of issues of urgent
concern including the low number of refugees arriving
here despite commitments to offer protection to 4,000
people as well as fears that the deal reached between the
EU and Turkey is a threat to human rights.
The Immigrant Council says the fact that a caretaker
Government is in power does not absolve Ireland from its
responsibilities.
Brian Killoran, Chief Executive of the Immigrant Council of
Ireland said:
Our political leaders must accept that a humanitarian
crisis needs a humanitarian response and meeting needs
of men, women and children fleeing war and terror must
be central if any solution is to be found.
When the acting Taoiseach makes his Dil statement this
morning he must address concerns around the latest EU
plan and also Irelands response.
Deputy Kenny must clarify what measures are in place to
ensure the deal reached with Turkey will not lead to illegal
mass deportations or undermine the right for people in
danger to seek asylum.
An update on the progress Ireland is making on meeting
its own commitments to refugees is also required. Last
September in response to public outrage the Government
agreed to accept 4,000 refugees yet to date plans have
only been advanced to take 5% of that figure.
In addition the search and rescue operations of the navy
must be urgently restarted as the need for the expertise of
our officers and crews is again great.
Despite recent political spin this crisis is far from over
two children a day are drowning on the Mediterranean
while we are close to 500 lives being lost so far this year.
Even if we are a lonely voice in Europe, Ireland has a duty
to act with humanity and be an example to others. The
Taoiseach can start this process with his Dil statement
today.
ENDS
http://immigrantcouncil.ie/pages/articles/2016/10
Dil calls for Ireland to lead to protect child

and women refugees must be acted upon

Confirmation in the Dil that Ireland is to accept a further
31-refugees falls far short of the commitments made by
the Government last September, according to the
Immigrant Council of Ireland.
The Council also says that calls for Ireland to take an
international lead on ensuring that protections are in place
for women and children fleeing war and terror must lead
to action.
The Immigrant Council is warning that broad political
agreement in the Dil that Ireland should act with
humanity is not being followed through with action.
Ireland, said:
It is disappointing that the Government has only being
able to identify a further 31-refugees for resettlement here
to follow up on the 10 which have already arrived from the
hotspots of Greece and Italy.
The figures fall far short of the commitment last
September to take in 4,000 by the end of 2017.
Many speakers in the Dil debate highlighted the fact that

hundreds of people, including children travelling alone, are
stranded in camps in Northern France. We again call for
the Government to consider sending officials to the ferry
ports and see if refugees there can be offered protection
and hope here.
Ireland has a historic record of speaking up for the
voiceless and we echo the calls from TDs for a lead to be
taken in ensuring that measures are in place to protect
and safeguard the estimated 95,000 children travelling
alone within the EU and to find the 10,000 which are
missing.
The need for political leadership is great and we will work
with any new Government to ensure our promises to men,
women and children fearing for their lives are honoured,
and that they will find solidarity and hope in Ireland.
ENDS
Forming Ireland's response to the Refugee

and Migration Crisis
A Call to Action and Unity:

Forming Irelands response to the Refugee and Migration Crisis
Date: 9 & 10 June 2016
Venue: Emmet Theatre, Trinity Conference Centre, Trinity
College Dublin, Dublin 2
#ActionNow
Opening address by President of Ireland, Michael D.
Higgins
Globally, migration is at a crossroads. With 50 million
people experiencing displacement, and other forms of
migration increasing, the question of how individual states
and bodies such as the European Union react to a new
migration reality has never been more pressing. In a
context where people fleeing war, terrorism, human rights
abuses, climate change and poverty will take whatever
means are available to them to travel, however
dangerous, many believe that the expansion and
strengthening of legal migration channels, coupled with an
increased investment in integration and close cooperation
between state and non-state actors, is the future. What is
required is a sustainable response which informs a vision
of future global migration and respects human rights and
dignity.
This conference will consider the current refugee and
migration crisis and seek to inform a humanitarian
response, both nationally and at an EU level. The aim of
the dialogue is to share information and expertise and to
develop legal and policy strategies which place human
rights at the forefront of Irelands and the EUs response.
An overarching theme of the conference will be the need
for innovative responses to the current crisis which involve
close cooperation and collaboration between state actors,
non-governmental agencies and communities.
Key Speakers include:
Demetrios G. Papademetriou
Distinguished Senior Fellow, Co-Founder and President
Emeritus of the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), and
President of MPI Europe

UNHCR Ireland
Mdicins Sans Frontires Ireland
Safe Passage UK
Italian Red Cross
Amnesty International Ireland
Irish Refugee Council
Nasc, the Irish Immigrant Support Centre

Discussions will include:
A high-level panel of speakers will provide an

overview on the governance challenges posed
Consideration of the experiences of NGOs working

on the frontline in various countries; exploration of the
strategies and responses that are being developed
A response from national stakeholders to the crisis
Promising practices in countries throughout the EU
National and international legal perspectives on

such issues as the EU-Turkey deal and the sustainability or
otherwise of the current European approach
An exploration and consideration of the responses

at EU level and the policy/legislative impact of the crisis
Following the conference the Immigrant Council of

Ireland will draft recommendations to form a Call to Action
and Unity in Ireland and the EU
Immigration
Reform and
Law Centre
The Immigrant Council of Ireland is an Independent Law
Centre under the Solicitors Acts, 1954 to 2002
(Independent Law Centres) Regulations 2006.
The Immigrant Councils legal team can provide assistance
and legal representation to individuals regarding their
immigration status. This is a free, but limited, service for
particularly complex situations or cases that give rise to
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specific policy concerns.

Our work with migrants through our Legal Service helps
inform and shape our policy development and campaign
work.
Clients are referred to our legal service through our
Information and Referral Service or via other practitioners
or organisations.
Because our capacity is limited, we select cases according
to our strategic litigation policy. Resourcing constraints
mean the legal service is not available in all cases. Cases
are selected according to the following criteria:
strategic importance of the case
merits of the case
availability of other advice and representation services
vulnerability of the client
financial means of the client
timing of referral
capacity
The Immigrant Council does not provide legal advice or
representation in relation to applications for refugee status
or subsidiary protection (with the exception of applications
relating to victims of trafficking).
The Immigrant Council of Ireland prioritises support for
migrants who have experienced human rights abuses in
this country. Among these most vulnerable migrants, we
have established special support for people in the
following categories:
women who have been trafficked to Ireland for the
purposes of sexual exploitation
women subjected to sexual exploitation within the sex
industry
victims of domestic violence
unaccompanied minors
The Immigrant Councils unique position as an
Independent Law Centre allows us to use our expertise in
the area of Irish immigration law to offer high quality legal
advice and representation to migrants who have
experienced human rights abuses. We can provide support
and advice to migrants in relation to their immigration
status in Ireland, their immigration-related dependency on
abusive family members and a range of issues facing
victims of trafficking, including liaison with An Garda
Sochna.
The purpose of the Immigrant Councils Specialist
Immigration Advocacy Service is to provide quick, holistic
and appropriate responses to the needs of vulnerable
clients. We are committed to ensuring confidential and
priority access to support services and legal advice. We
view our Specialist Immigration Advocacy Service as an
integral part of our overall strategy of working in
cooperation with other organisations to provide free,
confidential and reliable information, quality legal advice
and representation, as well as appropriate referrals as
necessary.
Contact can be made through the Immigrant Councils
Information and Referral Service on (01) 674
0200 between 10am and 1pm on Mondays, Tuesdays,
Thursdays and Fridays. The Information and Referral
Service is closed on Wednesdays.
The Refugee Legal Service (www.legalaidboard.ie) is
available to asylum or subsidiary protection applicants
who require a free legal advice service. The Refugee Legal
Service also provides legal aid and advice in appropriate
cases on immigration and deportation matters. Other nongovernmental organisations can also provide asylum or
subsidiary protection applicants with information and
support, for example, the Irish Refugee Council
(www.irishrefugeecouncil.ie) and The Integration
Centre (www.integrationcentre.ie).
We are grateful for the continued financial support to our
services from Pobal, the Department of the Environment,
Community and Local Government and the Programme,
the Scheme to Support National Organisations 2016-2019.
Political promises to those fleeing war,

exploitation and abuse must be priority"

The new Government must hit the ground running and
deliver on promises already made to men, women and
children fleeing war, people smugglers and human
traffickers, according to the Immigrant Council of Ireland.
The Council says the delays caused by months of political
uncertainty must be ended by honouring promises to
accept 4,000 refugees into Ireland and restarting the
Sexual Offences Bill with its measures to combat sex
trafficking.
The Immigrant Council says by acting swiftly the

Government can reassure those targeted by war-mongers,
smugglers and traffickers that they have at least one ally
in Europe.
Ireland added:
Now that its back to business for Irish politics it is time
for uncertainty and delays to be replaced by action. As a
frontline service provider and Independent Law Centre we
are calling for a number of long-standing political promises
to be delivered in the first 100 days.
Set out a firm timeline for the arrival of 4,000

refugees into Ireland as announced on the steps of
Government Buildings last September
Use Irelands voice at the EU and UN to demand

legal avenues for those fleeing war and terror to reach
safety and put humanitarian needs back on the top of the
agenda
Immediately recommence the stalled Sexual

Offences Bill and its measures to crush demand for sex
trafficking and a range of other crimes
The lack of political leadership and commitment to
address these issues has gone on far too long. The
Government now has an opportunity to fill that void and
show Ireland is a country which will again offer hope and
solidarity to some of the most vulnerable people on the
planet.
ENDS
http://immigrantcouncil.ie/pages/arti
cles/2016/10
Homeless children in Ireland worse
off than those in UK
Saturday, December 10, 2016
The ISPCC today said that children who are currently

homeless in Ireland are worse off than children who are
homeless in the UK.
The charity has raised concerns about the ongoing

placement of children in emergency accommodation and
the lack of standards associated with hotel use and the
duration of stays.
The ISPCC marked Human Rights Day today calling on the

state to put in place minimum legal protections for
homeless children, including a right to temporary
accommodation and advice and assistance; the
establishment of a programme of alternative
accommodation for homeless families to reduce the use of
emergency accommodation; and a commitment to outlaw
use of emergency accommodation for homeless children
from 2018 onwards.
The right to an adequate standard of living is recognised
in article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
According to the October homelessness statistics from the
Department of Housing, there are currently 2,470 children
across the country who are experiencing homelessness,
an increase of 44 children in one month.
The Dublin Regional Homeless Executive further reported
that 1,608 children are living in emergency
accommodation in the Dublin region.
These children are worse off than children who are
homeless in the UK because they have fewer legal
protections, according to the charity.
ISPCC chief executive Grainia Long stated: The figures of
children who are homeless continue to rise. 44 children
are newly homeless this month, more than a class full of

children that will have no home this Christmas.
The right to an adequate standard of living is a critical
right for all children including those who are homeless
and living in emergency accommodation.
The state must therefore ensure limited use of
emergency accommodation, similar to neighbouring
jurisdictions, like Scotland.
ISPCC is concerned that the progress made so far to bring
forward alternatives to emergency accommodation in the
Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan on Housing and
Homelessness is insufficient if the target of ceasing to use
emergency accommodation for children by mid 2017 is to
be met.
Urgent action is needed to heed the advice of the UN
Committee on the Rights of the Child earlier this year, to
provide housing for homeless children, adequate to their
health and well-being."
A homeless charity in Dublin has issued an urgent appeal
for nappies and baby food.
The number of homeless families in Dublin has reached
over 1,000 for the first time ever and The Capuchin Day
Centre has seen a surge in demand for supplies.
About 90 families queue up every week for things like
nappies and formula and the charity will be handing out
thousands of hampers ahead of Christmas.
Anyone wishing to donate can do so at the Capuchin Day

Centre - 29 Bow Street - Dublin 7
Brother Kevin Crowley runs the centre.
"Two days before Christmas we'll have a huge drive, we'll
have anything up to 3,000 for food parcels.
"So again, it's so sad in 2016 to think so many people are
coming here for food."
The Government has agreed to take in 4,000

refugees following a special cabinet meeting
this morning. In IRELAND A HOMELESS
CRISIS IS HUGE AND IT DOSENT MAKE
SENSCE THAT IRISH GOVERNMENT ARE
BRINGING IN ILLEGAL MIGRANTS, ARE
THEY GOING TO BE HOUSED THE ANWSER
IS YES, EMERGENCY ACCOMADATION WILL
BE PROVIDED FOR THEM, THE QUESTION
WILL THE IRISH BORN CITIZEN BE HOUSED,
NO THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARE
HOUSED AS TOP PRIORITY OVER IRISH

BORN CITIZENS, WHY THE QUESTION HERE
REMAINS A MYSTERY
It is expected a fast-track system to streamline the

application process for the hundreds of refugees fleeing
war-torn Syria who will be relocated in Ireland will be rolled
out by the government in the coming weeks.
The Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald this morning
confirmed a budget has been allocated and refugee
welcome centres will be set up around the country.
She said the Government is now asking the European
Commission to exclude this sum from national finances.
The main point is the that Cabinet recognises and wants
to respond to this Humanitarian crisis.
4,000 is the figure that will take account of what the
Commission is asking us to do but it is somewhat more
generous than that figure.

She said a network of emergency reception and
orientation centres will be set up around the country.
Refugees will start arriving primarily from Greece and
Hungary by the end of the year, the Minister said.
She said any security and public order issues will be dealt
with, and Ireland would have the right to refuse any
refugee on those bases.
Accomdation centres will be set up within buildings under
the Department of Defence, the Office of Public Works,
and voluntary offers. Audits will be carried on these
accommodation centres in the coming weeks, she said.
Among the State sites being considered for the incoming
refugees are Clancy Barracks, army facilities in the
Curragh and Kildare as well as Gormanston Camp in
Meath.
The latter, reports suggest, is being considered by the
government for hundreds of refugee families fleeing the
Middle East and Africa.
Gormanston is still used by the Defence Forces as a
training camp for recruits. However, there a number of
reasons the government could utilise the camp.
It is relatively close to Dublin Airport and is linked to the
country's main airport directly by motorway. Gormonston
also has over 200 acres of land on which housing for
"The initial budget agreement this morning is that for
every 1,000 refugees that we welcome, the cost is
approximately 12m per 1,000.
Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly has

said he thinks Ireland will be taking a volume
of refugees "in the thousands" in the coming
years.
Mr Kelly said the matter will be discussed at
Government and the country will take its fair
share of refugees.
He said: "Irish people want us as a country to
step up to the mark and we will... This

Government is going to show leadership in
order to do that. "
The minister added that he believes Ireland
should take a leadership role with regard to
the escalating refugee crisis in Europe.
Mr Kelly said Ireland is well placed to do so as
"we have always punched above our weight",
and because Irish people have experienced a
huge sense of sadness, grief and loss.
Ireland has an "opt out" option from a
number of Justice and Home Affairs rules
under EU law, but has agreed to "opt in"
voluntarily on the relocation of migrants who
have arrived in Italy and Greece.
A proposal by the European Commission in
May called for a binding quota system for the
relocation of refugees, but it was rejected by
EU leaders in June.
Instead a voluntary quota system was put in
place to relocate 40,000 people.
So far, the uptake by member states has
fallen short at 32,000 people.
Following a meeting of justice ministers in
July Ireland agreed to voluntarily accept 600
people.
The Commission will relaunch a mandatory
system next week and justice ministers will
seek to agreement on it on 14 September.
Ireland will take 'many more than 600'
refugees - Simon Coveney
Minister for Defence, Agriculture and the
Marine Simon Coveney has said that Ireland
will take in "many more than 600" refugees.

Speaking on RTs Primetime
programme Minister Coveney said he had
spoken to a lot of ministers today and that
they all accepted that Ireland needed to do
more in terms of resettling refugees.
"The basis for the 600 figure until now was
that Ireland is 1% of the population of
Europe, we want to do more than our
population suggests we should be doing
because of our history and quite frankly
because Irish people would expect us to do it,
so we will go way beyond that figure in my
view." the minister said.
Follow
RT News
Simon Coveney: "Clearly we are not doing enough"

X
9:57 PM - 3 Sep 2015
13 13 Retweets11 11 likes
Referring to next week's meeting of the

European Commission Minister Coveney
said "We will make a much more generous
commitment."
Minister Coveney said that Ireland was a
small country but he believed it could give
leadership on this issue.
He said it was not true to say that Europe had
been doing nothing and that there had
been emergency meetings about the crisis
every month since May.
Ireland had spent around 80m in recent
years on a humanitarian aid in response to
the refugees emerging from Syria and
Somalia, he added.
Speaking in Paris today Taoiseach Enda
Kenny declined to give an exact number of
refugees Ireland would commit to taking but
said he had asked justice minister Francis
Fitzgerald to "have a flexible mind" at next
week's meeting.
"They are going to have to work out a
formula here to see what numbers are
appropriate for each individual country" the
Taoiseach said.
But he added: "We've got to be realistic in
what we can contribute."
Mr Kenny suggested that under the new
scheme the overall EU relocation figure
would be "over 100,000."
"It's not realistic to set a figure on this, but
there will be a real focus following the justice
ministers' meeting, which will arise at the
[heads of government] European Council in
October.
Past experience is that countries will not
measure up if they're asked to do so
voluntarily," the Taoiseach said.
Mr Kenny described the picture of the young
boy on the beach in Turkey as "absolutely
shocking."
He said: "Any parent could see that child in
their own arms. Here was the body of a
young boy, a life lost and wasted, washed up
on a beach."
He said the image would "shock political
processes into taking action.
FF ask Kenny to recall Dil early
over crisis
Fianna Fil has tonight written to the
Taoiseach asking him to recall the Dil to
debate how Ireland can respond to the
refugee crisis.
The party said Ireland can no longer wait for
a pan European response and should instead
lead the way.
In a letter to Mr Kenny the Party's Transport

spokesman, Timmy Dooly, said this was a
horrific humanatarian crisis - the worst since
World War Two.
The Dil is due to return from its summer
recess on 22 September.
Deputy Dooly wrote that "while the Irish
Navy's contribution is admirable and to be
commended. However Ireland should and can
do more."
He requested the Taoiseach to summon the
Dil for an earlier return date under Standing
Order 24(1).
Government expected to make

announcement on refugee quota
The Minister of State at the Department of
Justice with responsibility for Direct Provision
has said the Government will make an
announcement in the next few days about
increasing the number of refugees to be
accepted into Ireland.
Aodhn Rordin said the Department of

Foreign Affairs, the Department of Defence
and the Department of Justice have been
working on the issue.
He said that the number of refugees will be a
multiple of the 600 figure which we have
already agreed to accept.
He said: "If people are asking does the Irish
Government intend to work and play a lead
role in this and intend to take its
responsibility seriously? Yes we do."
Mr Rordin said the numbers Ireland had
committed to were not enough.
When asked if a figure of accepting 10,000
refugees seemed excessive, Mr Rordin
said that figure sounded like a lot.
Mr Rordin said it would be reasonable to
expect if Ireland accepted more refugees it
would get financial support from the
European Union.
Minister of State, Kathleen Lynch also said
the 600 figure was not enough. "Ireland
should step up to the mark" she said.
Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform

Brendan Howlin earlier said he is sure Ireland
will take in more refugees than the 600 it has
already pledged to take in over the next two
years.
Mr Howlin said Ireland would take part in a
quota system and that there is a requirement
for Ireland to "step up to the plate".
Minister for Transport Paschal Donohoe
described the migrant crisis as
"unprecedented in recent decades" and
described Ireland's response so far as
"positive and comprehensive".
Archbishop of Dublin Diarmud Martin has said
parishes in Ireland would be willing to take in
refugees.
Speaking on RT's News at One, the

archbishop said authorities here should also
provide quality as well as quantity and
provide something more than just "an
emergency bed."
He said this is the largest refugee crisis since
the second world war and was not going to
go away.
The archbishop said it was not just a question
of numbers but of "when can we start?"
Europol identifies 30,000 suspected

people smugglers
Nearly 30,000 suspected people smugglers
have been identified by European authorities
since the start of the year.
The figure was disclosed by the head of the
EU's law enforcement agency as he told

reporters criminal activity is at "very high"
levels as gangs attempt to exploit the
migrant crisis.
Rob Wainwright said investigators across
member states have opened up a total of
1,400 new cases in 2015 alone.
The director of Europol also described
trafficking gangs as "agile", with members
adopting new tactics such as using social
media to "recruit" victims.
Europol Chief of Staff Brian Donald said the
EU was facing a crisis of management due to
the current influx of migrants and refugees.
Speaking on RT's Morning Ireland, Mr
Donald said the volumes are such that police
and border guards are being faced with
unprecedented problems.
Mr Donald said there was strong element of
organised crime supporting the movement of
migrants across Europe.
"In the last year since we set up a specific
project in relation to this crisis, there's been
1,400 cases ongoing with almost 30,000
suspects reported to Europol and in our
systems and that's just since the beginning
of 2015.
He said Europol is playing an important role
in helping the police community across
Europe "upgrade" its response to the gangs
involved.
"So it's quite clear to us and quite clear to
member states that we're working with that
there are criminal gangs and networks which

are across the whole of the EU that are
helping migrants to continue their journeys to
wherever they want to go."
Mr Donald said one criminal gang operating
over a period of six months is estimated to
have made 71 million.
However he said he did not believe the crime
groups are among the causes of the
migratory flows but said they are exploiting
them.
PQ: REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAMME
Thu, December 8, 2016
41. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Tnaiste and Minister for Justice and
Equality the number of Syrian refugees resettled here in 2016; the
anticipated number to be settled here during the first quarter of 2017;
and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39289/16]
Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (Deputy David
Stanton): The Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) was established by
Government Decision on 10 September 2015 as a direct response to the
humanitarian crisis that developed in Southern Europe as a consequence of
mass migration from areas of conflict in the Middle East and Africa. Under this
programme, the Government has pledged to accept a total of 4,000 persons
into the State by the end of 2017, of whom 1,040 refugees (520 in 2015/2016
and 520 in 2017) will come to Ireland under the UNHCR led refugee
resettlement programme currently focussed on resettling refugees from
Lebanon.
The resettlement strand of the programme is focussing on cases displaced by
the Syrian conflict into Lebanon and proposed to Ireland by UNHCR. Most but
not all of the cases referred are Syrian. In 2016, 312 Syrian refugees were
admitted. In total, 507 persons displaced by the Syrian conflict (448 of whom
are Syrians) have arrived in Ireland from Lebanon since 4 August 2015 and a
further 12 refugees (all Syrians) are scheduled to arrive from Lebanon in mid
December 2016. By mid-December 2016, all but one of the quota of 520
resettled refugees for 2015/2016 are expected to have arrived.
In addition, the Government recently announced that it is extending the
resettlement programme to take in a further 520 refugees from Lebanon in
2017. 260 refugees have already been selected during a selection mission to
Lebanon in October 2016 and are expected to arrive in Spring 2017. Most of
these refugees are also Syrian. A further selection mission to Lebanon will be
arranged in the coming months to select the remaining refugees due to come
to Ireland in 2017 under the resettlement programme.
http://www.nascireland.org/parliamentary-questions/pq-refugee-resettlementprogramme-7/
EU CHILD FORUM JOINT STATEMENT

Tue, November 29, 2016
Child Rights Agencies call on EU to put refugee and migrant children
first
Brussels, 29 November EU institutions and Member States must do more to
protect refugee and migrant children, a statement signed by 78 agencies
including Save the Children and UNICEF said today to mark the opening of
the 10th European Forum on the Rights of the Child in Brussels.
Europes refugee and migrant crisis will soon enter its third year, with children
playing an ever larger part and the impact on their lives all the more tragic.
Between January and September 2016, more than 664,500 children claimed
asylum in Europe; In Italy, nine in ten children arriving this year are
unaccompanied; in Greece, 23,000 children remain in limbo their futures
hanging in the balance, their education on hold.
More than 700 children are estimated to have died at sea trying to reach
Europe this year alone. Last week a six-year old child died in a fire in the
Moria camp on the Greek island of Lesbos.
UNICEF and Save the Children are deeply concerned that failure to prioritise
the protection of children is putting more children at risk. Too little has been
done to address the particular needs and vulnerabilities of children. Children
in Sweden, for example, can often wait up to one year for their asylum cases
to be heard. Children stranded in Greece have been out of school an average
of 20 months. Many children have to wait more than a year to reach family
members in other EU states a dangerous delay that causes children to
disappear or turn to smugglers.
The EU and member states can do a lot more to protect children and address
their particular needs and vulnerabilities.
Addressing the Forum, the Child Rights Agencies call for deliberate action;
leadership, public investment and an agreed policy framework that defines
goals and measures progress, saying protecting children does not just
happen on its own.
The 78 partner organisations identify 7 priority actions to protect refugee and
migrant children today and prepare them for the future. These actions include
the urgent adoption of an EU Action Plan on children in migration,
strengthened safeguards for children in the asylum legislation, increased
funding for national child protection systems and building mechanisms to
protect children across borders.
The agencies say that actions at the EU level have so far been scattered and
insufficient. What is needed now, they say, is comprehensive action on
children in migration, bringing together all responsible authorities and
encouraging states to better collect and share data.
The reform of the common European asylum system, currently debated in the
European Parliament, provides a unique opportunity to ensure children get
access to guardians, education and family reunification. EU Action is also
needed to end the detention of migrant and refugee children, and the
identification of alternatives.
Many of these children will grow up becoming future EU citizens. They should
be considered as children first, regardless of their migration status. States

need to invest in them, and empower them to fulfil their potential as equal
participants in their communities.
http://www.nascireland.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Childrencannot-wait_7-priority-actions-to-protect-children-in-migration_78organisations_29-November-2016.pdf
MIGRATION AND PROTECTION MUST BE

PRIORITIES FOR NEW GOVERNMENT
Fri, May 6, 2016
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Given the current humanitarian crisis, migration and protection must be

priority issues for the new Programme for Government, states Nasc CEO
Fiona Finn.
After the debate in the Dil last week about the refugee crisis in Europe, it is
clear that the majority of TDs support Ireland taking a lead in supporting the
million plus people currently seeking protection and safety in Europe. Now is
the opportunity for those lofty words to be turned into solid commitments to
act.
These are the defining issues of our time. Migration and displacement as a
result of violence, poverty, starvation, persecution and climate change is our
new global reality our new Programme for Government must reflect that.
Nasc has contacted TDs and Ministers to call for the inclusion of the following
points in the new Programme for Government:
Reforms to immigration legislation and policy, to ensure that migrants have
access to justice and rights, including:
The introduction of an independent appeals mechanism for immigration
decisions;
A statutory framework facilitating family reunification for all legal residents,
including Irish citizens;
The establishment of a permanent residency status
Support refugees and asylum seekers who are seeking protection in Ireland
and Europe, by:
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Promoting safe and legal migration channels into Ireland and Europe, for
example a new Humanitarian Admission Programme for Syrians;
Strengthening Irelands support of the globally displaced by adequately
implementing and resourcing the Refugee Protection Programme;
Ensuring that the people currently in the asylum and direct provision systems
are not forgotten, by implementing in full the recommendations in the Report
of the Working Group on the Protection Process and Direct Provision?
Promote integration and combat racism and other hate motivated crimes by:
1 Introducing of hate crime legislation;
2 Ensuring that the measures outlined in the upcoming National
Integration Strategy are implemented and adequately resourced;
3 Legislation and flanking measures to proscribe ethnic profiling
by state agencies and bodies
To support Nascs call, please contact your local TDs and Senators today and
tell them that it is urgent that migration and protection be prioritised in the new
Government.
PQ: ASYLUM SEEKER ACCOMMODATION

(LOCAL RESIDENTS)
Tue, December 8, 2015

324. Deputy Arthur Spring asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if
it is good practice to have a consultation process with locals in place
prior to introducing asylum seekers and refugees into an area, if
consultation is required by legislation and the time period for the it to
take place prior to the introduction of the asylum seekers and refugees.
Minister for Justice and Equality (Deputy Frances Fitzgerald): There is no
legislative requirement setting out any consultation process that may be used
by RIA prior to the establishment of accommodation centres for those in need
of international protection.
On 31 July 2015 RIA published a call for expressions of interest from persons
or companies wishing to provide accommodation and related services.
RIA have analysed the responses and have visited many of the centres on
offer to assess their suitability for their needs and the needs of potential
residents. For operational and commercially confidential reasons details of
these visits and the discussions with the owners (who are potential
contractors) are not disclosed to any other Department, agency or local
community representatives.
Any potential centre is assessed from a number of perspectives including
access to local amenities and the provision of services.
This model and approach has been operated by RIA since its establishment
and has proven to be extremely successful in the establishment of
accommodation centres to date. No person seeking accommodation has ever
been left without the provision of that service. Communities across the country
have welcomed the establishment of these centres and have been engaged in
the provision of local integration services to residents in those centres. I am
confident that people in Ireland will continue to welcome into their
communities those who are the most vulnerable and most in need of
protection.
I am advised that it is the intention of the Irish Refugee Protection Programme
to adopt broadly the same approach when establishing Emergency Reception
and Orientation Centres (EROCs).
Immigration Residence &

Protection Bill (Archive)
The International Protection Bill 2015

In 2015, the Coalition Government split off the Protection elements of the
Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill, 2010 and published the General
Scheme for the International Protection Bill, 2015.
This move formed part of the Governments commitment to treat asylum
seekers with the humanity they deserve, which also included setting up a
Working Group on the Protection Process and Direct Provision to recommend
reforms which would show greater respect for the dignity of the persons in
the system. The Working Group Report was published in June 2015 and is
available here.
Nasc made a submission to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice,
Defense and Equality on the Heads of Bill, which can be viewed here. The
Justice Committee published their Interim Report in July 2015, which can be
viewed here.
The Bill is expected to be published in September 2015. The remainder of the
Immigration and Residency related issues remain in limbo, waiting to be redrafted.
The Immigration Residence and Protection Bill 2010
In 2010, a coalition of eight human rights organisations prepared a Briefing

paper on the previous governments Immigration Residence & Protection Bill
of 2010. The key concerns in the Briefing Paper are outlined here.
Click on this link to read Nascs own detailed Submission on key elements of
the IRP Bill 2010.
http://justice.ie/en/JELR/General%20Scheme%20of%20the%20International
%20Protection%20Bill%20_final_.pdf/Files/General%20Scheme%20of%20the
%20International%20Protection%20Bill%20_final_.pdf
NGO-Coalition-Briefing-Paper-IRP-Bill-2010_FINAL
http://www.nascireland.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/NGOCoalition-Briefing-Paper-IRP-Bill-2010_FINAL.pdf
Submission to Select Committee on Justice, Defence and
Womens Rights Immigration Residence and Protection Bill 2010
http://www.nascireland.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/NascSubmission-on-key-elements-of-the-IRP-bill-2010-11.pdf
These are the five 'pillars' the

government plans to address in
its housing plan:
Ireland urged to shelter

some of the two million
Syrian refugees
Sarah Stack Twitter
PUBLISHED
23/08/2013
1
Syrian refugees cross into Iraq amid continued fighting
The Government has been called on to take

in refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria.
The Green Party accused the international community of
standing idly by as the United Nations revealed the
number of Syrian children forced to flee their devastated
homeland has reached a million.
Almost two million people have been driven out of the
country to date.
Malcolm Noonan urged Ireland to lead the way by taking
displaced people from one of the surrounding camps in
neighbouring countries like Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq
and Egypt.
"One in four people living in Lebanon is now a refugee,
many are so desperate that they are fleeing into Iraq," said
the Green Party environment spokesman.
"It is our view that if the Irish Government were to take
the initiative by offering to accept a number of refugees on

a programme basis agreed with UNHCR, it would compel
other EU states to follow suit and ease the humanitarian
crisis in countries bordering Syria."
The UN has demanded that Syria give its chemical
weapons experts immediate access to rebel-held
Damascus suburbs amid claims a chemical attack
orchestrated by Bashar Assad's regime killed hundreds of
people, including children.
The team of UN weapons inspectors is in Syria but only
has permission to visit specific locations and the regime
has dismissed as "baseless" claims it was behind the latest
incident.
Meanwhile UN high commissioner for refugees, Antonio
Guterres, has warned the traumatised children of Syria are
losing their homes, family members and futures.
Mr Noonan said there have been successful settlement
programmes in Ireland, in particular the Sudanese
resettlement programme of 2007.
"Ireland has an incredible track record in humanitarian
causes," he said.
"The Green Party believes that to accept people fleeing this
conflict during such a challenging time in our own
country's history would send a message to the
international community that we must act now to help
alleviate suffering and that this is a tangible way in which
we can begin to act.
"The crisis in Syria will not end any time soon and with
over two million people displaced both internally and in
surrounding countries, it is essential that the international
community responds in a compassionate way.
"Ireland should show leadership in initiating a refugee
settlement programme."
http://www.independent.ie/irish
-news/ireland-urged-to-sheltersome-of-the-two-million-syrian-
refugees-29523249.html
THE CORK CITY INTEGRATION
STRATEGY (CCIS) 2008-2011
http://www.integration.ie/websi
te/omi/omiwebv6.nsf/page/AXB
N-85KK841540318-en/
$File/Cork%20City
%20Integration%20Strategy
%20(CCIS)%202008-2012.pdf
migration nation statement on integration strategy and diversity
management
http://www.integration.ie/websi
te/omi/omiwebv6.nsf/page/AXB
N-7SQDF91044205-en/
$File/Migration%20Nation.pdf
Laws for Legal Immigration in
the 27 EU ... PIELAMI
Cooperation on Preventing
Illegal employment of Labour ...
through the introduction of
integration-related .
http://publications.iom.int/syste
m/files/pdf/iml_16.pdf
TRANSATLANTIC TRENDS: IMMIGRATION 2010 ... Legal and

Illegal Immigration: ... ation integration. Overall,
Transatlantic Trends
http://trends.gmfus.org/files/arc
hived/immigration/doc/TTI2010
_English_Key.pdf
Alliance of Civilization of
multinational strategy on ...
and to pursue more efficiently
the illegal immigration
http://www.unaoc.org/repositor
y/thematic_migration.pdf
Immigration Taking Action on ... Cracking Down on Illegal
Immigration at the Border: ... read the Immigration
Blueprint
https://www.whitehouse.gov/sit
es/default/files/rss_viewer/immi
gration_blueprint.pdf
Family Unity
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1. 1 The State recognises the Family as the natural primary and

fundamental unit group of Society, and as a moral institution
possessing inalienable and imprescriptible rights, antecedent and
superior to all positive law.
2 The State, therefore, guarantees to protect the Family in its
constitution and authority, as the necessary basis of social order and
as indispensable to the welfare of the Nation and the State.
Article 41, Constitution of Ireland Bunreacht Na hireann
For various reasons, those who migrate to Ireland whether to work or to
seek safety are often forced to do so without their husbands, wives, children
and other close family members. Conversely, Irish citizens may wish to get
permission for a spouse from outside of the EU to join them here. Information
on how to apply for family reunification is contained on our Know Your Rights
Page here.
Our campaigning work involves highlighting the anomalies and injustices in
the immigration system. Our campaigning work is based on the cases we see
presenting to our free legal service, and consists of:
Lobbying the Department of Justice for legislative and policy change
Campaigning on the upcoming Immigration Residence and Protection Bill
Making submissions to international bodies
Referring strategic cases to the Public Interest Law Alliance (PILA) for
litigation
The Zambrano Case and the rights of parents of

Irish Citizen Children
Nasc has been to the fore on campaigning for the rights of Irish citizen
children with migrant parents. Following the decision of the Court of Justice of
the European Union in the case Ruiz Zambrano v Office National de LEmploi
(C 34/09) which recognised the rights to reside and work in the State of nonEEA citizen parents of dependent Irish citizen children, Nasc were
instrumental in having the right of unlimited access to the labour market for
parents of Irish citizen children extended to Romanian and Bulgarian parents
of Irish citizen children.
After their accession to the EU, Romanians and Bulgarians were given limited
access to the Irish labour market and were generally required to obtain a work
permit. This disadvantaged Romanian and Bulgarian jobseekers as only
certain types of employment with a renumeration of 30,000 p/a and above
were eligible for work permits.
Arguing that EU law prohibited the State from treating EU citizens less
favourably than their EU counterparts, Nasc referred the case of a Romanian
man with an Irish citizen child to PILA for litigation. The case was settled with
the Department of Justice removing the requirement for work permits for all
Romanian and Bulgarian parents of Irish citizen children. Subsequently the
State removed work permit restrictions for all Romanian and Bulgarian
nationals.
Nascs main campaign goals relating to family

reunification are:
1. The replacement of the current discretionary system for Irish citizens

and non-EEA citizens (with the exception of refugees and persons
eligible for subsidiary protection) with a statutory framework.
At present Irish citizens and migrant workers do not have a legislative right to
family reunification with immediate family members. These applications are
decided on a discretionary basis by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration
Service (INIS). This means that Irish citizens are treated much less favourably
than their EU counterparts who are living in Ireland.
We believe that a framework facilitating family reunification for all legal
residents of Ireland is desperately needed.
The INIS published their policy document Family Reunification Policy
Document (see here for Nascs summary) on the 31st December 2013 which
details, for the first time, the financial and other criteria that will be taken into
consideration when deciding on an application for family reunification by a
non-EEA citizen with an Irish citizen or non-EEA sponsor.
Although Nasc welcomes the publication by the INIS of their internal policy,
we believe that this is insufficient and that the Minister for Justice and Equality
should place the right to family reunification on a legislative footing.
Nasc calls on the Minister for Justice and Equality to implement clear and
coherent rules on the rights of Irish citizens and non-EEA citizens to reunite
with their families.
We believe that Irish citizens should have access to family reunification on the
same basis as their EU citizen counterparts. We believe that Irish legislation
in relation to family reunification for this category of migrants should be
brought into line with the provisions of the EU Directive on the Right to Family
Reunification. Ireland has opted out of this Directive, causing us to fall behind
best practice in the EU.
2. Introduction of an independent appeals mechanism.
At present, no appeals process for those dissatisfied with an adverse decision
related to family reunification exists the only option at present is to initiate
judicial review proceedings.
This is not an appropriate remedy as it extremely expensive for citizens to

take a case to the High Court to judicially review a negative decision and it
overburdens the High Court with immigration related judicial review
applications.
We call for the introduction of an independent Immigration Appeals Tribunal to
relieve the pressure on the Irish courts while offering an inexpensive,
expedited appeals process to applicants.
Back to Top
Related Links and Resources

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INIS has recently published new guidelines for family reunification. More
information about the guidelines is available on our Factsheet. Nasc has
welcomed these guidelines but we have concerns about some aspects of the
policy and on the implementation of the guidelines. You can read more about
our concerns here.
The MIPEX index assesses and compares integration policies worldwide.
Irelands family reunion policies score very low indeed on the overall ranking
table, we rank the worst of the 31 countries (EU and North America) surveyed.
Click here to download Nascs submission (pdf) to Irelands Universal Periodic
Review (UPR) at the United Nations General Assembly (including family
reunion concerns).
Watch our 3 minute Better Together video to meet Tracy, her husband
Abdullah, and their baby Malika. Abdullahs first application for permission to
come to live in Ireland with his family was denied. Tracy made a second
application with Nascs assistance, and she and her husband are now living in
Cork together with their daughter.
NASC WELCOMES INTRODUCTION OF NEW

FAMILY REUNIFICATION POLICY BUT HAS
CONCERNS
Thu, January 9, 2014
Nasc welcomes the introduction of the new family reunification policy

published by the Department of Justice at the New Year. The document adds
some clarity to an obscure but critical area of immigration law and policy. We
hope that the development of this policy will lead to improved consistency in
decision-making on family reunification both within INIS itself and the visa
offices in Irish embassies and consulates throughout the world. However, after
our initial inspection of the policy document, we have considerable concerns,
which are outlined below.
There are several aspects to the policy which we welcome, however
additional clarification on starting dates and details of administrative schemes
is required. We welcome new measures such as the introduction of
provisional entry to the State for the purposes of marriage, the introduction of
standardised application forms, the introduction of interim administrative
permissions for minors under 16, the references to the exceptional
circumstances of domestic violence victims and the commitment to the
establishment of a statutory appeals mechanism which will include family
reunification appeals. We also note that the new policy allows for family
members of sponsors to apply for residence in their own right after five years
of residence in the State.
While we are pleased that the INIS has provided clarity on the necessary
requirements to those who wish to reunite with elderly or dependent parents,
we are concerned that the income thresholds of 60,000 net for one parent
and 75,000 net for two parents for each of three years preceding the
application will bar many Irish and immigrant families from reuniting with their
parents.
We cautiously welcome the proposed introduction of a pre-clearance system
for non-visa required nationals who wish to reside in Ireland and often times
find themselves in a limbo situation while their application is being processed.
However inclusion of this proposal without indicating when this measure may
be introduced and confirming the interim current procedure may be confusing
as it appears to contradict policy contained on other parts of the INIS website.
Issues of Concern
There are several points which we consider quite negative and potentially
very harmful, including consistent reference within the document to decisions
made by family members to voluntarily separate and that the State does not
bear an obligation to reunite the family in these cases. We believe that this is
not reflective of a modern global society where immigration for work purposes
is increasingly common and where instant communication has made it
possible for families to have close links and ties while living thousands of
miles apart.
A major concern is the restrictive economic policies in places for people,
including Irish citizens who wish to reunite with spouses. Comparatively, the
income threshold is quite high and could effectively bar many people from
applying for reunification with their family. For those who are ill or unable to
work due to disability or old age there is no possibility that they will be in a
position to meet the income requirement. Furthermore, we believe that the
seven year bar on making a second spouse or de facto application is
excessive. Worryingly, the policy document refers to the ineligibility of
sponsors who are suspected of contracting a marriage of convenience
without referencing how or when it will be decided that a marriage of
convenience has, in fact, taken place.
The inclusion of the INIS policy on DNA testing is welcome however important
information regarding how long people may expect INIS to retain their biodetails provided in the DNA testing results is omitted. We would ask INIS to
confirm that this information is used only for the purposes for which it is
provided and is not shared with any other State or non State organisations.
In addition, there are a few points which suggest potential developments in
the future that we will be keeping a close eye on, including the possible
introduction of English language tests and knowledge of Irish culture and
society. It is positive that the document mentions that long term residency
should be available however no indication of when or how this might be done
is included. There is currently no permanency of residence for non-EEA
citizens.
Nasc CEO Fiona Finn comments on the new policy:
We are delighted that after years of pushing for changes to family
reunification policy, we are finally seeing some movement towards clarification
of the existing policy. However there are some very worrying aspects to this
document and several areas that require additional clarification.
We call on the Department of Justice to immediately amend the document to
rectify the issues mentioned above. We also ask for the immediate
introduction of the statutory appeals mechanism to ensure families are
reunited as quickly and efficiently as possible. And finally, we will continue to
campaign on behalf of Irish citizens, who remain in limbo without a legal right
to family reunification with their loved ones.
We welcome the states recognition that the current system is in need of
reform across a number of areas and look forward to the publication of the
Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill which is promised to bring greater
clarity to this critical area, Ms Finn adds
http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/PB13000447
EU Council Directive 2003/86/EC of 22 September 2003 on the right to family
reunification
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?
uri=CELEX:32003L0086&from=EN
Policy Document on Non-EEA Family

Reunification
The purpose of this document is to set out a
comprehensive statement of Irish national
immigration policy in the area of family
reunification. It is recognised that more
comprehensive and transparent guidelines are
necessary to assist applicants and decision makers
in this area. The policies outlined in this document
will apply to all decision making in the immigration
system in relation to family reunification cases in a
harmonised way, incorporating both visa
applications and the various leave to remain
processes. The document also outlines some
recommended administrative changes.
http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Fa
mily%20Reunification%20Policy
%20Document.pdf/Files/Family
%20Reunification%20Policy
%20Document.pdf
FACTSHEET ON INIS POLICY DOCUMENT ON NON- EEA FAMILY
REUNIFICATION]
http://www.nascireland.org/wpcontent/uploads/2013/09/Famil
y-Reunification-Factsheet-2.pdf
Policy Document on Non-EEA Family
Reunification
http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Fa
mily%20Reunification%20Policy
%20Document.pdf/Files/Family
%20Reunification%20Policy
%20Document.pdf
Better Together With Nasc - Bringing
Families Together"
Dec 15, 2011
This is a short film we made with the help of Brian Cronin as
part of the 2011 Better Together (www.bettertogether.ie) video
competition. Some of our most important and fulfilling work

here at Nasc, centres around families and helping migrants in
Ireland reunite with their loved ones. The three-minute video
features Tracy, her husband Abdullah, and their baby Malika.
Abdullah's first application for permission to come to live in
Ireland with his family was denied. Tracy made a second
application with Nasc's assistance, and she and her husband
are now living in Cork together with their daughter.
Nasc, the Irish Immigrant Support Centre, is a non-profit
organisation based in Cork, Ireland. We provide legal support
to migrants living in Ireland, particularly in the Cork region. We
are recognised as a leading voice in the migrant sector,
providing support to over 1,000 migrants per year.
We do not receive any government assistance and are entirely
dependent upon donations to keep our service going.
Contributions large and small are gratefully accepted on our
website:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=HerGyRaOhHw&context=C4ff5736ADvjVQa1PpcFOs11ttpE5
bjNPc3z1m_aczJ3NIj18KRvY=
Simon Coveney rules out

reducing rent cap limit from
4% to 2%
Fianna Fil has criticised government proposals to limit rent increases
in pressure zones in Dublin and Cork.
December 14, 16
MINISTER FOR HOUSING Simon Coveney has defended

the governments rental strategy, but said it will not be
going through before Christmas.
Fianna Fil has heavily criticised government proposals to
limit rent increases in rent-pressure zones in Dublin and
Cork.
Yesterday, Minister Coveney brought proposals to Cabinet
that will cap rent increases in designated zones of Cork
city and Dublin city and county to 4% a year over a threeyear period.
Fianna Fils education spokesman Thomas Byrne says the
4% limit is too high, but ruled out seeking to link rent
hikes to the consumer price index. He said Fianna Fil was
working through the night on its own proposals.
Speaking this morning, Coveney said the 4% rise was nonnegotiable, and the government would not support any
amendment to reduce the rent cap to 2%.
He also that if Fianna Fil wants to oppose the 4% cap,
then the legislation underpinning the Governments rental
strategy will pass before Christmas, which is something
the party will have to take on themselves.
The measures are due to be tabled today. Minister
Coveney reportedly failed, however, to persuade Cabinet

to approve linking rent increases to the consumer price
index.
The rental plan designated Dublin and Cork city as rent
pressure zones because annual rents there have risen by at
least 7% in four of the past six quarters. The average rent
in both high-pressure zones is also above the national
average in the last quarter.
Ive been minister for housing for six months, Coveney
told Today with Sean ORourke on RT this morning.
Within the first 74 days we had a housing strategy agreed,
which is agreeing to spend 5.5 billion on social housing,
to increase the number by almost 50,000 [houses].
We said on that day that we would have a rental strategy
by the end of the year, and we have delivered that. We
have increased the budget for housing next year.
He said that the Budget included a big package for firsttime buyers, which he said has fundamentally changed the
housing market for first-time buyers.
Cork City.
Source: Shutterstock
Airbnb
As a result, developers are planning to build a lot more
houses, starter homes, for first-time buyers.
Planning permissions are up, commencements are up.

We are expecting that next
year An Bord Pleanla will see up to 50 applications for
more than 100 houses across the country on individual
sites.
He said that, in Galway, in seven years, there has been
one application for a housing estate, while Tipperary has
seen none, adding:
We are changing the market, and its working, and were
starting to see momentum build in the property market.
He also said the department is looking at the effects of
Airbnb on the rental market.
Anybody who plans to use Air Bnb effectively for a B&B
or a hotel-style operation, they will have to go to their local
authority for a change of use in terms of planning, he
said.
The priority here is protecting tenants from a very
dysfunctional market at the moment.
Housing Minister Simon Coveney.

Source: Rollingnews.ie
Major decision
Writing in TheJournal.ie, Sinn Fin housing spokesman
Eoin Broin said the measures could amount to an
average 4,500 rent hike over the next three years for
renters in Dublin city. Renters in Cork city, meanwhile,
could be hit with a bill for 3,200, he said.
Fianna Fil broadly supports the strategy, but wants the
rent-pressure zones extended to Galway, Limerick,
Waterford and parts of the commuter counties and the 4%
figure lowered.
Now whats happened here really is a procedural
nightmare, education spokesman Thomas Byrne told
RTs Morning Ireland today.
Once again, coming up to Christmas, the government is
going to make a major decision which is going to have
major consequences.
And, quite frankly, in this case, were going to have to
take action. Because its extremely market-sensitive, and if
action isnt taken this week, then the rental market could
go off
He added: This is extremely sensitive, not only in terms
of the rental market but also the stock exchange, and the
Dil cant be in that space. We must show the public that
we can actually effect change, and make a real difference
in peoples lives.
Crazy
Byrne said Fianna Fil housing spokesman Barry Cowen
has been in discussions with Minister Coveney regarding
the 4%, and the geographic areas covered by the measures.
Fine Gael junior minister Damien English last night ruled
out any change to the 4% measure on RTs Primetime.
Byrne said Fianna Fil could in theory amend the
governments measures without Fine Gael support, but
added:
We want to engage in fruitful discussions on this with the
government.
He said the ministers approach has resulted in procedural
chaos.
Our teams have been working throughout the night on
this, and government have been as well. Its not the way to
do this.
The government is tabling this not as an existing bill, but
as four-stage amendments to an existing bill thats already
gone through the Dil.

That is due for discussion, we think, tomorrow, and
amendments have to be in today. Its crazy stuff.
Government amendments that are going to amend this
have to be in by 1pm today.
Its the same every year, they dont seem to have learnt
their lessons about rushing legislation in before Christmas.
Broadly, we think a lot of the difficulty we would have
with this strategy there are more measures that are
coming in for this time next year, rather than for this time
this year.
Byrne said that, at this point, its unclear when Fianna
Fils amendment will happen, but said the party is
seeking tax breaks for landlords.
We would like to see more stuff in terms of landlords, he
added, insisting he meant small-time landlords, rather
than REITs (vulture) funds who have snapped up large
swathes of Irish property.
We think they do deserve a tax break, in terms of
restoring the full interest deduction which is available.
This morning, Minister Coveney said Fianna Fil should
have proposed any changes to tax incentives before the
Budget, rather than six weeks afterwards.
Landlords
Asked whether Fianna Fil would link proposed tax breaks
for landlords with greater security for tenants, Byrne said
the Constitution precludes an opposition party from
tabling a finance bill.
Byrne said the partys proposals are somewhere in
between the 4% cap and linking rent increases to the
consumer price index.
The partys proposals are based on the average of rents
over the past five years, allowing for increases in some
areas but a ban on increases in other areas.
We think the 4% is just too high its a price increase. It
certainly should be lower, Im not going to put a figure on
it.
As of October, there were 3,486 homeless adults and
children in the State, three times what the figure was three
years ago.
There are 142 people, meanwhile, sleeping rough in
Dublin city alone.
Certainly the housing supply needs to be increased,
Byrne said.
And thats not happening fast enough, because they need
houses a lot of the single people who are homeless would
be ideal for bedsits.
Number of rough sleepers on

Dublin streets up 56% in last
year
The Dublin Region Homeless Executive has confirmed there were 142
rough sleepers on the streets of the capital.
Nov 30th 2016
Image: Leon Farrell/RollingNews.ie
/Photo Text content

THE OFFICIAL WINTER count for Dublin has confirmed
that 142 people are sleeping rough on the streets of the
capital.
Homeless charities have slammed the figures, while
Dublin City Council has pledged a further 230 emergency
beds to combat the problem.
The official count was conducted on the night of 22
November into the morning of 23 November. This
represents a rise in rough sleepers of 40% since the last
count found 105 in April, and a 56% rise since 91 rough
sleepers were identified in the same period last year.
Since 77 people were sleeping in the Homeless Night
Caf on Merchants Quay on the evening of 22 November,
it meant that a minimum of 219 people were without a bed
that night.
Alongside these figures, the Dublin Region Homeless
Executive (DRHE) and Dublin City Council has confirmed
that emergency accommodation is being expanded by 230
bed spaces, which will be delivered in full by 9 December.
The DHRE said that this expansion of 230 beds was
essential to ensure no person is forced to sleep rough due

to inadequate provision.
A spokesperson said:
Given that in Dublin there are at least 142 persons
sleeping rough tonight, the addition of 230 new bed spaces
alongside the expansion of Dublins Housing First Service
ensures we can, and will, provide for everyone engaging in
rough sleeping while allowing for additional overall
capacity.
These bed spaces will be provided by organisations across
four sites: Peter McVerry Trust on Ellis Quay, Depaul
Trust on Little Britain Street, Dublin Simon and Salvation
Army at Carmans Hall, and the Civil Defence at Wolfe
Tone Quay.
Demographics
The key findings were, of the 142 persons confirmed
sleeping rough:
110 were male, 20 were female, and 12 individuals were
unknown;
63 were Irish nationals, 21 were non-Irish, with 58
individuals nationality unknown;
21 people were aged 18-30, 30 were aged 31-40, 21
were aged 41-50, 6 persons were 50+, and the age of 64
people was unknown.
Homeless charities called the figures wrong and totally

unacceptable, as well as deeply disappointing and very
frustrating.
Pat Doyle, CEO of Peter McVerry Trust, said: [Our] view
is that the only effective way that we can begin to reduce
and ultimately eliminate rough sleeping is to ensure we
have enough appropriate housing options.
To that end we need to see stronger and quicker
interventions to make housing available.
Focus Ireland director of advocacy, Mike Allen,
commented: While much good work is being done to
prevent people from becoming homeless the constantly
rocketing rents and a growing number of buy-to-let homes
being either repossessed or sold is causing a constant rise
in the numbers being forced into homelessness.
Both added that the Housing First service, which is jointly
operated by Focus Ireland and Peter McVerry Trust has
seen consistently high numbers of rough sleepers this

year.
Focus Irelands Mike Allen urged the government to
outlaw the eviction of tenants when a house is
repossessed, while Pat Doyle from Peter McVerry Trust
called for a vacant property tax to be introduced to push
houses back into the system.
She said: According to the CSO, there are just over
35,000 vacant private homes in Dublin. Even a 10% rate of
return to use of these vacant units is equivalent to all the
properties currently available to rent in Ireland, so you can
see how tackling this issue now could have a massive
impact.
The government has pledged to spend 5 billion over the
next five years on its housing plan which it says will help
alleviate the homeless crisis.
TAOISEACH ENDA KENNY, Housing Minister Simon
Coveney and other Cabinet members have announced
details of the governments housing plan this afternoon.
It includes a plan to spend over 5 billion on social
housing over the next five years. Hotels will only be used
in limited circumstances to provide accommodation for
homeless families from next year, the government is
pledging.
The new social housing units would be in mixed tenure
developments, Coveney said meaning social housing
would be placed in areas where people also own their
homes outright.
When driving into estates you are not going to know the
difference, the minister said.
Follow
TheJournal Politics
Coveney says biggest ambition in plan is creating mixed

tenure developments
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1:39 PM - 19 Jul 2016
Source: TheJournal Politics/Twitter
The housing plan was one of the marquee projects

announced in the programme for government. Published
in May, that document set out an aim of building 25,000
new houses a year by 2020. Last year, building on just
8,000 homes was begun.
In the next five years, we are going to provide about
50,000 more social houses for our people, Coveney said.
This is about integrating communities so they can live
together, grow up together and not be segregated on the
basis of what they can afford and where they can afford to
live.
View image on Twitter
Follow
TheJournal.ie
These are the five 'pillars' the government plans to

address in its housing plan:
http://
bit.ly/29QURcF
2:02 PM - 19 Jul 2016
Source: TheJournal.ie/Twitter
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The plan is set out in five pillars summarised under the

following headings in the official report:
Address homelessness
Accelerate social housing
Build more homes
Improve the rental sector
Utilise existing housing
Here are some of the ways homelessness

will be tackled
Ensure that by mid-2017 hotels are only used in

limited circumstances for emergency accommodation for
families
This will be achieved by meeting housing needs
through the Housing Assistance Payment and general
housing allocations
Needs of homeless families will also be met by
expanding the Rapid Build Housing programme (1,500
units)
And a Housing Agency Initiative will acquire vacant
houses (1,500 units)
Targets for tenancies to be provided by the Housing
First team in Dublin will be tripled
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Enhanced supports for homeless families with

children; separately, enhanced supports for homeless
people with mental health and addiction issues
Increased Rent Supplement and HAP limits (details
of this were already revealed last month)
A new initiative to provide financial and legal advice
for people facing serious mortgage arrears
And here are some of the plans for social

housing
47,000 social housing units by 2021, supported by

investment of 5.35 billion
NTMA/Private sector Housing Fund to deliver
increased housing supply
Government to establish new Housing Delivery Office
and Housing Procurement Unit
Streamlined approval processes
Mixed tenure developments on State lands and other
lands
View image on Twitter
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TheJournal Politics
Taoiseach says plan will work to end the use of long term
emergency accommodation
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1:21 PM - 19 Jul 2016
1 1 Retweet1 1 like
Entitled Rebuilding Ireland, the project is described by

the government as an action-driven plan that will result
in a dramatic increase in the delivery of homes
nationwide.
Speaking at Government Buildings, the Taoiseach said it
would give a clear roadmap to the country on how to
proceed with housing.
The announcement of the plan follows a sharp rise in
homelessness in recent years. Latest figures, from May,
show there are nearly 6,000 people without a permanent
home in the state.
3,969 adults and 1,994 children make up the overall
figure. There are 955 families living homeless, 625 of
which are single-parent families.
Geographical distribution of adult homelessness

Source: Environ.ie
On the specific issue of families living in hotels, heres how

the government says the problem can be tackled:
The prevalence of homeless families and the utilisation of
hotels for emergency accommodation is a much more

significant issue in the Dublin Region than it is in the rest
of the country.
Based on May 2016 data, there were 1,054 homeless
families nationally, of which 913 were in the Dublin
Region, and on a single night in May, 622 families in
Dublin were accommodated in hotels.
Our intention is to move the existing group of families out
of these hotel arrangements as quickly as possible, and to
limit the extent to which such accommodation has to be
used for new presentations. Our aim is that by mid 2017,
hotels will only be used for emergency accommodation in
very limited circumstances.
The report says the increases in Rent Supplement
and Housing Assistance Payment levels in terms of
supporting families to remain in rented accommodation,
will play an important role in the achievement of this
overall objective.
Related: More on those increases to rent
supplement and HAP, announced last month >
Where families do find themselves in homelessness
situations, their needs will be met through the enhanced
Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme and through
general social housing allocations, as well as by tapping
into wider housing supplies to be delivered as part of the
overall housing plan.
Mixed tenure
Coveney stressed that there would be a focus on mixed
tenure housing which is generally considered to mean
that homes in areas targeted for social housing may be
owned outright or rented from a local authority or housing
association, amongst other options.
According to the report:
Irrespective of the method of their housing provision, our
citizens deserve to live in sustainable communities with an
appropriate tenure mix.
The size of the individual construction projects in the new
social housing building programme reflects that clearer
thinking on achieving good tenure mix.

Building a mix of smaller scale and infill developments is
essential, if we are to deliver on our commitment to create
long-term sustainable communities and avoid repeating
the mistakes of the past.
Source: Rebuilding Ireland
EU rules
The question of whether Ireland is prevented by EU rules
from spending more money to build social housing was
also raised today. If we could, we would spend more,
Coveney maintained.
He said his department was speaking to agencies such as
the NTMA about funding vehicles that could finance social
housing. He pointed to a model being used by Nama in
which they pay for the building of houses and lease them
long-term to approved housing bodies, which then sublet
them to social housing tenants.
Coveney said this ensures the matter is off-balance sheet.
We do need to get clarity from Eurostat on what works and
what doesnt.
He said there were cases in the UK where social housing
had been built and deemed off-balance sheet, only to be
told by Eurostat, the EUs statistics agency, that it is in fact
on-balance sheet.
It has caused huge problems there, so we want to avoid
that problem, he said, adding that it would take time to
clarify.
Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for

Housing and Homelessness
Jul 19, 2016
Rebuilding Ireland is an action-driven plan that will result in a
dramatic increase in the delivery of homes nationwide.
Ambitious and inventive in its reach, and radical in its
approach, this significant Government priority will deal with the
under supply of housing and the effect it has on people and
communities.
This video illustrates the scope and spread of the plan through
a number of tangible actions. Using a Five-Pillar approach,
Rebuilding Ireland will address the needs of homeless people
and families in emergency accommodation, accelerate the
provision of social housing, deliver more housing, utilise vacant
homes and improve the rental sector.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rAPWcpUE3E
Alan on the Streets - Homeless Crisis |

Ireland AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiJQNlcxWm0
LARGE INVESTORS SUCH as private equity companies

are responsible for almost a fifth of new house purchases
in Dublin over the past two years.
Thats according to a new Central Statistics Office
residential property price index.
It covers all market transactions in the residential
property market and measures price changes.
The CSO said that the new index improves upon its
predecessor by including new and more detailed data,
such as information about cash purchases of property.
According to the new index non-household buyers
accounted for just under a fifth of all residential market
transactions during 2014 and 2015.
Just over 13,000 housing units changed hands in the
capital during 2014, with that number rising to just under
14,000 in 2015. Non-household buyers acquired about
4,500 and 4,800 units in 2014 and 2015 respectively.
John McCartney, director of research at property group
Savills, said that this category of purchaser is dominated
by large, mostly foreign private equity companies and real
estate investment trusts (REITs), companies set up
specifically to trade in property.
Neither class of buyer featured in Ireland before the crash,

with legislation for REITs only enacted in 2013.
Recent development
Large buyers were also not active in Ireland until relatively
recently. In 2010 5,726 housing units were sold in Dublin,
and just 144, or 2.5%, of these were bought by nonhousehold buyers.
Likewise in 2011 non-household buyers acquired 182
units out of the 5,000 that were traded in the residential
market.
Speaking to Fora, McCartney said that this shows the
extent to which big investors have bought up property in
the capital in recent years. He said:
This is all new to us. Prior to 2012 there was no such thing
as institutional investors in the residential market.
When the economy emerged from the crash, there was an
overhang of apartment blocks built at the tail end of the
boom, and investors, primarily US private equity firms,
spotted an opportunity to buy at rock bottom prices [and]
hoovered up large chunks of investment blocks.
Tight lending
McCartney said that although these large companies
aimed to buy at the lowest price possible, their presence
had the effect of pushing prices up for everyone else.
He said that this is probably what is driving the continuing

rise in house prices.
Something that people havent got their heads around is
[how] you can have continued house price growth even in
the presence of tight mortgage lending, he said,
referencing the Central Bank rules that require many
house buyers to provide a 20% deposit.
The critical thing is that these large companies are all
cash buyers by nature [and] it makes the mortgage lending
rules irrelevant.
House prices
McCartney said that investment companies have now
acquired most of the available property around the capital,
and many are focused on renting instead of buying and
selling for the time being.
However, he said that he expects house prices to still rise
in the next two years as smaller investors re-enter the
market. He said:
Small investors have found it tough to compete with
institutional buyers but now I think there will be more
space for them.
I think you will see a flow of investors into the market who
will compete with one another (for houses) and push
prices up.
Looking more than two years ahead that may change as
you would expect rising prices would make developments
viable and then you could see the supply begin to come on
board (and) dampen price growth.
Houses along Clonliffe road in Dublin

Source: Barry Cronin/PA Wire
Dn Laoghaire-Rathdown
Overall, the new CSO data showed that the national
average house price in 2015 was 225,783, although there
were huge variations across the country.
The most expensive area was Dn Laoghaire-Rathdown,
where households paid an average of 568,980 to buy a
house.
Second and third most expensive in 2015 were the Dublin
city and Fingal administrative areas, where the average
house price was 389,022 and 336,310 respectively.
The least expensive place to buy a house in 2015 was
Longford, where the average price paid was just under
80,000. The second and third least expensive places
were Roscommon and Leitrim, with average prices of
94,105 and 94,572 respectively.
The data also shows that Irelands property crash was
more severe than previously thought. According to the
CSO house prices fell by 54.4% after the property bubble
burst in 2007, more than the previous estimate of 51%,
before beginning to recover in Dublin in 2012.
Fianna Fil to force changes

to Simon Coveneys rent
control plan
Ministers proposals would see rent rises in Dublin and
Cork capped at 4% a year
about 16 hours ago Updated: about 9 hours ago
Fiach Kelly, Sarah Bardon

Minister for Housing Simon Coveney has published his strategy for
the private rental sector which will feature the capping of rent
increases in Dublin and Cork . Video: Bryan O'Brien
Minister for Housing Simon Coveney will be forced to

make changes to his rental strategy in order to have it
passed by the Oireachtas this week.
Fianna Fil has objected to aspects of Mr Coveneys
plan, which includes rent restrictions in Dublin and
Cork city and is due to come into effect in the new year.
Mr Coveney has already had to overcome worries in his
own Fine Gael party about the plan, with Taoiseach
Enda Kenny, Minister for Finance Michael Noonan,
Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe and
Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar among
those concerned about its potential effect on the rental
market and investment in the sector.
The rent predictability plan sets out proposals for socalled rent pressure zones and imposing limitations
on the level of rent increases allowable on residential
properties in these zones. The designation will apply
for three years and would mean landlords can only
increase rents by 4 per cent a year in that period.
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Fianna Fil wants to halve proposed rent cap

Rent plan: Taoiseach defends 4% rent cap in Dil
exchanges
How Simon Coveney sold rent controls to the Cabinet
Listen to Inside Politics

Inside Politics Podcast Coveney's Rent Gambit, Kenny's Calculus
Under the plan, a household paying a monthly rent of

1,300 in Dublin or Cork could see it rise to some
1,470 by 2019.
Mr Coveney said he arrived at the straightforward 4
per cent figure following discussions with the Irish
Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF). He said a lower rate
would fail to stimulate housing supply.
Rent cap
Fianna Fil has objected to the 4 per cent rent cap,
saying it favours a 2 per cent threshold, but it is open
to compromise on the matter.
It is also concerned that the scheme will initially be
confined to just Dublin and Cork city, although Mr
Coveney has said other areas may be included from

next March.
Fianna Fils housing spokesman, Barry Cowen, will
meet his Sinn Fin counterpart, Eoin Broin, to
consider joint amendments to the legislation.
Mr Varadkar raised concerns at Tuesdays Cabinet
meeting over the effect the plan will have on rents in
commuter counties and how it will could dissuade
investors from taking an interest in the Irish rental
market.
He is also understood to have objected to the fact he
was not consulted on the plan, since his department
pays out 480 million annually in rent. Mr Coveney
replied that secrecy was warranted to ensure the plan
did not leak.
Mr Noonan said at a Cabinet sub-committee meeting
on Monday evening that while he had reservations
about rent restrictions, he understood why Mr Coveney
had to act.
Coveney's Rent Gambit, Kenny's Calculus 14th Dec 2016
To take a look back at a six month period of "new politics"
that is now ending with ambitious Minister Coveney's new
rental reform package, and with Taoiseach Enda Kenny still
firmly at the helm, Political Editor Pat Leahy chatted with
his chums Michael O'Regan, Fiach Kelly and Sarah Bardon.
Will Coveney's hard work pay dividends of power down the
line
https://soundcloud.com/irishtimes-politics/coveneysrental-plan-enda-kennys-leadership-six-months-of-newpolitics
Problem solved, or is it? Simon

Coveney and Paul Murphy on
water
Will the report of the expert commission on water help
bring this vexed issue to a conclusion at long last? Minister
Simon Coveney hopes so, but AAA-PBP TD Paul Murphy

says "it's not over". They both sat down with Hugh Linhan
and Sarah Bardon this morning.
https://soundcloud.com/irishtimes-politics/simoncoveney-and-paul-murphy-on-water
AREAS WITH RISING rents in Dublin and Cork are to be

targeted in the governments new rental strategy, which
has been launched this afternoon by Housing Minister
Simon Coveney.
Rent pressure zones, recognising regions where there is
sustained tension in the rental market, will be identified
by the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) as part of the
plan.
This afternoons statement from Coveneys department
said the pressure zones would be introduced with

immediate effect in Dublin city and county and in Cork
city.
What happens in pressure zones?
The measures will cap rent increases in the designated
zones to 4% per year over a three year period.
According to the Department:
These are areas where annual rent increases have been at
7% or more in four of the last six quarters and where the
rent levels are already above the national average.
The measures are being brought in straight away in the
four council areas in Dublin, and in Cork city. From this
afternoons announcement:
Rent pressure zones will be designated for a maximum 3
years, by which time new supply will have come on stream
and pressures will have eased somewhat in these areas.
Despite calls from parties such as Sinn Fin and the Social
Democrats, the new rental strategy does not contain a
system of national rent control.
Speaking this afternoon, Coveney said he believed a
national rent cap would have devastating consequences in
terms of supply and that he didnt think it would work.
The government was putting a bridle on a horse that has
been almost out of control for the last two years in terms
of rental increases, he insisted.
The Minister said he had spoken to his counterpart in
Fianna Fil, Barry Cowen, and hoped to get the plan
passed by the end of the year.
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Coveney on why he didn't opt for nationwide rent cap

1:51 PM - 13 Dec 2016
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The new plan will also strengthen of the role and powers of
the Residential Tenancies Board the agency set up in
2004 to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants.
The measures include boosted dispute resolution
timeframes (time for appeals will be cut from 21 to ten
days and one person tribunals will be held in some cases
allowing for more tribunals to take place). The law in the
area would also be simplified, according to the plan
announced this afternoon.
Todays measures follow changes introduced last year by
then-housing minister Alan Kelly, which included longer
notice periods for any rent increases and a two-year limit

on how often rents could be reviewed.
Since then, rents have continued to climb. Over the past 12
months, prices have gone up 8.6% nationally, according to
the latest figures from the RTB.
Vulture funds
Taking questions from reporters on the issue of homes
that have been brought by so-called vulture funds, he said
that when ten or more houses are sold together, tenants
should have tenancies uninterrupted.
A measure to allow for that change is included in
legislation going through the Oireachtas at the moment,
and the issue was also covered in todays plan, Coveney
said.
Residents of Cruise Park in Tyrrelstown in West Dublin
had been holding a separate event near the Dil this
morning to highlight their cause.
Reduced incentives
Coveneys plans, which were formally announced at a
press conference at Government Buildings this afternoon,
have already been criticised as likely to reduce supply in
critical areas.
In a briefing note this morning, Goodbody analysts Colm
Lauder and Eamonn Hughes said previous rent controls
meant there hadnt been price increases at many
properties for a significant period of time, while market
rents have appreciated considerably.
As a result, large swathes of the residential lettings
market would be technically under-rented, yet the
landlord unable to mark-to-market, they said.
We see this as damaging to professional landlords
operating in the Irish market and will provide reduced
incentives to growing lettable stock.
There was also criticism from property owners association
the IPOA, which described the measures as an attempt to
re-introduce rent control.
Short term interference causes long term difficulties

undermining the confidence of prospective investors,
Chairman of the group Stephen Faughnan said in a
statement.
The State has caused the rental crisis and continual
interference is making it worse, he added.
Sinn Fins Eoin O Broin, meanwhile, said the simple fact
was that rents are too high and that the Minister was
allowing landlords to continue to increase rents.
Renters simply dont have the money. I see no benefit in
what hes announced today for renters.
Todays announcement was the latest installment of the
Rebuilding Ireland plan, launched back in July to tackle
the spiralling housing and homelessness crisis.
Reporting by Daragh Brophy, Christina Finn and Peter
Bodkin.
TheJournal.ie will be hosting a special Facebook
Live interview with the Minister for Housing
Simon Coveney in TheJournal.ie HQ in Dublin
on Thursday evening.
Todays Leaders Questions, which was scheduled for

30 minutes, was drawn out by questions on the renting
plan and a report on tax evasion released by Oxfam.
In a plan released yesterday afternoon by Simon
Coveney, a cap on rent increases in the designated
zones to 4% per year over a three year period was
announced.
Today, Fianna Fil and Sinn Fin said that the plan
didnt go far enough to control spiralling rent costs, and
ensure there homes for people.
Meanwhile, Independent TDs Stephen Donnelly and
Maureen OSullivan addressed allegations against the
government in a report by Oxfam Ireland.

12:11PM
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T dam caite, says the Dil chairman after Mchel

Martin delivers a very long, roundabout question,
signalling the first in a long series of warnings for TDs
to hurry up.
Enda Kenny answers his questions around the cap of
rents to 4% in certain areas. Kenny says there needs
to be a reasonable return on investment, that the rate
chosen by the government is 20% lower than in
previous decades in the countrys history, and the rate
is less than half of the current rental rise nationally.
He hammers home the point by going over time
himself, and comparing rent capped rates globally:
Germany 20%
New York 7.5%
Sweden 5%
12:14PM
Source: Oireachtas
Michel says that consultations on the plan were very

late, and the focus on Cork and Dublin is far too great
(he previously listed rising rent rates in areas outside of
Dublin and Cork).
After another long question and another chiding for
Micheal Martin by the chairman, Enda says that the
start will be with those two areas, and it will spread to
others eventually (pending feedback, youd assume).
Share
12:21PM
Fiery questioning from Gerry Adams as per usual.

Youre actually publishing more reports than youre
building houses, he says, saying that theyve failed on
their approach through their rent cap proposal.
He says 90 amendments were suggested by Sinn Fein
TD Eoin Broin, including one on rent certainty, which
was voted down.

Do the right thing and introduce rent certainty, not rent
punishment, he says, before sitting back down.
Gerry Adams seems most delighted with the fact that
hes finished within his allocated time.
12:29PM
Source: Oireachtas TV
Maureen OSullivan brings up tax injustice and tax

evasion.
If were serious about eliminating poverty, we have to
look at tax systems for corporations.
Our role and reputation internationally will be
undermined unless we commit to tax justice, she says.
Those on the lowest incomes benefitted most from the
last Budget, begins Kenny, citing figures released this
morning by a government-backed report.
We are fully compliant with tax regulations, says
Kenny. He rejects Oxfams assertion in their annual
report that their corporate tax rate of 12.5% is part of
their tax haven status, saying that the rate is in line with
the OECD, and is only available on trading profits.

We have not been and we will never be a brass plate
economy, he says emphatically.
Share
12:41PM
X
X
Stephen Donnelly addresses the Oxfam report as

well. He analyses three of the allegations they made,
and rejects two of them:
Corporation tax rate is too low Donnelly says thats
none of their business
Ireland facilitates large scale profit sharing he
agrees with the government that progress has been
made.
On the third charge, he says theyre on the money.
He says that certain companies arent obliged to
publish their accounts, meaning we dont know how
much tax theyve avoided.

He says that these companies are defined by four
criteria, and foreign landlords meet three of these
criteria. Does Enda approve of the accounts not being
published?
Enda first thanks Stephen Donnelly for his work on the
Finance Bill, which looked at addressing transparency
around tax payments.
He was then asked to table a bill, which would ensure
vulture funds and other organisations would have to
publish their accounts so TDs, journalists and
politicians can see what theyre doing.
No commitment made by Enda, but he thanks Stephen
for his work on the Finance Bill, and his questions.
Share
12:45PM
An Taoiseach corrects a statement he made in the Dil

on the 6 December, where he said that Gerry Adams
drove the sons of murdered prison officer Brian Stack
in a blacked out van.
Following a letter from Gerry Adams, Kenny clarified
that Gerry Adams drove his own car, and the blacked
out van was driven by someone else.
BUDGET 2017 PROVIDED small gains to all income

groups but the greatest gains went to those on lowest
incomes.
Thats according to data released today from Governmentbacked think-tank the ESRI.
The findings are based on the ESRIs SWITCH model,
which uses data from almost 8,000 households.
The Budget for 2017 was announced back in October, with
some changes (like hikes to cigarette prices) kicking in
immediately.
USC cuts announced by the Government will come into
effect on 1 January, while the 5 boost to social welfare

payments, including pensions, will come in in the spring.
The ESRI has measured the impact of Budget policy
against what it calls a distributionally neutral benchmark
which would see incomes rise at the same rate for all
income groups.
According to the think-tank:
The overall impact of Budget 2017 when compared with
this neutral benchmark is a small rise in average income
no more than one quarter of 1%.
The greatest gains are focused on the lowest income
groups. Average gains for the one-tenth of households
with the lowest incomes are close to 1%, while for most
income groups gains are closer to one quarter of 1%.
The majority of family units will also have small gains of
between a quarter and half of 1%.
The family types with the largest gains from Budget 2017
are non-earning lone parents and unemployed couples,
according to the ESRI, for whom the budgetary changes
are set to lead to a rise of approximately 2% of income.
These family types represent just 3% of the population.
The ESRIs Professor Tim Callan said:
Higher welfare payments helped to ensure that incomes
for those relying on social welfare benefits rose in line with
general incomes.
Changes to Rent Supplement in advance of the budget,
and the suspension of water charges mean that percentage
gains in income were highest for the lowest income group.
The nearly 8,000 households analysed by the ESRIs
SWITCH model are from the CSOs nationally
representative Survey on Income and Living Conditions.
Ministers proposals would see rent rises in Dublin and
Cork capped at 4% a year
Minister for Housing Simon Coveney will be forced to

make changes to his rental strategy in order to have it
passed by the Oireachtas this week.
Fianna Fil has objected to aspects of Mr Coveneys
plan, which includes rent restrictions in Dublin and

Cork city and is due to come into effect in the new year.
Mr Coveney has already had to overcome worries in his
own Fine Gael party about the plan, with Taoiseach
Enda Kenny, Minister for Finance Michael Noonan,
Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe and
Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar among
those concerned about its potential effect on the rental
market and investment in the sector.
The rent predictability plan sets out proposals for socalled rent pressure zones and imposing limitations
on the level of rent increases allowable on residential
properties in these zones. The designation will apply
for three years and would mean landlords can only
increase rents by 4 per cent a year in that period.
Under the plan, a household paying a monthly rent of
1,300 in Dublin or Cork could see it rise to some
1,470 by 2019.
Mr Coveney said he arrived at the straightforward 4
per cent figure following discussions with the Irish
Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF). He said a lower rate
would fail to stimulate housing supply.
Rent cap
Fianna Fil has objected to the 4 per cent rent cap,
saying it favours a 2 per cent threshold, but it is open
to compromise on the matter.
It is also concerned that the scheme will initially be
confined to just Dublin and Cork city, although Mr
Coveney has said other areas may be included from
next March.
Fianna Fils housing spokesman, Barry Cowen, will
meet his Sinn Fin counterpart, Eoin Broin, to
consider joint amendments to the legislation.
Mr Varadkar raised concerns at Tuesdays Cabinet
meeting over the effect the plan will have on rents in
commuter counties and how it will could dissuade

investors from taking an interest in the Irish rental
market.
He is also understood to have objected to the fact he
was not consulted on the plan, since his department
pays out 480 million annually in rent. Mr Coveney
replied that secrecy was warranted to ensure the plan
did not leak.
Mr Noonan said at a Cabinet sub-committee meeting
on Monday evening that while he had reservations
about rent restrictions, he understood why Mr Coveney
had to act.
FG & FF No Closer To
Agreement On
Proposed Rent
Increase Limits.
Fine Gael and Fianna Fil appear no closer to agreement on
proposed caps on rent increases

Enda Kenny and Simon Coveney are sticking by their plans to limit
annual increases to 4% in high-demand areas in Dublin and Cork.
The Peter McVerry Trust, Focus Ireland and several Kildare TDs all
say Kildare should have been named among the areas to which
the increase limit applies.
Fianna Fail insists that 4% maximum rent increase per year is too
high.
Micheal Martin said his party, however, is prepared to engage with
Fine Gael on the matter.
Coveney on why he didn't opt for nationwide rent cap
Ms Zappone said that to every living child in some inner Dublin city,
their responses would be the opposite of what she expects to hear
Only your Vote for Sinn Fein will put an end to

this....otherwise it will escalate and continue for years and
years to come
CHILD MIGRANT
TURNS OUT TO BE
ADULT VIOLENT
RAPIST
December 14, 2016
JAYDA FRANSEN
A Muslim taxi driver who claimed he was the son of a
Taliban leader has been jailed for 18 years for violent
rapes.
Ghairat Khan, 26, claimed to be from Afghanistan and only
15 when he arrived in the UK to qualify him for asylum
but the authorities now believe that he is from Pakistan
and was lying about his age.
After he was threatened with deportation in an immigration
age row, Khan went to Teesside where he violently raped
two women.
Khan, formerly of Bowesfield Lane, Stockton, was jailed
for 18 years, ordered to register as a sex offender for life,
and given an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order
after the court learnt he raped his victims a number of
times then subsequently threatened them over the phone.
http://www.jaydafransen.com/child-migrant-turns-out-to-be-adultviolent-rapist/
SIMON COVNEY TREASON TD'S LANDLORD STRAGGLY

HOUSING RENT SECTOR BILL
Emergency Accommodation Data
Tuesday, 6 December 2016
First Page Previous Page Page of 82 Next Page Last
Page
Written Answers Nos. 192-210
Local Authority Expenditure
192. Deputy Declan Breathnach Information on Declan
Breathnach Zoom on Declan Breathnach asked the
Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local
Government Information on Simon Coveney Zoom on
Simon Coveney the amount of compensation paid out by
local authorities in the past three years for damage
caused by potholes in tabular form; and if he will make a
193. Deputy Declan Breathnach Information on Declan
Breathnach Zoom on Declan Breathnach asked the
Government Information on Simon Coveney Zoom on
Simon Coveney the total amount of insurance claims paid
out by local authorities in the past three years in tabular
form; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[38517/16]

Government (Deputy Simon Coveney): Information on
Simon Coveney Zoom on Simon Coveney I propose to take
Questions Nos. 192 and 193 together.
Details of compensation amounts and insurance claims
paid by local authorities are matters for individual local
authorities. The information requested is not available in
my Department.
Private Rented Accommodation Data
194. Deputy Barry Cowen Information on Barry Cowen
Zoom on Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Housing,
Planning, Community and Local Government Information
on Simon Coveney Zoom on Simon Coveney the latest
figures from the Residential Tenancies Board or elsewhere
on the estimated number of tenants in the private rental
market in rent arrears; and if he will provide absolute
numbers and figures as a percentage of the overall
market. [38538/16]
on Simon Coveney Zoom on Simon Coveney the latest
figures that his Department has for the landlord sector,
including the number of properties it estimates are owned
by smaller landlords who have one, two or three registered
properties; the number owned by larger landlords who
have more than three registered rental properties; and the
number owned by very large institutional investors, such
as real estate investment trusts, REITs. [38539/16]
on Simon Coveney Zoom on Simon Coveney the number
of landlords, tenants and tenancies registered in each of
the years from 2000 to 2016 to date in tabular form.
[38564/16]

Questions Nos. 194, 195 and 198 together.
The Residential Tenancies Act 2004 regulates the
landlord-tenant relationship in the private rented
residential sector and sets out the rights and obligations of
landlords and tenants. The Residential Tenancies Board
(RTB) was established as an independent statutory body
under the Act to operate a national tenancy registration
system and to resolve disputes between landlords and
tenants. I have no function in relation to the operational
matters of the Board.
The Act provides that landlords in the sector must apply
to register the tenancy of a dwelling with the RTB within
one month of the commencement of the tenancy. There
are currently over 325,500 tenancies registered with the
RTB, comprising over 174,500 landlords and over 516,500
tenants. Details of the numbers of tenancies registered
each year are provided in the RTB Annual Reports
available at
http://www.rtb.ie/media-research/publications/annualreports.
A study by DKM economic consultants commissioned by
the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) and published in
2014, reported that the majority (65%) of landlords own
just one property, a further 17% have two properties, 9%
own three properties and 10% own more than three
properties. The results of Census 2016, when available,
will assist in providing an updated overview of housing
tenure in Ireland, including the rented sector.
In relation to the numbers of properties owned by
individual landlords registered with the RTB, my
Department does not hold or collate the information
requested. The Clerk of the Dil has requested that
arrangements be put in place to facilitate the provision of
information by State Bodies to members of the Oireachtas.
Following the issue of Circular LG (P) 05/16 on 20

September from my Department, the RTB have set up a
dedicated email address for this purpose at
OireachtasMembersQueries@rtb.ie.
In 2015, the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) received
4,023 applications for dispute resolution and a total of
1,260 (32%) of these related to rent arrears or rent arrears
and over-holding. This was the most common issue in
dispute in 2015, followed by Invalid Notice of Termination
at 23% and Deposit Retention at 22%.
Tenant Purchase Scheme Eligibility
196. Deputy Dara Calleary Information on Dara Calleary
Zoom on Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Housing,
on Simon Coveney Zoom on Simon Coveney his plans to
have carer's allowance included as reckonable income to
qualify under the tenant purchase scheme. [38543/16]
Simon Coveney Zoom on Simon Coveney Provision was
made in the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014
for a new incremental tenant purchase scheme for existing
local authority houses. Following the necessary
preparatory work the new Scheme came into operation on
1 January 2016. The Scheme is open to eligible tenants,
including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are
available for sale under the Scheme. To be eligible,
tenants must meet certain criteria, including having been
in receipt of social housing support for a minimum period
of one year and having a minimum reckonable income of
15,000 per annum. The minimum reckonable income is
determined by the relevant housing authority in
accordance with the detailed provisions of the Ministerial
Direction issued under Sections 24(3) and (4) of the 2014
Act. In its determination of the minimum reckonable
income housing authorities can include income from a
number of different sources and classes such as from
employment, private pensions, maintenance payments
and certain social welfare payments, additional to
employment income.
It is essential that the income of an applicant under the
scheme is of a long-term and sustainable nature, to
ensure that the tenant purchasing the house is in a
financial position, as the owner, to maintain and insure the
property for the duration of the charged period, in
compliance with the conditions of the order transferring
ownership of and responsibility for the house from the
local authority to the tenant.
Consequently, a number of social welfare payments,
including Carers Allowance, are disregarded for the
purposes of determining the reckonable income. A list of
these payments can be viewed on my Departments
website at the following link:
http://www.environ.ie/search/category/housing/subtopic/incremental-purchasescheme/topic/activity/topic/guidelines.
In line with the commitment given in the Programme for
a Partnership Government, and reaffirmed in Rebuilding
Ireland - Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, I
intend to undertake a review of the scheme following the
first 12 months of operation and to bring forward any
changes to the terms and conditions of the scheme which
are considered necessary based on the evidence gathered
at that stage. I expect this review to be completed during
the first quarter of 2017.
Electoral Commission Administration
197. Deputy Bobby Aylward Information on Bobby Aylward
Zoom on Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Housing,
on Simon Coveney Zoom on Simon Coveney further to
Parliamentary Question No. 286 of 18 October 2016, if he
will provide a further update as to when the Boundary
Review Commission, established to examine the boundary
between counties Kilkenny and Waterford, is expected to
publish its concluding report in view of the fact that the
results of the Roscommon-Westmeath border have been
published in recent days and that it is now eight months

past the initial deadline for publication of 31 March 2016;
the amount of money spent to date or the amount of
funding approved by his Department on the process in
respect of the Carlow-Kilkenny examination only from
establishment in 2015 to date; and if he will make a
Simon Coveney Zoom on Simon Coveney The review
referred to is one of 4 boundary reviews which were
initiated together. The report of the Athlone Boundary
Committee was submitted on 10 November and
subsequently published. The chairpersons of the
committees which are reviewing the boundaries at Carlow,
Drogheda and Waterford have indicated that these reports
will be submitted in the coming weeks. I will be
considering all the reports carefully and I intend to address
them as part of the overall report on local government
matters which I will be submitting to Government and the
Oireachtas in 2017 under the Programme for a Partnership
Government.
Support services for all four reviews are being provided
and funded collectively. The overall estimated cost is some
87,500 , of which some 41,316 has been paid to date.
As the committees are independent in the performance of
their functions, it is not appropriate for me to comment
further on the matter.
Question No. 198 answered with Question No. 194.
National Spatial Strategy
199. Deputy Mattie McGrath Information on Mattie
McGrath Zoom on Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for
Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government
Information on Simon Coveney Zoom on Simon Coveney
the status of the national spatial strategy with specific
reference to Clonmel, County Tipperary; and if he will
make a statement on the matter. [38581/16]

Simon Coveney Zoom on Simon Coveney The current
National Spatial Strategy (NSS) was published in 2002 and
was Ireland's first national strategic spatial planning
framework, setting an overarching planning framework.
The Strategy remains in force and as a result of the
Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2010, its
statutory role and influence has been strengthened by
new requirements for local authority and regional plans to
align with the NSS and any successor. Bearing in mind the
elapse of time as well as the changed circumstances and
new challenges that have emerged in the planning arena
since the NSS was adopted, work is underway on the
preparation of a successor to the NSS, the National
Planning Framework, for which a roadmap on its
preparation is available on my Departments website at:
http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/fil
es/towards_a_national_planning_framework_december_20
15.pdf .
Consultation is a critical element in the transparent
design and delivery of the National Planning Framework.
Successful preliminary consultation with key stakeholders
was undertaken in June 2016. A national public
consultation strategy is currently being devised to run in
early 2017.
The National Planning Framework will act as the strategic
planning context for relevant Government policies and
investment in housing, water services, transport,
communications, energy, health and education
infrastructure, as well as the preparation by the three new
Regional Assemblies of their new regional spatial and
economic strategies, and for planning authorities and An
Bord Pleanla. In this context, I am consulting with
colleagues in other Departments and agencies in order to
inform the National Planning Framework, in recognition of
the whole-of-Government approach and the challenges
and opportunities that exist to better align place making,
investment priorities, employment and environmental

strategies.
It is intended that an emerging draft National Planning
Framework will be prepared by the first half of 2017 for
submission to the Oireachtas for approval. It would be
inappropriate at this early stage to comment on the likely
content of the Framework, until sufficient preparatory and
consultative work has been undertaken.
Water Services Expenditure
200. Deputy Mattie McGrath Information on Mattie
McGrath Zoom on Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for
Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government
Information on Simon Coveney Zoom on Simon Coveney
the amounts paid by his Department in grants and
supports for those operating private or group water
schemes for each of the years 2011 to date in 2016, in
tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the
matter. [38582/16]
Simon Coveney Zoom on Simon Coveney The information
requested is being compiled and will be provided to the
Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.
Library Services Funding
201. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan Information on Jan O'Sullivan
Zoom on Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing,
on Simon Coveney Zoom on Simon Coveney if he will
provide a list of the library services applying to his
Department for funding for the open library initiative in
2017; the locations that were included in these
applications; the amounts applied for in each application;
and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38648/16]
Simon Coveney Zoom on Simon Coveney My Open
Library is an initiative under Opportunities for All, the
national public library strategy 2013-20 17 and is part of a

strategy to address customer demand. It allows library
members the freedom and flexibility to use the library at
times that suit them. It provides additional opening hours
from 8am to 10pm, seven days-per-week, ensuring access
to library services for users who cannot avail of them
during regular staffed hours. It is planned to extend the
My Open Library pilot to a further 23 branches from
January 2017, following a successful initial trial in
Tullamore, Banagher and Tubbercurry libraries from
November 2014. The library branches operating the
service, the indicative cost of each and the indicative
Department contributions are detailed in the following
table.
County Library Branch Indicative Cost Indicative
Department Contribution
Carlow Mhuine Bheag 36,000 27,000
Cavan Johnstown , Cavan 85,000 63,750*
Clare Ennis 79,138 59,355
Donegal Buncrana 80,070 60,054*
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Deansgrange 27,200 20,400
Galway Oranmore 82,550 61,915
Galway Ballinasloe 24,400 18,300
Kilkenny Castlecomer 70,681 53,010
Laois Portarlington 41,550 31,165
Limerick Cappamore 50,000 37,500
Longford Ballymahon 31,610 23,710
Louth Ardee 252,650 189,490
Mayo Swinford 46,500 34,875
Mayo Ballina 81,000 60,750
Meath Trim 80,800 60,600
Monaghan Carickmacross 64,100 48,075
Offaly Ferbane 73,750 55,315
Offaly Edenderry 67,150 50,365
Tipperary Nenagh 79,335 59,500*
Waterford Dungarvan 58,500 43,875
Westmeath Moate 43,536 32,650
Wexford Gorey 40,430 30,325
Wicklow Arklow 25,400 19,050
* The indicative amounts for Johnstown, Buncrana and
Nenagh are VAT inclusive. All other allocations are net of

VAT; however, the Departments contribution will cover
the VAT element.
Commercial Rates
202. Deputy Anne Rabbitte Information on Anne Rabbitte
Zoom on Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Housing,
on Simon Coveney Zoom on Simon Coveney the
assistance and supports available to retailers in
circumstances in which a local business finds itself in
difficulty with rates payments due to years of austerity
and a build up of hard core debt and in which the
repayment arrangement is in fact placing the retailer
further into debt; and if he will make a statement on the
matter. [38653/16]
Simon Coveney Zoom on Simon Coveney Local authorities
are required by legislation to levy rates on any property
used for commercial purposes in accordance with the
details entered in the valuation lists prepared by the
independent Commissioner of Valuation under the
Valuation Acts 2001 to 2015. The annual rate on valuation
(ARV), which is applied to the valuation for each property
determined by the Valuation Office to obtain the amount
payable in rates, is decided by the elected members of
each local authority in the annual budget and its
determination is a reserved function.
Local authorities work closely with ratepayers
experiencing difficulty in the payment of commercial
rates. In this regard, local authorities are facilitating the
payment of commercial rates by instalments and work
with businesses to put in place flexible payment options
that reflect capacity to pay.
Local Authority Housing Data
203. Deputy John Curran Information on John Curran
Zoom on John Curran asked the Minister for Housing,
of houses and apartments purchased by each local

authority in 2015 and to date in 2016, in tabular form; and
if he will make a statement on the matter. [38712/16]
Simon Coveney Zoom on Simon Coveney Under my
Departments Social Housing Capital Investment
Programme, funding is provided to local authorities to
deliver additional social housing stock through new
construction projects and through the acquisition of new
and previously owned houses/apartments. Details on
properties purchased by local authorities for letting to
those on their social housing waiting list are available on
my Departments website at the following link:
http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/attachments/1
c1-la-acq-by-area_4.xlsx.
Information on quarter three of 2016 is currently being
finalised and will be published shortly, while details for the
entirety of 2016 will be available in early 2017.
Library Services Staff
204. Deputy Paul Murphy Information on Paul Murphy
Zoom on Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Housing,
on Simon Coveney Zoom on Simon Coveney his views on
the roll-out of unstaffed libraries; his further views on the
important role of library staff; and if he will make a
Simon Coveney Zoom on Simon Coveney The My Open
Library service is an initiative under Opportunities for All ,
the national public library strategy 2013-2017. It forms
part of the overall strategy to address customer demand
and grants members the freedom and flexibility to use the
library at the hours that suit them best.
The initial My Open Library pilot was introduced in
Tullamore, Banagher and Tubbercurry libraries from

November 2014. I am satisfied that the learning from the
pilots, and the very positive feedback from library users,
justifies extending the pilot phase to a further 23 library
branches from January 2017. Learning from the extended
pilot phase will inform and shape the future development
and implementation of the service across the broader
library network.
Feedback from users has been very positive. My Open
Library has made community spaces and collections
available to library members and communities, providing
access to commuters, students and families at times when
the library would be otherwise unavailable. Each library
running the service is now open to the community for 98
hours per week.
There will be no reduction in staffing levels or staffed
hours as a result of the My Open Library service.
Professional and skilled library staff are vital for a
successful library service and my Department is working
with local authorities to enhance staffing resources and
extend staffed library hours.
Local Authority Housing Data
of houses the local authority purchased off the open
market in each of the years 2014 to 2016 to date in
tabular form. [38809/16]
on Simon Coveney Zoom on Simon Coveney the average
price that the local authority paid for properties purchased
in each of the years 2014 to 2016 to date by county in
tabular form. [38810/16]

Questions Nos. 205 and 206 together.
Under my Departments Social Housing Capital
Investment Programme, funding is provided to local
authorities to deliver additional social housing stock
through new construction projects and through the
acquisition of new and previously owned
houses/apartments. Details on properties purchased by
local authorities for letting to those on their social housing
waiting lists are available on my Departments website at
the following link:
http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/attachments/1
c1-la-acq-by-area_4.xlsx.
Information on quarter three of 2016 is currently being
finalised and will be published shortly, while details for the
entirety of 2016 will be available in early 2017.
My Department does not routinely collect or publish
information on the average cost incurred by local
authorities in purchasing properties for social housing use
and local authorities operate with delegated sanction for
the majority of acquisitions they undertake. However, from
an examination of the funding provided by my Department
to local authorities in 2015 and 2016 for the purchase of
properties for social housing use, the average cost per unit
across the four Dublin authorities was circa 227,000 and
across the other authorities was circa 144 ,000.
on Simon Coveney Zoom on Simon Coveney the amount
his Department paid on bed and breakfast accommodation
due to the severe housing crisis in each of the years from
2014 to 2016 to date by county in tabular form.
[38811/16]

Simon Coveney Zoom on Simon Coveney My
Departments role in relation to homelessness involves the
provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and
funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in
addressing homelessness at local level. My Department
does not fund any service directly but provides funding to
lead housing authorities on a regional basis. Statutory
responsibility in relation to the provision of
accommodation and related services for homeless persons
rests with individual housing authorities. The purposes for
which housing authorities may incur expenditure in
addressing homelessness are prescribed in Section 10 of
the Housing Act 1988. Under Section 10 funding
arrangements, housing authorities must provide at least
10% of the cost of services from their own resources.
Housing authorities may also incur additional expenditure
on homeless related services outside of the Section 10
funding arrangements. Accordingly, the specific amounts
incurred by individual housing authorities in relation to
B&B type accommodation are a matter for the housing
authorities concerned.
of families who were in bed and breakfast accommodation
in September and October 2016 by county in tabular form.
[38812/16]
of one parent families that are in bed and breakfast
accommodation in September and October 2016 by
county in tabular form. [38813/16]

of children that are in bed and breakfast accommodation
due to the severe housing crisis in September, October
and November 2016 by county in tabular form. [38814/16]
Questions Nos. 208 to 210, inclusive, together.
The official homelessness data reports provided by
housing authorities are produced using the Pathway
Accommodation & Support System (PASS), the single
integrated national data information system on Statefunded emergency accommodation arrangements
overseen by housing authorities. These reports are
published on my Department's website as soon as they
are available and can be accessed using the following link:
http://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/homelessness/other/ho
melessness-data.
The reports contain details of adult individuals and
households with dependents placed in emergency
accommodation. While the reports contain details of the
numbers of individual adults availing of various broad
categories of emergency accommodation, they do not
provide details specifically in relation to B&B
accommodation. That level of detail is not available in my
Department and is a matter for the individual housing
authorities.
Kerry Deputy Michael Healy Rae and Fianna Fils John Mc
Guinness are listed as owning the largest number of
eight properties.
Michael Healy Rae is one of the biggest political landlords
Kilgarvan, Co Kerry, a rental apartment in Killarney, Kerry,

houses in Kenmare, Castleisland and Killarney, and
student accommodation in Limerick.
Mc Guinness rents out three properties in Dublin, three in
Kilkenny, a property in Limerick, a property in Tipperary,
and an interest in a nursing home.
TDs own rental property they are leasing out to tenants.
However, the figure could be much bigger. 52 new TDs are
still to record their land and property interests with the
Oireachtas registry before January 2017.
IRES Reit chief executive David Ehrlich told the Irish
Independent he had never seen a rental market such as
the one now in existence in Ireland, which has such an
imbalance between supply and demand.
Ehrlichs company controls 2,087 homes in the country,
mostly in Dublin where rents are peaking.
The average rent in Ireland is now above 1,000 per
month and in some parts of the capital it has reached
beyond 2,000 a month.
We believe there will be a consultation process and we
hope to be part of that, he added.
We all know what happened before construction
essentially stopped and now we have this huge issue
around supply, he said.
IRES charged on average rents of 1,372 per month up
until the end of December That was a 9.1 per cent
increase from a year earlier when the company charged
1,250 per month.
Ehrlich said such increases are not good in the long term.
, he said.
The building industry has stated the cost of and regulation
of construction needs to be reduced for more homes to be
built.
IRES has spent hundreds of millions of euro buying
apartments, mostly entire apartment blocks from banks
and Nama.
Last week it agreed to buy 203 apartments at Elm Park in

south Dublin in a deal worth 59m. It is also building
apartments in Sandyford.
HERE IS A LIST OF TDS WHO ARE LANDLORDS OR
LANDLADIES AND WHAT PROPERTIES THEY RENT OUT:
1 Kerry Deputy Michael Healy Rae: At least 8 properties:
2 farmhouses, a property in Kilgarvan, Co Kerry, a rental
apartment in Killarney, Kerry, houses in Kenmare,
Castleisland and Killarney, and student accommodation in
Limerick.
2 Fianna Fils John Mc Guinness: At least 8 properties
and an interest in a nursing home: 3 rental properties in
Dublin, 3 in Kilkenny, a property in Limerick, a property in
3 Social Democrat, Stephen Donnelly: 2 properties:
Rental property in Beacon South Quarter in Dublin and in
Clara, Co Offaly.
4 Former ceann comhairle and Fine Gael TD, Sean
Barrett: Shareholder in 1 property: Barrett states he is a
shareholder in a company that owns an office block and
which is leased to a tenant.
5 Minister for Housing Simon Coveney: 1 property:
Hartys Quay, Rochestown, in Cork.
6 Agriculture Minister Michael Creed: Interests in 3
properties: Money invested in three addresses in
Macroom, Co Cork.
7 Fianna Fils Dara Calleary: 2 months rental income
from a property that he once lived in on Distillery Road in
Dublin but sold it in July 2015.
8 Fine Gael Galway East TD, Ciarn Cannon: An
executive director in a property company.
9 Fine Gaels Marcella Corcoran Kennedy: 27 acres at
Ferbane, Co Offaly that has been rented out.
10: Waterford TD, John Deasy: 1 rental apartment in
Citywest in Dublin.
11: Pat Deering: 1 rental property in Rathvilly, Co Carlow.
12: Chief whip Regina Doherty: 2 properties: One in
Ashbourne Business Park and City Campus in Limerick.
13: Fianna Fils Timmy Dooley: 2 properties: One in
Charlotte Quay, Dublin and one in Rathfarnham, Dublin.
14: Charlie Flanagan: 1 property: He lets a holiday
house in Co Sligo part of the year.
15: Sean Fleming: Rented a former post office in County

Laois for part of last year.
16: Independent Noel Grealish: 2 properties and land: He
let out a house in Galway and a apartment in Dublin. He
also owns a 8,800 sq ft commercial unit in Briarhill,
Galway.
17: Martin Heydon: 1 rental property in Co Limerick.
18: Paul Kehoe: 2 properties: Renting a property in
Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, and an apartment on Haddington
Road, Dublin 4.
19: Fianna Fail Cork TD, Billy Kelleher: Rents out an
apartment in Glanmire, Co Cork.
20: Fianna Fils Brendan Smith: 1 rental apartment in
Dublin.
21: Robert Troy: 2 properties: 1 in Mullingar and 1
inDublin.
22: Wexfords Mick Wallace: 2 properties: Both are
rented out in Wicklow.
http://irelandtodaynews.com/index.php/housing-ministersimon-coveney-is-a-landlord/
WE THE PEOPLE DEMAND THAT YOU DO YOUR JOB AND

INVESTIGATE THE ASSETS OF THOSE IN GOVERNMENT
WHO WE ALL KNOW TO BE CORRUPT
ARREST THE CORRUPT, ARREST THE GUILTY...

DO WHAT YOUR EMPLOYED TO DO. NOT SELECTIVE
INVESTIGATIONS.
THE BIGGEST CRIMINALS IN IRELAND WEAR SUITS AND
TIES...
THE BIGGEST CROOKS IN IRELAND ARE IN GOVERNMENT...
EUROPEAN COMMISSION WHO ALLOWS ILLEGAL FOREIGN

MULTINATIONALS OF TAX DODGERS WHO DONT PAY TAXES
IN EUROPE , TO WALK OVER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
ESPECIALLY A SMALL COUNTRIE LIKE IRELAND, EU SHOULD
CHALLENGE IRISH GOVERNMENT AND SET A SAMPLE BY
CHARGING THEM IF THEY REFUSE MULTINATIONALS TO PAY
BACK WHT THEY OWE TO IRELAND AND OTHER
COUNTRIES, UNFORTUNATE WE ARE A WALK OVER IF YOU
HAVE THE LIKES OF KENNY FG AND FG NOONAN CORRUPT
TO THE CORE RUNNING OUR COUNTRY UNDER ILLEGAL
FOREIGN MULTINATIONALS WHO ARE FLEECING US BLIND.
Brussels, 11 June 2014
State aid: Commission investigates transfer pricing
arrangements on corporate taxation of Apple (Ireland)
Starbucks (Netherlands) and Fiat Finance and Trade
(Luxembourg)
The European Commission has opened three in-depth
investigations to examine whether decisions by tax

authorities in Ireland, The Netherlands and Luxembourg
with regard to the corporate income tax to be paid by
Apple, Starbucks and Fiat Finance and Trade, respectively,
comply with the EU rules on state aid. The opening of an
in-depth investigation gives interested third parties, as
well as the three Member States concerned, an
opportunity to submit comments. It does not prejudge the
outcome of the investigation.
Commission Vice President in charge of competition policy
Joaqun Almunia said: "In the current context of tight
public budgets, it is particularly important that large
multinationals pay their fair share of taxes. Under the EU's
state aid rules, national authorities cannot take measures
allowing certain companies to pay less tax than they
should if the tax rules of the Member State were applied in
a fair and non-discriminatory way."
Algirdas emeta, Commissioner for Taxation, said: "Fair tax
competition is essential for the integrity of the Single
Market, for the fiscal sustainability of our Member States,
and for a level-playing field between our businesses. Our
social and economic model relies on it, so we must do all
we can to defend it."
The Commission has been investigating under EU state aid
rules certain tax practices in several Member States
following media reports alleging that some companies
have received significant tax reductions by way of "tax
rulings" issued by national tax authorities. Tax rulings as
such are not problematic: they are comfort letters by tax
authorities giving a specific company clarity on how its
corporate tax will be calculated or on the use of special
tax provisions. However, tax rulings may involve state aid
within the meaning of EU rules if they are used to provide
selective advantages to a specific company or group of
companies.
According to Article 107(1) of the Treaty on the
Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), state aid which
affects trade between Member States and threatens to
distort competition by favouring certain undertakings is in

principle incompatible with the EU Single Market. Selective
tax advantages may amount to state aid. The Commission
does not call into question the general tax regimes of the
three Member States concerned.
Tax rulings are used in particular to confirm transfer
pricing arrangements. Transfer pricing refers to the prices
charged for commercial transactions between various
parts of the same group of companies, in particular prices
set for goods sold or services provided by one subsidiary
of a corporate group to another subsidiary of the same
group. Transfer pricing influences the allocation of taxable
profit between subsidiaries of a group located in different
countries.
If tax authorities, when accepting the calculation of the
taxable basis proposed by a company, insist on a
remuneration of a subsidiary or a branch on market terms,
reflecting normal conditions of competition, this would
exclude the presence of state aid. However, if the
calculation is not based on remuneration on market terms,
it could imply a more favourable treatment of the
company compared to the treatment other taxpayers
would normally receive under the Member States' tax
rules. This may constitute state aid.
The Commission will examine if the three transfer pricing
arrangements validated in the following tax rulings involve
state aid to the benefit of the beneficiary companies:
- the individual rulings issued by the Irish tax authorities
on the calculation of the taxable profit allocated to the
Irish branches of Apple Sales International and of Apple
Operations Europe;
- the individual ruling issued by the Dutch tax authorities
on the calculation of the taxable basis in the Netherlands
for manufacturing activities of Starbucks Manufacturing
EMEA BV;
- the individual ruling issued by the Luxembourgish tax
authorities on the calculation of the taxable basis in
Luxembourg for the financing activities of Fiat Finance and
Trade.
The Commission has reviewed the calculations used to set
the taxable basis in those rulings and, based on a
preliminary analysis, has concerns that they could
underestimate the taxable profit and thereby grant an
advantage to the respective companies by allowing them
to pay less tax. The Commission notes that the three
rulings concern only arrangements about the taxable
basis; they do not relate to the applicable tax rate itself.
In parallel to these three formal investigations, the
Commission will continue its wider inquiry into tax rulings,
which covers more Member States.
Luxembourg, contrary to The Netherlands and Ireland,
only provided the Commission with a limited sample of the
information requested (see IP/14/309), which included the
ruling for Fiat Finance and Trade, but not the complete
information demanded by the Commission. The
Commission has therefore initiated infringement
proceedings against Luxembourg by issuing letters of
formal notice.
Background
The Commission is looking at the compliance with EU state
aid rules of certain tax practices in some Member States in
the context of aggressive tax planning by multinationals,
with a view to ensure a level playing field. A number of
multinational companies are using tax planning strategies
to reduce their global tax burden, by taking advantage of
the technicalities of tax systems, and substantially
reducing their tax liabilities. This aggressive tax planning
practice erodes the tax bases of Member States, which are
already financially constrained.
Regarding tax rulings specifically, the preliminary
enquiries have shown that the quality and the consistency
of the scrutiny by the tax authorities differ substantively
across Member States. In particular, the Commission notes
that The Netherlands seem to generally proceed with a
thorough assessment based on comprehensive

information required from the tax payer. The Commission
therefore does not expect to encounter systematic
irregularities in tax rulings. However, at this stage the
Commission has concerns that the tax ruling for Starbucks
Manufacturing EMEA BV is providing that company with a
selective advantage, because there are doubts whether it
is in line with a market-based assessment of transfer
pricing.
In the case of Ireland, the authorities have been fully
cooperative in providing comprehensive replies in
response to Commission's requests. The Commission
notes that although the transfer pricing rules have been
tightened over the years, the tax administration had a
significant degree of discretion in the past. The
Commission has concerns that such discretion has been
used in the case of Apple to grant a selective advantage
to that company, reducing its tax burden below the level it
should pay based on a correct application of the tax rules.
The Commission notes however that the number of tax
rulings issued in Ireland relating to transfer pricing
arrangements is limited.
The opening of formal investigations allows Member
States' authorities to further explain their practices and
the Commission to gather further information from
interested parties.
The non-confidential versions of the decisions will be
made available under the case numbers SA.38373,
SA.38374 and SA.38375 in the State Aid Register on the
competition website once any confidentiality issues have
been resolved. New publications of state aid decisions on
the internet and in the Official Journal are listed in the
State Aid Weekly e-News.
The Secret Deal. Who knows what?
Mary Robinson is now Mary the Robber. The bloody cheek

of this woman building a monument to HERSELF (and her
husband btw) and screwing the taxpayers of this country

for her ego project. Aided and abetted by the clown of a
Taoiseach Kenny of course. Would you ever fcuk off Mary
you greedy ex Labour Party thief
Why is Enda Kenny backing CETA? Because he has been

told to endorse CETA by his European masters and the
spineless Taoiseach will always side with his EPP and EU
bosses no matter what the cost to the people of Ireland.
Fine Gael always put the people second ... and this will
continue, because the next generation of Blueshirt is just
as subservient - on TV during the week, Noel Rock, Fine
Gael's youngest TD (age 28) expressed some doubts
about CETA but was still prepared to back it. With morons
like Rock who will put their party before the interests of
the people in the hope that his loyalty to Kenny will get
him promotion there is no hope for real democracy in this
country any time soon
Figures provided by the Courts Service show that the

amount the States judges have incurred in expenses
between January and June 2015 totalled just under 1m.
The splurge on judicial attire is made mainly by new
judges including Judge John King who claimed 1,126

under the same headings. King qualified as a solicitor in
1993. He was educated at the National University of
Ireland, Galway. He was a partner in Hennessy and
company solicitors in Bantry, Cork.
John King was appointed to the District Court by the
coalition government of Joan Burton's Labour Party and
Fine Gael in 2015. In the Children's Court on Friday Judge
King found in favour of Joan Burton and convicted a then
15 year old of falsely imprisoning Burton and her adviser
in November 2014.
They say "clothes don't make the man" and a fancy wig
and gown don't necessarily make a good judge. Especially
if it's a POLITICALLY APPOINTED JUDGE.
On Fridays "Today with Sen O'Rourke" on RTE Radio 1

Joan Burton was given a prime time slot to promote herself
and the Labour Party. Listening to her you would think she
was a caring politician fighting for the ordinary people and
wanting to get Fine Gael to deliver a budget that would
help the most needy.
Joan Burton is a sham. She is a liar. She ONLY cares about
her fat salary, her expenses and the gold plated pension
she is going to retire with. This woman wreaked havoc
with peoples lives while in government with Fine Gael from
2011 to 2016 - no, sorry ... she wreaked havoc on the
weakest, the poorest, the most vulnerable and the
voiceless. She made sure that her wealthy pals were
looked after and got richer. Much richer. Like Denis O'Brien
who under Joan's watch added more millions to his
BILLIONS. Joan destroyed the Labour Party of Connolly and
Larkin and made it more right wing than even the
Blueshirts. When the people deserted Joan & the
Charlatans in the General Election herself and the hated
Alan Kelly who both scraped back into Dil ireann,
decided to re-invent themselves so that they could
continue pocketing massive salaries and live a life of
luxury. And that is why Joan came on the radio and
pleaded for Noonan to look after the little people, And why
Alan Kelly was on the same programme last week voicing
support for striking workers.
They have no shame.
Nama- Charity For The Rich

There is more than a whiff of corruption arising from
NAMA. The most obvious case has already been
highlighted with Project Eagle in Northern Ireland.
Here a giant US company Cerberus paid a 7 million fixer
fee to secure assets originally worth 6.5 billion for just
1.34 billion. Even though Michael Noonan was informed
that another company had withdrawn from the bidding
after it was asked for a fixer fee, he still allowed the sale
to go ahead.
The main fixer was Frank Cushnihan, a well connected
insider among the Northern political elite. It is alleged that
Peter Robinson and his son Garret stood to benefit from
this fee. Astoundingly, Cushnihan was also acting as an
advisor for 58% of NAMAs Northern debtors.
Soon after getting this deal, Cerberus went on to snatch
up Project Arrow a portfolio of just under 2,000 mainly
residential properties in Southern Ireland. This has
originally been valued at 6 billion but NAMA s reserve
price was just 1 billion. There were apparently just two

valid bids for this project one from Cerberus and the
other from Apollo.
When it was established NAMA took over 74 billion of
loans for a write down price of 34 billion. The strategy
adopted by Fine Gael was to sell off the loans as quickly as
possible in order to show a small profit.
Their principle mechanism for doing this was to invite in
US vulture funds to buy up the loans. They could squeeze
the bankrupt original owners and take over the property.
Department of Finance officials met with vulture funds on
sixty five occasions and Michael Noonan personally
attended meetings with Lone Start Capital, Kohlberg
Kravis Roberts and Appollo Investments.
The last company is headed up by Brian Goggin, the
former chief executive of Bank of Ireland, but is controlled
by Leon Black one of the richest men on Wall Street.
Goggin was one of the bankers who helped wreck the
country but after receiving a pension of over 500,000 a
year, he is now heading up a vulture fund. In that capacity
he benefits from the crash he helped to provoke.
RETURN OF THE ZOMBIES
The Return of the Zombies would be a good film title for
the extraordinary pattern by which indebted Irish
businessmen come back to life with the help of the state.
It might even be suggested that this was the real purpose
of NAMA.
NAMA, for example, made a fund of 3.5 billion available
in soft loans to bankrupt developers to help them
complete their projects. In a previous report the
Comptroller and Auditor General estimated that 2.6
billion of that fund was actually drawn down by 2015. This
was at a time when no bank would lend them a cent.
Sixty six developers were also paid salaries of over

10o,ooo a year to work for NAMA. 41 of them received an
average of more than 1 million in overhead costs for
repairing or improving their properties.
9 Million euro a month was paid out on rent for NAMA
properties but these funds were not automatically
impounded to help pay off loans. Instead, developers were
able to keep a substantial proportion in maintenance
fees. The Comptroller and Auditor General estimated that
in 2011 in a sample of just six cases, developers managed
to skim off an additional 2 million euros in unanticipated
costs.
VULTURE FUNDS
Another way that the zombie builders come back to life is
by fronting up vulture funds that are buying up 300 billion
of Irish property. The builder Joe O Reilly, for example, is
heading up a fund known as Chartered land which is
buying up property in Ballsbridge and is backed by the
Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.
The main reason for Fine Gaels quick sale strategy was to
revive the Irish property market. Most of the Irish rich
invest in property because it can bring easy money
especially if you have the political influence. They had lost
heavily in the crash of 2008 and were left with big loans
on distressed property.
By bringing in the US vultures, demand on Irish property
helped push up the prices. This was combined with other
policies to help stimulate the market. These included cut
backs to council housing and a greater reliance on the
private rental market through HAP and RAS schemes to
house those in need. The overall effect was to re-heat the
property market and help the wealthy recover some of
their money.
But it came at a considerable cost and some of the
mechanisms by which this occurred are only beginning to
leak out now.
It is estimated that 90% of NAMA property has been

bought up by US vulture funds. And the same mechanisms
that were used to bring in companies like Apple were used
to attract them.
In 2013, the Fine Gael/Labour government brought in a
special tax relief for Real Estate Investment Trusts. These
are big US mutual funds which buy up distressed property
around the world mainly for rental income. The
governments 2013 measure reduced their tax bill
considerably.
But that was only half the story. As early as 2010, Irelands
tax planning industry was telling the vultures that they
could use other mechanisms such as Section 110
provisions and a mechanism known as a Qualifying
Investor Fund to cut their tax bill to near zero.
Clearly Noonan knew about these tax dodges when he
met the vulture funds.
If he did not know that Irish tax planners were openly
advertising how to pay no tax, he was incompetent. Does
anyone seriously belief that the man who encouraged the
US vulture funds to buy up 90% of Nama property did not
also point them in the direction of the Section 110
measure?
It is time to clean up the stink of dirty money that seeps
out of every pore of the Irish state
-----------------------------------------------------------Fact Check: Did Michael Noonan tell "bare-faced lies" in
the Dil?
A ROW BROKE out in the Dil last week between Finance
Minister Michael Noonan and Fianna Fils Finance
Spokesperson Michael McGrath.
In a debate about Fianna Fils bill to force banks to lower
their variable mortgage rates, Noonan claimed the

publication of McGraths bill had wiped 10% off the value
of state-owned Irish banks shares.
McGrath fiercely disputed the claim, and Sinn Fin TD Eoin
OBroin later accused the Minister of telling bare-faced
lies, on RTE Radio 1s Saturday with Claire Byrne.
Time to step in and sort this out.
Claim: The publication of Fianna Fils variable rate
mortgage bill caused state-owned Irish bank shares to fall
by 10% that day
Verdict: FALSE by some margin, but Minister Noonan later
said he was referring to an 11-day period, not one day.
It is absolutely true that there was a 10.5% drop from 9-17
May
The publication of the bill may have played some role in
the decline, but there were several other plausible
explanations for it.
What was said:
So we all know what were talking about, heres what
Michael Noonan said in the debate on Tuesday evening.
The day you republished your bill, Deputy McGrath, bank
shares went down by 10% across the line. Irish bank
shares went down by 10%. So if you take the total value of
the Irish taxpayers holdings in the bank, the publication of
your bill dropped it by 10%.
The Facts
11/5/2016. Silicon Valley Announcements
Its not clear from that statement alone which date or
which banks Noonan was referring to.
A Fianna Fil spokesperson told us the party had asked on
6 May for permission to introduce the bill. On 12 May they
asked for permission to present the bill to the Dil, and
debates followed on Tuesday 17 May and Wednesday 18

May.
A spokesperson for Minister Noonan told us the key date,
by their reckoning, was 9 May, the day that Deputy
McGrath began publicising the re-publication of his Bill.
The re-publication here, refers to the fact that McGrath
and Fianna Fil first introduced their bill last June, before it
was voted down by government TDs.
In any case, lets check those three dates.
There are three banks in which the state owns a significant
portion of shares: AIB (99.8%), Permanent TSB (74.92%)
and Bank of Ireland (13.95%).
Its very important to note that only 0.2% of AIB shares are
actually traded on the stock market, so the share price is
not a particularly reliable gauge of the banks actual
value, and should be viewed in that light.
However, using official Irish Stock Exchange data, we
calculated the total value of shares owned by the Irish
taxpayer at close of trading from 5-17 May, and found
these changes:
On 6 May, the total value fell by 0.23%, from 24.2 billion
to 24.13 billion
On 9 May, it fell by 1.26%, from 24.13 billion to 23.83
billion
billion
Noonans spokesperson, however, told us that AIB share
prices were not included in their calculations, for broadly
the reasons set out above.
So we checked the total value of state-owned shares in
just Bank of Ireland and Permanent TSB at close of trading
from 5-17 May.
noonanshares2
On 6 May, the total value of state-owned shares in the two
banks fell by 2.88%, from 1.97 billion to 1.92 billion
billion
billion
As you can see, there is no calculation method for any of
the three dates in question which shows a drop in the
value of state-owned bank shares by anywhere close to
10%.
Minister Noonans claim, as articulated in the Dil on
Thursday, is therefore entirely FALSE.
What did he mean to say?
We asked Michael Noonans spokesperson whether he
accepted that his claim in the Dil last Tuesday was false,
and if he would be retracting it.
We did not receive a substantive response to that
question, but our attention was drawn to remarks the
Minister made to reporters two days later, on Thursday,
when he re-articulated his position:
When Michael McGrath first began to publicise his intent
to publish the bill on the 9th of May, between that and the
17th of May, the average decline in Bank of Ireland and
PTSB was about 10.5%. And thats what I referred to in my
speech.
That 11-day time frame is very different to what the
Minister claimed in the Dil, but if youre interested in
seeing it evaluated, read on.
Between those two points in time, the total did indeed fall
by 10.5%, from 1.92 billion to 1.72 billion.
If we include AIB share prices, the total fell by 16.3%.

The only possible explanation?
When asked, the Department of Finance did not provide
evidence to support the claim that the re-publication of
the bill had caused the 10.5% drop from 6-17 May.
How does Fianna Fil explain that decline? A spokesperson
told us:
A numbers of factors have influenced bank share prices in
recent weeks. AIB announced a reduction in rates on 9
May and PTSB provided a trading update on 11 May.
It made absolutely no mention of political action in
relation to standard variable rates.
Thats true. You can read the PTSB trading update here.
Noonan told reporters on Thursday that the Permanent
TSB statement had been favourable, and more good
news than bad news.
However, PTSBs share price fell by 10.75% that day, the
single biggest day-to-day decrease of any of the three
banks in the last month.
The AIB announcement on 9 May, that it would cut its
standard variable mortgage rate by 0.25% to 3.4%,
preceded a 1% decline in its share price that day, far from
the biggest drop in the last month.
This also wouldnt factor into the Department of Finances
10.5% drop, because that figure only addresses Bank of
Ireland and Permanent TSB shares.
Its difficult to identify for certain the primary causes of
those share price changes in the 11 days between 9 and
17 May, but we can make a couple of observations.
Immediate impacts?
17/5/2016. Mortgage Interest Rates Issues Fianna Fil

Finance Spokesperson Michael McGrath
Firstly, the fall in total Bank of Ireland/PTSB share values
on 9 May was 4.22%, the second-biggest in the last
month, behind 3 May, when the value of state-owned
shares fell by 5.13%.
So whatever forces were at work that day, the share price
fall in those two banks was a significant one.
What happened next
Secondly, the period since last Tuesdays debate would
appear to somewhat undermine the claim that Fianna
Fils mortgage rate legislation hurt Irish bank shares in
the run-up to that date.
6-17 May
Michael McGrath began publicly discussing the bill in a
significant way on Friday 6 May, in an Irish Examiner
article.
On Monday 9 May, he appeared on Morning Ireland, and
discussed the bill for three minutes at the end of his eightminute interview.
A Google News search for Fianna Fil mortgage yielded
four Irish articles on mortgage rates that day, three from
the Irish Independent, and one by the Irish Mirror. All four
focused primarily or exclusively on AIBs mortgage rate
cut announcement that day.
A Reuters article with the headline Irish opposition to test
new government with mortgage rate bill was syndicated
by BusinessWorld.ie and several other foreign news
outlets.
Between 10 May and close of trading on 17 May, there
were six news reports focused on the Fianna Fil bill, in the
Irish Times, Irish Examiner and Sunday Business Post.
17-23 May
27/4/2016. Central Bank Annual Reports Central Bank

Governor Philip Lane.
On 17 May (after trading closed for the day) the legislation
was debated in the Dil for the first time, and advanced to
a second stage debate, which took place the following
evening.
On 18 May, Michael Noonan withdrew a government
amendment that would have delayed further debate on
the bill for another six months.
Over the following days, there was extensive coverage
focused on the Fianna Fil bill in the Irish Times, Irish
Independent, Sunday Business Post, TheJournal.ie, the
Irish Examiner, RTE, and the Irish Mirror.
Some of that coverage was critical of the bill, including
analysis (reported in the Irish Times) by Davy
Stockbrokers, which warned about the pitfalls of Fianna
Fils proposals.
One intervention in particular made the prospect of the
legislations implementation appear increasingly realistic.
On Thursday 19 May, RTE reported that Central Bank
Governor Philip Lane, a crucial figure, who had previously
called Fianna Fils proposals a very crude instrument
with many downsides, told a conference in Dublin:
We dont think having legislative caps is the best way to
ensure competition, but we will work not just to the spirit
but to the letter of every law that comes in.
Remember that the rationale behind Michael Noonans
allegation was that publicity in advance of the bill, starting
9 May, had caused the 10% drop in share prices.
So you might reasonably think that Irish bank shares
suffered even more after 17 May, as the legislation
gathered momentum in the Dil, media coverage stepped
up, and the Central Bank Governor committed to

implementing the bill, if it were passed into law.
In fact, though, there was a 1.5% increase in the value of
state-owned shares in Irish banks between 18 and 23 May.
If we remove AIB from the equation (as the Department of
Finance is quite reasonably doing), the increase was even
greater, 5.3%.
This could suggest a correction in the market, as
shareholder confidence levelled off and recovered after
the initial impact of publicity around the legislation.
But it could well also suggest that publicity surrounding
the anticipated introduction of an opposition bill was not
the blow to Irish bank shares that Minister Noonan is
claiming.
The chart below tracks the performance of state-owned
shares throughout the period in question, with reference
to a few events discussed in this article, and cited by both
the Department of Finance and Fianna Fil.
Those events are far from an exhaustive list of potential
factors in the rise and fall of Irish bank shares over the last
month.
By definition, Michael McGraths re-publication of his
mortgage bill could not have been the only factor in Irish
bank share trends between 9 and 17 May.
So we can fairly safely dispense with any claim that it was
solely responsible for the 10.5% drop in Bank of Ireland
and Permanent TSB shares during that time period.
And the improving performance of Irish bank shares after
17 May certainly casts doubt, retrospectively, on the logic
behind Michael Noonans claim.
If the relatively little publicity surrounding the promised
presentation of the bill caused shares to fall, why did
warnings from analysts, a commitment from the Central
Bank Governor, greater publicity and the actual
presentation and advancement of the bill accompany an

increase in bank shares?
Ultimately, however, we cant say for sure. So we cannot
verify the claim that the re-publication of the bill caused a
10% drop in shares from 9-17 May.
Remember, though, that thats not actually the claim
made by Michael Noonan. What he said in the Dil during
Tuesdays debate has been shown above to be FALSE by
some margin.
-----------------------------------------------------------The Government will publish its report into Nama's
controversial multi-billion Project Eagle sale this week
THE GOVERNMENT HAS said it will publish its report into
the 1.6 billion sale of Namas loan book in the North this
week.
Last night Fianna Fil called on Minister for Finance
Michael Noonan to release the report, compiled by the
Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) into the sale by
Nama of its Northern Ireland properties.
Last Wednesday, Noonan said he had been in possession
of the report since the middle of August.
Government chief whip Regina Doherty told RTs The
Week In Politics today that the report would be released on
Wednesday or Thursday of this week.
If an inquiry was needed the Cabinet would make a
decision in a prudent manner, she added.
Sinn Fin have long called for a public inquiry in the
controversial 2014 sale of Namas northern loans to US
investment company Cerberus Capital Management.
The portfolio had a book value of 4.5 billion, and leaks
this weekend suggest hundreds of millions of euros were
lost due to shortcomings in the transaction, which was
approved by Minister for Finance Michael Noonan.

Sinn Fin deputy leader Mary Lou MacDonald, a member
of the Public Accounts Committee, said the inquiry should
look at the full Nama system, beyond any Garda
investigation into a lone wolf.
There needs to be an acceptance politically, and at the
highest levels of Government that what we are facing into
here is a scandal, she told This Week on RT Radio One.
The goings-on around the sale of Project Eagle, that huge
portfolio which at the time was the biggest sale transacted
by Nama, is taken very seriously [in the UK and US].
Here, we have had a blind eye turned to a very, very
serious matter, which has cost the taxpayer, the southern
taxpayer perhaps hundreds of millions of euro. Its us who
are picking up the tab.
Mary Lou Mary Lou MacDonald
Fixers fees
The Government needs to face the fact that it cant run
away from this any longer. Fianna Fil need to get on to
that page as well, both of those have consistently blocked
an inquiry into all of these matters, MacDonald added.
Michael Noonan, bear in mind, bears a very big
responsibility for things that happened around this very
large sale.
Michael Noonan was aware that there was a problem with
the bidding process, that there was an attempt at fixers
fees and illegal payments. At that stage, the State in the
person of Michael Noonan should have intervened, should
have called a halt to that.
She added: A responsible Minister for Finance would have,
in my view, called a halt to the entire process at that
stage. He didnt do that, but worse than that, from that
day to this the Government of Fine Gael and

Independents, backed by Fianna Fil have used every ruse
to see we dont need an inquiry here.
And now we are looking at the entrails and the
consequences of his failure to act. The inaction and denial
needs to stop, we need to see the C&AGs report, he
should just publish that today or tomorrow morning.
MacDonald added that the Public Accounts Committee
needs to investigate the report, and a commission of
inquiry with full judicial powers should be established.
Fianna Fil Michael Martin has said this weekend an inquiry
is inevitable. He told the Sunday Business Post that the
whole thing stinks to high heaven.
Kelly Labour deputy leader Alan Kelly.
Incredible
Labour deputy leader Alan Kelly, Public Accounts
Committee vice-chairman, called for a cross-border
commission of investigation. This stinks to high heaven
by the looks of things, he told This Week on RT Radio 1.
The idea this cant be investigated is incredible.
There are criminal investigations in the North, but here
we are saying that the C&AG say there was a potential
loss of hundreds of millions of euro to the Irish taxpayer.
Well in that scenario it has to be investigated.
This is a huge issue for the Irish Government, it is a huge
issue for the Irish public.
Kelly also said Nama should make a public statement. He
said he was contacted privately by a Nama executive to
meet prior to their September 22 appearance in front of
the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
I believe they have been quite naive on this, even this
week a senior member of Nama contacted me to brief me
before they went before the PAC, I redirected him to the

chairman of the PAC.
I wasnt comfortable that selective briefing was the way to
go or would be appropriate, given the situation we find
ourselves in.
I wont give the individual, but it was just a call during the
week to meet up. I explained that the PAC is a different
committee to other committees, it has different powers.
I referred to the chairman in relation to this. I didnt think
it was the appropriate way to deal with things. I have no
idea, I was going to raise it with committee colleagues.
Kelly said he didnt think there was anything malicious in
the contact, but said it was another aspect of Namas
naivety.
I suppose they were coming before us in the coming
weeks and wanted to brief us on various actions, but
thats for Nama to state. I dont know, because I didnt
meet them.
Nama sale inquiryThe National Asset Management Agency
Treasury Building on Grand Canal Street in Dublin
2.Source: PA
Tens of millions
Fine Gaels Noel Rock, who also sits on the PAC, said an
inquiry should not be ruled out, but that Nama should first
come before the PAC on 22 September.
If there are unanswered questions, then yes I think there
should be further inquiries.
Were not entirely sure, it depends on the answers we
get. I accept there may be a need to compel people to
come further forward with answers.
My understanding is that there is a dispute between the
C&AG and Nama on this, naturally I would be compelled to
trust what the C&AG says on this. Its quite unusual for
any agency to question the findings of the C&AG, and that
will be one of the questions Ill be asking at the PAC, why

they reached a different conclusion.
My understanding is the C&AG and Nama are more than
tens of millions apart in terms of their estimation of the
funds that should have been acquired from certain
purchases.
Nama have made a complain to Garda about an individual
associated with the Project Eagle Sale. Rock said this lent
further weight to calls for a public inquiry, but that this
would be complicated, and they dont want to step on the
toes of the UKs investigators.
Belfast businessman
The C&AG report was requested after allegations that a
Belfast businessman, who had been advising Nama, had
also been working for a US company seeking to buy the
state agencys Northern Irish property portfolio.
The controversy first hit headlines in the Republic when
Independent TD Mick Wallace stood up in the Dil and told
TDs that a property portfolio was sold for 1.5 billion to US
private equity firm Cerberus, despite having been worth
4.5 billion.
Last month, TDs Clare Daly and Mick Wallace launched a
new whistleblower website called Namaleaks, seeking to
uncover poor practice within the financial institution.
McDonagh Brendan McDonagh, chief executive of Nama.
Anxious
The UKs National Crime Agency are already investigating
the sale, and several arrests have already been made.
Fianna Fil have called on the Government to publish the
report as soon as possible.
Minister Noonan said on Wednesday that he has been in
possession of the report since mid-August, Fianna Fil
finance spokesman Michael McGrath told TheJournal.ie.

We arent aware of any legal constraints that could stop or
delay its publication. We are anxious for it to be published
as soon as possible.
Fianna Fil also released a separate statement last night,
in which it reiterated its call for a meeting of party leaders
to discuss last weeks BBC Spotlight revelations.
This has been made all the more important following
todays reporting of extracts from the C&AG report, it
said.
We would hope this meeting can take place quickly and an
agreed way forward found. This issue will also be closely
examined by the PAC.
In response to queries from TheJournal.ie as to when the
report will be published, the Department of Finance said
Minister Michael Noonan will brief his Cabinet colleagues
at an upcoming Government meeting.
The report will be published thereafter. No further
comment will be made until after publication.
Insider
Last night Sinn Fins Gerry Adams said recent revelations
by the BBCs Spotlight team have shown there is an
insider working against the interests of the State within
Nama, and called on all Nama transactions to be
suspended.
The Government must publish the report as a matter of
urgency and establish a commission of investigation.
There is also a need for all transactions involving NAMA to
be suspended pending an inquiry.
Last weeks BBC Spotlight programme showed that there
is an insider within NAMA working against the interests of
the state.
Therefore the State needs to protect its assets urgently.
-----------------------------------------------------------How real is Michael Noonans 12 billion?

There is not as much money available as everyone seems
to think
How much money will the next government have available
to do new things with?
Last weekend, Minister for Finance Michael Noonan said it
would be 12 billion. Other political parties and various
newspaper have pointed to the small print down the back
of Budget 2016 and said it will be more like 8.5 billion.
-----------------------------------------------------------Source:http://ireland.indymedia.org/article/105973
http://www.thejournal.ie/factcheck-thejournal-ie-michaelnoonan-dail-claim-fianna-fail-mortgage-bill-bank-shares2784738-May2016/
http://www.thejournal.ie/project-eagle-report-2973929Sep2016/
-----------------------------------------------------------Related News:http://www.breakingnews.ie/business/us-may-seek-someof-apples-13bn-tax-money-michael-noonan-hits-out-at-eucommission-752136.html
http://www.politicalworld.org/archive/index.php/t16384.html
CRIMINALS WITHIN THE SYSTEM.

NOT TO MENTION POLITICIANS OR THE OTHER MANY
PUBLIC SERVANTS THAT ARE THERE TO SERVE THE PEOPLE
AND NOT THE SYSTEM OR THEIR OWN AGENDA OR THE
AGENDA OF THEIR SUPERIORS.
IRELAND`S PUBLIC SERVICES HAVE BECOME A HAVEN OF
CORRUPTION AND CRIMINALITY.
BIG CHANGES ARE NOW NEEDED TO REPAIR THESE
SYSTEMS AND ROOT OUT THE CORRUPTION AND MAKE
THOSE WHO ARE GUILTY OF ABUSING THEIR POWER
WITHIN THESE PUBLIC SERVICES.
GARDA HAVE BECOME A CRIMINAL PROTECTORATE OF
THE WEALTHY WHO FORCE THEIR UNWANTED SYSTEMS
ON THE PEOPLE.
THE COURTS HAVE BECOME LAW BREAKERS WHO ONLY
SERVE THE WEALTHY WITHIN A SYSTEM OF CORRUPTION
AND CRIMINALITY.
BANKERS HAVE BEEN STEALING THE WEALTH OF THE
NATION THROUGH THEIR FRACTIONAL RESERVE LENDING
AND OTHER SYSTEMS WHICH AMOUNTS TO NOTHING
MORE THEN THEFT.
PRIESTS AND MEN OF THE PAPACY HAVE BROKEN ALL OF

THEIR OATHS.
THESE CRIMINALS ARE PROTECTED BY THE VERY SYSTEM
THEY SERVE.
THESE SYSTEMS NEED FULL REFORM WITHIN OUR
SOCIETY AS WELL AS THE POLITICAL SYSTEM WITH MORE
ACCOUNTABILITY AT THEIR CORE STRUCTURES.
IRELAND - A STATE OF INJUSTICE.
An in depth study.
Social injustice and inequality has increased dramatically
in several European Union member states, posing an
existential threat to EU stability and integration, a leading
German think-tank has warned. The Bertelsmann Stiftung
called on the EU and member states to balance strict
budget rules and austerity policies with a greater concern
for social justice and efforts to invest in the future.
The study, which has been conducted every three years
since 2008, warned that massive cuts in crisis-battered
states had not been administered in a balanced manner,
falling hardest on the poor, children and the young. It
predicted that the social imbalance between northern and
southern EU states would also place a strain on the
European project.
Social divide
Jrg Drger, a member of the foundations executive
board, said: The growing social divide between member
states and between the generations can lead to tensions
and a considerable loss of trust. Should the social
imbalance last for long or increase even more, the future
of the European integration project will be threatened.
According to the report, social injustice has increased most
dramatically since 2008 in Ireland, followed by Greece,
Spain, Hungary and Italy. Greece was the worst overall

performer, with record high levels of unemployment and
poverty. The Bertelsmann Stiftung said that austerity
measures had led to significant problems in the
countrys health system.
The rise of extremist parties, it said, had left minorities
facing growing levels of discrimination. It also highlighted
the unfairness of younger Greek generations being left to
pay back a huge mountain of debt.
Sweden emerged best from the study, followed by Finland
and Denmark. Poland has made significant improvements
in social justice since 2008, as has, though to a lesser
extent, Germany and Luxembourg. The survey described
how youth in Spain had been particularly hard hit by the
economic crisis, with youth unemployment at 55% and
young people twice as likely as elderly people to live
below the poverty line.
The Bertelsmann Stiftung also sought to dispel the notion
that richer countries were necessarily fairer countries. It
drew a comparison between Sweden, Germany and
Ireland, which all have broadly similar gross domestic
product per capita. Ireland came just 18th overall in the
ranking, with almost 33% of all young at risk of falling
below the poverty line and with the EUs worst levels of
pre-primary education spending. By comparison, the
Czech Republic, where per-capita GDP is about two- thirds
of that in Ireland, came fifth in the overall ranking.
The socio-spatial impacts on inequality and suggestions
for alternative, social-justice based, economic
development. The Irish elite, government, big business
and media are trumpeting that austerity and
neoliberalism have worked. The Irish economy is now
fully in recovery it is claimed, austerity will be eased
with tax breaks again to be given out to the middle
classes, employment is rising and we have a mini property
boom in Dublin to celebrate. Even potential social
partnership agreements are floating in the political air.
However, it is now more than ever that critical political,
economic, and socio-spatial justice analysis of the Irish

economy is required. Rather than cheerleading blindly into
another boom and bust cycle based on inequality and
spatial injustice there is a need for academics and policy
makers to engage in rigorous analysis and reflection on
the crisis and the political economic trajectory for the
coming decades.
Prof Gerry Kearns, of the Maynooth University Department
of Geography draws on President Higgins reflection on the
importance of critical thought in the wake of failed
orthodoxies as the crisis is one of ideas as well as of
policy. Now more than ever, space and time must be
given in the academic and public sphere in Ireland to
identify the causes of the crisis, its impact on inequality,
and alternative (non-capitalist) policies and approaches
based on the common good and social justice rather than
the interests of the minority elite the 1%.
By placing social and spatial justice as an urgent
consideration in all areas of social and economic policy.
Interestingly, Kearns highlights how government
responses to the current crisis go against Articles
contained in the Irish Constitution including commitments
of the state to promoting the welfare of the whole people
by securing and protecting as effectively as it may a social
order in which justice and charity shall inform all
institutions of the national life (Article 45.1). Significantly,
this also includes ensuring that the ownership and control
of the material resources may be so distributed amongst
private individuals and the various classes as best to
subserve the common good (Article 45.2.ii).
He covers the origins of the financial crisis, its political and
territorial implications such as the outsourcing of state
power to international credit rating agencies, the links
between crisis, housing and planning, the uneven impacts
of the crisis in different parts of the country and unevenly
within cities such as failed regeneration, impacts on
equality of opportunity, marginalization of migrants, and
sustainability. Within these areas he addresses the
questions of spatial justice and where the pain of crisis
and the opportunities of recovery are distributed,

geographically and socially. It highlights the uneven
development that was at the heart of the Celtic Tiger in
the inequalities that persisted through that period, how
they were worsened by the crash and the forms in which
they continue today.
Professor Danny Dorling, Professor of Geography at the
University of Oxford, on Spatial Justice, Housing and the
Financial crisis makes important links between rising
inequality and housing crises internationally. This chapter
is very interesting for an Irish audience as it highlights
how the current housing crisis in Ireland has similar causes
to other countries and there is much we can learn in
regard to social justice based responses. Dorling argues
that we really need to think of housing again as a way in
which we feel safe about where we are: not as a source of
investment or a pension or something that can be used for
profit, but instead as primarily a source of shelter. He
offers suggestions to address this such as a mansions tax,
rent control, and using second and third homes for
housing for those who need it. He explains that housing is
fundamental. It is what lies at the bottom of this crisis.
Housing is one of the basic things that everybody needs
and that policies can work out a way to guarantee. He
surmises that the reason this is not the case is because
current policy appears to be trying to protect the equity
interest of a small proportion of people who happen to
own quite a lot of very expensive housing.
Spatial justice and housing in Ireland, which I co-authored
with Rob Kitchin and Cian OCallaghan, details the
catastrophic fallout of the property crash and its social and
spatial repercussions for households in Ireland. It analyses
how, during the Celtic Tiger period, housing policy in
Ireland was increasingly neo-liberalised and the
privatization of social housing and the rolling out of PPP
regeneration schemes in many instances served to erode
existing social housing infrastructures. It critiques the
failure to alter the fundamentals of how the Irish housing
market is constituted and works, and the assumption that
future housing will be the preserve of the private market
and the benefit of private interests. The current housing

system is not only inherently unequal, but now
fundamentally unfit for purpose and perpetuates and
entrenches social and spatial injustices, making them
increasingly difficult to dislodge. Through the Celtic Tiger
many communities in our large cities and rural towns were
excluded.
Similarly in the crisis and recovery places are affected
unevenly with significant spatial inequalities remaining.
The danger is that the imbalanced spatial and institutional
landscapes deposited by the crash, left to the whims of
the market, will calcify into a nation increasingly
characterized by geographically uneven development.
Echoing, Dorlings conclusions, the authors highlight the
need for (and indeed right to) decent social housing
cannot be questioned given the housing waiting list
figures and the high dependence on rent supplement.
Providing social housing and regeneration can be a win
win scenario we claim, as delivering it on a large scale
offers the potential for real economic and social stimulus
for local communities and for the wider society and
economy. Finally, it is clear that the ideological
opposition to social housing and obsessive support of the
private rented and property market must be put aside to
develop alternative approaches that place the primary
value of housing as a home and a right, and not a
commodity.
Greening the economy in Ireland, Anna Davies provides
extensive detail and analysis of the challenges and
possibilities for a more just transition to a green, lowcarbon economy through grassroots enterprise responses
such as cleantech clustering. Three core elements pervade
the discourse of just transitions: the need for wide and
inclusive consultation about the economic changes
involved in decarbonization; the requirement for green
and decent jobs; and suitable mechanisms for reskilling
people to work within resource-efficient economies. She
examines whether one novel socio-spatial configuration,
hybrid clustering around cleantech, could function as a
mechanism through which collaborative agendas for just
transitions towards a greener economy might emerge in

an Irish context. she details the case study of Irelands
first cleantech cluster, An tSl Ghlas The Green Way, a
cluster of more than 200 public, private and civil society
enterprises including those with a social and community
focus, such as the Rediscovery Centre. she concludes that
it could be optimistically characterized as a novel sociospatial arrangement for radical sustainability
transformations.
Health and spatial justice, Ronan Foley and Adrian
Kavanagh, explore the relations between ill health and
poverty. They explain how they have devised an index that
uses the measure of social description now collected by
the Irish census to describe the healthiness of people in
small areas. This will allow geographers to monitor the
health consequences of the recession and recovery. Foley
and Kavanagh highlight their findings and how
unemployment, poverty and ill-health reinforce each other
and the geography of the crisis is marked by these
interactions.
Since the 1970s geographers internationally have
developed a rich tradition that critically and systemically
analysed capitalism based on social and spatial justice
perspectives. It is significant to see that in the last decade
we are witnessing the emergence of similar progressive
social justice analysis and research by Irish geographers
that are engaging with issues of critical societal
importance. Examples include the National Institute of
Regional and Spatial Analysis (NIRSA) at the National
University of Ireland, Maynooth, the Ireland after NAMA
blog and leading work done by Irish geographers on
climate change and associated justice issues.A critical and
radical geographical perspective offers an important lens
to understand the world around us as it focuses on issues
that are often neglected from mainstream economics and
political research and policy.
Geographers have a particular set of perspectives on
social justice and each of the core themes of geography
can be made the focus of a justice perspective; thus we
may speak of spatial justice, environmental justice and

place justice. As Kearns explains geographers have also
tried to understand these inequalities as having a
structural basis so that they can examine the production
of unequal space, particularly as a consequence of
capitalism or of legal orderings of space around ethnic,
racial or class apartheid. Thus geographers highlight the
importance of place and scale in frameworks such as
solidarity, resistance and human rights in regard to the
Right to the City.
These perspectives are important to challenge dominant
narratives about society and politics such as the claim that
the Irish did not protest the crisis and austerity. A
geographical lens reveals that the Irish did not protest like
the Greeks and Spanish but had its own, unique placespecific socio-political response. This is evident in the new
and (often local) social movements such as the youth
against forced emigration Were Not Leaving, the
Spectacle of Defiance challenging cuts to disadvantaged
communities and the anti-household charge campaign,
along with a rise in support for radical left and
independent politics. This sits alongside the hidden
resistance and solidarities in the on-going local
community struggles such as the anti-incinerator
campaign in Poolbeg and Shell to Sea in Mayo.
But a spatial lens also highlights the necessity for political
resistance strategies to reach across scales in order to be
successful to build solidarity from the local to the
national to the international. The recent Greyhound
dispute which highlighted the importance of workers
struggles connecting beyond the workplace into local
communities is noteworthy in this regard.
The public revolt against water charges is about injustice,
and its justified.
The public revolt against water charges is not, for the
most part, a rebellion against the eminently sensible idea
that a small State should have a single public utility to
develop its water system.
It should be so easy. How much political brilliance does it

take to persuade the population that it is necessary to
change a water supply system that leaves whole cities
(Galway) and almost entire counties (Roscommon) without
drinkable water for long periods? That wastes through
leakage half of all the expensively treated water it
produces? That the State cant do this tells us something
about much more than the debacle of Irish Water. It tells
us about the governability of the State itself. It would be
hysterical to suggest that the State is ungovernable. But it
would be naive to deny that it is heading gradually in that
direction. And heading there for good reasons: a very
significant part of the population has ceased to feel that
the State is theirs, that it tries its best to treat them with
care and dignity.
The public revolt against water charges is not, for the
most part, a rebellion against the eminently sensible idea
that a small State should have a single public utility to
develop its water system. Its an expression of anger
about bigger things: command-and-control politics; trustme- Im-an-expert arrogance; rotten, feckless disregard for
the realities of life at the bottom of the heap; the feeling
that nobody gives a curse how you live or what you think.
Its about injustice, and its justified. The recent budget
was the fourth regressive budget in a row. Four times, the
Government has coldly and deliberately decided to hit the
weakest and poorest hardest. This has nothing to do with
austerity. The austerity budgets under Fianna Fil
between 2008 and 2011 were mildly progressive they hit
the better-off harder than the worst-off. But every budget
under Fine Gael and Labour (Labour!) has quietly reversed
this trend. In last months budget, the average combined
impact of the tax and welfare measures and of water
charges on the lowest income households is to reduce
their income by about 1 per cent. For the one-fifth of
households with the highest incomes, there is a gain of
about 0.5 per cent.
As part of the sneaky privatisation agenda quietly pursued

by Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and others, one of the foreign
private companies that has been brought in is Seetec.
Seetec claims that is it one of the UKs largest and most
experienced employment, training and job-search support
specialists.
Where once it was the task of ANCO, Manpower and FAS to
look after unemployed citizens, those state department
services have now been closed down. Instead, political
parties through a silent unannounced back-door route,
have given those duties to a private company. State

employment services have been scrapped and the private
companies have again moved in!
Once Seetec moved in, the political parties involved with
its invitation handed the private company the personal
data of unemployed people from every corner of the
country. This data includes names, addresses, dates of
birth, social welfare numbers, contact details, email
addresses and more all handed over to yet another
private company without any express permission given
from those who are unemployed.
Did the Irish government tell everyone in advance that
they were quietly sneaking in another foreign private
company and worse, giving them copies of Citizens
personal information? What reassurances were given to
government regarding data security of same?
Who in government authorised this massive transfer of
public data? Who awarded the contract? How was it
awarded? Was it put out to tender or what was the
awarding process, and based on what criteria? What were
the protocol safeguards instigated during the company
assessments?
Why all the secrecy? Why have citizens been kept in the
dark with little or no media announcements, ministers not
speaking publicly on the matter in press statements, or no
detailed discussion allowed in Dail Eireann? Where is there
any evidence of fair, democratic or transparent process in
all this? There is none.
The political parties continue to duck the data protection
and may claim they were legally entitled to do it. This
might be the case however, as the citizens of Ireland
know only too well, when political parties in government
want to get up to something they usually make sure they
write the legislation laws first so that they can get away
with it!
In the past few years in particular, is had been judged that
citizens are suffering a progressive and nasty undermining

attack, based in this case, on their unemployment social
status. Seetec in Ireland is leading the current charge of
this attack, instigated quietly by the Irish government.
Aye sure its happening again, I was called offered a brand new Volvo
S40. Approved from the bank via the dealers just come down and
sign the papers and we will do the rest. The auto finance loan is the
new 100% mortgage. We should have fucked them into jail like
Iceland did and told Germany to get to fuck. Absolute psychos
pushing buttons behind computers approving people they know full
well to be high risk and likely to fall into arrears so they can
repossess the property and make a killing while destroying peoples
lives. Its happening as we speak.
Enda`s Recovery, Zero Taxes Paid By multinational

Companies to Fuck the countrys Economy up
If the man said it on Spotlight on the British Broadcasting

Corporation it must be true
Michel Martin and Fianna Fil are waiting for the right
moment to pull the plug on Kenny and his puppet
government. When Fianna Fil think the time is right they
will ditch Kenny and a General election will follow. Martin
and his advisers know that they must be seen to oppose
water charges to win enough marginal seats to get them
back into power - with the Labour Party and the Greens.
Once in office Martin and his new friend Alan Kelly will
move quickly to re-introduce water charges and they'll
offer some lame excuse like 'the EU/European Commission
INSIST that we charge for water usage'. Once the charges
are up and running the EU will also decide that Irish Water
must be sold. Competition law, etc. etc. Alan Kelly's
brother Declan and his Teneo will want to snap up Ireland's
water because it is worth BILLIONS and so will Denis

O'Brien. But of course it will be sold for peanuts because
the new owners will need to invest MILLIONS we will be
told. The new owners will invest alright but the money will
come from you and me in increased charges.
It's up to you my friends. Vote for your local, friendly
Fianna Fil candidate and believe everything they tell you.
In fact, why not also vote for the Blueshirts and those nice
people in the Labour Party like Joan Burton and Alan Kelly
and Brendan Howlin. And give any spare votes to the
Greens, why don't you. These are the people who want to
sell off our water. And they probably won't even get any
brown envelopes this time like they got when they gave
away our gas and oil and our fisheries ...
Quiet Avoided.
.
As Saturday's water charge protest nears, its VERY
important that people notice that political parties are
being sly and clever in avoiding mentioning eradication of
(a) Irish Water itself and (b) the water meters.
.
Most parties except FG, Renua and Labour (who are
deliberate keeping their heads down, hoping their don't
get any flak) are looking to come out of the water situation
as if they are on the side of the protesters - for eventual
votes.
.
The few GENUINE ones will state absolute clear that that
they want:
(a) water charges gone
(b) Irish Water, the expensive private registered company
gone
(c) the end to meters being bullied in so to eventually
charge
.
Sadly, too many political parties are being sly about
stating ALL three. They mention (a) to try garnish public
support but duck (b) and (c).
.
Look at recent past statements and look at ones coming
soon. Listen to what's being said - but more importantly,
find what's actually NOT being stated!
.
Irish Water, the company and meter usage (ability to
specific bill) is being avoided by some. You are not meant
to notice this though!
The GOOD NEWS is that the Blueshirt piranha are circling

their mortally wounded, failed leader and waiting
impatiently to devour the man who has become a serious
liability. The BAD NEWS is that the leaders-in-waiting are
equally clueless gobshites who have failed abysmally as
Ministers and are only in the running because of the PR
spindoctors who are working in the background to
promote their claims to the top job.
Coveney is probably best know for his attendance at the
Bilderberg Group get-together and for doing his utmost to
scrap Irish neutrality. He has done NOTHING as a Minister
so far to warrant giving him the job of running a country
(apart from lots of talk and no action on homelessness).
Varadkar talks the talk alright but hasn't walked the walk,
his term as Health Minister can be described in two words
- HOSPITAL TROLLEYS. Fitzgerald is ANONYMOUS as

feuding armed gangs roam the streets of Dublin killing
each other and innocent bystanders. Is she the worst ever
Justice Minister? (mind you there's been more than a few
duds). None of these three deserve to be Taoiseach, none
of them are up to the task.
And do you want the really bad news? Next in line in the
Blueshirt academy are Paschal "plastic" Donohue and
Simon "Baby Doc" Harris. Jesus, our country deserves
better than this!
SACK THE LOT OF THEM AND OUR SO CALLED GOVERNMENT THERE

NOTHING BUT PARASITES
There should be a revolution and redistribution of wealth 300 - 400
Irish citizens evicted from their homes this past weekend it make
you sick to your stomach how corrupt this business ( i mean
country) is. Run by money men psychos and liars that put no value
on human life only in turning a euro for profits. CUNTS!!
Should I stay or should I go now?

Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go there will be trouble
An' if I stay it will be double
So come on and let me know
This indecision's buggin' me (Indecisin me molesta)
Mason Hayes $Curran were an ordinary run-of-the-mill

solicitors practice with offices in a run down Georgian
building at 6 Fitzwilliam Square. But after Fine Gael
Environment Minister Phil Hogan got the Revenue to
collect the HATED "Property" Tax when faced by a mass
boycott, MH$C landed a lucrative contract from the
Revenue to hassle, threaten and intimidate householders
to pay the unjust, unfair tax. Maybe somebody in MH$C
played in the RIGHT golf club ... ?
The "Property" Tax is a slush fund, being used by Kenny
and Noonan to subsidize Irish Water, so if you paid, your
money is not being used for local services - your local
Council will only get a small percentage of your hard
earned cash to fund street cleaning, public lights and

maintaining Council properties, etc ... the bulk of the
"Property" Tax will pay the salaries of Irish Water
managers on 100,000 PLUS.
Angry? Call Mason Haye $Curran who are now located in
expensive offices at South Bank House in Barrow Street,
Dublin 4 and who are sending the sheriffs to steal peoples
possessions on behalf of Noonan and the Revenue!
Ask them if they are chasing APPLE for the BILLIONS that
they owe
The LPT was introduced in 2013 and is based on the

market value of the home. The deeply unpopular tax has
been sharply criticised because it penalises people living
in cities, where property prices are generally higher.
Collector General Michael Gladney said action was being

taken because some homeowners refused to pay. Mr
Gladney didn't explain why the Revenue turned a blind
eye to Apple's tax evasion and neglected to collect
BILLIONS of Euro for the state. Or why billionaires like
Denis O'Brien evaded tax by supposedly living overseas
(there are no checks by the Revenue on how many days
"exiled" tax evaders spend "overseas". In the words of the
wise man "taxes were for the little people"
It has emerged Revenue was aware in January of the

widespread sale of loans by NAMA to companies which use
Section 110 of the tax code to pay little or no tax in
Ireland.
Correspondence obtained under the Freedom of
Information Act shows that Revenue officials discussed
what they said were "a lot" of NAMA loans being sold to
so-called Section 110 companies.
Section 110 is under the spotlight after claims that it is
being used by vulture funds to establish companies to buy
up distressed property loans while paying little or no tax in
Ireland.
In response to opposition pressure, the Government asked
Revenue to examine the tax law to see if it is being
abused by funds to make money on assets in Ireland

without paying tax in this country.
The FOI documents show that Revenue was aware of the
widespread use of Section 110 of the code by companies
buying distressed property loans from NAMA - several
months before the issue was raised in the Dil.
Correspondence dating back to January reference what it
says are "a lot" of NAMA loans being sold to Section 110
companies.
Special Purpose Vehicles set up by these so called vulture
funds have bought up assets worth around 300 billion,
according to data gathered by the Central Bank.
Exposed as Ireland ugliest running in this years worlds

ugliest people too, both ugly on the outside and even
uglier on the inside, king ugly mug.
He`s being doing more than sticking it with the EU. She
was also investigated for corruption.
If you are a part of this racket evicting people we will get

your information and name you to the public to which you
prey upon for the enemies shackle. Shame on you. Our
citizens who defend these homes from the likes of you will
employ any means to get your identity, weather it be your
picture, your registration or your personal information, we
will get your full identity by any means necessary. Be
warned!
Sometime these type of people are to thick to care about been
shamed. They are just lower than scumbags. Anyone benefiting for
another person misfortune is lower than low scum.
Clare Daly, TD yesterday labelled Judge Desmond Zaidans

decision to issue a warrant for her arrest as ludicrous
and claimed he was causing huge problems with regard
to the administration of justice in Kildare. Her attack on
the judge was described as "unprecedented" but Daly was
saying something that resonated with a lot of people.
Anybody who has been in a court in this country and
witnessed the bizarre behaviour of many if not most
judges will agree that Daly was highlighting a serious

problem with the administration of justice in Ireland's
courts.
Some judges look on people appearing before them as
inferior and often verbally abuse and humiliate people and
make derogatory remarks that are designed to make their
way into the newspapers. You can imagine judges at their
get togethers having a good "haw haw" at their
supposedly clever put down of mere ordinary citizens those plebs who were not educated in private schools or
went to the King's Inns.
Judges are supposed to be fair and impartial and this is
often not the case. I have personally witnessed a judge
accepting the blatant lies of garda in court when anybody
with an ounce of sense could see that there was perjury
being committed. The funny clothes and silly wigs don't
help and they should be discarded and burned at the
nearest Halloween bonfire.
But the biggest problem is that judges are politically
appointed and are elevated because of connections to
political parties. We don't often agree with Shane Ross but
he is trying to change this practice. Just don't
underestimate the power of the legal profession and their
political bedfellows to maintain the status quo
Theres still button-pushers getting paid half a million. And
not to say Im not a button-pusher. Im just pushing a lot

more buttons."
Rolling Stone, 2012...
As a reward for FORCING householders to pay the deeply

unpopular Property Tax, (aka the BONDHOLDER TAX),
Feehily was appointed as head of the Policing Authority by
a grateful Fine Gael/Labour. You can be sure that Josie got
a nice payout from Revenue when she exited but didn't
have to wait long before she walked into her new position
where she's not working for the minimum wage. But
Feehily, (like John Tierney and a few other elites) obviously
moves in the right circles. In this country - it's WHO you

know!
EUROPEAN COMMISSION WHO ALLOWS ILLEGAL FOREIGN

MULTINATIONALS OF TAX DODGERS WHO DONT PAY TAXES
IN EUROPE , TO WALK OVER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
ESPECIALLY A SMALL COUNTRIE LIKE IRELAND, EU SHOULD
CHALLENGE IRISH GOVERNMENT AND SET A SAMPLE BY
CHARGING THEM IF THEY REFUSE MULTINATIONALS TO PAY
BACK WHT THEY OWE TO IRELAND AND OTHER
COUNTRIES, UNFORTUNATE WE ARE A WALK OVER IF YOU
HAVE THE LIKES OF KENNY FG AND FG NOONAN CORRUPT
TO THE CORE RUNNING OUR COUNTRY UNDER ILLEGAL
FOREIGN MULTINATIONALS WHO ARE FLEECING US BLIND.
Brussels, 11 June 2014
State aid: Commission investigates transfer pricing
arrangements on corporate taxation of Apple (Ireland)
Starbucks (Netherlands) and Fiat Finance and Trade
(Luxembourg)
The European Commission has opened three in-depth
investigations to examine whether decisions by tax
authorities in Ireland, The Netherlands and Luxembourg
with regard to the corporate income tax to be paid by
Apple, Starbucks and Fiat Finance and Trade, respectively,
comply with the EU rules on state aid. The opening of an
in-depth investigation gives interested third parties, as
well as the three Member States concerned, an
opportunity to submit comments. It does not prejudge the
outcome of the investigation.
Commission Vice President in charge of competition policy

Joaqun Almunia said: "In the current context of tight
public budgets, it is particularly important that large
multinationals pay their fair share of taxes. Under the EU's
state aid rules, national authorities cannot take measures
allowing certain companies to pay less tax than they
should if the tax rules of the Member State were applied in
a fair and non-discriminatory way."
Algirdas emeta, Commissioner for Taxation, said: "Fair tax
competition is essential for the integrity of the Single
Market, for the fiscal sustainability of our Member States,
and for a level-playing field between our businesses. Our
social and economic model relies on it, so we must do all
we can to defend it."
The Commission has been investigating under EU state aid
rules certain tax practices in several Member States
following media reports alleging that some companies
have received significant tax reductions by way of "tax
rulings" issued by national tax authorities. Tax rulings as
such are not problematic: they are comfort letters by tax
authorities giving a specific company clarity on how its
corporate tax will be calculated or on the use of special
tax provisions. However, tax rulings may involve state aid
within the meaning of EU rules if they are used to provide
selective advantages to a specific company or group of
companies.
According to Article 107(1) of the Treaty on the
Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), state aid which
affects trade between Member States and threatens to
distort competition by favouring certain undertakings is in
principle incompatible with the EU Single Market. Selective
tax advantages may amount to state aid. The Commission
does not call into question the general tax regimes of the
three Member States concerned.
Tax rulings are used in particular to confirm transfer
pricing arrangements. Transfer pricing refers to the prices
charged for commercial transactions between various
parts of the same group of companies, in particular prices

set for goods sold or services provided by one subsidiary
of a corporate group to another subsidiary of the same
group. Transfer pricing influences the allocation of taxable
profit between subsidiaries of a group located in different
countries.
If tax authorities, when accepting the calculation of the
taxable basis proposed by a company, insist on a
remuneration of a subsidiary or a branch on market terms,
reflecting normal conditions of competition, this would
exclude the presence of state aid. However, if the
calculation is not based on remuneration on market terms,
it could imply a more favourable treatment of the
company compared to the treatment other taxpayers
would normally receive under the Member States' tax
rules. This may constitute state aid.
The Commission will examine if the three transfer pricing
arrangements validated in the following tax rulings involve
state aid to the benefit of the beneficiary companies:
- the individual rulings issued by the Irish tax authorities
on the calculation of the taxable profit allocated to the
Irish branches of Apple Sales International and of Apple
Operations Europe;
- the individual ruling issued by the Dutch tax authorities
on the calculation of the taxable basis in the Netherlands
for manufacturing activities of Starbucks Manufacturing
EMEA BV;
- the individual ruling issued by the Luxembourgish tax
authorities on the calculation of the taxable basis in
Luxembourg for the financing activities of Fiat Finance and
Trade.
The Commission has reviewed the calculations used to set
the taxable basis in those rulings and, based on a
preliminary analysis, has concerns that they could
underestimate the taxable profit and thereby grant an
advantage to the respective companies by allowing them
to pay less tax. The Commission notes that the three
rulings concern only arrangements about the taxable
basis; they do not relate to the applicable tax rate itself.

In parallel to these three formal investigations, the
Commission will continue its wider inquiry into tax rulings,
which covers more Member States.
Luxembourg, contrary to The Netherlands and Ireland,
only provided the Commission with a limited sample of the
information requested (see IP/14/309), which included the
ruling for Fiat Finance and Trade, but not the complete
information demanded by the Commission. The
Commission has therefore initiated infringement
proceedings against Luxembourg by issuing letters of
formal notice.
Background
The Commission is looking at the compliance with EU state
aid rules of certain tax practices in some Member States in
the context of aggressive tax planning by multinationals,
with a view to ensure a level playing field. A number of
multinational companies are using tax planning strategies
to reduce their global tax burden, by taking advantage of
the technicalities of tax systems, and substantially
reducing their tax liabilities. This aggressive tax planning
practice erodes the tax bases of Member States, which are
already financially constrained.
Regarding tax rulings specifically, the preliminary
enquiries have shown that the quality and the consistency
of the scrutiny by the tax authorities differ substantively
across Member States. In particular, the Commission notes
that The Netherlands seem to generally proceed with a
thorough assessment based on comprehensive
information required from the tax payer. The Commission
therefore does not expect to encounter systematic
irregularities in tax rulings. However, at this stage the
Commission has concerns that the tax ruling for Starbucks
Manufacturing EMEA BV is providing that company with a
selective advantage, because there are doubts whether it
is in line with a market-based assessment of transfer
pricing.
In the case of Ireland, the authorities have been fully

cooperative in providing comprehensive replies in
response to Commission's requests. The Commission
notes that although the transfer pricing rules have been
tightened over the years, the tax administration had a
significant degree of discretion in the past. The
Commission has concerns that such discretion has been
used in the case of Apple to grant a selective advantage
to that company, reducing its tax burden below the level it
should pay based on a correct application of the tax rules.
The Commission notes however that the number of tax
rulings issued in Ireland relating to transfer pricing
arrangements is limited.
The opening of formal investigations allows Member
States' authorities to further explain their practices and
the Commission to gather further information from
interested parties.
The non-confidential versions of the decisions will be
made available under the case numbers SA.38373,
SA.38374 and SA.38375 in the State Aid Register on the
competition website once any confidentiality issues have
been resolved. New publications of state aid decisions on
the internet and in the Official Journal are listed in the
State Aid Weekly e-News.
'The EC sees the Apple deal as "state aid" to the company,

and therefore illegal. Informed speculation says it may
demand that Apple pay Ireland 6bn, which the full 12.5pc
tax would have reaped over three years; or 19bn if they
reckon it over 10 years.
What would you or I do? We'd gratefully take the money
and turn to Apple and say, Ah, gee, we're under orders
from the EC, but we'll put the money to good use.
Enda Kenny, with the backing of Micheal Martin, doesn't
want the money. Michael Noonan has said they'll appeal
such a ruling. They'll fight like dogs not to take it.'
Useless tossers could not run a raffle. Ireland one of the most fertile
lands on earth with vast resources intelligent people incredible
history and culture. Run into the ground by gobshites corruption and
cronyism we need a whole new system of government and we
cannot have the corrupt Gardai minding the ballot boxes it is a joke.
I still cannot believe that Kenny got Thirteen and a half thousand
votes in Mayo a county devastated by emigration evictions suicides
and unemployment what a complete moron the man is. he lost the
election but is still in power.
/react-text I would imagine that the only enquiry necessary is the

one undertaken by the Brazilian police.All Ireland needs is another
toothless enquiry.Of course the minister probably knows a lot of
legal eagles who are on the breadline.......
Democracy Ireland say 48.72 Million of public money be

refunded
Direct Democracy Ireland a National Citizens Movement

are calling on all political parties that shared a total of
48.72 Million from the Electoral Act fund each year, to
refund this money immediately so that it can be used on
essential services.
There is no justification for this Government telling the
people of Ireland that they must endure austerity and cuts
in essential services and at the same time paying
themselves an additional 48.72 million out of public
money. This money is in addition to their wages, expenses
and allowances received by politicians.
Out of the above figure, 34.92 Million was allocated for
parliamentary activity which mainly covers public
relations, training and social media. It is nothing short of a
national scandal that a total of 48.72 Million was shared
between political parties in 2014, while the people they
were elected to represent, struggled to support their
families due to the austerity inflicted by this Government.
Political parties must explain to the people of Ireland why
paying themselves an additional 48.72 Million comes
before the funding needs of the most vulnerable they took
an oath to protect.
Direct Democracy Ireland want to put on the record that
they have not received any public funds to-date and call
on all political parties to put the needs of the Irish people
first before any financial or political gain. On behalf of the
public we demand that this additional 48.72 Million of
public money be refunded.
Eircode, the White/Rabbitte white elephant which cost 38

MILLION and is being ignored by the vast majority of
people and companies are now mounting hugely
expensive TV advertisements in a desperate bid to trick
people into using their useless postcodes. The only ones
using EirCode it seems are the Revenue and you will
notice that they have attached the code to your Property
(Bondholder) Tax. Irish Water will soon be using Eircode to
keep track of all households. The government are planning
to also use Eircode to collect the Broadcasting Charge that
is going to replace the TV licence and in fact that was one

of the main reasons Rabbitte went ahead with Eircode in
the first place. An Post have already asked Eircode to hand
over address details for collecting the TV licence.
Soon the code will be used across all government
departments to keep track of all citizens and to facilitate
the collection of more and more future taxes.
Meanwhile Eircode are already SELLING address
information and in the future their database will be
flogged to companies and corporations so that they can
target you with their products and services
Gardai have become a militia for the highest bidder. Many

of the Gardai on the streets have been taking part in
barbaric crimes against the citizens of Ireland by removing
our constitutional right to protest peacefully against the
draconian measures being enforced on the citizens by
what has now amounted up to a dictatorship who live

inside a bubble where they have lost touch with reality
within Irish society. Is this going to now become the norm
for people in Ireland. Are Gardai blind to the fact that they
are now enforcing a private firms laws and not the law
they swore to protect? It shows a blatant dis-regard for
every constitutional right we have and the oath they
swore to uphold.
Name and shame the Gardai who apparently abuse their
power
Once Duffy confirmed to Coveney that he had paid his

water charges it was only a matter of discussing the
generous financial rewards - to come up with the right
result
The Securitisation of European Debt The European

Economic Treason Treaty
The EU Council, the EU Commission and the Government
have known all along that the total cost of setting up Irish
Water PLC was always going to be on our State Books and
not off the balance sheets as some would try to have us
believe in the mainstream and State ran Media outlets
nationwide.
Initially we had the Fianna Fail/Green Party Coalition
Government who in September 2008 forced us into the
State Bank blanket Guarantee Then after the General
Election of February 2011 the Fine Gael/Labour Coalition
Government who in a complete u-turn from what they had
promised catastrophically continued where Fianna
Fail/Green Party left off with the introduction of the
Household Charge, Local Property Tax and Irish Water PLC,

so where else was the money required ever going to come
from only from the State Coffers (Funded from the
Pension Fund / Property Tax / Car Tax plus International
High Interest Loans etc) and all under the guise of being
off the Balance Sheet. Is That Fraud? . so as not to effect
or increase our huge National Debt, its a total misnomer
and a lot of people in Ireland fell for it Hook line and
sinker, to the tune of 43% of households allegedly to have
paid up.
EU number crunchers EUROSTAT have done their sums
and in a key report have ruled that the detested utility
that is Irish Water PLC cannot be classed as a commercial
operation, again one cant help believe that is by total
design. The results, originally due out in June were
suspiciously delayed to coincide with the Dail summer
break. But; Direct Democracy Ireland strongly suspects
that the EUROSTAT decision will be reversed.
The question must be asked When Irish Water is
eventually abolished, as the writings on the wall would
indicate, (as the vast majority of Irish People have not
paid, and have no intentions of ever paying three times for
water). Which of the European Investment Banks will have
possession of the debts it has accumulated, forcing the
Irish people to once again bail out yet another failed
government escapade holding our 11 Billion worth of
Irish State Assets as ransom, also how will our
Government handle the issue of Council Staff that were
transferred to Irish Water from the 34 City and County
Councils back in 2012/13. Will Ireland have any chance of
getting our unlawfully removed Water Charge Exemption
back?
The setting up of Irish Water PLC was a Political Decision
by the 2011 Fine Gael and Labour Government and not
imposed by the Troika as they have us believe under the
Memorandum of Understanding for Irelands Bailout
Programme. The EU/ECB knew of Irelands Household
Water Charge Exemption.
So, if by some miracle Irish Water does continue to exist

will it be sold off to the highest bidder? The exact same as
any other State Assets to pay off more
International/European Bank Debts. One must also ask? By
whose design? The Troika? the European Banks? or by
European Private Capital/Hedge Funds?
At first, there was the European Economic Union (EEC)
1973 i.e. The Nice Treaty.
Then in February 2003 we had the European Union (EU)
i.e. The Lisbon Treaty.
Then a Treaty establishing the European Stability
Mechanism (ESM) 11.07.2011 The signing of the Treaty
paves the way for the ESM to take over from the European
Financial Stability Facility and the European Financial
Stabilisation Mechanism in July 2013
So what have we got in August 2015 and for generations
to come, we have the Irish State blanket Banking
Guarantee of September 2008 in effect we have been
forced to take on the burden of 43% of all European Debts.
We believe that the EU is heavily involved in the
Privatisation of Ireland its services and its natural
resources. This is all part of an effort to harmonise a
private corporate structure throughout Europe, all with the
unsanctioned approval of our Government, is this
Economic Treason?
So what is it? The EETT? The European Economic Treason
Treaty that is being robustly implemented by unseen and
unelected individuals that are being fully supported by
Neo-Liberal policies that are coming from the EU Council,
The EU Commission and the ECB spanning across the once
Sovereign Nations of Europe. Imagine Greece, Italy, Spain,
Portugal and Ireland all holding a Referendum on their
continuing membership of the EU?
Is this the reason why Politicians who work within
representative democracies in Ireland
Micheal Martin and Fianna Fail like to talk about crisis but
they ignore the fact that they CREATED it
This marks the first time a Fine Gael Taoiseach has ever
been re-elected and represents a partial return to power
for Fianna Fil, the party in charge during the devastating
financial collapse and subsequent austerity.
Fine Gael has consistently blamed Fianna Fil for
destroying the economy, and the other parties have
blamed both of them for their stifling austerity measures
which have increased homelessness, privatization, and
emigration.
RTE HIT NEW LOW - EVEN FOR THEM

Phil Hogan and his unelected bureaucrats in the EU
Commission leaked a banal answer to a simple question
about water charges to RTE today BEFORE presenting it to
the EU Parliament.
Now, that answer in itself does NOTHING to support the
super quango that is Irish Water yet RTE, absolutely
disgracefully, tried a 'gotcha' on MEP Lynn Boylan today
and attempted to utterly misrepresent the Commissions
position to spin the story to suit their agenda.
Lynn Boylan as ever was on her mettle and put Mary

Wilson firmly in her place but this really is a new low by
RTE and the EU Commission.
Democracy has been under attack in Montrose for a
considerable time now but this just has to be stopped now.
As to the EU Commission? Wouldn't you think that, as a
result of their neo liberal anti-democratic nature, they
would have enough on their plate with a possible Brexit?
Listen to Lynn Boylan call RTE out here on this evenings
Drivetime.
cdn.rasset.ie
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cdn.rasset.ie
If Michel Martin got off his arse and did a day's work he
wouldn't feel the cold. The people sleeping on freezing
streets tonight Michel because of yours and Fianna Fil's
mistakes could tell you what 'cold and chilly' really feels
like?
When Deirdre Foley's Natrium consortium engineered a

takeover of Clerys that left its long-serving workforce out
on the street with nothing but statutory redundancy
payments, the Fine Gael/Labour government did NOTHING.
This is all Taoiseach Enda Kenny could offer The
symbolism of Clerys and how long its been there and the
way this was done it certainly could have been handled a
lot better. It was, in my view, very insensitive.
Now, at Independent News & Media which is controlled by
Denis O'Brien and his billionaire pal Dermot Desmond, the
expected pensions of retirees are being slashed, in effect
to enable 24 million to be added to INMs balance sheet
and to be paid out in dividends to O'Brien, Desmond and
Leslie Buckley and the rest of William Martin Murphy's
successors
"A nativity scene without Jews, Arabs, Africans or

refugees."
The greatest heist in Irish history.
Big Mick does not want any light to shine on the strange
goings on in NAMA. Big fat Mick gets very annoyed if
anybody questions him about the flogging of state assets
to vulture funds at knockdown prices... or about the
developers who ruined our country and who are back in
business (and laughing all the way to the bank) thanks to
NAMA... But Big Mick gets really, really upset and visibly
annoyed if anybody - especially the "man in the pink
shirt", mentions the shenanigans up North. Something to
hide Big Mick?
The European Commission is a dictatorship that bullies

small nations. The commissions Environment
Commissioner is Maltese Labour Party politician Karmenu
Vella and predictably he has backed Simon Coveney and
the governments water charges/privatization plans. The
European Commission and the likes of Vella are in the
pockets of large corporations and big business and hate
the very idea of democracy. They have learned nothing
from Britain's exit from the EU dictatorship and think they
can still throw their weight around. Let me tell you
something Mr Vella - the Irish people are not going to take
orders from you or your unelected mafiosi so go back to
your bosses and tell them Ireland will come to a standstill
if you try to force your hated charges on us.
(The trouble with Karmenu and his Commission pals is that
very few of them have ever done a day's work in their
lives)
District Court judge Desmond A Zaidan was born in

December 1962 and his early education took place in
Lebanon and Sierra Leone. He attended Rockwell College
before going to Trinity College Dublin, where he graduated
with a BSc and an MA. He later studied at the King's Inns
and was called to the bar in 1990.
He is a member of the Refugee Appeals Tribunal.
Judge Zaidan will most definitely be promoted shortly. He
has made certain people very happy - e.g. the Garda
Commissioner, the garda, Frances Fitzgerald, Alan
Shatter, Fine Gael ....
Oops! Hope I am not in contempt of Judge Zaidan's court.
Desmond can be a little touchy. He once jailed a couple for
kissing at the back of the court and gave a man 7 days for
clapping in court
Totally shameful, while they award themselves pay rises of

5k.
the state pension was funded by the people getting it, and the
government went and robbed that fund too, so there might not be a
pension for you to get, it is gone to pay off the debts of the
European rich who should be bankrupt but no the Irish paid off their
debts.
Enda wants to talk about porn. Does Enda secretly want to

be a porn star?
They along with Kenny are trying to make the people think that the
row is about 12.5% cooperate tax, but it is not, We have been the
row is about Apple having an office in Ireland that was deemed as
its main office ,Apple were putting the biggest bulk of its world wide
trade through that ghost office so they could avoid taxes, now it is
the business that passed through that ghost office that is the
problem. And it is not Apples problem it is the Irish revenues
problem they have helped so many companies to avoid paying their
fair share of tax, but they will jail us for fifty euro. We have been
screwed. and it is time we stood up against revenue and the
government, they are very quick to accept EU rulings on water taxes
and household taxes, the government don't tell them to go away we
will deal with taxes in our own way and say we are a sovereign
nation and won't take interference from others, bullshit always
catches up with people who use it on a daily basis.
Quick poll: Will the Government's new "rent pressure

zones" proposal be effective?
: 6 RESULTS /react-text
9 1259 Votes
R
R
R
Yes, it's the right move9%

No, but it's a start37%
No, not at all46%
I don't know8%
Whistleblowers Jonathan Sugarman at EU Parliament 15 11

2016
Nov 17, 2016
here's a link with better sound:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuAQO...
WHISTLEBLOWER, JONATHAN SUGARMAN, IS THE BIGGEST
STORY IN 2016, IN OUR COUNTRY, IRELAND, YOU ARE
DELIBERATELY BEEN DISTRACTED BY OUR GOVERMENT
AND MEDIA AT PRESENT, WITH A STORY ABOUT GERRY
ADAMS AND SINN FEIN.....WAKE UP AND DON,T TAKE YOUR
EYES OFF THE BALL. CORRUPTION EXPOSED, REGARDING
OUR BANKS, INCLUDING THE EVIL CENTRAL BANK AND OF
COURSE OUR GOVERMENT. THERE WILL BE AN ELECTION
IN 2017, SO REMEMBER, THE WAR AGAINST ALL PARTIES
HAS BEGUN. DO NOT LET JONATHAN SUGARMAN,S,
REVELATIONS, ON CORRUPTION, BECOME JUST ANOTHER
STORY.
Johnathon Sugarman (Whistleblower) With Vincent Browne
Dec 6, 2016
This is a must watch & share.
The interview you all have being waiting for. Finally Irish
mainstream interviews Johnathon Sugarman, author of the
book Whistleblower. Johnathon goes into great detail
surrounding the complete lack of lawful behaviour of our
banks, the regulator and of the Irish government.
My apoligies for the quality, sadly I need to upgrade all my
computing tech.
Find Truthful Irish @
https://www.facebook.com/truthful.irish/
Contents used under the Fair Use acts.
Show is edited, all ads and newspaper reviews have been
removed. Watch the full uninterrupted video here.
http://www.tv3.ie/3player/show/41/0/T...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUpmZV8QZiw
HERE IS REAL TRUTHFUL NEWS NOT FLAWED NEWS
ABOUT THE NIGHT OF THE BANK BAILOUT, THAT FG, FF,
AND LB, GP, PD, MEDIA ARE BLOCKING OUT USING SF AS A
POLITICAL POLITICS FOR THEIR OWN GAIN IN VOTES

Coveney is a Landlord
Read all About Real news
Here,
https://www.scribd.com/docu
ment/334243711/HousingMinister-Simon-Coveney-isa-Landlord
CV - Simon Coveney TD
Title
Government
Personal details
Full name: Simon Coveney
Place and date of birth: Cork, 16th June 1972
Place of residence: The Rock, Carrigaline, County Cork
Civil status: Married to Ruth, with three daughters
Education
Mr. Coveney holds a B.Sc. in Agriculture and Land
Management from The Royal Agriculture College,
Gloucestershire. He was also educated at Clongowes
Wood College, County Kildare; University College Cork
and Gurteen Agricultural College, County Tipperary.
Career and Party Political Positions
Appointed Minister for Housing, Planning and Local

Government on May 6th 2016.
Appointed as Minister for Agriculture, Marine and Food on
March 9th 2011 and Minister for Defence on July 11th
2014
Elected to the Dil (Irish Parliament) in 1998 as one of
Fine Gaels youngest TDs. Since then, he has held
shadow ministries in the following areas: Drugs and Youth
Affairs; Communications, Marine and Natural Resources;
Transport and the Marine.
Mr. Coveney chaired the Fine Gael Policy Development
Committee, prior to the 2011 General Election.
Elected to the European Parliament in 2004 and was a
member of the EPP-ED group. He was a member of the
Foreign Affairs Committee and the Internal Market and
Consumer Protection Committee. He was also a
substitute member on the Fisheries Committee. Mr.
Coveney was the author of the European Parliament's
Annual Report on Human Rights in the World for the year
2004 and again for 2006.
Member of Cork County Council and the Southern Health
Board from 1999 to 2003.
Other activities
A keen fan of all competitive sport, he played rugby for
Garryowen, Cork Constitution and Crosshaven Rugby
Club. In 1997/8 he led the "Sail Chernobyl Project" which
involved sailing 30,000 miles around the world for charity.
Mr. Coveney continues to be involved in the running of a
family farm in County Cork.
http://www.housing.gov.ie/cor
porate/ministers/cv-simoncoveney-td
Secretary General's Diary - November

2016
http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/secret
ary_generals_diary_november_2016.pdf
Minister of State Damien English - Diary - November 2016
http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/damie
n_english_-_diary_november_2016.pdf
Housing Supply Coordination Task Force Returns Q2 2016
http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/housi
ng_supply_coordination_task_force_returns_q2_2016.pdf
Report on Cri cal Infrastructure De cits in Residen al
Priority Areas in the Dublin Region
Second Report - January 2015
http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/dublin
_housing_supply_coordination_task_force_report_jan_2015.pdf
Detailed information on review by expert panel of the Rural Water
Multi-Annual Programme 2016-2018 - Measure 5
http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/detail
ed_information_on_review_by_expert_panel_of_the_rural_water_
multi-annual_programme_2016_-_2018_-_measure_5.pdf
Electromagnetic Fields in the Irish Context

Electromagnetic Fields in the Irish Context RIVM Report
2015
http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/fil
es/2015-0073_emf-ic_final_report.pdf
Indecon's Assessment of the Feasibility of a Tenancy Deposit

Protection Scheme in Ireland
http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/migratedfiles/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/Housing/FileDownL
oad%2C31535%2Cen.pdf
Minister Coveney says there is no

direct link between begging and
homelessness in Kildare
19:31 Saturday 10th of December 2016
Minister for Housing, Planning, Community

and Local Government, Simon Coveney, has
outlined that there is no direct link between
people begging and being homeless in
Kildare.
The remark came following a question from
Kildare South TD, Martin Heydon, who
questioned the minister on whether or not
there was sufficient engagement between
State agencies and those sleeping rough in
Kildare, some of whom are begging.

Minister Coveney said that there was a
Homeless Support Team that is funded by the
Housing Authority that engages with every
homeless person who seeks out the service,
while he went on to say that public begging
is a matter for the Garda and that
homelessness and begging are not
necessarily concordant.
In the Kildare County Council administrative
area, a housing authority funded Homeless
Support Team engages with every homeless
person who presents seeking services, while
the Homeless Outreach Team investigates all
reports of rough sleeping and provides
assistance as appropriate. Furthermore, the
local Homeless Action Team meets on a
regular basis and includes participants from
the Department of Social Protection, the
Probation Services, the Health Service
Executives mental health service and
addiction service, service providers and
housing authority staff," outlined Minister
Coveney.
"Incidence of public begging is a matter for
the Garda Sochna to consider and there is
no automatic direct link between public
begging and homelessness."
https://www.kildarenow.com/news/ministercoveney-says-there-is-no-direct-link-betweenbegging-and-homelessness-in-kildare/133188
Coveney Allocates
25million for the first phase
of Dolphin House
Regeneration Project
Published on Wednesday, 20 Jul 2016

Government, Simon Coveney TD has today 20 July 2016,
announced the allocation of funding of 25 million for the
development by Dublin City Council of 100 new social
housing homes as part of the regeneration at the Dolphin
House estate, Dublin 8. The Minister was accompanied to
the site by the Deputy Lord Mayor of Dublin, Rebecca
Moynihan and by local TD Catherine Byrne, Minister of
State for Community and the National Drugs Strategy.
Minister Coveney said, I am pleased to approve this very
significant new social housing investment. Following the
launch yesterday of the Action Plan for Housing and
Homelessness
(link is external)
, what we are announcing here today is a tangible
example of the enhanced commitment to social housing

delivery. In particular, its a commitment to delivery for
communities who, with some legitimacy, may have felt up
to now that their concerns and priorities werent getting the
investment of State funds they deserved. This is one of a
number of regeneration projects in Dublin City and one of
three in the Dublin 8 area. We have seen the successful
completion of Thornton Heights on the St Michaels Estate
and I know that work on the regeneration of the St
Teresas Gardens estate is gaining momentum. This first
phase of regeneration at Dolphin House will help to
maintain the strong community spirit that exists here.
He added, Late last month, I launched the Dominick
Street project on the north side of the city and now I get to
launch a similarly ambitious project on the south side.
They highlight the determination of both myself, as the
Minister for Housing, and the Government to deliver on
our promises with regard to urban regeneration. Social
housing improvements do not just mean new housing,
they also bring other benefits in the form of social,
community and economic renewal. They demonstrate our
commitment to individuals, to families and to communities
to provide homes and environments of which they can be
proud.
The Minister continued: Yesterday, along with the
Taoiseach and Minister for Public Expenditure and
Reform, I launched Rebuilding Ireland, an Action Plan for
Housing and Homelessness,
(link is external)
which is made up of five pillars of concerted actions right
across Government addressing homelessness,
accelerating social housing, building more homes,
improving the rental sector and utilising existing housing. I
am delighted to be here today to launch one of the most
significant social housing regeneration projects that will be
delivered under that Plan. This is one project in a truly
ambitious social housing programme of 47,000 units that
will be delivered with funding of 5.35 billion over the

coming period out to 2021.
Minister of State for Community and the National Drugs
Strategy, and local T.D. for the area, Catherine Byrne
welcomed the announcement I want to congratulate the
residents and the Regeneration Board of Dolphin House
for their steadfast commitment to this project. The 25
million announced by Minister Coveney this morning
clearly shows the dedication of this Government to
revitalising the area. It will enhance the living conditions in
Dolphin House as well as providing much needed housing
in Dublin 8.
Speaking at the announcement, the Deputy Lord Mayor of
Dublin and local councillor, Rebecca Moynihan said, "I
am delighted that the Department of Housing, Planning,
Community and Local Government has approved funding
of 25m for the regeneration of Dolphin House. This is a
long-awaited redevelopment project that will provide
much-needed new homes for this area. It will be the
beginning of a new phase in the life of this strong Dublin
community."
ENDS
http://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/socialhousing/regeneration-scheme/coveneyallocates-eu25million-first-phase-dolphinhouse
Simon Coveney TD,

Minister for Housing,
Planning and Local

Government today offi
Simon Coveney TD, Minister for Housing, Planning and Local

Government today officially turned the sod on a major
investment of 11m at the Bon Secours Care Village at Lee
Road Cork. The Lord Mayor of Cork Des Cahill and the Deputy
County Mayor, Mary Rose Desmond were on site for this
significant day. Peter Lacy Chairman of Bon Secours welcomed
the investment in additional beds and facilities to build on the
already successful Care Village to deliver exceptional care for
its residents. Nollaig Broe Hospital Manager and Director of
Nursing at the Care Village was delighted to formally
commence the project which will be complete by January 2018
to provide state of the art facilities.
This ground breaking development in care for the elderly
complements many of the major projects the Bon Secours
Health System is undertaking over the next five years in the
newly announced 2020 Plan which will see 150 million
invested in all hospitals in the Group in Cork, Tralee, Galway,
Dublin and the Care Village in Cork. 75 million alone will be
earmarked for Cork, at Bon Secours Hospital Cork and the
Care Village on the Lee Road.
Speaking at the sod turning event Minister Coveney said Bon
Secours Health System is the Standard Bearer of private
healthcare in Ireland treating million patients every year a
significant portion of the countrys population. The Bon

Secours Health System has a reputation of building on what is
good and what is strong. I recently attended the Bon Secours
Conference on Patients Partnerships and Planning and was
impressed with their ambitious plans and particularly their
intention to partner with the public system to improve services
for patients.
Bill Maher CEO Bon Secours Health System also announced
that there will be significant developments at the Cork
Hospital. We are delighted to announce that the CCPC have
formally approved the joint venture with UPMC to develop
radiotherapy services in Cork which means Cork now can
provide the full range of Cancer services to meet the needs of
all its patients. The Cork development also includes new
theatres, new in-patient beds and an expanded ICU and the
newly expanded Medical Assessment Unit enhancing the
services of Bon Secours Hospital Cork as the largest private
hospital in Ireland. Bill Maher continued, with the new
facilities in Tralee and the recent sod turning for the Cath Lab
in Galway by An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny TD, the BSHS, as a
not for profit organisation continues to invest in all of its
facilities across the country.
Bon Secours Cork News

prettyphoto scripts ends
Funding for Cork Simon Community 2016

Tuesday 16 February 2016
R
Andrew McCarthy, Mission Leader at Bon Secours Hospital

commented we have a long track history of supporting
homeless charities here in Cork through our Community
Initiative fund, and are privileged to commit 10,000 to assist
Cork Simon in the great work that they do. Annually we
commit significant funding to the homeless sector here in
Cork, assisting some of the most vulnerable people in our

community.
Cork Simon Community now supports over 1100 people
annually, operating 24 hours a day, every day of the year. It
supports men and women who are homeless, or at risk of
becoming homeless, in the Cork and Kerry area, and is a key
frontline homeless service.
Last year, Cork Simon supported 345 people sleeping rough in
Cork; thats a 21% increase from 2014.
Sinead Naughton of Cork Simon commented Support from
companies such as Bon Secours Hospital Cork has never been
so important to us.
Bon Secours Cork News

prettyphoto scripts ends
Bon Secours Hospital Cork responds

to Homeless Crisis
Thursday 05 November 2015
R
This hostel, which is run by St. Vincent De Paul,
accommodates Homeless men from all over Munster, and is
one of the key frontline services at the coldface of the ongoing
homelessness crisis.
According to John Calnan, Manager of St Vincent De Paul
homeless services in Cork:
This hostel caters for 74 service users every day, and has a
significant waiting list. We are delighted to have forged this
relationship with Bon Secours Hospital.
Andrew McCarthy, Mission Leader at Bon Secours Hospital
commented we have a long track history of supporting
homeless charities here in Cork through our Community
Initiative fund, and are privileged to assist with the provision
of funding to construct this shower facility. It is but a small
intervention in the current crisis, but is essential for St.
Vincent De Paul.
Editor Notes:
St. Vincents Hostel is one of two SVP hostels located in Cork
City. The other being Deerpark House on Friars Walk. St
Vincents is best described as an emergency accommodation
hostel providing accommodation and support for people who
are out of home and homeless. It works to source good quality
accommodation for its service users and help to reintegrate

people back into community. The unit consists of 74
bedrooms, communal rooms, kitchen and dining room. Hot
meals are provided daily and are cooked fresh on site.
Professionally trained staff work with service users to deal with
issues. The hostels currently provide services to a wide range
of residents. Many are people with addiction, financial or
family issues.
Minister pressed to continue

with Ballymun fund
Friday, 2nd December, 2016 2:00pm
Story by Jack Gleeson
Cllrs Paul McAuliffe (FF) and Noeleen Reilly (SF) with Director of
Axis which benefits from the Social Regeneration Fund, Mark
OBrien (centre).
MINISTER for Housing, Planning, Community and Local
Government, Simon Coveney, paid a visit to Ballymun last
week to hear concerns over plans to end the areas Social
Regeneration Fund.
Last month Northside People reported how the future financing of
several local programmes in Ballymun is unclear following a
decision to end funding for social projects by 2017 as the areas

physical regeneration is deemed complete.
However, many locals and their public representatives believe that
while much work has been done on the regeneration, its far from
complete, and theyre calling on the minister to continue the fund.
Social Regeneration is one of the keys to the successful
regeneration of Ballymun as it has long been recognised that
changes to bricks and mortar alone will not bring about real social
change, said Cllr Paul McAuliffe (FF).
Since the Ballymun Regeneration Fund was established we have
seen transformative changes in economic, social and community
life in Ballymun.
I would therefore very much welcome any decision to continue
funding social projects in the area, but I must warn the Minister that
regeneration remains a long way from complete.
While the rehousing project has been completed, we still have
many social and economic issues which need to be addressed.
We hope to see a rise in the number of owner occupied and
affordable homes in the area which will increase the level of
disposable income and attract more retailers. In order to achieve
this we require a policy instrument from the Minister that allows us
to develop affordable housing.
Last month Cllr Noeleen Reilly (SF) called on the minister to visit
Ballymun after it emerged the fund was in danger and she was
satisfied that he met with the Ballymun4Business group last week.
I am pleased to see that Minister Coveney has responded to calls
for him to visit Ballymun and see first-hand how much of the
regeneration has left to be completed, she said.
The Minister made a statement that the Physical Regeneration of
Ballymun was complete and he can now see for himself that this is
not the case as in the middle of the Town centre is an eyesore
where once the Ballymun Shopping proudly operated.
The Budget for the Ballymun Regeneration was cut by Fianna Fail
and the last Government to which Minister Coveney was a part off.
This now needs to be restored so we can complete the

regeneration of the town centre as well as provide more housing in
the area on all the vacant land.
Vital Ballymun fund secured for

future
Tuesday, 13th December, 2016 8:00am
Story by Jack Gleeson
The fund for Ballymun has been secured.

View More Images
BALLYMUNS 1.7 million Social Regeneration Fund is secure

for 2017 it was revealed following a recent visit to the area by
the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local
Government.
The financing of several local programmes in Ballymun had been
uncertain following a decision to end funding for social projects
such as Axis as the areas physical regeneration is deemed
complete.
However, Minister Simon Coveney came under pressure from local

politicians who called on him to reverse the decision, which would
have left local projects depending on Dublin City Council for
funding.
Local Fine Gael TD, Noel Rock, recently confirmed that an
agreement regarding the 1.7 million fund had been reached,
meaning the money will still be available up to and beyond the end
of 2017.
The agreement between Minister Coveneys department and
Dublin City Council will see the council eventually taking over
financing for the local projects on a phased basis over the next four
years.
The structure of the handover is a little bit complex, but in effect
assures that the Department will fully directly fund these projects
up to and including the end of 2017, said Deputy Rock.
The funding will then transfer sequentially from the Department to
Dublin City Council.
This deal assures the future for a number of worthy organisations
such as Axis in Ballymun, and I was glad to speak to them to
confirm the details.
I was glad to have Minister Coveney visit Ballymun and am
grateful for his direct role in assuring this outcome and the
certainty that it provides.
I am satisfied with this outcome, and it is simply the first step of
many big plans for a brighter future for Ballymun.
Sinn Fin Councillor, Noeleen Reilly, welcomed the news and
called on Minister Coveney to continue to invest in Ballymun.
It was made very clear to the Minister when he visited Ballymun
the community was very concerned about the cessation of the
Social Regeneration fund at the end of this year, she said.
I am delighted the Minister has listened to the community and
political representatives and this funding will continue for the
foreseeable future.
Fianna Fail councillor, Paul McAuliffe, also welcomed confirmation
that the fund would continue.

He also said that while Ballymuns rehousing project was complete,
the area still needed funding as the community still has social and
economic issues that need to be addressed.
A key objective of our confidence and supply agreement with Fine
Gael was to increase funding to disadvantaged areas through the
Local Authorities, he added.
Extending the social regeneration fund will achieve that objective
in the Ballymun area.
I particularly welcome Minister Coveneys engagement in the
Ballymun area and hope that his department will continue to work
with us to fulfil the promise made to the people of Ballymun to
create a vibrant and prosperous village.
30K GRANTS FOR

LANDLORDS UNDER
SCHEME TO HOUSE THE
HOMELESS AND
VULNERABLE
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2016
OWNERS of vacant houses in Cork city will be given up
to 30,000 in a multi-million euro repair and lease
project to bring the properties up to standard to rent
to vulnerable people.
Minister for Housing Simon Coveney. Pic: Diane Cusack
Minister for Housing Simon Coveney revealed to the

Evening Echo that hundreds of properties around Cork
would be targeted for the new scheme, which would
be administered by the likes of Cork Simon, Focus
Ireland and other approved bodies. The scheme would
see owners of vacant and dilapidated properties given
30,000 and possibly even more if the scheme is
successful to do up their houses in exchange for
signing a medium-to-long term lease that would then
see tenants housed.
Mr Coveney said: We are willing to spend millions on
the project in Cork if needs be. It is a win-win for
everyone concerned. Most importantly people are
housed, but also those who have houses lying idle will
have them brought back into use. There are hundreds
of such properties in Cork. It is already happening in
Carlow and Waterford under the local authority, but we
want the likes of Cork Simon and Focus Ireland to run
the scheme in Cork.
http://www.eveningecho.ie/cork-news/e30kgrants-landlords-scheme-house-homeless-
vulnerable/2532782/
Latest figures for homeless

children an appalling
indictment
December 14, 16
Fr Peter McVerry appeals for emergency

legislation to prevent the banks and
landlords from evicting families,
particularly those with children, into
homelessness.
Well known Jesuit campaigner on homelessness, Fr
Peter McVerry, has described the latest figures on
homeless children in Dublin as an appalling
indictment of Ireland.
Speaking to RTE Radios News at One, the priest
warned that the numbers are just going up and up
and up every single month.
These latest figures show that 2,020 children in the
capital do not have a permanent home.
We have almost one thousand families who are
homeless with 2,020 children who are homeless.
That is an appalling indictment of a country like
Ireland, he criticised.
2,020 children from 993 families are in emergency
accommodation, an increase from just under 1,900
in June, which is a 71% increase since last July.
This is another milestone and it will merit a tiny
little piece in the newspapers and then we move
on, Fr McVerry observed.
He added that if two years ago he had said that
there would be 2,000 children homeless today, he
would have been accused of scaremongering.
And here we have now with this appalling number
of people who are homeless and we have just

become so used to it, it has become the norm
now.
According to the Jesuit, two measures are required
immediately.
I think we need emergency legislation to prevent
the banks and landlords from evicting families,
particularly those with children, into
homelessness.
They should not be allowed to put families on to
the streets unless they have been offered and have
accepted alternative suitable accommodation.
The second measure is compulsory purchase
orders on empty buildings lying vacant and not
being used.
While he welcomed Minister Simon Coveneys plan
to tackle homelessness and housing, describing it
was a very comprehensive plan, Fr McVerry
stressed that it would not kick in for a period of
time and by the time it starts to kick, the numbers
of homeless is likely to be much worse than they
are now.
Discussing the circumstances many homeless
families find themselves in temporary hotel
accommodation, the Jesuit priest described it as
absolutely appalling.
We have one family a husband and wife, a 20year-old boy, an 18-year-old boy and three young
children all living on one hotel bedroom. The
tensions within the family obviously increase as
time goes on and the children are stressed out.
Their education is suffering because they are
stressed out. The parents are stressed out and the
parents feel that they are bad parents that they
have failed their children so their self-esteem has
hit rock bottom.
He warned that the consequences of leaving
families in those conditions for long periods of time

will affect those families and those children for the
rest of their lives.
They have no cooking facilities so they have to go
out to the local chipper or takeaway to buy food. I
dont know how you can afford to do that if you are
on social welfare most people even if they are
working couldnt afford to eat out every night. So it
is really a huge financial pressure as well as every
other pressure on those families living in those
rooms.
Asked if it costs the Government more to keep
people in hotel rooms than to increase rent subsidy
and allow people remain where they are, Fr
McVerry said it did of course.
For 50 families in a hotel it is costing a million
euros per year. The hotels arent doing the
Government any favour; they are not giving them
reduced rates. The hotels could fill those rooms
with tourists so the Government is paying top
rates for those hotel bedrooms.
He stressed that while the rent supplement has
been increased by 15%, realistically it needs to be
increased by 30% to meet the current levels of
rent.
He said the priority is to prevent more people
becoming homeless and being thrown out of their
accommodation because of increasing rent or
being thrown out because the landlord is saying
that they are going to sell their property or the
banks repossessing homes.
Sinn Fin's latest suggestion to control rising rental prices has
been criticised by landlords.
Gerry Adams' party wants to link rents to inflation to ensure
that payments don't go up quicker than other market prices.
A vote will take place on the proposals in the Dil on Thursday,

but Fianna Fil and Fine Gael look set to unite to vote it down.
Fintan McNamara, is the Director of the Residential Landlords
Association of Ireland.
He says Sinn Fin's rent plan would give investors another
reason to leave the already struggling rental market: For
every two properties that go up for sale only one property is
bought with the intention of letting it.
And there is a very simple reason for that.
There is very little return in the business now, most of the
increases that have taken place in the business in the last 1218 months, has either gone back to the lending institution or
gone back to the State in taxes and charges.
Earlier
Sinn Fin is putting forward legislation in the Dil tonight that
will link rent increases to the rate of inflation.
But it is looking increasingly likely the bill will fail to pass in a
Dil vote on Thursday, after Fianna Fil described it as "gutter
stuff".
The special Dil committee that has been looking at the issue
of housing and homelessness is to publish its report on Friday.
Sinn Fin's housing spokesperson Eoin O'Broin, insists there

is no need to wait for that: Were not trying to pre-empt the
housing committee or the minister.
But a piece of legislation takes time and we think this should
be a central element of what Simon Coveney is going to come
up with at the end of August.
We are very clear, rent certainty has to be part of the
package of Simon Coveneys measures and I think the vast
majority of TDs in the Dil agree with us.
Some 5.35 billion euro will be spent on 4 7,000 new social

houses by 2021, and the number of homes being built each
year will double to 25,000.
Another 1,500 rapid build social houses are planned,
including 200 this year and 800 next year, and the
Housing Agency is aiming to get 1,600 empty homes off
banks, mortgage lenders and vulture funds.
The Rebuilding Ireland plan also includes 200m euro for
councils to get large sites ready for developers to get on
with building 15-20,000 homes. Up to 20 sites are being
identified for this.
Other sites on state owned land are also being identified
for 500 homes to be built by developers in 2017,
increasing each year up to 1,000 homes by 2021.
The 84 proposals, some of which have deadlines, look to

cut repossessions and improve rental contracts and bring
in child, health, justice and welfare chiefs to help stem the
flood of young and vulnerable people into homelessness.
It also includes plans for incentives to stop tenants being
evicted even if a landlord sells up and for European
models to be used to set rents close to market rates.
The proposals were outlined as more than 6,000 parents
and children live in emergency homeless accommodation,
and up to 130,000 people are on social housing waiting
lists across the country.
Pat Doyle, chief executive of the P eter McVerry Trust, said
the ideas showed a clear urgency to help young people and
families at risk.
"The actions set out to support families will no doubt
improve the situation of many households in hotel and
B&B settings and we fully support efforts to phase out and
ultimately eliminate the use of these types of
accommodation within the homeless sector," he said.
The trust said money was now being ring-fenced to help it
open accommodation specifically for young people leaving
state care.
As the plan was unveiled, Focus Ireland said 72 families
became homeless in Dublin in June - 502 families with
995 children were added to homeless lists in Dublin in the
first six months of the year.
Director of advocacy Mike Allen said: "It is positive that
the plan provides direction, but the litmus test will be
when we see roofs over people's heads - be this through
bricks and mortar of building social housing or by the
taking the urgent steps required to provide a better private
rented sector."
Focus Ireland said plans to tackle family homelessness fell
far short and warned using rapid build homes could
become permanent homes if left unchecked.
The Rebuilding Ireland plan also looks to expand Housing
First by tripling tenancy targets in Dublin and extend it to
other cities.
The Government also said the next budget will have

proposals worked on with the Central Bank to make
mortgages more accessible and affordable.
For families forced into emergency hotel accommodation
it said they should be supported with breakfast and after
school clubs for children, access to a creche for pre-school
years and free school transport.
The Government also aims to spend 10m euro a year on
the affordable rent scheme to put people up in at le ast
2,000 properties by 2018.
On building, three sites are to be found for at least 3,000
new homes from 2017-2021 in Dublin and other cities and
10m euro has been set aside for homes for people with
disabilities and a pilot scheme for up to 60 homes for the
elderly is planned for Dublin.
A new unit for pregnant homeless women will also be
opened.
Analysis of the crisis-hit housing market showed there are
115 active housing sites in Greater Dublin.
The capital has planning permission in place for 26,886
homes, but less than one fifth of them are being built.
Environment Minister Simon Coveney said providing
homes for people is the Government's number one
priority.
"It's crucial that we move from words to actions
immediately," he said.
"We may not have all the answers to address every issue
right now but the actions, funding and structures that we
are announcing today have the potential to make early and
very substantial progress on the journey to fixing our
broken housing sector."
Mr Coveney added: "While it's a huge challenge, it simply
has to be done."
Taoiseach Enda Kenny said: " I am committed to ensuring
that it results in us achieving our critical national ambition
of ensuring that all our people have access to quality and
affordable housing, either through their own endeavours
or with the support of the State. "
Ruth Coppinger, Anti Austerity Alliance TD, said the plan

marked the end of local authority housing as we know it.
"The plan is a landlords' and developers' manifesto," she
said.
"As well as not proposing measures to curb their
profiteering on rents, it defends and promotes their
interests by continuing the use of the private sector as a
substitute for public housing, alongside introducing a new
range of tax breaks to incentivise landlords."
Sinn Fein's h ousing spokesman Eoin O Broin claimed the
plan will only produce up to 6,000 social houses a year for
six years.
"Minister Coveney is falling short of the Dail Housing and
Homelessness Committee recommendations by 40%," he
said.
Mr O Broin added: "The plan is particularly disappointing
on the private rental sector where no specific actions are
being proposed.
"Rather, the plan proposes relegating the issues of longterm reform of the private rental sector and issues of
security of tenure and standards to some future date."
FF to try block Rent

Pressure Zones being
limited to Dublin and
Cork
Kevin Doyle and John Downing
PUBLISHED
13/12/2016
3
Minister for Housing, Planning, Community & Local Government
Simon Coveney TD during the announcement of the Government's
new Rental Strategy under Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for
Housing & Homelessness at the Government Press Centre,
Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins
Fianna Fil will try to block the introduction

of Rent Pressure Zones in just Dublin and
Cork.
The key element of the Governments plan for the rental
sector announced today it is to restrict rent increases in
the two cities to 4pc per annum for the next three years.
However, sources said that a meeting of the Fianna Fil
frontbench tonight heard concerns that this may cause
unreasonable price hikes in commuter belt towns.
Fianna Fils housing spokesman Barry Cowen is to
contest the 4pc figure, arguing that this is too high.
The Government will not be able to pass the necessarily
legislation to introduce the changes before Christmas
without Fianna Fils acceptance.
Cowen said the party's had "intensive discussions" on the
matter.
Minister for Housing, Planning, Community & Local Government

Simon Coveney TD during the announcement of the Government's
new Rental Strategy under Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for
Housing & Homelessness at the Government Press Centre,
Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins
"We are pleased that Fine Gael have abandoned their long
held view that there should be no interference in the rental
sector and that the market alone should decide on rental
levels," he said.
He said he also wanted "to acknowledge" that Fine Gael
have included recommendations made by Fianna Fil in
its recent submission on rent reviews.
"However, we have genuine concerns with elements of the
current model as outlined and with its limited
geographical scope," he said.
"We are anxious that other cities be added immediately
and will be asking that Galway, Limerick, Waterford and
large population centres surrounding Dublin and Cork city

are included from day one."
Mr Cowen added: "We are not satisfied that the proposed
4pc increase is appropriate and we also believe that tax
incentives for landlords should be part of the package.
"I am open to further discussions with Minister Coveney to
address these outstanding issues," he said.
The development will cause a major headache for Housing
Minister Simon Coveney who has already said he would
not be prepared to make fundamental changes to his
proposals.
Speaking at the launch of the plan Mr Coveney said he
would not be open to making significant changes as this
would require to get Cabinet approval.
Mr Coveney has prosed that Dublin and Cork be
designated Rent Pressure Zones and thereby restrict
annual rent increases to 4pc for the next three years.
Senior Fianna Fil sources told Independent that they
have concerns which need to be thrashed out, adding
that they expect to find a resolution.
The party must facilitate the passing of legislation through
the Dil this week if the new measures are to be
introduced before the Christmas break.
A source say they are by and large support of the plan
announced today but its clear that the 4pc isnt going to
fly.
When you accept these are pressure zones then you
shouldnt be saying its ok to have 4pc increases.
The party are likely to demand that Mr Coveney revise the
figure downward to 2pc, although they may settle on 3pc.
A second source said: We cant have a situation where the
current prices are seen as the base level and we have
upward only reviews.
Fianna Fil want to know what to do to resolve the price
inflation in the long-term.
The partys frontbench are set to meet to discuss the issue
further tonight before they decide a formal position.
Read More: All your questions on the new 'Rent Pressure

Zones' answered
Earlier Labour leader Brendan Howlin told the Dil that
the new proposals to control the rents spiral will not work.
Mr Howlin asked Taoiseach Enda Kenny if he accepted
that key housing campaign groups - Threshold, Focus
Ireland, the Simon Community, the Peter McVerry Trust
and the NEC did not believe in the Government
proposals.
Are they all wrong and only yourself and Fianna Fail are
right on this issue ? the Labour leader asked.
Mr Howlin said the Government was allowing rent
increases which were a multiple of any other index, eight
times the consumer price index. He said the Government
thought the only pressure zones were Dublin and Cork.
You know these rental pressures exist in Louth and
Meath, Kildare, Wicklow, Wexford and probably Mayo,
he added.
Mr Kenny said if Mr Howlin had taken time to study the
Government plans he would see that the Housing Agency,
in consultation with local council, would designate an area
for rent increases.
It is a focused, targeted strategy to deal with the question
of predictability and certainty for tenancies, he added.
Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams said statistics showed
average rents were now averaging 1,000 per month
around the country, and over 1,500 per month in Dublin
and he said the Government plans lacked ambition.
All your questions on the new 'Rent Pressure
Zones' answered
The standout measure is the establishment of Rent
Pressure Zones in Dublin and Cork which will restrict rent
hikes to 4pc per annum. Here are the key questions on the
plan:
What is a Rent Pressure Zone?
These are areas where rents are high and rising quickly
which will now be subject to price caps. Legislation is
passing through the Dil and Seanad that will designate
Z
Z
Dublin and Cork city as RPZs before Christmas. As a result

annual rent increases in these cities will be restricted to
4pc per annum for the next three years.
Cork city have been deemed as qualifying immediately but
the RTB will have to study the rest of the country.
Are all rental properties in Dublin and Cork
covered?
properties that have been substantially refurbished.
There were calls to link rent increases to the rate
of inflation. Why didnt Simon Coveney take this
approach?
The minister said a blunt rent cap would disincentive
landlords entering the market and literally shut off supply
overnight. Noting that inflation for this year is negative,
Mr Coveney said: We want landlords to make a
reasonable return.
How does this affect the rent certainty measures
The last Government introduced measures that restricted
The minister has announced a series of measures aimed at
kick-starting supply. These include:
Examining the tax/fiscal treatment of accommodation
providers
Using publicly owned land for development
Z
Z
Promoting a build to rent model

Supporting credit availability for bringing vacant stock
Exploring the potential to bring into use, for rental
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/ff-to-tryblock-rent-pressure-zones-being-limited-todublin-and-cork-35289605.html
Minister Coveney please don't do this. Consider what happened in
California where a long history of similar rent controls contributed to
disastrous fire in Oakland and the deaths of Irish students in Berkeley.
Attempts to punish landlords are always passed to tenants. Rent
subsidies only transfer wealth to property owners and push prices
beyond what non-subsidised renters can afford.
First do no harm! Next, stop seeing the landlord-tenant relationship as a
class war. Instead, reward those who form a mutually beneficial
business relationship. Decrease a landlord's income tax for each year he
maintains the same tenants. Put a 10% tax on vacant property, followed
by a tax break for renovation and tax breaks for raising the BER
efficiency. You'll put builders to work within weeks and reduce
homelessness by January. Less money will leave the Irish economy to
pay for heating BER D and F rentals.
The current plan is a non-starter and will do much more harm than
good.
So the decent landlords who did not increase their tenants rent for a
number of years are being penalised as their next increase will be 4%of
the lower rent.The greedy landlords who increased their rents by
exorbitant levels will get 4% increase on a higher rent.you will have two
houses beside each other one with a rent of 1,000 and the other with a
rent of 2,000 I guess it pays to be greedy.What are this goverment
playing at, they did the same with the water charges, those that do the
right thing get penalised and those that don't pay get rewarded.i think
its time to get out of this renting game
Rent has twice been found unconstitutional. In the case of Blake v
Ireland. It was also found to be unconstitutional in an Article 26
reference by the president to the Supreme Court. Far better to remove
the 300 a month direct rent increase introduced by FG/Labour in the
2013 Budget by adding property tax, PRSI and USC to rent. That caused
about 20% of rentals to be taken off the market. It is one cock up after
another
The Settled Land Act, 1882, with explanation, notes, and
precedents, also with the rules and forms for proceedings in court,
and an appendix containing the Settled Estates Act, 1877, the
Conveyancing and Married Women's Property Acts, 1882, and the
rules and forms under the conveyancing acts
https://ia902708.us.archive.org/8/items/settledlandact1800dodduoft/
settledlandact1800dodduoft.pdf
UnderEUDelegationandseparationof
powers
Separation_of_Powers The Judicial Power and the Legislature
https://s3.amazonaws.com/oxbridgenotes/samples/5406/original/Sep
aration_of_Powers_sample.pdf
Ireland has strong tenant protection laws. ... In Blake v
Attorney General ... hi just found out that our tenants have
been subletting our house for the last 2 years.
Constitutional Aspects of the Pluralisation of

the EU ...
Treaty provisions on delegation of powers, under Articles
290 and 291 TFEU ... Delegation of Powers in the EU: ...
Shane, H. Bruff, Separation of Powers Law
SEPARATION OF POWERS IN THE EUROPEAN UNIONS

INTERTWINED SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT ... might be held in
Ireland was still not clear.
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1398902.
Analysing the EUs System of Government on the basis of the treaties
establishing the Community and the Union leads to identifying five basic
government functions, which are distributed in a complex system of
checks and balances between the EU institutions and between the latter
and member states institutions. Those five functions may be
characterised as legislative function, which evolved over time from rule
making to law making, the executive function which consists in
implementing common policies, the supervisory function, consisting of
judicial review and of oversight of member states compliance with their
treaty obligations, the function of direction, consisting of policy guidance
and programming, and an organic function consisting in institutional
development. The new wording of the relevant treaty clauses by the

Lisbon treaty clarifies the nature and distribution of these five functions
and thus enable us to understand how separation of powers is
organised in the EU.
POLITICAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM

COMMITTEE
Second Report of the Political and Constitutional Reform
Committee, Session ... and Northern Ireland ... There shall be
a separation of powers guaranteeing by Italy Which
Defeated on Dec 5th 2016
http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commonscommittees/political-and-constitutional-reform/The-UKConstitution.pdf
Separation of Powers in Written and

Unwritten Constitutions
Separation of Powers in Written and ... of separation of
powers applies differently under a written and an ... and
other treaties underpinning the European Union.
http://www.francisbennion.com
/pdfs/fb/2006/2006-015separation-of-powers.pdf
European Union, ... should only be cast by the leader of the
delegation in a unitary way. ... separation of powers into a
system that has always ignored it
http://www.epc.eu/documents/u
ploads/602431467_EPC
%20Working%20Paper
%202%20The%20future%20of
%20EU%20decision
%20making.pdf
separation of powers issues. Irelands Evolving ... of EU

Law in Ireland:
https://www.kingsinns.ie/cmsfil
es/entranceexamination/ConstitutionalSyllabus-2014.pdf
This text of the Constitution is a copy of the text enrolled on 27
... the Treaty on European Union ... between Ireland and
another state.]
https://www.constitution.ie/Doc
uments/Bhunreacht_na_hEirea
nn_web.pdf
DEFERENCE UNDER THE SEPARATION OF POWERSAN INCREASINGLY ACCEPTABLE TRAIT AMONGST
THE IRISH JUDICIARY?
http://arrow.dit.ie/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
article=1044&context=aaschssldis
THE LEGAL REVIEW OF ADMINISTRATIVE DECISIONS: ... of the
Irish Delegation to the ... on the doctrine of the separation
of powers and provides that justice ...
http://www.juradmin.eu/colloqu
ia/1998/ireland.pdf
Politico-Administrative Relations under Coalition Government : The
Case of Ireland
http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/g
roups/public/documents/nispac
ee/unpan003676.pdf
Tenant protection laws are

significant but not onerous
Ireland has strong tenant protection laws. The parties are free to
negotiate rents, but the amount must not exceed the open market
rate. The rent may be reviewed and can only be adjusted once a
year. Rent disputes go to the Private Residential Tenancy Board
(PRTB). Security of tenure is effective for four years; during the
first six months, the landlord can terminate the leasing contract
without specifying grounds but once a tenancy has lasted six
months, the landlord can only terminate the tenancy for the next
3 ? years citing just causes. Irish law is pro-tenant.
Rents: Can landlord and tenant freely agree rents in Ireland?
The parties to the contract are free to agree rents, however rents
may not be charged above the market rent. Rent may be reviewed
(upward or downward) once a year only.
Tenants are to be given 28 days notice of any new rents. A tenants?
right to request a rent review annually cannot be contracted out of.
Disputes about rents go to The Private Residential Tenancies
Board (PRTB).
http://www.rtb.ie/docs/default-source/default-documentlibrary/foi-publication-scheme-13-04-2016-msw.doc?sfvrsn=2
STRATEGY FOR THE RENTAL SECTOR

LAUNCHED TODAY 13TH DEC 2016 BY
MINISTER SIMON COVENEY
by RTB | Dec 13, 2016
Strategy for the Rental Sector launched today
Mr. Simon Coveney T.D., Minister for Housing,

Planning, Community and Local Government and Mr.
Damien English T.D., Minister of State for responsibility

for Housing and Urban Renewal today launched the
Strategy for the Rental Sector. Please find below links
for the strategy document and the accompanying
press release:
NEW AMENDMENTS TO LEGISLATION

EFFECTIVE FROM 9TH MAY 2016
by RTB | Dec 13, 2016
Information on all amendments coming into effect from 9th

May 2016
1.
Additional proofs required by Landlord in
certain instances to terminate tenancy
Amendments have been made to Sections 34 and 35
(reasons to terminate a part 4 tenancy) of the 2004
Act, as detailed below:
(i)
Accommodation needs reason a written
statement must accompany the Notice of Termination
specifying the bed spaces in the dwelling and setting
out grounds as to why the dwelling is no longer
suitable having regard to the bed spaces and the size
and composition of the occupying household.
(ii) Intending to sell within 3 months of the
termination of the tenancy the three month period
must be set out in the Notice and the Notice must be
accompanied by a Statutory Declaration confirming
this intention. The Statutory Declaration must contain
a declaration that the landlord intends to enter into an
enforceable agreement to transfer to another, for full
consideration, of the whole of his or her interest in the
dwelling or the property containing the dwelling.
(iii) Dwelling intended for own or family use the
Notice must contain or be accompanied by a Statutory
Declaration confirming the intended occupants
identity and (if not the landlord) their relationship to
the landlord and the expected duration of that
occupation. The statutory declaration must also

confirm that the landlord is required to offer a tenancy
to the tenant if the contact details under Section 35 of
the Act are provided and the dwelling is vacated within
a period of 6 months from the termination date.
(iv) Substantially refurbish or renovate reason the
notice must contain or be accompanied by a written
statement specifying the nature of the intended works
to be carried out and where planning permission is
required a copy is to be provided. Where no planning
permission is required the statement must set out the
name of the contractor (if any), the dates on which the
works are to be carried out and the proposed duration
of those works. The statement must also confirm that
the landlord is required to offer a tenancy to the
tenant if the contact details under Section 35 of the
Act are provided and the dwelling becomes available
within a period of 6 months from the termination date.
(v) Change of Use reason the notice must contain
or be accompanied by a statement specifying the
nature of the intended use and where planning
permission is required to provide a copy of the
permission. The statement must provide details of the
works to be carried out, identify the contractor, if any,
and the dates and expected duration of the works.
(vi) Breach of Obligations reason There is no change
to this reason which provides that where one of the
parties has failed to comply with their obligations, they
must first be notified of the breach and given an
opportunity to remedy it.
2.
Rent Reviews
The notice of new rent is required to comply with the

form prescribed by the Minister.
R
R
R
R
It must state the amount of new rent and the date

from which is to have effect.
It must include a statement that a dispute must
be referred to the Board on the expiry of 28 days from
the receipt by the tenant of that notice or the date the
new rent takes effect.
It must include a statement by the landlord that it
is their opinion that the new rent is not greater than
market rent having regard to
The other terms of the tenancy

Letting values of dwellings of a
similar size, type and character and situated
in a comparable area
It must specify the rent amount for
three comparable dwellings of a similar size,
type and character and situated in a
comparable area
It must include the date on which the
notice is signed
It must be signed by the landlord or
his/her authorised agent
R
R
3.
Anti-Social Behaviour
A third party may refer a case to the RTB in relation to

anti-social behaviour where they are or were directly
and adversely affected by the landlords failure to
enforce their tenants obligations in relation to anti
social behaviour.
R
R
R
The third party may request one of the following to

communicate with the landlord or former landlord on
their behalf or submit a case on their behalf:
An owners management company in a multi-unit
development
A body corporate
A body of persons who have as one of their
principle objectives the promotion of the safety and
security of the dwellings and the persons residing in

the vicinity of the dwelling containing the tenancy
concerned, such as a residents association or a
neighbourhood watch group
4.
Additional Requirements for Tenancy
Registration Confirmation
The tenancy registration confirmation letter must now
be in the prescribed form and must:
Acknowledge receipt of the application

Acknowledge receipt of the registration fee
Specify the Registered Tenancy (RT) number
Include information setting out
R
R
R
R
R
The rights and obligations of landlords and

tenants including
The setting of the rent, a review of the rent and
the notice of new rent
Security of tenure under Part 4
The termination of tenancies
Matters which may be referred to the board for
dispute resolution including
Complaints in respect of the

amount of rent initially set
2
Complaints in respect of the
amount of rent determined on foot of
a review
Redress that may be granted by the Board and

specifying the amount of damages that an adjudicator
or Tribunal may direct be paid to a party in respect of
the matter
The function of the Board to disclose particulars
of the registration to the Revenue Commissioners
Table containing all Legislative Changes to date
SOLICITORS PANEL FOR ENFORCEMENT

OF DETERMINATION ORDERS
by R.C. | Dec 06, 2016
The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB), formerly the Private

Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB), was established in 2004.
Its remit is to regulate and support the rental housing market
by;
-
Operating a national system of tenancy registration
- Providing a quasi judicial Dispute Resolution Service for

tenants and landlords
- Conducting Research and providing advice to the Minister in
relation to matters impacting on the sector. This includes
producing a quarterly rent index based on one of the most
extensive rental databases in the country
Our remit has also recently been extended to Approved
Housing Bodies, which are not-for-profit housing providers or
housing associations and provide housing for about 30,000
tenants. This change (and hence the name change) means
that both tenants and landlords of these properties enjoy
certain provisions of the Residential Tenancies Acts, including
access to the disputes resolution services we operate.
The Residential Tenancies Act 2004(as amended) provides a
statutory dispute resolution process for the resolution of
disputes between landlords, tenants, and certain third parties,
by way of independent mediation or adjudication facilitated by
the Board. There is a facility to refer the matter (in the case of
mediation) or appeal, in the case of adjudication to a Tenancy
Tribunal established by the Board. Following the conclusion of
this process the Board makes a legally binding Determination
Order. The Act provides that a party or the Board may take
legal proceedings to enforce the determination order if not
complied with. The Board takes very seriously the issue of noncompliance with its orders and while not obliged to take
enforcement, has done so in over 1200 cases in the last 3
years.
In agreeing to cover the cost of enforcement the
Board has regard to its published Policy and criteria on
enforcement. Once the Board agrees to an enforcement
request the case is then submitted to its Solicitors for
enforcement proceedings.
The Board is now seeking to establish a panel of solicitors

around the Country willing to provide legal representation to
parties where the Board has sanctioned enforcement on their
behalf. The Panel is expected to be in existence for a period of
3 years. Currently enforcement is through the Circuit Court
however, an amendment to the Act provides for enforcement
to be taken in the District Court. This amendment is expected
to be commenced by the end of the year. Consequently, it is
expected that panel members will be enforcing orders in the
District Court and experience of advocating in the District court
is required. Copies of the application form and the terms and
conditions of the Panel are available on the Boards website
(www.rtb.ie).
The terms and conditions include the fee structure that is
being put in place by the Board. The Board wishes to have a
limited number of solicitors on the Panel and selection for the
Panel will be based on the applications received. The Board
also reserves the right to interview solicitors for the Panel.
Solicitors selected for the panel will be expected to comply
with the Boards Best Practice Guidelines copy of which is
available with the application form. The Board will provide
training in respect of enforcement and Solicitors must
participate in training provided by the Board before they can
be placed on the Panel.
The Board would be pleased to receive applications from
solicitors with a real commitment to the work and experience
in advocacy before the District Court. Experience in providing
legal services to residential landlords and tenants is desirable
but not necessary.
To apply submit a completed application in the format provided
by e-mail (typed applications only) to enforceorder@rtb.ie.
Solicitors should note a training event has been provisionally
arranged for early March 2017 in Dublin and should submit
their application by 31st January 2017.
STRATEGY FOR THE RENTAL SECTOR LAUNCHED

TODAY 13TH DEC 2016 BY MINISTER SIMON
COVENEY
Dec 13, 2016
http://www.rtb.ie/docs/default-source/legislative-changes/rentalstrategy.pdf?sfvrsn=2
Strategy for the Rental Sector, Having TD Landlords like Simon

Coveney Laws owner as a Landlord Verses Tenant
http://www.rtb.ie/docs/default-source/legislativechanges/strategy-for-the-rental-sector.pdf?sfvrsn=2
Deposits
There are no maximum deposits.

What rights do landlords and tenants have in Ireland, especially as
to duration of contract, and eviction?
Z
Z
Z
Z
Z
Z
Security of tenure is based on a curious system of 4-year cycles.

During the first six months, the landlord can terminate without
specifying grounds. But once a tenancy has lasted 6 months, the
landlord can terminate the tenancy during the following 3 ? years
only if:
The tenant does not comply with the obligations of the

tenancy
The dwelling is overcrowded
The landlord needs the dwelling in the next 3 months
The landlord requires the dwelling for his own
occupation or for a family member
The landlord intends to refurbish
The landlord intends to change the business use of the
dwelling
At the end of the 4 years, a new tenancy will commence and the
cycle begins again unless otherwise agreed upon, i.e., the landlord
can give notice without stating a reason within the first six months.
Tenants may give notice at any time without giving a reason,
subject to any fixed term lease or agreement contained in the
contract; the periods of notice are indicated below.
Regardless of why the termination is occurring, the periods of
notice to be given by the landlord and tenant depend on the length
of the tenancy, as follows:
NOTICE PERIOD FOR TERMINATION
Duration of Tenancy Landlord Tenant
Less than 6 months 28 days 28 days
6 months - 1 year 35 days 35 days
1 - 2 years
42 days 42 days
2 - 3 years
56 days 56 days
3 - 4 years
84 days 84 days
More than 4 years 112 days 112 days
Source: Global Property Guide
The Act allows leases to provide greater security of tenure for

tenants, and allows leases to specify longer notice periods.
Landlords have to register details of their tenancies within a month
with the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB), with
registration fees of ?70 per unit.
Despite anything to the contrary in a lease or tenancy, where a
landlord withholds consent to assignment or sub-letting, the
tenant may terminate the tenancy. Leases for more than one year
(now rare) must be in writing.
EVICTION FOR NON-PAYMENT OF RENT
Duration until completion of service of process
11
Duration of trial
50
Duration of enforcement 60
Total Days to Evict Tenant
121
Courts: The Lex Mundi Project
How effective is the Irish legal system?
It is generally accepted that landlord and tenant law is one of the

most complex and involved fields of Irish law. The new PRTB
hearings attempt to resolve this. The fees are not expensive. Legal
representation should not be necessary. Costs will not be awarded
except in exceptional circumstances. The dispute resolution
process operates informally. But enforcement of the orders of
Board not complied with, will be through the Court.
The following table indicates the pre-Board situation:
Legislation:
Recent changes in Irish landlord and tenant law Irish landlord and
tenant law comprises a mix of the common law (judge-made law),
and statute law, including (distantly) the Landlord and Tenant Law
Amendment Act, Ireland, 1960; the Conveyancing Act, 1882; and
more recently, the Rent Restrictions Act, 1960 and 1967; the
Housing (Private Rented Dwellings) Acts 1982-1983; and the
Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1992. But undoubtedly
the most important legislation is The Private Residential Tenancies
Act, 2004.
http://www.oireachtas.ie/documents/bills28/acts/2004/a2704.pd
f
Housing (Private Rented Dwellings) Act, 1982
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1982/act/6/enacted/en/print.
html?printonload=true
Housing Private (Private Rented Dwellings) Act 19821983 ... HOUSING (PRIVATE RENTED DWELLINGS) .
http://photosa.propertyimages.ie/media/2/9/8/3182892/e464d42d-98ca-
403a-9eee-1b314a1ed220.pdf
Private Rented Sector Tenants of 20 or more

years Occupancy ...
Private Rented Sector ... of protection under the Housing
(Private Rented Dwellings) Act 1982. It is ... Private
Housing Section
http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/JELR/LongOccupation.pdf/Files/Long
Occupation.pdf
Conveyancing Act, 1882 - Irish Statute Book

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1882/act/39/enacted/en/print
.html?printonload=true
Conveyancing and Law of

Property Act, 1892
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1892/act/13/enacted/en/print.
html?printonload=true
Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act 2009

- Oireachtas
http://www.oireachtas.ie/documents/bills28/acts/2009/a2709.pd
f
Brief history
During World War 1, the British Parliament passed measures of

rent control and security of tenure. These persisted into the post
war period, and eventually became the Rent Restrictions Act 1960,
an extremely complex set of restrictions.
The restrictions survived until the early 1980s, when they were the
subject of a constitutional challenge. In Blake v Attorney General
(1981) the Supreme Court ruled that Parts 11 and Parts 1V of the
Rent restrictions Act 1960-1967 were unconstitutional in that they
amounted to an ?unjust attack? on landlords? property rights. The
legislation, the Supreme Court complained, provided no
compensation for landlords subject to rent control, and almost
permanently alienated the property from the landlord. Following
Blake, more moderate legislation was passed, designed to phase
out the formerly rent-controlled sector by 2002 (the Housing
(Private Rented Dwellings) Acts of 1982-1983). The net result was
that tenants became largely unprotected from eviction, and the
rent market was free.
This brought a reaction. Following campaigns by Threshold, a

housing NGO, the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992
was passed which provided new rights: more notice-to-quit,
minimum standards of accommodation, and the right to a rent
book, plus a system of registration. It also abolished the old
common law right of the landlord to seize his tenants? property in
lieu of rent (distress). However the Act did not address security of
tenure, and there was another Threshold campaign, which resulted
in the present, more anti-landlord Act.

Housing Minister Simon Coveney Is A Greedy Corrupt Landlord and A Traitor To Irish Citizens of Ireland

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Housing Minister Simon Coveney Is A Greedy Corrupt Landlord and A Traitor To Irish Citizens of Ireland

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Housing Minister Simon

Minister for Housing Simon Coveney who now presides

It is the responsibility of TDs to register rentals when their

Michael Healy Rae is one of the biggest political landlords

houses in Kenmare, Castleisland and Killarney, and

The Irish Examiner reported that at least 30 of the 158

The revelation has emerged at the same time that one of

that they, their spouse or child lives in.

The Irish Examiner reported that at least 30 of the 158

IRES Reit chief executive David Ehrlich told the Irish

1 Kerry Deputy Michael Healy Rae: At least 8 properties:

Housing Minister Simon

Housing Minister Simon Coveney is a landlord

Minister for Housing Simon Coveney who now presides

He has had to declare he owns a rental property in Hartys

Ministers Coveney and English launch

Simon Coveney hopes to welcome up to

immigration of 10,000. That figure combined is more than all of

Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams receives a

cases where homes

Housing Minister Simon Coveney has

homelessness, or who are in emergency

Coveney to bring housing

New legislation will allow planning applications for large

the draft heads of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions)

Housing and Planning Bill

A Guide to Planning Enforcement in Ireland

Housing crisis has become part of Irish vocabulary

Our housing system is based on a three pillar

The majority of the Irish population own their

National Economic and Social Council (NESC), 71%

Private Rented Sector

The number of people residing in the private

Government paying to cover the rent for a claimant

Data from the Housing Agency shows that we need

Dublin city centre.

Initially under Part V of the Planning and

Unfortunately there were too many get-out

Part of the bail-out programme was

Taking into account inflation, rents in Dublin are at

50% of people coming to Threshold face a

The Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act

days notice of an increase. It required that notice

The Private Rented System

have economies of scale. Where something goes

There are problems with the

be certified as meeting the minimum standards set

Rent supplement limits do not

As of 30 November 2015, there are nearly 4,000

addiction issues, relationship breakdown or a

There are a number of different

At the moment we have different

The lack of social housing

families are being placed in

If youre in a hotel you cant cook for

Published on Tuesday 13th December 2016

Ministers Coveney and English launch rental

Housing Minister Simon Coveney speaking at the launch of the

Our rental sector is not delivering for

term tenure of choice for families and as a

secure, attractive investment opportunities for landlords has never

Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) to more effectively provide their

Strategy will ensure that an effective regime of quality assurance is

The Minister for Housing, Planning, Community & Local