This Is Our Ireland

'THIS IS OUR IRELAND' HOME SWEET HOME READING AT
AXIS THEATRE
Dec 18, 2016
Ever the alchemist Dean Scurry got Damien Dempsey,
John Connors Maverick Sabre and me to work with a group
of remarkable young men at The Axis Theatre in Ballymun.
That led to months of ongoing conversations about the
nature of our nation and the political paralysis of our
people. Larger meetings with leaders of the arts were
sometimes wonderful but often just exercises in
frustration. Invariably it would end up with me, Dean, John
and Damo being perceived as too extreme in our
insistence that whatever was to be done, it had to be on a
grand scale. It would have to be something beneficial to
our most vulnerable. But it would also have to be
something that might awaken our national dormant spirit.
It was an absurd ambition. A fantasy. An impossibility.
Months later, the call came through. "It's happening."
That's all Dean said. "And we need you to write the
words." This remarkable man had been working
relentlessly with the equally remarkable Brendan Ogle and
they had set in motion a philosophical, humanistic and,
most importantly, pragmatic plan to protect our most
vulnerable and inspire our collective spirit. I went to a bar
and tried to write. Nothing came out. I called Dean and
asked who am I writing for? Who do you want, is what he
said? I wanted the most famous working class Dublin artist
there has ever been, Jim Sheridan. Dean said, I'm on it.
I ordered another drink but the words wouldn't come. All
the standard bullshit that goes with fear and doubt and
ego and vanity and hubris and judgement was kicking in
but then the simple realisation hit. This is not about fear.
This is about strength. Just tell the truth. The words came.
Called Dean. Quietly read them over the phone as the full
bar was singing Christmas songs. He listened then
whispered, "Shivers, brother, shivers."
Next day it was happening. We met at the Unite Office. A
stunning group of people. Hours of discussions and
decisions. Then the words came up. Curtis 'Fifty Cent'
Jackson has been shot twice but he said the only man he's
ever been sacred of is Jim Sheridan. That's how tough
Sheridan is. He is also a beautiful, courageous humanist
and a hero to many. Including me. Some folk fought for the
words, others didn't. The final decision was to keep it
much simpler. When Sheridan opens his mouth people
listen anyway. He doesn't need a hack. The words were in
the bin but the magic was happening. We walked to the
GPO and Jim and Damo and Glen Hansard captured the
mood better than any hack. That night the NAMA building
was taken and something magical was born.
Then last night I get another call from Dean. There's a
comedy gig in the Axis Theatre, where we started this
conversation all that time ago, and Dean wants me to read
the words to the audience. A comedy audience? Only he
could think it was a good idea. Only he could make me put
the fear aside and do it. Only he could know it would
inspire a standing ovation. This is our Ireland.
Every single person alive has to watch this video
This is our Ireland... Ireland is made up of a proud and
protective people. We use our strength to protect our most
vulnerable... This is our Ireland: not the government's, not
the banks, not the corporations, not the scum in threepiece suits... This is our Ireland. And it belongs to the
dreamers, the fighters, the explorers, the deeply rooted,
the traveller, and the recently arrived; the pink-skinned,
the brown-skinned, and every-in-between-skinned; the old,
the young, the straights, the LGBT, and the sitting-on-thefencers.
"Ireland belongs to the musicians, the poets, the artists,
and to their audience; the vulnerable, the special needs,
the carers: to the mothers, the fathers, the sisters, and
brothers who wake up every morning and somehow find
the strength to fight for a better future...
"And, finally, we ask ourselves, 'When, exactly, did we
allow a tiny coterie of controlling-class scum make us
forget what a fecking sublime nation we are?'
~Irish homeless advocate Tim McMahon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zYyvMfkU2g&feature=youtu.be
Glen Hansard says the taking over of Apollo House is an

'act of civil disobedience'
https://www.scribd.com//Glen-Hansard-says-the-takingover-
Collins Loses Appeal in Promissory Note Challenge
https://www.scribd.com//Collins-Loses-Appeal-in-
Promissory
Joan-collins-V-minister-For-finance-She Appealed the High
Court's Rejection of Her Challenge. but in a Unanimous
Judgment, Six Supreme Court Judges Dismissed Her
Appeal.
https://www.scribd.com//Joan-collins-V-minister-Forfinanc
Dec 15th 2016 Citizens' intervention in Dublin, with artists
and activists taking over NAMA property to house
homeless.
Housing crisis deliberate By FG, FF, LB
The truly tragic thing is that RTE would never have this
story on the Late Late, let alone any news station if it were
not for the famous names.
If it were just the people, they might be battered by the
authorities by now and RTE out in force with yet another
"sinister fringe" report...
We are involved in an act of civil disobedience, Glen
Hansard tells The #LateLate Show as he talks about
#HomeSweetHome and #OccupyNama
Most beautiful song ever I love his voice and his absolute
passion for doing the right thing. You're so right Glen this
is an emergency we forget that. We've become
desensitised to the horrors of what people have to exist in.
Simon Coveney said in the Dail that issues surrounding
homelessness are too complex to just allow people to
'stay' in a NAMA building well then Simon u took the job on
fix it, dear Simon FIX IT and stop talking about it.
They should set up a text a donation site ! I'm sure
everyone would donate !!! great guy
Home sweet home brilliant movement.
Well done to you all me an my great colleagues are
outside the Gpo every Tuesday night from 8/10 if we have
any left over food An clothes would your group accept
them be more than welcome to them an also wiling to
help out
Glen well done tonight and continued strength. Don't give
up. True Irish people will get behind you all. You are not
breaking any laws use your words right. It's not what you
say but how you say it. Listen to anyone in Dail Eireann,
how they are coaxed into using their words very carefully.
That building belongs to the Irish People.
https://www.facebook.com/RTEOne/videos/133246282682
7554/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED
DAMIEN DEMPSEY 'WHERE IS OUR JAMES

CONNOLLY' at The Abbey Theatre Dublin
2016
May 23, 2016
DAMIEN DEMPSEY 'WHERE IS OUR JAMES CONNOLLY' The
Abbey Theatre Dublin 2016
https://www.youtube.co
m/watch?
v=6tqGknooC9g
Glen Hansard
channels national
shame about
homelessness
Updated / Dec. 17, 2016
Hansard - "Can you imagine walking home Christmas Eve

after doing your shopping and there's no homeless people
on the street? That's what we're trying to do"
This is the actual article body
Glen Hansard has made an impassioned

appeal for people to support homeless
coalition Home Sweet Home's occupation of
Apollo House in Dublin, saying that the
NAMA-managed building "essentially belongs
to the people of Ireland".
The singer-songwriter made his appeal on
Friday night's Late Late Show, where he
described the takeover of the vacant office
building on Tara Street as "an act of civil
disobedience".
"I call upon the better spirit of the Irish
people to look at this... it is an illegal act,"
Hansard told host Ryan Tubridy. "We have
taken a building that essentially belongs to
the people of Ireland and that has been lying
empty."
Follow
Glen Hansard
This act of civil disobedience is about starting a long

overdue national conversation, it's about dialogue and
inclusion.. all welcome..
#
4:40 PM - 16 Dec 2016
318 318 Retweets680 680 likes
While the Department of Housing, Planning

and Local Government has said there are
enough beds being provided to meet the
needs of people who are currently rough
sleeping, Hansard said that not enough is
being done.
"The Government will shelter 200 people this
Christmas and there's 260 people between
the Royal Canal and the Grand Canal in
Dublin. Now, this is not only a Dublin issue
but this is for us: between the Royal Canal
and the Grand Canal there are 260 people
tonight homeless," he continued.
"What we would like to do is bridge the gap
Can you imagine walking home Christmas
Eve after doing your shopping and there's no
homeless people on the street? That's what
we're trying to do."
Posted by Entertainment on RT
To applause and cheers from the audience,

Hansard added: "We've got a building. We've
got beds. We've got a lot of people
volunteering. We'll be asking people to
volunteer, we'll be asking people to get
behind the idea. It is a radical idea."
When asked what Home Sweet Home would
do if told to vacate Apollo House, Hansard
replied: "You appeal to the better nature of
the Government and NAMA. This is a NAMAowned [sic] building. If everybody pays tax in
this audience, if anyone knows their stuff
they know that that's essentially our building.
We are just going to take it for a few
months."
View image on Twitter
Follow
Glen Hansard
This building was taken over peacefully last night.. my

sincere compliments to the Garda seargent that had to do
his job, a real gent.

#
2:18 PM - 16 Dec 2016
Earlier on Friday, another Home Sweet Home

supporter, director Jim Sheridan, said he
felt he had been "as heartless as everybody
else" about the homeless.
Speaking from Apollo House to the Ray
D'Arcy Show on RT Radio 1 on Friday,
Sheridan said of the occupation: "It just
happened because there's a homeless crisis,
and there's a lot of anger that extends even
beyond the homeless into the whole housing
situation.
"I feel like I've been as heartless as
everybody else walking past people on the
street. When these guys [Home Sweet
Home] came to me I just thought it's just so
sad in Dublin; it's kind of like now an
epidemic."
Jim Sheridan - "I feel like I've been as heartless as

everybody else walking past people on the street"
"We're trying to have a national discussion

about it," Sheridan added. "We don't want
political ownership of this; we just want it to
become a debate."
According to The Irish Times, around 100
people gathered on Thursday night at Apollo
House under the Home Sweet Home banner,
which includes trade unionists, charities and
other artists such as Liam Maonla, Damien
Dempsey, Conor O'Brien of Villagers and
members of Kodaline.
Trade unionist Brendan Ogle, who is a cofounder of Home Sweet Home, told the
paper that the group had identified
the NAMA-managed property in Dublin's city
centre and called the action a "citizens'
intervention in the homelessness crisis".
"We are going to go in, turn on the electricity,
turn on the water, turn on the heating and
gather up as many homeless people as need
a roof over their head," he said. "This has
been very well-planned and the building is
safe.
Kodaline
"We know at least 140 people are sleeping

rough on the streets of Dublin every night.
We know the Government has opened up
emergency beds but there will still be people
out sleeping on the streets and we are
coming together to say to the Government
that 'enough is enough'."
Ogle added: "We want to appeal to the
goodwill of the powers-that-be and to say,
'Let's pull together as a nation and end
homelessness. There is no need for it'."
The receivers of Apollo House, Mazars,
described the taking over of the building as
an illegal occupation. Mazars, which was
appointed by NAMA, said Apollo House is not
suitable for living accommodation.
http://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2016/1216/839329-christy-mooreand-hozier-among-stars-backing-homeless/
Nama building belongs to the people of

Ireland were taking it for a few
months, says Glen Hansard
Friday, December 16, 2016
Singer Glen Hansard spoke passionately tonight about his

role in taking over Nama-owned Apollo House in Dublin
city centre for use as a homeless shelter.
The Oscar winning singer-songwriter was on The Late Late
Show to perform with the RT Orchestra and afterwards
spoke to host Ryan Tubridy about his involvement with the
Home Sweet Home group and 'Operation Nama'.
Home Sweet Home has occupied Apollo House on Tara
Street in Dublin city centre with the intention of
accommodating the homeless. To loud cheers from The
Late Late Show audience, Hansard confirmed the group
was occupying the Nama-owned building illegally.
Follow
The Late Late Show
We are involved in an act of civil disobedience tells The

Show
#
10:15 PM - 16 Dec 2016
We are involved in an act of civil disobedience, he said.

I call upon the very spirit of the Irish people to look at
this, it is an illegal act. We have taken a building that
essentially belongs to the people of Ireland and that has
been lying empty.
The Government will shelter 200 people this Christmas
and theres 260 people between the Royal Canal and the
Grand Canal in Dublin. Now this is not only a Dublin issue
but between the Royal Canal and the Grand Canal there
are 260 people tonight homeless.
What we would like to do is bridge the gap Well be
asking people to volunteer, well be asking people to get
behind the idea. It is a radical idea.
Asked what the response would be if the group are told by

the authorities to vacate the building, Hansard said: You
appeal to the better nature of the Government and Nama.
This is a NAMA-owned building. If everybody pays tax in
this audience, if anyone knows their stuff they know that
that is essentially our building. We are just going to take it
for a few months.
The action came about through conversations with
different artists, singers and friends over the year, he told
Tubridy.
Apollo House where a group of campaigners have taken

over a vacant building in Dublin city. Pic: Rollingnews.ie
I found myself part of a group of people who are
essentially concerned citizens and we wondered is there a
way that we could stage an intervention on our own
behalf, he said.
So I find myself now part of group called Home Sweet
Home. It is a group of artists, a group of friends, a group of
people that we know and love. Like minded souls. Jim
Sheridan Andrew Hozier, Saoirse Ronan, Christy Moore.
What we are trying to do is get a national conversation
started, he said.
This should be a national emergency... The homelessness
is at a level now, not since the Famine have families been
homeless like they are right now. It is really, really
difficult.
Homeless families are being offered 25 hours of free

childcare a week for their young children.
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.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/viewpoints/ourview/nohomes-for-2470-of-our-children--un-report-shames-ourcountry-434751.html
Free childcare for families affected by

homelessness
Contracted childcare providers will get a flat weekly rate

of 110 for providing care and a meal.
Funding of 8.25m is being provided to fund the scheme,
announced yesterday by Minister for Children and Youth
Affairs Katherine Zappone.
The scheme for children aged up to five, will start next
month in Dublin where there are around 850 homeless
children who could benefit from it.
Ms Zappone said Focus Ireland would work closely with her
department to identify eligible families.
The Dublin-based City and Country Childcare Committee
will encourage and support relevant childcare providers to
engage with the scheme.
Ms Zappone said the scheme would be extended outside

of Dublin and would be demand led.
She pointed out that it was to be available in Dublin
initially because 85% (2,110) of homeless children live in
the city.
The Community Childcare Subvention scheme has been
changed to allow the new childcare provision.
Focus Irelands national director of services, Catherine
Maher, said the scheme was designed to be as flexible as
possible.
She said more families were becoming homeless in Cork,
Limerick, Waterford, Kilkenny, and Sligo.
We are identifying the areas that have the highest
concentration of homeless families in the regions at the
moment, she said.
The Childrens Rights Alliance said the provision of free
childcare for homeless children was a welcome stopgap.
Let our children judge us on the fight we make on their behalf.
Please will you kindly look at the evidence which says it costs tax
payers less to house the homeless. The most comprehensive
evaluation of housing related support services estimated that 1.6
billion investment generated net savings of 3.4 billion to public
spending. Preventing homelessness is far more cost effective than
dealing with it once it has occurred
http://www.irishexaminer.com/irelan
d/free-childcare-for-families-affectedby-homelessness-435551.html
Fr McVerry: I applaud Apollo House

sit-in but it's not the solution to
homelessness
Saturday, December 17, 2016
A leading social justice activist has said he will not be

lending his support to the occupation of a Dublin office
block for homeless accommodation.
Father Peter McVerry said he applauds the campaigners
who have taken over Apollo House on Tara Street, but that
he will not be joining them.
Representatives from the Irish Housing Network and trade
unions say they plan to house 30 homeless people at the
NAMA-owned site.
Fr McVerry said while he wishes them well, the only longterm solution to homelessness is for the Government to
provide social housing.
He said: "What they're doing is raising awareness that we
have empty buildings all over the place, some of them
owned by the State, while there are people sleeping on
the streets.
"Though I think they are highlighting the absurdity of the

situation, however it is not the solution to homelessness,
they are not going to be allowed to stay there for very
long.
"So I am very happy to applaud them and I am very happy
to say that they are doing a service to homeless people
and I wish them well."
Irish charity sector is being

drained by duplication
Agencies are funded mainly by the State, but expanding
payrolls are burning up that money
Mon, Jul 11, 2016, 01:00
Patsy McGarry
Irelands crowded Charity Sector
The Revenue Commissioners recognise 8,194 non-profit
organisations as charities for tax-relief purposes and, to date,
12,500 are registered with the Charities Regulatory Authority. Is
Ireland's charity sector over-crowded?
The charities sector in Ireland is a pretty crowded

space. There is also lots of duplication, which means it
is quite territorial.
It can make for intense competition when pursuing
donations whether from private or State sources. And

the State is the mother of all funders where Irish
charities are concerned.
A good example of proliferation in a specific area of
service where charities are concerned has to do with
suicide prevention/bereavement.
In all there are 48 separate agencies supplying services
in this area, with 13 doing so exclusively.
The largest by turnover is at Pieta House, founded by
Senator Joan Freeman, which had a reported total
income of 5.97 million in 2015. Six of its staff are on
over 70,000 with two earning over 85,000.
It reflects another feature of Irelands charities,
particularly the larger ones; key staff are well-looked
after.
Total benefits received by the eight key management
personnel at Pieta House in 2015, not including
employer pension contributions, was 585,226. It
received 895,228 in funding from State sources.
Other charities operating in this sphere are the Suicide
Research Foundation, Samaritans Ireland, Fight
Against Suicide Limited, Reach Out Ireland Limited,
Irish Association of Suicidology, Sosad Ireland
Limited, Galway East Life Support Limited, and Its
Good To Talk Counselling Psychotherapy Support
Services Limited. In the case of Kinsale Youth Support
Services Limited, the HSE pays 30,000 for one
member of staff. All others involved are unpaid.
Tax relief
Overall, there are 18,539 non-profit organisations in
Ireland, including non-government, non-commercial
organisations that file regulatory returns with the
Companies Office, the Charities Regulator, the
Revenue Commissioners, the Housing Agency and/or
the Department of Education.
The Revenue Commissioners recognise 8,194 as

charities for tax-relief purposes and, to date, 12,500
are registered with the Charities Regulatory Authority.
Included too are, 3,600 schools, the churches, religious
congregations, and trusts.
According to their financial statements, 7,651 Irish
nonprofits on the (non-governmental) Benefacts
database had an aggregate income of more than 7.1
billion in 2014, of which 3.5 billion came from the
State.
Involved are 108,000 employees.
Another instance of the duplication which besets this
sector was evident last week when UN special envoy for
climate and El Nio Mary Robinson visited Ethiopia to
highlight the drought there where over 10 million
people are at risk.
She was accompanied by the chief executives of
Irelands three largest aid agencies Concern
Worldwide (Dominic MacSorley), Trcaire (amonn
Meehan) and Goal (Barry Andrews).
Concern received 24.6 million from the Government,
through Irish Aid, in 2015. It has 32 staff on over
60,000 a year, with four on 90,000-plus. Chief
executive Dominic MacSorley is on 99,000 plus a 9
per cent contribution to his defined contribution
pension.
Remuneration, including pension contributions, paid
to its 10-member executive management team in 2015
came to 874,631
threshold_signed_accounts_2015_cro "There are 8
registered charities working with the homeless in
Dublin. The government gives them millions but all
of it is being spent on huge salaries.
http://www.threshold.ie/download/pdf/threshold_signed_ac
counts_2015_cro.pdf?issuusl=ignore
I am showing the FACTS that needed showing and the money that is
given to these charities with little return is a concern in these harsh
times. The Government are not going to ever provide the housing
you speak of so while people are freezing their butts off in the
street, those wages are still being paid. It's about time these
charities worked within the realms of reality. The charities are
spending nearly every cent they get from the government on
wages. They are not spending the money as it was intended. The
State gave these eight charities money for the homeless. Not for
pay scales for an entity that isn't in the public sector under a
government department...
There are far too many charities "claiming" to help people while
enriching the ceo's etc. Any money I can give to homeless people I
do directly i.e. I hand to the person on the street.

he will not be joining them."
""Though I think they are highlighting the absurdity of the
long."
Why does it matter that it's not a permanent solution?
Anything and everything should be supported...
So it's better to do nothing and let the homeless stay out
in the cold while everyone waits for the Government to
build social housing??
Maybe THIS has something to do with it.
It's a scandal. There are 8 registered charities working
with the homeless in Dublin. The government gives them
millions but all of it is being spent on huge salaries. In fact
the money they get from the government doesn't cover
the big fat salaries in some cases and a lot of the work
they do is duplicated. The money these charities get every
year is more than enough to house the homeless.
Dublin Simon, the Peter McVerry Trust, Depaul Ireland and
Focus Ireland got a total of 33.6 million in grants from
State agencies in 2014, but spent 35.8 million on staff
costs for the 875 people they employed in 2014.
In 2014, Dublin Simons total income was 12,519,761. It
received 6,194,218 from the State. Its average number
of employees was 188 at a total cost of 7,420,022,
including wages and salaries, social security and pension.
Its chief executive, Sam McGuinness, was on a salary of
93,338 a year, with five employees altogether on over

70,000 per annum. In 2014, Dublin Simon also spent
84,980 on motor vehicles.
The Peter McVerry Trust had a total income of 10,656,737
in 2014, of which 6,842,691 came from the State. It
employed 146 employees in 2014 at a cost of just under
8.1 million.
Chief executive Pat Doyle is paid 96,211 (98,382 since
June 2016), the same level as director regional health
office).
The trust pays a 16 per cent employer contribution to the
chief executives defined-contribution pension scheme.The
income of all senior employees is in line with HSE pay
levels.
The Depaul Ireland homeless agency had 213 employees
in 2014. They cost it 6,469,677. Almost all its 9,184,802
income for 2014 came from State agencies.
Four employees there earned over 60,000 each in 2014,
with chief executive Kerry Anthony on between 80,000
and 90,000.
Focus Ireland had an average of 328 employees in 2014 at
a cost of 13.82 million, including pensions and social
insurance costs. In 2014, State agencies granted it 11.38
million.
Its chief executive, Ashley Balbirnie, was paid a salary of
115,000 plus approximately 5,000 in medical insurance
which amounted to a total of 120,000.
The most recent annual accounts audited accounts
available for Threshold are for 2014 and show that they
received 1.3 million in government grants, while
479,000 was raised through donations from the public.
1.2 million of this was spent on a staff of 46. In other
words almost all of the money given by the government
went on wages.
These figures are from Irish Times. I did the Threshold one
myself from their annual report available on their website.
https://www.facebook.com/anna.kavanagh.102/posts/1021
0420356932549
Deal Effect Ireland - Charity Sector

Launch - Fundraising platform using
Daily Deals - DealEffect.ie
Jan 11, 2013

Deal Effect is a fundraising platform and will offer daily deals
through daily email and social media engagement and on
www.DealEffect.ie. Deal Effect will partner with Irish charities
and 11% of all deals sold will be donated to a chosen charity.
Deal Effect will be a commercial business and will supply
quality deals from various categories at hugely discounted
prices. Deal Effect aims to raise over 2.1 million in the next
three years for charities participating in the venture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_Ujy_tv0IM
DealEffect.ie - Founding Charity

Members of Deal Effect Ireland
Sep 16, 2013

www.DealEffect.ie. Deal Effect is partner with Irish
charities/non-profits and 11% of all deals sold will be donated
to a chosen charity. Deal Effect aims to raise over 2.1 million
in the next three years for charities participating in the
venture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzpw6wAz7rU
Time for the charity sector to be

regulated - Gerry Adams
Jan 22, 2014

Sinn Fin Leader Gerry Adams TD has said revelations by
Justice Minister Alan Shatter TD about the Rehab organisation,
information he said the Minister possessed for some time, had
shocked people.
Saying a lack of charities regulation was doing untold damage
to charities and those who depend on them, Mr Adams pointed
out that the Government had refused for three years to
implement the Charities Act 2009 and had resisted Sinn Fin
efforts to get it to do so.
He said the refusal by the Rehab CEO to declare her salary and
a general lack of transparency around remuneration needed to
be addressed.
Gerry Adams said:
"Recent scandals such as that at the CRC and now major
question marks over the fundraising at Rehab are causing
enormous disquiet.
"In 2009, Fianna Fil passed legislation claiming to regulate the
charities sector but never implemented it.
"In February 2012, my colleague Padrig Mac Lochlainn TD
asked Minister Shatter why the Act was not being
implemented.
"In his reply Minister Shatter said: 'It was not practicable to
proceed with the full implementation of the Act at this time
given the financial and staffing resources that would have been
required, hence the implementation of the Act has been
deferred.
"His reply further claimed that 'it is not the fact that the
charities in Ireland are devoid of oversight.'
The Sinn Fin Leader asked the Taoiseach to support Sinn
Fein's Bill to implement all provisions of the Charities Act 2009.
He also asked if the Taoiseach agreed with him that the refusal
thus far by the CEO at Rehab to declare her salary and the
general lack of transparency about remuneration, where it
exists, needed to be addressed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4HDdqoQ6Oo
REPORT ON ABUSE OF CHARITIES FOR

MONEY-LAUNDERING AND TAX EVASION
http://www.oecd.org/tax/exchange-of-taxinformation/42232037.pdf
CHARITIES ACT 2009
http://www.oireachtas.ie/documents/bills28/acts/2009/a0609.pdf
"There are 8 registered charities working with the

homeless in Dublin. The government gives them millions
but all of it is being spent on huge salaries. In fact the
money they get from the government doesn't cover the
big fat salaries in some cases and a lot of the work they do
is duplicated. The money these charities get every year is
more than enough to house the homeless. "
https://www.irishtimes.com//irish-charity-sector-is-being-

http://www.threshold.ie/
/threshold_signed_accounts_2015_cr
Don't like others showing up the absurdity of the situation.
And quite a cozy one it seems to be too...
http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/frmcverry-i-applaud-apollo-house-sit-in-but-its-not-the-solution-tohomelessness-768980.html
Forgery Act, 1913. [3 & 4 GEO. 5. Cu. 27.] ARRANGEMENT
OF SECTIONS. Section. 1. ... Privy Seal of ireland.
Forgery of the following documents, if committed
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1913/27/pdfs/ukpga_19130
027_en.pdf
UK & Ireland Charity Committee Donation Request Form
Thank you for your interest in AES UK & Irelands Charity
Committee. Charitable organisations
http://s2.q4cdn.com/601666628/files/doc_downloads/sustanaibi
lity/charitable/AES-Charity-Committee-Application-Form.pdf
Enough is enough. This NAMA made homelessness scam
has to end. It's not good enough to make the Irish People
suffer so that property prices remain at above Celtic Tiger
levels so NAMA can sell them to vulture funds.
It has got to stop. People are dying because of this
deliberate government policy...
Charity Commission The text in this document

(excluding the Royal Arms and organisation logos)
may be reproduced free of charge in any ... Irelands
charity landscape 2009-2010
https://apps.charitycommissionni.org.
uk/Library/pdf_documents/ccniannual-report-2009-2010.pdf
Why We Occupy
Bodger at 11:22 am December 16, 2016
Irish Homeless Street League Charity, Said

That Homeless People in Ireland Are
"Basically Refugees in Their Own Land".
Dec 20, 2016 by Rita Cahill
https://www.scribd.com/document/334725445/IrishHomeless-Street-League-Charity-Said-That-HomelessPeople-in-Ireland-Are-Basically-Refugees-in-Their-OwnLand
From top: Apollo House, Dublin this morning; Dr

Rory Hearne
Further to last nights occupation of Namacontrolled Apollo House, Tara Street, Dublin 1
Dr Rory Hearne writes:
Ordinary citizens have stepped up and acted
where politicians and government have failed
over and over again.
Ordinary citizens have bravely challenged the
on-going shameful situation whereby hundreds
of people are forced to sleep on our streets
while there are 35,000 vacant (and liveable)
housing units and thousands of empty buildings
in the city.
An empty NAMA building, Apollo House, in
Dublins South inner city has been opened up by
a citizens alliance of housing campaigners,
homeless people, high profile musicians and
trade union activists to house homeless people.
In the last year the number of homeless families

and children in Dublin has doubled from 770
families and 1185 children last year to 1,353
families and 2020 children this year.
While thousands more face possible
homelessness from the lack of social housing,
unaffordable and rising rents and landlords
evicting to sell their properties, receivers selling
off private rented accommodation,
repossessions of family homes in mortgage
arrears, and the lack of appropriate emergency
accommodation for the homeless and
particularly, victims of domestic violence.
And while the government wrings its hands and
dithers and promises plans, strategies, rapid
build, new supply and fails to provide
affordable housing at the same time they
wont use the thousands of empty buildings
(particularly offices) that the state owns
through NAMA, local authorities and other state
agencies to house homeless and those in need
of emergency accommodation. There are 200,000
vacant (not derelict actually houses liveable in)
across this country, as I said earlier, 35,000 in
Dublin.
Yet dont forget NAMA is ours it is a state
agency belonging to the public. All these
empty NAMA and public buildings are ours
belonging to you.
So why are they not being used to address this
humanitarian disaster here on our streets? It is
because the government has prioritised the
profitability of the banks, the bailing out of the

European and Irish financial system, our
reputation on the international financial markets,
and the bailing out of their developer friends.
They have ploughed 64 billion of Irish peoples
money into the banks essentially into the top
10% the super wealthy. They argued that it
was an emergency and when they needed to be
bailed out and there was no limit to taxpayers
money they would provide and no limit to what
they would do for the financial institutions.
Yet when it comes to the the human right to a
home, for our citizens we are told there isnt
enough funding, they cant refurbish offices,
they have to sell off these buildings to pay back
loans etc etc.
With NAMA the government continues to push it
to use its buildings and land to secure the
highest return which means NAMA is hoarding
vacant buildings and land, waiting for prices to
rise, before it sells them on. It is investing in
office and high-end residential rather than
affordable housing provision.
NAMA holds significant building and land assets
and therefore has the potential to develop
affordable housing if the government directs it
to do so. Remember NAMA is a state agency
that has to do what the Minister for Finance tells
it to!
So it boils down to one simple truth its about
priorities and political decisions.
If they so wished, our government could solve
the homeless crisis within weeks by directing
NAMA to refurbish the empty NAMA and public

buildings in this city and opening them as
hostels and emergency accommodation.
They could hire a few hundred support workers,
security, social workers and accommodation
managers to run them. That would require a
simple political decision just to do it. They have
the money to do it- they have the buildings. Isnt it
time to prioritise the needs of our people ahead of
the financial institutions?
I visited the occupied building this morning to
meet with and express my support to the
activists and they told me that this is about
trying to do something practical to address the
homelessness crisis.
I saw clearly that by undertaking this inspiring
action this citizens alliance is revealing to the
people of Ireland the shame of our current
policies.
It is a hugely symbolic and practical act of
solidarity and social justice. It shines a head
light on a potential (temporary) solution to
growing numbers sleeping on our streets. They
will need all the public and political support
possible in the coming days and weeks.
So if you can do one thing contact them at the
Home Sweet Home facebook page donate and
lend a hand. And please everyone should
email their local TDs and the media to say you
support this the campaign to open up and
refurbish the empty NAMA and state owned
buildings to solve the homelessness crisis and
for the government to start building affordable
homes now.
We have had many commemorations of 1916
this year. But this setting up of homeless
accommodation in a vacant NAMA building is
actually the most truly genuine commemorative
act in this centenary year.
They are fulfilling the Republic of equality
envisioned in the Proclamation. There is light at
the end of this austerity tunnel of inequality and
they are providing it.
Uplift and Home Sweet Home ask you to sign
their petition here: The time for broken
promises is over. Take action today to support
the powerful action by the
#HomeSweetHomecampaign.
Dr Rory Hearne is a policy analyst, academc,
social justice campaigner. He writes here in a
personal capacity. Follow Rory on
Twitter: @roryhearne
This morning.
Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams (right) and
Sinn Fein Dublin City Councillor Chris Andrews
join Dean Scurry , from Home Sweet Home, to
lend their support to the occupation at Apollo
House.
This is a practical but mostly symbolic act to
focus attention on the issue and shame the
government into meaningful action, well done
to all involved.
Well done in your fight against the thatcherite
fascists in government.
Apollo House is central, functional and safe.
Theres toilets and running water, kitchenettes
and enough offices for privacy. Well done to
Home Sweet Home for this initiative.
RTE have listed this under their Entertainment
section. Im speechless
http://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2016/1216/839
329-christy-moore-and-hozier-among-starsbacking-homeless/
Glen Hansard: 'We are involved in an act

of civil disobedience' | The Late Late
Show | RT One
Dec 16, 2016
We are involved in an act of civil disobedience, Glen Hansard
tells The #LateLate Show as he talks about #HomeSweetHome
and #OccupyNama
Watch The Late Late Show live and on-demand from anywhere
in the world at http://www.rte.ie/player
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWXG_StdIl8
The Late Late Show | Fridays | RT One, 9:35pm Irish Time
Shame and media attention is how the

government gets its wheels greased. Grease on.
Good work lads. Im sick of Coventry saying that
appeasing tom parlon and co is the only show in
town. Its time for the government to get
involved in house building. All parlon is offering
us is 300,000 starter homes in west Kildare
for the guard and the nurse
What a load of boll!x
Glen Hansard & the RT Concert

Orchestra - "Song of Good Hope" | The
Late Late Show | RT One
Dec 16, 2016
Glen Hansard & the RT Concert Orchestra perform "Song of
Good Hope" from the "As Seen on The Late Late" album which
is raising funds for St Vincent de Paul. Buy here:
https://itun.es/ie/ril6fb
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHlnq40CQRs
Supreme Court to rule on

Joan Collins appeal on
promissory notes
Independent TD challenged Minister for Finances issuing
31bn in 2009 for bank debt
Thu, Dec 15, 2016, 20:11
Mary Carolan
Independent TD Joan Collins: Maintains the promissory notes were

impermissibly issued without a Dil vote. Photograph: Collins
The Supreme Court will give judgment on Friday on
the appeal by Independent TD Joan Collins against the

rejection of her challenge to the Minister for Finances
issuing of 31 billion promissory notes in 2009 for
Anglo Irish Bank and other financial institutions.
The constitutionality of what the High Court described
as the far-reaching legislation under which the notes
were issued is a core issue in the appeal.
Ms Collins maintains the promissory notes were
impermissibly issued without a Dil vote in breach of
constitutional provisions dealing with appropriation of
public money.
The State pleads the Minister had power to issue the
notes under a 2008 law, the Credit Institutions
(Financial Stabilisation) Act, enacted by the Oireachtas
with the aim of averting a banking collapse. The notes
were security for the Central Bank continuing to
provide emergency liquidity assistance for the banks
after the government provided the bank guarantee of
September 2008.
Promissory notes
The case relates to promissory notes issued for Anglo,

Irish Nationwide Building Society and Educational
Building Society. Anglo and INBS were later
nationalised and, after their successor, Irish Bank
Resolution Corporation (IBRC), was wound up in 2013,
the Anglo note, on which 25 billion was then
outstanding, was converted into long-term Irish
government bonds.
The EBS note no longer exists following the
reorganisation of the finances of Allied Irish Banks,
owner of EBS.
After a three-judge High Court rejected her case in
November 2013, Ms Collins appealed to the Supreme
Court.
The death of Mr Justice Adrian Hardiman earlier this
year meant the appeal, which opened before a sevenjudge court, finished last April before a six-judge court
with judgment reserved.
Her lawyers argued a statutory power to charge the
central fund is unconstitutional unless that charge is
prequantified or there is an outer limit on it.
It is unconstitutional for the Minister to charge a
public fund under statute unless the imposition of the
charge has been considered in advance by the Dil,
they also argued.
Her counsel John Rogers SC said Ms Collins, as a
citizen and TD, had a right to have the democratic
process adhered to when the Minister decided to
provide the promissory notes.
Relinquished control
The 2008 Act, an empty shell of an Act, had

relinquished the budgetary control of the Dil, he said.
The State, through its counsel Michael McDowell,
maintained the situation in 2008 was not normal.
The Minister, it was argued, remained fully
accountable to the Dil and the Oireachtas was
entitled, under the 2008 Act, to authorise the Minister
to take the necessary steps to stabilise the financial
position of the State.
In November 2013, the High Court, comprising Mr
Justice Peter Kelly, Ms Justice Mary Finlay Geoghegan
and Mr Justice Gerard Hogan, ruled the promissory
notes were validly issued under a law which was
constitutional.
The State later said it would not seek the substantial
costs of that hearing against Ms Collins if she did not
appeal.
When she did, the State sought its costs against her but
the High Court refused that application and ordered
the State to pay 75 per cent of the substantial legal
costs incurred by the TD. She would have to pay the

remaining 25 per cent herself, it said.
The case raised exceptional issues affecting the
operation of the States finances, many of which had
never been previously considered, the High Court said
in its costs ruling.
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/highcourt/supreme-court-to-rule-on-joan-collins-appeal-onpromissory-notes-1.2907727
I hope it goes the right way but the judges are probably government
appointees. You know what that means.
judges have a stake in Nama probably
And all because of a unilateral decision by one man that

was allowed to stand.
Maybe she should take her case to the European Court of Justice?
After all, it's not permissible for a government to step in and offer
financial support to an ailing company no matter what their status
is. A number of leading European airlines went bust in the early
2000's which would have previously survived because of state
interventions. Why was an exception made to bail out a broken
bank?? The EU is as corrupt as our own lot in Dail Eireann...
New world order Rothschild banks get their way with the freemason
judges says it all..
Debt till death debt grip for the poor.. billions for the rich bankers!
As long as we have banks falsifying promissory obligations

(debts) to themselves when the neither give up nor risk
anything of value of the own the world will always be
enslaved.
Sad that the appeal was shot down. Thanks to Joan Collins
and David Hall for trying to redress a grave injustice on
the Irish People...
Don't forget folks. The Supreme Court are ruling on Joan

Collin's appeal on the Prom Notes ruling this morning...
For more on just how important this ruling is for us all...
We are involved in an act of civil

disobedience' - Musicians lend support
to homelessness sit-in
Homeless campaigners have vowed to continue their
occupation of a Nama-controlled office block despite

warnings that their presence is a health and safety risk.
Film director Jim Sheridan and Brendan Ogle at Apollo

House at Poolbeg St, Dublin.
The Irish Housing Network, backed by a number of
musicians and celebrities, occupied the vacant former
Department of Social Protection offices at Apollo House in
Dublin city centre for use as a shelter for rough sleepers
on Thursday night.
Oscar-winning singer-songwriter Glen Hansard of The
Frames and fellow singer-songwriter Damian Dempsey are
among those who joined the occupation.
Mr Hansard acknowledged last night that the sit-in was
illegal, but said it was a necessary act of civil
disobedience.
Oscar-winning singer Glen Hansard at the sit-in.

Speaking on The Late Late Show, he said Apollo House
was effectively owned by the taxpayers.
That is essentially our building. We are just going to take
it for a few months, he said. What we are trying to do is
get a national conversation started. This should be a
national emergency.
Not since the Famine have families been homeless like
they are right now. It is really, really difficult.
Follow
The Late Late Show

Show
#
10:15 PM - 16 Dec 2016
Film director Jim Sheridan, actor John Connors, and

musicians Hozier, and Christy Moore are among the other
well-known figures supporting the campaign, either in
person or through social media messages.
However, the Department of Housing disputed the need to
take over the property, saying an additional 210 beds had
been provided for rough sleepers this winter and there
was emergency accommodation available for anyone who
wanted it.
The receivers for the property, Mazars, meanwhile said the
building was not suitable for living accommodation and
the occupation presented a health and safety and

insurance risk for which they could not take responsibility.
Follow
David Doyle Arts

Outside Apollo House in solidarity with the people so
come down and support the homeless
2:28 PM - 16 Dec 2016
1 1 Retweet3 3 likes
Mazars said the campaigners were trespassing and asked
them to leave with immediate effect. In the
circumstances we have no option but to refer the matter
to our legal advisers to pursue the appropriate course of
action, they said.
The Irish Housing Network and the Home Sweet Home
campaign said they had no plans to leave and were last
night seeking volunteers with first aid training, CPR skills
or experience working in homeless or community services
to get in touch.
The coalition Home Sweet Home has occupied the former

Department of Social Protection building, Apollo House, as
part of a campaign to highlight the homelessness crisis
They said many other volunteers offering general help had
already been in contact and would be responded to over
the coming days.
Sinn Fin president Gerry Adams, who visited the
occupation yesterday morning, applauded the campaign.
It is an indication of the extent of the homelessness crisis
that activists have been pushed to occupy a building
thats been lying idle for six years in order to provide
some form of refuge for those forced to sleep on our
streets, he said.
Follow
Come Here To Me
Dropped down to Apollo House, best wishes to all the
occupiers. There is a housing crisis in Dublin.
#
4:33 PM - 16 Dec 2016
In the Dil, Fianna Fil TD Anne Rabbitte urged Housing

Minister Simon Coveney to facilitate the occupation if it
was needed over Christmas.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/we-are-involved-in-an-act-of-civildisobedience--musicians-lend-support-to-homelessness-sit-in-435679.html
Simon Coveney: Apollo House sit-in

'not the way to deal with homeless
crisis'
The Housing Minister Simon Coveney has said the Apollo

House sit-in is not the way to tackle Dublin's homeless
crisis.
Apollo House on Tara Street has been renamed "Home
Sweet Home" by a group of activists and artists who have
occupied the NAMA-owned property and are converting it
into homeless accommodation.
Speaking in the Dil yesterday, Mr Coveney said that a
major homeless initiative is already working for the city.
He also praised Dublin City Council for creating 210 safe
new beds for the homeless in just one month.
The Minister said: "To occupy a building and to try and put
those supports together in an ad hoc way, while I
understand the frustration and motivation behind it, is not
the way to deal with this.
"Instead, I am a very accessible Minister when it comes to
CEOs of homeless organisations. From Focus Ireland, the
Simon Community, the Peter McVerry Trust to Vincent de
Paul - whoever, the CEOs have my phone number and can
call me directly at any point in time."
Limerick bus initiative ensures

homelessness no barrier to education
A community-supported school bus is ensuring that 15
homeless children living in emergency accommodation in
the city get to school every day.
Thursday, December 15, 2016
By Daniel Keating
The school children are among a total of 57 living in

emergency accommodation in Limerick, according to
latest figures.
The daily bus service to Corpus Christi National School in
Moyross is supported by school principal Tiernan ONeill
and financed through local community fundraising
activities.
The driving force behind the service is Moyross parish
priest Father Tony ORiordan who said the service costs up
to 5,000 to run annually.
For children on the bus that are homeless, we dont know
where home is going to be. That can be stressful for an
adult but can you imagine how an eight or 10-year-old
feels, he said.
I know of one situation where a baby was born, released
from hospital and that child began its life at four days old
in a hotel room with his older sister. We have had one
family that has been in 14 different locations within a
three-week period, he continued.
The Moyross school bus begins its school run at 7.30am
and brings up to 15 school children living in emergency
accommodation in the city to school every day.
Principal of Corpus Christi National School, Tiernan ONeill,
said, What the bus enables us to do, is provide a safe
environment for the children during the day and ensures
that their journey to school is a smooth one.
The bus service is used by up to 15 children throughout
the day, during a number of runs. We fund the service
through a number of activities including bag packing and
cake sales, he continued.
According to most recent figures, 197 people, 57 of whom
are children, are in emergency accommodation in
Limerick.
Three hostels in Limerick city are accommodating men
and women; St Patricks Hostel, Thomond House and
McGarry House; all of which are operating at full capacity,
and have waiting lists.
Suaimhneas, which provides emergency accommodation
for families, is also operating at full capacity.
According to Fr ORiordan some homeless families need to
find emergency accommodation themselves.
The children dont have a permanent address and may be
sleeping in their relatives, grandparents or uncles and
aunts, he said.
The system with the Homeless Action Team is that they

will calculate a rough budget, they will give you a cheque
that you will need to present at the hotel and in many
cases hotels can be fully booked, he continued.
He explained that in some cases families dont get enough
money which means supplementing them.
They have been given 300 but the hotel is actually
450, so the money is not matching the need, he said.
Limerick TD Maurice Quinlivan has pledged to seek
government support for the bus service, insisting, nobody
should be homeless with children.
The government should deliver on homes for people to
be able to live in. There should be funding provided for the
bus, I will ask Minister Simon Coveney to intervene and
provide funding for this bus, said Mr Quinlivan.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/limerick-bus-initiative-ensureshomelessness-no-barrier-to-education-435455.html
Doctors, plumbers and

Mattress Mick have got behind
the group occupying Apollo
House
It just shows that if government doesnt do something, people will.
December 17, 16
Image: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie
/Photo Text content

THE GROUP OCCUPYING Apollo House in Dublin city
say they are heartened by the public support they have
received since moving into the vacant office building.
The Home Sweet Home group moved into the building
late on Thursday night, occupying the former Department
of Social Protection building, which was vacated last year.
The group includes high-profile names such as musicians
Damien Dempsey and Glen Hansard, actor John Connors
and others.
Last night, Hansard said the occupation was an act of
civil disobedience.
Grand Canal in Dublin.
Hansards Late Late Show appearance also saw him appeal
for help from volunteers. That call has been answered,
Rosi Leonard of the Irish Housing Network told
TheJournal.ie.
Its going really well. Weve had 800 offers to volunteer in
the last ten hours and just this morning a woman got the
train from Galway just to drop in two bags of supplies.
There are people staying here who would have been
sleeping on the streets last night.
Leonard said the group has put out a call for skilled people
including medical staff and tradespeople to help and this
has been answered across the board.
There has also been a donation of 30 mattresses by
Mattress Mick.
#MattressMick supplied mattresses arriving at #HomeStreetHome

in the early hours of Friday morning. irg activists, along with
dozens of others from many groups and from none, helped to get
the citizen-operated homeless accommodation up and running.
The first residents were in their rooms within a couple of hours of
the NAMA building being taken over. This is people power in
action. Video shot by Damien Farrell
Planning and Development Housing and

Residential Tenancies Bill 2016 Report
Stage 16 12 16
Dec 17, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=0nDoD6tvK5U&feature=youtu.be
Seamus Healy TD Proposed FOCUS IRELAND Amendment

To Halt Evictions from dedicated Buy-To-LETS
FULL SPEECH LIVE https://youtu.be/0nDoD6tvK5U
DEFEATED BY GOVERNMENT (FG, INDEPENDENT
ALLIANCE) BECAUSE FF ABSTAINED
FOR 43: Against 52: Abstained 27 Missing- 157-122= 35
(Full Details not yet Posted on Oireachtas
FINA FAIL ABSTAINED, LOUSER'S SHAMEFUL PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY
DUBLIN SEE YOU THERE 21ST JANUARY 2 PM
Someone needs to keep a note of all FF abstentions for future
reference.
I think I will do it myself
This picture is from one of the rooms from the nama building which
was took over by homeless protesters, what you guys think? Better
than the streets anyway!
Legal notice served against activists occupying

Dublin office block
Lawyers for Apollo House receivers said they cannot allow property
be unlawfully occupied
Lawyers for Apollo House receivers said they cannot

allow property be unlawfully occupied
Apollo House, a vacant Nama-owned property in Dublin city centre
has been taken over by concerned citizens, including high-profile
personalities and is being used to accommodate homeless people.
Video: Bryan O'Brien
Housing activists who took over an empty office block

in Dublin to accommodate the homeless have been
served with legal notice to vacate the building or face
court action.
The protestors, including a number of high profile
artists and musicians and calling themselves Home
Sweet Home, gained entry to the vacant office building,
Apollo House, on Thursday night.
A number of rough sleepers slept there on Thursday
and Friday nights.
Solicitors for the buildings receivers wrote to the
protestors on Friday evening, saying that while they
sympathetic to the plight of those that are homeless
they cannot allow the property to unlawfully occupied
by trespassers.
This was particularly in light of the condition of the
property and the obvious health and safety concerns.
R
R
R
Apollo House occupation not the solution to

homelessness crisis
Dublins empty buildings: could they solve the
housing problem?
Brendan Ogle: Why we have occupied Apollo House
A&L Goodbody solicitors, acting for the receivers, Tom

OBrien and Simon Coyle of Mazars, say Home Sweet
Home are trespassing and they want to meet them
as soon as possible with a view to agreeing an
immediate and orderly vacation of the property in the
interests of the health a safety of those who are
unlawfully trespassing on the property.
In the event that those who are unlawfully trespassing

on the property are not willing to vacate the property
the receivers will have no alternative but to apply to
court for the necessary orders compelling those
persons to vacate the property.
Brendan Ogle, co-founder of Home Sweet Home, said
the coalition would be happy to meet Mr OBrien and
Mr Coyle to discuss the best use of the building.
He said the building was safe for people to sleep in.
We have had Dublin Fire Brigade in to inspect the
premises and they are very happy with the rules and
systems we have in place here. So that is great. We also
have a team of maintenance workers, plumber, joiners,
that sort of thing. So we are very happy everything is
being done correctly and to the highest standards. And
yes well meet them [THE RECEIVERS]. Why not?
Among the founders of Home Sweet Home are
musicians Christy Moore, Glen Hansard, Hozier,
Damien Dempsey, Liam O Maonla, director Jim
Sheridan, actors Saoirse Ronan and John Connors, and
members of the band Kodaline.
Spokeswoman Rosie Leonard said there were five
homeless families in the building on Friday evening,
and this number would increase as maintenance
issues were resolved and office space made suitable
for bedrooms.
Electricity and water had been connected and turned
on. She said she expected up to 30 people could be
accommodated on a few floors in the 10-storey
building.
The property was part of a portfolio of loans relating to
Shelbourne Developments, a company controlled by
Garrett Kelleher, which were taken over by Nama. In
April 2014, Nama appointed Mazars as a receiver to
the properties.
The most recent rough sleeper count, in November,
found 142 people sleeping rough in Dublin and 77

people sleeping on roll-out mats in the Merchants
Quay night cafe, bringing the total number of adults
unable to access an emergency bed to 219.
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/legal-notice-servedon-activists-occupying-dublin-office-block-1.2910168
The row between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael shows no sign
of abating. As Simon Coveney seeks to cap rent rises in
Dublin and Cork at 4% a year for the next three years Dec
15th 2016
https://soundcloud.com/the-floating-voter-independent-ie/this-timeits-personal-fix-our-rental-problems
Rent rise cap of 4% on the

way as FF drops objections
Simon Coveneys plan to cap rent hikes at 4% to go ahead
as inter-party tensions heighten
Fri, Dec 16, 2016, 01:00 Updated: Fri, Dec 16, 2016, 07:12
Sarah Bardon, Pat Leahy

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
A 4 per cent ceiling on rent increases in Dublin and

Cork, with other cities and commuter counties to
follow, will be introduced next year after Fianna Fil
withdrew most of its objections to a package of
measures published earlier this week by Minister for
Housing Simon Coveney.
However, officials had to scramble to salvage the
legislation on Thursday night after Sinn Fin spotted a

drafting error that would have allowed annual
increases of up to 8 per cent.
The Government was forced to table an emergency
amendment to the legislation to correct the mistake.
The last-minute hiccup came after a tense few days in
Leinster House. Relations between Fine Gael and
Fianna Fil were greatly strained by the dispute over
the rent strategy before an agreement was reached on
Thursday afternoon.
Fine Gael TDs were pleased at what they perceived to
be a victory over Fianna Fil, while senior figures in
Fianna Fil said that the events of recent days had
breached trust between the two parties.
Major coup
The move is seen as a major coup for Mr Coveney, after

he faced down Fianna Fil demands to alter the terms
of the package. Fianna Fil sought that the 4 per cent
rent increase ceiling be reduced to 2 per cent and also
argued for tax incentives for landlords.
R
R
R
Noonan briefed construction lobby on housing plan

two weeks before budget
First-time buyers tax refund was opposed by
Government officials
Landlords threaten to impose levies in response to
4% rent cap
The Fianna Fil housing spokesman, Barry Cowen, also

wanted the geographical scope of the rent controls to
be extended, an issue on which Mr Coveney ceded
some ground, promising an early review to include
Limerick, Galway and Waterford, as well as counties
around Dublin that are home to thousands of
commuters.
Fianna Fil will now abstain on the legislation to give
effect to the measures, allowing it to pass in the Dil on
Friday, after TDs sat late last night debating the Bill.
TDs will first have to vote on the amendment to correct

the drafting mistake, highlighted by Sinn Fin TD Eoin
Broin, which would have provided for an annual
increase of twice the intended limit of 4 per cent.
Opposition TDs last night disputed that the
Governments amendment would have the desired
effect, with Labour TD Jan OSullivan accusing the
Government of making it up as you go along.
Sources in Leinster House say there is likely to be
fallout between the two big parties after a difficult
week.
Lack of consultation
Fianna Fil sources say that Fine Gael was guilty of an

abuse of the confidence and supply arrangement by not
consulting with them before the strategy was
published.
Mr Cowen said the dispute would not have taken place
if Mr Coveney had consulted him prior to the
publication of the strategy.
However, Fine Gael TDs rejected the charges and said
that, while Fianna Fil had an input into legislation,
the Government had to be allowed to govern and to
legislate. The Minister for Housing received strong
support from his Fine Gael colleagues after he refused
to budge on the 4 per cent rent cap.
Mr Coveney, who was supported by the Taoiseach,
insisted to Fianna Fil he would under no
circumstances alter that rate, pledging to withdraw the
legislation rather than make the changes Fianna Fil
wanted.
This put Fianna Fil in a position where it feared being
blamed if the legislation fell or was delayed. Agreement
was eventually reached after a series of discussions
between Mr Cowen and Mr Coveney.
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/rent-rise-cap-of-4-on-theway-as-ff-drops-objections-1.2907844
Omg, we have this shower by the short and curleys, we

need to realise the card we are holding, their positions of
power are only held because of our inaction, its past time
to kick them into touch, water and homelessness are
trump cards we hold, and they know it.....come on!
Dil backs Simon

Coveney's rental control
plan
Paul Melia, Niall O'Connor and John Downing
PUBLISHED
16/12/2016
1
File Photo: Reuters
The Dil tonight backed Simon Coveney's

rental control plan.
TDs voted by 52 to 43 in favour - but there were 25
abstentions, mainly from Fianna Fil, which effectively
allowed the measure to become law.
That Dil vote means the draft law will go to the Seanad
next week for the senators' approval.

Earlier a Fianna Fil TD became emotional as he raised
the plight of the homeless in Dublin.
Galway East deputy Anne Rabbitte voice quivered as she
spoke about seeing people lay down their mattresses on
Grafton Street.
Lets show the heart if at all it can be shown...at the
moment there are 2,500 children thats what there is, she
told the Dil.
During the debate on the Governments rent strategy, the
plight of those currently sleeping rough in Apollo House
in Dublin City was raised repeatedly.
Meanwhile landlords have threatened to impose a raft of
new charges on tenants in response to the Governments
decision to cap rents in Dublin and Cork.
A group representing 5,000 property owners says they will
consider pulling out of State-sponsored rental schemes,
impose a charge to collect keys to a unit and oblige tenants
to fund letting costs.
In a statement, the Irish Property Owners Association
claims its members are hard-pressed and victims of the
newest onslaught on the sector.
The threat comes after Housing Minister Simon Coveney
announced a limit whereby landlords could only raise
rents by a maximum of 4pc every year in Dublin and Cork,
but the measures are likely to be extended to all cities and
some commuter belt towns.
The IPOA has sought legal advice, and says that rent
controls were deemed unconstitutional in the early 1980s.
The measures being introduced are so severe that rents
will not cover costs and devaluation of property will be
significant all adding to the exit of the Investor, it said.
It is notable that Government and those demanding
change are oblivious to the huge burden that all these
measures will have on the tenants and the loss of supply.
Among the actions include withdrawing from State
sponsored rental schemes, introducing a key payment at
handover, passing on service charges and imposing a
registration fee.
It has also threated to introduce car parking fees, passing
on letting costs, call out and key replacement costs and
asking tenants to contribute towards the cost of the
property tax.
http://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/propertymortgages/dil-backs-simon-coveneys-rental-control-plan35300054.html
Over 20,000 homes in

Dublin are vacant
Greater Dublin area contains more than 20,000 empty
apartments and houses
about 20 hours ago Updated: about 12 hours ago
Olivia Kelly
Video

More than 20,000 apartments and houses, excluding

holiday homes, are vacant in Dublin city and suburbs,
with nearly 9,000 of those in the city centre, according
to this years census.
In addition, just in excess of 2,000 commercial
properties are vacant, according to Dublin City
Council, which gives a discount on rates on empty
buildings.
Both these figures might seem unacceptably high,
given the acute need for housing in the city.
However, the building selected by the homeless
campaigners to illustrate the scandal of empty
properties, is curiously, not one that has been left to
moulder.
Apollo House on Tara Street had until last year been
leased by the Department of Social Protection.
The 1969 building is currently vacant because, along
with its neighbour Hawkins House it is the subject of a

planning application to the city council for its
demolition and redevelopment.
The 50 million scheme involves the demolition of all
buildings on site and their replacement with a new
office and retail complex.
A decision on the applications made by the OPW in
relation to Hawkins House and receivers Mazars in
relation to Apollo House is expected to be made by the
council early next year.
The number of empty commercial buildings in the city
has fallen significantly and is about half what it was in
2009 and 2010, and vacancy rates in the city centre are
significantly lower than those in the suburbs, less than
4 per cent as opposed to just over 10 per cent in
suburban Dublin.
Residential vacancy rate

Commercial buildings are unlikely to provide a
solution to homelessness and housing shortages, but
there is potential in returning vacant houses to use.
The census showed a residential vacancy rate for
Dublin city of 9 per cent, which is lower than the
national rate of 13 per cent, but the number of vacant
homes is still substantial particularly in some parts of
the city centre.
Between the canals 8,857 apartments and houses were
deemed vacant by enumerators, who called several
times to each property in an attempt to establish if they
were in use.
In the inner city, residential vacancy rates were
particularly high, with districts immediately north and
south of the river showing vacancy rates above 20 per
cent and in almost all parts of the city centre more than
10 per cent of homes were empty.
Although mostly these homes were apartments and
flats which present difficulties for enumerators in

establishing occupancy.
Lawyers representing Nama have issued an order to

vacate Apollo House, after it was occupied by activists
who converted it into emergency accommodation for the
homeless.
The group which is occupying the building on Dublin's Tara
Street says vacant properties owned by the State agency
should be used to house the homeless. They renamed
Apollo House 'Home Sweet Home'.
Rosi Leonard from the Irish Housing Network, gave her
reaction to the order issued to them to leave.
She said: "It seems obscene that Nama isnt being utilised
to help prevent the (homelessness) crisis.
"Our main concern is ending the homelessness crisis. As to
how we proceed on that, it remains to be seen."
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/over-20-000-homes-indublin-are-vacant-1.2909055#.WFUgMNDyvOM.facebook
Banksters Possession Order Struck-Out

for Misrepresentation
14/10/2013
The following is a transcript of a recent High Court judgment,

explaining the reasons for the striking-out of a possession
order over a property, which was obtained by Spanish bank
Santanders misrepresentation of whether a purported
mortgage they were seeking to enforce had been securitised.
To the very best of my knowledge, this is the very first time
that a mortgagor has won a mortgage case against a bankster
in the High Court since the founding of the Ministry of Justice.
Provided that the judgment is not set aside by either the Court
of Appeal of the Supreme Court,this unprecedented case could
provide a powerful authority to all those who are alleging
misrepresentation against UK and Irish mortgage agreement
companies in Her Majestys Courts.
Neutral Citation No. [2013] NICh 14
Ref:
DEE8994
Ex tempore Judgment: approved by the Court for handing down
Delivered:
19/09/2013
(subject to editorial corrections)*

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE IN NORTHERN IRELAND
________
QUEENS BENCH DIVISION
________
BETWEEN
SANTANDER (UK) plc
Plaintiff/Respondent
and
THOMAS ANTHONY CARLIN & MAXINE KARON HUGHES
Defendants/Appellants
________
DEENY J
Application
[1] The court here is dealing with a situation which happily is
unusual.
Thomas Anthony Carlin and Maxine Karen Hughes have
appealed from an Order
for possession granted by the Master relating to their home
because they
are in arrears of payments on an interest only mortgage on the
property. As
a number of personal litigants do in recent times they
challenged the right
of Santander UK plc to enforce the mortgage because they
suspected that
they may have transferred it away.
[2] It is clear law, as has been recently reaffirmed by the Court
of Appeal
in England in Paragon Finance v Pender and Another [2005] 1
W. L. R. 3412
that a legal owner of a charge can part with the equitable
interest in it
without losing their right to enforce the charge. Therefore, this
point in
many cases is likely to prove a short-term gain for any
borrower because it
is simply a matter of the right person establishing that they are
entitled
to assert what had been agreed between the parties under the
mortgage would
happen in default of the payments agreed. Nevertheless, it is
essential
that the court is making an order in favour of the correct party
who has
the right to enforce a legal charge, as much as any other
contract between
parties.
[3] A most unhappy situation has developed here. Santander
UK plc sought
the Order for possession. They put in an affidavit in support;
they chose
to do it in a particular way, that is through their solicitor. Now,
Mr
Carlin in one of several documents which he submitted to the
court has
sought to rely on a judgment of Mr Justice Peart in the High
Court in
Dublin where he objected to hearsay evidence of debts. It
seems clear that
there is no equivalent of the Civil Evidence Order in the
Republic of
Ireland and explains the judges remarks. We do have a Civil
Evidence
Order. Parties are entitled to put in an affidavit and to rely on
hearsay
evidence with the court assessing its weight. In any event even
before the
Civil Evidence Order an affidavit with the deponent saying that
they had
been informed of something by a named person and that they
believed it was
true, in appropriate cases for the smooth administration of
justice was
received. This is often done, particularly in originating
summonses cases.
But it is important that it is done carefully and conscientiously.
The
system only works if both the lawyer is scrupulous in what the
lawyer says
and the client is honest in what they inform the lawyer.
[4] Here we have the situation where, it is now admitted that
paragraph 15
of the affidavit of Miss Valerie Gibson, solicitor, for the lender
Santander plc of 6 December 2012 is simply wrong. Mr Carlin
would say it is
a lie and at the moment I do not see how that can be clearly
gain said; it
is not Ms Gibsons lie but when somebody told her that the
mortgage had not
been assigned they were either being careless or untruthful
and at this
precise moment in time I do not know which is the case. And

what is more Mr
Carlin asserts and Mr Gibson with his customary and proper
candour does not
dispute that the Master was told that there had been no
assignment here and
so that these issues did not arise. So the Order of the court
below was
obtained improperly by a misrepresentation to the court,
misrepresentation
put by the advocate for the lender to the Master and put in a
sworn
affidavit.
[5] That would be a serious enough state of affairs but at the
review of
this matter before me when listing this case for hearing today,
19
September, the plaintiff was given an opportunity and was
directed on that
occasion on 10 June to serve a rejoinder affidavit to Mr Carlins
affidavit
and that of Miss Hughes within two weeks from that day, that
is by 24 June.
They did not do so. They did not serve affidavits, as far as the
court was
concerned, until 16 September, only three days before the
hearing. Mr
Carlin says he got an unsworn, undated draft two days before
that. That is
utterly unsatisfactory. It shows a disregard for the orders of the
court
which would be disreputable in a litigant in person and is
equally
disreputable on the part of a large commercial enterprise
which should know
better. No satisfactory excuse is offered for that.
[6] Furthermore, the matter is worsened by the disregard by
Santander of
the decision of Mr Justice Horner in Swift Advances plc v James
and Maureen
McCourt [2012] NI Ch. 33. He on that occasion, on behalf of
Swift did have
in court an official of Swift giving oral evidence before him
because this
or a similar point had been raised there. Of course it failed
ultimately
because Mr White, the Risk Manager of the plaintiff, gave

sworn testimony
that he had made the checks and the plaintiff had not sold the
loan of the
McCourts to any third party and it had not legally nor,
apparently in that
case, equitably assigned the charge, which the judge accepted
and so Swift
succeeded.
[7] The judge, and as I have already previously said in this
court, wisely
in my view, commended the course that the solicitor acting for
the
financial institution should expressly warn the proposed
deponent on behalf
of the financial institution of the serious consequences he or
she bears
personally and the consequences for his or her employer if he
or she swears
an affidavit that is false in any respect. Next, their solicitor
should
confirm to the court that the deponent has been so advised
before the
affidavit is sworn. Thirdly, the deponent on behalf of the
financial
institution should then swear the affidavit dealing with the
plaintiffs
title to seek an order for possession. It is only if some
uncertainty is
left then that one should go on to deal with applications for
specific
discovery. So it can be seen here that Santander have further
disregarded
the decisions of this court because they have not deigned to
swear the
affidavit themselves but have required Miss Gibson to do it.
Now the matter
that is set out therein may or may not be right but it seems to
me as it
contradicts the earlier information on affidavit as it was given
to the
Master that Mr Carlin is entitled to cross-examine this lady as
to whether
it is true and perhaps is entitled to further discovery.
[8] His initial application today was to adjourn the matter
because he had
not got the skeleton argument in time and he had just been
presented with
this change of front at a very late stage and the court was
sympathetic to
that application. I heard from Mr Gibson. I gave the opportunity
to Mr
Carlin as to whether he had any further application and of
course he might
have made several applications at that time but he has
chosen, as he put
it, to ask me to strike out the order, and as he put it, I think not
unreasonably in the circumstances, on the basis of untruth.
Now the court
of course recognises that everybody makes errors. They should
not make them
on affidavits, but at this point I do not know whether this was
an honest
error, I do not know whether somebody was playing fast and
loose with the
truth. No explanation of the earlier misstatement is given in
the new
affidavit. What is certainly the case is that Santander have
been in breach
of the directions of the court, they have been in breach of the
judgment of
Swift v McCourt and they obtained an order by at least, as I
said earlier,
misrepresenting the facts to the Master.
[9] In all those circumstances I conclude therefore that the
appeal should
succeed and I reverse the order of the Learned Master, making
it clear that
this is no reflection on him, and strike out the order for
possession.
STATUTE LAW REVISION (PRE-1922) BILL 2004
http://www.oireachtas.ie/documents/bills28/bills/2004/5004/b5
0a04s.pdf
Letter Mr Donald Tusk President of the European Council
Digital_Single_Market_a_chance_for_investment_growth_and_jo
bs_in_Europe_-_Taoiseach_
http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/eng/News/Government_Press_Rele
ases/Digital_Single_Market_a_chance_for_investment_growth_a
nd_jobs_in_Europe_-_Taoiseach_.pdf
Digital Single Market a major opportunity to

boost the dynamism and competitiveness of
the European economy Taoiseach
Taoiseach Enda Kenny has been joined by 15 other EU leaders in
a letter this week to European Council President Donald Tusk
emphasising the importance of pressing ahead with full
implementation of the EU Digital Single Market. He is highlighting
the vast potential of the Digital Single Market (DSM) as a major
opportunity to boost the dynamism and competitiveness of the
European economy, significantly reduce transaction costs for
business, and provide a real dividend for consumers.
Speaking in the Dil on Tuesday ahead of this week's European
Council meeting, the Taoiseach said:
"In adapting our shared market rules to the digital realities of the
early twenty-first century, we will either create the right economic
environment here in Europe or accept that the most promising
digital opportunities are beyond our grasp. The reality is that
barriers to doing business digitally and across borders are now
barriers to growth and jobs.
That is why I am leading an initiative in advance of this weeks
meeting and will be joined by 15 Member States in my letter to
President Tusk reaffirming the importance of maintaining strong
political momentum on the Digital Single Market.
This builds on work that Minister Dara Murphy has been
coordinating with a core group of digitally advanced countries. We
have specific concerns about the risk of delay in presenting a
legislative proposal to prevent unjustified data localisation
requirements under the 'free flow of data' initiative, as highlighted
at the Telecoms Council on 2 December, and more general
concern that meeting the 2018 deadline for full DSM
implementation set by the June European Council will require
further stepping up of engagement with key dossiers in both
Council and Parliament.
The 15 countries supporting this week's political initiative by the
Taoiseach are: Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands,
Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, and UK. Others are
supportive but unable to join on this occasion because of recent
Government changes.
According to the letter:
"We need to give clear political priority to creating the right

conditions across Europe for innovation, investment and
entrepreneurship, including by recognising the crucial role of fastgrowing young firms in employment growth.
More generally, the key challenge we face is pressing ahead with
conviction to execute the DSM legislative programme: stretching
our political ambition, agreeing concrete timelines, and delivering
early and practical results, particularly for European consumers
and SMEs.
We agreed in June that all DSM measures should be completed
and implemented by 2018. Delivering on this commitment will
clearly require further stepping up of our work in the Council, and
setting stronger expectations for effective engagement with the
European Parliament. Otherwise we risk missing our deadline and
jeopardising our ambition to establish a dynamic Digital Single
Market in the Union.
A previous letter by the Taoiseach in June 2015 was joined by 7
other leaders and also stressed the importance of a high level of
ambition for a fully functioning DSM. This informed the
endorsement by the June 2015 European Council of the current
Digital Single Market Strategy that was presented by the
Commission the previous month.
The Taoiseach will also be highlighting at this week's meeting the
related importance of completing the Single Market for services,
including pressing for a high level of ambition for the forthcoming
Services Package expected from the Commission in January.
ENDS
http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/eng/News/Taoiseach's_Press_Relea
ses/Digital_Single_Market_a_major_opportunity_to_boost_the_d
ynamism_and_competitiveness_of_the_European_economy_
_Taoiseach.html
Conversation between Taoiseach and Vice

President-Elect Pence
Taoiseach Enda Kenny and US Vice President-Elect Pence
spoke on the phone tonight and the Taoiseach began by
congratulating the Vice President-Elect on his recent
electoral success.
The Taoiseach also expressed his intention to engage
positively with the new administration on a number of
issues to the mutual benefit of Ireland and the U.S.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny also raised the issue of the
undocumented Irish in the U.S and expressed his
determination to work with the President and Vice
President-Elect in seeking a solution to the issue.
The Taoiseach also referred to the economic ties between
the two countries, including the long standing and
productive relationship Ireland has with many US
companies, as well as the fact that there are 100,000
Americans employed in Irish companies across America.
Both men spoke of Vice President-Elect Pence's strong
Irish heritage and the Taoiseach expressed the wish that
the Vice President-Elect might visit here again sometime
in the future.
Vice President-Elect Pence expressed an in-depth
understanding of Irish and Irish/American issues during a
warm conversation that lasted 15 minutes.
Ends
Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential

Tenancies Bill 2016 [Seanad]
216s-memo.pdf
Builders bid for smaller

apartments sparks
Ministers fury
Government reacts angrily to construction federations
lobbying for more concessions
Mon, Dec 5, 2016, 01:00 Updated: Mon, Dec 5, 2016, 08:24
Fiach Kelly Political Correspondent
Construction Industry Federation director general Tom Parlon, a former

Progressive Democrats junior minister, argued for smaller apartments, similar
to the standards that apply in the UK. Photograph: Eric Luke
Pleas from the Construction Industry Federation for

further State concessions for developers, including a
radical reduction in apartment sizes, were firmly rejected
by Ministers at a meeting last week.
The Irish Planning Institute (IPI) has expressed concern at reports
today that further changes to apartment standards are being
sought by some in the construction industry.
President Deirdre Fallon said The Government has already made
significant concessions to overcome the misguided perception
that the planning system is holding back development. If there is a
perception among some developers that further changes can be
achieved it increases the likelihood that they will hold back supply.
The planning process has played its part. There should be a clear
message from Government that it is now up to the sector to
deliver quality, sustainable housing in our towns and cities.
Taxation in Ireland EFFECTIVE ZERO TAX RATE FOR
FOREIGN DIVIDENDS 2016
http://www.idaireland.com/docs/publications/Taxation_201
6.pdf
Ireland Tax Alert . ... measures to enhance Irelands
intellectual property (IP) regime and underpin ... Irish
regime up to 31 December 2020
https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/global/Do
cuments/Tax/dttl-tax-alert-ireland-101414.pdf
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (IP) IN IRELAND | 08
INTERNATIONALISATION | 09 ... Irelands tax regime does not
involve the filing of consolidated tax returns.
http://www.idaireland.com/docs/publications/Taxation_in_Ir
eland_2015.pdf
Ireland announces
improvements to IP
regime and phasing
out of "double Irish"
http://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/Ireland_announ
ces_improvements_to_IP_regime_and_phasing_out_of_dou
ble_Irish/$FILE/2014G_CM4787_Ireland%20announces
%20improvements%20to%20IP%20regime%20and
%20phasing%20out%20of%20double%20Irish.pdf
Tax Sandwich - Irish Business Law Firm Mason

Hayes Curran
for an orderly exit from Ireland, the regime ... Head of Tax, at
Mason Hayes & Curran Tax Sandwich: ... non-US intellectual
property in an Irish
http://www.mhc.ie/fs/doc/publications/mhctimes/Tax_Sandwich.pdf
WILLIAN FRY AVIATION FINANCE THE IRISH SECTION 110
REGIME
http://www.williamfry.com/docs/default-source/practicearea-industry-sector-brochures/aviation---the-irish-section110-regime.pdf?sfvrsn=2
DIRECTORATE GENERAL FOR INTERNAL

POLICIES - European Parliament
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/IDAN/2015
/563454/IPOL_IDA(2015)563454_EN.pdf
Intellectual Property Tax Treatment in Ireland
http://www.offshoreinvestment.com/media/uploads/Hickso
n.pdf
Irish Government announces Budget 2016 and publishes ...
only intellectual property ... to the Irish tax regime
http://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/Irish_Governme
nt_announces_Budget_2016_and_publishes_update_on_int
ernational_tax_strategy/$FILE/2015G_CM5877_Irish
%20Gvmt%20announces%20Budget%202016%20and
%20publishes%20update%20on%20international%20tax
%20strategy.pdf
Ireland to exploit intellectual property. ... friendly taxation
regime. ... the effective rate of tax on income from
intellectual property.
http://www.techlaw.org/wpcontent/uploads/2010/07/Arthur-Cox-Choosing-Ireland-asa-location-for-your-Intellectual-Property-Trading-CompanyOct-10.pdf
Generating cash from Irish R&D ... R&D. Allied to the new
Intellectual Property (IP) tax regime introduced in 2009 ...
provisions of Irelands R&D tax credit regime.
http://www.pwc.com/gx/en/pharma-life-sciences/pdf/irishrd-activities.pdf
Watching the RTE News this evening with breath bated in

excitement, just like the thousands of others from all over the
country, only one question mattered, how does the rising go.
Once again, rebels and poets, (well singers actually), have taken
over Government property and risen against injustice and tyranny, a

motley crew of sinister elements, almost as distasteful as those
thuggish water protesters, as Pearse and Connolly before them,
holding democracy, indeed the political process, hostage. How
would those mandarins of unvarnished accuracy and principled
factualism in Montrose handle this glorious opportunity of
engagement and revelation from the front line?
All across the country we waited, our ears to the radio in hysterical
exhilaration, waiting in a frenzied anticipation of news from the
trenches, neighbours popping in to ask, is the GPO on fire yet? Is it
true that the battleships are in the bay? Will there be more
executions? All these questions, yet still, hours later, unbelievingly
and disappointingly, not a word from the capital. We were never
going to see the housing minister fearlessly throw himself against
the enemy lines, a Lee Enfield in one hand and a handful of housing
policy documents in the other. Not a word from Simon Monotonous
Coveney, the man who has something to say about everything,
except for the horsemeat scandal of course. (It has gone away you
know). Not even a pompously egocentric sounds bite from Richard
the Half-hearted Bruton or a single reassuring illusory platitude
from Michael Kitten Soft Noonan.
How could they not tell us, even mention this momentous
happening? Did they not follow those water dissenters everywhere,
bravely and fearlessly reporting on their every insidious move
against impartiality and rationality, did they not brave the barbaric
horde as they held elected representatives hostage, all this in a
selfless quest for truth and justice.
What has gone wrong RTE? Why not identify these malcontents and
expose them on the news? Surely it is a crime to break into NAMA
property, and heartless to invite the homeless to sleep inside when
its so nice, and not even cold out at the moment, there is no excuse
for this anarchy. What if some of them are sick and spread disease,
will we have another Black Death? What if some of them are
mentally ill, will we even be safe in our beds? Surely the streets are
the place for these infected vagrants.
Where are our politicians when we need them, not a word, where is
RTE in our hour of need, not a word, its surely as mystifying as its
indefensible.
You would nearly think it isnt happening at all
/react-text Have to say fair play to Mattress Mick!
The Taoiseach had a simple message for these difficult

times last night: Keep calm and carry on suffering; youve
been brilliant. Just like your government. Big thanks to
everyone. What a knob, while he is sitting having hie
sumptuous Christmas dinner, thousands of other families

will be scraping by!
Simon Coveney has requested

an amendment to his housing
amendment after a 'drafting
error' was highlighted by Sinn
Fin's Eoin Broin
So Eoin Broin has spotted a mistake in Rent Increase

legislation and it's back to the drawing board after the
stunt Fianna Fil indulged in earlier. Not the first time Sinn
Fin corrected the Govt homework
Glen Hansard and Mattress Mick this afternoon. at

Apollo House.
Nama lawyers issue order to vacate Apollo

House
17/12/2016

who converted it into emergency accommodation for
the homeless.
The group which is occupying the building on Dublin's
Tara Street says vacant properties owned by the State
agency should be used to house the homeless. They
renamed Apollo House 'Home Sweet Home'.
She said: "It seems obscene that Nama isnt being
utilised to help prevent the (homelessness) crisis.
"Our main concern is ending the homelessness crisis.
As to how we proceed on that, it remains to be seen."
Nama building belongs to the people of Ireland were
taking it for a few months, says Glen Hansard
Singer Glen Hansard spoke passionately tonight about

his role in taking over Nama-owned Apollo House in
Dublin city centre for use as a homeless shelter.

The Oscar winning singer-songwriter was on The Late
Late Show to perform with the RT Orchestra and
afterwards spoke to host Ryan Tubridy about his
involvement with the Home Sweet Home group and
'Operation Nama'.
accommodating the homeless. To loud cheers from
The Late Late Show audience, Hansard confirmed the
group was occupying the Nama-owned building
illegally.
We are involved in an act of civil disobedience, he
said.
essentially belongs to the people of Ireland and that
has been lying empty.
The Government will shelter 200 people this
Christmas and theres 260 people between the Royal
Canal and the Grand Canal in Dublin. Now this is not
only a Dublin issue but between the Royal Canal and
the Grand Canal there are 260 people tonight
homeless.
asking people to volunteer, well be asking people to
get behind the idea. It is a radical idea.
Asked what the response would be if the group are told by the
authorities to vacate the building, Hansard said: You appeal
to the better nature of the Government and Nama.
This is a NAMA-owned building. If everybody pays tax in this
audience, if anyone knows their stuff they know that that is
essentially our building. We are just going to take it for a few
months.
The action came about through conversations with different
artists, singers and friends over the year, he told Tubridy.
Apollo House where a group of campaigners have taken over a vacant

building in Dublin city. Pic: Rollingnews.ie
I found myself part of a group of people who are essentially

concerned citizens and we wondered is there a way that we
could stage an intervention on our own behalf, he said.
So I find myself now part of group called Home Sweet Home.
It is a group of artists, a group of friends, a group of people
that we know and love. Like minded souls. Jim Sheridan
Andrew Hozier, Saoirse Ronan, Christy Moore.
Mattress Mick has been great, he has really helped us
out a lot. He has donated a lot of beds.
Home Sweet Home wants to start a national
conversation around homelessness, he told the
audience.
started, he said.
This should be a national emergency... The homelessness is
at a level now, not since the Famine have families been
homeless like they are right now. It is really, really difficult.
Well done to all involved, and shame on our

Government for the need to do this.
The government simply allowed 'market

forces', have-a-go landlords funding their kids
college fund or retirement nest egg, or
investors (who couldn't give two hoots about
moral social responsibility anyway) to fill the
void left by the non supply of social

housing...and this is what we get. 'Keep the
recovery going'...what bloody recovery?
CORRUPTION IS THE ROOT CAUSE OF MOST OF IRELAND'S WOES:

Hospital crisis, homelessness and evictions, child poverty, bank bail
outs, miscarriages of justice and corrupt judges, rogue Gardai, bent
lawyers, lying politicians, fake news from RTE, Dennis O' Brien's
excessive political clout are all a direct result of corruption in some
form or another. Corruption is not even seen as wrong by our
society. In fact it is rewarded in many instances. But the time has
now arrived where as a society, we must label all forms of

corruption as being bad for the people, bad for the country and bad
for the country's international image. The time has now arrived
where the nod and wink culture which runs our political system is
scorned by our society. The time has now arrived where ALL
instances of corruption are severely dealt with and not just the
occasional token prosecution. The time has now arrived where we
the people ourselves must highlight corruption, because there is no
media scrutiny due to the meda also being corrupt to the core. The
time has come to begin a peoples war against corruption. ACT Anti
Corruption Taskforce will be to the forefront in this war and we
intend to up the ante in 2017. Some of our actions will be pre
announced but some will not. We will continue to highlight
corruption outside the work places and homes of those people who
have been proven to be corrupt and who are benefiting from
corruption. We intend to occupy buildings that are known to house
corruption and where corrupt individuals make their living. We
intend to publicly confront corrupt individuals without warning and
without fear or favour. ACT Anti Corruption Taskforce will work hard
to ensure that there will be no hiding place in society for corrupt
people from 2017 onwards.
Bono has told the Taoiseach Enda Kenny, that he feels he

has a "moral obligation" to talk to the #HomeSweetHome
group on behalf of Nama!
Complex issues Simon Coveney, a roof over head is not complex, it's
a Human right, scrap the four increase for landlords, year on year
successive Irish coalition governments, you outh to be ashamed of
yourselves
Theyre trying to kick out our homeless from Apollo House! Court
order! Shame! Scum!
Damien Dempsey & Glen Hansard
Homelessness in Ireland has been going on too long.
Were going to end it
This is the link to the fb page for 'Home Sweet Home Eire'Volunteers
needed for so many things - you don't have to be able to go to the
building, helping online and in other ways too
Comment from a judge today in a certain court to a man on his
knees facing homelessness;
' How can you come in here claiming you have a right to your home
when you borrowed the money?'Mans eyes fell to the floor with
embarrassment.
Pity he was too traumatised to answer back with the following;
"We have more right to property than anyone in Europe because the
state used our money without permission to bail out the banks and
now the state is compliant with the banks in trying evict the people
who bailed them out'.
Just remember. All homelessness begins with the bank.
Never EVER leave your home.
There is NOWHERE to go.
Feed your family.
Make sure you have heat in for the winter.

Stay in your homes.
Fight the banks.
We will help you.
We are FREE.
Leaders Questions
I sat and looked at Leaders Questions today and I must say that
Francis Fitzgerald who serves as Tnaiste and Minister for Justice and
Equality has not got a clue about the homecare packages. Michael
Collins (Rural Independent Group) raised many questions about the
lack of these services and he also commented on the Private
Companies coming in to take over the work of the local home Helps,
he also made the point that the Home help service could save this
state 147 million and 264 thousand Euros per year by looking after
people in their own homes a point which I totally agree with . Francis
Fitzgerald in her wisdom decided that there is absolutely no concern
for the homecare package and insist that there is no problems in the
homecare sector at all, in fact she went on to say that the
government had invested a great deal of money this year alone in
the homecare package. I have to say that she ( Francis Fitzgerald is
definitely not tuned in to the reality of the situation. If what Francis
Fitzgerald was saying was right we would be delighted and so would
all the people who depend on the homecare service who has had
their care hours cut by more than half and people who are in need
of the service are being told that they wont receive the service
simply because the money and the hours are not there. So where is
Francis Fitzgerald coming from she is certainly not on the same
wavelenght as many thousands of people who are having their
services cut on a daily basis?.
Merkels' puppet on a string.

#HomeSweetHome - Don't stop there...
The people also own Leinster House, numerous museums
and public offices, and Dublin Castle (i think). All of these
have canteens, cafeterias and even restaurants...
While they're closed for the Christmas break AT LEAST,

demand that they be made available to give hot food to
homeless! even if they are not fed on premises...and they
should be...demand that kitchen facilities be made
available either with staff or your own volunteers...
At the VERY least...give the government the opportunity to
say "no" and let's see just how serious they are about real
issues and not just academic, abstract shit like "the
economy".
The govt simply allowed 'market forces', have-a-go landlords
funding their kids college fund or retirement nest egg, or investors
(who couldn't give two hoots about moral social responsibility
anyway) to fill the void left by the non supply of social housing...and
this is what we get. 'Keep the recovery going'...what bloody
recovery?
Homeless children in Ireland worse off

than those in UK
10/12/2016
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."
http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/homeless-children-inireland-worse-off-than-those-in-uk-768054.html
Feed our homeless inner city Dublin team of volunteers supporting

home sweet home please show your and end homelessness for
good this Christmas
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.
News Top News
Housing Minister Simon

Coveney is a landlord
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.
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.
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.
Mr Ehrlich said there was only one answer

to controlling the market. The solution is
more supply.
We look forward to what proposals come
from the new Housing Minister.
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.
Our investors want steady, consistent

returns. A market showing increases such as
these is fine, but we want consistency.
We do not want peaks and troughs, we
want sustainability, and the market is
touching the limits of sustainability at
present, 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/
Ministers Coveney and English

launchStrategy 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.
M
M
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
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
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 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.
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.
The Five
Pillars
The Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness includes a

comprehensive Five Pillar approach these pillars are the
foundations upon which we will build our plan. They are open
to debate, additions and amendments, but for now they will be
our starting point for immediate action.
Rapid Build Housing housing

solutions for homeless
households
The Dublin Region Homeless Executive formally replaced the
Homeless Agency in 2011.
The Dublin Region Homeless Executive is provided by Dublin City
Council as the lead statutory local authority in the response to
homelessness in Dublin and adopts a shared service approach
across South Dublin County Council, Fingal County Council and
Dn Laoghaire- Rathdown County Council.
We are responsible for providing support and services to

the Dublin Joint Homelessness Consultative Forum and
the Statutory Management Group. The Housing (Miscellaneous
Provisions) Act 2009
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2009/act/22/enacted/en/pdf
provides a statutory structure to address the needs of people who
are experiencing homelessness.
The Act outlines a statutory obligation to have an action plan in
place and the formation of a Homelessness Consultative Forum
and a Statutory Management Group.
In line with Chapter 6 Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act
2009, the Dublin Joint Homelessness Consultative Forum and
Management Group have adopted Error! Hyperlink reference not
valid.Pathway to Home 2014-2015
http://www.homelessdublin.ie/sites/default/files/publications/Dublin
%20Region%20Homeless%20Executive%20Action%20Plan
%202014-2016%20%283%29.pdf
Central to this action plan are five key strategic aims as set out in
national homeless policy;
#
#
Prevent homelessness
Eliminate the need for people to sleep rough
Reduce the length of time people experience homelessness to less
than six months.
Meet unmet housing need of people experiencing homelessness
through an increase in housing options that delivers affordable,
accessible housing with supports as required.
Ensure the delivery of services for homeless people that meet their
needs, produce the sought-after, person-centred outcomes
required and can demonstrate their effectiveness through
monitoring and reporting arrangements.
Dublins empty buildings:

could they solve the housing
problem?
In the midst of a severe housing shortage why do so many
buildings in the capital, both publicly and privately owned,
lie vacant?
about 19 hours ago
Olivia Kelly Dublin
Property on Moss Street in Dublin 2 has been derelict for decades.

Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
This week Apollo House, a vacant Nama-owned

property on Tara Street, in Dublin 2, was taken over by
concerned citizens who want to use it to house
homeless people. Their response to the widespread
homelessness problem highlights a paradox of the
current housing crisis.
While more than 6,000 people in Ireland are officially
homeless, while a frenzy of building activity struggles

to meet housing demand, and while arguments about
rising rents convulse Dil ireann, numerous buildings
in the capital sit empty. Naturally, concerned citizens
must wonder why they cannot be used as homes.
Would filling these empty buildings alleviate the crisis?
In theory, yes. Nine per cent of Dublin dwellings
almost 21,000 units, excluding holiday homes, in the
city and suburbs are vacant. (The national rate is
even worse, at 13 per cent.)
Many of the citys buildings date from the 18th and
19th centuries. A large proportion of them, even those
originally built as housing, have been converted to
commercial use over time. But their desirability as
office or other commercial space has been waning for
many years.
Businesses increasingly favour purpose-built schemes,
often far from the city centre. As a result many of these
older properties in the city lie empty.
Some older public-housing schemes are also vacant. In
most cases these no longer meet modern living
standards, and the trend has been to build anew rather
than to renew.
The Celtic Tiger boom did surprisingly little to reduce
the number of vacant older buildings. Although lots of
new apartments were built and the city centre
population grew from 84,000 in 1991 to 136,000 in
2011 many older buildings bought up in large batches
were left empty and deteriorating after their
redevelopment plans fell victim to the crash.
With the current shortage of housing, the vacancy level
in the city has moved from being merely a visual blight
to being an affront to those in need of homes.
New policies have been introduced to bring older
buildings back into use, but they have yet to produce
significant results. One such scheme is the Living City
Initiative. This tax incentive allows owners of old city

houses to claim relief for refurbishment at a rate of 10
per cent a year for 10 years. It came into effect in April
2015, but the response has been disappointing. In the
recent budget some of the schemes rules were relaxed
in an attempt to increase take-up.
Weve had 26 applications and weve processed four
so far, Paul Clegg of Dublin City Councils planning
department says. But were hoping the changes in the
budget will see an increase.
Applications have mainly been for the restoration and
reuse of whole houses, but the council is hoping that
more people will apply for the conversion of the upper
floors of buildings.
Studies on Capel Street and South Great Georges
Street done at the time of the Living over the Shop
scheme the forerunner of the Living City Initiative
showed a large amount of vacant upper-floor space
that is being unused, Helen McNamara, of the
councils active land management unit, says.
It requires serious marketing, because mostly the
retailer is only interested in his own shop and not the
space above. But Thomas Street, DOlier Street and
OConnell Street all have vacant upper floors which, in
another city, would be the most attractive places to
live.
The council also plans to start buying derelict and
empty properties and has set aside 15 million to do so
over the next three years. The council has always had
the power to compulsorily purchase properties from
the derelict-sites register, but it has done so only
rarely.
Its so long since were acquired property that were
relearning the process. But we have 10 ready to go, one
where weve reached terms by agreement and a couple
in negotiation with the housing department,
McNamara says.
In many cases just contacting the owners and telling
them of an intention to compulsorily purchase the
building has had the desired effect, according to Clegg.
A lot of people came back very smartly, and either
rendered the building nonderelict or put it on the
market, but there were others where there was no
engagement. We contact the reputed owners, but there
can be title difficulties, or owners out of the country, or
in nursing homes. Theres almost always a human side
to these cases.
The 15 million fund will be a rolling one, and as
buildings are sold on it will be replenished. The council
has initially concentrated on easy wins buildings that
dont cost too much and are quick to shift but it plans
to tackle more ambitious projects if the fund is
successful, Clegg says.
We would like to buy more historic buildings, but we
need to be prudent: you could blow the entire city
budget acquiring these properties.
Fears about the regulatory burden associated with
listed buildings deters buyers from taking them on,
particularly when it seems that complying with
standards such as disability access can conflict with
conservation requirements.
Recognising this, the council cut some of the costs of
bringing listed buildings back into use three years ago.
Where an owner is making an application for the
change of use of a building often the case when a
vacant protected structure is being brought back into
occupation they are exempt from development levies.
An owner extending a protected structure will pay only
half the standard development contribution.
But are the incentives sufficient? The low uptake of
schemes seems to indicate that buyers are still
cautious.
http://www.irishtimes.com/lifeand-style/homes-andproperty/dublin-s-emptybuildings-could-they-solve-thehousing-problem-1.2899765
Fine Gael labelled the landlord party
due to homeless crisis
Wednesday, December 07, 2016
Long-awaited plans to tackle the rental crisis are to be

published by Housing Minister Simon Coveney next
Tuesday.
Enda Kenny was accused of being the leader of the

landlord party which has failed to address the housing
crisis. But the Taoiseach told the Dil that the proposals
have taken time to develop as it has to be done properly
and said there will be a debate on the rental sector plans
when the bill goes through the House.
It wont be sorted out without dealing with the question
of supply, he added.
AAA-PBP TD Mick Barry pointed out that rents have
increased year on year by nearly 12% throughout the

State, and nearly 15% in Cork city.
In the Taoiseachs lifetime, has he ever witnessed more
families homeless at Christmas? he asked Mr Kenny
during Leaders Questions in the Dil, adding that kids
are waiting for Santa to come down the chimney of a bed
and breakfast or hotel, some for the second year running.
The Cork North Central TD went on to say that the country
is crying out for a Taoiseach who will bang the table, turn
calmly to the landlords and tell them that they have bled
the people for long enough and will not increase rents on
our people by one single penny more.
He claimed that Mr Kenny does not look like the man for
that job and instead said he is the leader of the landlord
party.
Juno McEnroe
TD Mick Barry calls Taoiseach Enda Kenny 'the leader of
the landlord party', as residential rents continue to rise
2:35 PM - 6 Dec 2016

Mr Kenny told the Dil that a balance has to be struck
between those who are tenants and those who supply
accommodation for tenancy: I admit that there are people
under real pressure, many of whom have had to leave the
accommodation they were in.
But he added that Mr Coveney has been making very
strenuous efforts to deal with the homeless and housing
crisis.
Separately, Sinn Fin published its own policy document
on the rental sector which includes linking rent to the
consumer price index (CPI) and reviewing tax rebates for
landlords.
Party housing spokesman, Eoin Broin, said the 19
recommendations in the document include a proposal to
make tenancies of indefinite duration the norm.
http://linkis.com/shr.gs/vkbRP
Rent caps part of a carefully thoughtout process

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has defended Government plans to

cap rents in Cork and Dublin for the next three years,
insisting that the move is a carefully thought-out
process which will protect many thousands of tenants.
He rejected claims a deal struck with Fianna Fil to

potentially extend the plan to other cities early next year
is a watering down of the original move.
Under plans debated by the Dil, rent pressure zones
are to be introduced in Irelands two largest cities from
next month, capping price rises for existing renters to a
maximum of 4% a year for the next three years.
The move was put before cabinet by Housing Minister
Simon Coveney this week, before facing severe criticism
from Fianna Fil and other parties over claims the 4%
annual cap was too high and that people in other parts of
the country were being left without help.
As part of a deal between Fine Gael and Fianna Fil which
has been seen as a victory for Mr Coveney, the 4% rate
will remain in place with the possibility of extending the
move to other cities and commuter belts to be reviewed
early next year.
However, while the decision has led to some concern that

landlords in areas outside of Cork and Dublin may now
increase rents before any future potential changes are
introduced and ongoing concerns the cap will still allow a
12% rise over the next three years, Mr Kenny insisted the
policy has been carefully thought out.
Speaking in Brussels after the European Council leaders
summit, the Taoiseach said many thousands of tenants
will be protected by the new rules who would otherwise
be fearful of the next rent increase coming.
No, not at all, he said when asked if the deal with Fianna
Fil to potential expand the plan to other parts of the
country early next year shows it is being watered down.
What was put in place, and what was decided on during
the week, was a very carefully thought out process.
One [aspect] was taxation to be reflected on by a
commission to be set up by Finance Minister Michael
Noonan in January.
One was the process and conditions when a rent zone
would be authorised. And the third was a very carefully
thought-out level of a 4% cap which would apply.
Thats designed to protect many thousands of tenants
who would be fearful of the next rent increase coming, he
said.
Its time to assess the do-nothing

Dilers
The 32nd Dil has descended into a laughable farce and
with the politicians now off on their Christmas holidays,

Political Editor Daniel McConnell says its time to assess
ministers performance since taking office.
At the end of the second term of the so-called New

Politics, a number of things have become clear.
The Government and the 32nd Dil are not working
and, in truth, the whole edifice is a laughable farce.
Secondly, the naked desire of Fine Gael and Taoiseach
Enda Kenny to keep the show on the road, no matter what
the cost, is galling.
Labour Leader Brendan Howlins description of a DoNothing Dil is now a mild analysis of the current chassis.
The system is dangerously lurching from one populist
driven crisis to the next and ultimately this leads to

disaster.
But with our politicians now on their Christmas holidays, it
is time to assess their performance since taking office:
The overwhelming number of families becoming

homeless had their last stable home in the private
rented sector, and the crisis in this sector is the
immediate cause of their homelessness rising
rents, landlords selling up or being repossessed,
shortage of properties to rent.
Most of the families becoming homeless have
never experienced homelessness before and never
thought this could happen to them.
Thousands more families are struggling on very
low incomes or social welfare and many are falling
into serious housing difficulties as rents continue to
rise.
Some families are becoming homeless as Rent
Supplement payments fail to cover the rent. They
fall into arrears and end up losing their home.
Other families cant find anywhere to rent as
payments are too low and many landlords do not
accept rent supplement. Meanwhile, the
Government has so far failed to provide better
access to affordable housing for people in need.
Rebuilding Ireland_Action Plan
http://rebuildingireland.ie/Rebuilding
%20Ireland_Action%20Plan.pdf
Implementation Plan on the State's Response to
Homelessness May 2014-December 2016
http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/migrat
edfiles/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/Hous
ing/FileDownLoad%2C38053%2Cen.pdf
New report on homelessness by the UN Special
Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing
http://www.housingrightswatch.org/sit
es/default/files/UN%20SR%20Right
%20to%20housing%20report
%202016%20eng.pdf
Year ago, Apollo House receivers Mazars lambasted
95m wasteful support to housing charities. This

Christmas, Mazars is supporting ...Simon!
Dublin Fire Brigade have

inspected the premises and
they are very happy with the
rules and systems we have in
place
Activists handed legal

notice over empty Tara
Street office block used
to house homeless
The protesters include director Jim Sheridan,
actor Saoirse Ronan and musicians Glen
Hansard, Christy Moore and Hozier
17 DEC 2016

in Dublin to accommodate the homeless were
yesterday served with legal notice to vacate the
building.
The protesters - including director Jim Sheridan, actor

Saoirse Ronan and musicians Glen Hansard,
Christy Moore and Hozier - have been told they face
court action unless they leave Apollo House in Tara
Street.
Last night they said they would happily meet with the
receivers to discuss the best use of the building - but
insisted they were going nowhere.
The Home Sweet Home movement, which includes
celebrities, trade unionists and Irish Housing Network
members, continued their occupation of the vacant 10storey premises.
A number of rough sleepers stayed there on Thursday
night and Friday night but lawyers for Apollo House
receivers said they were trespassing.
Mazars, the receivers appointed by Nama to the building,
said it was an illegal occupation and the property was not
suitable for living in.
Saoirse Ronan
Their solicitors A&L Goodbody wrote to the protestors

advising that while they were sympathetic to the plight of
those that are homeless they cannot allow the property
to be unlawfully occupied by trespassers.
They added that this was particularly in light of the
condition of the property and the obvious health and safety
concerns.
The legal firm wants to meet with Home Sweet Home with
a view to agreeing an immediate and orderly vacation of
the premises.
A spokesperson said: In the event that those who are
unlawfully trespassing on the property are not willing to
vacate the property the receivers will have no alternative
but to apply to court for the necessary orders compelling
those persons to vacate the property.
Home Sweet Home co-founder Brendan Ogle said the
coalition were satisfied that the building was safe for

people to sleep in.
He added: We have had Dublin Fire Brigade in to

inspect the premises and they are very happy with the
rules and systems we have in place here.
We also have a team of maintenance workers,
plumbers, joiners... so we are very happy everything is
being done correctly and to the highest standards.
The latest rough sleeper count in Dublin found 219
adults without access to an emergency bed - 142
sleeping rough and 77 sleeping on roll-out mats in the
Merchants Quay night cafe.
On Friday night Oscar-winning singer songwriter Glen
Hansard told Late Late Show host Ryan Tubridy:
We are involved in an act of civil disobedience.
this.
How many young people are

homeless?
Focus Ireland has identified youth homelessness as
Irelands forgotten homeless. Vulnerable young
people are among the first victims of the housing
crisis, with private landlords, social housing bodies
and local authorities reluctant to rent to them.
Government policies such as reducing welfare
rates for people under 25 have added to the
problem, resulting in destitution for many. Without
effective interventions, an experience of
homelessness at this age can result in long-term or
chronic homelessness.
What is the Government doing to end

homelessness?
While the Government has introduced a range of

policies to tackle homelessness the growing
number of people becoming homelessness shows
they are inadequate.
Some of the problems are long running such as
the decision to cut social housing spending by 72%
between 2008 and 2012 (1.38bn to 390m), but
short term measures such as Rent Supplement
levels, rising rents and reduced welfare rates for
under-25s have not been tackled either.
Focus Ireland has published a large number of wellresearched proposals for positive chance. Read
what our Director of Advocacy, Mike Allen, had to
say about the government approach here.
Celebrities join 'concerned

citizens' as Home Sweet Home
group occupies vacant
building to house homeless
Hozier, Glen Hansard, Damien
Dempsey and actor John Connors
were involved in the peaceful
initiative
, 16 DEC 201
A number of high-profile celebs have backed a group

that has taken over a NAMA owned building to provide
accommodation for homeless people.
Home Sweet Home, with the aid of The Irish Housing
Network, opened the city centre property at 11pm last
night.
It is fully kitted out with light, heating and around 30
mattresses.
Hozier, Glen Hansard, Damien Dempsey, Kodaline
members, actor John Connors, director Jim Sheridan
and Mattress Mick were outside the building during the
peaceful takeover.
It is understood gardai aware of the situation and are in
contact with those involved.
Home Sweet Home spokesman Brendan Ogle said the

move is a message to Government that something needs
to be done to tackle our homeless crisis.
He told the Irish Times: We are going to go in, turn on the
electricity, turn on the water, turn on the heating and
gather up as many homeless people as need a roof over
their head.
"This has been very well planned and the building is safe.
We know at least 140 people are sleeping rough on the
streets of Dublin every night.
"We know the Government has opened up emergency
beds but there will still be people out sleeping on the
streets and we are coming together to say to the
Government that enough is enough."
The Irish Housing Network demanded action be taken by
the Government to tackle the homeless crisis.
A spokesman said: "Last week on Thursday the 8th of
December Fine Gael Minister for Housing Simon Coveney
said in the Dail that if we cannot protect those without a
roof over their heads we need to ask ourselves some
serious questions.
Flowers & messages of sympathy at the scene where

homeless person Jonathon Corrie died on Molesworth Street
in 2014 (Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins)
"The Irish Housing Network and Home Sweet Home

believe that these questions are crystal clear.
"Why under this government did a homeless man freeze to
death in Dundalk carpark on November 25th?
"Why under this government do over 193,000 homes lie

empty while homelessness grows?
"Why under this government is Dublin considered the 10th
richest city in Europe and yet the life expectancy for a
homeless woman is just 38 years of age, the same
expectancy as a woman in Ireland during 1847.
"Why under this government are there 32,000 millionaires
in the capital, but over 100 people sleeping on our
shopping streets every night.
believe that private interests can no longer come before
public need.
"We demand an end to deaths on our street. We demand
an end to this crisis.
"Out of respect for the residents, the Irish Housing
Network are asking for 12 hours of privacy."
This Dublin pub is sending food to

Apollo House and wants other
businesses to do the same
BY TONY CUDDIHY
Hopefully, one good deed will snowball into

something far bigger.
We've been contacted by the Adelphi venue in Dublin, who

tell us that they're hoping to start an initiative whereby the
homeless people in Apollo House will continue to be fed
throughout Christmas and beyond.
Last night, we shared the story of how singer Glen
Hansard was leading efforts to find a solution to Dublin's
homelessness with an act of 'civil disobedience' in Apollo
House, an abandoned building on Tara Street.
Hansard is one of a number of well-known figures,
alongside the likes of Hozier, Saoirse Ronan, director Jim
Sheridan and Mattress Mick, involved in Home Sweet
Home, a group that have taken over the building and
adapted it for use as a homeless shelter.
Now, the Adelphi are trying to feed the people who are
staying there.
Well guys here at Adelphi we are saddened by the

homeless situation here in Dublin and it's even harder this
time of year. So today we will be sending down platters of
our Gourmet Hotdogs to Apollo house to try do something
to help those less fortunate.
But we will also be tagging another business and hoping
they will also do the same and tag another business and
so on, if we all get behind this then maybe we can at least
bring some joy to the homeless in Dublin.
https://www.joe.ie/news/this-dublin-pub-is-sendingfood-to-apollo-house-and-wants-other-businessesto-do-the-same/571043?
utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=onsite_share
Why is having a home so important?

We believe that having a place to call home is the
most fundamental of human rights.

Home is a powerful word. It means many things to
many people. At its most basic, we believe that the
word home means a safe and secure place where
you can truly be yourself.
We all take having a home for granted. But imagine
if you woke up tomorrow to the news that youd
lost your home. What would you do? Where would
you go? What would it mean for your job? What
would it mean for your childrens schooling?
Imagine not having a say in when youd like to go
to sleep. Imagine not having cooking facilities.
When you dont have a home, every mundane,
routine aspect of your day becomes another hurdle
to overcome. And now imagine you have a young
family to look after, and youre in nightmare
territory.
The rights to housing is recognized by the United
Nations (Article 25 in the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights) and the UN has been active in
highlighting homelessness as a violation of human
rights. The UN has released a new report
on homelessness addressing the right to
adequate housing.
As regards the rent issue, I thought all those fiscal
cleansing acts, such as the Home Improvement and Rent
Restriction, were made unconstitutional in the mid
seventies, but not of course before they had done their
job, of forcing out the original owners, who often parted
with their properties for a few shillings just to get rid of
them. Isn't the first thing needed then a constitutional
amendment to allow that sort of carry on again.?
This of course is all a complete nonsense. All that actually

needs to be done is to zone the Rent Allowance. Double it
for down country towns and halve it for areas of our prime
real estate. We have over 200,000 empty houses in the
country, a lot closer to "home" than were a lot of our
people have had to go,
The Dublin Simon Community counted 99 people

sleeping rough in the city this morning and the
organisers of Home Sweet Home are taking people
off the streets.
He said that once the heating is turned on then the
building will function to an extent that it will be safer

than sleeping in a doorway or some kind of
dumpster.
This evening the receiver, Mazars, said the
current occupiers are trespassing on private
property and are asking them to leave with
immediate effect.
They said: In the circumstances we have no option
but to refer the matter to our legal advisers to
pursue the appropriate course of action.
http://www.housingrightswatch.org/news/newreport-homelessness-un-special-rapporteur-rightadequate-housing
FEANTSA response to UN Special Rapporteur on the Right
to Housing Questionnaire
http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Housing/H
omelessness/CSOs/28102015-FEANTSA.pdf
Focus Ireland has actively participated in this
process, both in our own right and as part of
FEANTSA (the European network of homeless
organisations.
Fine Gael's new rent rules will

throw tenants to the vultures
Fine Gael spent last week shamefully scoring

political points against the Shinners when
they should have been working flat-out the
ease the housing crisis
Enda Kenny, Taoiseach
Enda Kenny's party had six years to solve the worst

housing and homelessness crisis in our history and
they still made a complete balls of rent certainty
legislation.
Oh the irony, after a week of shamelessly using the
murder of a loyal state servant to get at Sinn Fein, they
had to depend on a Shinner to point out a major flaw in
their much-trumpeted new rent rules.
Instead of putting a four percent cap on rent the new

legislation would allow landlords raise rent by eight
percent in one year.
Sinn Fin's Eoin Broin, who spotted the original
problem, says the mistakes are what happen when
legislation is rushed.
Rushed? They had six years to fix the housing market
but instead they resorted to calling in the vultures to
pick the bones of the economy.
With Fine Gael the vulture's need for rent predictability

comes way ahead of a tenants need for rent certainty.
Rent certainty my arse, the only certainty is that already
under-pressure tenants will be gouged for more cash.
The new rent cap allows for 12% in the next three years
but, when rents have been spiralling out of control for
the past four years, youd imagine the last thing the
Government would want was any increase at all.
And this latest proposal is just servicing the needs of
banks and vulture funds.
When four family homes are being repossessed by the
banks each day youd imagine Fianna Fail, the party
which made all this madness possible, would demand
there be no more rent hikes.
Only the the vultures, who appear to have a permanent
perch in our Finance Ministers office, will be happy.
Where else would they be guaranteed a 12.5% return
on their investment when bank interest rates are zero.
On the other hand those coming out of previous rent
certainty
measures are facing immediate hikes of up to 8% and
the prospect of losing their homes if they cant meet
the increases.
The grand survivor of the farce, I mean feast.
The continuing question over his departure continues to
overshadow all matters.
It appears the whole thing is being allowed to continue
merely to allow him stretch out his farewell.
Time to go.
Gets O/10 for being able to survive when a majority
wanted rid of him.
Simon Coveney has been insisting there is a modest

return for landlords but 12.5% is hardly modest to
those who are struggling to pay rents that have
exploded in recent years.
If workers, be they in the public or private sector,
slapped a 12.5% pay demand on their employer they
would be accused of trying to wreck the economy.
Lets put this deal in perspective, for it comes as Fine
Gael is about to enter its seventh year in government
and the party is now expecting praise for overseeing
the greatest homelessness and housing crisis in the
history of the State.
The reality is in Fine Gael there is a hierarchy of needs
and first and foremost is the landlords need for rent
predictability which comes way ahead of a tenants
need for rent certainty.
Part of the excuse for the huge rise in rent prices to
come is it will offer an incentive for developers and
builders to construct more homes in the coming years.
That may or not be the case but one of the real reasons
for the homeless crisis is the lack of affordable housing
because the Fine Gael/Labour Government built
virtually no local authority homes during their time in
office.
The excuse that funds werent available wont wash

when there was any amount of billions to pump in the
banks.
Besides, previous governments built tens of thousands
of council homes during the 1950s and 60s when there
wasnt a penny in the country.
Most of the thousands of families who find themselves
homeless and the army of homeowners who face
repossession in the months ahead will not be able to
afford to buy a new property.
They cant afford to rent a home as it is and will have
even less chance of doing so when the new increases
kick in.
The vultures are actually fuelling the homelessness
crisis yet they will be the main beneficiaries of this

agreement.
What is particularly sickening is the staged bun fight
leading up to the dirty deal which had the production
values of a low-budget horror movie.
After six years of doing nothing while rents went
through the roof and the numbers of homeless
rocketed, it came down to a last-minute rush to get the
measures over the line before the long Dail Christmas
break.
Yesterday the Dail was struggling to find time to debate
what has to be the greatest scandal to plague this
country in modern history yet much of last week was
taken up with a murder which took place in 1983.
While the murder of Brian Stack must be investigated,
there can be no doubt that both Fine Gael and Fianna
Fail engaged in political point-scoring, using the death
of this loyal servant of the State to get at Sinn Fein.
If Enda is that interested in righting the past wrongs, he
might don his Sherlock Holmes hat and go looking for
Moriarty, which has been lying in a dusty Dail cupboard
since 2011.
In the meantime workers might lodge a 12.5% increase
citing the need for wage certainty.
The Department of Housing has said there

are enough beds being provided to meet the
needs of those who are currently sleeping
rough.
The remarks come as a group of campaigners
took control of a vacant office building in
Dublin with a view to converting it into
accommodation for the homeless.
This evening, Mazars, the receivers

appointed by NAMA to the Apollo House
building, described it as an illegal
occupation and said it was not suitable for
living accommodation.
The Apollo House building is situated on
Tara Street.
The campaigners' group is called 'Home
Sweet Home' and includes representatives on
the Irish housing network and trade unions.
One of the organisers, Rosie Leonard, said

the group's aim is to eventually house 30
homeless people on site.
She said five homeless people stayed there
last night.
In a statement today, the Department of
Housing said the number of new beds
available for rough sleepers is now 210. It
said there is a bed for everyone sleeping
rough - if they choose to avail of the services.

immediate effect.
They said: "In the circumstances we have no
option but to refer the matter to our legal
advisers to pursue the appropriate course of
action."
Apollo House is situated on Poolbeg Street and is due for

demolition
Earlier, the CEO of the Dublin Simon

Community said he has given the 'Home
Sweet Home' volunteers advice on health
and safety issues.
Speaking on RT's News at One, Sam
McGuinness said he believes garda will
support whatever is needed there, saying the
volunteers are hoping to provide some shortterm respite for homeless people.
He said the Dublin Simon Community
counted 99 people sleeping rough in the city
this morning and the organisers of 'Home
Sweet Home' are taking people off the

streets.
He said that once the heating is turned on
then the building will function to an extent
that it will be safer than sleeping in a
doorway or "some kind of dumpster".
Mr McGuinness added that he believes it will
"certainly be more secure than people
sleeping in a doorway, or sleeping in tents in
the park".
In the Dil this afternoon, Fianna Fil deputy
Ann Rabbitte said it is very easy for TDs to
leave Leinster House, walk down Grafton
Street and pass people "putting in a bed for
the night".
Earlier the AAA-PBP Deputy Richard Boyd
Barrett called on the Minister to put services
in Apollo House to enable the homeless to
use it over Christmas.
The Independents4Change TD Mick Wallace
told the Dil that the developer in control of
Apollo, "isn't sitting on it" and doesn't have a
say on what is happening to it now.
"There's a history behind what's happened
still to be told," he said. However he
confirmed he approved of the fact that it was
being taken over.
Ms Rabbitte said while herself and Mr Boyd
Barrett are on "total opposite sides of the
fence", she pointed out he asked for heat and
electrification in Apollo House for the
Christmas.
She said while it put the Minister for Housing
on the back foot, she said there are 2,500

children homeless in Dublin.
Ms Rabbitte said if Apollo House gives
homeless people comfort over Christmas, she
called on Simon Coveney to "let the plumber
in".
Mr Daly and Mr McDonagh ... how about you call off your
expensive lawyers and donate a few thousand Euro from
NAMA's billion Euro budget to buy beds, blankets and
breakfast cereals. And If nobody dies on the streets this
Christmas you might feel you have done some good (for
once).
Remember Jonathan Corrie this Christmas
Earlier we posted a photo of some of the food that has been

donated to #HomeSweetHome at Apollo House. Here is just some of
the clothing, bedding and Christmas presents that have also been
donated in the last 48hrs. #IrelandBeProud
Don't give a penny to any of these charities, they need to go out of
business!
A long overdue reality check so please share.
Its a scandal of the highest proportions.
There are 8 registered charities supposedly working with the
homeless in Dublin. The government gives them millions but all of it
is being spent on huge salaries. In fact the money they get from the
government doesnt cover the big fat salaries in some cases and a
lot of the work they do is duplicated. The money these charities get
every year is more than enough to house the homeless.
Dublin Simon, the Peter McVerry Trust, Depaul Ireland and Focus
Ireland got a total of 33.6 million in grants from State agencies in
2014, but spent 35.8 million on staff costs for the 875 people they
employed in 2014.
In 2014, Dublin Simons total income was 12,519,761. It received
6,194,218 from the State. Its average number of employees was
188 at a total cost of 7,420,022, including wages and salaries,
social security and pension.
Its chief executive, Sam McGuinness, was on a salary of 93,338 a
year, with five employees altogether on over 70,000 per annum. In
2014, Dublin Simon also spent 84,980 on motor vehicles.
The Peter McVerry Trust had a total income of 10,656,737 in 2014,
of which 6,842,691 came from the State. It employed 146
employees in 2014 at a cost of just under 8.1 million.
Chief executive Pat Doyle is paid 96,211 (98,382 since June
2016), the same level as director regional health office).
The trust pays a 16 per cent employer contribution to the chief
executives defined-contribution pension scheme.The income of all
senior employees is in line with HSE pay levels.
The Depaul Ireland homeless agency had 213 employees in 2014.

They cost it 6,469,677. Almost all its 9,184,802 income for 2014
came from State agencies.
Four employees there earned over 60,000 each in 2014, with chief
executive Kerry Anthony on between 80,000 and 90,000.
Focus Ireland had an average of 328 employees in 2014 at a cost of
13.82 million, including pensions and social insurance costs. In
2014, State agencies granted it 11.38 million.
Its chief executive, Ashley Balbirnie, was paid a salary of 115,000
plus approximately 5,000 in medical insurance which amounted to
a total of 120,000.
The most recent annual accounts audited accounts available for
Threshold are for 2014 and show that they received 1.3 million in
government grants, while 479,000 was raised through donations
from the public.
1.2 million of this was spent on a staff of 46. In other words almost
all of the money given by the government went on wages.
Government to accept extra

260 refugees in response to
crisis
Tnaiste Frances Fitzgerald to seek approval for new
figure at Cabinet meeting
Tue, Nov 29, 2016, 01:00
Sarah Bardon
Frances Fitzgerald: will tell Cabinet that 520 refugees will have been resettled
in Ireland by end of the year. Photograph: Dave Meehan
The Government is to accept a further 260 refugees

from Lebanon in 2017 under its resettlement
programme.
Tnaiste Frances Fitzgerald is to bring a memo to
Tuesdays Cabinet meeting seeking Government
approval for the move, which would be in addition to
the 520 people being accepted this year and the 260
due for admission by next spring.
Ms Fitzgerald announced in September 2015 that
Ireland would accept up to 4,000 refugees as part of a
co-ordinated European Union response to the crisis in
the Mediterranean.
As part of that commitment the Government agreed to
accept 2,622 asylum seekers under the relocation
scheme from Greece and Italy. The new agreement
comes within the figure approved.
R
R
R
Europe proactively harming refugees, conference told

Comoros Islands: Drowning in pursuit of the European
dream
Italy convicts man over deaths of nearly 700
migrants
Only 109 people have arrived in Ireland under that

programme, mostly families from Greece; some 69 of
these are from Syria.
Relocation system
A further 128 people have been assessed and cleared

for arrival, and arrangements for their travel to the
State are currently being made.
The Irish Refugee Protection Programme travelled to
Athens earlier this month and interviewed another 87
people. It is expected that at least another 80 people
will be interviewed during a further mission in
December.
By the end of 2016, the Government hopes Ireland will
have accepted more than 400 people from Greece
under the relocation pledge system.

Ms Fitzgerald will inform her Cabinet colleagues that
the pace of relocation programme has been slower than
anticipated but will increase in the new year.
Ms Fitzgerald will also say that 520 refugees will have
been resettled in Ireland by the end of the year.
However, 233 of the refugees have not been housed
yet. Some 274 have completed their language training
and orientation programme in the Hazel Hotel in
Monasterevin, Co Kildare or the Clonea Strand Hotel
in Dungarvan, Co Waterford.
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/government-to-acceptextra-260-refugees-in-response-to-crisis-1.2885689
The inside story of Apple's $14 billion tax bill
"The Maxforce" is the European Union team that ordered Ireland to

collect billions of euros in back taxes from Apple Inc., rattled the Irish
government, and spurred changes to international tax law. You'd think
it might have earned the name by applying maximum force while
investigating alleged financial shenanigans. It didn't. It's just led by a
guy named Max.
A European Commission official gave the nickname to the Task Force on
Tax Planning Practices in honor of its chief, Max Lienemeyer, a lanky,
laid-back German attorney who rose to prominence vetting plans to

shore up struggling banks during Europe's debt crisis. Since its launch
in 2013, the Maxforce has looked at the tax status of hundreds of
companies across Europe, including a deal Starbucks had in the
Netherlands, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles's agreement with Luxembourg,
and -- its largest case -- Apple in Ireland.
Lienemeyer's team of 15 international civil servants pursued a threeyear investigation stretching from the corridors of the European
Commission, the EU's executive arm, to Ireland's Finance Ministry and
on to Apple's leafy headquarters in Cupertino, California. Much of it
outlined for the first time here, this story chronicles a growing clash
between Europe and the U.S. and a shift in the EU's approach to the tax
affairs of multinationals.
The Maxforce concluded that Ireland allowed Apple to create stateless
entities that effectively let it decide how much -- or how little -- tax it
pays. The investigators say the company channeled profits from dozens
of countries through two Ireland-based units. In a system at least tacitly
endorsed by Irish authorities, earnings were split, with the vast majority
attributed to a "head office" with no employees and no specific home
base -- and therefore liable to no tax on any profits from sales outside
Ireland. The U.S., meanwhile, didn't tax the units because they're
incorporated in Ireland.
In August the EU said Ireland had broken European law by giving Apple
a sweetheart deal. It ordered the country to bill the iPhone maker a
record 13 billion euros ($13.9 billion) in back taxes, plus interest, from
2003 to 2014. One example the Commission cites: In 2011, a unit called
Apple Sales International recorded profits of about 16 billion euros from
sales outside the U.S. But only 50 million euros were considered taxable
in Ireland, leaving 15.95 billion euros of profit untaxed, the Commission
says.
Though the EU says its goal is "to ensure equal treatment of companies"
across Europe, Apple maintains that the Commission selectively
targeted the company. With the ruling, the EU is "retroactively changing
the rules and choosing to disregard decades of Irish law," and its
investigators don't understand the differences between European and
U.S. tax systems, Apple said in a Dec. 8 statement.
Apple, which has some 6,000 workers in Ireland, says its Irish units
paid the parent company a licensing fee to use the intellectual property
in its products. The Irish companies didn't own the IP, so they don't owe
tax on it in Ireland, Apple says, but the units will face a U.S. tax bill
when they repatriate the profits. "This case has never been about how
much tax Apple pays, it's about where our tax is paid," the company
said. "We pay tax on everything we earn."
Ireland on Nov. 9 appealed the Commission's ruling at the EU General
Court in Luxembourg, arguing it has given Apple no special treatment.
Irish Finance Minister Michael Noonan has said he "profoundly
disagrees" with the ruling and that Ireland strictly adheres to tax
regulations. The government says Ireland has no right to tax nonresident companies for profits that come from activities outside the
country.
"Look at the small print" on an iPhone, Noonan said after the EU
released its ruling in August. "It says designed in California,
manufactured in China. That means any profits that accrued didn't
accrue in Ireland, so I can't see why the tax liability is in Ireland."
In the coming weeks, the EU is expected to publish details of the
Maxforce investigation. At about the same time, Apple will likely lodge
its own appeal in the EU court. Though Apple will have to pay its tax bill
within weeks, the money will be held in escrow, and the issue will
probably take years to be resolved.
This story is based on interviews with dozens of officials from the EU,
Ireland, and Apple, though most didn't want to speak on the record
discussing sensitive tax matters. A Maxforce representative declined to
make Lienemeyer available for an interview. Ireland's Office of Revenue
Commissioners (the equivalent of the American Internal Revenue
Service) says it can't comment on specific companies.
Lienemeyer began assembling the Maxforce in late spring of 2013 with a
mandate of scrutinizing tax policies across Europe in search of any
favoritism. Direct subsidies or tax breaks to court a specific company are
illegal in the EU to prevent governments aiding national champions. His
first hire -- the person who would oversee the Apple probe -- was Helena
Malikova, a Slovak who had worked at Credit Suisse Group in Zurich.
He quickly added Kamila Kaukiel, a Polish financial analyst who had
been at KPMG, and Saskia Hendriks, a former tax policy adviser to the
Dutch government.
As the four initial members began their investigations, they got a head
start from a U.S. Senate probe of the tax strategies of American
multinationals. The Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on
Investigations said Apple shifted tens of billions of dollars in profit into
stateless affiliates based in Ireland, where it secured a tax rate of less
than 2 percent.
At 9:30 a.m. on May 21, 2013, senators gathered in Room 106 of the
Dirksen Office Building. Included in the evidence presented that day
was a 2004 letter from Tom Connor, an official at Ireland's tax
authority, to Ernst & Young, Apple's tax adviser. Connor's question: A
unit of the tech company hadn't filed a tax return; Was it still in
business? E&Y responded two days later that the division was a nonresident holding company with no real sales. "There is nothing to return
from the corporation tax standpoint," E&Y wrote. The Senate exhibits
didn't include Connor's response if there ever was one.
At the hearing, Arizona Republican John McCain castigated Apple as
"one of the biggest tax avoiders in America." Democrat Carl Levin of
Michigan peered over the glasses perched on the tip of his nose and said
Apple uses "offshore tax strategies whose purpose is tax avoidance, pure
and simple." Crucially, though, Levin told the crowded room that under
U.S. law, there was little the panel could do to force Apple to pay more
tax. Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook passionately defended the
company's actions, telling the senators "We don't depend on tax
gimmicks."
The Senate revelations raised eyebrows at the Maxforce's office in
Madou Tower, a 1960s high-rise in the rundown Saint-Josse
neighborhood of Brussels. Three weeks after the Senate hearing,
Lienemeyer's team asked Ireland for details of Apple's tax situation. The
Irish tax authorities soon dispatched a representative carrying a
briefcase filled with a bundle of bound pages. The Irish could have
simply sent the material via e-mail, but they were cautious about
sharing taxpayer's information with the EU and have a ground rule to
avoid leaks: never send such documents electronically.
While the Irish government remained bullish in its public statements,
saying Apple hadn't received any favors, behind the scenes tensions
were rising. Through the summer of 2013, the Finance Ministry assured
government ministers that the EU investigation would amount to
nothing, according to people familiar with the discussions. But those
assertions seemed less confident than earlier communications. There
was a sense that Apple had worked out its Irish tax position in a vastly
different era, and no one remembered many details of the negotiations
decades earlier.
In 1980, the four-year-old company -- the Apple III desktop had just
been released -- created several Irish affiliates, each with a different
function such as manufacturing or sales, according to the Senate report.
Under Irish laws dating to the 1950s designed to shore up the moribund
post-war economy, as a so-called export company Apple paid no taxes
on overseas sales of products made in Ireland.
To comply with European rules, Ireland finally ended its zero-tax policy
in 1990. After that, Apple and Ireland agreed that the profit attributed to
a key Ireland-based unit, the division discussed in Tom Connor's letter,
be capped using a complex formula that in 1990 would have resulted in
a taxable profit of $30 million to $40 million.
An Apple tax adviser "confessed there was no scientific basis" for those
figures, but that the amounts would be "of such magnitude that he
hoped it would be seen as a bona-fide proposal," according to notes
from a 1990 meeting with the Irish tax authority cited by the EU. The
equation didn't change even as Apple began assembling the bulk of its
products in Asia.
Ireland and Apple started to make changes a few months after the
Maxforce began looking into their tax relationship. In October 2013,
Finance Minister Noonan announced he would close the loophole that
let stateless holding companies operate out of Ireland. The EU says
Apple changed the structure of its Irish units in 2015.
As the Maxforce stepped up its probe in June 2014, Irish Prime Minister
Enda Kenny was wooing potential investors in California. At a San
Francisco event to promote Irish entrepreneurs, Governor Jerry Brown
quipped that he had thought Apple "was a California company," but

according to tax returns, "they're really an Irish company." News clips
show Irish officials looking on stony-faced as the governor makes his
jest.
With Lienemeyer's team digging further into the issue, Apple's concern
deepened. In January 2016, CEO Cook met with Margrethe Vestager,
the EU competition chief -- and Lienemeyer's ultimate boss -- on the
10th-floor of the Berlaymont building, the institutional headquarters of
the European Commission in Brussels.
Vestager, a daughter of two Lutheran pastors, has a reputation for being
even-handed but tough, cutting unemployment benefits while
advocating strict new rules for banks when she served as Denmark's
finance minister. While she has acknowledged that her team had little
experience with tax rulings -- in a November interview with France's
Society magazine, she said, "We learned on the job" -- Vestager says
enforcement of EU rules on taxation is a matter of "fairness."
In the meeting with Cook she quizzed him on the tax Apple paid in
various jurisdictions worldwide. She told the Apple executives that
"someone has to tax you," according to a person present at the meeting.
In a Jan. 25 follow-up letter obtained by Bloomberg, Cook thanked
Vestager for a "candid and constructive exchange of views," and
reasserted that Apple's earnings are "subject to deferred taxation in the
U.S. until those profits are repatriated."
Subsequent correspondence became more heated. On March 14, Cook
wrote to Vestager that he had "concerns about the fairness of these
proceedings." The Commission had failed to explain fully the basis on
which Apple was being investigated, and the body's approach was
characterized by "inconsistency and ambiguity," Cook said.
Apple contended that the EU had backtracked on a 2014 decision
recognizing that its two Irish subsidiaries were not technically resident
in Ireland, and therefore only liable for taxes on profits derived from
Irish sources. Now, Cook said, it seemed the Commission was intent on
"imposing a massive, retroactive tax on Apple by attributing to the Irish
branches all of Apple's global profits outside the Americas."
"There is no inconsistency," an EU spokesman said in a Dec. 15
statement. Only a fraction of the profits of the subsidiaries were taxed in
Ireland, the statement said. "As a result, the tax rulings enabled Apple to
pay substantially less tax than other companies, which is illegal under
EU state aid rules."
Cook's entreaties did little to sway Vestager, and in August she phoned
Noonan to tell him the results of the Maxforce investigation: The
Commission was going to rule against Ireland. Late in the afternoon of
Aug. 29, Irish officials began hinting to reporters that Apple's tax bill
amounted to billions and "could be anything." At noon the following
day, Vestager told a packed press conference in Brussels that the
Commission had decided Apple owed Ireland 13 billion euros.
Though that would be equivalent to 26 percent of the 2015 national
budget, Ireland didn't want the windfall, saying the ruling was flawed
because the country hadn't given Apple any special treatment. The
decision sparked a political crisis as left-leaning members of Enda
Kenny's fragile minority administration saw a potential bonanza for
taxpayers that the world's richest company could well afford. Even as
Noonan toured television studios vowing to appeal the decision,
independent lawmakers demanded that Ireland take the money.
Facing a potential revolt that could bring down the government, Kenny
and Noonan eventually bowed to demands for a review of the country's
corporate tax system. But they said they would fight the case, and on
Sept. 7, Irish lawmakers overwhelmingly backed the motion for an
appeal.
Officials from Lienemeyer's team and other EU offices say they have
gathered tax information on about 300 companies, looking for what
they deem to be favorable treatment by governments across Europe.
While they don't expect all of those to yield payoffs as hefty as that from
their investigation of Ireland and Apple, they say a worrying number
require the kind of maximum force that the Maxforce can apply.
"We focus on outliers where you're looking at something that is off the
radar screen," Lienemeyer's boss, 50-year-old Dutchman Gert-Jan
Koopman, who is in charge of state-aid enforcement at the EU, said at a
Brussels conference in November. "If you're paying a fair amount of tax
then there is absolutely nothing to worry about."
Michael Noonan, Finance
Another who has outstayed his welcome.

Many within his own party feel he is not able to fulfil the
role.
He commands a critical brief in Finance and the country
deserves someone at the top of their game.
No questioning his acumen and his role in smoothing interCoalition rows in recent months and weeks.
The heart may be willing but the legs appear to be gone.
0/10.
why Oireachtas banking inquiry

didn't call
UniCredit breached liquidity requirements in 2007.

Matthew Elderfield nods. The interconnectedness
of banking dysfunctionality.
Michael Smith
There is a general official view that Irelands ethical
delinquencies are in the past. Corrupt planning
stopped when the tribunals started; and bad bankregulation stopped with the demise of Pat Neary
and the production of two limited and innocuous
reports by Patrick Honohan and Klaus Regling.
Inconveniently for a country that has started to see
regulation in black (then) and white (now) terms,
the general view does not reflect the reality. Hold
tight for a mind-boggling trip through the
complexity of banking dysfunctionality.
Liquidity is the short-term financing vital to ensure
the banks still do their core job of funding the
economy. Somehow Ireland went from having
liquid banks to having banks so illiquid that a bank
guarantee was offered by the government in
September 2008. But there are staff in every bank
legally charged with ensuring banks do not become
illiquid. There is an intricate and comprehensive
system in place to ensure they cannot become
illiquid, bearing in mind their customer base. It
involves arrangements they must have in place if
for some reason they become illiquid e.g. they can
ask another named financial institution to lend
them money short-term. Every morning the banks
have to produce a report showing how they kept
their liquidity up to the target the previous day.
The measure used for the target is the liquidity
ratio.
In mid 2007 the financial regulator, Pat Neary
following a six-month dry-run introduced a new
rule for the liquidity ratio implementing the
latest Basel banking accord. It required that cash
inflows equalled at least 90 per cent of cash

outflows forecast over the relevant period. This
prudential system was, and is, central to how
banking is possible. The system was intended to
be stringently monitored by the financial regulator.
In fact Village has evidence that a failure of
liquidity, that if it as may well have been the
case was typical to both Irish banks and foreignowned subsidiaries, shows dysfunctionality on a
scale that should have prompted the financial
regulator to advise the government to go out into
the markets and get funds for the banks
immediately, was ignored by the regulator. Nor did
auditors pick up on it. Indeed it is highly likely that
liquidity problems were dysfunctionally glossed
over by auditors all over Dublins financial world
around this time. If such dysfunctionality had not
occurred and been ignored for so long after the
collapse of Northern Rock, Ireland could have dealt
with general bank liquidity in a structured and
gradual way and not purportedly needed the
bank guarantee that has finished up bankrupting
the country and immiserating much of the
population.
The people behind this dysfunctionality should be
made to account for it. The new regulator,
Matthew Elderfield, should explain what went on
on his predecessors watch so we can see what
happened. Instead it appears the new regulator is
being disingenuous.
In late July or early August 2007, an experienced
financial risk-manager, says he discovered his
employer bank the Irish subsidiary of the giant
UniCredit Bank of Italy had been dramatically
breaching the liquidity ratio. The risk-manager
maintains he was specifically warned by senior
personnel at the Irish subsidiary not to report the
matter to the financial regulator in Ireland. On one

occasion he reported a ratio of only 70% to the
regulator (and obtained a receipt). In fact he says
I was getting 75%, even 65%, not occasionally but
day in, day out. Banks are obliged by law to
maintain all daily records for at least five years so
there must be written evidence of this. At the
time, I thought: Is it my fault? Then I asked
questions and I was told its a system error or a
trader forgot to book a deal or its complicated.
Give it a bit more time and youll understand. It
will be fine. In any event, even if taken at face
value, such failures would attract penalties under
Sections 3.4 and 10 of the regulators
Requirements for Management of Liquidity Risk,
2006, which seem to impose fairly strict liability.
Ascertaining the liquidity ratio is a complex task
and eventually the risk-manager turned to a
consulting company in London for help, affording it
access to UniCredits systems. That company a
company which continues to provide such services
for some of Irelands most well-known banks
calculated the liquidity ratio at an extraordinary
50% when a ratio of 89% would in normal
circumstances be deemed problematic. The riskmanager resigned, in part fearful of the draconian
penalties that applied for breach of the law.
A simple call to UniCredits Milan-based parent
could have been expected to generate a transfer of
many billions of Euro within a few hours, so
resolving the problem. But that would have
undermined the parent banks confidence in its
Celtic subsidiary, and perhaps jeopardised bonuses
against a background where the previous years
final accounts had anyway required substantial and
embarrassing revision to the tune of tens of
millions of Euro.
Around two weeks later the financial regulator

came in on a scheduled inspection. It appears all
hell then broke loose with the regulator effectively
taking over the firm for two weeks. During this
period the arrangement with the expert London
consulting company was terminated, so it may
have proved difficult for the regulator to ascertain
the prevailing liquidity ratio. The risk-manager was
warned by his former employers that repeating his
story to a third party would constitute grounds for
a claim of defamation which we would not hesitate
to pursue. Solicitors McCann Fitzgerald wrote to
him on their behalf advising that his allegations
were outrageous. They have claimed the same to
Village.
What is surprising is the reluctance of Irish
authorities, and indeed Irish politicians,
government and opposition alike, to make the
running with this still unresolved issue. The
honourable exception is Senator David Norris who
outlined the events described above and pushed
the issue in the Seanad, though without naming
the bank except privately to the Minister.
The regulator
The new until-now poster-boy regulator, Matthew
Elderfield, has stated in response to questions from
the Sunday Business Post, and the Sddeutsche
Zeitung, a respected German newspaper, that
our records do not match the description of events
given by Senator Norris; nor did we receive what
might be described as a whistleblower letter. We
can, however, confirm that an overnight liquidity
breach was reported by an institution around the
time in question. The matter was followed up with
the institution and rectified to the satisfaction of
the Financial Regulator at the time. For a poster
boy this is in fact remarkably disingenuous, though
certainly true. The regulators records presumably

do not match Senator Norriss because its agents
didnt look hard enough or take a proper record;
and they did not receive a whistleblower letter as
the letter came from UniCredit itself which limited
its declaration to one overnight breach. Notably,
nothing the regulator said undermines the
credibility of the risk-manager.
It is impossible that there could be a flagrant
breach without a systemic problem since the whole
prudential system is constructed with actuarial
precision so it can deal with every contingency.
That is what makes it prudential. In prudential
circles a 1% breach is taken very seriously. 20% or
40% is calamitous. Impossible even. It is
impossible that there would be an overnight move
from compliance (90%) to flagrant breach (70% or
even 50%), when the maximum deviation allowed
from 90% is 1%. Unless perhaps there was a single
extraordinary event, an unpredictable act of god.
Anyone with any knowledge of the dynamics of
liquidity ratios, including particularly the regulator,
would know this. If there had indeed been such an
extraordinary event, there would seem to be no
reason why some intimation of the nature of the
problem would not have been provided by the
regulator, when questioned about the breach. In
the absence of such an extraordinary explanation,
seeing a breach of 20% or even 40% would
necessarily alert the regulator to a systemic
problem likely to be sustained over a long period. It
would appear almost certain that the scale of the
breach had evolved incrementally and continued
for some time. Not just overnight. This would tend
to corroborate the risk-managers story.
Extraordinarily, the financial regulator did not then,
and Matthew Elderfield who has been in office
since January 2010 still has failed to, interview

the risk-manager about the matter. This is despite
the risk managers patently abrupt departure (and
that of the London consultants) during this
controversial episode and an accelerating
number of enquiries to the regulator about the
matter. Nor is it clear whether the regulator
informed the Milan-based parent of UniCredit or,
crucially, the Italian and EU regulatory authorities.
In June 2009 the regulator issued a revision of
regulations for liquidity ratios without making any
reference at all to the fact that the regulations had
been revised to achieve precisely this new effect
in 2006. This served deceptively to imply that the
regulations had not been in force at the time of the
breaches by UniCredit (and by all the other banks
whose liquidity imploded illegally, though without
media recognition of the illegality, around the time
of the bank guarantee). The text of the 2006
document [section 9.4] which specified that the
new requirements had taken effect on 1 July 2007
disappeared from the 2009 document.
The bank itself
The 2007 annual report of UniCredits Irish
subsidiary is signed as chairman by Professor Brian
Hillery, one-time FF TD for Dun Laoghaire, current
chairman of Independent Newspapers and Director
of the Central Bank. The auditors were KPMG who
appear to have had some difficulties with the
accounts but to have swallowed their pride. They
as usual state concerning the accounts that to
the fullest extent permitted by law we do not
accept or assume responsibility to anyone other
than the company and the companys members as
a body for the audit. The report states that, in
the light of pressures in the marketplace, we have
maintained strong liquidity ratios since the middle
of 2007. This must be highly controversial since

the new legislation came into effect in the middle
of 2007, and the risk-manager claims UniCredit
was still not compliant in September, occasioning
his resignation. Interestingly, UniCredit in Milan
has emphatically denied, to the Sddeutsche
Zeitung and more recently the Sunday Business
Post, that it is the bank to which Norris was
referring in the Seanad. Perhaps it simply didnt
know.
Department of Finance/Central Bank
Finance Minister, Brian Lenihan, has stated that
the supervision of liquidity requirements for credit
institutions licensed and operating in ireland is
primarily a matter for the Central Bank and the
Financial Regulator Breaches of liquidity
requirements may be subject to proceedings
under the Financial Regulators administrative
sanctions procedure or to prosecution. Elsewhere
he has emphasised that the Central Bank was
subject to strict confidentiality requirements
unless the issue gives rise to some broader
financial stability issue which did not arise in this
instance. Nevertheless he acknowledged that the
Central Bank had been advised of an overnight
breach around this time but the institution
rectified the position to the satisfaction of the
Central Bank. The Central Bank required an
external review of the liquidity reports submitted to
it but did not identify material issues outside the
single date highlighted. He claimed that
appropriate steps necessary to prevent any
recurrence off this issue have now been taken by
the institution concerned.
Opposition politicians
A prominent member of one of the opposition
parties recently told the risk-manager, we cant
afford the consequence of revealing this story. We

already have enough to deal with when we come
to power.
Joan Burton of the Labour Party was perhaps a little
slow to move but, under a little pressure, diligently
raised the matter with Brian Lenihan and met
Patrick Honohan. Burton had met Honohan
previously about the German bank, DEPFA, and
been told that the regulators staff was not trained
to monitor IFSC activities and that by-and-large,
the IFSC had been treated as some off-shore
entity that did not warrant strict supervision as
most of its entities were subsidiaries of much
larger overseas corporations, and therefore
someone elses head-ache. The Green Party
Senator Mark Dearey and its Chairman, Senator
Dan Boyle, wrote to the regulator but did not
receive a substantive reply. Sinn Fins Arthur
Morgan did not reply to correspondence from a
senior academic friend of the risk-manager. Fine
Gaels then-Finance spokesperson, Richard Bruton,
who met the risk-manager in his solicitors office,
has sat on the file and his successor Michael
Noonan doesnt appear to know it exists. Former
Fine Gael Taoiseach John Bruton is the head of
Dublins International Financial Services Centre,
which aims to attract financial companies to set up
there, and is touting Irish the saleability of Irish
banks to Gulf sovereign funds.
An inadequate regulatory culture is alive. Lack of
interest in the truth abounds. Figures just dont
matter. The blind wearing of the green jersey goes
on.
The media
The Irish Times has been reluctant to pursue the
story, though Fintan OToole did an
extensive spread on it. Others in the newspaper
were keen that the risk-manager should go public

before the paper would pursue it further. No other
media have covered the matter except the Sunday
Business Post, whose Kathleen Barrington has
given it considerable space.
The New York Times famously alleged as long ago
as 2006 that the IFSC was the Wild West of
banking. Around that time it was reported that
General Res Irish subsidiary, Cologne Re, was seen
as an ideal location for a major fraud because
Dublin did not report to anyone and so avoided
the North American problem of financial
regulation. The simple truth is that one of
Irelands few genuine policy successes has been
attracting major US-based multinationals like
Google and Microsoft on the back of a 12.5%
Corporation Tax rate. Irish banks then assume a
disproportionate importance to the world economy
because these corporations have an interest in
channelling profits through Ireland, so avoiding
heavier tax rates elsewhere where the profits may
in fact have been earned. This is one of the
reasons Irish banking was a flashpoint, certainly
the European flashpoint following the collapse of
Lehmans. The clout of the multinationals
conduced to a lax regulatory rgime for banking. It
also partly explains the governments deference to
the banks (over the people) in policy terms
including perhaps some of the pressure the
government was under to guarantee the banks,
lest a run threaten the billions of Euro in
multinational profits resting in Irish accounts. Light
regulation helped attract multinationals but it was
a gamble that, after a time and on a grand scale
has stopped paying off for Ireland. It stopped
paying off because it led uniquely to liquidity
problems across the ranges in a nations banks and
so to guarantees that have precipitated national

insolvency. But the policy of light regulation also
risks major legal actions from those who have been
victims of the dodgy, sometimes illegal, laxity. It is
surprising in this context that the bailout was not
linked to higher standards. In late November the
Financial Times commented, An element of the
bail-out should have been specifically targeted at
plugging the liquidity gap, if only to signal an
acknowledgement of how crucial a role it has
played in undermining the global system in
Ireland, just as it did during the big bank failures in
the UK (Northern Rock) and the US (Lehman
Brothers and Bear Stearns).
The reason the green jersey is in play apart from
the obvious embarrassment of mishandled liquidity
issues which were so central to our mishandling of
the bank guarantee is that if it can be shown that
the regulator systematically allowed breaches of
liquidity ratios, indeed still does not recognise
those breaches, it could trigger litigation against
Ireland by the likes of HRE (Hypo Real Estate).
HRE, was bailed out for 140bn in loans and
guarantees in September 2008 by the German
government, after HRE had hastily bought
heedless to its underlying liquidity problems IFSCbased DEPFA. DEPFAs directors then included
pillars of Irelands economic sector including
Francis Ruane, director of the ESRI, and Maurice
OConnell, former governor of the Central Bank.
If HRE had not bought DEPFA, so transferring the
relevant headquarters from Ireland to Germany,
Ireland would have been responsible for this
colossal bailout. It is perhaps reflective of the lack
of seriousness of the debate here for so long that
this lucky escape from the consequences of our
lackadaisical regulation, was not more widely
recognised as far back as 2008. HRE is suing its

former chief executive Georg Funke for allegedly
not briefing them properly on the liquidity
problems. HRE was, at the beginning of 2010
reported to be considering suing the entire former
board of DEPFA too. Crucially its litigation refers to
faulty risk-management procedures and numerous
breaches of Irish banking regulatory law before,
as with UniCredit, the bank went to the regulator
who in the case of DEPFA settled with its relevant
subsidiary for a 250,000 fine without any public
indication of the number of breaches. It is implicit
that the Irish regulatory authorities may have
been delinquent in monitoring breaches in a firm
that the German regulator memorably described as
a pigsty. An extensive German parliamentary
investigation into what was after all a bigger
bailout than that accorded to Ireland, found that
the German regulator had behaved competently
within the confines of the legislation which
included that HRE, as a holding company, entirely
avoided the gaze attracted by banks. An enraged
German body politic believes Irelands regulatory
rgime did not help. And Ireland, perhaps
myopically, refused requests from Germany for a
contribution to the DEPFA bailout.
In a separate but analogous case Sachsen
Landesbank had to receive over 17bn in
emergency funding from Germany following
liquidity difficulties with its Irish subsidiary,
Ormond Quay, and ultimately was taken over by
Landesbank Baden-Wrttemberg (LBBW Bank).
Unfortunately for Ireland the same smarting
Germany, more than any other country, is
responsible for the penal bailout interest-rate that
may scuttle Ireland and will take the determining
stance on any renegotiation of the deal.
UniCredit
UniCredit is Italys largest bank, a major
international financial institution with strong roots
in 22 European countries and an international
network represented in approximately 50 markets,
with 9578 branches and more than 162,000
employees. In the Centre and East of Europe,
UniCredit operates the largest international
banking network with around 4,000 branches and
outlets. UniCredits Irish branch managed 27bn at
the relevant time. UniCredit is said to be Italianconservative in much of its ethic. It was in the
news when its renowned head Alessandro Profumo
resigned in September 2010 arising out of a feud
with UniCredits main shareholders who have been
uncomfortable with the banks growing need to
raise capital, especially from Libya. The Libyan
Investment Authority, a sovereign-wealth fund,
recently increased its holding in UniCredit by 0.5%
to 2.6%, while the Central Bank of Libya holds an
almost 5% stake in the bank.
UniCredit operates on its own and through a
labyrinth of subsidiaries.
UniCredits 96.35%-owned subsidiary, Bank Austria
Austrias largest bank has a twenty-five
percent stake in another Austrian bank, Medici,
which is in big trouble. In mid-December a
complaint against Ms Sonja Kohn was part of a
fusillade of litigation filed in federal bankruptcy
court in Manhattan by Irving H Picard, the trustee
trying to recover $40bn in assets for victims who
sustained cash losses in the enormous Ponzi
pyramid fraud perpetrated by the worlds most
famous fraudster, Bernie Madoff. The trustee
contends Bank Medici was nothing more than a
conduit set up for the sole purpose of funnelling
money to Mr Madoff. It is alleged Sonja Kohn
knowingly raised billions of dollars in cash to

sustain Mr Madoffs fraud in exchange for at least
$62 million in secret kickbacks. Bank Medici was
25-percent-owned by Bank Austria and the trustee
claims in his complaint that it was effectively a de
facto branch of that bank. The association with
Bank Austria gave Ms Kohn and Bank Medici an
imprimatur of legitimacy when recruiting investors,
the trustee asserted.
Bank Austria, UniCredit, and its subsidiary
Pioneer, are all named as defendants in the
trustees Madoff lawsuit which cites their ties to
Ms Kohn. UniCredit said in a statement in midDecember that its policy was not to comment on
litigation but that it intended to vigorously defend
itself against the accusations made against it and
its Bank Austria unit.
As if all this were not intricate enough, according to
Roman prosecutors cited in the Austrian weekly
newspaper, Profil, in March 2010, banks in Austria
including the Austrian branch of Anglo-Irish banks,
Anglo Austria, but also Bank Austria the
UniCredit subsidiary cited in the Madoff
proceedings were used to launder about twobillion Euro for the Italian mafia between 2005 and
2007.
In 2008 Sen Fitzpatrick sold Anglo Austria to a
private Swiss Bank, Valartis, a bank which tells no
secrets but has 4000 clients with funds of around
1.25bn.
Extraordinarily, FitzPatrick even funded a loan for
Valartis of 24 out of the 141m purchase price
with the sale completing the day after FitzPatricks
resignation from Anglo. It was a surprising move at
a time when Anglo had liquidity (i.e. cash)
problems. Anglo Austria was a rich source of
scarce deposit cash, up to 600m according to the
Sunday Business Posts Kathleen Barrington a

cheaper alternative to the contrived and fastevaporating interbank borrowings that Anglo had
come to depend on, particularly welcome just
around the time Anglo was performing its balancesheet contortions with Irish Life and Permanent. It
is an issue of real concen that some of Irelands
developers or even bankers may have ploughed
dodgy assets into this inscrutable repository away
from the gaze of NAMA, trustees in bankruptcy, the
office of corporate enforcement and the rest. In
another twist the UniCredit subsidiary, Pioneer
Investments, which has an office in Dublin, owns a
large number of Anglo-Irish bank bonds. Pioneers
Dublin office seems to be a colourful operation.
Village was told of a meeting arranged for
employees of Pioneer in Dublin with the papal
nuncio to Ireland, at which it appeared that a
hierarchy, entirely unrelated to the separate
hierarchy in the bank, determined the sequence in
which baciamani (kisses) were performed around
the ecclesiastical ring.
On a more prosaic level, Italian media reports last
year suggested Roman prosecutors suspected
certain Italian taxpayers of using the Vatican bank,
the Instituto per le Opere die Religione (Institute
for Religious Works) as a cover for tax fraud and
embezzlement. According to the well-respected
Italian newspaper, La Repubblica, investigators
discerned years ago that the Vatican bank
administered several accounts at other banks
including UniCredit. According to press releases,
bank investigations revealed that from 2006 to
2008 illegal transactions were carried out totalling
about 180 million. In September 2009, the former
President of the Vatican Bank, Angelo Caloia,
resigned after 20 years in office.
The last big scandal concerning the Vatican Bank

was in 1982 when Banco Ambrosiano, in which it
was the major shareholder, went bankrupt. Banco
Ambrosiano was implicated in multiple fraud and
its head, Roberto Calvi, was found hanging from
Blackfriars Bridge in London, fuelling one of the
subplots in the movie Godfather III.
One thing is for certain in an age where the
banking system is so interdependent and so
fragile: the silence of national regulators about
dodgy banking practices is unsustainable and
dangerous. European regulators and their US
counterparts need to know what is going on with
UniCredit in Dublin and elsewhere. Germany
needed to know how DEPFA was being regulated in
Ireland. Irish taxpayers need to know who has
funds in the former Anglo Austria, and we could all
do with enlightenment about the recurring
dodginess of the papal bank. In a world where
money can be transferred instantaneously, banking
systems are all interconnected. It is hopeless for
national regulators to narrow their horizons to
protect their own banks. Matthew Elderfield is
doing no favours to EU banking regulators, or to
the worlds banking and economic system, in being
disingenuous about liquidity breaches at the
elusive UniCredit.
Stephen Donnelly is an accidental politician. There he was
sitting in front of his TV minding his own business,
watching the news pictures of IMF officials striding the
streets of Dublin. He saw the threat. Im trained in this
stuff what happens when the IMF arrives in your country,
the mistakes that get made, and how to protect people in a
context of painful economic correction. He had a sense,
from watching the government make mistakes, that our
political system was missing some key skills. I couldnt just

sit by and watch it happen. A whirlwind election campaign
saw the new deputy take his seat in the Dil. Endearingly,
his first day he mistakenly went to the gate of the nextdoor National Museum in search of his new place of work.
The 2011 election created a politburo. A huge majority in
the Dil was controlled by a cabinet that was ruled by four
people. This consolidation of power made for a highly
dysfunctional Dail with parliament effectively sidelined,
left with the role of observer to critical decisions affecting
millions of people. Donnelly was unimpressed with his
initiations in the Dil. I, and many other TDs, invested a
great deal of time and effort in drafting amendments to
proposed legislation and then spent hours debating them,
only to find that none of them were ever, ever accepted.
It is not easy to break into politics in Ireland. You need to
be family, you need to be part of the party machines and
you need resources. Irish politics has been unique, with
economic crisis and austerity merely nudging politics to
the left without any real change in personnel or direction.
New faces and new ideas are scarce. Donnelly stands out
in this regard. Its not easy to start a new political party in
Ireland. Donnelly gave it a go, but came a bit of a cropper.
Ambition, however, will not hold him back.
He is an enthusiast for the new politics. He is unforgiving
of the jaded commentary that asserts this Dil is a
mess. Parliament is relevant for now. Parliament has a
role. It is working. Im talking with TDs and Senators
across the political spectrum who are flying. This Dil
provides them with the opportunity to make progress on
issues they care about and that matter for the country.
That is what good politics should be about. This could go
in the future but once you empower people it is hard to
revert back. TDs who have never been remotely happy
with their role on the sidelines are unlikely to allow a
return to the dysfunctionality that was a feature of previous
majority governments.
Tax avoidance by vulture funds costs the State between
10bn and 20bn, according to Donnelly. He offers
treatment of this issue as an example of the new politics
in action. He raised it at leaders questions a few months
ago but the government had no position on it. He then
talked to politicians across Fianna Fil, Labour and even
Fine Gael and prepared a policy paper on the issue.
Fianna Fil then announced they would not vote through
any Finance Bill that did not address the issue.
Michael Noonan presented an amendment to address the
issue. Donnelly prepared a technical note on the
amendment, pursued the matter further through the new
Budget Oversight Committee, and met Michael Noonan
privately on the matter. A further amendment was put
forward by the Minister. Another detailed technical note
issued from Donnelly: further change was promised.
This new-found efficacy, he allows, may reflect the fact
hes a more experienced legislator in his second mandate.
However, his case is that this is the new politics in action.
This would not have happened in the last Dil. TDs can
now raise issues, co-operate across party lines, and have
some confidence that the executive will respond. TDs have
greater and more varied forms of leverage open to them.
They have more possibilities for engagement on issues.

More responsibility leads to better outcomes. My hope is
that is what we are seeing now through this new politics.
He comes across as somewhat unforgiving in his first
responses on issues. He is not patient with popular
disaffection. If we are not happy with our political system,
we need to be aware that: the political system is a
manifestation of the country. If it has faults we need to
remember we get to choose those who run it. If we are
not happy with our economic system, we need to keep in
mind that: we live in one of the most prosperous countries
in the world. We have high quality public services
compared to most countries. However, conviction gives
way to further reflection and nuance when he is pushed.
This is what makes him an interesting politician.
Are we short of political vision? Yes. Do we need more
political vision? Yes. Would the public respond positively to
this? Yes. It gets more interesting when he suggests
politicians need to get better at laying it out. We dont do
much political vision and the bit we do, we dont do very
well. That last element is missing from most
commentaries, but it could be the real stumbling block.
Still he doesnt let go. We have an awful habit here of
blaming the supposedly lazy or self-interested politicians
for everything. Thats a trap and it disempowers us. If we
want to see change, we have to stand up and make it
happen.
Donnellys political vision is set out in neat frames. We
should be building a country where every child grows up
with opportunities and everyone can live with dignity. We
have a fantastic country but were still a long way from

achieving this. If we are to pursue this goal, we need first
to secure sustainable exchequer revenues. That means
backing SMEs and Foreign Direct Investment, stopping
unwanted tax avoidance, and responding well to Brexit.
Secondly, we need targeted investment looking at shortterm and long-term projects by both state and non-state
actors.
Thirdly, we need to focus on quality of life. This
encompasses great public services, reducing the cost of
living, ensuring decent wages and working conditions,
defusing the pensions time-bomb, invigorating community
based activity. Critically weve got to get smart about
sustainability, both ecological and built environment.
All very neat. But what happens when the focus on
sustainability under quality of life suggests that the manner
in which you are generating exchequer revenues is from
unsustainable economic activity? I detect the merest
pause as he points to the sustainable in his sustainable
exchequer revenues.
You have got to square the circle for sustainability. You
have got to be smarter. He puts a lot of store on the need
to be smarter. This is his new ideas territory and we
certainly need new ideas.
All very well. But not a mention of equality. He reminds
you that he has already said that this is about building a
country where every child grows up with opportunities and
everyone can live with dignity. Opportunities and dignity
are imperative. However, they are minimal standards when
it comes to equality. It all comes across as a bit tame and

lacking in ambition at first.
Donnellys neat frames seem for a moment to symbolise
this former McKinsey advisor in their tidiness. It gets more
chaotic and interesting as the thoughtful reflective
politician emerges. Lets go back to the sustainability
issue. Surely the political response to climate change
reflects everything that is bad about our supposedly new
politics? Climate change must run a horse and cart
through his neat formulae?
Donnelly is irrepressibly positive and nervous of general
negativity. The response to: climate change is not an Irish
failure, it is a global failure. It reflects a weakness in
democratic systems rather than Irish politics. Political
systems are short-term by nature. Surely there is also a
specific failure of political leadership in Ireland? Donnelly
falls back on: the public get the politicians they choose.
Sustainability, both ecological and economic, is the
greatest challenge and opportunity we face. We either
figure it out or ultimately we are dead. Yet, we dont elect
many Green Party TDs. Thats not political failure, its
public choice.
Then his innate thoughtfulness gets the better of his innate
positivity. We should be ashamed of our response to the
Paris Agreement. A tough critique of the Irish political
system is bubbling away in the background. There is a
lack of expertise in the political system and in the
administrative system. We dont have a mixed list system
and we dont get experts into politics, we get generalists.
We have a highly protected civil service and little capacity
to address gaps in expertise. There is very little movement

between industry, academia, politics, the public service
and civil service, and civil society.
He has an engagement with issues of environmental
sustainability in real life. He wants Wicklow to be the first
carbon-neutral county. He enthuses over the social
solidarity and pride such a move would generate as well
as the economic potential it would hold. He boldly does
so in that order too.
However, what about equality and all this talk of
opportunities? He gets a bit testy. He has been clear about
everyone having an equal opportunity to be the best that
they can be. He has evidenced his concern for
community activity to address disadvantage. But isnt
opportunity just an illusion? We offer opportunities
confident in the knowledge that there are whole groups of
people that will never be able to take them up. Opportunity
is merely a cover for lack of interest in tackling equality.
Upon reflection, Donnelly explains what he means.
Imagine we tracked 1,000 children from Foxrock and
1,000 children from Fassaroe, a disadvantaged area in
Bray, and we look at them when they are 25 years old.
When I say I want equal opportunity I mean that when we
look at these young adults, we would see broadly similar
levels of achievement in socio-economic outcomes,
happiness, and empowerment between the two groups.
It wouldnt matter a damn where you are from, how
wealthy your parents are, how many letters they had after
their names. This is closer to a vision of equality of
outcome, way more ambitious.
This equality requires: massive additional investment in

education that is needs-led and targeted at disadvantage.
We need to direct resources, intellectual capital, and new
ideas into disadvantaged communities and disadvantaged
families in other areas. Equality of outcome does require
such positive action, but why is this not happening?
Donnelly becomes passionate, convinced and thoughtful.
We have paid lip service to this issue. Have we taken it
seriously? I am not sure we have. He does not hold back
now about politics lacking vision, lacking capability and
lacking leadership when it comes to addressing
inequality. He still emphasises his thoughts on the laziness
and danger of politics bashing just to be sure.
Donnelly has always been an advocate of equality
budgeting. It is a passion that invariably throws those who
would pigeon-hole him as economistic and right-wing into
a bit of quandary. He is currently working with Katherine
Zappone to advance the commitment in the Programme
for Government for equality and human rights budgeting.
In the debate on this approach on the Budget Oversight
Committee he stood out as one of the few members who
actually understood what it was about. If this approach to
the Budget was to be effectively put in place it would offer
a new and unexpected foundation for a more equal
society. That would be no mean measure of a new
politics.
Stephen Donnelly ends the interview with a suggestion
that this is really the point from which we should have
begun. He is engaged and thinking and ready for more,
despite being thirty minutes late for his next appointment. I
dont know what his next appointment thought of all that,

but I was impressed. He asserts that he is full of hope
and ambition for the country. I borrowed a bit of that and
left the encounter with a spring in my step. We need a bit
more of all that in our politics.
Extraordinary in a democracy
that there's so little interest in
this
2016:
2017:
2018:
2019:
Bertie re-joins Fianna Fail

Bertie ousts Martin in coup
Entire island completely tarmac'd
Bailed out by IMF
What was the commission 'Expert' on?

Certainly not Water. Perhaps Politics,
and Irish Political Hangups? Coalitions?
Constitutions?
Another one to remember is

that Haughey was CORRUPT took money from Lenihan liver
fund & did corrupt favours 4
Ben Dunne & passport-seeker
When the first small piece of

shit finally sticks.
NOVEMBER 30, 2016
So could it really be that after years of stonewalling,

Draghi, the ECB and the cabal of central bankers and
regulators, are finally being dragged blinking in to the
light?
Funny how so often the biggest most powerful criminals,
the untouchables, are brought down by the smallest of
their crimes. The one they thought so beneath them they
never bothered to think about it.
Like Al Capone indicted for tax evasion.
Here is Irish MEP Luke Flanagan asking Mario Draghi
directly, and in Parliament, the question that could be the
smoking gun.
Flanagan :
In 2007 you were governor of Banca dItaliaUnicredti
the biggest bank on your watch: Can you please confirm
whether you were informed by the Central Bank of Ireland
of the multi-billion Euro breaches at UniCredit Dublin? If
so, can you explain why the bank has never been
sanctioned for those breaches of 2007.
You can see the exchange as it happened here.
Could this be the small piece of shit that sticks to the
expensive suit?
If so, then Mr Draghi, the Irish regulator and the various
politician and bankers involved will NOT welcome that the
whole sordid tale as told by the whistleblower who would
not be shut up, is now published as a book.
Nor that now one question has been asked, others are
going to be asked today.
If just one whistleblower succeeds in getting their question
asked, their story told instead of being gaoled and
silenced, then the others will be able to hope for justice
too. For every insolvent, bailed out bank there is a
whistleblower too threatened and bullied to dare to speak
out.
For my part am trying to put together and fund a film
about Too Big to Fail/Too Big to Goal. About the
whistleblowers versus the banks no government will
prosecute.
Ill let you know.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?
story_fbid=1162932557117392&id=182354901841834
Whistleblowers Testify in EU
Parliament
by Golem Xiv on NOVEMBER 17, 2016 in LATEST
Yesterday a very high-powered panel of international

banking whistleblowers met and told their stories in the
European parliament. The questions raised were
important. Among them was the Irish Whistleblower,
Jonathan Sugarman, who when UniCredit Ireland was
breaking the law in very serious ways reported it to the
Irish regulator.
He related how he was not only ignored by his bank, the
Irish regulator but also all the major political parties. He
then pointed out that the Irish regulator claims that it
always and it is the law after all informs the regulator
of the home country of banks which have subsidiaries in
Ireland, about any serious problems. In the case of
UniCredit that would mean the Italian Central bank would
have been told that Italys largest Bank was in serious
breach of Irish law in ways that could endanger the whole
banking system. The head of the Italian Central Bank at
the time was a certain Mr Mario Draghi. Mr Sugarman
suggested Mr Draghi should be asked point-blank of he did
or if he did not know. If he did not then the Irish regulator
was at least incompetent, and may have lied, misled and
perhaps even broken Irish laws. If he was told and did
know, then Mr Draghi has serious questions to answer
regarding his own dereliction of duty.
Surely not I hear you say. Well perhaps someone might
ask him? Or is he above the law?
Property bubbles and Banks

again.
by Golem Xiv on JULY 7, 2016 in LATEST
Update: Aberdeen suspends trading on 580m UK Property fund

and cuts price by 17%
So begins an article in Investment Week.

Aberdeen Asset Management has temporarily suspended trading
in its 580m UK Property fund as well as reducing the price of the
fund by 17%, joining a number of other groups in making property
fund adjustments amid a post-Brexit rush to exit the asset class.
In fact Aberdeen are the 7th major fund in just a few weeks to
either lock in their investors, not allowing them to get their money
out, or to allow it but at a heavy discount. Before Aberdeen we
have already had:
Standard Life Aviva M & G Henderson Columbia
Threadneedle and Canada Life
All have suspended trading in a large property fund. Standard Life
also cut the valuation of the fund by 15%. And that sudden revaluation, a mark to market is the headline.
When one fund says its property assets are actually worth 17%
less today than yesterday, that means every single investor in
every single fund now faces that same loss. Every one of those
assets that is being used as collateral for a loan or for margin
trading is now worth 17% less. Trading on margin simply means
that instead of using your own money to trade, you borrow money
and pledging or post collateral to underpin it with your lender. But
when your collateral is considered to have fallen in value your
lender makes a margin call which means they require you to
pledge more collateral to make up the shortfall. In this case an
additional 17%.
Where do you get that money from? Well some will have to sell
assets to make up the difference. But those assets, if they are
property, might well also be suddenly worth 17% less. And if lots of
people try to sell, to meet margin calls, the price might go down
further.
So Funds like Aberdeen are warning their investors not to trip this
booby trap.
If they insist on getting out anyway, you have a run.
Which would spread because its not just funds that hold lots of
property assets or loans underpinned by them. This from a Soc

Gen study via Zerohedge (CRE is Commercial Real Estate)
RBS exposure to CRE is GBP 26b, equivalent to 63% of tangible
equity
Lloyds 2nd most exposed at 46% of tangible equity, Santander
3rd at 24%, Barclays 4th at 23% and HSBC 5th at 17%
These are all big numbers. For RBS a 17% mark down on 26B is
4.42B
Now we have a clue what RBS share price has been falling
relentlessly and is headed right back to where it was trading at the
bottom of the crisis in 2009.
Now if you listen to the press this is all the fault of Brexit. Which
strikes me as misdirection. Its trying to suggest this is a political
problem created by the great unwashed and nothing to to do with
greedy investors speculating and lenders lending into a bubble
market.
The fact is that RBSs share price has been sliding from early 2015
onwards. Which is interesting since until the end of
2015 commercial property prices were still going up and the
experts just a few months ago in December 2015 quoted in the FT
were assuring us that,
Real estate prices expected to remain high for years.
and that,
Pricing has gotten very high but theres a reason it has gotten
highand we think it can stay high, said Bob Sulentic, the
companys [CBRE the worlds ;largest property service company]
chief executive. Theres a wall of capital out there that wants to be
invested in real estate.
So let me recap property prices were fine and going to stay fine
said the experts in property. But all the while certain people
were selling their bank shares and trying to get out. And then what
do you know. Suddenly those property prices were revalued down
by 17% overnight.
And if it was just RBSs share price we might just think it was one
bad apple. But Credit Suisse shares are trading at their lowest
ever. While Deutsche bank, with more derivative exposure than
any other bank, except perhaps JP Morgan is, .. well you decide.
I seriously doubt those banks are tumbling to such crisis levels just
because of UK property and in some sort of clairvoyant

anticipation of Bresixt. No this has been building and its real cause
is systemic across the entire European banking sector.
So this is not something caused by Brexit. At most Brexit has made
those holding over valued property assets suddenly crystallise a
worry they have had for a while now, that someone might stop
blowing their bubble for them.
Brexit has simply made it clear, again, that despite all the trillions in
QE and the ECB buying corporate debt/bonds right down to the
junk bond level, that the banks and the markets they lend to ARE
NOT FIXED and never were.
Aberdeen Asset Management has lifted the trading

suspension on its 2.7bn UK Property fund and feeder
fund, allowing investors to resume dealing at a 17%
diluted price.
Any orders placed during the suspension period will
have been rejected and new trades will now need to be
re-submitted after midday today. The group originally

announced trading in the funds had been...
Frances Fitzgerald, Tnaiste and Justice:
2016 has been a bruising year for the Justice Minister.

A spree of gangland killings and controversies involving
the Garda Commissioner have dogged her.
Her department remains a carbuncle in desperate need of
reform and she still does not have a secretary general
more than two years after the last one departed.
More to do if she wants to be a leadership contender.
4/10
Paschal Donohoe, Public Expenditure and

Reform
Of the big four at Cabinet, Donohoe is the youngest and

brightest prospect and one who has grown significantly in
stature since his appointment.
Now a proper heavyweight politically, he appears to be the
natural heir to Noonans crown.
His allowing of the Garda pay row to get as far as the
Labour Court has been criticised but his big task will be to
deliver a new pay deal in early 2017.
He says he doesnt want to be leader, but
7/10
Leo Varadkar, Social Protection
If you want a beer, go to the races, need a pal to appear

at your birthday party, Leo is your man.
His strategy of working the backbenches in his bid to be
leader has done him well so far, but will it be enough to
see him succeed Kenny.
His habit of commenting on all matters not in his
department has annoyed some, but remains a very
talented politician.
5/10
Simon Coveney, Housing
The triumphant king of the OK Corral showdown with

Fianna Fil on rents this week.
Serious Simon even made an appearance in the Dil bar
(something he never does) to celebrate his moment of
victory.
His leadership bid is back on course, we are told. Handed
a torturous brief by Enda Kenny with Water and Housing,
Coveney has taken to the task with dedication but actual

results elude him so far.
A bloody stinker
2/10
How many people are homeless?
There are 6525 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.
However it does not include the hidden homeless
who are living in squats or sofa surfing with
friends or people who are living in domestic
violence refuges.
This figure also excludes people who are sleeping
rough. In December 2015, the official rough
sleeping count confirmed 91 people sleeping
rough, with an additional 61 in the Nite Caf,
without a place to sleep.
The Department of Environment publishes the
official homeless figure each month, along
with details about gender and county.
https://www.housingagency.ie/Housing/media/Medi
a/Our%20Publications/Methodology-to-EstimateNew-Property-Requirement-for-Social-Housing.pdf
Are families affected?

In the past, most of the people using emergency
homeless accommodation were single adults. But
in the last three years, there has been a rapid
increase in the number of families becoming
homeless, so that in June 2016, there were over
1000 families accessing emergency
accommodation, which includes over
2,177 children. Focus Ireland has just completed a
four part insight into family homelessness.
How many children are homeless?
In June 2016, there were 2,177 children in

emergency homeless accommodation with their
families. In the 1990s, Ireland had a serious
problem of children who were homeless on their
own. Focus Ireland played a key role in ending this
situation and today it is very unusual for children to
be homeless on their own, and the response is
speedy and positive.
How many households are on the

waiting list for social housing?
The most recent official assessment of social

housing need was published in May 2013 and
showed 89,872 households qualified for social
housing one of five of which had been on the list
for more than 5 years.
Under the Social Housing Strategy the Government
estimated that only 35,573 of the households on
the list actually needed a new home.
Focus Ireland services
Focus Ireland services across the country provided

support to over 12,500 people. It is important to
recognize that, given our strong commitment to
preventing homelessness, not all of these were
homeless many were seeking support to avoid
becoming homeless.
Why are so many families losing their

homes?
The causes of homelessness are always complex.

Broadly speaking, homelessness can be caused by
structural factors (like lack of affordable housing,
unemployment, poverty, inadequate mental health
services, etc) or personal factors (like addictions,
mental health issues, family breakdown etc). The
current rise in family homelessness is driven
primarily by structural economic factors.

http://www.crisis.org.uk/data/files/publications/Hom
elessnessMonitor_England_2012_WEB.pdf
Simon Harris, Health
Simon g, as he is called by the Taoiseach, Harris, is a

young man with tremendous energy and ability to speak
fast.
Competent but is being severely tested in the poisoned
chalice of Health.
Secured additional funding but waiting lists remain
stubbornly high.
Will need all his wits if he is to succeed.
5/10
Richard Bruton, Education
Mr dependable-but-dull, Bruton has shown he is a solid

minister in whatever brief he is allotted.
His beloved Action Plan for everything is a bit one
dimensional but was effective in Jobs.
The funding crisis in our universities, legacy battles with
the Church over abuse costs and patronage of schools are
his major obstacles to success.
No big wins to report.
4/10
Heather Humphreys, Arts
A truly lovely person and managed the 1916

Commemorations series but her presence at Cabinet
continues to baffle many.
Not a lot more to say really.
4/10
Mary Mitchell OConnor, Jobs
Victim of sexist campaign or simply not up to the job,

Mitchell OConnor has been the subject of intense criticism
from many quarters, including from within Fine Gael.
The loss of her special adviser did little to quell the
concern around her abilities.
2/10
Shane Ross, Transport
Poacher turned gamekeeper, Ross has become the bte

noire of Fine Gael and their cheerleaders.
He has in fact achieved a considerable amount since

taking office.
Most notably he has won the major concession on the
issue of judicial appointments, despite a lot of noise from
the Blueshirts.
In his own brief, he has overseen record tourism numbers
and the delivery of the Phoenix Park tunnel link for rail
commuters.
Failure to move on State Board appointments is his major
black mark.
6/10
Denis Naughten, Communications
The former Fine Gaeler turned Independent must be

pinching himself.
Left his party in 2011 on the moral high ground yet still
finds himself in Cabinet.
A canny operator who is also an arch pragmatist.
Has a big call to make on media ownership. RTs financial
woes will occupy his agenda.
6/10
Katherine Zappone, Children
Another who has made a sluggish start to ministerial life.

Appeared to be a big winner in terms of childcare in the
budget but progress appears to have stalled.
Also her big issue of repealing the 8th Amendment on
abortion has been long fingered.
Must do better.
4/10
Michael Creed, Agriculture
The underrated star of this Cabinet and was a big winner

in the budget.
Not a show pony but has quietly and effectively gone
about his job.
Farmers are a notoriously tricky bunch to keep happy and
Creed will have to raise his profile somewhat but very
solid.
6/10
Charlie Flanagan, Foreign Affairs
Has adopted a very cautious and low-key approach as our

effective Brexit Minister.
Has put a lot of work into ensuring the Northern
institutions prevail.
Flanagan was outraged when the Taoiseach went on a
solo-run calling for an All-Ireland forum on Brexit, which
was quickly slapped down by the Norths First Minister
Arlene Foster.
His welcome outspoken tendencies when he was Fine Gael
chairman are clearly a thing of the past, sad to say.
4/10
Finian McGrath, Disabilities
The super junior minister gets to sit at Cabinet but has

managed to make the transition to Government fairly well.
The Governments response to the Grace Scandal has
slowed somewhat and McGrath needs to inject some
urgency to it.
His bloody-minded focus on the disability agenda annoys
some but is the only way to achieve results.
His fawning expressions of tribute to the late Fidel Castro
were baffling.
5/10.
Regina Doherty, chief whip
The Ring Mistress of the New Politics has not always had
an easy ride of it.
She has had to crack the whip on her fellow ministers to
make sure the Government has enough numbers in the
Dil to win votes.
Hers is a largely procedural role and she has been solid
enough in the face of hideous chaos on a daily basis.
5/10.
The banks must pay for

what they've done
PUBLISHED
17/12/2016
1
Finance Minister Michael Noonan
Looking back over the wreckage of the
economic crash, there is ample evidence to

suggest that the moral economy went
bankrupt long before the financial one. With
all those billions burned and the burden of
debt shouldered by people who had no hand
in amassing it, there is still a sense of
smouldering injustice which feeds its way
into the political mainstream. When it came
to finding someone to blame the banks were
top of the list, but their culpability and the
real cost of their profligacy could never be
adequately atoned for.
Today we reveal the biggest financial rip off in the State,
which was perpetrated on the holders of tracker mortgages
- the cost of which is put at 1bn. For the banks to be still
hoodwinking customers is scandalous. At what point is
there going to be a clean-up of the ethical culture of our
financial institutions?
This is not a case of adding insult to injury, it is plainly one
of adding further injury.
http://www.independent.ie/opin
ion/editorial/the-banks-mustpay-for-what-theyve-done35300906.html
Prof. Richard Werner - Banking Industry

Exposed & Solutions Presented - Dublin
April 2016
Nov 28, 2016
Detailed Index - Professor Richard Werners Talk:
1 - Why is banking so important for the economy, society and
the sustainable development of regions and communities?
2 - What causes the recurring boom-bust cycles and crises?
3 - What policies or banking systems have historically been
most successful in avoiding these cycles and crises?
4 - What kind of banking system and banking policy do we
need?
5 - While we are at it, can we solve the major problems of our
time with this?
6 - What are the policies which are being pushed that we need
to oppose?
4:40 - Banks create the Money
7:00 - Where is your Money Safe?
8:50 - Trade Secrets of Banking Banks dont lend Money,

Banks dont take Deposits!
10:40 - The bank doesnt pay-out, it will just record its debt to
you, which is called a deposit and we use it as Money.
12:45 - Credit Swiss & Barkleys Bank Create their own
Capital
16:25 - Cash & QE
17:35 - The money supply is created and allocated by Banks
22:30 - Colwyn Report 1918 nothings Changed!
22:40 - Bank Collusion
24:00 - Banking Market Concentration - The 'HerfindahlHirschman Index (H-HI)
26:30 - Number of financial institutions (Banks & Credit Unions)
Debate
27:00 - H-H Index for Germany
29:00 - The Creation of Boom-Bust Cycles
30:50 - Credit for GDP transactions - financial circulation credit
(Asset Credit Creation)
36:10 - The East Asian Economic Miracle Credit Guidance
40:30 - Abuse of Power by the Bank of Japan A warning to All
47:10 - The German Banking System
51:20 - Hampshire Community Bank Project - Local First CIC
56:40 - Dangers of Centralise Money creation & allocation
(Central Banks)
58:00 - The Alternative to bailing out the Banks. Ireland - what
the Central Bank could have done
1:00:00 - Japanese Bank Restructuring 1945-47 and 1990s
1:06:00 - Iceland
1:06:50 - Activities of the ECB
1:07:00 - EU war on Community Banks
1:08:30 - Negative Interest Rate Policy of the ECB, favours
speculators to the detriment of the economy
1:10:25 - War on Cash
1:11:45 - Lower Interest Rates do not stimulate the economy
1:14:00 - Quantity of money not the price of money that drives
the Economy Bank credit for GDP transactions drives the
economy
1:15:45 - Current Central Bank War on Cash
1:19:30 - Princes of the Yen, Central Bank Truth Documentary
on YouTube (247,000 views, Nov 2016) & Book plus other
Publications.
Prof Werners Books on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Richard-Werner...
Princes of the Yen: Central Bank Truth Documentary
https://youtu.be/p5Ac7ap_MAY
1:20:00 - Irish Government - Stop the issuance of Government
Bonds - 12% Vs 4%
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MechH0ebs_c&feature=youtu.be
I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties
than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks
to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation,
the banks and corporations that will grow up around [the banks] will
deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless
on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be
taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly
belongs "
The little guys steal a pack of sausages and get sentenced to 3 months in
prison.
The big guys fiddle millions, even billions and are told it is unacceptable
and are at worst fined.
The laws are inadequate and biased to say the least.
banking.... laws are "spider webs through which the big flies pass and
the little ones get caught".' That sums it up. Very well said! I think
recently on VB show it was said by a FG TD that we pay a few bn in
interest alone on our national debt, a big part of which is the repayment
on the cited bank billions. The real cost, as the author states is the moral
bankruptcy of both these and our governing institutions. Moral hazard
lies squarely on their shoulders as people occupy buildings to merely get
out of the cold.
Don't expect any action from Old Baldy. he is the banks puppet.
Glen Hansard says the taking

over of Apollo House is an 'act
of civil disobedience'
The group Home Sweet Home took over the building late on Thursday
night to house the homeless
December 16, 16
GLEN HANSARD HAS said that the group Home Sweet

Home wants to start a national conversation about
homelessness after the group took over Apollo House in
Dublin to house the homeless.
The Oscar-winning singer-songwriter was speaking to
Ryan Tubridy on The Late Late Show tonight about his
involvement with the group, as well as Operation Nama.
Home Sweet Home, a coalition of housing groups, trade

unions, musicians and actors, took over the Apollo House
late on Thursday night.
We are involved in an act of civil disobedience. I call upon
the very spirit of the Irish people to look at this, it is an
illegal act. We have taken a building that essentially
belongs to the people of Ireland and that has been lying
empty. said Hansard.
Now this is not only a Dublin issue but between the Royal
Canal and the Grand Canal there are 260 people tonight
homeless. What we would like to do is bridge the gap
Well be asking people to volunteer, well be asking people
to get behind the idea. It is a radical idea
Hansard confirmed on The Late Late Show, to loud cheers
from the audience, that the group is occupying the
building illegally.
According to Hansard, Home Sweet Home wants to start a
national conversation about homelessness, saying that
the crisis should be considered a national emergency.
Source: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie
Hansard told Tubridy that the action came about through

conversations with different artists and friends over the
year. So I find myself now part of group called Home
Sweet Home. It is a group of artists, a group of friends, a
group of people that we know and love.
Like minded souls. Jim Sheridan Andrew Hozier,
Saoirse Ronan, Christy Moore. Mattress Mick has been
great, he has really helped us out a lot. He has donated a
lot of beds.
Apollo House
The Apollo building was formerly used for offices by the
Department of Social Protection but has been left vacant
for the last year. It was planned to be demolished and
rebuilt as an office block.
In a statement released by the Irish Housing Network,
they said that the building would provide safe and secure
accommodation to the most vulnerable people in Irish
society, those sleeping on our streets.
This building has been opened to stop people dying on
the streets, this building has been opened to save lives.
When asked what would happen if the group were told to
vacate the property by the authorities, Hansard appealed

to the better nature of the Government and Nama. If
everybody pays tax in this audience, if anyone knows their
stuff they know that that is essentially our building. We
are just going to take it for a few months said Hansard.
A spokesperson for Nama has said it did not own the
Apollo House and any issues arising are for the receiver of
the building and not Nama.
I call upon the very spirit of the Irish people to look at this.
We have taken a building that essentially belongs to the
people of Ireland and that has been lying empty," Glen
Hansard said on the Late Late Show tonight.
http://www.thejournal.ie
/hansard-nama-buildingcivil-disobedience3144670-Dec2016/
We're being forced to take

a step backwards' - couple
hit with 40pc rent hike
Couple learned of rent increase day
before Government announced rent
caps
Laura Larkin
PUBLISHED
15/12/2016
1
Niamh and George O'Hara, from Ballymun, who are 'taking a step
back' after nine years of marriage to get out of the rental market
A couple have opted to take a step

backwards after nine years of marriage and
are moving home, after being hit by a 40pc
rent increase.
Niamh and George OHara, from Ballymun, learned of the
hike in their rent the night before the Government
announced details of the controversial rental cap plan.
They have been renting a two-bed home in the area for six
years and their rent is set to be increased to 1,300.
We came home from work on Monday to a letter which
said they were more than happy to allow us stay on as
tenants but because of rents in the area they would be
increasing our rent from March by 375, Niamh (36),
who works as a retail worker, told Independent.ie
The couple lost two night of sleep due to stress but have
now opted to leave their home.
After three days of talking about it and being stressed
weve decided that in order to go forward in our life we
actually have to take a step back and weve decided to
move back in with my dad for a year.
Hopefully that year will give us time to get back on our
feet because its just a kick in the teeth, she said.
Weve to walk away from the home that we have taken
care of for the last six years, she said.
Were just not willing to be at the hands of greedy people
anymore.
Read more: The rent row explained: What it
means for renters, landlords, Coveney and the
minority government
Both Niamh and her husband are from Ballymun but they
will now have to move to Cabra, leaving their community
behind.
Hopefully its just for a year, she said.
The pair plan to try and secure a mortgage to buy a home
after saving for a year when they live with Niamhs dad.
Were six years in our house this week. When we took it
on the rent was 775, it just goes to show you how much
things have spiralled out of control, she said.
Were nine years in this trap and its probably our own
fault that at the beginning we didnt take time out to live at
home for a year. The last thing youre thinking as a
married couple is live with your parents.
But its come to the crunch now and something has to
give.
When the 4pc was introduced on Tuesday we talked
about it [fighting for a lower increase] for a while but after
two days of no sleep and the distress we were put through
I decided its time to just get out of this, she said.
Its time to say I give up Im going to better myself and
my life.
Trying to put an increase of 40pc on any one person or
couple at one time is appalling I think, he said.
Capel Abbey, the management company who manage the

property let to the O'Hara's denied the increase was
introduced to beat the rent caps expected to be introduced
by the Government.
At the moment legislation dictates that a 90 day notice is
given to tenants in case of a rent review. As the current
lease for these tenants ends in March 2017 we had to send
the notice now in order to follow the procedure.
If you research the historical rents for a two bedroom
townhouse in the area, you will find that the rent charged
for the property has always been way below the market
rate and tenant had been treated more than fair, the
company said.
The decision to increase the rent to 1,300 was based on
the current market rents.
The proposed rent is well in line with what the going rate
is in the area, they added.
http://www.independent.ie/incoming/were-being-forced-to-take-astep-backwards-couple-hit-with-40pc-rent-hike-35296788.html
We got a 300 monthly

rent hike because we were
good tenants, says Amy
Molloy
How can rent rises be modest when
prices are already extortionate?
Amy Molloy Twitter

EMAIL
PUBLISHED
15/12/2016 |
1
Amy Molloy, who says the 4pc rent cap proposed by the Housing
Minister is not going to solve the problem. Photo: Tom Burke
Housing Minister Simon Coveney stated on

Wednesday that a 4pc cap on rent hikes was
a very "modest margin".
But how can it be 'modest' when it's giving landlords the
option to increase something that is already extortionate?
As someone who has been renting accommodation in
Dublin for seven years, I have gone from paying 300 per
month in 2009, to over 500 in 2016.
In most walks of life, the price tag usually reflects the
quality of the product.
You don't see Penneys charging 80 for a coat which is
only worth 25.
Substandard
However, when it comes to the Irish rental market, it's
acceptable to charge 500 for a single room in a property
which is damp and substandard.
When plans for the two-year rent freeze were announced
last year, it sent landlords into a price hike frenzy.
Yet it was declared a significant step in tackling Ireland's
rental crisis.
The 4pc cap on rent increases proposed by the Housing
Minister isn't going to solve this problem.
People are still going to be living in dumps, and paying
over-the-top prices to do so.
In recent years, I rented a property in Santry for 475. As
the end of our tenancy approached, our landlord believed
we would renew our lease.
Read more: Fianna Fil refuse to back Coveneys rent
strategy creating crisis for Government
We received an email from the estate agents notifying us
that the landlord would be increasing the rent for this
three-bed property from 1,425 per month up to as much
as 1,925.
But then it added that because we were "good tenants", he
would only hike it up to 1,725.
That is not much of an incentive to be "good".
The most patronising part was when they highlighted the
following: "That will only be an extra 100 each."
That is "only" 100 to three girls on salaries of 24,000 a
year. Know your audience, estate agents.
You don't mind paying a high price for somewhere you
look forward to going home to.
But I've lived in places where the shower was the
equivalent of someone dribbling on you from a height, and
we had a slug infestation to boot.
There was also a build-up of mould on the kitchen ceiling
due to our extractor fan not working - despite numerous
requests to get it fixed.
If the Government really wants to tackle the rental crisis, it
should implement measures whereby the quality of
housing is assessed before landlords get to slap any price

they like on the property.
At the moment, if you go house-hunting on the various
rental websites, you'll come across some horrid sights.
The problem is there's nobody overseeing the standard of
property being rented.
The 4pc rent cap isn't going to stop landlords exploiting
tenants, and it most certainly isn't going to lower the
exorbitant prices we're already paying to live in the capital.
Fashionistas say if you want to brighten up a struggling
outfit, stick a belt on it.
To fix Ireland's housing problems, the Government need
to stick a lot more than a cap on it.
http://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/propertymortgages/we-got-a-300-monthly-rent-hike-because-we-were-goodtenants-says-amy-molloy-35295989.html?
utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=IN
%3ADaily&hConversionEventId=AQEAAZQF2gAmdjIwMDAwMDE1OS
0wMGRlLTNmNDUtYzQ5OS05YTE2M2UzNDYwMDjaACRiZTQ3ZGVmNi
1kYmQ4LTQ0OTMtMDAwMC0wMjFlZjNhMGJjY2HaACQ2ZTAzODhiZC1
mM2I3LTQ0YzItOGZhMC0xM2RhMjk1NTIzYjGuhn3iWB5hQDvWeqf6Z
glnYNBW1uK7BqDT_PBRPJxRTA
The impact.
"Hopefully that year will give us time to get back on our
care of for the last six years, she said.Were just not
willing to be at the hands of greedy people anymore
TWO TRADE UNIONS have today called on the

government to provide support to organisations giving
food assistance to people around the country so they can
meet the demand on their services this Christmas.
Today Mandate and Unite released a map with a county-
by-county breakdown of food poverty in the country, to

highlight this demand.
Click here for a larger version of this image.

The map shows Dublin fares worst with 112,300 people
suffering food poverty. Larger counties like Cork and
Galway follow close behind, with 50,500 and 25,300
people in need of assistance respectively.
Nationally, one in ten people suffer food poverty.
Food poverty means that someone missed a meal in the
last fortnight because of a lack of money, Mandate
general secretary John Douglas said. It may mean they
cannot afford a meal with meat or the vegetarian
equivalent every second day or afford a roast or vegetarian
equivalent once a week.
Those suffering food poverty may be lone parent families;
they may be the newly unemployed; they may be
pensioners and they may be people in work, struggling
to survive on low wages.

Today the unions demanded that the government provide
immediate aid of 10 million to organisations offering
food assistance and to reverse cuts to low income groups
in the new year.
They also called for an increase in the minimum wage
something the country has not seen since 2007.
Poverty in Ireland today is part of a policy-made disaster
austerity, and the collapse in incomes it has brought in
its wake, commented Unite regional secretary Jimmy
Kelly. The figures released by Unite and Mandate show
that food poverty is a reality in every county in Ireland.
Once again it has been proven that the constitution is
worthless, judges can interpret the constitution which ever
way suits them or the government of the day.
What we think is enshrined in the constitution can be
wiped away with the brush of a judges hand.
The Irish people should demand that a new constitution be
drawn up but this time with ordinary citizens sitting on the
panel and it be written so as even a fool like me can easily
understand it, so will not be depending on men dresses in
wigs saying this is what was meant when it was written
shit they were not there when it was written. If you say in
court that you think this is what was said the judge will tell
you very quickly you cannot presume you have to be
certain, yet a judge can say i think, and that thinking
effects the whole nation now and forever. Not very
democratic in my mind
Out of touch - Minister dismisses tax

charge
Irish Examiner editorial
FINANCE Minister Michael Noonans curt nothing-to-seehere dismissal of the Oxfam charge that Ireland is one of
the worlds leading tax havens does him, our Government,
and this society no credit.
The claim that Ireland is sixth among the worlds top 15

countries prepared to offer flexible tax arrangements may
be off the mark but you dont need to be Actuary of The
Year to understand that it may not be that far off the
mark. After all, it is unlikely that so many of the worlds
glitzy hi-tech firms base themselves on this small island on
the edge of Europe because they like the conversation in
the pubs or the climate.
Mr Noonans nobody-will-take-them-seriously dismissal
is also spectacularly out of touch. Has he not noticed the
great changes, driven by electorates fed up of established
politics and their failure to control multi-national
corporations?
However, the saddest element of his response is obvious
if a figure as powerful as Mr Noonan really believes
Ireland is not a tax haven of sorts then it is more than
unlikely the inequity will be even challenged, much less
eliminated.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/viewpoints/ourview/out-of-touch-minister-dismisses-tax-charge-435062.html
Hard-pressed' landlords threaten to

impose new charges in response to
new rent caps
A group of up to 5,000 landlords say they will pull out of a

State rent scheme and introduce a raft of new charges for
tenants.
The Irish Property Owners Association says its response to
the new rental strategy legislation will be to make tenants
pay charges for car parking, letting costs, registration
fees, service charges and more.
They are also introducing a "key" payment at handover,
imposing a registration fee and passing on service
charges.
advertisement
The Irish Property Owners Association statement claims its

members are hard-pressed and victims of the newest
onslaught on the sector and they are seeking legal
advice, saying rent controls were deemed unconstitutional
in the early 1980s.
Their statement said: The measures being introduced are
so severe that rents will not cover costs and devaluation of
property will be significant all adding to the exit of the
Investor.

Fianna Fil has called for the association to be referred to
the competition authority.
Housing Minister Simon Coveney told the Dil: "I've only
just seen that press release, but just in case you think that
this is - a number of people have described this as some
sort of pro-landlord strategy - it doesn't look like the
landlords are too happy, to me.
"And I'm not saying that as a good or a bad thing, I'm just
saying that we are trying to get the balance right here."
Meanwhile, a sit in at an office block in Dublin has been
raised repeatedly in the Dil.
Supporters of homeless people have taken over Apollo
House and say they are turning offices in the NAMA-owned
building into bedrooms
Fianna Fil's Anne Rabbitte got emotional when raising the
plight of homeless people to the Dil.
She said: "It's very easy for us to leave here, walk down
Grafton Street and pass people who are actually putting in
a bed for the night.
"That's not right, and that's the social conscience in me."
http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/hardpressed-landlords-threaten-to-impose-new-charges-inresponse-to-new-rent-caps-768921.html
So eirigi ire have taken over apollo house 'big office block on tara
street empty 8 years ' and mattress mick has filled it with
mattresses and they've taken in all the homeless around Dublin ..
deadly
To me this is something that was a no brainer and should

have been done years ago , massive buildings owned by
the state lieing idle while people lie in the wet and cold ,
good to see the likes of Damo Dempsey , Glenn Hansard
and Hosier getting on it last night and lets not forget
matress mick , whoo rahh to the people
11,000.00 raised in the first day via 'gofundme'
Home Sweet Home - Ending

Homelessness in Ireland
Dec 15, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk4scySuANo
Home Sweet Home - This is Ireland

Dec 15, 2016
v=WptTC2BcWUk&feature=youtu.be
Home Sweet Home - Jim Sheridan joins

the fight to end homelessness
Dec 15, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsoX73Y5o-Y
Takeover of vacant NAMA
building for use by the

homeless continues
Minister for Housing said while he understands the
motivation behind it, he said it is "not the way" to deal with
the homelessness crisis
16 Dec 2016
Dozens of people have taken over a Dublin building to

provide shelter for homeless people.
The Irish Housing Network says they will provide safe and
secure accommodation at Apollo House - currently controlled
by National Assets Management Agency (Nama).
Gardai confirmed that they were called to an incident shortly
after midnight on Tara Street, to deal with that they said was a
peaceful incident.
Gardai are no longer at the scene, but are liaising with the
occupants.
The action was organised by the Home Sweet Home,
coalition which includes trade unionists, charities, poets, actor
John Connors and high-profile artists including Hozier, Glen
Hansard, Damien Dempsey, Conor OBrien of The Villagers
and members of the band Kodaline, all of whom attended the
opening of the building. However, the musicians did not enter
the building.
"It's scandalous that there are people dying and freezing on
the street," singer Damien Dempsey told reporters outside the
building.
Co-founder of Home Sweet Home, trade unionist Brendan
Ogle, told The Irish Times the group had identified the Namamanaged property in the city centre and was staging a
citizens intervention in the homelessness crisis.
Around 30 mattresses were delivered to the building by
Mattress Mick.
Figures in November showed the level of homelessness in
Dublin rose 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.
"There is nobody more aware than I

am"
Minister for Housing Simon Coveney said he has been
assured that there is a bed "for everyone who wants one" by
the Dublin Homeless Executive.
"We have, in the last ten days, opened two new hostels and
we had a court decision today to remove a stay on opening a
third one on Francis Street, which will open within days," the
Minister said in the Dil, saying the combination of their
occupancies was an extra 210 beds.
Speaking to directly to those involved in the Apollo House
action, he said he understands the frustration and that
homelessness is his number one priority.
"We are pumping a lot of extra money into it. I've made it clear
to Dublin City Council that money is not the issue [...] We are
ramping up the supports that are necessary.
"Ultimately, what we need is homes for people through social
housing problems, not emergency beds. In the short-term, we
need to increase emergency facilities."
http://www.newstalk.com/Takeover-of-vacant-NAMA-buildingfor-use-by-the-homeless-continues
Protesters take over vacant

Nama building for use by
homeless
Group of supporters and celebrities have moved five into
bedrooms in Apollo House
Supporters of the homeless who took over the Apollo

House office block in Dublin have moved five people
into makeshift bedrooms in the building.
At a press conference outside the building on Friday
afternoon representatives of Home Sweet Home and
the Irish Housing Network said the seizure of the
building was necessary to save lives.
Spokeswoman Rosie Leonard said numbers would be
increasing as maintenance issues were resolved and
office space made suitable for bedrooms. Electricity
and water had been connected and turned on. She said
she expected up to 30 people could be accommodated
on a few floors in the 10-storey building.
Ms Leonard said garda had visited on Thursday night
and were satisfied that there was no danger to people
or property.
However in the interests of health and safety and to
protect the privacy of the residents she said media
were not being allowed in with cameras.
We will be releasing images of the inside later in the
day, she said.
The occupiers were supported by Sinn Fin councillor

Chris Andrews who stood outside in solidarity with the
move.
Emergency help
Dean Scurry of Home Sweet Home said the the
action was a short-term initiative designed to provide
emergency help for the real number of rough sleepers
in Dublin City Centre which he said was about 300.
Mr Scurry said It is Christmas time. We dont want to
hear of any more deaths on the streets, he said.
Mr Scurry who said concerned friends had planned
and executed the plan to seize a building in five weeks,
said he believed the move would be successful because
of the people who have shown the love for this proving
they wanted to make a difference, people like Glen
Hansard. all those people that we look up to when we
go to gigs. People all over the country believe we can
make a difference.
He said the initiative came from a homeless man who
posted a video on Facebook saying it would be great if
we could get the homeless people off the streets and
put them in a Nama building.
An hour after that I met him in a park. We had a chat ,
an hour after that I had a chat with Brendan Ogle. An
hour after that I had a chat with the Irish Housing
Network, I had a chat with Glen Hansard, starting to
pull things together. That was five weeks ago.
Activists gained access to the property in the capitals
south inner-city at around 11pm on Thursday.
A Garda spokesman said that garda were called to the
area at about 12.30am on Friday morning. He
described the incident as peaceful and said garda
are no longer at the scene but are liaising closely with
parties involved.
The Home Sweet Home coalition includes trade

unionists, charities, poets, director Jim Sheridan, actor
John Connors and high-profile artists and singers
including Hozier, Liam O Maonla, Glen Hansard,
Damien Dempsey, Conor OBrien of Villagers and
members of the band Kodaline, all of whom attended
the opening of the building.
Do you think vacant Nama-owned properties should be opened for
use by the homeless?
Irishtimes
Yes 89
No 11
3.8K voters
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/protesters-takeover-vacant-nama-building-for-use-by-homeless-1.2908396
Is this what you want for your country?

The Taoiseach and Tnaiste have repeatedly refused to
rule out doing a deal with independent TD Michael Lowry
after the election. - Irish Examiner 25th Jan 2016
"The findings of the Moriarty tribunal will not lie, gathering
dust in some office under Fine Gael"
Enda Kenny 2011.
TAKE LEAVE AND DONT VOTE THIS LIAR AND IDIOT

LABOUR IN
VOTE FROM INSTEAD, FROM WILL REBIT
As Labour's popularity falls ..Brendan Howlin JUMPS ship
and is seen launching his new party " The Hop Skip Jump "
Party
Whats on your wish list for Christmas?

Which ONE of these would be your favourite ?
Maybe you have a few wishes of your owl
Following on from the Sunday Business posts article

" The slow but steady rise in support for Fine Gael as the
general election approaches has continued this month in
the latest Red C tracking poll "
WE the people would like to say .. WE did our own poll and
the results are in!
People think that in order to privatise our water that Irish

Water, the company, has to be sold off. That the keys of
the building have to be handed over to private interests.
That isn't quite the way privatisation works, in this case.
Privatisation is carried out piecemeal with the outsourcing
of services that would normally be carried out in the public
service.
The Government has been using what are known as Public
Private Partnerships to farm out these services to third
party private contractors for quite a while. It was Fianna
Fraud that introduced PPPs.
"PPPs were first introduced in the delivery of public
infrastructure (schools, motorways, social housing, water
treatment plants etc) in Ireland by the Fianna Fail and the
PD Government in 1999, following lobbying by IBEC and
the Construction Industry Federation."
Now PPPs are the preferred methodology in the
privatisation agenda.
Take a look at the picture. You will see the private
contractors who have been provided multi year contracts
to provide the same service that the Local Authorities
used to provide. They do all the work while Irish Water

collects the charges.
This is how privatisation will happen. Under the radar and
not so obvious until there's nothing left of Irish Water but
for the letterhead on the top of your water bill...
"According to Dail records there are, in fact, 115 of these
PPP contracts to Design, Build, Operate and Maintain
(DBO), water and waste-water treatment plants across 232
sites in Ireland. The contracts are worth a massive total of
1.4bn and most are set to run up to 2030. It is estimated
that Irish Water (previously the local authorities) are
paying out 123 million per annum to the private
companies to cover the operation/maintenance/repayment
costs of these PPP contracts.
RIP OFF IRELAND

Just a few of the many ways we the public are ripped off
everyday !!
DUBLIN NORTHEAST REMEMBERS 1916 PUBLIC MEETING.

7.30pm Wednesday 28th October, Kilmore Recreation
Centre, Cromcastle Road, Kilmore. Open to all interested in
a community based celebration and commemoration of
the 1916 Rising in Dublin Northeast. A few activists and
people interested in history came together with the idea

last July. We have already run a couple of successful
events and are planning many more for the centenary
year. Reclaim the celebrations of the1916 Rising for our
community! Reclaim the noble ideals of the 1916
Proclamation! Spread the word and share widely!
Community Activists, Trade Unionists and Concerned Citizens have

occupied Apollo House in order to provide shelter for those forced to
sleep on the streets over Christmas. A number of homeless people
have bedded down for the night as the rain pours down and Elected
Representatives do nothing but massage Landlords Bank Accounts.
Please share and drop down to lend even an hour of support outside
in order to protect those inside seeking a warm place to sleep and
raise awareness for the Housing Crisis currently running rampant
across our nation.
Housing Minister Simon Coveney is a Greedy Corrupt

Landlord and a Traitor To Irish Citizens of Ireland
Now you know why simon will never sort the housing crisis
Theas people are the Mafia of Ireland when are ye going to realise
this they are in for them selfs and nobody else.
90% of our politicians are clueless from reality removed gobshites !
Ever seen a penny drop; we did, dropped off the top shelf, it rolled
across the floor and stopped at WoodsHogan; it came from our own
post last night about the switcheroo, one aspect of the switcheroo is
the fact that WoodsHogan are dead and gone and yet when we were
going through the Courts listings today, Woodshogan were still on
record. Anyone joining the dots?
Bank A has your mortgage and employs a solicitor ABC.
The Bank then sells your mortgage to bank B who has a solicitor
DEF:
Bank Bs solicitor DEF then goes into the Circuit Court to change
all of the paperwork: this cant happen and those changes have
been done illegally;
Bank As; solicitor thats ABC must change the paperwork, then
come off record; Bank B solicitor DEF must then come on record.
Any Order gained is: invalid, any Court Case going forward is
:invalid.
So: its a notice of Motion to Strike the case out for want of
Jurisdiction: the whole process of the name change is flawed and not
done properly.
Has the original entity since died?
If WoodsHogan is a dead entity: how did Bank A or bank B for that
matter get the Court Papers. This plot just got deep, real deep:
still trying to get our heads around the situation but some heads will
roll over this one. The Vulture funds may have just shot themselves
in the foot: more to follow, we suspect, just joining the dots, crossing
the Ts and dotting the Is.
The Irish Famine was the greatest tragedy in Irish History. Between
1845 and 1848 about a million people died. Many of these people
are buried in unmarked graves. One of these graveyard is behind
my house at Kilally Ardee Road Dundalk.In 1842 Dundalk Union
workhouse was opened to look after the poorest people. These
people got very little to eat and they only got meat at Christmas
and Easter. They slept on straw and this lead to a lot of infection and
diseases .By 1852 the graveyard at the workhouse was full and a
new graveyard was needed. A man named Thomas fortesque sold
an acre of land at Kilally to the workhouse and Mr McEvoy who had
the ladnd rented got 20.00 for giving it up. The first people were
buried here in 1853. These people were not considered important.
The graves were not marked out , they were not given headstones
and their names were not recorded.My grandfather told me that the
people were carried from the workhouse to the graveyard about
1km in a coffin with a trap door, carried by two men. Thew body was
dumped in the graves and was covered with a sheet. There are no
records of how many people are buried in the graveyard. Over the
years the graveyard dilapidated. In 2005 some neighbours restored
the graveyard and put a new gate with a plaque on the wall.
Fine Gael will today tell Independent TDs and smaller

parties it will consider struggling family mortgage reforms,
levies for vacant property hoarders, and a new rural
towns and villages development scheme if they support
Enda Kennys bid for power.
m
m
The proposals are outlined in a five-page discussion

document sent last night to all politicians participating in
round-table talks with the caretaker Taoiseachs party,
marking the first concrete deal since the post-election
stalemate began.
The file, which has been seen by the Irish Examiner and
includes 37 separate policy suggestions in response to last
Thursdays day-long negotiations on housing, contains no
figures on how much any of the plans will cost.
However, it will be central to the opening hours of todays
second day of round-table talks between Mr Kenny, the
Independent Alliance, five loosely aligned rural
Independents, the Healy-Rae brothers. Maureen
OSullivan, Katherine Zappone and the Greens, as the
countdown begins to the next Dil Taoiseach nomination
vote next Tuesday.
The suggested housing plans, to be followed by similar
documents on other government areas over the coming
days, include:
A new housing action plan within eight weeks of the new
government, which will include quarterly updates and
involve input from housing charities and other
independent groups in addition to key performance
indicators which must be met
A cabinet minister for housing.
A new site valuation tax and vacant site levy to stop
developers from hoarding land.
A town and village renewal scheme to help address the
hollowing out of rural Ireland and encourage people to
move out of Dublin.
A commitment to examine mortgage reforms for
struggling families.
Improved access to the tenant-purchase scheme.
A commitment not to cut funding for rough sleeper, longterm homeless and tenancy sustainment protocol
services.
Doubling of available funds for social housing approvals
New measures to link local authority funding directly to
estate management to reduce the risk of empty or
unusable homes
Tax relief for landlords who accept rent supplement from
tenants.
The document also includes a focus on addressing the
related issues of homelessness, the rental bubble,
difficulties in obtaining mortgages, construction and the
amount of houses available in an apparent admission the
matters are part of the same problem.
The 37 separate points, and the fact none are costed to
date, will be central to the second day of round-table talks
at 10.30am today in Leinster House.
While Fine Gael remains hopeful forming a minority
government on April 6, a number of Independent TDs have
privately said the reality that other equally important
policy matters must be addressed means late April is more
realistic. In addition, the Independent Alliance and the
five-strong rural TD alliance have already committed to
holding separate meetings with Fianna Fil and its leader
Michel Martin throughout that day.
Speaking at Fairyhouse Racecourse yesterday, Mr Kenny
said no TD can sit on the sidelines and that they have
to take responsibility.
Independent TDs Michael Collins and John Halligan last
night said the public is frustrated Mr Kenny and Mr Martin
have yet to open talks.

HomeSweetHome One Ugly Building. One Beautiful Idea.
NAMA have been sitting on the derelict Apollo House for
years. Last night dozens of citizen activists took control of
this large city-centre building and opened it up as a hostel
for the city's homeless population.
The Irish people are putting our government to shame here,they
didn't & don't give a fiddlers fuck about anyone so people from all
walks of life took it into their own hands to do something cos they
care,the same should be done with the boarded up houses around
the country to give familys a home & get kids that are living I'm
hotels out of them so they can have a normal life & be kids.
Yes let's do this all over ireland limerick have started taken care of
the homeless by helping with clothes blankets and lots more
another collection on 20th Dec outside penny's from 7pm maybe an
empty building next
Do you think vacant Nama-owned properties should be

opened for use by the homeless?
Yes all the way, take over every damn buildings , good
luck to them all
No, don't give a fuck
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/protesterstake-over-vacant-nama-building-for-use-by-homeless1.2908396
Homeless numbers in south

Dublin rose 60% in nine
months
In October, there were 439 people on the councils homeless register.
Nov 15th 2016,
THE NUMBER OF people presenting to South Dublin

County Council has shot up in the last nine months
according to the latest figures.
In January this year, there were 274 people registered as

homeless with the council that figure in October was
439, representing a 60% increase.
Local Sinn Fin TD Eoin Broin said he has seen steady
numbers of families presenting as homeless since
September 2014.
The difference now is that the length of time they spend
in emergency accommodation is much longer. The figures
now are 12 to 15 months in south Dublin and two years in
Dublin city.
Broin also said these numbers do not fully represent the
problem in his area as they exclude certain groups of
people, like those who are couch surfing or people living
with their families on a temporary basis.
Follow
Eoin O Broin
Latest homeless figures show the housing crisis is still
spiralling out of control.
9:07 AM - 15 Nov 2016
Source: Eoin O Broin/Twitter
If it doesnt work out for some reason and they are

thrown out, they are turned away at the desk because they
dont have any supporting documentation from a

professional, he explained.
Resources in the housing section of the council are under
so much, he said some families have been told to self
accommodate.
There was a couple with six kids, he was working and she
had six jobs taking care of the kids. They lost their private
rental accommodation, they were already on the council
list, but when they went to the council there was no
They were given a list of hotels and told to get a room and
the council would pay for it. They couldnt get one and on
the day of their notice to quit, the council said they better
overhold stay there illegally essentially which they did
for six weeks. For six weeks they were running around
phoning all the hotels themselves to get a space.
Broin said he believes the government should be
allowing the council to purchase homes that are ready to
move into, rather than cheaper derelict houses that need a
lot of work done and therefore time spent on them to
make them habitable.
Some estates have former council houses up for sale for
good value he said, and these could be bought up by the
council.
The TD said the government should also work on
addressing rent certainty and legislation to ensure tenants
have rights to remain in a property if it is sold or
repossessed.
Pat Flanagan: Fine Gael's

new rent rules will throw
tenants to the vultures
BYPAT FLANAGAN
13:44, 16 DEC 2016



legislation.

certainty
the increases.
Simon Coveney TD
(Photo: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie)

return for landlords but 12.5% is hardly modest to those
who are struggling to pay rents that have exploded in
recent years.
If workers, be they in the public or private sector, slapped
a 12.5% pay demand on their employer they would be
accused of trying to wreck the economy.
Lets put this deal in perspective, for it comes as Fine Gael
is about to enter its seventh year in government and the
party is now expecting praise for overseeing the greatest
homelessness and housing crisis in the history of the

State.
predictability which comes way ahead of a tenants need
for rent certainty.
Part of the excuse for the huge rise in rent prices to come
is it will offer an incentive for developers and builders to
construct more homes in the coming years.
for the
homeless crisis is the lack of affordable housing because
the Fine Gael/Labour Government built virtually no local
authority homes during their time in office.
The excuse that funds werent available wont wash when
there was any amount of billions to pump in the banks.
Besides, previous governments built tens of thousands of
council homes during the 1950s and 60s when there
They cant afford to rent a home as it is and will have even
less chance of doing so when the new increases kick in.
The vultures are actually fuelling the homelessness crisis
yet they will be the main beneficiaries of this agreement.
After six years of doing nothing while rents went through

the roof and the numbers of homeless rocketed, it came
down to a last-minute rush to get the measures over the
line before the long Dail Christmas break.
what has to be the greatest scandal to plague this country
in modern history yet much of last week was taken up with
a murder which took place in 1983.
there can be no doubt that both Fine Gael and Fianna Fail
engaged in political point-scoring, using the death of this
loyal servant of the State to get at Sinn Fein.
since 2011.
http://www.irishmirror.ie/news/fine-gaels-new-rent-rules9469418?service=responsive
Just Announced Monday Dec 19th in aid of Peter
McVerry Trust.
Tix 35 on sale Monday at 9am
Damien Dempsey, Glen Hansard and John Connors lead occupation

of Apollo House in protest against housing crisis.
It is also supported by director Jim Sheridan, musicians Hozier and
Christy Moore and actor Saoirse Ronan among others.
The Home Sweet Home group is a broad coalition of housing groups,
trade unions, musicians, actors and artists. It operates in association
with the Mandate Trade Union.

The last rough sleeper count found 150 people sleeping on the
streets of Dublin alone. This greatly underestimated the count as
people sleeping in parks and inaccessible areas were not counted.
People Before Profit fully support this action and we want to see a
mass movement, like the people power movement that pushed back
water charges, on the streets to demand housing.
There are over 250,000 empty properties in Ireland according to a
Deutsche Bank report.
But the government won't act because they are too tied to vulture
firms and developers- the only groups benefiting from the housing
crisis.
We need all community groups, trade unions and left political
parties to come together to build a people power movement to
demand housing.
We also need to build a radical left movement to replace the
establishment parties. People Before Profit would:
- build 50,000 houses
- bring in rent controls
- stop evictions
- pass laws against intentional deriliction of property
Now you know.
Christy Moore and Hozier among stars backing

homeless
Jim Sheridan felt
'heartless' about
homelessness
Sheridan - "I feel like I've been as heartless as everybody

else walking past people on the street"
As the occupation of Apollo House in Dublin

by homelessness umbrella group Home
Sweet Home continues, director Jim Sheridan
has said he feels he has been "as heartless
as everybody else" about the homeless.
Sheridan and musicians including Christy
Moore and Hozier are backing a "citizens'
intervention" takeover of the vacant office
building on Tara Street to accommodate the
homeless.
people gathered on Thursday night at the
National Asset Management Agency (NAMA)

property under the Home Sweet Home
banner, which includes trade unionists,
charities and artists.
The coalition also includes Liam Maonla,
Glen Hansard, Damien Dempsey, Conor
OBrien of Villagers and members of Kodaline.
Follow
Glen Hansard


#
2:18 PM - 16 Dec 2016

D'Arcy Show on RT Radio 1 on Friday, filmmaker Sheridan said: "It just happened
because there's a homeless crisis, and
there's a lot of anger that extends even
situation.
epidemic."
become a debate."
Trade unionist Brendan Ogle, who is a cofounder of Home Sweet Home, had earlier
told The Irish Times that the group had
identified the NAMA-managed property in
Dublin's city centre and planned to stage a
"citizens' intervention in the homelessness
crisis".
safe.
Kodaline

The Department of Housing, Planning and
Local Government has said there are enough
beds being provided to meet the needs of
people who are currently rough sleeping.

Christy Moore and Hozier among stars backing homeless
Christy Moore
Irish musicians including Christy Moore and Hozier are
backing a "citizens' intervention" taking over Apollo House
in Dublin and using it to accommodate the homeless.
According to The Irish Times, around 100 people gathered
last (Thursday) night at the Nama property under the
banner of a coalition called Home Sweet Home, which
includes trade unionists, charities and artists.
The coalition is reported to include film director Jim
Sheridan and singers Hozier, Christy Moore, Liam O
Maonla, Glen Hansard, Damien Dempsey, Conor OBrien
of The Villagers and members of Kodaline.
Trade unionist Brendan Ogle is a co-founder of Home
Sweet Home, and he told The Irish Times that the group
had identified the Nama-managed property in Dublin's city
centre and planned to stage a "citizens' intervention in the
homelessness crisis".
"We are going to go in, turn on the electricity, turn on the
water, turn on the heating and gather up as many
homeless people as need a roof over their head," he said.
"We know at least 140 people are sleeping rough on the
streets of Dublin every night. We know the Government
has opened up emergency beds but there will still be
people out sleeping on the streets and we are coming
together to say to the Government that 'enough is
enough'."
Ogle added: "We want to appeal to the goodwill of the
powers-that-be and to say, 'Let's pull together as a nation
and end homelessness. There is no need for it'."
Meanwhile, Christy Moore tweeted a link to a YouTube
video with the message: "Please take a look & please
share.Christy #endhomelessnessnow."
The video, about homelessness in Ireland, includes Jim
Sheridan speaking outside Dublin's GPO about the
situation.
Final vote on Courts Bill taking place in Dil now.

FG & FF voting to increase evictions. SF, AAA/PBB,
I4C & others opposing.

Collins loses appeal

in promissory note
challenge
Updated / Dec. 16, 2016 Main Article Image
Joan Collins said the minister did not have the power to
allocate an unlimited sum of public money
Independents4Change TD Joan Collins has

lost her challenge to the Minister for
Finance's decision to issue 31bn in
promissory notes to Anglo Irish Bank and
other financial institutions.

The notes were effectively IOU notes from the
State allowing Anglo Irish Bank and other
financial institutions to get emergency
funding from the Central Bank in 2010.
Ms Collins argued that the Minister for
Finance did not have the power to allocate an
unlimited sum of public money.
She appealed the High Court's rejection of
her challenge.
But in a unanimous judgment, six Supreme
Court judges dismissed her appeal.
The core issue in the case was whether or not
the Minister for Finance had the power to
allocate unlimited sums of public money
without the funds being quantified and
considered in advance by the Oireachtas.
Ms Collins' legal team described this as an
enormous case and argued the constitution
did not permit the allocation of unlimited
monies.
The State argued the minister had the power
to issue the 31bn in promissory notes to
Anglo Irish Bank, the Educational Building
Society and Irish Nationwide Building society
under 2008 legislation enacted by the
Oireachtas to prevent a banking collapse.
In the judgment, which was delivered by
Chief Justice Susan Denham, said the
legislation was "undoubtedly exceptional".
But she said it was a permissible
constitutional response to an exceptional
situation.
However, Ms Justice Denham said it could not
be considered as a template for broader
ministerial power on other occasions.
She said it was unlikely the Oireachtas would
concede such wide ranging power in other
less pressing circumstances.
But she said if it did, and a minister or other
body was permitted to provide unlimited
financial support, without limitation in time to
any commercial entity, then it would not
follow from this case that such would be
constitutionally permissible.
The ruling also found that the fact that no
financial cap was placed on the financial
support capable of being provided, might be
imprudent.
Or she said it might be an entirely prudent,
though necessary and awesome response to
an exceptional situation.
In either case the Chief Justice said it is a
decision made by the organ empowered by
the Constitution to do so.
She said the Oireachtas was free to decide to
impose limits on the extent to which the
State may borrow or spend but that decision
is one consigned by the Constitution to the
legislative branch and not the judicial branch
of government.
In the ruling, the court found the limits
placed on the exercise of ministerial power
under the 2008 act did not include a financial
cap, beyond which the financial support
could not extend.

But it found the Constitution did not require
such a limit.
The court found that the Constitution requires
that the functions it confers on the organs of
State must be exercised by the appropriate
organ and no one else, in the manner set out
in the Constitution and in no other way.
In the ruling, the Chief Justice said it was true
that in this case the potential exposure was
enormous.
The amount was vast and the impact on the
State's finances significant.
She said the legislation was exceptional but
that did not make it unconstitutional.
She said it was designed and tailored to meet
an exceptional situation - addressing an
extraordinary risk to the State's economy
which could be said to represent a systemic
economic danger.
She said it was a feature of financial crises
that matters move very quickly and speed is
often of the essence.
If it was accepted that it was appropriate to
make provision for a swift response to a
financial crisis in a credit institution, then
there can be no quarrel with the fact that the
minister for finance was the body designated
to make that decision.
She said if this was permissible, then it was
difficult to understand how the absence of a
financial limit could render the provision
unconstitutional.
The Chief Justice said the court had no

function in considering the wisdom of
decisions taken by other branches of
government, only a limited capacity to review
them in judicial review proceedings.
She said it was the court's function to ensure
that the constitutional organ which has the
responsibility to make such decisions
whether they be wise or foolish, trivial or far
reaching, was allowed to do so within the
limits imposed by the Constitution.
She said the momentous nature of the
decisions which have been made in relation
to the crisis which the Irish economy
experienced in recent years, including those
made in this case, highlighted the
importance of each organ of government
respecting the field of operation of the other
branches and performing its own functions
conscientiously and carefully.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/1216/839277-promissory-notejudgment/
joan-collins-v-minister-for-finance-delegate-spending But in a
unanimous judgment, six Supreme Court judges dismissed her
appeal.
https://static.rasset.ie/documents/news/joan-collins-v-minister-forfinance-delegate-spending.pdf
Irish Finance Minister admits promissory

notes arrangement was "totally illegal"
Feb 8, 2013
Michael Noonan: "Well, the legal people would say that the
existing promissory notes arrangement is totally contrary to..
Pat Kenny: "Illegal?"
Noonan: "Totally"
Context: http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/...
Full interview available here with comments beginning around
nine minutes in
http://www.rte.ie/radio/radioplayer/r...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76z7gIJQEaA
Promissory Notes Are Legal Tender Private Banker from Blacks Law
Dictionary
an 30, 2016
Private Bankers National Banking Association,
http://www.PBNBA.com Promissory Notes Are Legal Tender.
Private Banker from Blacks Law Dictionary, 5th Edition, page
133, definition: Banking. The business of banking, as defined
by law and custom, consists in the issue of notes intended
to circulate as money..
And defines a Bankers Note (A Promissory Note) as: A
commercial instrument resembling a bank note in every
particular except that it is given by a private banker or
unincorporated banking institution. A Private Banker is a
Financial Institution; Unincorporated Banking Institution; and
Financial Agency pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 5312. Private Bankers
National Banking Association, PBNBA, Bankers Acceptance
Promissory Note under (U.C.C. 2-304) states, "The price can
be made payable in money or otherwise...".
IRS codes section 1.1001-1 (4657) C.C.H. states that Federal
Reserve Notes (Dollars) are valueless. The only lawful money
of the United States Of America are gold and silver coins with 1
oz .999 pure gold or silver as per Articles VIII and X of the
Constitution
For the United States of America, 1787. Bank Loan Contracts or
lender promissory notes requiring legal money that is not true
money such as: bank checks, cash, check, money orders,
attorney checks, bank transfers, wire transfers, FEDERAL
RESERVE PROMISSORY NOTE DOLLARS, cashier checks, and
certified checks from a bank, attorney, or escrow company are
illegal pursuant to Title 31 U.S.C. 5118(d)(2); 31 U.S.C.A.

463; and Public Law 97-258 (September 13, 1982). Be sure to
go to www.PBNBA.com today and join hundreds of Private
Bankers in the Private Bankers National Banking Association
and issue their preprocessed promissory notes to pay off your
debts at www.PBNBA.com. Let's beat the banks at their own
game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zxl26hh3saM
Systemic Corruption in Irish government & Banks.

Nov 24, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8MD-7u2UDw
Johnathon Sugarman (Whistleblower)

With Vincent Browne
Dec 6, 2016
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.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUpmZV8QZiw
'Atlantic' - the race for the resources of

the North Atlantic
Apr 27, 2016
Atlantic is a new feature documentary from Risteard
ODomhnaill (The Pipe, 2010). Narrated by Emmy Awardwinning actor Brendan Gleeson, the film explores ocean
resource mismanagement across Ireland, Norway and
Newfoundland (Canada). When traditional fishing communities
meet big oil and overfishing, what does the future hold?
Atlantic was awarded Best Irish Documentary at the Dublin

International Film Festival 2016, and was Official Selection at
the Sydney Film Festival and the Environmental Film Festival in
Washington DC. It is in selected Irish cinemas now.
theatlanticstream.com/screenings
Please Follow us on
Facebook: 'Atlantic Stream'
Twitter: @AtlanticStream #AtlanticFilm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtRHSWGYNFc
mainstream interviews Johnathon Sugarman,
These are the shower that is milking us dry. Yes rotten
Bastards.
Bastards.
Next step - take over the empty properties, and properties
owned by the Vulture Funds and rehouse the families
living in Hotels and Bed and Breakfast. 40 Families a
month being put out on the street, and more to come. All
this Government is interested in doing is to increase the
rents - instead of building Social Housing with our Tax
money. They bleat on, that there is no money - yeh right WE DO NOT BELIEVE YOU..
The Truth About How Anglo Ripped us

off. Warning this will piss you off
Jul 13, 2013
Two former Anglo Irish Bank executives have denied
allegations that they participated in misleading the Central
Bank in 2008, shortly before the bank guarantee was
introduced.
One of the executives said he "deeply regrets the language
and tone" he used in phone calls at the time.
John Bowe, the bank's then head of capital markets, described

the language used as "both imprudent and inappropriate".
It has emerged that the Central Bank was told by Anglo that 7
billion in funding would be needed to stabilise it.
However, a senior Anglo executive said to a colleague at the
time that the true cost would be higher.
The revelation came to light in a recording of a phone call
obtained by the Irish Independent, which published a partial
transcript today.
Both of the executives involved - Mr Bowe and then director of
retail banking Peter FitzGerald - have categorically denied
misleading the Central Bank.
Mr Bowe said he was not a member of the executive
management board of Anglo in 2008 and "therefore I was not a
decision maker in relation to either the bank's requirement for
funding or negotiations with the Central Bank."
Mr Fitzgerald told RT News that he also regretted the tone of
his conversation with Mr Bowe.
The conversation between two Anglo executives happened in
mid-September 2008, just days before the State guaranteed all
of the Irish banks.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny said this morning he understands the
"anger and rage" of people listening to the Anglo tapes.
However, Mr Kenny said he did not want to say anything to
prejudice the banking inquiry, which he said would be
comprehensive.
He said legislation to provide for an inquiry would be passed by
the summer recess and the Government would then decide the
best way to proceed.
Noonan believed 'Anglo had a lot to answer for'
Minister for Finance Michael Noonan said he "always believed
that Anglo had a lot to answer for."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTwK0pGHnQM
Vincent Browne v The ECB

Jan 19, 2012
Vincent Browne takes on Klaus Masuch over the issue of the
Irish people having to foot the bill for unguaranteed
bondholders.
Looks like the Ray Darcy Show have taken up the cause of
getting the question answered. Here's a link to their website
for e-mailing Klaus Masuch:
https://r12---sn-q0c7dn76.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?
ei=4F1UWLCwMOzGiQbZtr24Dg&upn=Pk9GKdbDsD4&lmt=13876125040
79694&expire=1481945664&mt=1481923946&itag=18&ipbits=0&mm=31&
mn=sn-q0c7dn76&mime=video
%2Fmp4&signature=BDCA4B81200EAB57CB93D6DC8861B93C30208900
.60F66A63CBC25FB172B2A9BF9E76C8F277998587&ms=au&source=yo
utube&mv=m&id=oAFg__8ENvSfcj7bR49sOo6iYyWyFV8G8CVeb_LL8F8q4&initcwndbps=12
93750&pl=16&dur=339.800&ip=89.100.45.63&ratebypass=yes&gir=yes&n
h=IgpwcjAxLmR1YjA2Kg0yMTMuNDYuMTY1LjE3&sparams=clen%2Cdur
%2Cei%2Cgir%2Cid%2Cinitcwndbps%2Cip%2Cipbits%2Citag%2Clmt
%2Cmime%2Cmm%2Cmn%2Cms%2Cmv%2Cnh%2Cpl%2Cratebypass
%2Crequiressl%2Csource%2Cupn
%2Cexpire&requiressl=yes&clen=21118028&key=yt6&title=Vincent
%20Browne%20v%20The%20ECB
Statement from Joan Collins TD in response to the

Supreme Court verdict...
Statement from Joan Collins TD - Supreme Court sided against the
Irish people in #promnotes case
Speaking after the Supreme Court decision to dismiss her appeal,
Joan Collins TD said that she was disappointed but not particularly
surprised with today's judgement.
Unfortunately, I believe the political and financial concerns which
were repeatedly emphasised by the state during the proceedings
weighed strongly on the judges verdict.
The strategy in this case was to paint a doomsday scenario to
justify the governments decision to waste huge amounts of public
money, particularly on Anglo-Irish Bank, without even bringing the
issue to the Dil for a vote."
Deputy Collins said she believed she had made a robust legal case
that Article 28 of the Constitution forbids borrowing or spending
without a Dil vote.
By allowing this provision of the constitution to be bypassed using
excuses about extraordinary circumstances and temporary

measures the court has weakened our political system, placing
fewer checks on the actions of the Minister for Finance and the
government of the day.
This judgement means that the 2008 Finance Act will be
interpreted by Ministers of Finance as carte blanche to take any
action they see fit to stabilise the banking system. Therefore, some
of the worst decisions made in response to the recent banking crisis
could happen again in the next one, which may not be too far
away.
She said her opinion of the nature of the debt accrued through the
promissory notes deal was unchanged by the court's decision.
This is an odious debt. Our government made a decision that
benefitted a handful of well-connected Irish bankers as well as
French and German financial institutions which are insulated from
the costs of their recklessness by a European framework demanding
full repayment of bondholders.
"The interests of Irish citizens were never a consideration.
As the bonds which replaced these promissory notes are sold off
huge sums of public money will flow to private interests and 31
billion of debt will be copperfastened to the state for decades. This
decision made by the Fianna Fil, and backed by Fine Gael and
Labour in government, will be with us for a long, long time.
People should remember this when we are told we cant afford to
solve urgent crises in housing or healthcare - we can, but our money
is going elsewhere."
joan-collins-v-minister-for-finance-She appealed the High Court's

rejection of her challenge. But in a unanimous judgment, six Supreme
Dean Scurry speaking about #HomeSweetHome campaign outside

Apollo House.
I think we should do something like this in #Sligo What do

ye think Sligo? Dec 16th 2016
Landlord group
threatens new
charges over rental
plans
The Government introduced its rental strategy during the

week
A lobby group representing landlords has said

its members are considering introducing a
raft of new charges for tenants and
withdrawing from State-sponsored letting
schemes in response to the Government's
rental plans.
The Irish Property Owners Association, which
lists 5,000 members on its website, said
"hard-pressed landlords are the victims of the
newest onslaught on the sector".
Following a meeting with members, the IPOA
issued a statement stating that the
"measures being introduced are so severe
that rents will not cover costs and
devaluation of property will be significant".
The statement said its members are now
"seriously considering" withdrawing from
State-sponsored rental schemes; introducing
new fees for keys, documents and car

parking; additional service, letting and
registration charges as well as contributions
for Local Property Tax.
Minister for Housing Simon Coveney this

evening said many described his plan to cap
rent increases as pro-landlord but he said the
IPOA statement suggests otherwise.
Earlier Mr Coveney said his department
has checked the wording of new legislation
on the rent certainty measures to ensure that
rents in designated areas do not increase by
more than 4% annually.
He said his team worked late into the night
and took advice from the Attorney General
last night following a drafting difficulty that
arose in the legislation.
Some TDs were concerned that the wording
could see rents for some tenancies rise by
8%.
Mr Coveney said the new wording would
ensure that anyone who is a tenant in a rent
pressure zone will be sure that at the end of
their two-year tenancy they will not face
more than a 4% increase, and thereafter
there would no be more than a 4% increase.
Mr Coveney also clarified that regardless of
when a rent review happens, a property in
the designated zone could not have a rent
increase of more than 4% in a 12-month
period.
He explained that if there was a change of
tenancy after six months, then the rise would
be 2%.
He said the Government did not want to have
an incentive for landlords in a rent pressure
zone ending a tenancy early.
The Dil is sitting until 8pm to continue the
debate on the legislation.
An amendment tabled by Independent TD
Seamus Healy to give people the right to
remain in dwellings where a landlord wants
to sell 20 or more units was defeated.
The so-called 'Tyrrelstown amendment'
referred to the families in the west Dublin
suburb who were served with notice to vacate
homes after they were bought up by a so-called
'vulture fund'.
Mr Coveney said he sought the advice of the
Attorney General who suggested that figure be
changed to 10.
The amendment was lost by 59 votes to 34 with 24

abstentions.
Minister for Housing Simon Coveney has said his
department has checked the wording of new legislation on
the Government's rent certainty measures to ensure that
rents in designated areas do not increase by more than 4%
annually.
He said his team worked late into the night and took
advice from the Attorney General last night following a
drafting difficulty that arose in the legislation.
Some TDs were concerned that the wording could see
rents for some tenancies rise by 8%.
Mr Coveney said the new wording would ensure that
anyone who is a tenant in a rent pressure zone will be sure
that at the end of their two-year tenancy they will not face
more than a 4% increase, and thereafter there would no be
more than a 4% increase.
The NAMA controlled property has been vacant for a

period of six years and Home Sweet Home and the Irish
Housing Network have reclaimed it in a bid to tackle the
homeless crisis.
Five people are now residing in the property which is
located on the corner of Tara Street and Poolbeg Street.
afternoon representatives of Home Sweet Home and the
Irish Housing Network said the seizure of the building was
necessary to save lives.
The two groups hope to house 30 people in the building.
Home Sweet Home is made up of poets, artists, trade
unionists and activists while Mattress Mick has supplied
beds for the residents.
Jim Sheridan, Glen Hansard, Andrew Hozier, Saoirse
Ronan and Christy Moore are all involved with the
coalition.Rosie Leonard of the Irish Housing Network
said: Apollo house has been vacant for six years and it has
been opened by Home Sweet Home, the Irish housing
Network and a number of volunteers as housing for people
who would otherwise be on the streets.
Two people died on the 24 and the 25 of November, one

in Dundalk and one in Donegal. So this action is about
saving lives, there are about 30 people a year who die as a
direct result of homelessness.
Ms Leonard also said each room has its own bed, theres
shared facilities on each floor.
She also said they are currently working on setting the
building up with electricity and running water.
Dean Scurry of Home Sweet Home said a lot of people
watching this are a week or a pay cheque away from being
homeless, so they connect with this.
Theyre not going to die in the spring so well get the
winter months out of the way first and then we can set
about making housing a human right.
Mr Scurry said five weeks ago we had an idea and now we
are standing here.
In response to a plea from Fianna Fail TD Anne Rabbitte
to turn the heating on in the building, Minister for Social
Housing Simon Coveney said;
To occupy a building and try and put supports together in
an ad hoc way is not the way to deal with this.
However, a spokesman for NAMA Ray Gordon said that
the building was not a NAMA owned building and any
issues were for the receiver.
Its thought that the receiver of the building is connected
with financial firm Mazars Ireland.
Here is the news update from the Leinster House bubble.
Simon Coveney won that spat, played out over two days,
about the rent control plan.
Many, but not all, in Fine Gael will be pleased that he
chalked up a scarce win for the ones who have the name of
leading this creaky minority Coalition.
Landlords threaten raft of

new charges in reaction
to Government decision
to cap rents
Dil tonight backed Simon Coveney's
rental control plan
PUBLISHED
16/12/2016
LANDLORDS have threatened to impose a

raft of new charges on tenants in response to
the Governments decision to cap rents in
Dublin and Cork.
S


registration fee.
property tax.
Meanwhile, after three marathon days of often heated
debate, the Dil tonight backed Mr Coveney's rental
control plan. TDs voted by 52 to 43 in favour - but there
were 25 abstentions, mainly from Fianna Fil, which
effectively allowed the measure to become law.
Grafton Street.
told the Dil.
plight of those currently sleeping rough in Apollo House in
Dublin City was raised repeatedly.
http://www.independent.ie/business/personalfinance/property-mortgages/landlords-threatenraft-of-new-charges-in-reaction-to-government-
decision-to-cap-rents-35300054.html
Dail Erin Are a Disgrace to Humanity over allowing Vulture Landlords
To Crucify Tenant's in order to Provide Pensions for themselves. Once
again the the Markets and Capitalist System including Democracy have
utterly Failed. t is up to the State to Provide Reasonable priced housing
and rental accommodation for its Citizens All Rents Should Be
Reduced Immediately by 50% God Knows we have had enough of
Landlord Vultures in the Past. Politian's are elected to Protect Citizens
not Enslave Them..........Disgusted to see the policies of making The
Rich Richer being enforced 100 years after achieving our
Independence and Freedom. .
Last night a group of activists supported by well-known

celebrities occupied Apollo House on Tara Street.
The object of the occupation was to give rough sleepers a
place to sleep for the night.
http://jrnl.ie/3144658f
Deal reached
between Fine Gael
and Fianna Fil on
rental measures
4% annual limit on rent increases will be introduced in

Dublin and Cork city
A deal has been reached between Fianna Fil

and Fine Gael on rental measures.
The move paves the way for legislation
underpinning the changes to be passed
by the Oireachtas before Christmas.
As previously planned a 4% annual limit on
rent increases will be introduced in Dublin
and Cork city once the legislation is passed.
It has also been agreed that Meath, Kildare,
Wicklow and Louth, as well as areas around
Cork city will be immediately assessed to see
if they qualify to have a limit on rent
increases imposed.
The cities of Galway, Limerick and Waterford
will also be included in this first phase of

assessment.
The first results of these assessments are
due to be completed in January.
There will also be a review of how areas are
assessed as designated areas in June next
year.
More resources will also be given to the
Residential Tenancies Board.
Minister for Housing Simon Coveney told the
Dil during the debate on the matter that the
rent limit would apply for a period of three
years and would apply both at the start and
at each rent review.
He also told the Dil that he accepted
amendments within the Planning
Development and Residential Tenancies Bill
calling for completion of the assessment by
the Residential Tenancies Board to be done in
a speedier manner.
Fianna Fil housing spokesperson Barry
Cowen said while the party has not achieved
everything it sought, he was "pleased that for
the first time in the history of the State, the
Dil is now in a position to introduce rent
certainty measures that will protect tenants
and help address some of the issues
currently distorting our rental market".
Speaking on RT's Six One Mr Cowen said he
would have preferred a 2% increase
associated with legislation for rent controls,
but a compromise had to be reached.
Mr Cowen said his party had issues

surrounding the rate and the areas it is to
apply to, but "it's not about me winning, or
Simon Coveney winning", adding, "it's about
ensuring that the right measures and the
right legislation is approved".
Mr Cowen said he would rather Mr Coveney
had approached him, in confidence, last week
to discuss the proposed legislation, and
agreed on a unified approach.
He said, instead, there was a "public
negotiation".
Dil debate on rent legislation under
way
The controversial rent legislation is to being
debated in the Dil despite earlier assertions
that it would not.
The debate will continue tomorrow if it has
not concluded tonight.
After talks between the two sides broke up
late last night without agreement, Mr
Coveney said the Fianna Fil party position
had made it impossible for the Government
to bring forward legislation on the issue.
Fianna Fil accused the Government of
intransigence.
Fianna Fil leader Michel Martin this morning
criticised the Government's stance, but said
his party wants to be constructive and
engage.
He told the Dil: "I don't believe the bill
should have been pulled there was no need

for that."
He said to bring in legislation on rent
certainty in the last days of the Dil was
reckless.
However, he said there was a need to see if
there was space to have the debate, adding
that tomorrows sitting should not have been
cancelled.
Mr Howlin criticised the bill, which he said
was to have been debated and the legislation
enacted before Christmas, affecting
thousands of tenants.
PBP-AAA Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett said all
of this would be scuppered because Fianna
Fil and Fine Gael are rowing over how much
landlords will get.
Sinn Fins Eoin Broin described the
proposal as a very bad one which will hurt
renters, and said Fianna Fil recoiled from it
when it heard negative media and tenant
reaction.
He said the debate should be held today.
Mr Coveney, however, insisted that he could
proceed with legislation on rent certainty
without knowing what the outcome would
be.
Responding to criticism of the delay, he said
the Government had flagged for many weeks
that it would announce key changes to the
private rental sector and seek to enact
legislation this week.
Mr Coveney said putting forward a bill
without knowing what the outcome would be

would mean he would have to implement
legislation that did not make sense and was
not legally sound.
Fianna Fil and minority Government at
odds
The issue is the most significant
disagreement to date between the
Government and Fianna Fil.
After talks yesterday both sides agreed that
the working group to look at tax incentives
for landlords should begin its work in the New
Year, however differences remained on other
key issues
Throughout the negotiations Mr Coveney said
the proposed 4% limit on rent increases in
the rent pressure zones of Dublin and Cork
city was not negotiable.
The limits are being introduced in these cities
because they meet two designated criteria:
that annual rents have risen by at least 7% in
four of the last six quarters; and that the
average rent is above the national average in
the past quarter.
However, it is understood the main issue in
the dispute was the criteria for other areas to
qualify for a rent limit to be imposed.
Fianna Fil wanted Galway, Limerick,
Waterford and large population centres
surrounding Dublin and Cork city also
included from the outset.
The party also believes the proposal to speed
up the process to assess these areas from
mid-January does not go far enough.

Last night he said it seemed political
considerations were more important to
Fianna Fil.
This morning, Mr Coveney said the parties
had moved beyond the issue of the 4% rent
limit.
Speaking on RT's Morning Ireland, the
minister said: "What Fianna Fil focused on
last night is that they said they could live
with the 4% as long as we got more areas
into rent pressure zones.
"What I have said is that we are going to
bring more areas in but we have to do that
on an independent assessment as opposed to
the basis of politics. I am a minister here who
has to implement this legislation and to make
it work for the years ahead."
He said he would not make decisions for
political convenience "knowing it is the wrong
thing to do".
Mr Coveney said he has offered a
compromise; to look at cities like Galway and
Limerick and other local areas to make
decisions in the new year about having other
rent pressure zones. He said it is not legally
possible to do so before then.
The minister defended the 4% limit, saying:
"It is based on what is happening
internationally. If you look at other countries
who have introduced rent limits, 4% is based
on a modest rate of return so if people invest
in the market they can have an increase."

He went on to say he has to take a holistic
view of the whole market to make sure it
functions and to make sure for both landlords
and tenants it works effectively.
"It is about protecting tenants in this report. If
I do it in a way that undermines the business
propositions of landlords then they will leave
the market and we will make the situation
worse."
Mr Cowen later said his party is prepared to
do whatever is necessary to ensure the new
rent legislation covers more areas than just
Dublin and Cork.
Speaking on RT's Today with Sean ORourke,
Mr Cowen said he wants to ensure rent
certainty for those who deserve it.
"I think there was an opportunity to debate in
the Dil today as our interest has always
been to have good legislation."
Mr Cowen said they were prepared to
compromise on some issues but added that
had his party been consulted and had an
opportunity to participate, they might be at a
different stage to where they are now.
He said they now have to wait two to three
months to see if other areas are going to be
included in the rent pressure zones.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/1215/838989-rent-strategy/
Mary Robinson to
gift archive to NUI
Galway
Updated / Nov. 28, 2016
Mary Robinson will not avail of tax credits for donating her
archive
Plans for a Mary Robinson Presidential Library

in Ballina, Co Mayo look to have stalled, after
the former president announced that she
would gift her archive to NUI Galway and
have it stored there.
The Victoria House Foundation, which has
been working to develop a centre at Ms
Robinson's childhood home in Ballina, says
storage of the archive in Galway will mean
there is no need to have archival facilities in
Co Mayo.
In a statement this evening, the foundation
said the former president would not avail of
any tax credits that may be available to her
when she donates her archive.
Instead of progressing with the plan to open
a Presidential Library in Ballina, the
statement talks of a "vision" to use Ms
Robinson's legacy "at a location" in the town.
The foundation says Revenue valued the

archive at 4.65 million, while Mayo County
Council had arrived at a figure of 2.5m.
Under the Taxes Consolidation Act, this would
result in an overall tax credit for the donor of
1.2m.
Ms Robinson informed the board of the
foundation at a meeting last Saturday that
she did not intend to avail of the credit.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/1128/835057-mary-robinson/
250,000 valuation
for Mary Robinson
'light in the window'
Mary Robinson put the light in a window at ras an

Uactarin as a symbol to Irish emigrants all over the world
that there was a welcome for them at home
A light which shone in a window at ras an

Uactarin when Mary Robinson was president
was valued at 250,000 according to the
foundation which had planned to locate a
presidential library in County Mayo.
Two weeks after RT's Prime Time broadcast
its last report on the proposed Mary Robinson
Presidential Library, the Victoria House
Foundation announced it was abandoning its
plan to locate Mary Robinson's archive in
Ballina, Co Mayo.
Instead, her collection of papers is to be
gifted to NUI Galway.
In a statement, the foundation said it would
"obviate the need to duplicate expensive
archival facilities in Ballina".
The archive collection of hundreds of
thousands of documents and other items has

been valued by Revenue at
4.65m according to the foundation but
Revenue has not confirmed this.
Separately, some years ago another
valuation put it at 2.5m.
Documents obtained by Prime Time under
the Freedom of Information Act reveal that
the Victoria House Foundation had told
insurers that her famous 'light in the window'
was worth 250,000.
The centre informed their insurers of this in

an email sent by them on 20 February 2015.
Ms Robinson put the light in a window at ras
an Uactarin when she served as president in
the 1990s.
The light (above) was a symbol to Irish
emigrants all over the world that there was a
welcome for them at home.
It also emerged in recent weeks that

Ms Robinson's brother Adrian Bourke has
resigned from the foundation.
Mr Bourke owns the former family home and
Mayo Co Council planned to buy it from him
to locate the library there.
In October, Prime Time reported on the

complex structures of the foundation; staff
members at Mayo Co Council were members
of the board, as was Mr Bourke, who was to
sell the house to the local authority.
The proposed transaction was disclosed in
the foundation's annual report and was not a
breach of company law.
In mid October Mr Bourke resigned.
Under the Freedom of Information Act, Prime
Time received the letter of resignation he
submitted to fellow board members.
ras 'light in the window' worth 250,000
#RTEPT pic.twitter.com/CJRDH96FnK
9:33 AM - 16 Dec 2016
In it, Mr Bourke confirms he has asked the

council to re-value the house which they are
to buy from him.
He said previous valuations - one was
665,000 - are "completely out of date".
He told board members he intended to
engage with the Mayo Co manager Peter
Hynes and his staff, "immediately in order to
reach finality and an early closing".
He states that he is to resign from the board
due to the discussions, and says, "there may
be a conflict, either real or perceived".
Despite the fact the archive is now to be
based in NUIG, the Victoria House Foundation
has said developing a visitor centre in
Ms Robinson's childhood home, "remains the
preferred option" but "other options" are
being explored as part of its review of the
project.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/1216/839458-mary-robinson-light/
Coveney: No
Govt plans to
forcibly take
vacant
properties
Updated / May 24, 2016
The Government has no plans to forcibly take

possession of vacant properties, according to
Minister for Housing Simon Coveney.
He said he had no "absolute" statements on
measures to address the housing crisis, but
they would include accessing the 240,000
empty properties around the country while
respecting property rights.
Mr Coveney was speaking at a conference
organised by the Housing Agency focussing
on the issue of affordability.
He said that six-month emergency plans will
be implemented in urban areas to "inject
some adrenalin into the system".
He also said student accommodation is easier
to provide through rapid build and could free-
up affordable rental properties.

Furthermore, accommodation designed for
the elderly could attract people into leaving
large family homes where they live on their
own.
Housing Agency Chairperson Conor Skehan
said one third of the population will need
State support to buy or rent their home.
The conference heard that 100,000 homes
will be needed by 2020 and there are plans
to build 35,000 social units.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for a group set up
to help homeowners in mortgage difficulties
has said that there are roughly 5,000 families
who do not have the money to restructure
their debt and are facing repossession.
Speaking on RT's Morning Ireland, Ross
Maguire from New Beginnings proposed that
a mortgage rescue scheme - similar to one
that worked in the UK in the 1990s - should
be established.
This would allow the State to purchase the
houses and allow families to stay on as
tenants.
Mr Maguire said such a scheme could also be
funded by the private world so long as leases
were between new owners and local
authorities were strong.
It comes as new figures obtained from the
Housing Agency by Sinn Fin show there are

more than 5,000 vacant homes across South
Dublin County Council.
Sinn Fin Housing spokesperson Eoin
Broin said the report, which has been
presented Mr Coveney and the Dil Housing
Committee, has revealed that as many as
230,000 homes across the State are vacant.
He called for as many of the vacant
properties as possible to be made available
to those on housing waiting lists.
"South Dublin County Council is already using
compulsory acquisition powers to bring some
vacant sites back into use. However the
Minister for Housing must make more funding
available to the Council to allow them to
acquire a greater number of these units", he
said.
"At a time when over 2,000 children across
the State are homeless allowing such a high
rate of vacant dwellings in not only
unacceptable, it is a scandal," he added.
Chairwoman of the Housing Finance
Agency Dr Michelle Norris has said it is
proposing to Minister Coveney that the
agency increases lending to the housing
association sector and also that the local
authorities be given eligibility to borrow from
it.
Speaking on RT's Today with Sean O'Rourke,
Dr Norris said the agency funded around 350
units that way last year.
She said the housing strategy plan is for an
additional 13,500 units to be provided and

the Housing Finance Agency believes the
best option to pay for this very large build
programme in the short-term, is for it to
borrow money from the markets and EU
institutions such as the European Investment
Bank.
She said it can do this at a very, very low
interest rate and she said the best way to
address the social housing issue is to provide
additional new build social housing units.
She said the private rented sector is an
important part of the solution in providing
social housing, but "we can't rely on it".
She said at this stage, we are over-reliant on
it to house low-income households and it
simply does not have the capacity.
Dr Norris said the Housing Finance Agency
borrows money on international markets and
from institutions such as the EIB and lends its
onto local authorities and non-profit sector
housing associations to provide social
housing and to house low income
households.
Call for emergency legislation in rental sector
In the Dil, Fine Gael TD Fergus

O'Dowd called for emergency legislation to
stop people being put out of their homes by
landlords selling their properties.
Speaking at the Oireachtas Housing and
Homeless Committee, Mr O'Dowd said it was
an absolute scandal that families were using
blow up beds in hostels.
He said: "We cannot accept a situation where

callous landlords were abusing a situation
when the law allows them to put tenants out
when they are selling."
The committee is currently hearing from the
housing charity Threshold, which last year
dealt with 32,000 housing queries.
Threshold CEO Bob Jordan said tenants
needed rent certainty and security of tenure.
"Four-year security of tenure doesn't cut it
when you have children in school for ten
years".
Mr Jordan said rent certainty was good for
landlords as well as tenants.
Among the measures the charity is calling for
is an increase to rent supplement to reflect
market limits; an extension to the Tenancy
Protection Service; and a review of the tax
code to encourage landlords to accept and
retain tenants on state payments.
To prevent evictions, the charity is calling for
legal safeguards to allow tenants to remain
during and after the sale of a property. They
also say the legal definition of landlord
should be amended to include receivers and
lenders in possession.
Threshold is also calling for a second
Commission on the Private Rental Residential
Sector. The first Commission reported in
2000.
Mr Jordan warned that while there was a
huge focus on those in emergency
accommodation at the moment, the focus
should be on preventing homelessness.

He suggested a localised increase in rent
supplement where Community Welfare
Officers would have a band for certain areas.
But he warned the limits should not be visible
to landlords: "It doesn't make much sense to
have it up on a notice board", he said.
He also said students should be
accommodated in affordable on-campus
accommodation. He said the Section 50
scheme was an example of a successful tax
break but he said what happened was that
on-campus accommodation had become as
expensive as the private rented sector.
Mr Jordan also warned against any row back
on the bedsit regulations, saying they had
increased supply because they made older
properties more likely to be occupied.
He added that Dublin City Council had
discovered that around 50% did not comply
with fire safety.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/0524/790533housing/
LeinsterHouse Restoration - Memorandum of
Understanding agreed by the Houses of the Oireachtas
Service and National Museum of Ireland bit.ly/MOUOirNMus
Glen Hansard, Damien Dempsey, Kodaline, Jim Sheridan and more

have joined Home Sweet Home Eire to battle the homeless crisis
this Christmas.
The group occupied the NAMA-controlled Apollo House on Tara
Street, which was formerly used by the Department of Social
Protection, but has been empty for a year.
Everyone deserves a safe place to sleep this Christmas
IRELAND WRONGED, PURE AND SIMPLE
State to sell 500m worth of

12-month short-term debt
NTMA to auction treasury bills as surging oil prices lead to
speculation about inflation rise
Mon, Dec 12, 2016, 10:22
Joe Brennan
The National Treasury Management Agency said the bills were due to be
repaid in 12 months. Photograph: Eric Luke
The States debt agency plans to sell 500 million of shortterm debt, known as treasury bills, this week in what is
expected to be its last engagement this year with the
capital markets.
THREE SIMPLE STEPS TO DESTRUCTION
The ongoing cancellation of the IBRC Promissory Note
bonds and subsequent destruction of the money raised is
a three-part process:
The National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) issues
sovereign bonds from which it raises billions of euro this
becomes part of the national debt, interest paid on the
bonds from the date of sale, the principal to be repaid
when those bonds mature;
In increments (so far) of 500m, the NTMA uses some of
those billions to buy the IBRC Promissory Note bonds held
by the Central Bank of Ireland;

The Central Bank of Ireland destroys the hundreds of
millions received from the NTMA and that portion of the
31bn Promissory Note debt is declared cancelled, thus
satisfying the ECB. This is the most critical of the three
elements, in fact the raison d'tre for the entire exercise
Quantitative Squeezing is what MEP Luke Ming Flanagan
has titled it, the ECB-ordained destruction of the entire
31bn used to bail out the failed creditors of two failed
Irish banks, Anglo Irish and INBS.
This week, March 2016, the Central Bank of Ireland
destroyed 500,000,000, half a billion euro, a sum it
received from our National Treasury Management Agency
(NTMA) that had been borrowed on the financial markets;
last year, 2015, in four similar tranches of 500m, our
Central Bank similarly destroyed a total of 2bn; in 2014,
it was 1bn - all of those billions given to them by our
NTMA from funds it had raised from sovereign bond sales.
NONE of our national media reported the above; those
that did, reported only that an IBRC bond had been
'cancelled', while some even suggested it was a 'good
news' story, that we had gained on the whole deal! 'A
profit of 180m handed over to the Exchequer!' it
trumpeted, never bothering to question whence this
'profit' originated - it came from our NTMA, the ones from
whom the Central Bank was getting all those hundreds of
millions, all of which is borrowed.
THE PROMISSORY NOTES - PROMISE OF HELL TO PAY
The actual Promissory Note bonds are easily explained and
understood:
What happens to a house built on dodgy foundations, a
house missing many critical support pillars and beams? It
collapses. So it was with the euro and so it is that now, 17
years after the currency was launched in 1999 and several
years after that collapse, the EU is trying to salvage what's
left, trying to install those structural pillars and beams
(Single Supervisory Mechanism, Single Resolution
Mechanism etc. etc.) in a building that is still tottering on
the brink.
When the banking crisis hit Ireland there were still no such
structures in place to deal with troubled banks and as a
direct result of that negligence, Ireland suffered a major
hit.
The EU, however, the ECB in particular, DID have a policy
no bank would be allowed fail. So in 2009/10 when Anglo
and INBS were already (to anyone with even half a brain)
obviously insolvent, a fudge was concocted between the
Central Bank of Ireland, the Irish government and the ECB
to save those banks. This involved the issuance of
Promissory Notes by the Irish government, accepted as
collateral by the Central Bank of Ireland/ECB, and funding
eventually amounting to 31bn was issued to the two
insolvent banks from the Emergency Liquidity Assistance
(ELA) fund.
Despite the fact that this was done principally to save
bigger banks across the eurozone, in Germany and France
particularly (Anglo and INBS were non-systemic to the Irish
banking system); despite the fact the ECB colluded in the
circumventing of its own rules on use of the ELA; despite
the fact all involved knew that Anglo/INBS (later combined
to become IBRC) would never be able to repay those
billions, the same ECB now insists that Ireland must take
that entire 31bn back out of circulation.
We dont have it (were broke, up to our necks in debt) so
we borrow it, and tranche by 500m tranche our Central
Bank destroys it the three-part system described above.
Is all this too complex to understand? Why are not being
told whats happening? We in the Ballyhea Says No
understand, we know whats happening, down to the last
sordid detail.
We are determined that all in Ireland should also know,
that all our friends in Europe (and we have many) should
know.
And we are determined that however long it takes, this

wrong will be righted. Water under the bridge? The Central
Bank of Ireland still holds 25bn in Promissory Note bonds,
awaiting sale, that money then destroyed. Thats a lot of
water yet to flow
How the Irish Times sees the destruction of 500m
AND NOW THE GOOD NEWS IRELAND JUST DESTROYED

ANOTHER 500M
On December 21st, for the fourth time this year, the
National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) announced
the cancellation of a 500m bond which had been issued
in connection with the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation
(IRBC) Act 2013.
As with three previous such 500m bond sales earlier this
year, as with two other such last year, the Irish Times
carried a report of the cancellation and it sang with
positivity, nothing but good news for Ireland. Why, we
even gained from the transaction It is known, sang the
Times, That the Central Bank realised a 180.3 million
gain on the sale of 500 million of 2038 notes this day last
year.
Think about that for a moment realised a 180.3m gain
on a 500m transaction. How? Well you see that's a
secret, the Irish Times doesn't elaborate.
Incredible? Yes, but for those of us who closely track these
events, even that isnt the major howler.
Bear in mind that the Irish Times claims to be The Paper
of Record. Now, know this.
The most important element in all these NTMA IBRC bond
cancellations, in fact the whole raison d'tre for those
bonds in the first place, is what happens to the money the
NTMA gives to the Central Bank of Ireland to buy out those
bonds.
That money is destroyed.
Thats right, my friends destroyed.
FOLLOW THE MONEY

In a nutshell:
NTMA borrows billions on the finance markets through the
issuance of sovereign bonds; in tranches of 500m the
NTMA then uses that borrowed money to buy the IBRC
bonds from the Central Bank of Ireland and thus cancels
those bonds that much IS reported by the Irish Times;
whats NOT reported, the Central Bank of Ireland then
destroys those borrowed billions. Every cent.
Even as we headed into a festive season that sees record
numbers of people evicted, on the streets, below the
poverty line, record numbers fed by charity organisations,
record numbers on waiting lists in a health service that
has all but fallen apart, this broke and heavily indebted
money is destroying borrowed money by the hundreds of
millions.
And even in its own reports of those incidents, the Irish
Times omits to mention this, the most critical element of
all.
Last year, the NTMA gave the Central Bank of Ireland
1,000m of borrowed money, 1,000m on which we are
now paying interest, 1,000m which will have to repaid by
a future generation of Irish people when those bonds
mature; this year, 2015, the NTMA gave the Central Bank
of Ireland 2,000m of borrowed money, 2,000m on which
we are now paying interest, 2,000m which will have to
repaid by a future generation of Irish people when those
bonds mature.
And the Central Bank of Ireland immediately destroyed
those hundreds of millions of euro, all three billion.
Those three billion are just the start the Central Bank of
Ireland still holds 25bn of IBRC bonds for sale, that 25bn
then also to be destroyed.
A NOD AND A WINK, A 31bn DEBT
The reason for all this destruction of money? In 2009/10,
to prevent the collapse of two insolvent banks (Anglo Irish
and INBS), the Central Bank of Ireland, the Irish
Government and the ECB colluded to bypass the ECBs
own regulations and allowed the creation of 31bn to bail
out the creditors of the two banks; a couple of years ago
those banks were finally wound up and as was known
even at the time, didnt have the wherewithal to cover
that 31bn; the ECB now insists that our Central Bank has
to take that entire 31bn back out of circulation. We dont
have it of course, so we borrow it and, tranche by 500m
tranche, destroy it.
The irony, as we head into 2016 if this were to happen
now, under the new ECB banking Single Resolution
Mechanism, those two banks would be bailed out using
funds raised from the banks themselves. All too late for
Ireland of course; those structures SHOULD have been in
place from the launch of the euro, but werent.
That the government would much prefer you didnt know
any of this is understandable, for obvious reasons; that the
Irish Times, that ALL our major national media, would so
misrepresent it, is an utter disgrace.
They would also have you all believe that the bank-debt
ship has sailed, all water under the bridge.
BALLYHEA SAYS KNOW

In the Ballyhea Says No campaign, we know otherwise. For
252 weeks, every week since March 6th 2011, weve been
trying to get our message across, the real story as
outlined above. We dont have the audience of The Irish
Times; you can help us. Copy this, share it, tweet it; let
people know.
TheIris Times and all other media sources are colluding with the
Government to lie to the people. Omitting the truth or the facts when
reporting a story is a lie by omission. And they are not afraid of being
called to be punished for this grievious lie because the Government is
their partner in this lie. This leaves the people with no recourse to
justice, The people don't have even a voice. Ballyhea Says No has
been that lonely voice now for these past years, they have spread the
facts as far as it is possible to do so in this corrupt system. Now they
are aiming to have a voice in the Dail by NOMINATING DIARMUID
O'FLYNN AS THEIR INDEPENDANT CANDIDATE FOR NW CORK. HE
NEEDS ALL YOUR SUPPORT. PLEASE GO TO HIS WEBSITE, ANY
HELP YE CAN GIVE IN CANVASSING , FUNDONG, ETC ETC WILL
BE IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE COUNTRY AND THE PEOPLE.
JUST SPREADING THE WORD AMONG YOUR FRIENDS WILL BE
MOST HELPFUL. THE AGENDA HE REPRESENTS IS VITAL TO THE
PRESENT AND THE FUTURE OF THE PEOPLE OF IRELAND .; THE
EXPOSURE OF THE TRUTH OF THE DEBT AND A VOICE IN THE
DAIL
IRELANDs long-term government debt

increased to 115.6bn in June up 39pc on
the same month last year.
The hike reflects the liquidation of the former Anglo Irish
Bank earlier in the year, as the controversial promissory
note was scrapped and replaced by a series of longer-term
government bonds.
A by-product of the deal also meant that Irish resident
investors increased their share of long term debt.
At the end of June, Irish resident investors held 45pc of
long term Irish government bonds compared with 27pc in
June last year, according to data from the Central Bank.
The states debt management body, the National Treasury
Management Agency, also raised 500m in June through
an auction of short-term government debt known as
Treasury Bills.
About 21.4bn of euro-denominated long term debt falls

due for repayment over the next three years - 13.2bn of
which will be paid out to non-resident investors.
The Dail passed legislation to liquidate the Irish Bank
Resolution Corporation (IBRC) during a hasty late-night
session in early February under a plan to deal with the
massive annual repayments due under the controversial
promissory-note deal.
With IBRC in liquidation, the Central Bank became the
economic owner of the promissory notes.
They were replaced by the Government with a series of
longer-term, floating-rate bonds to the value of 25bn and
with maturities of up to 40 years.
At the end of June, the outstanding amount of debt issued
by Irish financial and non-financial firms and by
Government was 905.7bn, a drop of almost 3pc since
June of last year.
Irelands Return to the Bond Markets
The state officially re-entered the sovereign bond markets
last Thursday, July 26th for the first time since requesting
an international bailout at the end of 2010. In all, 5.2
billion was raised by the National Treasury Management
Agency (NTMA), 4.2 billion of which was new money. The
other 1 billion was a debt swap whereby holders of debt
due in the next two years were offered an exchanged for
longer-dated bonds. 3.9 billion was invested in a 5 year
bond, maturing in 2017 with an interest rate of 5.9%, and
a further 1.3 billion in an 8 year bond to be held until
2020 with an interest rate of 6.1%. The auction of long
term debt follows the sale of 500 million in short term
debt earlier in the month and a 3.5 billion bond swap at
the beginning of the year.
Interest Rates in Perspective
What do these interest rates mean? Well, before the global
financial crisis, 5 year debt trading on the secondary
market would yield in the region of 3.5-4.5%, while 8 year
debt would yield around 4-5%. These rates are much lower
than what was achieved at the July 26th auction. In fact,
the interest rate on the new debt is higher than the yield
on government bonds that forced Ireland to seek official

funding from the troika.
It is unsurprising that investors demand a greater return
now as the Eurozone is in an even more fragile condition
than it was in 2010. However, comparing the interest rate
on the new debt to the yields prevailing in the secondary
market on the day before the auction also paints an
unflattering picture. According to the data available on the
Bloomberg website, the 8 year Irish government debt yield
was 6.3% the day before the auction. This means that the
NTMA managed to sell the 8 year debt at a lower rate of
interest than what was prevailing on the secondary
markets. However, for the 5 year debt, the yield was only
5.4% on the secondary market, lower than the interest
rate achieved at the auction.
Given the skittishness of the market at present, it may be
illuminating to see how Ireland compares with other
Eurozone countries. The table below sets out the yields on
5 year and 8 year government bonds for a selection of
Eurozone countries. The divergence between core and
peripheral countries is stark, but so too is the performance
of the programme countries, Greece, Ireland and Portugal.
While Greek yields are currently in the stratosphere,
Portuguese rates are also too high to be in any way
sustainable. Ireland has managed to avoid this fate, and is
instead grouped with Spain and Italy on the fringe of fiscal
solvency.
Yields on Selected Eurozone Government Bonds as of July
25th 2012 (%)
5 year yields Spain 6.6 Greece 61.2 France 1.1 Finland*
0.7 Belgium 1.6
8 year yields
6.7 45.4 1.8 1.5 2.4
Ireland
5.9
6.1
Italy
5.5
5.8
Portugal*
11.1
11.3
Germany
0.4
1.7
1
Austria
0.8
Netherlands
0.8
1.4
Source: Bloomberg, NTMA. *10 year yield used due to
lack of information on 8 year yields
Funding Practicalities
While the high interest rate on the new debt takes some of
the shine off Irelands return to the markets, the second
bond swap of the year has helped remove the significant
challenge of a funding cliff. At the beginning of this year,
Ireland was faced with a particularly unfriendly profile of
debt maturity: around 12 billion was due to be repaid in
January 2014, followed by a period of much smaller bond
repayments. The logistics of finding a buyer for 12 billion
worth of Irish debt so soon after the planned exit from the
troika assistance programme presented a daunting task.
However, thanks to the two successful bond swaps, this
funding requirement has been reduced to 7.8 billion and
the funding profile has become more balanced and
manageable.
Restoring Confidence
Confidence that Ireland can manage its debt in a normal
fashion is a precursor for Ireland to exit the troika bailout
programme, and this successful auction of long term
bonds is a part of building that confidence. The fact that
yields fell in the aftermath of the bond auction indicates
that the market attaches some value to the NTMAs
actions. There is also a possible link between a return to
conventional sources of government funding and higher
levels of investment and consumption in the domestic
economy, although such benefits would be hard to
quantify. The costs of returning to the market are easier to
identify: funding from official lenders carries an interest
rate of around 3.6%, far lower than rates currently

available to any peripheral Eurozone country.
While National Treasury Management Agency chief John
Corrigan hails the news that his organisation has raised
5bn of 10-year money, the austerity programme is
strangling life for many Irish citizens, says Kyran
Fitzgerald
IT was another upbeat week for Ireland Inc and one

more pretty lousy one as far as many of its citizens were
concerned.
The National Treasury Management Agency flushed with
pleasure like a pretty debutante on her first day at court,
faced with an array of suitors.
Eyelids fluttering, NTMA boss John Corrigan was gasping
with joy at the news that his organisation had raised 5bn
of 10-year money twice as much as expected at an
interest rate of 4.15%.
The NTMA was keen to add that it had offers for as much
as 12bn, though whether all these disappointed suitors
were prepared to settle for a yield of just over 4% is
debatable.
Yields on Irish Government paper have been falling
steadily since summer 2011, when Italy found itself being
sucked into the eurozone crisis.
For quite some time, Finance Minister Michael Noonan has

been signalling that the country is on course to exit the
EU/IMF bailout by the year end. This weeks sale
represents a larger than expected step in this direction.
The country has now raised three quarters of the funds
required to keep the State going through 2014.
There has even been talk that Ireland might not use up all
of its bailout money, though given that it is on offer at
between 3% and 3.5%, this seems unlikely.
The ability of the country to borrow and to do so at
relatively low interest rates is clearly important.
Irish utilities are much better placed to refinance at lower
rates on the back of a recovering sovereign. This increases
their ability to fund projects and rein in the bills which they
send out to customers. The ability of Irish banks to stand
on their own two feet is also boosted.
What we are beginning to see is a sequence of events
feeding positively off each other.
Bank of Ireland moved in the slipstream of the 10 -year
bond issue with the launch of a five-year bond aimed at
raising 550m.
The semi-states have also returned to the bond markets,
with over 1bn worth of issuance by the ESB and 500m
by Bord Gis ireann. Its sale prospects, in turn, will have
been boosted.
Overseas interest in investing in the country, whether in
public-private partnerships, share-holdings or greenfield
projects, will have been boosted. Companies are
depositing more funds in Irish banks and the reliance of
domestic Irish institutions on the European Central Bank
for support has fallen back to levels last seen in 2008.
For all of this, the Government must take a bow, but it is
precisely the austerity programme dictated both by the

EU/ IMF/troika and by harsh economic reality which is
strangling life on Main St, where the vast majority of the
population lives.
On Thursday evening, it emerged that the countrys
largest trade union, SIPTU, would be reluctantly
recommending acceptance of a deal paving the way for a
1bn programme of cutbacks in the pay and pensions bill
300m this year.
While the deal is by no means home and hosed, the union
establishment and, one suspects, a significant chunk of
the membership, is adopting a pragmatic attitude to what
is a cleverly crafted take-it-or-leave-it deal.
Cuts to the pay of hundreds of thousands of workers will
do little to promote growth at a time when property tax
demands are about to plop through letter boxes and when
banner headlines warn of a surge in repossessions.
In the unemotional world of the financial markets, the job
of John Corrigan and his team is to sell the Irish story at
road-shows in Europe, the US and Asia. It will be
interesting to see if one effect of this weeks issue will be a
widening in the bondholder investment support base.
Much has been made of the fact that one fund, Franklin
Templeton, holds around one 10th of the paper in issue.
Questions have been raised as to what might happen if its
director, Michael Hasenstab, decided to take some or all of
the large profits he has made on Irish paper since 2011.
What is clear is that it is overseas investors and not
domestic banks, who are scooping almost 90% of the
paper, with European and American institutions to the fore
and Asian investors lagging well behind.
The Asian concern centres on the eurozone and its
prospects and this also helps to explain the continuing
reluctance of Moodys to abandon the junk bond rating it
attaches to Ireland, despite its acceptance that the

country is on the road to recovery.
It is more than a little ironic that the countrys recovery is
being stalled, courtesy of a deepening recession in the
eurozone.
Indeed, coverage of the Irish bond issue, a good news
story, was overshadowed by a much more sluggish Italian
bond issue held on the same day. The Italians are having
to pay more to raise money, punished by the markets for
the temerity of their voters in consigning pro-economic
reform politicians to the political wilderness.
The continuing crisis means the Irish export motor of
recovery is grinding along more slowly than expected.
John Corrigan and his colleagues have reason to be upbeat
about some skilfully executed entry to the bond market,
but if the euro crisis were to re- ignite and/or the current
global bond bubble were to pop, they could at least rest
easy in the knowledge that another 5bn is in the bag.
Ireland has had a pretty good run. Yields on benchmark
10-year money have fallen steadily from a peak of 14% in
mid-2011 to just over 4% but apple-carts can overturn,
investor mood can change. Better, sometimes, to bank
your winnings.
The larger than expected issue can be viewed as a gesture
of caution. With 30 years investment experience under
his belt, and with memories of 2007 and 2008 no doubt
still fresh, Mr Corrigan knows the benefits of caution.
All going well, the NTMA will now make regular dips into
the market to raise short-term money, while keeping up its
contacts with fund managers. Corrigan has indicated that
another 2.5bn in longer term money will be raised by the
year end, at a time of the agencys choosing.
Corrigan as NTMA head has a number of other important
irons in the fire, not least the relationship with Nama,
which has just seen the size of its empire boosted by the
inclusion of property previously on the books of the now
liquidated IBRC.
The NTMA will be spearheading the sale of Bord Gis on
behalf of the state holding company New Era, while
continuing in charge of a shrunken National Pensions
Reserve Fund which has just committed 500m towards
Irish SMEs.
The resum
- Born: 1951.
- Education: University College Dublin.
- Career: 1980s, chief investment officer, AIB Investment
Managers. - 1991: Joined NTMA shortly after its launch by
the Haughey government.
- Initial position: Director, domestic funding-debt
management.
- 2001-2009: Investment director, National Pensions
Reserve Fund.
- 2009 to date: Chief executive.
- In the news: Oversaw this weeks 5bn issue of 10-year
bonds, the largest such Irish state issue since the
beginning of the financial crisis.
Homelessness Implementation Plan

21st May, 2014
The Implementation Plan on the States Response to Homelessness
which was announced yesterday (Tuesday) is a practical plan containing
direct and immediate actions to deliver a ring-fenced supply of
accommodation for homeless households.
The plan has the aim of achieving the Governments objective of ending
long-term homelessness (more than six months in emergency
accommodation) by 2016. The plan estimates that 2,700 units over the
next three years (900 per annum) are required to meet this target.
It will do this by:
Ensuring that empty and boarded-up units are brought into use as quickly as possible
Ensuring that vulnerable groups including homeless households are prioritised in the
allocation of housing.
Ensuring that other suitable vacant residential properties are brought into use as
quickly as possible.
Using NAMA units, and ensuring priority for homeless households.
Ensuring that state leasing arrangements facilitate the use and accessibility of these
properties by homeless households.
Establishing a social housing renting service where properties for homeless
households are sourced for use by local authorities and voluntary housing associations.
Key measures/funding
In 2014, over 5,000 social housing units will be added by means of direct construction,
returning vacant properties to beneficial use, and leasing of units from the NAMA and
the private sector.
Funding for housing this year at over 587 million, is effectively maintained at 2013
levels.
In March 2014, some 56 social housing construction projects with an overall value of
some 68 million were announced.
This new construction programme will deliver 449 new units of accommodation for
people on the housing waiting list.
Last month details were announced of a new measure with funding of 15 million
which will be invested in bringing some 950 vacant and boarded-up local authority
houses back into productive use.
Last week the Government also pledged a further 50 million for further construction
projects, the reinstatement of vacant dwellings, and for homeless-specific projects.
Minister OSullivan will announce details in the coming days of further projects under
the Capital Assistance Scheme, including a 25m provision for homelessness.
http://patdeering.ie/2014/05/21/homelessnessimplementation-plan/
Homeless occupiers
are trespassing in
city centre building,
says receiver
Some of the accommodation being provided by the

volunteers at Apollo House (Pic: Home Sweet Home)

rough.
Tara Street.


last night.
immediate effect.
action."

demolition

and safety issues.
streets.

the park".
the night".
being taken over.
Christmas.
in".
http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/1216/839385-homeless-protestdublin-apollo-house/

Apollo House
Hat tip to you Dean Scurry!

Great work by all involved x
Glen Hansard says the taking over of Apollo House is an 'act of
civil disobedience'
https://www.scribd.com/document/334420486/Glen-Hansardsays-the-taking-over-of-Apollo-House-is-an-act-of-civildisobedience
https://www.scribd.com/document/334420751/Collins-LosesAppeal-in-Promissory-Note-Challenge
Judgment, Six Supreme Court Judges Dismissed Her Appeal.
https://www.scribd.com/document/334420826/Joan-collins-Vminister-For-finance-She-Appealed-the-High-Court-s-Rejectionof-Her-Challenge-but-in-a-Unanimous-Judgment-Six-SupremeCourt-Judges-Di

homeless.
We are involved in an act of civil disobedience, Glen Hansard tells

The #LateLate Show as he talks about #HomeSweetHome and
#OccupyNama
Most beautiful song ever I love his voice and his absolute passion for
doing the right thing. You're so right Glen this is an emergency we
forget that. We've become desensitised to the horrors of what
people have to exist in. Simon Coveney said in the Dail that issues
surrounding homelessness are too complex to just allow people to
'stay' in a NAMA building well then Simon u took the job on fix it,
dear Simon FIX IT and stop talking about it.
They should set up a text a donation site ! I'm sure everyone would
donate !!! great guy
Well done to you all me an my great colleagues are outside the Gpo
every Tuesday night from 8/10 if we have any left over food An
clothes would your group accept them be more than welcome to
them an also wiling to help out
Glen well done tonight and continued strength. Don't give up. True
Irish people will get behind you all. You are not breaking any laws
use your words right. It's not what you say but how you say it. Listen
to anyone in Dail Eireann, how they are coaxed into using their
words very carefully. That building belongs to the Irish People.
https://www.facebook.com/RTEOne/videos/1332462826827554/
?hc_ref=NEWSFEED

'Operation Nama'.
illegally.
Follow
The Late Late Show

Show
10:15 PM - 16 Dec 2016

homeless.
Asked what the response would be if the group are
told by the authorities to vacate the building, Hansard
said: You appeal to the better nature of the
Government and Nama.
This is a NAMA-owned building. If everybody pays tax
in this audience, if anyone knows their stuff they know
that that is essentially our building. We are just going
to take it for a few months.
different artists, singers and friends over the year, he
told Tubridy.



audience.
started, he said.
Should vacant Nama buildings be available to homeless

services at Christmas?
Poll: Should vacant Nama
buildings be available to
homeless services at
Christmas?
A derelict building in Dublin has been occupied by homeless activists
with a view to converting it into housing for the homeless.
December 16, 16
LAST NIGHT, A group of 100 people occupied a derelict

Nama-controlled building in Dublin with the intention of
converting it into housing for the homeless.
The group, operating under the banner of housing group
Home Sweet Home, say the building has been occupied as
a last resort to save lives.
That building is currently listed for demolition.
But should all vacant Nama buildings be available to
Nama services to help ease Irelands homeless crisis?
Were asking: Should vacant Nama buildings be
available to homeless services at Christmas?
Poll Results:
http://www.thejournal.ie/housing-crisis-nama-poll3143393-Dec2016/
"sinister fringe" report.
7554/?hc_ref=PAGES_TIMELINE
Well done to hansard who said 'Its a nama building which

means it belongs to the irish people. We're just taking it
for a few months'. He intends to appeal to the better
nature of the government which is damned optimistic.
If everybody pays tax in this audience, if anyone knows
their stuff they know that that is essentially our building.
- Glen Hansard talks about his "act of civil disobedience"
with the Home Sweet Home Eire group tonight.

his job, a real gent
The Late Late Show 2h

2 hours ago
We are involved in an act of

civil disobedience tells The
Show
RTE One
The Late Late Toy Show
The Late Late Show, Fridays at 9.35pm on RT One
Garda have released a statement saying they were called to

an incident at Tara Street at approximately 12.30am this
morning.
They said a number of people had moved into a property,
reportedly Apollo House, and they said the incident was
'peaceful'.
Garda are no longer at the scene, but are liasing closely with
the parties involved.
Apollo House was formerly used by the Department of Social

Protection, but was vacated last year.
The Irish Housing Network says it led the action at the NAMA
owned building to provide accommodation for the city's
homeless.
http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/nama-buildingbelongs-to-the-people-of-ireland-were-taking-it-for-a-fewmonths-says-glen-hansard-768954.html

Dec 15, 2016

Dec 15, 2016

than those in UK
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.
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.
Committee on the Rights of the Child earlier this year,
to provide housing for homeless children, adequate to
their health and well-being."
Dublin region.
Scotland.
Free childcare offered for homeless

children
15/12/2016
Children up to the age of five, whose parents are homeless,

are to be offered free childcare for 25-hours a week under a
new scheme.
The Children's Minister Katherine Zappone says families
registered as homeless in the Dublin region will benefit from
next month as part of 8.25 million euro in funding.
The Minister says school children can avail of the free
childcare outside of term time and it will be available for 50
weeks of the year.
The Department says other areas are also expected to follow.
WATCH: Glen Hansard on Apollo House: We are

involved in an act of civil disobedience it is an
illegal act | JOE.ie
Glen Hansard on Apollo House:

disobedience it is an illegal act
BY CONOR HENEGHAN
The singer was speaking to Ryan Tubridy

about homelessness on the Late Late Show.
Singer Glen Hansard confirmed that the Home Sweet

Home group that has taken over the NAMA-owned Apollo
House in Dublin are occupying the building illegally.
Home, a group that have taken over Apollo House, a
vacant building on Tara Street in Dublin city centre, for use
as a homeless shelter.
Speaking about the actions taken by Home Sweet Home
to Ryan Tubridy after performing a song with the RT
Concert Orchestra, Hansard said: We are involved in an
act of civil disobedience. I call upon the very spirit of the
Irish people to look at this, it is an illegal act.
people of Ireland and that has been lying empty, Hansard
added.
Follow
The Late Late Show

Show
10:15 PM - 16 Dec 2016
#
#
Retweets245 245 likes The Government will shelter 200

people this Christmas and theres 260 people between the
Royal Canal and the Grand Canal in Dublin. Now this is
not only a Dublin issue but between the Royal Canal and
the Grand Canal there are 260 people tonight homeless.
What we would like to do is bridge the gap well be
appeal to the better nature of the Government and NAMA.

for a few months.
Home Sweet Home
Hansard, whose comments were greeted with loud cheers
by the audience, added: What we are trying to do is get a
national conversation started. This should be a national
emergency... the homelessness is at a level now, not since
the Famine have families been homeless like they are right
now. It is really, really difficult.
https://www.joe.ie/news/glen-hansard-weare-involved-in-an-act-of-civil-disobedienceit-is-an-illegal-act/571015?
utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=onsite
_share
The question that has now arisen is: Was RTE, Late Late Show
Management and Ryan Tubridy aware that Glen Hansard was going
to say what he did. If none of them were pre warned, then Home
From Home have scored a massive coup on behalf of the homeless
in Ireland. However, if Glen Hansard's announcement was previously
cleared by RTE, then more very serious questions arise. Because
RTE, THE LATE LATE SHOW, RYAN TUBRIDY AND HIS BRAINWASHED
AUDIENCE OF SHEEP, DO NOT GIVE A FUCK ABOUT THE HOMELESS
IN IRELAND.
Civil disobedience! Another direct action that will hopefully lead to
change
Good on glen and every body that's involved fear play
Legend. Rattlin' the bars in the Dil, I'd say.
/react-text Why oh why did the late late decide to give away a
sponsored hamper to everyone in the audience just after Glen
Hansard was on? Surely said sponsor could have given it one of the
charities just spoke about instead of the audience
Absolutely right the people should take the power back
Well if they can take a building that rightfully belongs to us what's
stopping us taking back OUR country and get them gobshytes out of
the government
Its About someone took a stand! What should be illegal is the fact
nama leave these buildings unused, builders are buying back
properties at rock bottom prices on allsop while families lose homes.

That's criminal in my eyes.
Not a Dickey bird outta Fianna fail na geal..Mafia parties of

corruption!
New politics ha ha ha ...

Housing Minister Simon Coveney is a landlord
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.
homeless.
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
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.

eight properties.
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.
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.
increase from a year earlier when the company charged
1,250 per month.
, he said.
built.
and Nama.
Limerick.
Clara, Co Offaly.
Macroom, Co Cork.
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.

14: Charlie Flanagan: 1 property: He lets a holiday house
in Co Sligo part of the 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.
Road, Dublin 4.
Dublin.
21: Robert Troy: 2 properties: 1 in Mullingar and 1 inDublin.
22: Wexfords Mick Wallace: 2 properties: Both are rented
out in Wicklow.

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
IRELANDTODAYNEWS.COM
heas people are the Mafia of Ireland when are ye going to realise
Greedy greedy bastards not happy with a big wage they have to pry
on the poor May they all rot in hell I'm sure there is a place for them
there

Landlord
Regina Doherty, Stephen Donnelly, Haely Brothers,
Flanagan
https://www.scribd.com/document/334283250/HousingMinister-Simon-Coveney-is-a-Greedy-Corrupt-Landlordand-a-Traitor-To-Irish-Citizens-of-Ireland
CALL FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO RESIGN IMMEDIATELY.
THE GOVERNMENT BACK BENCHERS ARE CALLING FOR A
REFERENDUM ON THE PRIVATIZATION OF WATER BUT THAT
IS NOT WHAT THESE PROTESTS ARE ABOUT NOW, THESE
PROTESTS ARE ABOUT POLITICAL CRIMINALITY, POLITICAL
CORRUPTION, FAILURES UPHOLD THEIR POLITICAL OATH
OF OFFICE, FAILURES TO UPHOLD THE CONSTITUTION,
FAILURE TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE THEY WERE SWORN TO

PROTECT, BREACH OF DUTY, ENACTING LEGISLATION THAT
WAS NOT IN THE GREATER GOOD OF THE PEOPLE OF
IRELAND IN FLAGRANT BREACH OF THE CONSTITUTION.
IF THERE ARE ANY DECENT FG OR LABOUR DEPUTIES THAT
ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE OF IRELAND, THEN
THIS IS YOUR DEFINING MOMENT, PUT YOUR COUNTRY
FIRST AND CALL FOR A VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE IN ENDA
KENNY AND DISSOLVE THE DAIL AND STAND WITH THE
PEOPLE OF IRELAND, YOU CAN DO THIS NOW OR WAIT 18
MONTHS FOR THE NEXT ELECTION AND WE WILL
PERMANENTLY REMOVE YOU FROM OFFICE.
WE MUST RESTORE ARTICLES 47, 48 AND 50 BACK INTO
OUR CONSTITUTION, THESE ARTICLES COVERED DIRECT
DEMOCRACY WHEN THE PEOPLE HAD THE RIGHT TO CALL
A REFERENDUM, RECALL POLITICIANS AND APPROVE OR
REJECT BAD LEGISLATION.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE NATIONAL CITIZENS
MOVEMENT TO RESTORE DIRECT DEMOCRACY
Matt Ellison - The word "economic terrorism" is thrown about to
define the actions of the EU's oligarchy and the legacy of European
rule in Ireland; THIS (threatening anti-water campaigners with
higher taxes), by a literal definition, is actual economic terrorism. In
response, protests should change their message to one of anti-Irish
Water to directly calling for the dissolution of government and fresh
elections to be held immediately. If the people of Ireland settle for
ANYTHING less, the actions of this government will simply be
repeated by the next - if you don't believe me, ask anyone who
voted for Fine Gael to replace Fianna Fil in the last election.
References
^ Fianna F il (www.irishtimes.com)
^ Fine Gael (www.irishtimes.com)
^ Oireachtas (www.irishtimes.com)
^ Public Service Pay Commission (www.irishtimes.com)
^ Workplace Relations Commission (www.irishtimes.com)
^ Labour Court (www.irishtimes.com)
^ National Treatment Purchase Fund (www.irishtimes.com)
^ Policing Authority (www.irishtimes.com)
^ Ireland (www.irishtimes.com)
^ Judicial Appointments Commission (www.irishtimes.com)
RTE NEWS SPINNING HARD TODAY

MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT IRELAND IS BEING
DELIBERATELY GUIDED TOWARDS BAILOUT 2
Todays headlined stories are working very hard to
convince you that things are getting better while other
stories prove otherwise but not getting as much attention:
1. The Fiscal Advisory Council says significant
improvement on budget deficit situation in the years
ahead.
2. Ireland could be given an additional seven years to
repay bailout. By extending the repayment schedule,

payments would be spread over a longer time, which
would give the markets the confidence to lend to Ireland
at lower rates.
The Fiscal Advisory Council are clearly not working for the
people when they wanted austerity to be even more
severe. Deferring bailout payments does nothing to solve
the economic dilemma. The markets don't want to lend to
Ireland because they know the domestic economy is in
meltdown due to stupid austerity policies by the Fine Gael
Labour Party Government. While no money flows into the
economy, matters will only worsen.
The Irish economy will always be in pain while people have
to pay enormous mortgage repayments based on prices
from a property market that was completely manipulated
by bankers and the previous Fianna Fil Government. Plus
NAMA is doing its best to protect and return crazy property
prices to benefit vested interests.
The reality is Ireland is an island nation of 4 million people
and its property market was deliberately inflated to trigger
a bailout scenario to allow for a massive transfer of wealth
to vested interests who are represented by the Troika.
Ireland must return to a realistic scale of economy that fits
a nation of its size. A debt cut must happen now for all
family homes which will save the domestic economy,
boost job creation and avoid bailout 2.
While the illegal bailout scam remains attached to
Ireland's sovereign credit card it will always be a lose lose
situation. The fact is the people of Ireland will continue to
suffer and see their wealth flow into the hands of a small
few for decades to come.
Gilmore hits out at relentless
criticism from the

commentariat
In an email to party members this evening the Labour leader insists that
his party has helped bring Ireland from a state of economic chaos to
stability.
Apr 12th 2013,
Image: Niall Carson/PA Wire/Press Association Images
TNAISTE EAMON GILMORE has sought to reassure

members of the Labour Party in an email distributed
earlier this evening.
The email comes after a difficult few weeks for the junior
coalition partner following the result in the Meath East byelection where it secured less than five per cent of the vote.
In the aftermath of that result questions have arisen about
Gilmores leadership but he has defended the partys

performance in government.
In an email bulletin to party members this evening
Gilmore notes: While it often seems that we are subject to
relentless criticism from the commentariat, we also have
some friends.
The email twice links to piece from former Dublin TD
Derek McDowell in the Irish Times earlier this week while
the Tnaiste also says that the current Dil recess has
given us time to take stock of where Labour is as a party of
government.
Gilmore tells members that he has spoken to individual
party members around the country as well as
parliamentary colleagues and found the feedback very
instructive.
Under a section entitled Stabilising the chaos the
Tnaiste says that Labour has been putting the country
first by bringing Ireland from a state of economic chaos to
stability.
He writes: To do this we have had to make tough
decisions, but the stability we have created, has allowed us
to turn our attention to bread and butter issues such as job
creation and personal debt.
Gilmore says he is very optimistic that his trade mission
to Turkey this week will result in jobs in Ireland and also
says he was delighted to hear that the pharmaceutical
company Novartis announced the creation of 100 jobs this
week.
This Party has been putting the country first by getting
our people back to work and dealing with the
unemployment crisis, he says adding that in the last year
private sector employment grew by over 12,000.
PROTEST NOW AND REMOVE THE FG/LAB GOV BEFORE IT
IS TOO LATE!
DISCOVER OR TRAIN NEW POLITICAL REPRESENTATIVES
LOCALLY WHO SPEAK ONLY FOR YOU. IGNORE THE
ESTABLISHED PARTIES AND THEIR FOOLISH MINIONS.
I definitely do not agree with a lot of the fine gael labour party
policies but has everyone forgotten why we're in this situation in the
first place? Fine gael through history have always come back into
power and fixed the greedy idiotic decisions of fine fail and are then
attacked by the people for the decisions they HAVE to make
because of it! I cant believe fine fail popularity has even grown after
what they've done to us and unfortunately people are forgetting
that it was Fine Fail that put us here.
The President of Ireland

All sitting TD's
All Senators
All MEPs
The Examiner
The Irish Times
The Independent
===================================
===
A Member of the COMMENTARIAT replies to Eamon
Gilmore
===================================
===
Gilmore hits out at relentless criticism from the
commentariat |
http://www.thejournal.ie/eamon-gilmore-labour-criticism86/
===================================
===
Gilmore is reduced to sending around a circular which
relies on the utterances of an Ex-Labout TD Derek
McDowell.
Would none of the sitting Labour TD's of even the
Ministers go on the record to support him?
Is he afraid they are all about to leave the Parliamentary
Party la Nessa Childers?
He's right to be afraid!
Why is that I wonder?
Here are a few clues...
Gilmore says he is turning his attention to job creation JOB CREATION! I ask you!
After two terrible years in power where he reneged on his
election promises!
"Frankfurts way or Labour's way!" (see link below)
Who caused our current dire situation, exacerbated it and
is prolonging it - the Banks!

What real regulation has been brought to the Irish Banking
section by this government - None.
Matthew Elderfield has just cut and run after the
disgraceful behaviour of the last regulator over Unicredit.
No action on an investigation into banking following up the
allegations of whistleblower Johnathan Sugarman.
The last regulator shut that down and Labour have just
handed the whip hand in Mortgage negotiations to the
Irish Banks.
http://www.villagemagazine.ie//still-waiting-for-thetrut/
This is how Regulators - both Austria's and Ireland's - have
acted to shut down investigations into bad practices in the
banks.
http://www.golemxiv.co.uk//making-the-truth-illegalrevis/
Far from discharging their duty to act in the public
interest, they act in the interest of banks.
The same banks whose profligate lending and chasing
share price and economic treason has bankrupted this
country!
Its something I would expect from a Party like Fine Gael
after Sir Garrett the Good's handling of the ICC/AIB
Debacle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allied_Irish_Banks
But Labour - Labour is supposed to support the little guy isn't it?
Since when does a Labour Party fail to act?
What has brought about this 180 degree-turn in stated
Labour policy?
How in God's name has a party of Shinners and a rag-tag
group of irascible "Independents" consistently managed to
outperform an historic Party like Labour with pedigree as
long as your arm when addressing issues of historic
corruption in this State?
Perhaps its because the Shinners, uncorrupted by wielding
power as a government (yet) are acting in the Public
Interest.
Perhaps its because Independents like Thomas Pringle and
Stephen Donnelly will not lay supine and let us be
steamrolled by Europe.
http://www.independent.ie//stephen-donnelly-heres-whythe-
Fianna Fil should have been buried for three decades
when Labour took over, their working class power base
destroyed by this present governments completing preexisting investigations into corruption in six local
authorities and launching new investigations into the
banking, insurance and estate agents, legal and financial
sectors.
Fianna Fil fully expected this kind of destruction of their
power base, yet that hasn't happened.
Phil Hogan shut down the planning investigations, an act
of infamy that will haunt him, of that you can be certain.
There has been NOTHING done to properly Tax, Monitor
and Regulate the banks - instead we have seen Noonan's
hand-wringing!
Labour seems to have a far-too-cosy relationship with Fine
Gael and the main Opposition Party Fianna Fil
All three "mainstream" parties are working to try to block
the advance of the Shinners and the Independents.
Now they are facing a new party - Direct Democracy
Ireland - and the cat is well and truly amongst the pigeons.
Some of the effects of this are noted above, but worse was
to follow.
The Fiscal Treaty has bound us to Europe.
Between the government and the courts the electorate
was denied the right to vote on the ESM, an
unconstitutional act in my opinion.
The ESM exposes us to unlimited calls on our exchequer
and should therefore have been put before the people.
These treaties taken together dilute our voting power so
that the next time the transnational banks engineer an
economic crash they will be able to drain unlimited monies
from the coffers of governments in Europe.
Is anyone still in doubt this was engineered by the banks
and their endgame is not yet reached?
All TD's Senators and MEP's urgently need to look at
section 1 of this "Troika" of Videos at 2:11
At that point, a banker states quite baldly: "What we also
did we engineered the World FInancial Crisis."
Banker Admits "We Engineered the Global Financial Crisis"
1 - the Admission
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4B5f2ezEB8
2 - Christin Lagarde
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHaCajsyAe0
3 - More Plans
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iz6NY0s4AcQ
What has our government done do deal with this Global
Fraternity of Bankers who are quite clearly manipulating
events at national an international scale?
Far Reaching Legislation was rammed through in an
unconstitutional manner with no proper consideration of
the wording, unbalancing the relationship between
legislative, executive and judicial branches of Government
in the State and giving powers to the Minister for Finance
which do away with the checks and balances of a properly
formed Oireachtas.
This is the result of an irrelevant Labour Party! Our country
sold down the river!
We have an effective National Government where Fine
Gael is Fianna Fil Lite!
We have a disgraceful mess, where a Tax-Amnesty-Availing
Cosy-Cartel-Alleging "Best Friend of John Bruton" and now
"Independent" Michael Lowry is starting to smell like an
over-ripe Ham and still there is no investigation following
the Moriarty Tribunal!
http://www.independent.ie//michael-mcdowelldeafening-sile
It seems that Labour have sold the same shirt to two
different people once two often.
In Gilmore's own words, "They'll take the Schilling and
follow the Drum!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kpr2zaXvb4M
In Meath, the electorate decided what to do.
Is there no hope then for the Labour Party?
While there's life, there's hope, but it looks like a fresh
direction is needed.
Labour's willing, even supine, participation in all things
Fianna Fil and Fine Gael has to end.
The Powers of the Minister for Finance and the ESM Treaty
must be revisited to prevent disaster in the future.
The government must face the two obvious facts - you
cannot cut your way out of a recession, or tax your way to

prosperity.
There must be measures that offer hope for the people
and a reverse the cover up mentality shrouding the banks
and the government.
Other than that, Labour is gone in the local elections and
the next national election. As it is they are mortally
wounded.
Thanks for reading this far. I hope you found it informative.
I hope you act on that information.
Michael McDowell:
Deafening silence from
government and RTE
In a major analysis, Michael McDowell
says publication of the Lowry Tapes is
a matter of huge public importance
Michael McDowell
PUBLISHED
07/04/2013
The secretly taped conversation between

Michael Lowry and Kevin Phelan, which
occurred apparently in 2004, tells us a lot
about what happened behind the scenes
between some of the dramatis personae in
the Moriarty tribunal. While Michael Lowry
now insists that the payment of almost
250,000 to Mr Phelan which features in
the conversation was a payment that was
"fully declared" (whatever that means), he
has been careful not to dispute that the voice
on the tape is his, and he has not suggested
that the tape was doctored in any way, or
that he did not use the words attributed to
him in the transcripts of the tape which were
published in the Sunday Independent.
It was only when excerpts from the tape were broadcast in
their original form on the Vincent Browne programme on
TV3 that the penny dropped in the minds of the Irish
public that they were actually listening to an expletiveladen, foul-mouthed plea by an elected Irish public
representative to an obscure land speculator for
confirmation that the speculator had not taken any steps
which could link him in any way with the Doncaster
Rovers land deal then being investigated by the Moriarty
tribunal.
That investigation formed part of its enquiries as to
whether Denis O'Brien, who had an interest in the
Doncaster development (which, we hear, he has finally
disposed of just this month), was using, or had used or had
intended to use, the Doncaster land deal to enrich Michael
Lowry, whom the tribunal found had wrongfully

intervened as minister in the interests of Mr O'Brien in a
competitive licensing process in which Mr O'Brien's
consortium had been successful.
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/michae
l-mcdowell-deafening-silence-from-governmentand-rte-29179189.html
Banker Admits "We Engineered the Global Financial
Crisis" 3 Feb 23rd 2013
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iz6NY0s4AcQ
Banker Admits "We Engineered the

Global Financial Crisis" 1
Feb 24th 2013
https://www.youtube.
com/watch?
v=J4B5f2ezEB8
Stephen Donnelly: Here's

why the 64bn is ours for
the asking
PUBLISHED
07/10/2012
1
Representatives of the Troika, from right, Ajai Chopra from the IMF,
Istvan Szekely of the EU, and Klaus Masuch from the ECB
Ireland was never bailed out. But it was the

ECB's middle man, saving Europe from
banking contagion. Guess how we were
rewarded, says Stephen Donnelly
LAST week the president of the European Parliament was

invited to speak to the Dail. I took the opportunity to ask
him to take one message back to the mainland: Ireland did

not get a bailout, and we are not looking for a bailout -but we do need our 64bn back.
Martin Schulz is hardly a household name. He's a former
bookshop owner from Rhine Westphalia in Germany. As
well as holding the presidency, he is the leader of the
Socialists in the European Parliament. And if the speech
he gave on Thursday is anything to go by, he is on our side.
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/stephe
n-donnelly-heres-why-the-64bn-is-ours-for-theasking-28818348.html
Kevin Doyle: It will hurt

democracy and
meritocracy, but it's a

necessary evil
Kevin Doyle Twitter
EMAIL
PUBLISHED
12/12/2016
1
Frances Fitzgerald, Heather Humphreys, Katherine Zappone, Mary
Mitchell OConnor and Regina Doherty were at the front of a photo
taken at Government Buildings when Enda Kenny unveiled his new
Cabinet
On the day Enda Kenny announced his new

Cabinet, the ministers all lined up one
behind the other for a photograph in the

corridors of Government Buildings.
At the front was the Taoiseach, followed by Frances
Fitzgerald, Heather Humphreys, Katherine Zappone, Mary
Mitchell O'Connor and Regina Doherty. And then there
were 12 men in suits.
By putting his female ministers to the foreground of the
picture Mr Kenny was disguising the fact that he had fallen
well short of a promise to appoint a Cabinet that was split
50:50 in terms of gender.
Sign In
The mental health stigma

has faded, but quacks are
thriving
Therapy is no longer a dirty word, but
the lack of regulation means we still

don't know where to turn
Donal Lynch
PUBLISHED
11/12/2016
1
If you went by recent celebrity interviews and the amount of
awareness campaigns out there, you would think Irish people are
still in chronic denial about how messed up they really are. But the
reality on the ground feels somewhat different.
Is there still really such a terrible stigma

around getting therapy? If you went by
recent celebrity interviews and the amount
of awareness campaigns out there, you
would think Irish people are still in chronic
denial about how messed up they really are.
But the reality on the ground feels somewhat
different.
You have a whole generation of 30- and40-somethings
who aren't shy about looking for help. They come from a
confessional culture and they already speak the language
of therapy. They've been into mindfulness for years (even
though they've never quite got the hang of it). They are
quite ready to blame their parents. They know full well
when their black dog needs curbing.
Most of my friends are quite open about the fact that
they're just hanging on by their fingernails and we'll
casually pass on therapist tips to each other the way
previous generations might have recommended a builder.
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/themental-health-stigma-has-faded-but-quacks-arethriving-35284300.html
Apollo House occupation: The

story behind how a wellorganised team took over this
Dublin building
Celebrities, activists and politicians all got together today to open

Apollo House occupied for rough

sleepers
Dec 16, 2016

Activists under the umbrella of the Home Sweet Home
organisation occupied Apollo House in order to convert into
accommodation for Dublin's rough sleepers.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71fq5H6zUgk
JOURNALISTS, CAMERA CREWS, activists and

politicians gathered outside a car park in Dublin this
afternoon, looking through a set of closed blue gates.
Behind the gates, up a ramp and inside the 10-storey
Apollo House which looks out over Tara Street in
Dublins south inner city a group of five or so homeless
people had spent the night.
They had been led there late last night by a band of
activists, campaigners, poets and actors, as well as wellknown musicians, such as Glen Hansard, Damien
Dempsey.
A Facebook Live video taken after some of the group had
broken into the building by actor and activist John
Connors shows Damien Dempsey being joined by a big
group in a powerful rendition of the Foggy Dew, providing

a revolutionary score to the occupation.
Well-known personality Mattress Mick even donated 30
mattresses to the cause.
This morning, a number of media outlets
(including TheJournal.ie) were quick to cover the
powerful, resonant story.
By this afternoon when the journalists descended, the
celebrities had all gone, leaving behind the activists and
the homeless people to deal with the specifics.
The hope for here is to create a home for homeless

people, Dean Scurry, one of the main people involved
with the occupation, told reporters outside the building.
Theyre lined up here in a bed with a blanket over them
they wont die from the cold, he said.
Dean Scurry is one of the members of Home Sweet Home
the group central to the occupation - which seems to
have sprung up literally over night, but is in fact the result
of weeks of careful planning.
T-shirts with the groups logo hung from railings outside
the building on Poolbeg Street today, and the group has a
dedicated website and social media channels, as well some
slickly-produced promotional videos.
Source: SAM BOAL
The group is closely linked to the Mandate trade union

and was co-founded by Brendan Ogle who has been an
instrumental driving force behind the Right2Water and
Right2Change campaigns.
It is supported by the People Before Profit political party,
whose TDs Brid Smith and Richard Boyd Barrett were also
on Poolbeg Street this afternoon.
This is direct action in dealing with the crisis, said
Smith.
And fair play to the people that have organised it and the
volunteers who have maintained it. Its a great example of
the answer to the corporate takeover of our world.
Follow
Cormac Fitzgerald
#
1:07 PM - 16 Dec 2016

Source: Cormac Fitzgerald/Twitter
Irish Housing Network

The other group at the centre of the occupation is the Irish
Housing Network, a broad collection of different far-left
grassroots housing organisations.
Many of the organisations formed separately over the past
number of years as a direct response to Irelands
worsening housing crisis, before coming together to
pursue a common goal.
They have been at the centre of various high-profile
occupations over the past year or so, and are wellorganised and media savvy.
The IHN was behind the Bolt Hostel takeover in the
summer of 2015; and the Lynams Hotel occupation this
summer, among others.

Speaking to reporters on Poolbeg Street this afternoon,
spokesperson for the IHN Rosi Leonard said the plan for
Apollo House was to eventually house 30 homeless adults
there.
There has also been a callout for volunteers in all types of
roles including legal advice, counselling supports and
others.
The idea is to turn Apollo House which is due to be
demolished into supported long term accommodation
for the homeless.
A number of extra beds have already been opened by
Dublin City Council in the city centre as part of the Winter
Initiative. Speaking to TheJournal.ie this morning,
Leonard labelled the Initiative ridiculous.
The homeless crisis doesnt end once the winter is over,
she said.
Health and safety

The move is not supported by the leading homeless
charities in Ireland Focus Ireland, the Peter McVerry
Trust and others are keeping quiet on the matter.
Speaking this afternoon on RTs News at One, Sam
McGuinness, CEO of the Dublin Simon Community, said

that he had been giving advice to the activists (but stressed
that Dublin Simon was not involved).
It will certainly be more secure than sleeping in a
doorway or sleeping in tents in the parks, or sleeping in
cardboard some other place, he said.
Some sources within the homeless charity sector have
been less enthusiastic, citing the serious health and safety
concerns the occupation could pose without properlytrained staff present.
Meanwhile, the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive

which manages homeless services for the four Dublin local
authorities is keeping schtum on the whole matter, and
has said that it will not be commenting.
The garda also said that they assessed the situation last
night. They are liaising with the occupiers but have made
no attempt to evict them.
NAMA said in a statement that it does not own Apollo
House.
Any issues arising are for the receiver of the building not
NAMA, a spokesperson said.
With the building in private ownership and scheduled for
demolition, it is unclear how long the protesters will be
able to remain.
The latest rough sleeper count for Dublin found 142 people
sleeping rough in the city centre. There have since been an
extra 145 beds opened, with the Housing Department
saying that there will be a bed for anyone who want one
this Christmas.
However, McGuinness said that the beds are nearing
capacity already, and the latest Simon rough sleeper count
found over 100 homeless people still sleeping rough.
The IHN, Home Sweet Home, and the various activists
and big-name celebrities associated with their cause
clearly believe there is a need and are taking direct action
in relation to homelessness.
Occupations have sprung up and fizzled out over the past
year, but with the time of year thats in it, and the big
names behind it, this one could have staying power
Kenny 'Is there many sleeping rough on the streets in
Dublin tonight Simon'
Coveney 'None!'
Kenny 'Good man. After five years you have solved the
problem?'
Coveney 'No, Enda, it wasn't me - Home Sweet Home
solved the problem! We failed the homeless'
A RALLY IS due to take place outside Bolt Hostel at 10am

today as housing activists are set to meet representatives
of Dublin City Council (DCC) to discuss the future of the
building.
The Irish Housing Network (IHN) reclaimed the building,
located at 38/39 Bolton Street in Dublin city centre, just
over a week ago.
It was formerly known as Bolton House and
accommodated 17 homeless people until 2011, but has
been vacant since then.
Rosi Leonard from IHN said the group expects DCC to
serve them with an injunction notice.
Leonard said many of the people helping to refurbish the
building have direct experience of homeless services or
We would rather this be a homeless hostel than be
empty, she told TheJournal.ie this morning.
Leonard said the property could house three families, but
DCC told us its not liveable.
A spokesperson said council representatives met with IHN
on Tuesday and Thursday and continue to discuss the
occupation of 38/39 Bolton Street with the group.
The building is not fit-for-purpose and requires significant

upgrading works to ensure that is a suitable building to
accommodate families or individuals in terms of
compliance with health and safety.
They added that local authorities in Dublin continue to

expand and implement measures to respond to the
housing needs of homeless households.
Leonard said DCCs stance on the building is very
disappointing given the fact so many families are in
urgent need of housing.
Earlier this week it emerged that the councils homeless
budget has been left with an 18.5 million shortfall.
John Connors
A beacon of hope for all, the atmosphere in the now iconic

Apollo House is electrifying. Months of planning went into
taking over this NAMA owned (meaning we own it)
building to house our forgotten homeless. Didn't film
inside out of discretion but just watched the most
honourable in our society bypass the most malignant to
protect the most vulnerable. Never forget what a beautiful
people we can be
This has to be the best thing that has happened this year . Fair play
to all involved. If we , the people own the building, then we , the
people should decide how it is put to good use .
Shame on government look what ordinary people can get done by
standing shoulder to shoulder not like ye gobshits
Funny how the ONLY victims FF, FG, and the journalists involved care
about are victims that can damage the biggest threat to their as yet
uninterrupted governance of this state. This is a disgraceful charade
and an insult to the many thousands of victims of FF and FG
policies, which included throwing fuel on the troubles for decades.
Despicable maneouvres, and Stack's contentions don't hold up to
the mildest of scrutiny. He's a liar, victim or not.
Time to take our country back enough of these politicians
dictationing what they want not what the irish people want
THE MINISTER FOR the Environment will meet with

Dublin City councillors after the capitals homeless budget
was left with an 18.5 million shortfall.
Councillors were last night informed that services for the
citys 3,300 homeless people would have a budget deficit
this year.
Richard Brady, the head of housing at the council, told
members that he was allocating 37.1 million for homeless
services this year, leaving the 18.5 million deficit.
He said that the situation was serious and that the
council would attempt to secure the rest of the funding by
releasing a 5 million contingency fund and seeking to
have the other Dublin local authorities contribute.
Fianna Fil group leader on the city council Cllr Paul
McAuliffe questioned what he called a ministerial u-turn

by Alan Kelly, who led a summit on the citys homeless
problem last December.
The government need to clarify why they indicated last
December that they were willing to fund all necessary
services and yet they have now left as a massive 18.5
million shortfall.
The impact of this decision will mean that there will be no
funding for any emergency accommodation in the final
months of this year. The Minister is effectively turfing-out
more than 2,000 people in emergency accommodation.
Kelly last night confirmed to a council member that he was
willing to meet with members, something that was
welcomed by Sinn Fins Daithi Doolan.
He has also agreed to meet with councillors to discuss the
housing crisis in Dublin.
This is a positive development and to be welcomed by all
parties interested in tackling Dublins housing crisis.
This meeting must happen as a matter of urgency, must
result in funding being released immediately and a long
term plan to tackle Dublins housing crisis.
PLANS HAVE BEEN submitted to demolish two large

office buildings in the centre of Dublin and replace them
with an environmentally sustainable new office quarter.
Hawkins House and Apollo House on the corner of Tara
Street and Poolbeg Street will be knocked down and
replaced with newer office buildings that the OPW says
will allow for a public plaza at the centre of the block.
The plans propose opening up a pedestrian route from

Tara Street to College Green. At present, no such route
exists and pedestrians are forced to walk around the
buildings.
The Hawkins House building currently houses the head
office of Department of Health and is often described as
Dublins ugliest building. It dates from 1962 and is
located on the site of the former Theatre Royal.
The building is currently 11 storeys tall with the
redevelopment seeing it reduced to a maximum of 10
storeys.
Its planned that therell space for a caf/restaurant on the

ground floor and a public space with some greenery at the
boundary near the former Screen Cinema.
Apollo House was previously used by the Department of
Social Protection who vacated it last year. Its
redevelopment will see it turned into a office building
ranging in height from between five and 12 storeys with
ground floor space for both retail and food outlets.
Both buildings will have some underground parking and

will provide cycle access with showering and toilet
facilities for workers in the building.
Speaking today as the plans were launched, Minister of
State for the OPW Sen Canney said that this major plan is
a big chance for the city.
This development represents a once-in-a-generation
opportunity to create a new vibrant commercial and
government office quarter in the city of Dublin, he said
It is clear that Hawkins House is now obsolete and no

longer meets the demand for modern flexible workspace.
The development of this site will provide up to 60% more
office space, will offer significant savings in running costs
and will facilitate my office to reach sustainability targets
and free up older leased buildings throughout the city.
The plan is approved by Nama who and the receivers

appointed to the property. Nama chief executive Brendan
McDonagh described it as an exciting project that is,
consistent with the receivers aim to maximise the return
and to deliver much-needed high-quality commercial
space.
Lead architects in the design team are Dublin-based
architecture firm Henry J. Lyons with Mola Architecture
designing the public space.
The full document:

Fine Gael-Fianna Fil
deal for government
BY 3RD, MAY 2016
The following is the full text of the Fine GaelFianna F il1 document which deals with the
mechanics of how a minority government
arrangement will work and broad policy
areas.
A Confidence and Supply Arrangement
for a Fine Gael-Led Government
This document outlines the Confidence and
Supply arrangement between Fine Gael2 and
Fianna F il to facilitate a Fine Gael-led
minority Government and the agreed policy
principles that underpin that arrangement.
Fine Gael will seek to agree separate policy
commitments in a broader range of areas
with other Oireachtas3 members as a basis
for a comprehensive Programme for
Government.
Core Principles for the Confidence and
Supply Arrangement for a Fine Gael Led
Government
This is a document that outlines the

confidence and supply arrangement to
facilitate a Fine Gael-led minority
Government. Subject to the ongoing
implementation of the attached policy
principles:
Fianna F il agrees to:
abstain in the election of Taoiseach,
nomination of Ministers and also the
reshuffling of Ministers;
facilitate Budgets consistent with the agreed
policy principles attached to this document;
vote against or abstain on any motions of no
confidence in the Government, Ministers and
financial measures (eg money bills)
recognised as confidence measures; and
pairing arrangements for EU Council
meetings, North South meetings and other
Government business as agreed.
The Fine Gael -Led Minority Government
agrees to:
accept that Fianna F il is an independent
party in opposition and is not a party to the
Programme for Government;
recognise Fianna F il s right to bring forward
policy proposals and bills to implement
commitments in its own manifesto;
publish all agreements with Independent
Deputies and other political parties in full.
allow any opposition Bills (that are not money
bills) that pass 2nd stage, proceed to
Committee stage within 10 working weeks;
Implement the agreed policy principles
attached to this document over a full term of

Government;
have an open approach to avoiding policy
surprises; and
introduce a reformed budgetary process in
accordance with the OECD review of the
Oireachtas along with the agreed D il reform
process. Should an event arise that has
potential to undermine this agreement efforts
will be made to have it resolved by the two
Party Leaders.
It is agreed that both parties to this
agreement will review this Framework
Agreement at the end of 2018. It is agreed
that the final arrangements will be a written
agreement signed by the respective Party
Leaders. This is a political agreement and is
not justiciable.
Appendix 1
Policy Framework for a Confidence and
Supply Agreement to Facilitate a Fine
Gael-Led Minority Government
Ireland s Economy
Maintain our commitment to meeting in full
the domestic and EU Fiscal rules as enshrined
in law.
Facilitate the passage of budgets presented
by the Government within these rules and
which are consistent with the policy
principles contained in this document.
To address unmet needs introduce budgets
that will involve at least a 2:1 split between
investment in public spending and tax
reductions.
Base health expenditure on multi-year
budgeting supported by a 5 year HSE Service
Plan based on realistic, verifiable projections.
Introduce reductions in the Universal Social
Charge (USC) on a fair basis with an
emphasis on low and middle income earners.
Establish a Rainy Day Fund.
Maintain Ireland s 12.5% corporation tax, and
engage constructively with any measures to
work towards international tax reform while
critically analysing proposals that may not be
in Ireland s long term interests.
Industrial Relations and Public Sector
Pay
Recognise full implementation of the
Lansdowne Road Agreement in accordance
with the timelines agreed and recognise that
the recruitment issues in the public service
must be addressed as part of this Agreement.
Establish a Public Service Pay Commission4
to examine pay levels across the public
service, including entry levels of pay.
Support the gradual, negotiated repeal the
Financial Emergency Measures in the Public
Interest Acts having due regard to the priority
to improve public services and in recognition
of the essential role played by public
servants.
Tackle the problems caused by the increased
casualisation of work that prevents workers
from being able to save or have any job
security.
Respect the Workplace Relations

Commission5 and the Labour Court6 as the
proper forum for state intervention in
industrial relation disputes and ensure that
both bodies are supported and adequately
resources to fulfil their roles.
Securing Affordable Homes and Tackling
Homelessness
Significantly increase and expedite the
delivery of social housing units, remove
barriers to private housing supply and initiate
an affordable housing scheme
Retain mortgage interest relief beyond the
current end date of December 2017 on a
tapered basis.
Increase rent supplement and Housing
Assistance payment (HAP) limits by up to
15% taking account of geographic variations
in market rents, and extend the roll out by
local authorities of the HAP, including the
capacity to make discretionary enhanced
payments.
Protect the family home and introduce
additional long term solutions for mortgage
arrears cases.
Improve supports and services for older
people to live independently in their own
home, including a provision for pension
increases.
Provide greater protection for mortgage
holders, tenants and SMEs whose loans have
been transferred to non-regulated entities
( vulture funds ).
Creating Decent jobs and Supporting

Enterprise
Prioritise regional development across all
policy areas.
Fully implement Food Harvest 2020 and Food
Wise 2025.
Secure the future of family farms and support
our fishing industry.
Seek to introduce a PRSI scheme for the selfemployed and provide a supportive tax
regime for entrepreneurs and the selfemployed.
Increase capital investment in transport,
broadband, education, health and flood
defences following the mid-term review of
the Capital Plan which is expected mid-2017.
Examine all options for increased credit
availability, competition and quality of
service in the banking sector through the
development of new and existing platforms.
Develop a strategy for growth and
development for the credit union sector.
Cutting Costs for Families and
Improving Public Services
Reform the public sector to ensure more
accessible public services.
Maintain a humane approach for
discretionary medical card provision.
Develop targeted supports to reduce
childcare costs, broaden parental choice and
increase supports for stay at home parents.
Tackle child poverty by increasing community
based early intervention programmes.
Increase and ring-fence 15m in 2017 in

funding for a National Treatment Purchase
Fund7 to urgently address waiting lists for
those waiting longest.
Reduce primary school class sizes;
reintroduce guidance counselling to
secondary schools and increase financial
supports for post graduate students with a
particular focus on those from low income
households.
Take all necessary action to tackle high
variable interest rates.
Seek to alleviate pressures affecting
household budgets across energy, childcare,
medical and insurance costs.
Tackling Crime and Developing
Community Services
Increase Garda numbers to 15000, invest in
CCTV and mandate the Policing Authority8 to
oversee a review of the boundaries of Garda
districts and the dispersement of Garda
stations.
Increase funding to LEADER.
Strengthen the Social Inclusion and
Community Activation Programme (SICAP)
and develop new Community Development
Schemes for rural areas and reactivate and
increase funding to RAPID areas through the
Local Authorities.
Improve services and increase supports for
people with disabilities: particularly for early
assessment and intervention for children with
special needs and provision of adult day
services.
Fully implement Vision for Change in the area
of mental health.
Strengthen and develop cross border bodies
and services in Northern Ireland9 and
implement the Fresh Start agreement.
Establish a Judicial Appointments
Commission10 to identify the most suitable
candidates for judicial office.
Ensure that local Government funding,
structure and responsibilities strengthen local
democracy.
Increase investment in the Irish language
Appendix 2
Fine Gael Fianna F il Agreement on
Water Services
Irish Water will be retained as a single
national utility in public ownership
responsible for the delivery of water and
wastewater services.
The Government will establish an External
Advisory Body on a statutory basis to build
public confidence in Irish Water. It will advise
on measures needed to improve the
transparency and accountability of Irish
Water.
It will publish advice to the Government and
give quarterly reports to an Oireachtas
Committee on the performance by Irish Water
on the implementation of its business plan,
with particular regard to:
= Cost reduction and efficiency
improvements;
= Procurement, remuneration and staffing

policies;
= Infrastructure delivery and leakage
reductions;
= Improvements in water quality, including
the elimination of boil water notices; and
= Responsiveness to the needs of
communities and enterprise
The Government will suspend the Water
Conservation Grant, while restoring
exchequer funding to Group Water Schemes
to pre-2015 levels, implement multi-annual
funding for the Rural Water Programmes and
revise grant levels to new group water
schemes and for the refurbishment of private
wells.
The Government will, within six weeks of its
appointment, introduce and support
legislation in the Oireachtas to suspend
domestic water charges for a period of nine
months from the end of the current billing
cycle. The suspension of domestic water
charges will be extended by the Government
if this is required and requested by the
Special Oireachtas committee on the Funding
of Domestic Water Services (see below) in
order to facilitate the completion of its work
and the consideration of its
recommendations by the Oireachtas.
The Government will establish within eight
weeks of its appointment an Expert
Commission to make recommendations for
the sustainable long-term funding model for
the delivery of domestic water and

wastewater services by Irish Water (see draft
terms of reference below). The Expert
Commission will endeavour to report within
five months of its establishment.
The recommendations of the Expert
Commission, will be considered by the
Special Oireachtas Committee which will
endeavour to make its own recommendations
to the Oireachtas within a period of 3
months. The recommendations of the Special
Oireachtas Committee will be considered and
voted upon by the Oireachtas within a one
month period.
The Fine Gael and Fianna F il parties reserve
their right to adopt differing positions on any
consequent legislation or resolutions being
debated by the Oireachtas.
The Government will facilitate the passage of
legislation (whether it be a money bill or
otherwise) the implementation of the
recommendations in relation to domestic
water charging supported by the Oireachtas
(including abolition, a reformed charging
regime or other options).
We affirm that those who have paid their
water bills to date will be treated no less
favourably than those who have not.
Draft Terms of Reference for the Expert
Commission
An Expert Commission will be set up to
assess and make recommendation upon the
funding of domestic water services in Ireland
and improvements in water quality, taking

into account:
The maintenance and investment needs of
the water and waste system on short,
medium and long-term bases;
proposals on how the national utility in State
ownership would be able to borrow to invest
in water infrastructure;
the need to encourage water conservation,
including through reviewing information
campaigns on water conservation in other
countries;
Ireland s domestic and international
environmental standards and obligations;
the role of the Regulator; and
Submissions from all interested parties. The
Commission will be empowered to
commission relevant research and hear
evidence to assist this work.
The Commission shall endeavour to complete
its work within five months.
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.
AHHHH... This is why the 158 plus keep silent....
"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.
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 lifetime's 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), Clare's
Michael McNamara and Kerry's Arthur Spring. Former
minister Joe Costello volunteers that he owns properties in
Dublin's Sean McDermott Street and North Circular Road
which he uses for "office and storage". Meath's 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 O'Dea 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 Coveney's
declaration reveals less than Richard's. He describes
himself as a "landlord" with a single property, but admits
to holding shares without being specific. Coveney's 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.
Coveney's 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.
Noonan's patriotic instincts and bullishness about the
economy do not extend to his choice of personal
investments.
Noonan's 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 Creighton's husband, Paul
Bradford's 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 Quinn's portfolio stretches to
three pages with a global diversification that will
undoubtedly safeguard the former supermarket king's
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."
Never give up your home.
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/shaneross/landlords-of-leinster-house-declare-interests31153379.html?
utm_source=indoshare&utm_medium=socialoremail&ut
m_campaign=indoshare
Denis O'Brien started buying shares in Independent News

& Media in 2006 and over the next number of years built
up his shareholding at a cost of tens of millions of Euro (I
suppose if you didn't have to spill blood, sweat and tears
to gain your wealth ...). O'Brien's plan was to take control
of INM from Tony O'Reilly - Irelands first homegrown
billionaire and the majority shareholder. In the battle for
supremacy O'Brien eventually came out on top, O'Reilly
lost everything and was declared bankrupt by a court in
the Bahamas in 2015.
Upon taking control of INM with around 30% of the shares
O'Brien installed his loyalists on the board, people like
Leslie Buckley and Lucy Gaffney. Very soon journalists and
other staff jumped ship or were pushed out and now the
company is fully under the control of O'Brien. Denis
O'Brien likes to have Fine Gael in power and after all his
bribe to Communications Minister Michael Georgina Lowry
when the Blueshirts were in government in the 1990's was
what set him on the road to riches. His gift from Fine Gael the first mobile phone licence, thanks to Lowry made
O'Brien a killing when he quickly flipped the company. He
pocketed 250 million and skipped off to Portugal to save
having to pay 55 million in Irish tax on his windfall.
O'Brien lost tens of millions on his investment in INM, but
it has brought him a big dividend in other ways. Control of
the media in Ireland (he also has a huge radio portfolio
through his Communicorp Group) has enabled him to wield
huge political power. He was instrumental in getting Kenny
and Fine Gael returned in the General Election. And when
Fine Gael are in power Dinny makes money. Loads of
money, Contracts awarded. Millions written off ...
O'Brien's media attack opposition politicians and give
endless free PR to his Blueshirt buddies. His media have a
particular hatred of Sinn Fin and in particular Gerry
Adams, and a relentless barrage of attacks before the
General Election resulted in the Shinners not gaining more
seats, possibly as many as a dozen. So O'Brien through his
wealth influenced the result of the election and he got his
protg Kenny returned (albeit with a weak hand).
Journalists working under O'Brien have to toe the line and
through fear of losing their jobs churn out relentless
propaganda on behalf of the government. Journalists like
Irish Independent editor Fionnn Sheehan and Kevin Doyle
Group Political Editor for Independent News and Media
obediently print their master's words. The government are
in thrall to O'Brien and so the present Communications
Minister Independent Blueshirt Denis Naughten will not
threaten O'Brien's media monopoly. In fact the media
baron is adding to his monopoly by snapping up more
regional newspapers. The media control will soon rival RT
and will reach every corner of the land like an octupus,
spouting out it's owner propaganda and promoting his
business interests.
The present government will not touch O'Brien.
We desperately need an alternative, a new national
newspaper that is not controlled by the wealthy 1% and
that can give a democratic voice to the majority of
citizens.
Would YOU support such a newspaper?
Temple Bar Hotel bought by

Singapore company in 55m
deal
The property is on Fleet Street.
December 16th 2016
THE TEMPLE BAR Hotel has been bought in a 55m deal.

The hotel was bought by Singapore-based company
CapitaLands serviced residence business unit, The Ascott
Limited (Ascott).
CapitaLand is one of Asias biggest real estate companies,
while Ascott specialises in serviced apartments, which
are furnished apartments that have amenities found in
hotels but also kitchens and washing machines.
The company said that acquiring the 136-unit hotel means
that Ascott is now positioned right at the heart of one of
the worlds most attractive business centres.
Lee Chee Koon, Ascotts chief executive officer, described
Europe as a key market for Ascotts global expansion.
He pointed out that some of the worlds biggest
companies, like Google, Facebook, Microsoft and
LinkedIn, have established their European headquarters

in Dublin.
Ireland is also used as a launch pad to the European Union
(EU) by many US companies and the US is amongst
Ascotts top source markets globally.
He added:
Ascotts entry into Ireland will cater to these rising
demands for accommodation by corporate and leisure
travellers. The acquisition will boost Ascotts 1.2 billion
portfolio in Europe and bring us closer to our target of
10,000 units in the region by 2020.
Ireland has had a record number of visitors in 2016, up
12% in the first nine months of the year.
Koon noted that Dublin hotels had the highest revenue per
available room growth rate in Europe in 2015 and that the
city is expected to top the table again in 2017.
And supply for extended stay accommodation is vastly
outstripped by demand in Dublin, at only 0.08 units per
1,000 overseas visitors, he said.
Alfred Ong, Ascotts managing director for Europe, said
that Ascott has built a strong presence in Europe as one of
the regions largest international serviced residence
owner-operators.
We look forward to bringing our signature hospitality to
Ireland with a centrally located and quality
accommodation in Dublin for our corporate and leisure
guests, said Ong.
The property has been achieving over 80% occupancy in
the last few months and we are confident that we will be
able to add value to this prime asset.
The acquisition brings Ascotts portfolio in Europe to more
than 5,400 units in 45 properties across 19 cities in
Belgium, France, Georgia, Germany, Ireland, Spain and
the United Kingdom.
The hotel has been bought by one of the world's biggest
real estate companies
http://www.thejournal.ie/temple-bar-ascott-hotel-3144429-
Dec2016/?utm_source=facebook_short
no the only isis here are FG, ff, and LB and independent some of
them landlords in the dial who fleece and rob the irish people in
rents and if they cannot afford an extra 4% they will be on the
streets too, these bastsrd deliberately escalated the housing crisis
for their own greed and corruption we need them out, and every
build in Dublin is belong to the Irish people not the government we
own them and the banks we pay the taxes not these fucking fG, LB
FF and IND BUNCH OF MAFIA CORRUPT corrupt wankerS, THEY ARE
THE ISIS FRINGE NOT US,
IF COVENEY OR ANY TD OR NAMA TRIES TO THROW THE HOMELESS
OUT OF THE BUILDING IT WILL CAUSE A HUGE REVOLUTION IN
IRELAND AND AROUND THE WORLD WE HAVE THE SUPPORT OF
OTHER COUNTRIES, IT WOULD BE AN EMBARRASSMENT ON EVERY
TD LANDLORD MAFIA FUCKERS IN THE DIAL AND KENNY TOO IF
THEY ALLOWED THIS, AND IF THE GARDA INTERFERED THEN THEY
TOO WOULD BE AN EMBARRASSMENT TO THEMSELVES AND IT
WOULD BE ILLEGAL AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE
WHAT CORRUPT JUDGE WHOO WOULD TRY TO CHALLENGE THIS,
LIKE THEY DID ON THE PROMMISIONARY NOTES CHALLENGE TODAY
THE CORRUPT HIRE FF, FG, LB JUDGESSELECTED BY THESE FUCKERS
AND CORRUPT DPP MARIE WHELAN THEY WILL GET THERE COMINGS
SOON, IT IS CATCHING UP NOW, WHISTLEBLOWERS ARE ON THE
CASE PG THE JUSTICE WILL BE DONE SOON AND THE BASTARDS
WILL BE FOUND OUT
HOME SWEET HOME, WE ARE THE FIGHTING IRISH

PEOPLE, WE PAY TAXES ON EVERY BUILDING THEREFORE
WE OWN EVERY GOVERNMENT OR BANKS BUILDING IN
IRELAND OUR TAXES PAYS FOR THESE BUILDINGS

https://www.scribd.com/document/334424494/Home-SweetHome-We-Are-the-Fighting-Irish-People-We-Pay-Taxes-onEvery-Building-Therefore-We-Own-Every-Government-or-BanksBuilding-in-Ireland-Our-T
Brendan Ogle: Why we have

occupied Apollo House
Opinion: We have 193,000 homes without people and
6,500 people without homes
about 5 hours ago
Brendan Ogle
Jim Sheridan and Brendan Ogle of Home Sweet Home at Apollo House at
Poolbeg Street, Dublin. Photograph: Gareth Chaney Collins
Its been just over two years since Jonathan Corrie, a

homeless man, was found dead yards from Dil
ireann as our elected parliamentarians went to work.
Jonathans 16-year-old son Nathan told The Irish
Times after his death that his father had left Carlow
because he did not want his family to see him in
difficulty. Jonathan was 43 years old. Young yes, but
the life expectancy for a homeless man is 44, and for a
woman just 38.
Sixteen people died on our streets between 2011 and

2014 and the graph has been rising since. You might
remember Jonathans name but will you remember the
names of the other 15? The people dying now hardly
merit a footnote on the national daily news stories
about recovery growth; so much bombast and
bluster, and alongside it the reality of so much
unnecessary death and suffering.
It is to our national shame that neither Jonathans
death, nor that of any of the others before or since, has
shocked us into addressing the root causes of
homelessness. The situation has gotten exponentially
worse: homelessness has risen 40 per cent in the last
year alone. We are a nation that, in 2016, cherishes
none of its children equally.
Artists row in
I got a phone call from a friend in the music industry

recently who is also a Trojan community activist in his
native Ballymun. Dean Scurry, who I first met through
the Right2Water campaign, told me how many of
Irelands artists and poets, actors and film directors
wanted to do something to address this human crisis. I
knew one or two of them a little. Glen Hansard had
done me the honour of launching a book I wrote
recently about the water campaign and our dreadful,
policy driven, inequality. Damien Dempsey has
performed at Right2Water events and people like John
Connors and Terry McMahon feel the pain of our
broken nation deeply.
Coveney: Emergency beds available for anyone who wants
one
homelessness crisis
Protesters take over vacant Nama building to accomodate
Dublin's homeless
Others too were on board: Christy, Jim Sheridan,

Kodaline, Saoirse Ronan, the list went on. Dean had an
idea. Could a citizen-led intervention take homeless
people off the streets until the Government got around
to housing them? The artists would be open to
supporting such a move if it had as its objective the
creation of a home for people forced to live on our
streets. It was the lads from Kodaline who stated we
have homes without people, and people without
homes when confronted with the startling statistic
that while we have 6,500 people officially homeless
including 2,400 children, that the census shows we
have a whopping 193,000 empty homes in Ireland,
excluding holiday homes.
Socialising private debt
And then theres Nama. The bad bank that was used to
socialise private debt and bequeath to us buildings all
over our landscape that lie fallow while people get
soaked, freeze, go hungry and even die below. Did I
think we could get access to a Nama property? We
owned it after all. It took about a week to find a
property we could access with some assistance and
eventually Apollo House, a former social welfare office
now closed down, came into our possession.
This has been tried before. The wonderful Irish
Housing Network and many other groups have been
trying to provide support for our homeless people for a
long time. But never in a Nama property and never
with such support. So a loose coalition was formed. We
all had different tasks, but the same motivation. Could
we arrive at a situation where nobody, at least in
Dublin, is forced to be without a roof and home for
this Christmas and beyond?
There are wonderful videos involving Jim Sheridan,
Glen and many others and I hope, we all hope, that
these efforts may force us all to look inwards and stop

this madness. And it is madness that can be easily
stopped. In recent years governments have given more
than 2.7 billion in tax cuts disproportionately
benefiting the wealthiest and corporations. Did you get
any of that? Did it change your life? No, me neither.
But it could have built over 10,000 homes each year. It
could have changed the life of every homeless person,
of every homeless child, and ultimately cleared social
housing waiting lists.
Human decency
Homelessness is a result of poor, or cruel, political

policy decisions. I prefer to think of them as just poor.
Otherwise, what have we become as a society?
Ultimately homelessness and its causes will only be
resolved by a movement in policy towards housing that
is based on citizenship as much as profit, that puts
human decency above uncaring ideology.
I do not know how Home Sweet Home will work out,
but whatever differences we all have, can we please
resolve to end this cruelty? The garda who came to
Apollo House last night praised the volunteers and
confirmed the event as peaceful and well organised.
They toured the building checking the welfare of the
homeless people who were sleeping in private rooms
on new mattresses for the first time in a long time. We
told them that Apollo House was a dry house for
genuinely homeless people, well-resourced and taken
care of. So please help in any way you can.
Tonight there are people sleeping in a safe and secure
building with heating and electricity, and if it wasnt for
this intervention of artists and citizens they would be
in doorways and alleyways. I have no doubt this
intervention, with your support, can save lives. To find
out more about how you can help please
http://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/brendan-ogle-why-we-haveoccupied-apollo-house-1.2908984
Rent plan collapses,

plunging government into
crisis
Simon Coveney says Fianna Fail is
'messing with lives'
Kevin Doyle Twitter
EMAIL
PUBLISHED
15/12/2016
2
Housing Minister Simon Coveney. Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins
Fianna Fil will not back Housing Minister

Simon Coveney's rental strategy, plunging
the minority Government into an
unprecedented crisis.
A Dil debate on the plan has been dramatically pulled
from today's agenda, with Mr Coveney accusing Fianna
Fil of "messing with people's lives".
The dispute centres around the designation of towns and
cities as 'Rent Pressure Zones' (RPZs).
Mr Coveney had proposed that Dublin and Cork City
would immediately become RPZs, meaning that landlords
would be restricted to hiking rents by a maximum of 4pc
annually for the next three years.
Speaking to the Irish Independent after the talks collapsed
Mr Coveney said: "I am not going to allow them to make a
farce of the legislation."
It is understood that Fianna Fil's housing spokesman
Brian Cowen demanded that the cities of Galway, Limerick
and Waterford added to the list of RPZs, along with some

commuter belt towns.
Fianna Fil's Barry Cowen. Photo: Tom Burke
Initially he also wanted the 4pc rent cap halved but

ultimately said his party would live with the 4pc figure if
Mr Coveney moved on the list of RPZs.
However, the Housing Minister took a substantial political
risk and refused to budge, meaning the talks ended in
deadlock. Mr Coveney said he has the full backing of
Taoiseach Enda Kenny for the move.
"I think what has happened is just extraordinary. There is
a lot of politics going on. They are messing with people's
lives," he said.
A senior Fianna Fil source claimed they were "backed
into a corner". "We were prepared to reluctantly move on
the rate but he wouldn't give on the other areas."
Mr Coveney argued that further study by the Residential
Tenancies Board would be required on the areas listed by
Fianna Fil before they could be designated as RPZs.
He offered "assurances" that this would happen as quickly
as possible in the new year and that decisions on Galway
and Limerick could be fast-tracked in January, followed by
Waterford, Meath, Kildare, Louth and Wicklow before the

end of February.
But Fianna Fil sources said: "That's a ridiculous scenario.
You might as well put a big billboard in all those towns
saying 'put rents up now because controls are coming in a
few months'."
The breakdown came just hours after Mr Coveney was
close to being feted for his work on the rental strategy at a
Fine Gael parliamentary party meeting.
The minister gave a presentation to TDs and senators in
Leinster House and received "unanimous" support for his
uncompromising position with Fianna Fil.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny told a private meeting of Fine Gael
TDs and senators that renters will be left in a "perilous
position" unless legislation passes through the Dil today.
Fianna Fil were said to be annoyed by what party sources
described as reports of the "pumped up" atmosphere in
Fine Gael.
Mr Cowen was last night consulting with the party
hierarchy about their next move, while the Housing
Minister said he is available for fresh talks if Fianna Fil
are willing to work with his proposals.
"I find it very frustrating. They support the vast majority
of the measures. It's just this one issue around the
qualification criteria for Rent Pressure Zones," the
minister said.
A third issue raised by Fianna Fil was the potential for tax
incentives for landlords to encourage supply in the market.
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.
Warning Coveney's rentcap plan will 'hit

investment and new
home supply'
Michael Cogley Twitter

EMAIL
PUBLISHED
15/12/2016
1
Minister Simon Coveney
Government plans to cap Dublin and Cork

rents will discourage big landlords from the
market here, potentially hampering the
supply of new homes.
S
Housing minister Simon Coveney's scheme to tackle rents

may have unintended consequences for the supply of new
houses, stockbroker Goodbody has warned.

Analyst Dermot O'Leary said the scheme, to introduce rent
caps in high-demand areas across Dublin and Cork would
"reduce the motivation" among investors to enter the Irish
private residential sector.
The minister's plan to limit rent increases to 4pc per year
on dwellings in "Rent Pressure Zones" (RPZs).
"From an investor's perspective, the motivation to enter
the Irish private residential sector is reduced by this policy
and should have knock-on negative implications for new
supply," said Mr O'Leary in a note.
"In the context of the attempt to entice large-scale
institutional investment into the sector, this is a
retrograde step."
Mr Coveney's plan to impose the caps for three years came
under immediate attack from Fianna Fil, which
complained about a lack of consultation in the lead-up to
its publication.
Areas that are designated as RPZs must have an average
rent registered with the Residential Tenancies Board
above the national average - and rising at a year-on-year
rate of 7pc for four out of the last six months.
While new and "substantially renovated" properties will be
exempt from the plan, Mr O'Leary believes that will also
have an impact.
"Turnover of the stock is likely to reduce as tenants hold
on to their property.
"Given that properties that have recently been
'substantially refurbished' are exempt, there are likely to
be many disputes about this definition among landlords
and tenants," he said.
Davy analyst David McNamara said the threat of further
State intervention may spook investors.
"The optics of further Government intervention in the
market is obviously negative in terms of investment, but
Ireland is not unique in an international context in
introducing rent controls," he said.
http://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/property-
mortgages/warning-coveneys-rentcap-plan-will-hit-investmentand-new-home-supply-35294507.html

Mr Coveney said his department has checked
the wording of new legislation on the rent
certainty measures to ensure that rents in
designated areas do not increase by more
than 4% annually.
8%.

period.
be 2%.
The Dil sat later than scheduled tonight to
debate the Planning and Development and
Residential Tenancies Bill, which was backed
by 52 TDs with 43 voting against and 25
abstaining.
The Bill will now be debated in the Seanad
next Wednesday.
It is likely to be enacted before the beginning
of the New Year.
suburb who were served with notice to
vacate homes after they were bought up by a
so-called 'vulture fund'.
Attorney General who suggested that figure
be changed to 10.
The amendment was lost by 59 votes to 34
with 24 abstentions.
and safety issues.
streets.
the park".
the night".

being taken over.
Christmas.
in".
Again showing their completely disassociation from reality.

I don't think helping the homeless is quiet the same as throwing
people off buildings for being gay!

It's actually so stupid they should really question if he is fit for
office!
/react-text Next step - take over the empty properties, and
properties owned by the Vulture Funds and rehouse the families
living in Hotels and Bed and Breakfast. 40 Families a month being
put out on the street, and more to come. All this Government is
interested in doing is to increase the rents - instead of building
Social Housing with our Tax money. They bleat on, that there is no
money - yeh right - WE DO NOT BELIEVE YOU...
Squatter told he can stay in NAMA ghost estate home

Judge throws out trespass case taken against dad of seven
15/10/2011
He was on the housing list for five years and, out of
desperation to find somewhere to call home, eventually
resorted to squatting in one of the thousands of empty
houses in ghost estates littering Ireland.
William Tuohy said last night that the house in Church Hill,
Tullamore, Co Offaly, wasn't his first choice -- but he is
delighted with his new home.And yesterday a judge
allowed him to continue living there when she threw out a
case to force Mr Tuohy from his home.
Squatter told he can stay

in NAMA ghost estate
home
Judge throws out trespass case taken
against dad of seven
Claire O'Brien
PUBLISHED
15/10/2011
William Tuohy in his home at Church Hill, Tullamore, Co Offaly,

yesterday
He was on the housing list for five years and,

out of desperation to find somewhere to call
home, eventually resorted to squatting in
one of the thousands of empty houses in

ghost estates littering Ireland.
William Tuohy said last night that the house in Church
Hill, Tullamore, Co Offaly, wasn't his first choice -- but he
is delighted with his new home.
And yesterday a judge allowed him to continue living there
when she threw out a case to force Mr Tuohy from his
home.
Mr Tuohy (46) had appeared before Tullamore District
Court charged with trespassing in the NAMA house.
But after viewing pictures of the improvements he had
made to the two-storey home, Judge Catherine Staines
dismissed the case, saying there was no evidence that he
had intended to commit an offence.
Mr Tuohy, a separated father of seven who is originally
from Mountmellick, Co Laois, moved into the house four
months ago.
There are around 250 houses in the estate, with a further
20 unfinished. Around 30 of the completed homes are
unoccupied.
Mr Tuohy said he had made the house his own.
Previously in rented accommodation, he had to leave
following a dispute with the landlord, who he says failed to
deal with open sewage flowing in the back garden.
Now his children -- who are aged between eight and 29 -love to visit on the weekend because they can play in the
garden.
"I'm delighted to have somewhere nice for them to come
into. It's lovely to have somewhere where you're not
worrying about what's going on outside," he said.
He said this particular house wasn't his first choice, but he
loved its quiet location at the rear of the housing estate.
"I picked a house at the very front but unfortunately, when
I went to move into it, somebody had broken in and
robbed the tanks out of it and the houses all along that
block," he said yesterday.
He said he was frank with gardai when they visited him.
"I explained straight out what I was doing. I told them I

was claiming squatters' rights using adverse possession to
the property," he said.
Mr Tuohy is unemployed and receives a disability pension
because of depression. He also admits to previous drug
problems. He said he enjoyed doing up the house because
it kept him busy.
Inspect
He said it was "no problem" to get it connected to the ESB
mains after paying a local company 250 to inspect and
confirm the house was wired properly.
There is a gas connection but he cannot afford gas so he
relies on solid fuel for heat.
Michael Duignan Auctioneers was handling the sale of the
properties, which were priced up to 300,000.
Speaking after the judge dismissed the garda prosecution
for trespass, Mr Tuohy, who has been on the housing list
in Tullamore for five years, said he tried all the vacant
properties in the estate until he found one with an open
door.
The house had a fitted cherrywood kitchen and bathroom
and he painted the walls, put down flooring and dealt with
a serious mould problem that developed while the house
was vacant for three years.
There were no electrical appliances so he bought his own
but said much of the furniture had been donated by family
and friends. He said he had paid around 2,000 on the
house and that the money had made it "very habitable".
The case was dismissed because, after seeing photographs
of his new home, the judge said there was no evidence he
"I was kind of surprised when she went with me -- the
guards seemed to have everything wrapped up. As far as I
was concerned it didn't look good.
"She might have put me out of the house but I knew she
was going to be fair with me, maybe give me a month or
six weeks to get a place."
Solicitor John Hughes explained that his client had been
left to his own devices in the house and, as they had

recently learned the name of the owner, who is in NAMA,
Mr Tuohy would like to pay rent and arrears.
He described Church View as "effectively a ghost estate,
part completed, part unoccupied and unfinished, with
around 30 vacant houses".
Mr Tuohy said he planned to stay in the property.
"I just want a place of my own, somewhere to bring my
kids at the end of the week, with no headaches.
"I can't understand why somebody like the council can't
take over these properties and rent them out to people. It's
a shame. There are so many people on the housing list.
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/squatter-told-hecan-stay-in-nama-ghost-estate-home-26782266.html
Man finishes off own house he broke

into on ghost estate
Friday, January 24, 2014
By Dan Danaher
A retired businessman who broke into in his house in a

well-known Killaloe ghost estate last July, is almost ready
to move in permanently.
Fed up of waiting for the completion of the sale of Ard na

Deirge, Killaloe, Co Clare, and the completion of necessary
connections such as water, sewerage and public lighting,
John Ryan Sr decided to try and progress matters himself.
He has been busy tiling the hallway, kitchen and
bathrooms and fitting out the dwelling, which he first
purchased in 2006 and was subsequently locked out of
for over seven years.
Thanks to the provision of the water mains past his house,
the South Tipperary native hopes to have running water
within the next two weeks once a plumber completes
some relatively minor connection works.
This will pave the way for an electrician to connect his
electricity supply from the meter to his house, which will
make it habitable on a permanent basis in late February or
March.
Mr Ryan Sr has also been working on the neighbouring
house, which was purchased by his son, John Ryan Jr, at
the same time as the retired businessman who intended to
fulfil his dream of retiring in Killaloe after running a
hairdressing franchise business in Limerick and his native
Clonmel.
This dream turned into the proverbial nightmare when AIB
and its receiver, KPMG, took over the management of the
ghost estate after the initial builder couldnt get the
finance to complete the estate after experiencing serious
financial difficulties.
It would be a major achievement to make my house
liveable after such a long time.
Once the plumbing and the electricity are connected, I
will be able to move in full time with my wife Breda and
son, John once two bedrooms and two bathrooms are
operational.
It will be much easier to finish off the work needed in
Johns house once I can move into my house. John has the
timber floors picked out for his kitchen already.
I am back and forth to the house carrying out works on a
regular basis and at this stage the security seems to
ignore me I am there so often. Breda and John get security
warnings when they visit the site but I think they have
given up on me, he joked.
John Ryan Sr made local and national headlines last year
when he broke into his house, ignoring security warnings
he was trespassing on private property and risking the
wrath of AIB and its receiver, KPMG.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/man-finishes-offown-house-he-broke-into-on-ghost-estate-256336.html
131 Syrian refugees

arrive in Ireland
from Greece
The Syrian refugees have come from Greece
Some 131 Syrian refugees, including three

unaccompanied children, have arrived in
Ireland from Greece.
The three unaccompanied minors were met
by Tusla, the Child and Family Support
Agency.
In a statement earlier, Tusla said it and the
Department of Children and Youth Affairs
have agreed under the Irish Refugee
Protection Programme that Ireland will
receive 20 separated children under the EU's
resettlement and relocation programmes by
the end of next year.
One child was brought to Ireland in October.
Earlier this week, Tnaiste and Minister for
Justice Frances Fitzgerald confirmed services
will also be offered to up to 200
unaccompanied minors who will go into

foster care, organised by Tusla.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/1216/839381-refugees/
Digicel hires consultants to

help in massive cost-cutting
plan
Denis OBrien-owned companys debt at unsustainably
high levels, says CreditSights
about 11 hours ago
Joe Brennan, Mark Paul
Denis OBrien: Digicel has appointed McKinsey and Goetzpartners as

consultants, as it seeks to cut its debt ratio down from 6.2 times earnings.
Photograph: Reuters
Denis OBriens Digicel Group has started an

unprecedented cost-cutting plan and hired financial
consultants McKinsey and Goetzpartners to help cut its
massive debt burden as the mobile phone group
grapples with declining earnings.
Digicels 6.2 billion debt is at unsustainably high
levels at 6.2 times earnings at the group, Michael
Chakardjian, an analyst with US credit research firm
CreditSights, said at a conference in London this week.
He also said that the companys cost-cutting plan was
ambitious and opaque and that the company faces
near-term refinancing risks.
Digicel said on Friday that it fundamentally disagrees
with the conclusions, and has a positive outlook.
The Irish Times reported on November 30th that
Digicel executives had pitched a plan to investors and
analysts earlier that month to cut its debt ratio to 4.5
times earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and
amortisation (ebitda) by March 2019 as it sees profits
finally rebounding in its next financial year after
investing $2.3 billion (2.2 billion) in its network over
half a decade.
The Bermuda-based company, which operates in 32
markets in the Caribbean and South Pacific regions, is
in the middle of a third year of earnings decline, with
its latest quarterly figures, to the end of September, hit
particularly by currency weakness in several of its
markets against the dollar.
Project Swan
Mr Chakardjian said Digicels cost-cutting plan, known

as Project Swan, includes changing internal process
and structure, such as back office functions and
technology and that management has never sought to
extract savings from these measures before.
Management has presented a plan which, if executed,
would be fantastic. However, we see managements
plans to improve margins as opaque, the analyst said.
By their own admission, the company is trying to do
something they have never done before, for example
with their cost cutting plans, and other items are
somewhat outside their control.
Mr Chakardjian said the groups debt level is so high
that it has no equity cushion and that this gives the
company little wiggle room for poor performance and
there is not an immaterial threat of distress in the
event of poor results in key markets.
He said that CreditSights are positive on the
companys long-term position, but the near-term risks
are increasing, which has led to us having an
increasingly cautious view on the credit.
While Digicel doesnt have large debt maturities until
the end of this decade, it has $291 million of loans
maturing in the year to March 2018.
Weakened
Digicels liquidity position has weakened, which

brings increasing concerns with the companys near-
term refinancing needs,he said.

A spokesman for Digicel said: Digicel fundamentally
disagrees with the conclusions of the report. Digicels
outlook remains positive with robust plans to delever
by monetising our network investment and through
realistic cost management initiatives.
In October last year, Mr OBrien pulled an initial public
offering of Digicel shares, in which the company was
seeking to raise as much as $2 billion to help lower its
debt mountain, expand operations and list on the New
York Stock Exchange. Digicel blamed volatility in
global markets at the time.
The businessman, who founded the group in 2001 in
Jamaica, a year after he received 285 million from the
sale of his shares in mobile phone group Esat Telecom
to British Telecom, said in May that it would be
another 12-18 months before he attempted another
initial public offering.
Earlier this year, it emerged that Mr OBrien had
started to waive a $10 million a quarter cash dividend
in the second half of 2015 and that he had promised
lenders he would not take further payments until
business improved.
http://www.irishtimes.com/business/tech
nology/digicel-hires-consultants-to-helpin-massive-cost-cutting-plan1.2908705#.WFSMtlBoX9E.facebook
You could have him down for 2 days and would not still be cooked.
Launch of the Garda Armed Support Unit

(ASU) Dublin RegionLaunch of the Garda
Armed Support Unit (ASU) Dublin Region
Launch of the Garda Armed Support Unit (ASU) Dublin

Region
On Wednesday 14th December 2016, An Garda Sochna
launched their new Armed Support Unit (ASU) for the
Dublin region. The allocation to duty of ASU, together with
the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) significantly increases
Garda capability in the area of armed response. The highly
trained unit will be used to respond to firearms and critical
type incidents in support of the public and Garda
colleagues. The ASU will also be used in support of
planned operations, such searches and checkpoints to
disrupt feuding organised crime groups under Operation
Hybrid. ASU have been allocated high performance
vehicles and each team member will be issued with
firearms as well as Taser and other Less Lethal capability.
ASU vehicles also carry breeching equipment, a ballistic
shield and a medical bag including defibrillator (all ASU
members are trained as emergency first responders). All
of this equipment will be on display at the launch and will
be available for the media to examine. The launch is the
culmination of an intensive selection process in which over
five hundred and fifty members of An Garda Sochna at
Garda and Sergeant rank applied to join the new unit. Fifty
five members successfully completed a twelve week
training programme and will commenced duty in the
Dublin Metropolitan Region ASU today. They will be based
in Harcourt Square. The ASU forms the second tier of
firearms and tactical capability, sitting underneath the
Emergency Response Unit. Both units have distinct roles,
with ASU providing high visibility patrolling and response
and ERU concentrating on covert and high risk firearms
interventions against both organised crime and terrorist
groups. Both units train together, specifically in scenarios
relating to sieges and other critical incidents.
Commissioner Nirn O'Sullivan & Tnaiste Frances

Fitzgerald at the launch of the Garda Armed Support Unit
(ASU) Dublin Region.
Commissioner Nirn O'Sullivan, Assistant Commissioner

Michael O Sullivan and Chief Superintendent Gerard
Russell

Region
Villagers, Aslan and Panti Bliss Join Apollo

House Occupiers
17 Dec 2016,
On a dramatic day in Dublin, Father Peter McVerry came

to Apollo House to offer advice and a number of high
profile musicians and entertainers joined the fight. While
facilities are also being knocked into shape, and public
support has been remarkable, Home Sweet Home are
appealing for warm clothes as a priority. By Anne Sexton
and Niall Stokes. Video: Eoghain Cooper
Today was another day of dramatic developments in the
occupation of Apollo House on Tara Street. As already
reported on hot press.com, the receivers for NAMA have
served a legal notice on the occupiers saying that they
cannot allow the property to be illegally occupied. But
there have been over far more positive developments too...
The takeover of what is a NAMA owned building, for use

as a refuge for homeless people in Dublin over the
Christmas period, has been spearheaded by the Home
Sweet Home charity, with Glen Hansard among those at
the heart of the action. Others already associated with the
occupation include major figures from the artistic
community like musicians Hozier, Damien Dempsey,
Christy Moore and Liam Maonla; film director Jim
Sheridan; actor John Connors and actress Saoirse Ronan,
for starters.
In an impressive show of solidarity, today a number of
musicians and entertainers added their voices to the
growing support for the action. Christy Moore, Christy
Dignam, Conor OBrien of Villagers and Frances Black, as
well as Panti Bliss, were all here during the day, talking
things through, and seeing what they could do to help,
Glen Hansard told Hot Press. Which reflects the kind of
reaction that we have been getting from the wider
community. The level of public support has been fantastic,
with people bringing food and pillows and blankets. It's
been really heart-warming.
At the moment, people are handing in their donations at
the gate, he adds. That might seem a bit impersonal,
which is not the way wed like it to be. We want to get
things organised where there is an office on the ground
floor, so that people can come in and talk to us about what
were doing and have a cup of tea. But the first thing we
have to do is put a bit of shape on the place. We are
working very hard to get everything organised At first we
couldnt even boil a kettle! We now have running water and
heat, so we are getting there."
The day had begun with one disappointment, with

homeless campaigner Father Peter McVerry quoted
in the Irish Times in a way which seemed highly
critical of the action. Apollo House Occupation 'Not
The Solution' To Homelessness Crisis, the headline
ran. And the report went on to say that Father
McVerry had "told the Irish Times that he would not
be lending his support to the occupation
However, all that has now changed: in a move
which will surely give added impetus to the
occupation, McVerry one of the best known
authorities on homelessness in Ireland visited
Apollo House and assisted the occupiers by offering
valuable advice and support.
We needed that advice, Glen said. We have to be
very practical in the way we go about things and
what Peter had to say was really helpful in that
regard. Were really pleased because it might have
seemed that he was not supporting us, from what
was said in the Irish Times. He is too busy to be
one of the team here, but he has our back now,
which is brilliant and were really grateful for the
advice.
Among the issues which has emerged is that, for
the moment at least, Home From Home wont be
able to take in families not until theres a sufficient

number of Garda approved personnel to take care
of children.
That felt like a set-back this morning, Glen said.
We didnt want to have to turn anyone away. But it
is important that we do things correctly. Were
learning as we go but there is a great spirit and
energy and sense of commitment around the place.
One of the key points which has also emerged is
that Home Sweet Home are adamant that no one
political party should be associated with what is
happening in Apollo House.
Gerry Adams came down and Eoin Broin and
Lynn Boylan. We couldnt let them in. They
understood that this cannot be seen as a political
action or be associated with any one political party.
It is an act of civil disobedience. It is a civil protest.
That is really important to emphasise. Wed love
Simon Coveney, who is the Minister responsible, to
come down and talk to us and lets see where we
can go with this."
The gifts from members of the public have been
flooding in. You see how generous Irish people
are, Glen says. We have loads of food, so no one
is going to go hungry.
But, for anyone thinking of making a donation, it is
worth noting that until refrigerators and freezers are
fully installed, canned and dry food is better than

perishables.
"Warm clothes are also still desperately needed,"
says Quentin Sheridan.
Sheridan, one of the founders of the Home Sweet
Home charity, is a musician who performs under the
name King Kyou. It is one of the fascinating aspects
of this story that, in some instances, the intersection
between music and homelessness is virtually a
seamless one.
Quentin is among those who has experienced the
grim reality of what can happen so easily in Ireland,
in 2016: he found himself homeless after the house
he had rented was repossessed.
We have running water, we have electricity and we
have a few heaters, says Sheridan of Apollo
House. We have basic camping stoves at the
moment and we have had great support from the
public whove brought pots of stews, curries and
coddles. Were getting sandwiches and cakes off
local shops. What we need most, however, is warm
clothing, jumpers, jackets for men and women.
As Glen Hansard emphasised, there are currently
no children in Apollo House. However, according to
Focus Ireland the number of homeless families
increased by over 40 percent since last year and
one in three people in emergency accommodation
is a child. It is an issue that Home Seet Home hope

to get t grips with.
The shelter also has a television and a collection of
films to watch, along with some books. Donations of
these would also be appreciated.
Like Glen Hansard, Sheridan is hugely grateful for
the amount of support the charity and the protestors
has received.
People have been amazing it shocked me, he
admits. "It showed me that people really care.
Theres many a time I sat in a doorway late at night
and wondered if there was a God to allow people to
live this way.
The truth is that it doest have to be so hard. The
takeover of Apollo House has shone a light in that
regard. Long may it shine...
In one of the most dramatic

grass roots political
developments in recent times,
a building in Dublins Tara
Street has been occupied by
activists with the support of a
number of well-known
musicians and artists. Their
objective is to create a refuge
for those who are currently
homeless.
As the sun sets and another cold and possibly
wet night threatens to descend upon Dublin,
something new and very different is

happening in the capital city. Apollo House in
Tara Street, a NAMA-owned building
previously abandoned for six years, has been
occupied by a group of activists, artists,
volunteers and ordinary citizens who are in
the process of creating a refuge for the citys
homeless population.
Hot Press went to the scene of the
occupation and spoke to some of those
involved in what is potentially a gamechanging initiative.
One of the architects of the occupation, Dean
Scurry (pictured with Hot Press' Peter
McGoran), is an activist with the 'Home
Sweet Home' charity. He reveals what had
been happening in the weeks that led up to
last night's events.
"About five weeks ago, a homeless guy
posted a private message on Facebook where
he speculated about the idea," says Dean.
"He said: 'Wouldnt it be great to take one of
these old buildings and occupy it?' Then an
hour later I met that man in the park in
Dublin by St. Patricks Cathedral and we
spoke about it. I asked him, 'Are you sure you
want to do this?' and his response simply,
'What else can we do? Bury more people?'
So we discussed things further and I rang a
few friends. I rang the Irish Housing network
and a bunch of others and we got together
and planned it out. We've met every
Wednesday morning since then and thrashed
out ideas. And then in the last week and a

half we had a meeting every other day and
pulled things together. Last night was
Midnight at the Oasis."
The timing of the occupation initiative
couldn't have been more critical. "Christmas
is 10 days away and people are dying out
there on the streets this winter, Dean says.
What are we going to do? Wait for it to get
wetter and colder? There could be snow in
January. Were not prepared to wait around
for that."
One of the things that activists find most
baffling is that the State owns buildings like
the one that has been occupied in Tara
Street. But rather than using a resource of
this kind, it sits idle, while people sleep in the
streets. The hope is that this initiative can be
a way around the bureaucracies that prevent
things happening.
"Our objective is simple to end
homelessness now, Dean says. In the short
term, we want to get vulnerable, rough
sleepers off the street and into Apollo House,
so they can be taken care of. In the long
term, we want to work on this problem at a
national level. We want the government do
something."
We asked Dean if he has any words for
Ireland's political leaders in Leinster House
a building which is less than a mile away
from the Tara Street occupation. What is
interesting is that, from the activists
perspective, this is not about confrontation.

Instead, what they are doing is shaped as
part of a national conversation one in which
every stakeholder should be entitled to have
a say. And that crucially includes those who
are homeless.
"I'd invite politicians to come down for a
conversation, Dean says, and to see what
we're doing here. If we have to negotiate with
them then well negotiate. But if they're not
engaging with us thats a different thing.
High profile figures such as Glen Hansard,
Hozier and Saoirse Ronan have thrown their
weight behind the occupation. Dean explains
how this came about.
Glens a good mate, he says, so I gave
him a shout. Then it just so happened that
the artists we reached out to wanted to get
involved with us. We had Jim Sheridan,
Kodaline, Mattress Mick, Saoirse Ronan, Panti
Bliss. We didnt seek out these people: a lot
of them heard what we were doing and
offered their support.
Their involvement should help to ensure that
the national conversation on homelessness
reaches and involves a far greater number
of people. Dean emphasises that this
conversation is one that desperately needs to
take place.
We have to assess what we really want for
our most vulnerable, he observes. How we
treat the most vulnerable in our society
matters. Are we going to act like a beacon for
the most oppressed in our society or are we

just going to talk about it?"
The question now for the Government is: are
you listening?
We Are Home Sweet

Home
December 18, 16
https://vimeo.com/19611
3734
16 December 2016
FINE GAEL NEUTRAL ON IRELANDS NEUTRALITY please share!
In spite of all the obvious evidence that the EU project is falling
apart at the seams the UK pulling out, major opposition building in
France, Italy and even in Ireland its supporters and apologists
always return to one very basic argument as to why it needs to be

maintained: the EU has given us an unprecedented period of peace
in Europe (to those people, the horror in the Balkans after the breakup of Yugoslavia was over there somewhere).
That the early decades and the early manifestations of what is now
the EU did in fact aid the peace process in Europe can indeed be
argued. What has been happening since Nice, however, and since
Lisbon, and in particular since the launch of the euro, I believe is
reversing all those gains and were not just in danger now of
reverting to the Europe of the 1930s, and the catastrophe that
followed, were already well down that road.
While I agree that we need a Europe in which we can all have
common values, common aspirations, a common market, a Europe
of peace, harmony and of mutual respect, I believe weve gone too
far. We need less EU, not more.
This week in the Plenary session of the European Parliament in
Strasbourg we had a debate and a vote on the Implementation of
the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the EU.
For me, this is the latest but also the greatest manifestation of just
how off-track this EU has gone. When I see the above softly-titled
topic, what I read is The formation of an EU army. Period. And that
is where I definitely want to get off this EU train.
I voted against the proposals, gave my reasons in the one minute I
had to explain my vote; I have also included here for contrast the
one minute explanation given by Fine Gael MEP Sen Kelly, who
spoke also on behalf of the other three Fine Gael MEPs (Deirdre
Clune, Brian Hayes and Mairead McGuinness).
Watch the video, see what you think, ask yourself who best
represents your interests out here.
https://www.facebook.co
m/DSNsaysno/
Banks are repossessing more than four
family homes every day
12/12/2016
More than four family homes are being repossessed every

day, stark figures from the Central Bank have revealed.
Figures covering three months to the end of September
showed 421 struggling homeowners either volunteered or
were forced to hand over the keys to the properties.
On top of that, another 288 houses or apartments owned by
landlords were taken by banks and finance houses.
The latest report on the mortgage arrears crisis from the

Central Bank showed the level of repossessions is about the
same as it was at the start of the year with more than four
homes on average being taken from borrowers every day.
The Central Bank said 34,551 mortgages on family homes

were behind with repayments by two years or more but this
number has been dropping consistently since the middle of
last year.
There is almost 2.2bn of arrears on these loans, the report
stated.
Another 14,518 properties which are in the buy-to-let sector
are also more than two years behind in repayments with more
than 1.5bn of unpaid arrears.
Data from the past six years showed the banks have
repossessed more than 7,500 homes and apartments from the
year before they were bailed out in 2010 until the end of
September this year.
The Central Bank also revealed that "non-bank entities" now
control 45,638 mortgages in Ireland and almost 15,000 of
those are held by unregulated loan owners such as foreign
vulture funds.
Kenny 'appalled' at 3m golden handshake

for ex-AIB boss
19/04/2011
The Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said he, like the rest of
the country, is absolutely appalled at a multi-million
euro "golden handshake" payment to the former Chief
Executive at Allied Irish Banks.
It emerged earlier that Colm Doherty received more
than 3m when he was forced out of the job last
November as part of the second bailout of AIB.
The current Government has said it is powerless to do
anything about the payment as it was made last
November.
The Finance Minister Michael Noonan said he cannot
guarantee that anyone else leaving the State-covered
banks will not be entitled to massive payments also.
The Taoiseach said there are questions to be answered
about the payment and other banking issues that
need to be uncovered by an Oireachtas inquiry, but
the Constitution needs to be changed to allow this.
Mr Kenny said: "I have no intention of going down a
road where this Oireachtas is going to be laughed
literally out of court in attempting to pursue
something that it cannot do because of the
inadequacy of its powers."
AIB posts annual
pre-tax profits of
1.9 billion
Updated / March 3, 2016
AIB has reported higher pre-tax profits for

last year as it clawed back more money put
aside for bad loans, cut costs and made a
better margin on increased new lending.
The bank reported a pre-tax profit of 1.9bn
for last year, an increase of 72% on the
previous year.
The 2015 profit figure includes a write-back
of 925m that had previously been set aside
for impairments.
This compares to a net write-back of 185m
the previous year and AIB said the increase
reflected the improving economic conditions
and progress on debt restructuring.
The bank said the level of impaired loans on
its books stood at 13.1bn by the end of the
year, a decrease of 9.1bn on the 2014
figure.
AIB said it was still working hard to secure
satisfactory outcomes for its customers who
are in arrears.
"We expect to maintain this momentum for
the year ahead by which time the quantum of
impaired loans will reduce to more
normalised levels," the bank said.
AIB also added it is cooperating with the
Central Bank's industry-wide examination

regarding tracker mortgages.
It said it had identified areas where redress is
relevant and "will work through the various
steps associated with this review to ensure
we deliver the right customer outcomes".
AIB has provided 105m relating to the

refund of interest and other compensation
amounts for customers.
In today's results statement, AIB said its
operating costs had also fallen in 2015, while
new lending was up 49%.
The bank said it saw 14.4bn in new lending
approvals during the year, while its total
operating income rose by 4% to 2.5bn.
Lending drawdowns grew by 49% to 8.7bn
and AIB said that business lending accounted
for 55% of new lending with demand across a
broad range of sectors.
Irish mortgage lending rose by 32%, while
personal loans rose by 40%. In its UK

business, drawdowns were up 60%.
The bank said its customer deposits
remained stable at 63.4bn last year, down
0.6bn on 2014.
Shares in the bank closed down 6.82%in
Dublin trade today.
"There can be no doubt that the group's
financial performance has confirmed our
transition from a work-in-progress to a fullyfunctioning sustainable well-capitalised
bank," commented AIB's chief executive
Bernard Byrne.
He said the bank is now well positioned to

enable the State to recover its full investment
of 20.8bn.
"Our strong profitability, significant increased

lending, material reductions in impaired
loans, normalised capital structure and
significant payments to the State made 2015
a milestone year for AIB," Mr Byrne added.
AIB returned 1.7bn of capital to the State at
the end of the year following the partial
redemption of the 2009 preference shares.
It also saw a share-consolidation process
which resulted in a reduction in the number
of ordinary shares in issue to 2.7 billion from
523.4 billion.
Its chairman, Richard Pym, said that
returning in full the State's investment of
20.8bn over time is a "key ambition" of the
bank.
Looking ahead, AIB said that the bank - and
the country - are facing a number of macro
uncertainties.
It said the prospect of an exit by Britain from
the EU is "fraught" with economic uncertainty
and the full impact cannot be predicted.
Global economic uncertainty and geopolitical
risk may also increase volatility.
"On the domestic front, the subdued yet very
competitive mortgage market represents a
challenge to us, as does the prevailing low
interest rate environment," it added.
Meanwhile, the AIB boss said that the bank's
potential return to the stock market later this
year could be affected if Britain decides to
leave the European Union in a referendum in
June.
The bank said today it has made contingency

plans for a Brexit.
Leader with long-term

vision will reap benefits
as we look to future and
remember past
Bertie Ahern
PUBLISHED
17/12/2016
1
Fianna Fil leader Michel Martin and Taoiseach Enda Kenny at
an event together last Christmas. Photo: Maxpix
Rebellion was always going to be in the air in

the centenary of the Rising. It is fair to say
that 2016 has been a year like no other. The

irrational and improbable seemed to win out every time
they came up against convention. And so Enda Kenny
became the first Fine Gael leader in history to return as
Taoiseach in back-to-back elections. Even if it took the
unprecedented support of Fianna Fil to get him over the
line.
Continuing in the 'strange but true' vein, England voted to
turn on its heels and set its face against Europe, rocking
the institution to its foundations and leaving massive
question marks over the Border, travel and trade.
Eircode advert, Standards must be

upheld by all
LIKE Irish Water, Eircode was thrust upon an unsuspecting

Irish public with great fanfare, promising much but
creating more heat than light.
In July of last year, every home in the country was given a

seven-digit code that was supposed to make exact
locations easier to find.
By the end of 2015, neither the garda, the National
Ambulance Service, nor the countrys fire services were
using the 38m navigation system. One senior fire officer
described it as worse than useless. Many state agencies
still dont use it and many private delivery services use
their own codes for street and area addresses.
Instead of refining the system or revising it altogether,
Eircode launched a broadcast advertising campaign
extolling its virtues and suggesting, in a chilling manner,
that those in need of emergency assistance need to know

their postcode when calling an ambulance.
That misleading campaign breached four elements of the
Broadcasting Authority of Irelands code of practice. But,
as our report today reveals, there is nothing the BAI can
do about it as public service broadcasts are exempt from
it.
There is no reason why they should be exempt. In fact,
public service broadcasts should be exemplary in terms of
fairness and accuracy and set the standard for private
advertisers. Otherwise, all public service broadcasts are
suspect.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/viewpoints/ourview/eircode-advertstandards-must-be-upheld-by-all-435812.html?
utm_source=link&utm_medium=click&utm_campaign=nextandprev
Act of highly organised civil

disobedience and humanity
Joyce Fegan
The occupation of Apollo House highlights the

homelessness problem in Dublin. Picture: Bryan Meade
Well give you a hand, answered the volunteers.
No, youre all right, me fellas in the car and I have the
kids, as well, she replied. And with that, her two young
children began carrying loaves of bread, cash-and-carrysized boxes of tea bags, and packets of teacakes into
Apollo House.
They bought them with their birthday money, her fella
said, as the face-painted children handed over loaves of
bread to the waiting volunteers.
This family were but some of the many Irish citizens who
have donated food, clothing, and supplies to the new
residents of Apollo House, since news broke about the
homelessness initiative, last Friday.
The takeover of a vacant building in the capital, to house
the homeless, was organised by the Irish Housing Network
and various trade unionists, but under the name Home
Sweet Home.
Home Sweet Home has been so inundated with donations
that they issued a statement, last night, saying they were
ceasing taking any more, for now.
However, anyone wishing to donate a bed is to contact
them through their Home Sweet Home Facebook page.
At the time of writing, the initiative had raised 80,000 on
a GoFundMe page and its petition to government had
nearly 20,000 signatures.

volunteers at Apollo House. Picture: Home Sweet Home
Plumbers, electricians, and carpenters have all donated
their time to ensure that the building, which is now home
to 15 people and their families, was habitable, and,

yesterday, the heating in the entire premises was turned
on.
This highly organised act of civil disobedience has been
months in the planning.
Michelle Connolly, one of the high-vis-wearing and walkietalkie-carrying volunteers, told the Irish Examiner that
there was a rota in place for professionals who want to
lend their skills and do a shift.
We could do with support workers, so anyone who has
any kind of background in social care [is needed]. We want
to provide the best possible standard of care to the people
who are in here, Ms Connolly said.
Joe Dunne, who works in construction, was one of the
many van drivers in a queue yesterday afternoon,
dropping off goods.
I was cleaning out apartments and decided to donate
fridges and washing machines. What theyre doing is
illegal, but its a matter of social justice and sometimes
the law doesnt necessarily mean justice, he said.
d/act-of-highly-organised-civildisobedience-and-humanity435818.html
Homeless families eye

other empty offices
Wayne O'Connor
PUBLISHED
18/12/2016
1
MOVEMENT: Liam O Maonlai. Photo: Arthur Carron
Activists who have taken over a vacant

building in Dublin city centre have said they
are considering taking up residency in other
properties held by Nama - despite being
served with a legal notice to leave the site.
Five homeless families have been staying in Apollo House
on Tara Street since Thursday when the activists gained
access to the building.
An organised community has since been established at the
site, with bedrooms being set up with mattresses in empty
offices with running water and electricity.
The movement has received widespread support from
entertainers and politicians, including Glen Hansard, Jim
Sheridan, Hozier and the Rubberbandits. Liam O Maonlai
from Hothouse Flowers was at the site on Thursday night
when the building was occupied by Home Sweet Home.
"It is an empty building that is not being used and people
need it," he said.

"There is a screaming human need, it is in our faces. Our
fellow human beings are all over the place freezing at night
and most of us cannot even begin to imagine what that
must be like."
Solicitors representing the building's receivers wrote to the
group occupying the building on Friday night to say they
could not allow it to remain "unlawfully occupied by
trespassers".
O Maonlai said he was unhappy that legal letters were
being used to obstruct the resolution of the homelessness
crisis. "The idea that someone could be shaking their fist
and going through the usual divisive legal avenues to try
and make that difficult [is a shame]. This is something the
whole country could get behind.
"It [homelessness] is a crisis, a disaster and a cause of
national shame."
Those who are staying at the site insist they are not
harming the building and would consider occupying other
buildings held by the receiver, Mazars.
Gardai visited the site on Thursday night but were happy
that no damage was being caused and the facility was safe.
Quentin Sheridan (40) from Dublin has been homeless for
28 years. He has stayed in Apollo House since Thursday
night.
He insisted that nobody broke into the building and no
damage had been caused.
"We did nothing illegal to get in to the building. I cannot
say how we got in but it was not a break-in.
"The main rule we have is that people don't bring anything
in terms of drugs or drink into the premises because the
last thing we want is someone putting their life in danger
or someone else's life in danger."
The protesters said they had Dublin Fire Brigade inspect
the premises and it was deemed safe for people to sleep in.
Rules and systems have been put in place and a team of
plumbers and maintenance workers have carried out work
in recent days. "We have had doctors in already. Nurses,
psychiatrists and counsellors were in the facility getting

involved and they are making sure the people who need
that kind of help are getting that help," Sheridan said.
A recent count of rough sleepers found that there were 142
people sleeping on Dublin's streets.
The Department of Housing said there were enough beds
being provided to meet the needs of people sleeping rough
if they chose to avail of the services.
The number of new beds available for rough sleepers is
210 but Quentin Sheridan said some homeless people had
concerns about personal security when using such
facilities.
"It is a relief for myself because I know I have my own
little room. I am not in a dormitory so when I take my
shoes off I know I don't have to check where they are every
five minutes. I can sleep comfortably.
"I don't have to be worried about getting beaten up or
bullied for my dole money."
People were arriving yesterday showing support by
bringing clothes, food, toiletries and cleaning supplies to
the building.
O Maonlai said it was important people continued to show
their support.
"The night the mattresses arrived was very exciting. To see
them come out of the truck and the gate being opened, it
was like a victory for human beings and human kindness,"
he said.
http://www.independent.ie/irishnews/news/homeless-families-eyeother-empty-offices35302564.html#comments
They haven't mentioned #Alan in the list but they also
support #HomeSweetHome.....
Activists who have taken over a vacant building in Dublin
city centre have said they are considering taking up
residency in other #propertiesheldbyNama - despite being
served with a legal notice to leave the site.

Five homeless families have been staying in Apollo House
on Tara Street since Thursday when the activists gained
access to the building.
An organised community has since been established at
the site, with bedrooms being set up with mattresses in
empty offices with running water and electricity.
The movement has #receivedwidespreadsupportfrom
#entertainers and #politicians, including #GlenHansard,
#JimSheridan, #Hozier and the #Rubberbandits.
#LiamOMaonlai from #HothouseFlowers was at the site on
Thursday night when the building was occupied by Home
Sweet Home.
I applaud each one of them
Trade unionist Ogle to launch news website |

BusinessPost.ie
Ogle said plans are afoot to launch a national movement in 2017
BUSINESSPOST.IE|BY HUGH O'CONNELL
Taoiseach Enda Kenny

tells our homeless: You're
not alone
Mr Kenny spent last Thursday night walking
the streets of Dublin to meet the men and
women forced to sleep rough
S
111SHARES
BYALANA FEARON
18:24, 10 DEC 2014
Enda Kenny has sent an emotional message of

support to homeless people, assuring them: You are
not alone.
The Taoiseach spent last Thursday night walking the
streets of Dublin to meet the men and women forced
to sleep rough in the cold and wet.
And speaking about the experience in the wake of
homeless man Jonathan Corries tragic death
in a doorway opposite the Dail, the Fine Gael leader
admitted it had been deeply sobering.
He revealed: The reality is there are hundreds of men
and women sleeping rough on our streets because of
the disintegration of their interior life. Caused and
medicated by an addiction to drugs or gambling or
alcohol.
Theyre sleeping in the wet and cold because of the
breakdown of their lives. Or caused by the break-up of
a marriage or a family.
Theyre the blue dots on our streets, because of

depression, or more serious disturbances, in the
mental wellbeing. So finely balanced, and yet that so
many of us take so much for granted.
They huddle in doorways, in the eye of CCTV, because
theyre just out of prison, or the care of the state. And
too often, with nowhere to go.
Mr Kenny added: Or maybe theyre just emotionally or
psychologically fragile. Their glue to reality, or to
normality, removed by the death of a sibling, a parent.
Or perhaps theyre paralysed by disappointment. That,
because of what they did, or what was done to them,
life did not turn out as they had dreamt or imagined.
As Taoiseach, I am deeply concerned about that
loneliness haunts so many lives.
The Taoiseach also thanked Dublin Lord Mayor Christy
Burke and his team of volunteers who work tirelessly to
help those with no home.
He also stressed that new measures introduced by the
government will go a long way to giving people a roof
over their heads.
He added: The causes of the homelessness we
address today are myriad and complex and for our
part, Ministers Kelly and Coffey will be doing all they
can with new and major co-operation across the
departments of social protection, health, children,
finance, justice, education and the environment.
We are now spending over 50 million a year on
homelessness. We all have a responsibility that our
resources and our work are coordinated in the best
possible way and this is why part of the 20-point plan
agreed by Government on Tuesday is to review the
homeless sector, service delivery and coordination

arrangements early next year.
Mr Kenny also described how soul-destroying it is for
people in emergency accommodation and said they
were grieving for the privacy, the dignity, the sanctity
of their family life.
He revealed: I believe our homeless crisis is a kind of
autopsy, of our national life, our priorities.
Even when the Cetic Tiger was deafening, men and
women were living and dying on our streets.
Mr Jonathan Corrie died on the Dails and the nations
doorstep just a few days ago but his death and the
manner of it does not make Mr Corrie or his story
public property.
He was clearly a man of intelligence, depth and insight,
he was also a man of great dignity and I believe we best
honour Mr Corrie by acting once and for all on the
issue of homelessness.
Environment Minister Alan Kelly
The Government has unveiled a 25million plan to

tackle homelessness, including a new cafe which will
stay open all night.
Environment Minister Alan Kelly detailed 20
measures in a bid to offer a bed to every rough sleeper
before Christmas.
As revealed in this paper, 260 beds will be opened. Under
the plan, a Nite Cafe will be established to provide a
contact point for homeless people who do not want to be
placed in emergency accommodation. It will provide food,
rest area and showers and be open 24 hours a day, seven
days a week.
The Government has also accepted the proposals of Lord
Mayor Christy Burke to provide a transport service to bring
people to emergency accommodation.
Mr Kelly said: I made a commitment that every homeless
person in Dublin who needs a bed or emergency
accommodation will have one before Christmas but if they
choose otherwise, the new Nite Cafe will be available. This
plan delivers on that commitment.
Jonathan Corrie's heartbroken family, former partner

Catherine McNeill with his son Nathan (16) & Natasha (14)
visit the scene where he froze to death in Dublin
The minister said he will meet with banks and Government

departments to free up buy-to-let properties and those in
receivership. He said a review was under way into setting
up the Homeless Freephone service and said that should
be complete today.
The Government was forced to take action after the death
of Jonathan Corrie, who died metres away from Leinster
House.
Pat Doyle, CEO of the Peter McVerry Trust, welcomed the
measures. He said: The package of measures confirmed
by Minister Kelly today will ensure that those in need of
assistance will receive it.
Bob Jordan, chief executive of Threshold, said the
commitment of additional funding for frontline services
was particularly welcome.
But he added long-term ambitions were now needed to
deal with the problems.
Dangerous' bogeyman
Brendan Ogle on a long
leash
ESB union chief has kept the blackout
until after the Troika's exit, writes Jody
Corcoran
Jody Corcoran
EMAIL
PUBLISHED
01/12/2013
1
PLANNING TO TURN OFF THE LIGHTS: ESB group of unions'
secretary Brendan Ogle
THE real question is: what sort of

underwear does Brendan Ogle wear? Dolce
& Gabbana is out, obviously, as the
underwear of the capitalist pig. The ESB
group of unions' secretary was wearing blue
jeans the night he addressed the people at
an Eirigi conference, one of whom felt it was
a good idea to throw red paint on Mary
Harney, the then Minister for Health. For
that, she was convicted not Harney, but an
Eirigi councillor.
S
Levi jeans are also out, apparently, even though Levi is the
apparel of the working man. These were the concerns
going through Brendan Ogle's head the day he drove
around a woman from Cuba, over here to commemorate
the Bay of Pigs.
The people of Cuba: "They don't have big cars, they don't
have houses with two or three acres of landscaped gardens
around them, they don't wear Levi jeans and Dolce &
Gabbana underpants at least the ones that I met!"
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/a
nalysis/dangerous-bogeymanbrendan-ogle-on-a-long-leash29798888.html
SimonCoveneyamong
ministerslistedaslandlords
OthersareMinisterforForeignAffairs
CharlieFlanaganandMinisterfor
AgricultureMichaelCreed
MinisterforHousingSimonCoveneyisone
offiveFineGaelministersofthe14whosit
atcabinetwholistedthemselvesaslandlords
intheDilsregisterofmembersinterests
for2015.
Others are Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie
Flanagan and Minister for Agriculture
Michael Creed
If TDs being landlords, hiking up rents making people
homeless is not a conflict of interests then what is, its a
disgrace and a joke, no member of Dail or their immediate
family should be a landlord, and anyone running in
elections should not be allowed if they are landlords
The game is rigged! Making and voting on policies that suit their big
fat pockets just fine, conflict of interest? surely not? they wouldn't
do a thing like that now would they. Corrupt BASTARDS!

May 17, 2016

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.
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.

eight properties.


Ehrlichs company controls 2,087 homes in the country, mostly
in Dublin where rents are peaking.
and in some parts of the capital it has reached beyond 2,000
a month.
Mr Ehrlich said there was only one answer to

controlling the market. The solution is more
supply.
We look forward to what proposals come from
the new Housing Minister.
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.
Our investors want steady, consistent returns.

A market showing increases such as these is
fine, but we want consistency.
We do not want peaks and troughs, we want
sustainability, and the market is touching the
limits of sustainability at present, he said.
The building industry has stated the cost of and regulation of
construction needs to be reduced for more homes to be built.
apartments, mostly entire apartment blocks from banks and
Nama.
apartment in Killarney, Kerry, houses in Kenmare, Castleisland
and Killarney, and student accommodation in Limerick.
Clara, Co Offaly.
shareholder in a company that owns an office block and which
is leased to a tenant.
properties: Money invested in three addresses in Macroom,
Co Cork.
Citywest in Dublin.

Limerick.
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.
Road, Dublin 4.
Dublin.
inDublin.
out in Wicklow.
Provided by Irish Independent Leo Varadkar Photo: Damien Eagers
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, social protection
minister Leo Varadkar has 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.
Read also: 'Landlords can't just chage whatever
they like anymore' - says student on rent caps
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.
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.
Read also: THe biggest concern among renters?
Not being able to afford upcoming rent increases
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.
http://irelandtodaynews.
com/index.php/housingminister-simon-coveneyis-a-landlord/
Minister Coveney Launches Pillar 2
under Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan
for Housing and Homelessness
New up-front Part V funding to be provided from next year 140M
New Repair & Leasing Scheme - 6m to kick-start in 2017 140M to 2021
New Buy and Renew initiative - 25m in 2017 rising up to
50m in 2018
13m additional funding for extra 750 voids 2,000 to be
delivered this year
On site 2016; 117 separate build projects delivering 1,600 units; this
includes 76 separate LA projects delivering 920 units, & 41 separate
Approved Housing Body (AHB) build projects delivering 680 units .
Mr. Simon Coveney T.D., Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and
Local Government, today (6 October) outlined the details of Pillar 2
Accelerate Social Housing under Rebuilding Ireland an Action Plan for
Housing and Homelessness. The Action Plan was launched on 19 July and
today the Minister will outline the detail and progress on Pillar 2 since the
launch. Minister Coveney was joined by Ministers of State, Damien English
and Catherine Byrne at Charlemont Street where Dublin City Council is
engaged in a major Private Public Partnership (PPP) scheme which will
supply homes for families on the housing waiting list. Earlier on he had
visited an award winning social housing scheme on Maxwell Road,
Rathmines.
Rebuilding Ireland sets ambitious targets to double the annual level of
residential construction to 25,000 homes and deliver 47,000 units of social
housing in the period to 2021, while at the same time making the best use
of the existing housing stock and laying the foundations for a more vibrant
and responsive private rented sector
There has been much commentary around the fact that last year
Local Authorities only built 75 homes, even though we provided
accommodation for 13,000 families through all the delivery
programmes. We will increase on that this year as we roll out the
Action Plan and we will deliver homes for families on the waiting
lists. Local Authorities have recruited 500 necessary staff and they
now have a pipeline of projects that will be delivered as quickly as
possible. Since May I have approved projects with a value of 150m,
which will see 800 homes delivered. In 2017 local authorities &
approved housing bodies will provide 5,050 homes through building,
buying & leasing. This will be a major kick start to the delivery of
47,000 social homes at a cost of 5.35 billion by the end of 2021
which is a key priority for me, said Minister Coveney.
Some 47,000 social housing units delivered by 2021, supported by investment
of 5.35 billion
Accelerated Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) delivery [12,000 in
2016 and 15,000 in 2017]
Mixed-tenure developments on State lands and other lands
Establishment of a dedicated Housing Delivery Office and Housing
Procurement Unit
Extensive supports for Local Authorities and Approved Housing Bodies
e.g. AHB Innovation Fund
Streamlined approval processes (e.g. Part 8 planning)
Housing for specific groups: meeting the needs of the vulnerable.
Increased target for Housing Adaptation Grants drawdown [increasing from
8,000 in 2016 to 10,000 in 2017]
Pilots to support innovative design and housing solutions for older people
Extending National Housing Strategy for People with Disabilities beyond
its 2016 timeframe out to 2020
If we are to achieve two of the core objectives of the Action Plan
increasing supply to a minimum of 25,000 homes per annum and
providing the 47,000 social homes committed to we must speed up the
mechanism and processes that lead to housing delivery. I have outlined
today details of some of the new mechanisms which will assist in the early
delivery of homes for families on local authority waiting lists. We need to
change our mindsets and think outside the box when it comes to
delivering homes. I have also recently published outline legislation to
speed up the planning process.
Earlier today I visited an award winning social housing scheme on
Maxwell Road off the Rathmines Road. This scheme is a great
advertisement of how we can integrate social and private housing. But its
not just integration that we should be concerned with. We need to future
proof our social housing schemes for all eventualities and this should
include family types, elderly people and people with disabilities. Officials in
my Department are examining how we might better deal with these
matters in larger social housing schemes, ended Minister Coveney.
The Plan is ultimately focussed on delivering more homes for the people who
need them. It includes over 80 separate actions structured under five main
Pillars of concerted actions right across Government.
- Address Homelessness,
- Accelerate Social Housing,
- Build More Homes,
- Improve the Rental sector, and
- Utilise Existing Housing.

The plan is available on www.rebuildingireland.ie & www.housing.gov.ie
ENDS
#RebuildingIreland @RebuildingIrl www.rebuidingireland.ie
Note for Editors
BUY AND RENEWAL INITIATIVE
Minister Coveney is introducing a new funding scheme to support Councils

and approved housing bodies (AHBs) to purchase and renew housing units in
need of remediation, and make them available for social housing use.
There is real potential for Councils to buy houses and suitable premises in
cities/towns where there is a need for social housing, to remediate them and
make them available to those on the waiting list. Similarly, approved housing
bodies may have an interest in this, particularly where they are seeking town
centre locations for specific housing needs.
There is real challenge in this work: renewing vacant and derelict premises
can be difficult and costly. Councils also target the provision of social housing
where it is needed and will always have regard to sustaining a good mixed
tenure within communities.
While recognising these challenges, there is also great opportunity in this
initiative. It can be part of the response that Councils make in tackling

dereliction and improving streetscapes in urban areas/towns.
Councils and AHBs have been buying second hand housing in recent times to
get early delivery of new social housing units. This new initiative will allow
them to focus on an area of acquisitions that avoids direct competition with
private purchasers for good quality housing stock. It also taps into a potential
supply of housing that may be sitting vacant.
This Buy and Renewal Initiative will also be complementary to the new
Repair & Leasing Initiative that the Minister announced in Rebuilding Ireland.
It will mean that Councils and AHBs can approach owners of vacant, privatelyowned houses in need of repair/remediation, with the option to either
lease/repair the housing unit, or to buy and repair/remediate the unit.
Louth County Council is already providing a good example of this work:
theyre acquiring premises in Dundalk and Drogheda that are in need of
repair/remediation and making them available for social housing.
The Minister will make an initial 25 million available for this initiative in 2017
and proposes to increase this to as much as 50 million in 2018.
Repair and Leasing Scheme
The scheme will bring vacant and unused houses back into use by providing
funding to repair them and make them available as new homes for families on
local authority waiting lists.
The new scheme will operate initially in Waterford and Carlow local authorities
and will be made available in other local authority areas over the course of the
next 6 months.
Approved Housing Bodies proven record in managing the refurbishment of
properties, delivering social housing and being good landlords puts them in an
excellent position to play a key role in the success of the scheme. Respond!
And Focus Ireland will work together with Waterford and Carlow local
authorities to manage the scheme in those areas. As the scheme is rolled out
in other local authority areas, AHBs around the country will be funded to
deliver new social houses this way.
The scheme is targeted at owners of vacant houses who cannot afford, or

access the money, required to bring them up to the standard for rental
property. Subject to the suitability of the property for social housing, and the
agreement of the property owner, the cost of the necessary repairs will be met
upfront by the local authority or approved housing body. In return, the property
owner will sign-up to a lease arrangement for a length that is linked to the
value of the repairs but is a minimum of ten years. The value of the repairs will
then be offset incrementally against the agreed rental income over a defined
period within the lease.
A property owner can either choose to arrange a contractor to carry out the
repairs themselves, or the local authority or approved housing body can
arrange this instead. Property owners will not be required to take on landlord
responsibilities and the local authority or AHB will have ongoing management
and maintenance responsibilities.
The benefits of the scheme to a property owner will be:
upfront financing for the cost of repairs;
guaranteed rent;
avoidance of loss of rent during vacant periods;
no day to day responsibilities for managing the tenancy or collecting rent; no
advertising costs or vacant periods.
Eligibility for the scheme will be determined by the relevant local authority
having regard to the location and suitability of the property for social housing
and also the extent of repairs that might be required. The Minister has made
140m available over the course of the next five years. It is anticipated that at
least 3,500 vacant houses can be brought back into productive use between
now and 2021. 6m has been provided to fund the scheme in 2017. Early
indications are that in excess of 150 new houses can be made available for
social housing through the scheme in 2017.
Up-front provision of funding for Part V commitments
In the interest of making homes more affordable, a reduction in development
costs is of key interest to this Government. In addition we are mindful of the
need for incentives to help move forward stagnated development. To help
address these items we are currently developing a scheme where
developments can benefit from the up-front payment for Part V units which
are normally paid for on completion. It is anticipated that the scheme will be in
place by the end of this year. A budget of 140m has been allocated for Part V
acquisitions over the initial period of the scheme to the end of 2018. There are
a number of potential positive outcomes to
this proposal including a substantial reduction in the funding cost of a project
and the ultimate cost to the purchaser, achieving more positive engagement
with Part V along with the potential to stimulate construction activity.
Press Office,
Room 1.52, Custom House, Dublin 1,

D01 W6X0
Tel: 8882638
Email: press@housing.gov.ie Twitter: @HousingPress
of the main commitments under Pillar 2:
http://rebuildingireland.ie/Rebuilding%20Ireland_Action%20Plan.pdf
Latest: Housing Minister to re-examine rent

certainty legislation overnight
Latest: Simon Coveney 'anxious to correct'
drafting error in ...
15/12/2016 -
The Dil will try again on Friday to pass legislation to put rent
certainty in place before the New Year.
Last night a problem emerged when an error was noticed in
the legislation that would have resulted in rent rises of 8% in
the pressure zones of Dublin and Cork rather than the
intended 4%.
Housing Minister Simon Coveney moved quickly to move an
amendment to ensure the issue was fixed.
However, after further concern was raised by Opposition TDs,

he promised to look again at the legislation overnight.
"If it's helpful to the House, we will look at the wording that we
have, and make sure that it is doing what we want it to do, for
the morning," he said.
"We did put the amendment in place this evening when it was
raised by Opposition spokespeople, I'm happy to look at that
again overnight to make sure that it's right, given the issues
that people have raised - I've no issue with that."
Follow
Jan O'Sullivan
My amendment to Simon Coveney's amendment to his

own amendment to his own bill submitted once more
tonight. This is a farce.
#
12:03 AM - 16 Dec 2016
Update 10.20pm: Housing Minister Simon Coveney has

tonight moved to correct a drafting error in his legislation to
impose rent caps.
The error was exposed by Sinn Fin and Fianna Fil and
would have seen the 4% in the Dublin and Cork pressure
zones doubled to 8% at the end of the two-year freeze.
Simon Coveney has now put forward an amendment to correct
the error, but opposition TDs say he may have made it worse.
The housing minister says he never wanted to see any tenant
subjected to more than a 4% rise.
"If you haven't had a rent review for two years, there is the
potential for the first time you get a review in a rent pressure
zone, a higher-than-4% figure, because if it's 4% per annum,
you haven't had a rent review for two years, then it could be an
8% increase," he said.
"And that, of course, was never the intention, and so this is a
drafting error that I'm anxious to correct."
Earlier
A deal has been reached over the Government's plans for rent
caps, which will see the 4% limit for rent increases remain in
place.
The so-called rent "pressure zones" where the cap looks set to
be extended to include Limerick, Galway and Waterford cities
in the new year, as well as towns in Louth, Meath, Kildare and
Wicklow, under a compromise deal reached with Fianna Fil.
The Dil debate on the measures was postponed for almost
five hours while the agreement was reached, following rows,
crises and the possibility of a vacuum leaving renters open to
any hike in the new year.
The legislation will not automatically extend the rent pressure
zones beyond Cork and Dublin - but minister Simon Coveney
is committing to look at other cities and towns in the Dublin
commuter belt early in the new year.
People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said the 4% cap
was far too high.
In the Dil he said: "You are doing nothing except pandering to
the insatiable greed of landlords, of vulture funds and property
speculators, and care nothing about the tens of thousands of
people who literally fear for the roof over their head."
He also called it a "dity deal between Fianna Fil and Fine
Gael".
A debate on the legislation will continue until 10pm tonight and
is likely to continue tomorrow afternoon.
Chair of housing charity Threshold, Aideen Hayden, said a

rent certainty model is needed.
"We have been arguing for a long time for a rent certainty
model in Ireland," she said, "in other words that people have
some idea what's going to happen (with prices) over the next
number of years."
A Sinn Fin TD says the way the government has drafted the
rent legislation would result in an 8% for renters in year one,
rather than 4%.
The legislation uses a formula to calculate the rent increase in
rent pressure zones based on when the last review was.
It would result in anyone coming out of the two year freeze
facing a doubling of the proposed rise.
Deputy Eoin O'Broin is questioning whether it's an error or
intended to give even more to landlords.
"What that actually means that in the first year of this equation
is the basis of the rent review it would be an 8% increase, not
a 4% increase.
"Now, that could be a drafting error, if it is then we have a
serious problem because you're asking us to vote on
something here today which is actually going to lead to double

the rate of increase than what you've said, or it is by design."
Its a bad way to do legislation. To launch a strategy on
Tuesday, not give the opposition a real opportunity to
scrutinise it and then to try and rush it through in the last
sitting day of the Dil before Christmas, is not the way to make
such significant change. Whos going to lose? Hard pressed
renters.
https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/latest-housingminister-to-re-examine-rent-certainty-legislationovernight-768757.html
Having amended his bill and then amended his amendment, Simon
has been asked to go home and come up with an amendment of his
amended amendment. Poor lad couldn't even understand his own
'rent cap' formula, has been left spinning in circles, and now faces
the serious prospect of having to withdraw his bill. Just as well we're
not relying on FF to provide opposition and scrutinize legislation,
because they're clearly not up to the task, much less serious about
it.
Domhnaill
resigns from
Fianna Fil after
ethics breach
Brian Domhnaill has resigned from Fianna Fil
Investigation by the Standards in Public Office

Commission of Alleged Contraventions of the Ethics in
Public Office Acts 1995 and 2001 and Part 15 of the Local
Government Act 2001 Senator Brian Domhnaill
formerly of Donegal County Council
https://static.rasset.ie/documents/news/brian-o-domhnaillinvestigation-report.pdf
The State ethics watchdog has found that a

Fianna Fil senator intentionally contravened
ethics legislation when he claimed expenses
while serving as a county councillor a decade
ago.
The Standards in Public Office Commission
found against Brian Domhnaill following an
inquiry into his claims for travelling and
subsistence expenses from two separate
bodies for the same dates in 2006.
This evening, Mr Domhnaill resigned from
Fianna Fil following the ruling. It is
understood he intends to continue in the
Seanad as an Independent.
Mr Domhnaill submitted claims to both
Donegal County Council and dars na

Gaeltachta for the same dates on three
occasions in 2006.
In March 2006, Mr Domhnaill travelled from
his home in Falcarragh to Dundalk for a
three-day conference but returned to
Letterkenny on the second day for a meeting
of the Donegal Sports Partnership, at which
he represented dras na Gaeltachta.
He claimed almost 642 from Donegal
County Council and just under 93 from
dras.
In April 2006, he travelled to Carrickmacross
for a two-day training seminar, returning to
Letterkenny on the second day for another
Donegal Sports Partnership meeting.
He claimed almost 500 from the Council and
almost 77 from dras.
In May 2006, he travelled to a two-day

tourism conference in Carlingford, Co Louth
but left for a Donegal Sports Partnership

event in Dungloe on the second day.
He claimed over 680 from the Council and
just over 83 euro from dras.
Following an inquiry, SIPO found "that each
contravention was committed intentionally
and was, in all the circumstances, a serious
matter."
The Commission also decided that

it is not in a position to find that
Senator Domhnaill acted in
good faith in relation to the
contraventions.
It added that none of the expenses

incorrectly claimed by him have been repaid
and notwithstanding that it is open to him to
make such a repayment, it is a matter for
Donegal County Council and/or dras na
Gaeltachta to take the appropriate steps to
recoup the money involved.
SIPO said it is a matter for the Council and
or dras to recoup monies claimed
incorrectly, but dras says in its case there
is no basis for recoupment.
In a statement, dars na Gaeltachta said

"although the SIPO report has not been
reviewed in total as yet, dars na
Gaeltachta are satisfied that the appropriate
payments were made to Mr Domhnaill
based on the claims he had made for travel
and subsistence costs to attend meetings of
dars and Donegal Sports Partnership.
"Attendance at these meetings in their
entirety was confirmed in all cases.
Therefore, at this stage, dars na
Gaeltachta are satisfied that there is no basis
to seek the recoupment of paid claims from
Mr Domhnaill."
Donegal County Council has issued a
statement saying that it will not be making
any public comment at this time.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/1215/839210-fianna-fail-
senator/
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
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
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.
Finance Accounts 2014

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pwcjAxLmR1YjA2Kg0yMTMuNDYuMTY1LjUz&ratebypass=yes&gir=yes&cle
n=60775045&requiressl=yes&sparams=clen%2Cdur%2Cei%2Cgir%2Cid
%2Cinitcwndbps%2Cip%2Cipbits%2Citag%2Clmt%2Cmime%2Cmm%2Cmn
%2Cms%2Cmv%2Cnh%2Cpl%2Cratebypass%2Crequiressl%2Csource%2Cupn
%2Cexpire&source=youtube&title=Finance%20Accounts%202014
Ireland 2016...
"Hi I found this posted in local Super value in Waterford
absolutely heartbreaking that our own citizens are living
like this"~Adrian Dalton.
We need to change this...
Heart-rending to say the least. We're all citizens of this island. We all
have a responsibility for those more unfortunate than ourselves.
Donate to Peter McVerry, Simon, Vincent DePaul.....
Minister open to
occupiers staying in
Apollo House 'if
appropriate'
Cormac McQuinn Twitter
PUBLISHED
19/12/2016
Katherine Zappone
A government minister has said she's open

to homeless people occupying the Apollo
House office block staying there over
Christmas if it provides "appropriate
shelter".
However, Children Minister Katherine Zappone said she
agrees with campaigner Fr Peter McVerry that the
occupation is not the solution to the homelessness crisis.

She was asked if those occupying the vacant office building
should be left there over Christmas.
"If that's what provides the appropriate shelter for those
people during Christmas, why not?," she replied.
The building was lying empty ahead of a plan to redevelop
the site.
Last week Fr McVerry applauded the campaigners in
Apollo House on Dublin's Tara Street for highlighting the
issue of homelessness.
But he told the Irish Times: I have no problem with them
taking over the building. However, its not the solution to
the homeless crisis, thats my difficulty and thats what I
wont join them."
He said his focus is on finding solutions to the issue.
Children Minister Ms Zappone said: "I probably would be
with Peter McVerry in relation to his view."
She said she does believe in the "politics of people power"
and that it's important when government decisions don't
move fast enough.
However, she said that while solving the housing and
homelessness crisis is "very complicated", the government
is making decisions, highlighting last week's moves to
bring more certainty to the renters and efforts to reduce
bureaucracy in the housing sector.
Ms Zappone, said it is "absolutely my hope" that there will
be no children sleeping on the streets in the coming
weeks.
"I think that the government has taken a number of
actions in the short, medium and long term," she said.
"That's not to say that it might not happen. If that's the
case then I would like to hear about it and make sure that
there's a way of immediately responding to that if there is
any child in that circumstance," she added.
http://www.independent.ie/irishnews/politics/minister-open-to-
occupiers-staying-in-apollo-house-ifappropriate-35305356.html
1m per week bill to shelter homeless

in Dublin
Gordon Deegan
Dublin City Council is paying hotels, hostels and other

emergency accommodation providers almost 1m a week
to shelter the spiralling numbers of homeless in the
capital.
New figures from the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive

(DRHE) show the spend on emergency accommodation for
the homeless totalled 34.85m for the nine months to the
end of September.
The average weekly spend on emergency accommodation

is just over 968,000. The figures also show that 26.6m
has been paid to hotels in the nine months to the end of
September around 740,000 a week outstripping the
2015 total by 10m.
The spend to September coincides with the numbers of
homeless families topping the 1,000 mark, including 2,065
children, for the first time in Dublin.
The figures show that the payments to hoteliers in the
quarter between the start of July to the end of September
is the highest ever recorded at over 10.3m.
In addition, the city council paid emergency
accommodation providers, including B&B and hostel
owners, an additional 8.18m for the first nine months of
the year.
The figures show that between January and September, a
total of 69m has been spent on a variety of homeless
services by local authorities in Dublin.
The projected budget for the year is 103.25m more
than double the spend in 2014.
Last month, the city council agreed a budget of almost
120m to be spent on homeless services next year.
Included in the 2016 spend is 1m on a freephone helpline
service for the homeless in Dublin, with 653,270 spent on
it to the end of September.
The figures show that the DRHE is budgeting to spend
1m this year on Merchants Quay Nite Cafe and
822,249 on the cafes services for the first nine months
while an additional 1m is budgeted to be spent on Focus
Irelands Open Access Coffee Shop with 803,193 spent on
the service between January and the end of September.
The amount paid to individual hotels remains confidential.
John Mulligan: 'Political

crap' or not, EU pursuit of
Apple has huge
implications
John Mulligan Twitter
EMAIL
PUBLISHED
19/12/2016
1
'If the tax rate was the only attraction, they would not be hiring
thousands of workers here.' Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire
Apple boss Tim Cook described it as

"political crap", but whatever the
motivations behind the European
Commission's pursuit of the tech giant,
make no mistake - there are huge
implications hinging in the outcome of the
Government's and Apple's appeals against
the 13bn bill from Brussels.
S
Not only does the August ruling by the Commission strike

at the heart of the fabric of global commerce, it also
arguably creates a beachhead for Eurocrats to pursue the
Holy Grail of tax harmonisation across the EU.
There's no question that Ireland's low corporate tax rate
has been instrumental in luring foreign investment.
There's an argument frequently put forward by detractors
outside the country that the rate is the primary - if not the
sole - reason that foreign companies choose to establish

bases here.
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/johnmulligan-political-crap-or-not-eu-pursuit-of-apple-hashuge-implications-35304296.html
Anti-social behaviour and

verbal abuse among
complaints over homeless
guests in emergency
accommodation
New documents reveal complaints by accommodation providers to
homeless services in Dublin.
December 19, 16
SMOKING AND DRINKING in rooms, anti-social

behaviour, violence and verbal abuse.
These are some of the main complaints and concerns
raised by homeless accommodation providers in Dublin
and staff to do with people availing of their services.
Homeless charities have criticised the long-term use of

hotels and B&Bs to house people, saying that the
accommodation is not suitable.
Latest figures show that the number of homeless families
in Dublin staying in homeless emergency accommodation
has more than tripled over the past two years from 798
in 2014 to 2470.
Entire families can sometimes end up living between one
hotel room for months at a time, with no proper cooking
or cleaning facilities.
Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information
Act by TheJournal.ie detail complaints to do with
homeless accommodation from January to September of
this year.
We previously highlighted some of the complaints and
issues raised by homeless residents staying in such
accommodation, including damp and mould in rooms, no
proper facilities, and anti-social behaviour.
Hotel and accommodation managers and owners in
Dublin have also written to the Dublin Regional Homeless
Executive (DRHE) on a number of occasions this year to
highlight issues with tenants.
The DRHE manages homeless services for all of Dublin.
Commenting on the issues raised, a spokesperson for the
Peter McVerry Trust said its no surprise that people may
become agitated or aggravated when they are spending
months upon months in emergency accommodation with
little control over their lives.
People who are in homeless accommodation are under
enormous pressure trying to hold their families together,
or maybe even trying to hold down a job, the
spokesperson said.
These stresses are made all the more difficult to deal with
when you are being accommodated in unsuitable
accommodation like hotels and B&Bs.
Weve seen people relapse into drug misuse as they try to
cope with the pressures they face.
Complaints
In one complaint, dated April, management writes about a

man who comes to visit a mother staying at their
accommodation with her children.
Its reported that the man became violent while arguing
with the woman in the car park.
The letter states that staff had intended to throw the man
out, but that a hotel patron:
saw this, recognised him and informed us that the man
is extremely dangerous and has links to mid level drug
dealing.
He advised us in no uncertain terms not to do anything to
the man as he would have no issues returning at a later
date and exacting some sort of retribution.
The complainant then states that usually staff would get
rid of the man themselves, but given the nature of our
uninvited guest last night I am anxious to avoid either
myself or a member of staff having to deal with any sort of
retribution.
The letter finishes by saying that the mans presence is
almost certainly a danger to other guests on the
premises.
In another complaint dated in June, a member of staff at
hotel alleges that she was abused by a homeless resident.
The person alleges that she was verbally abused after
informing a woman she would have to be moved from the
accommodation.
The complainant then said that the woman:
began screaming at me calling me a dirty slut and that
Im a coke fiend and she has pictures of me doing cocaine
and that she is going to post them on the internet.
In her letter, the complainant states:
I dont think I should have to take this abuse. it was
witnessed by other residents and they were appalled.
There are a number of complaints raised in relation to
residents smoking and drinking in their rooms, including
one instance where accommodation staff found five
empty bottles of vodka in a persons room after he had to
be carried out.
In yet another instance, the managing director issues a
complaint about guests continuing to smoke illegal
substances in the room despite being warned not to.
The director also reports issues with a young man in the
premises abusing people passing by the premises.
As the number of homeless people has risen, the DRHE
has increasingly resorted to using private hotels and B&Bs
to house people, a highly costly and unsuitable approach.
The Government has committed to stop using hotels and
B&Bs to house homeless families by the middle of next
year. However, experts have expressed doubt over whether
this deadline is realistic.
'Anti-social behavior and verbal abuse among complaints
over Rugger Bugger wealthy guests in our finest most
exclusive hotels'
http://www.thejournal.ie/homeless-complaints-3138612-Dec2016/
Will the government really be
able to stop using hotels to

house the homeless by next
year?
The Housing Action Plan states that hotels will no longer used by next
year, but is that possible?
Jul 24th 2016,
The Regency Hotel in Dublin that's used partly to house homeless

families.
Image: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland
/Photo Text content

DURING A DEMONSTRATION in Dublin this week in
support of homeless families who had been told they had
to leave a hotel they had been staying in, one mother
described conditions in which her family lived:
Its awful, its very, very stressful. Im washing [my
baby's] bottle in bathroom water.
Shes got a bad dose of thrush twice since being here
because its not suitable water.
Its very bad for us financially too because we have to eat
out everyday. I go days sometimes skipping meals.
The mothers account was just one of many similar
accounts heard over the past few years of parents living in

cramped, unsuitable accommodation with their families
for long periods of time.
Earlier in the week the Housing Action Plan was launched
to much fanfare, as the government moves to address one
of the most prominent social issues of the past number of
years.
Entitled Rebuilding Ireland, the 114-page document
contains multiple provisions to address the housing crisis
in Ireland.
The plan has an entire section dedicated to addressing

homelessness in Ireland, with one of the key areas of focus
being the number of homeless families currently living in
private hotels of B&Bs.
The document states that by mid-2017, hotels will only be
used as emergency accommodation in limited
circumstances.
From the plan:
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.
Homeless hotels
The use of hotels to house homeless people began to
increase significantly in 2014, as existing services
struggled to cope with the rising numbers.
As prices rose in the private rental market and supply
dwindled, the number of families presenting as homeless
began to increase as the number of families leaving
homelessness decreased.
This led to a clog in existing accommodation services,
which werent equipped to deal with the number of people
now presenting.
There are a very small amount of homeless shelters in
Ireland that are purpose built for housing families.
Typically, homeless families would be sheltered in B&Bs
privately owned places of residence that local authorities
(like Dublin City Council) would lease out on a permanent
basis.
When the crisis started to get worse about three years ago
and these all filled up, they started using hotels to house
people, Mike Allen, director of advocacy with Focus
Ireland, told TheJournal.ie.
Environment Department figures show that there were
344 homeless families living in emergency
accommodation in July 2014. By this time last year, that
number had nearly doubled to 657.
As the numbers kept rising, local authorities had no choice
but keep checking families into hotels, putting a huge
strain on their finances.
Now theyve got long-term arrangements with hotels
where they block book rooms to get better prices, said
Allen.
The problem was felt most acutely in the Dublin region,
which contains the vast bulk of the homeless population.
In April 2014 there were 184 families residing in

commercial hotels in the Dublin region. Latest figures for
this year (June), show that that number has nearly
quadrupled to 682 families.
What was meant to be a temporary measure became a
long-term reality for many families living in a lot of
cases for months or years in cramped conditions with no
access to proper cooking or cleaning facilities.
I think theres unanimous agreement in Ireland that this
isnt a good solution, said Allen.
Mike Allen in 2014 at the forum to address homelessness.

Source: Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland
R
R
The Plan
The Housing Action Plan aims to all but end the use of
hotels by next year through a number of measures
involving building and acquiring new houses and
increased rental support schemes.
In terms of housing, the plan has two approaches to
bringing more units on-stream:
An expanded rapid-build housing programme (which aims
to deliver 1,500 units).
A Housing Agency initiative to acquire vacant houses
(which aims to deliver 1,600 units).
Rapid-Build Housing was first floated last year as a quick
and relatively inexpensive way to address the

homelessness crisis through building modular homes.
Modular homes can take a number of different forms, but
are based around the principle of stacking individual
modules together to form a house. This means they can be
produced off-site in factory conditions, and quickly
assembled on-site.
Criticism over the cost-effectiveness of modular housing
and how long the units will last has arisen since they were
first announced.
Despite commitments last September to build 500
modular housing units, to date just 22 have been built at a
site in Poppintree, Ballymun in north Dublin.
RT reported in March that in total these units cost about
4.2 million to build, putting the cost of each unit at about
190,000.
The modular housing units in Poppintree.

Source: DCC
Despite this, the Action Plan states that 200 units will be
built by the end of the year, 800 by the end of 2017 and
another 500 in 2018.
They have a credibility problem in terms of delivering
rapid-build housing, said Mike Allen.
We dont have any evidence to believe that they can deliver
it this time.
There is no mention in the plan of how any of the issues
that face the previous rapid-build housing programme will
be addressed in the next build.

Housing Agency
The second part of the plan to end the use of commercial
hotels involves housing agencies acquiring vacant
properties to be used as social housing.
The Housing Agency is a government body set up to
support housing functions in local authorities and the
Environment Department.
The Action Plan states that the agency will immediately
begin acquiring vacant homes from the investment or loan
portfolios of banks and other financial institutions to be
used as social housing.
This will deliver 1,600 new housing units by 2020, the
plan states, and alleviate the need to use hotels forms of
accommodation for families.
Its very clear in the report that they will only be buying
these housing units if theyre empty, said Mike Allen.
In our experience, when weve looked at buildings which
are owned by financial institutions they are not empty,
they have leased them out.
Allen said that problems could arise out of the houses
being occupied, but that the plan to acquire the units had
been thought out.
Its not just made up, there is a definite plan there, he
said.
However, while he commends parts of the plan, Allen
questions the timeline of getting the families out of hotel
accommodation by next year.
Another aspect of it is the use of the Housing Assistance
Payment (HAP), which is paid on behalf on tenants to
landlords.
The plan states that this will be used to move families out
of homeless accommodation and into private rental
accommodation.
However, while Allen states that this has helped get
homeless for people, the success of the measure relies on
the supply of houses being there. If there arent enough
houses available, it will be impossible to move people.
Its not just a question of price, its also a question of

whether these units actually exist. he said.
Its hard to see the escalation theyre hoping for until new
housing supply come on, and thats not going to happen
for another 18 months.
In terms of the mid-2017 target to end hotel usage, Allen
said:
Its very to see all those bits adding up in time.
Lets hope they do. But when you look at the figures
theyre pointing in the right direction to tell you that that
cant actually be achieved.
Over 2,500 children are

homeless this Christmas here's what's being done to
help
Campaigners have told how the deepening crisis breaks their hearts
as they try to help those in need this Christmas.
December 19, 16
OVER 2,500 CHILDREN are expected to be homeless for
Christmas this year as the housing crisis deepens.

The number of families presenting as homeless has
increased steadily over the last few 18 months and a
number of charities and political parties have been calling
on Housing Minister Simon Coveney to address the issue.
There has been accusations that Coveney has been
dragging his feet on the issue and making false promises to
homeless charities over the availability of beds this
Christmas period.
Earlier this year, Dublin City Council said it was
working to expand emergency accommodation provision
and will be bringing an additional 210 bed spaces into use
as soon as possible as part of its winter strategy to prevent
rough sleeping.
A man in a sleeping bag lying outside a Spar shop on South George's Street
in Dublin
Source: Eamonn Farrell/Photocall Ireland
Inner City Helping Homeless (ICHH) director Anthony

Flynn described how the demand for beds rises in the city
every Christmas and the supply of emergency
accommodation is never enough.
Rise
He said: For whatever reason, we see an increase in the
number of people presenting every Christmas as homeless.
Its one of the busiest times of the year and its also one of
the most dangerous.
These people are vulnerable and a lot would be newly
homeless around this time.
Its also the middle of winter and a time where its the
coldest part of the year so the risk of hypothermia and
other illnesses increases.
Dublin City Councillor Daith De Roiste has also weighed
in on the homeless crisis, laying the blame at Housing
Minister Simon Coveneys doorstep.
De Roiste said this years capital budget for DCC only
provided for 1,500 new houses across the capital, nowhere
near enough to address the crisis.
He said:
This is once again like sticking plasters on gun shot
wounds.
There is not enough money being made available to deal
with this crisis. To have thousands of people spend
Christmas alone or afraid or sleeping on the streets in the
freezing weather is nothing short of disgraceful. Im calling
on the Minister to actually sort this.
A number of campaigns have been launched to help those
homeless over the Christmas period.
One of those is Focus Ireland.
Founder and Life President of Focus Ireland Sr Stanislaus Kennedy

Source: Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland
Sister Stanislaus Kennedy launched Focus Irelands

Christmas appeal last month with a hard-hitting campaign
that highlights a record number of over 2,400 children
and nearly 1,200 families are homeless nationwide.
Sr Stan, as she is affectionately known as, spoke of the
terrible impact being homeless has on children and
families.
She said: Christmas should be one of the happiest times
of year for children and their families. However, it breaks
my heart to think that up to 2,500 children will
be homeless on Christmas day this year.
I know from meeting families who are homeless that we
support its the children who feel it the worst. Many times
a family who are homeless are often squeezed into one
hotel room, three or four people in one room, nowhere to
cook or for children to play. There are also many single
people and couples homeless and they all need a place to
call home.
http://www.thejournal.ie/homeless-christmas-focus-ireland-3081540Dec2016/
it is taking our true irish artists and the irish people to do the
goverments job and im very proud of u good people
Fundamental Rights Article 40.1 .All citizens shall as human persons be

held equal before law. This shall not be held to mean that the state shall
not in its enactments have due regard to differance of capacity ,physical
and moral or social funtion. The state shall in particular ,By its laws
protect as best it may from unjust attack and in the case of injustice
done, vindicate the life, person, good name and property rights of
EVERY CITIZEN in ireland. no Acts or bills supersede constituational
law. fraudelent repesentation is treason and all state employees should
be brought to account in the name off the law as equal humans .
Dublin City Council to debate motion

calling for injunction to be lifted from
Apollo House sit-in
An emergency motion is being submitted to Dublin City

Council today calling for the official recognition of Apollo
House in Dublin.
The NAMA-owned property has remained occupied over
the weekend by activists providing accommodation for the
homeless.
HomeSweetHome
Please Share and Invite your friends
If you want volunteer or show support for Apollo House
this is the meeting...
http://
fb.me/7qSPhQcoB
6:18 PM - 18 Dec 2016
Michael O'Brien is an Anti Austerity Alliance Councillor for
Beaumont Donaghmede, and he wants the shelter
approved.
Mr O'Brien said: "I've submitted an emergency motion
commending the action of the activists and celebrities
who have seized Appolo House and rendered it habitable
for rough sleepers, and furthermore calling for the
injunction to be lifted from the activists.
"Practically speaking also, the motion is calling for Dublin
City council to recognise the time served there by the
rough sleepers, from the point of view of their progress on
the priority homeless housing list."

crisis.

NAMA-owned site.
the streets.

long.
Published in 1849, Civil Disobedience or Resistance to

Civil Government was a call to arms to his fellow citizens
to follow their conscience rather than unjust government
laws and policies.
His focus was slavery but his ideas were global and
continue to influence protest movements both in the US
and elsewhere.
Consciously or otherwise, the 100 or so people who took
over a Nama-controlled building in Dublin at the weekend
to house some of the citys homeless people were
following Thoreaus way.
They describe the occupation of Apollo House on Tara
Street as an act of civil disobedience and have garnered
the support of a number of well known musicians and
actors as well as filmmaker Jim Sheridan.
The Irish Housing Network, a loose coalition of housing
and homeless activist groups, said that the building would
provide safe and secure accommodation to the most
vulnerable people in Irish society, those sleeping on our
streets.
In taking over what once housed the Department of Social
Protection, the activists are doing more than following

Thoreaus message. They are enhancing it by employing
civil disobedience not just as a tool of protest but for an
immediate worthwhile social purpose, providing a practical
solution to Dublins chronic homeless crisis.
The occupation highlights the complete disconnect
between government policies that have facilitated Nama
to change from being Irelands biggest landowner to
Irelands biggest landlord without addressing an overriding
social crisis within our midst.
Housing Minister Simon Coveneys attempt to address
rising rents is welcome but it will do nothing for the 142
people living on the streets of Dublin every night. Other
cities like Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Galway have
similarly scandalous numbers of homeless people.
Perhaps the Government and Nama should do the
math to come up with a solution. We have thousands of
vacant buildings, many of them controlled by Nama, and
thousands without a home to call their own. Is it simplistic
to suggest that putting two and two together might help?
Perhaps, but this is a time for a radical solution as
homelessness nationally has almost doubled in the past
five years.
In Dublin alone, there are vacant residences, offices,
public and other buildings that could be put to good use
now while long-term solutions are considered. There may
be health and safety concerns but even makeshift
accommodation has to be better than living dangerously
on the streets.
Bombastic and self-righteous the organisers may be, at
least they are tapping into a groundswell of legitimate
anger at the hopelessness generated by years of
successive governments driving economic prosperity to
the detriment of real social change.
Henry David Thoreau would have been proud.
Apple State Aid Case
Explanation of the main lines of argument in Irelands annulment

application lodged with the General Court of the European Union on
9 November 2016
The Commission has misunderstood the relevant facts and Irish law
The Commission Decision of 30 August 2016 (the Decision) wrongly
asserts that two Opinions given in 1991 and 2007 by the Irish Revenue
Commissioners renounced tax revenue that Ireland would have
otherwise been entitled to collect from the Irish branches of Apple Sales
International (ASI) and Apple Operations Europe (AOE). The Opinions
involved no departure from Irish law. The ordinary tax rules applicable to
branches in Ireland of non-resident companies are in Section 25 of the
Taxes Consolidation Act 1997. The Opinions simply applied Section 25,
which in accordance with the territoriality principle, taxes only the profits
attributable to the branch, not the non-Irish profits of the company.
The Decision also mischaracterises the activities and responsibilities of the
Irish branches of ASI and AOE. These branches carried out routine
functions, but all important decisions within ASI and AOE were made in the
USA, and the profits deriving from these decisions were not properly
attributable to the Irish branches of ASI and AOE.
The Commissions attribution of Apples intellectual property licences to
the Irish branches of AOE and ASI is not consistent with Irish law and,
moreover, is inconsistent with the principles it claims to apply, as is its
stated refusal to take into account the activities of Apple Inc.
The Commission has misapplied State Aid law
The Commissions assertion that ASI and AOE were granted an

advantage is incorrect. The Opinions did not depart from normal
taxation, because ASI and AOE did not pay any less tax than was properly
due under Section 25.
The Commission also wrongly claims that the Opinions were selective. The
Commissions reference system wrongly ignores the distinction between
resident and non-resident companies.
The Commission attempts to re-write the Irish corporation tax rules so
that, in respect of Opinions, the Revenue Commissioners should have
applied the Commissions version of the arms length principle (ALP).
This principle is not part of EU law or the relevant Irish law in
Embargo Until 00:01 Monday 19 December 2016
relation to branch profit attribution, and the Commissions claim is
inconsistent with Member State sovereignty in the area of direct taxation.
2. The Commission has wrongly applied the arms length
principle
Even if ALP were legally relevant (which Ireland does not accept) the
Commission has failed to apply it consistently or to examine the
overall situation of the Apple group.
3. The Commission has wrongly concluded that the tax
treatment of ASI and AOE was not consistent with arms

length principle
The Commission wrongly rejected expert evidence submitted by

Ireland showing that, even if ALP applied (which Ireland does not
accept), the tax treatment of ASI and AOE was consistent with that
principle.
4. The Commissions alternative line of reasoning
misunderstands Irish law
The Commission is wrong to maintain that ALP is inherent in Irish

law, that Section 25 was applied inconsistently or that Section 25
confers any impermissible discretion. Section 25 confers no such
discretion on the Revenue Commissioners.
5. The Commission has failed to follow required procedures
The Commission never clearly explained its State aid theory during
the Investigation, and the Decision contains factual findings on
which Ireland never had the chance to comment. The Commission
breached the duty of good administration by failing to act
impartially and in accordance with its duty of care.
6. The Commission wrongly invokes novel legal rules
The Commission infringed the principles of legal certainty and
legitimate expectations by invoking alleged rules of EU law never
previously identified. These are novel and their scope and effect are
wholly uncertain. The Commission invokes OECD documents from
2010, but (even if they were binding) these could not have been
foreseen in 1991 or 2007.
7. The Commission has exceeded its powers and interfered with
national tax sovereignty The Commission has no competence,
under State aid rules, unilaterally to substitute its own view of the
geographic scope and extent of the Member States tax jurisdiction
for those of the Member State itself. The purpose of the State aid
rules is to tackle State interventions which confer a selective
advantage. The State aid rules by their nature cannot remedy
mismatches
Page 2
Embargo Until 00:01 Monday 19 December 2016

between tax systems on a global level.
8. The Commission has failed to provide proper reasons for its
decision
The Commission has manifestly breached its duty to provide a clear and
unequivocal statement of reasons in its Decision, in relying simultaneously
on grossly divergent factual scenarios, in contradicting itself as to the
source of the rule that Ireland is said to have breached, and in suggesting
that Ireland granted aid in relation to profits taxable in other jurisdictions.
A summary of the legal arguments advanced by Ireland in its action

before the General Court will be published in due course in the
Official Journal of the European Union.
http://finance.gov.ie/sites/default/files/161219%20Summary%20of
%20Appeal%20Grounds%20Publised%20under%20Embargo.pdf
Ireland failed to
justify selective
treatment of Apple -
EU Commission
The Dept of Finance has denied that Ireland provided any

favourable tax treatment to Apple
The European Commission has published

enormous detail in its final report on Apple.
https://www.rte.ie/documents/news/sa.38373state-aid-implemented-by-ireland-to-applenon-confidential-ver...-1.pdf
It reveals the structures which allowed the
tech giant pay minuscule amounts of tax.
The company has two subsidiaries, Apple
Operations Europe (AOE) and Apple Sales
International (ASI), which have no physical
presence and no employees.
One of the subsidiaries, ASI, had profits of
$25 billion in 2014, but it paid less than
$10m in tax.
The commission's report outlines the
evidence for its ruling that Apple must pay

13bn in tax in Ireland.
It also details how the Irish Revenue
Commissioners agreed with the company's
tax proposals.
The European Commission said that
agreement constituted State aid.
It said: "Ireland had not put forward any
justification at all for the selective treatment"
of Apple.
The Department of Finance denied that
Ireland provided any favourable tax
treatment.
https://www.rte.ie/documents/news/dept-offinance.pdf
It accused the commission of
misunderstanding Irish law and of wrongly
interpreting its own rules.
Apple said the latest report from Brussels had
ignored the opinions of Irish tax advisors.
The American Chamber of Commerce in
Ireland has backed the Government's position
to appeal the tax ruling. That case will be
heard in the European Court of Justice.
It is there the final decision on this
controversial judgment will be played out.
At the end of August the European
Commission published its long-awaited
findings into whether or not the Government
had broken European state aid rules by
granting Apple two special tax deals in 1991

and 2007.
The commission's conclusion stunned the
Government: it said Apple had been granted
a benefit of 13bn by the Irish tax
authorities, money the company would have
to repay.
The decision drew a furious reaction from
Dublin, and it posed an immediate challenge
to the minority Coalition over whether the
Government should appeal the decision.
Some Opposition TDs said the 13bn in
alleged tax arrears could be spent on vital
public services.
The publication of the full report today was
delayed so that sensitive commercial
information relating to Apple could be
redacted.
It is understood that since 1999 the
commission has adopted hundreds of state
aid decisions, with tax being recovered in 150
cases.
This is the biggest amount ordered to be
recovered ever but was a normal case in
terms of procedural aspects.
The investigation showed Apple received a
very favourable ruling in Ireland and received
a special deal.
Apple launches legal challenge
Apple has hit out at the European
Commission, and launched a legal challenge
overnight.
In a statement, Apple said it was confident
the ruling would be reversed.

It said: "It's been clear since the start of this
case there was a pre-determined outcome.
"The commission took unilateral action and
retroactively changed the rules, disregarding
decades of Irish tax law, US tax law, as well
as global consensus on tax policy, that
everyone has relied on.
"If their opinion is allowed to stand, Apple
would pay 40% of all the corporate income
tax collected in Ireland, which is
unprecedented and, far from levelling the
playing field, selectively targets Apple.
"This has no basis in fact or law and we're
confident the ruling will be overturned."
Apple stressed that it has paid billions of
dollars in taxes and created 1.5 million jobs
across the European Union.
In its legal arguments published today, the
Department of Finance said: "The
commission has exceeded its powers and
interfered with national tax sovereignty.
"The commission has no competence, under
state aid rules, unilaterally to substitute its
own view of the geographic scope and extent
of the member state's tax jurisdiction for
those of the member state itself.
It added: "The commission never clearly
explained its state aid theory during the
investigation, and the decision contains
factual findings on which Ireland never had
the chance to comment.
"The commission breached the duty of good
administration by failing to act impartially

and in accordance with its duty of care."
http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/1219/
839841-government-eu-apple-taxruling/
Its funny how the government takes issue with the apple ruling but
they bow down to most of the other EU tax rulings. We should take
our shre in that 13 Billion (Note I do not say we are owed all of the
money just some of it) and use it for what the country needs.
If you have a good case, you don't need 150 pages to explain it.
They should call for the Commissioner to resign and the holding of
an investigation into the competence and/or independence of
Commission staff. The key points were in the "terse statement".
(They are 1. The Commission exceeded its powers 2. They interfered
in national sovereignty, 3. They misunderstand Irish law and 4. They
wrongly interpreted the EU's own rules.) The 13bn would be nice,
but it's nonsense that we can just take it from a MNC, because the
EU wants to damage our attraction as a green field site.
In an unprecedented move The Irish Times has just

published the entire uncensored video of the 'This is our
Ireland'
'This is our Ireland. Not the

government's, not the
banks''
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/i
reland/this-is-our-ireland-not-thegovernment-s-not-the-banks1.2911421
Irish govt & Apple to challenge

multibillion EU tax demand
Published time: 19 Dec, 2016 10:47
Edited time: 19 Dec, 2016
Apple is to challenge the European Commission's ruling

obliging the tech giant to pay up to 13 billion to Ireland in
back taxes. The Irish government also plans to appeal.
The company is due to begin a legal challenge at Europe's
second highest court as soon as this week, according to Apple
senior executives.
In August, an investigation by the European Union
Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager concluded
that Ireland provided Apple with a favorable tax rate.
COMMISSION DECISION of 30.8.2016 ON STATE AID

SA.38373 (2014/C) (ex 2014/NN) (ex 2014/CP)
implemented by Ireland to Apple
https://www.rte.ie/documents/news/sa.38373-state-aidimplemented-by-ireland-to-apple-non-confidentialver...-1.pdf
Do you think the Government is right to appeal the 13

billion Apple tax ruling?
Do you think the Government is right to appeal the 13

billion Apple tax ruling?
Yes42%
No52%
I don't know7%
We don't have a government,we have a corrupt bunch of back
hander business men.we are corporate controlled even if they are
forced to give up the money the corrupt politicians will find a way to
give it back.
Apple boss calls EU tax ruling total political crap

That allowed the iPhone maker to pay one percent on EU
profits in 2003 down to 0.005 percent in 2014.
The regulator ignored Irish tax experts and corporate law,
maximizing the penalty, said Apple's General Counsel Bruce
Sewell and Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri in an interview
with Reuters.
Now the Irish have put in an expert opinion from an incredibly
well-respected Irish tax lawyer. The Commission not only
didn't attack that - didn't argue with it, as far as we know - they
probably didn't even read it. Because there is no reference in
the EU decision whatsoever, said Sewell.
According to the company lawyer, Apple was singled out due
to its success.
Apple is not an outlier in any sense that matters to the law.
Apple is a convenient target because it generates lots of
headlines. It allows the commissioner to become Dane of the
year for 2016, said Sewell, referring to the title accorded by
Danish newspaper Berlingske last month.
At the same time, the Irish finance ministry claimed the EU
regulator exceeded its powers. The Commission had
misunderstood the relevant facts and Irish law, according to
the statement released by the ministry on Monday.
https://www.rt.com/business/370726-apple-ireland-challengeec-ruling/
35 homeless people slept in

Apollo House last night (and
there are plans to increase that
number to 60)
Activists say the building could have a maximum capacity of 60
residents.
OVER 30 HOMELESS people slept in Apollo House last

night, following a weekend of extensive work to make the
building fit to live in.
Work is continuing today on the improving conditions in
the building in Dublins city centre, which was taken over
by homelessness activists late on Thursday night.
Since the original occupation, a number of works have
been carried out on the building and there has been a huge
outpouring of donations from members of the public.
The building which had receivers appointed to it by
Nama in 2014 has been abandoned for some time.
Activists who occupied it said it was in a state of disrepair
when they entered.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, trade unionist Brendan Ogle
one of the leading members of the Home Sweet Home
group said volunteers had been working all week to
bring to building up to scratch.
The first thing we had to do was get in electrical contactor
to put in the basic lighting facilities and secure wires and
thing like that, said Ogle.
Then we moved on from there into getting the running
water back in the building that happened on Friday.
Ogle said that heating was restored to the building on

Saturday, and smoke alarms have since been installed.
Brendan Ogle said works are ongoing to increase the capacity of the building.
Source: Sam Boal
Construction workers are today in the process of installing

shower and kitchen units, work which is expected to be
finished by tomorrow.
Members of the media have been refused entry to the
building since it was taken over. Activists from IHN and
Home Sweet Home have cited the privacy of the homeless
people now resident in the building.
Ogle said today that it was only fair for volunteers to be
allowed time to bring the building up to scratch before
admitting any members of the media.
The first pictures that are seen and shown are going to be
the ones that are remembered, he said.
Five homeless people slept in the building on Thursday

night. That number increased to 12 on Friday night and 21
on Saturday. Last night, 35 people slept in the building,
according to Ogle.
Tonight, it is expected that 30 people will sleep at the
building.
For the next number of night we hope to be taking 30
people of the streets, said Ogle.
He said the number will remain at 30 for the time being
but works are ongoing to increase capacity.
At its maximum if we had a bit more time and got
everything 100% you could possibly take about 60. But
were happy with the 30 figure for now.
The building is dry accommodation, meaning people
under the influence will not be admitted. Ogle also said
that it is for adults only and was not suitable for children.
Support
Ogle said that the support from the Dublin community
and the business community had been significant since the
building was occupied.
The business community in and around Dublin have been

fantastic, he said.
He said the group was liaising with the fire and emergency
services, other homeless charities and support services, as
well as the local community.
There has been a huge outpouring of support online for
the initiative, with a GoFundMe campaign having already
raised over 90,000 in three days.
The volunteers have been inundated with donations over
the weekend, and have said they do not need more food or
clothing at this time.
Ogle said that the best way for people to contribute now
was to apply political pressure on politicians to resolve
the homelessness crisis.
From a legal point of view, the receivers of Apollo House
- Mazers have already moved to have the activists and
the homeless people vacate the property.
A spokesperson for the receivers said the occupiers were
trespassing and that for health and safety reasons they
were asking them to leave with immediate effect.
A letter from A&L Goodbody solicitors representing the
receivers has been sent to the occupiers.
Ogle said that there was a debate to be had about the
ownership of the building, given that it had been in Nama.
He said the groups own solicitors will meet with
Goodbody in the coming days and will supply them with a
list of names of the main people involved in the
occupation.
APOLLO HOUSE OCCUPATION
One of the key members of Home Sweet Home Brendan
Ogle has said that the best way for people to help the
effort was to "apply political pressure" on politicians.
"All these politicians have gone off on holidays. They'll all
be enjoying Christmas criticising people who are taking
homeless people of the street. It's not on," he said.
"So contact your local TD, contact your senators and tell
them when they've had their turkey, when they've had
their ham and when they've had their jolly Christmas, to
get back into the Dail and enact some legislation that's
going to resolve this homeless crisis - that's what we pay
them for.
r.r.e.,as a national broadcaster,you are a progressive disgrace,to our

country,to the dwindling audiences,to the people who you go to with
your begging bowl,every time one of your deluded gobshites think
they deserve a raise,you have not got the decency to actually sent a
crew to cover this happening,because the shitehawks in kidare
st,won't allow you to,you as a broadcaster to our nation,has lost all
credibility to broadcast a story to be seen as the
aforementioned,shitehawk truth,as in the dreadful asset stripping
that our so called elected elite carry on with,the station would be
more in line to bring these dreadful atrocities to the view of a wider
audience,rather than bury it under a load of non-news,as i
mentioned,at thenbegtinning of this article,you are a disgrace to

every thing that is irish,and that includes our men ,women and
children,as well as our martyrs,surely you can feel the hatred
coming from the people who you continue to lie about,put down,and
spread total misinformation about,because you should,because it
involves the whole country,yet again,you are a disgrace.
December 17th , 16
Among the many people that I spoke to last night was Seamus, just
another lost soul since being made homeless only last week. I spoke
to him for about 20 minutes. He is not on drugs or alcohol YET, but
life on the streets changes many people. Just like thousands of
others he told me that he lost his job when Fianna Fail and Fine Gael
jointly decided to rescue the banks and their wealthy friends and in
doing so, impoverished the people they were elected to represent.
Not only did he lose his job, his wife and 3 children left their family
home last year due to the constant pressure of not having enough
to survive on Under severe pressure from Bank of Ireland, Seamus
could no longer stand up against this huge financial gangster and
sadly he decided last week that surrendering the keys to his home
was his only option He told me that he was advised to do so by a
Personal Insolvency Practitioner, having first sought help from
MABS Their advice was that at the age of 44 he could now start
again... Seamus was a well spoken man and asked if he could join
the queue for something to eat.
17 December 2016
Two images here. 2 images of people queuing for food in Dublin, one
was taking yesterday and the other during the civil war in 1923....
And FG says keep the recovery going...

Show | RT One
Dec 16, 2016
and #OccupyNama
Late Late Show | Fridays | RT One, 9:35pm Irish Time
http://www.thejournal.ie/apollo-house-3148000-Dec2016/?
utm_source=facebook_short

Dec 15, 2016
Apollo House occupied for rough sleepers Dec 17th 2016

accommodation for Dublin's rough sleepers
http://jrnl.ie/3144658
In an unprecedented move The Irish Times has just

published the entire uncensored video of the 'This is our
Ireland' speech on their website.

#HomeSweetHome #ThisIsOurIreland #ApolloHouse
#EndHomelessnessNow #OccupyNAMA
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/this-is-our-ireland-not-thegovernment-s-not-the-banks-1.2911421
'This is our Ireland. Not the government's, not the

banks''
Writer/Director Terry McMahon, speaking at an event in the Axis
Theatre, Dublin,
'This is our Ireland. Not the government's, not the banks' Terry
McMahons speech. Brilliant and powerful!
Dec 18, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zYyvMfkU2g
'An engineer whose only crime was to

listen to the advice of banks - Homeless
man shares story to raise awareness
December
Chairperson of the Irish Democratic Party Ken

Smollen recently took to the streets of Dublin
to speak to people who were sleeping rough.
One of the people he met was a man in his
early 40s, who had been living rough for two
years and is a qualified engineer. Mr Smollen
told Independent.ie that this man relies on
the generosity of strangers and charities.
When I spoke to him he had just made his
bed for the night in a doorway. He was going
to read his book until he fell asleep, Mr
Smollen said.
He hoped that nobody would kick him during
the night as it appears to be a problem that
many of our homeless people have being
kicked while asleep by drunken fools who find

it amusing when they leave the night clubs
and pubs.
Mr Smollen claims he asked could he take a
photo with Eddie, advising him that he could
blur his face out of the picture.
However, Eddie said he did not want his face
to be hidden.
He said, If it helps to do something about
the problem then I dont mind my face being
shown. I got him another cup of tea, a bottle
of water, 3 sandwiches and a bun for his
breakfast.
He's a qualified engineer whose only
previous crime was to listen to the advice of
banks and financial experts.
Im ashamed of what our country has
become and I know that at least 150 TDs
need to pay the price for ignoring this
desperate humanitarian crisis while
purposely lying through their teeth and
deceiving us all.
Since the picture of Ken and Eddie was
shared on Facebook, Ken has been inundated
with positive messages.
"It has been unbelievable. I have got
messages and phone calls from all over
Ireland and the UK offering this man
somewhere to stay and offering him work as
well," the Offaly man told Independent.ie.
"It's phenomenal. I couldnt believe

thousands of people shared it all over the
world."
Today it was revealed that Dublin City Council
is paying hotels, hostels and other
emergency accommodation providers almost
1m a week to shelter the spiralling numbers
of homeless in the capital.
New figures from the Dublin Regional
Homeless Executive (DRHE) show that
26.6m in payments has been made to
hotels for the first nine months of this year
outstripping the 2015 total by 10m.
In 2015, the combined spend on hotels and
other private emergency accommodation
was 25.3m. Last year, the city council paid
city hoteliers 16.6m to provide
The amount individual hotels receives
remains confidential.
http://www.msn.com/en-ie/news/national/anengineer-whose-only-crime-was-to-listen-tothe-advice-of-banks-homeless-man-sharesstory-to-raise-awareness/ar-AAlJX7k?ocid=obfb-enie-60
"This is OUR Ireland"

Terry McMahon delivers a powerful speech about modern Ireland
and what has led to Home Sweet Home.
[Uplift, Irish Housing Network, Right2Change, Glen Hansard, Damien

Dempsey, Jim Sheridan]
THIS IS OUR IRELAND' SPEECH AT AXIS THEATRE Please take a few

minutes to listen to Terry McMahons speech. Brilliant and powerful!
Dec 18, 2016
Ever the alchemist, Dean Scurry got Damien Dempsey, John
Connors, Maverick Sabre and me to work with a group of
remarkable young men at The Axis Theatre in Ballymun. That
led to months of ongoing conversations about the nature of our
nation and the political paralysis of our people. Larger
meetings with leaders of the arts were sometimes wonderful
but often just exercises in frustration. Invariably it would end
up with me, Dean, John and Damo being perceived as too
extreme in our insistence that whatever was to be done, it had
to be on a grand scale. It would have to be something
beneficial to our most vulnerable. But it would also have to be
something that might awaken our national dormant spirit. It
was an absurd ambition. A fantasy. An impossibility.
Months later, the call came through. "It's happening." That's all
Dean said. "And we need you to write the words." This
remarkable man had been working relentlessly with the
equally remarkable Brendan Ogle and together, along with
innumerable unsung heroes and heroines who have been
working for decades to fight injustices, they had set in motion
a philosophical, humanistic and, most importantly, pragmatic
plan to protect our most vulnerable and inspire our collective
spirit. I went to a bar and tried to write. Nothing came out. I
called Dean and asked who am I writing for? "Who do you
want?" I wanted the most famous working class Dublin artist
there has ever been, Jim Sheridan. "I'm on it." Dean said.
Ordered another drink but the words wouldn't come. All the
standard bullshit that goes with fear and doubt and ego and
vanity and hubris and judgement was kicking in but then the
simple realisation hit. This is not about fear. This is about
strength. Just tell the truth. The words came. Called Dean.
Quietly read the words over the phone to him as the full bar
was singing Christmas songs. He listened to the end then
whispered, "Shivers, brother, shivers."
Next day it was happening. We met at the Unite Office. A
stunning group of people. Hours of discussions and decisions.

Then the words came up. Curtis 'Fifty Cent' Jackson has been
shot twice but he said the only man he's ever been sacred of is
Jim Sheridan. That's how tough Sheridan is. He is also a
beautiful, courageous humanist and a hero to many. Including
me. Some folk fought for the words, others didn't. It was too
long. Too extreme. Too much. The final decision was to keep it
much simpler. When Sheridan opens his mouth people listen
anyway. He doesn't need a hack. The words were in the bin but
the magic was happening. We walked to the GPO and Jim and
Damo and Glen Hansard captured the mood better than any
hack. That night the NAMA building was taken and something
magical was born.
People like me and thousands of others in Ireland working with
the disadvantaged and poor have being screaming this for
decades. Nobody cares because even the local media shun us
and will not even hightlight injustice only in a token gesture
way. The poor and the unemployed and low paid and I stress
low paid not well paid. They are paying the price for Austerity. I
am paying the price for Austerity.
Then last night I get another call from Dean. There's a comedy
gig in the Axis Theatre, he says, where we started this
conversation all that time ago, and he wants me to read the
words to the audience. A comedy audience? Only he could
think it was a good idea. Only he could make me put the fear
aside and do it. Only he could know that comedy audience
would give those words a standing ovation. This is our Ireland.
Sadly the Irish of today are not the same as the men and
women of 1916. There are a few braves who will stand up to
the corruption and skullduggery of the men in suits. Joe Doocey
and Colm of the Anti Corruption Task Force come to
mind......perhaps if the anti-fluoride campaign had not fizzled
out the younger generation might have begun to grow
backbones.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zYyvMfkU2g
Christy Moore supports the Homeless Occupation of the Nama held

Appollo House
A Nama building is better then a sleeping bag!
It's about time people had there say now let's get all the muppets in
government too get there heads out of there holes and open there
eyes to reality in Ireland today this would never been tolerated in
the sevenths or eighths have we returned too 1900 it makes me
think so
RTE is full of garbage, landlords,

tax-dodgers
As Ireland's state TV broadcaster since 1962 the license fee money

RTE receive together with the commercial advertising they are
permitted under the broadcasting act 2009 (albeit limited in
comparison to commercial broadcasters) means RTE's annual
allowance is generally around 350 million according to their annual
reports available online.
The public's discontent stems from whether RTE provide enough
viewers satisfaction and fill the guidelines set out for them by
statutory obligation and the BAI section 124. This discontentment is
emphasised given RTE have close to 1 million per day average
spend and 181 million of this was from tax-payers money in 2012.
Their obligation is to provide programs that 'entertain, inform and
educate in the Irish and English languages and that reflect the
cultural diversity of the whole island of Ireland.' They are also
required to 'present a strong presence of Irish-made programmes in

their schedules.'
The reality is they do fulfil their guidelines remit, but the
programmes broadcast could be of greater creation. And that is
where DkIT come in, to ensure in future years such content will be of
the highest calibre.
All of their well paid presenters set up individual 'companies' and
avoid paying tax. I think that is a disgrace.
SIPTU urges HSE and
ambulance service not to

use Eircode system
LISTEN: The union says the system should be fit for purpose
first
NEWS
SIPTU is urging the national ambulance service and

management of the Health Service Executive not to implement
the new Eircode system.
The union says the postcode system should not be used until
it is proven to be fit for purpose.
Freight companies including FedEx and DHL say they will not
use the service because it is 'outdated' and the unique sevendigit codes are not searchable on Sat Navs or Google Maps.
While there has also been complaints that some homes are
being marked in the wrong towns, counties or provinces including locating Shannon Airport in Co Limerick, instead of
Co Clare.
The new service is optional and will not replace any existing
lines of addresses.
Eircode says 2.2 million individual numbers will be posted to

properties in the coming days.
But Paul Bell, health division organiser for SIPTU, told
Newstalk Lunchtime the glitches should be worked out first.
Tuesday 14 July 2015
http://www.newstalk.com/Eircode-HSE-glitches-postcodesIreland-Paul-Bell-SIPTU-boycott-ambulance-service
under 's leadership officials mislead Oireachtas and public

re data privacy & industry consultation
Are you aware how much you have been

mislead when it comes to the 50M
National Postcode?
EXTREME CAUTION: ANYONE

DEMANDING AN MUST GIVE
JUSTIFICATION AS THE NORMAL
USE OF EIRCODE IS OPTIONAL.
BEWARE FINANCIAL PROFILING!
what have not told the public is that An Post

require a postal address & legally need not use or
other
50 Christmas lookups is more misleading info

encouraged by re the code & use by An Post. An
Post also mislead Oireachtas
Loophole allows Eircode to run

adverts which falsely claim
codes "save lives"
The advert, which ran on both television and radio stations, claimed an
Eircode would help emergency services find you faster.
December 19, 16
AN ADVERT REGULATOR cannot ban a misleading ad by

Eircode because of a loophole in public service
broadcasting which puts an inordinate amount of power in
the hands of the government.
The ruling relates to a public service advert promoting
Eircode as a better piece of information to give to the
emergency services than an address, with the advert
claiming it will help us find you faster.
This is despite a FactCheck by TheJournal.ie which found
that there is no evidence that Eircodes save lives, as
claimed by Minister for Communications Denis Naughten.
The advertisement featured free of charge on RTs
television and radio channels as it was classed as a public
service advert despite Eircodes status as a commercial
body.
The advert also carried no departmental or government
agency endorsement, which is the normal procedure with
public service or safety adverts.
Despite this, Naughten did approve the advertisement,
commenting in the Dil in November of this year:
While there is no requirement to reference the
Department in a public service announcement, my
Department did approve the public awareness campaign.
Public service
Three complaints about the advert were made to the
Advertising Standards Agency of Ireland (ASAI); one from
Lynn Boylan of Sinn Fin, one from the Irish Fire Services
Association, and one from a consumer who runs a location
codes business.
In a statement to the ASAI, Eircode said that the advert
never made any claims about saving lives, and that it was
filmed with the full consent and approval of the HSE, the
National Ambulance Service (which featured in the video)
and the Department of Communications.
The draft conclusion of the report found that the
advertisement strongly implied that you needed an
Eircode to access the National Ambulance Service, and
that they would reach you quicker if a code was given.
But in their final ruling, the ASAI found that although
Eircode is a private company, they fell within the remit of
a public service announcement, and so no sanction would
apply to them.
During the Executives investigation of the case,
information subsequently came to light which would
indicate that, by virtue of stakeholder interest in Eircode,
the marketing communication concerned was, effectively,
a public notice; public notices are excluded from remit of
the Code of Compliance (Section 2.3).
FactCheck: Has Eircode really saved lives?
In a statement to TheJournal.ie, Lynn Boylan said that the
ruling went way beyond her original concerns about the
advert.
We have a situation whereby a Minister approved a public

service advert that has been found to breach all four codes
of the advertising standards and yet no sanction can be
applied. The ASAI cannot prevent the advert from being
shown again and the BAI cannot publicly uphold the
complaint.
This undermines the credibility of all public service

adverts and also places a huge amount of power and
influence in the hands of the Minister for
Communications.
Under the current system, a Minister can potentially sign
off on an advert that they know is deliberately misleading,
exploitative or unsubstantiated to promote a government
policy or activity.
Minister Naughten must answer questions why he
approved a public service advert for Eircode that was
misleading and clearly exploitative of peoples fears. He
must also immediately address the loophole in the
legislation and move to ensure that public service adverts
have some mechanism outside of the political sphere for
assuring their content is appropriate.
Its not clear whether the Minister will now run a separate
advertising campaign to correct misinformation given out
by Eircode, or continue to promote the use of Eircodes as a

safer means of communicating with the emergency
services.
http://www.thejournal.ie/eircode-loophole-3149653-Dec2016/
Eircode was designed to help Irish Water build a database

of all homes in the country, to help Revenue track down
anybody who didn't pay the hated Property Tax, to keep
tabs on every citizen in government departments like
Social Welfare. It's a BIG BROTHER invasion of citizen's

rights to privacy and it's not by accident that Rabbitte,
who came to the Labour Party via Democratic Left/The
Worker's Party would introduce a postcode useful for
spying on citizens - after all Democratic Left/The Worker's
Party were big fans of East Germany (DDR) where the
state kept extensive files on all it's citizens.
Now retired on a fat pension Rabbitte is never off the radio
and television where he lectures us on water charges and
Labour's other hated austerity measures. Not a word
about his waste of 38 MILLION though, then again he is
never asked about this fiasco by the likes of Sen
O'Rourke or Marian Finucane.
When Rabbitte was turfed out he gave his pet project to
his colleague Alex White who implemented the code and
present Communications Minister Independent Blueshirt
Denis Naughten is continuing to force the code on the
public with expensive adverts on radio, TV and in the
newspapers.
There should be a law to prosecute politicians who
squander our taxes. They should have their lucrative
pensions taken off them and be made to pay back at least
some of the money they squandered.
NO NO No. our very own resident Blueshirt , posing as an
Independent. But really one of Endaspendents is now keeping this
flag flying.. nO to Rabbitte. no no to Alex White and NO MEANS NO
to Denis Naughton. We will not be numbered we will not be tagged
like Cattle. Another total waste of taxpayers money
THIS SUNDAY AND EVERY SUNDAY.

OVER THREE YEARS MARCHING THROUGH THE CITY
CENTRE
MEET AT 12:30 AND MARCH AT 1.30
Dublin Says No...We are the ordinary people of Ireland. We
have taken it upon ourselves to march weekly in unity with
many other communities across the country, in order to
show the Government of Ireland that we 'The People' will
resist.
We will resist the imposition of this water tax/charge (this
will be a second charge for water as we already pay for it
through taxes) and we will resist the installation of water
meters.
We will resist T.T.I.P
We will resist Austerity.
We will resist Evictions.
We will resist Bank Bail-Outs.
We will resist Natural Resources sell-Offs.
We will resist Media Bias.
We will resist Government & Banking Corruption,
Incompetence, Nepotism, Greed, Lies, Miss-Management,
Political Elitism.
We want a better future for ourselves, our children,
grandchildren...
We want a new political system - by the people, for the
people.
We encourage anyone and everyone, no matter what your
own political views are, to join us.
We each have our own political views and we each have
our own visions of what the future Ireland should look like.
What we all do have in common is the fact that we want
'change', a change that will benefit all of us.
All we ask is that NO political banners/flags etc are carried
- this is a 'Peoples' march.
We meet at The Central Bank, Dame St, Dublin at

12:30...each and every Sunday.
Apollo House activists

receive thousands of
volunteer applications
The Children's Minister Katherine Zappone has called for
residents in the property to be allowed to remain in the
building
NEWS
A government minister has called for the activists and

homeless people occupying a NAMA owned office block
in Dublin to be allowed to stay until other arrangements
can be found.
Apollo House on Tara Street in Dublin has been occupied by
activists since last Thursday - with 35 people sheltering in the
property on Sunday night.
The group - backed by a number of high profile Irish artists
and musicians - have renamed the property "Home Sweet
Home" and have said they are receiving phenomenal
support from the public.
Large donations of food, clothing and furniture continue to
arrive at the building and the groups spokesperson, Rosi
Leonard said around 2,000 volunteers have now made contact
looking to help out.
This afternoon, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs,
Katherine Zappone said she is concerned about the legality of
the occupation but called for the group to be allowed to
remain, "if that is what provides appropriate shelter for those
people during Christmas."

Minister Zappone said she shares the view of homeless
campaigner, Fr Peter McVerry who has applauded the
demonstrators but warned that the occupation is not the
solution to the homeless crisis.
Home Sweet Home spokesperson, Rosi Leonard said the
building's 35 residents have settled in really well adding that
the support from the public has been just fantastic.
Rosi Leonard of the Irish Housing Network outside Apollo House in

Dublin. Image: Sam Boal/RollingNews
We are just continuing to process all the donations that have

come through and take on new volunteers. The public support
is absolutely phenomenal, she told Newstalk.
Ms Leonard said the property is currently at capacity however the group hopes to extend the facilities and add more
beds over the coming days.
We are linking up with other services and soup kitchens to try
and make sure that as many people have a safe bed for the
night - but currently we are at capacity here, she said.
Dublin City Council Motion
Meanwhile, an emergency motion is being submitted to Dublin
City Council today calling for the official recognition of Apollo
House as a bona fide homeless hostel in Dublin.
Anti Austerity Alliance (AAA) Councillor Michael OBrien will

submit the motion commending the activists who have
occupied the property and calling on Dublin City Council to
officially recognise the property.
Councillor OBrien is also calling on NAMA to withdraw their
injunction ordering the activists to vacate the premises.
It is indefensible to have people removed who have just
settled down, he said adding that the injunction was a
politically stupid move on the part of NAMA and the receivers
appointed to the property, Mazars Ireland.
Councillor OBrien said the action was a legitimate and
justified act of civil disobedience and deplored what he called
the sniffy attitude displayed by the Minister for Housing,
Simon Coveney towards the occupation.
The well planned no nonsense approach of the activists
stands in marked contrast to the snail's pace approach of the
government who are totally wrapped up in the property rights
and the rights of developers and landlords to turn a profit from
a basic human need, he said.
Front entrance of Apollo House in Tara Street, Dublin. Image: Sam

Boal/RollingNews
The motion to be put before the council also calls for
authorities to recognise time served for residents of Apollo

House in terms of their position on the priority homeless
housing list.
Ms Leonard said 'Home Sweet Home' would welcome the
motion adding that the group, "needs all the support we can
get.
We did this as a very serious effort to try and save lives and
take people off the streets so anything that will help us in the
safe and secure running of the place is welcome, she said.
This is one of many vacant buildings in the city and as we
know there are over 193,000 homes vacant in the country.
We wanted to show that things like this are possible - but we
also wanted to show that if the government are not going to
take action then the people are going to take action.
She said the group have not had any further contact from the
authorities since receiving the order to vacate.
A spokesperson for Mazars - the receivers appointed to the
property by NAMA - said the illegal occupation of the building
- which is not suitable for living accommodation - presents
serious insurance and health and safety issues which we
cannot take responsibility for.
As Receivers we are legally obliged to protect and secure the
property, she said. The current occupiers are trespassing on
private property and we are asking them to leave with
immediate effect.
Speaking in the Dil on Friday afternoon, the Minister for
Housing Simon Coveney said he can understand the group's
frustration but warned the occupation was "not the way to go."
Minister Coveney said that a major homeless initiative is
already working for the city and he praised Dublin City Council
for creating 210 safe new beds for the homeless in just one
month.
Irish actor makes impassioned speech in Dublin
In an emotionally charged speech in support of the occupation
at Dublins Axis Theatre over the weekend, director and actor
Terry McMahon said the group would continue, as long as
250,000 properties lie empty and our government continues to
do nothing.
We will fight to ensure that nobody ... nobody else dies in a

doorway, he said. Our freedom was fought for 100 years ago
and today we ask ourselves what are we prepared to do for
the people who need us most.
He said Ireland has failed the leaders of 1916 miserably,
horribly, shamefully.
This is our Ireland and it is a different war now; insidious,
malignant, cancerous. Idealists are liars, heroes are cowards,
bullets are banks and bombs are big business," he said. "They
dont call this war a rising or a revolution, they call it austerity."
This is our Ireland where corporations can operate tax free
with impunity, where natural resources can be purchased for a
song, where our national leaders lie on the world stage about
a recovery."
Mr McMahon said that during the last eight years of austerity
more people have died by suicide in Ireland than died during
the thirty-year-long troubles in Northern Ireland.
This is our Ireland, not the governments, not the banks, not
the corporations, not the scum in three piece suits who know
the price of everything and the value of nothing," he said.
We ask ourselves, if not us, who? If not now, when? And
finally we ask ourselves, when exactly did we allow a tiny
coterie of controlling class scum to make us forget just what a
f**king sublime nation we are.
This is our Ireland.
The Department of Housing has been contacted for reaction to
Councillor OBriens motion to have Apollo House recognised
as an official homeless shelter.
It is believed to be the first chapter or branch of the

charity to have such an advocacy service liaising with
the banks and vulture funds.
Mr Smith, who is also a businessman, has this week
appealed to anyone facing mortgage difficulties not to
bury their head in the sand but instead, ask for help,
do not ignore the letters.
Talk to someone, be careful who you talk to but ask for
help. At the first sign of trouble do not throw the letter
away but ask for help, he said.

Mr Smith said, There is a shame factor of falling into
arrears and the shame of getting the Saint Vincent de
Paul involved. Traditionally it is associated with the
social welfare system and the stigma attached to it.
However just 1 of the 400 helped was from a local
authority estate in Drogheda.
He said he would like to see an independent advocacy
service, staffed by people with experience, prepared to
act on behalf of those facing losing their homes.
They must be able to talk to the banks and to advocate
on behalf of the people and stand up for their rights,
he said.
Joe Sweeney, Drogheda area President of the SVP
said that nearly all of the distressed mortgage holders
it helped were in employment and many were
professionals.
One case involved a man (61) whose wife passed away
and they did not have mortgage protection. He was
given a final demand to vacate. Mr Smith has secured a
moratorium and a lower interest rate.
Mr Sweeney said the man had been sold a E160,000
mortgage when he was 52 years old that will run until
he is 80.
They also helped a couple where both were working,
the woman was diagnosed with cancer and her
husband had his hours reduced. Mr Smith has got their
mortgage repayments reduced by 50 percent to E800 a
month.
Mr Sweeney said they also intervened for a widow who
was E65,000 in arrears on a mortgage of E15,000. They
submitted a proposal to the bank to capitalise the
arrears and extend the mortgage to the maximum

term.
Mr Smith said, the banks work with me, they do work
with me, we have done in excess of 400 (properties)
and we have lost two.
Meanwhile the charity says the demand for Christmas
hampers is up 25 percent on last year and around 500
will be distributed in Drogheda and environs.
17 December 2016
This is the cabinet that sat back during a housing crisis.
This is the cabinet that allowed countless to die on the streets.
This is the cabinet that controls empty NAMA buildings.This is the
cabinet that started eviction proceedings against the homeless
currently occupying Apollo House, and want to send occupants back
to the cold streets
SHAME!
Simon Coveney, come

down and talk with
us, says Glen
Hansard
The singer has issued an
invitation to the Minister for
Housing to visit Apollo House,
in Dublin, which has been
occupied by campaigners who
aim to bring an end to
homelessness.
Its a bitterly cold December day, but the

crowd outside the Apollo House building on
Dublins Tara Street is in good form. When
Glen Hansard arrives a huge cheer goes up.
You could describe Hansard as one of the
most prominent supporters of the Home
Sweet Home protestors, who have taken over
the building to shelter Dublins large, and
growing, homeless population. In fact,
however, he is more than that: here, he is an
activist as well as a musician. He has clearly
been instrumental in what he describes as an
act of civil disobedience. Others involved, to
one degree or another, include musicians
such as Damien Dempsey, Christy Moore,
Villagers and Aslan, actors Saoirse Ronan and
John Connors, filmmaker Jim Sheridan, and
drag performer and activist Panti. Dublins
Mattress Mick has donated beds and
blankets to the shelter.
Hansards intervention came about through
talking to friends.
It was conversations, it was compassion, it
was empathy, he says. It was something
we are sorely lacking over the last few years.
Theres a general move in the world,
unfortunately, back towards greed and
selfishness. I guess, in a way, a bunch of
concerned friends got together and started
having conversations.
Its amazing what happens when you start
talking about something how the world
seems to get behind you. People come out of
the woodwork and say, I might be able to

help with that. Let me sit down with this
person. Before we knew it we were sitting in
a room with a couple of hundred people
going, We all agree on the idea, what can we
do?
Taking over Apollo House came about
fortuitously, he explains.
By chance, just by chance, this building
came into view. We all sat and we talked long
and hard about it. There were people willing
to come in here and this building was taken.
We saw the opportunity and we moved in
very peacefully. This is not about exclusion.
This is not about us building a fort and
locking everybody out. This is about housing
people not housing people, my apologies
sheltering people. Thats the governments
job to house them.
Donations and offers of help have been
pouring in since the occupiers took over the
building. It is a brilliant and hugely welcome
testament to the common decency of a huge
number of ordinary citizens. However, what
will be needed in time, says Hansard, is a
longer term solution.
The positive reaction has been incredible.
What we need is to sustain this. The positive
reaction, were so happy with it and it
actually drives us on, and gives us the spirit.
But what we cant lose here is the humility of
what we plan to do which is to shelter
people, at least until the weather changes,

and hopefully engage the government in a
conversation.
This isnt about anti-government, it isnt
about anti-NAMA, its about inclusion: will you
come and talk? Simon Coveney come on
down and see the place. Just talk with us,
because this is a conversation that needs to
happen.
Homeless people very often cant vote
because they have no address to register.
This makes them voiceless and therefore
easy for politicians to ignore. Musicians and
actors, however, have loud voices. Hansard
appeared on The Late Late Show to discuss
the occupation and the larger issue of
homelessness. Does he feel he has an
obligation to lend his voice to social issues?
Its an interesting question and a question
thats difficult to answer because it involves
the ego, and the ego is a very tricky thing.
There I was last night talking to Ryan
[Tubridy] and everything else Im giving
my voice to this, but I am also looking around
my friends and at other people. This is more
than just a few singers and friends and
actors. This is lots of people and they are all
giving.
Its a popular movement?
Yes.
The group has already received advice from
homelessness campaigner Father Peter
McVerry on how best to proceed. And there
will be more consultations as they go. In the

meantime, Hansard asks that anyone who
wants to help continue bringing donations.
So far it is doing what this lady is doing
now, and he points to a woman who is
making a donation, walking down here and
handing stuff through the gate. Its very kind
and very generous. But to be honest with
you, this is all brand new for us. Were trying
to figure it out. We got in, people are
sheltered the rest of it were figuring out.
Home Sweet Home is a campaign to end homelessness
in Ireland.
There are 260 people sleeping on the streets of Dublin
every single night with more than 6,500 'officially
homeless' people, including 2,400 children growing up in
hotel rooms. 70 families a month are going still losing
their homes.
The life expectancy for a homeless woman in Ireland is 38,
roughly the same age as during the famine period of
1847.
This is obscene in a country with so much wealth. The
homeless crisis could be over very soon if the government
made it their priority, but this is simply not happening.
Instead, our government prioritise tax cuts for
corporations and high income individuals.
The homeless need our help and we are sick and tired of
waiting while families go homeless and people die in the
streets, so now we are taking action.
We are asking you to support us in housing homeless

people until the government gets its act together and
realises that the most vulnerable in our society are the
priority.
Please help us with funding so we can house homeless
people directly. We need your support. All money
received will go into a campaign that will get people off
the streets, into adequate shelter and end homelessness
in Ireland.
It's time to make the change we want to see.
(This gofundme is run by Oisn Fagan, a member of the
Irish Housing Network finance team. All your generous
donations will be drawn down by the Irish Housing
Network, who are one of the groups running the Home
Sweet Home campaign. All donations will go directly
towards the costs of running the current action, and any
excess will go directly into a campaign that ends
homelessness in Ireland.) Hi everybody. Thank you so so
much for all your wonderful donations. We are
overwhelmed by your support.
I just want to reiterate that all these donations are going
directly into the running of Apollo House and ensuring the
safety of our volunteers and our residents.
Your donations are the fuel that will keep this campaign
alive, and your passion, practical support and generosity
are what will end homelessness in Ireland. Thank you
from all of us at Home Sweet Home.
This campaign belongs to everyone of you.

.js-pagination-content
Help spread the word!
Thousands of People
Have Pledged Their
Money and Time to
the Home Sweet
Home Campaign
Over 2,000 people have raised
nearly 100,000 in just four
days.
It's only been a matter of days since Home
Sweet Home activists began their occupation

of Apollo House in order to provide
accommodation to the homeless of Dublin
over winter, but already thousands of people
have pledged their support to the cause.
A gofundme page was set up on Friday by
Oisin Fagan, a member of the Irish Housing
Network finance team, with all donations set
to go to the Irish Housing Network and
excess funds to be given to the campaign to
end homelessness.
The campaign has enjoyed considerable
public attention due to the involvement of a
number of high profile Irish figures such as
Hozier and Jon Connors.
Irish musician Glen Hansard spoke with Hot
Press during the weekend and outlined why
action was taken to occupy Apollo House.
You can read our discussion with Glen here.
Despite news that the legal action will be
taken against the people occupying the
NAMA-owned building, it is expected that
Home Sweet Home will be allowed to
continue their campaign until after
Christmas. As many as five families are
currently residing in Apollo House.
You can offer your support to Home Sweet
Home here: gofundme.com/home-sweethome-ireland.
Katherine Zappone: Homeless should stay

in Apollo House until alternative
accommodation found
19/12/2016
Homeless people being illegally sheltered in the Nama-owned

Apollo House building should be allowed to stay there until
after Christmas instead of facing trespassing notices, a
Government minister has said.
Fiachra Cionnaith of the Irish Examiner writes that
Children's Minister and unaligned Independent TD Katherine
Zappone made the remark in Government Buildings this
morning, saying while she has concerns about the situation,
the individuals should not be moved unless "appropriate
shelter" elsewhere is found.
Late last week more than 20 homeless people and celebrities
including singers Glen Hansard and Damien Dempsey
occupied the former Department of Social Protection building
near Tara Street dart station in Dublin to highlight stark levels
of homelessness across the country and the need for
immediate action on the issue.
The building is in the possession of Nama, which is seeking
the removal of the individuals who are acting as part of the
Home Sweet Home campaign.
http://www.hotpress.com/features/reports/Thousands-ofPeople-Have-Pledged-Their-Money-and-Time-to-the-HomeSweet-Home-Campaign/19263214.html
Asked about the situation on Monday morning, Ms Zappone

admitted she has concerns about a group of people taking
illegal ownership of a property saying her views are similar to
those expressed by homelessness campaigner Fr Peter
McVerry.
However, she said if no suitable alternative accommodation is
found, those involved in the campaign should be allowed to
stay at Apollo House until after Christmas so they do not have
to face the holiday season on the streets.
"If that's what provides the appropriate shelter for those people
during Christmas, why not," she said.
"It is very complicated, there are lots of things that need to
change.
"There is a lot of administrative bureaucracy, we need to cut
through that tape in terms of supply, and I'm very glad we're at
the point that there's some form of rent freeze over the coming
years.
"But it isn't moving fast enough so I think it is really important
and I welcome engaged citizens to call for more," she said.
So it's o k to be homeless after Christmas

Catherine Its all just a show they say a puppy is not
just for Christmas WELL HOMELESSNESS IS

CERTSINLY NOT. What have YOU done. NOTHING
you are all TALK since you got the BIG MONEY
How big of you Catherine .I was listening to
Keenlans Shanley this morning ,with a mother of
three living a broken destroyed life ,facing
repossession .Keenlans voice heavy with that fake
sympathy, RTE do so well, seemed oblivious to the
fact that she and all her friends in the media fully
supported and continue to support the vile artificial
power structure that crushes the likes of that
lady .You cant have it both ways Keenlan .Same
goes for you Zappone
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.'m (Gene
Kerrigan)
Nama building is ours whats Enda kenny

going to do now
Dec 19, 2016
v=oBIEwvHJxVo&feature=share
If you needed more proof that the Government is fuelling
the homelessness crisis in order to artificially inflate the
market for housing then look no further...
"Officials in the Department of Finance warned Mr Noonan
that the introduction of the help-to -buy scheme could
drive up the price of homes and land, and they
recommended against its introduction.
According to documents released to The Irish Times under
the Freedom of Information Act, Mr Noonan told officials
the idea of the scheme was to drive up demand in order to
make it more attractive for developers to build homes for
first-time buyers."
They knew that this scam that Noonan was introducing in
the budget was to appeal to the greed of the wealthy land
owning/developer classes at the expense of the poor and
they are turning the homelessness crisis into a investment
opportunity for "The Market".
They didn't care about the effects on the poor and that is
why initiatives like Home Sweet Home are needed more
than ever.
The moment you try to use "The Market" to solve social
issues, then you have lost.
The vultures have taken over the rotting corpse of Ireland
and will bleed her until she is dead and they will feast on
the remains until there is nothing left.
And that is who you have running the country...
First-time buyers tax

refund was opposed by
Michael Noonan was warned the plan would drive up
house prices, documents show
Sat, Dec 17, 2016, 01:00 Updated: Sat, Dec 17, 2016, 12:17
Fiach Kelly
Minister for Finance Michael Noonan overrode the concerns of his officials to
introduce an income tax refund scheme for first-time house buyers.
Photograph: Dara Mac Donaill
Minister for Finance Michael Noonan overrode the

concerns of his officials to introduce an income tax
refund scheme for first-time house buyers.
Officials in the Department of Finance warned Mr
Noonan that the introduction of the help-to -buy
scheme could drive up the price of homes and land,

and they recommended against its introduction.
According to documents released to The Irish Times
under the Freedom of Information Act, Mr Noonan
told officials the idea of the scheme was to drive up
demand in order to make it more attractive for
developers to build homes for first-time buyers.
The policy was also championed by Minister for
Housing Simon Coveney and was included in the
programme for government.
Its aim was to help first-time buyers overcome
difficulties in accumulating a mortgage because of
Central Bank rules which were in place at the time.
R
R
R
Emergency shelters costing Dublin City Council 1m

weekly
Apollo House protesters to meet owners over
occupation
housing problem?
A paper sent to Mr Noonan by his officials on

September 5th, a month before the budget, said the
Central Bank rules were designed to protect the
banking sector and the State from another instance of
overheating of the property market, which left a
severely damaged economy in its wake when the
property bubble burst.
It is not clear what market failure would be addressed
by the proposed tax relief.
Ultimately, it is not clear whether such an incentive
would reduce the numbers in the rental market or
instead lead to greater competition for certain
properties, thus driving up the cost of homes without
having any impact on supply.
Recommendations
Despite their opposition, officials outlined
recommendations on how the scheme should be
designed if Mr Noonan pressed ahead.

These included a proposal to end the scheme in 2019
and restrict it to new builds to increase housing supply.
Mr Noonan included both. A recommendation that it
should not apply to homes costing more than
400,000 was not followed.
Mr Noonan extended the threshold to 600,000,
although the benefits after 400,000 were capped at
20,000.
The upper limit was later changed to 500,000
following Fianna Fil concerns.
Ireland must be in top 5 worst Governments in the whole bleeding
world. I have never been so outraged with politicians in my life like I
am now with that lot that "represent" us. They only defend their own
interest and millionaires interest. The whole NAMA deal with vulture
funds is sickening, if only we could have an investigation I'm sure we
would find a lot of dodgy deals happened in the process and
probably are still happening. What is wrong with people for voting
them cunts back in power? I hope there is a hell so they can all burn
in it
Una Mullally: Home Sweet

Home is the real New
Politics
People take action on homelessness because the
Government has failed to act
about 19 hours ago
Una MullallyFollow @UnaMullally
Apollo House, a vacant Nama-owned property in Dublin city centre has been
taken over by concerned citizens, including high-profile personalities and is
being used to accommodate homeless people. Video: Bryan O'Brien
New Politics is a meaningless phrase really, a

political PR term that has no basis in invention or
change. Our parliaments seem to be consistently made

up of mostly conservative politicians who often retreat
to local concerns. They rarely offer big ideas or
underpin their processes with anything other than
reactive firefighting.
Political journalists are very often process-focused
when it comes to how things operate on Kildare Street,
examining the workings of political systems as onepart theatre, one-part complex machine. Much analysis
is done on which cogs are turning and which actors are
on the stage. The public remains outcome-focused, that
is to say people want to know what is actually being
done about the issues they are facing, and impatiently
desire results.
Politicians themselves seem to remain resolutely selffocused, the intellectual collateral damage of being an
elected official, always looking to how they can take
credit or slam the competition or bolster their position
to get re-elected.
Last Thursday, journalist and lecturer Harry Browne
and I spoke on RTs Late Debate about the politics at
work outside of the Dil; the grassroots movements,
the people power, the protests, the campaigns. This is
where the politics of our day is happening, online and
off.
R
R
R
Una Mullally: Will the tech overlords save us from

Trump?
Una Mullally: Irish emigrants are not magic people
You cannot decry public drug use and object to
injecting centres
Politics and activism

We didnt know that, as we were talking about the
housing crisis and how the public were taking politics
and activism into their own hands, a group was
occupying Apollo House, a Nama building on Tara
Street in Dublin. This is the real New Politics.

The Home Sweet Home volunteers and the Irish
Housing Network and leaders such as Rosie Leonard
took over the Apollo House office block and began
moving people in. On social media, they called for
volunteers. The event was bolstered by celebrity
support from musicians. These people will be praised,
and they will also be called naive and idealistic. Those
characteristics are preferable to cynicism and
defeatism.
Dublin has a dereliction crisis, but such dereliction also
offers a solution. Thousands more people could be
living in the city centre between the canals if there was
any sort of political will for it, if there was any sense of
urgency from politicians, if there was any proper
strategy to tackle dereliction, if there was any sort of
creativity or invention at all coming from government.
But our elected officials dont want to upset the
landlords and landowners. Remember, many of them
are of that class themselves. They dont want to get on
the wrong side of developers or upset the market.
The dawdling by the Government and local authorities
on this issue is scandalous. Even now, when supposed
action is being taken on vacant sites and derelict
properties, the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act
2015 which introduced the vacant site levy, wont make
that levy payable until 2019. When Dublin City Council
audited vacant or derelict sites in the central Dublin,
the 282 sites counted made up 61 hectares of land.
Thats nearly seven times the size of St Stephens Green
park. We have two more years of landowners being
allowed to leave sites empty in prime locations across
our capital without any repercussions while people
queue outside houses with scraped-together deposits
bulging in their pockets and families sleep in cars.
While children study on top of one another in hotel

rooms. While families move into B&Bs. While people
languish in Direct Provision accommodation. While
homeless people die on the streets. While people are
evicted. While students sleep on couches. While greedy
landlords pack rooms with bunkbeds and charge rent
by the mattress. And crucially while the Government
hums and haws about social housing.
People power
If the official channels are failing to provide for our

people, then of course citizens are going to start doing
things themselves. At this point, we really have to ask
how has government failed so badly on housing policy
that citizens have to take matters into their own hands.
How has this crisis, so blatant for so long, not been
addressed with a multitude of actions by the
Government? How come citizens are showing more
leadership on this than our actual official leaders?
How come groups of people have more ideas, show
more invention, are more organised and effective and
dynamic in asserting themselves on this issue than
government itself? The Irish people demanded
leadership on our multifaceted housing crisis. It was
not forthcoming. Is it any wonder that the next step is
citizens taking over buildings?
Housing and homelessness and emergency
accommodation services are unbelievably stretched.
Theres a reason moments like Apollo House are
happening. If theres a vacant building owned by Nama
(which actually means that its owned by us, the
taxpayers and citizens of this country) that could be
utilised to safely accommodate people, short-term or
long-term, the people of Ireland are entitled to take it
over. Why not? What possible moral objection could
anyone have to that? Its ours. People need a roof over
their heads. This is of course messy and unofficial,

but its not wrong. More power to them.
http://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/una-mullallyhome-sweet-home-is-the-real-new-politics1.2910571
Una Mullally gets right to the heart of the problem with
politics in this country and why we need to take "people
power" seriously as a force for change...
"The Irish people demanded leadership on our
multifaceted housing crisis. It was not forthcoming. Is it
any wonder that the next step is citizens taking over
buildings?"
Follow
Glen Hansard
Verified account
From in two parts.. please take

a read.. powerful stuff.
This act of civil disobedience is

about starting a long overdue
national conversation, it's
about dialogue and inclusion..
all welcome.
This building was taken over

peacefully last night.. my
sincere compliments to the

Garda seargent that had to do
Well done .In the midst of the season and in
keeping with its spirit A heart warming gesture
from you .
Nothing Else Mattress

@HSHIreland #OccupyNama #endhomelessnessnow
pic.twitter.com/FGGmRiJdrK Bit Thompt (@BitThompt)
December 16, 2...
broadsheet.ie
A letter to everyone.. especially my 'middle class'
friends.....
One very long, but very heartfelt ;and important post.
Even if you dont like me, or know me, please read this.
Actually, especially, if you dont like me,or know me; read
this.
Seems like a few of you like my stories; BUT, as much as
I write, I hold back about things that hurt me most. I guess
in an attempt to move hearts while protecting privacy;
mine and others; Ive never said enough.
But then, yesterday; having had my heart blown apart; by
the below video, the last six years of my life, and the
suffering I witnessed, hit me like a ton of bricks. This
impassioned speech, sums up exactly how I feel; and how
many of us feel. And every insulting word used, is
absolutely excused, in a case where it is unlawful to
oppose, let alone attack the oppressor.
So first to talk about homelessness. Something I have

experienced; because in a privileged middle class world,
family are supposedly expected to look after each other.
Ironically however, in a privileged world, the oppressed
have only themselves to blame'... So, instead; babe in
arms, and without a pot to piss in, I sold my soul and
worked my ass off; to gain a place in social acceptability.
So much so, that I ended up successful, with my own
business; having hardly seen my only child grow up; my
time spent mostly surrounded by fairly detestable people.
When the 2008 recession hit, everyone including long
term staff turned on my business; including to steal from
it. And when I hired an expert to deal with the banks and
the fall out, he did a dirty deal behind my back with the
landlord. But I can read hearts, so I knew; and I shut the
whole thing down, just before they were going to pounce.
It was the only way to stop the corruption around me, but
it meant destroying myself financially; so I did it.
That was 2010, and I was deemed destitute within two
months. I brought a till float of 200, home with me to
survive on. A friend then loaned me money to keep
going; and make sure the staff were up to date etc. I was
told I could not get social insurance support, because Id
been self-employed. This, like much of what the poor are
told, was untrue; but in the meantime I had nothing. The
first year I had no heat; no exaggeration; and I had
enough food to live; but it was damn hard. And through all
this, I was never ashamed to tell. Just afraid. Afraid of the
lack of compassionate care, and afraid of inevitable
predators. All but one or two of the friends I had
disappeared, and then, having being recommended for a
job, one of my friends said I couldnt be trusted, because
I had lost my business.
But still, I am from the so called middle class privileged
group. Educated. Good family. All of that supposed
support in life. The problem with the middle class though,
is that they expect too much. Not just from those
suffering, but from each other; and from an economic
system that is fundamentally flawed; due to inequality. If a
middle class person gets paid in cash, its savvy; not
illegal. If they snort coke; theyre cool, not a junky. And
they can and will excuse oppression at any opportunity,
because few, will call them out on it; and because they
can often afford to cover it up. The middle class are the
biggest facilitators of gross wrongdoing by those truely
yielding power. And the middle class, for the most part,
must work far too hard; to survive themselves. So, on the
blame game goes; Right stays right , and Left stays left;
and 'wrong' .... And apparently never the twain shall meet.
By 2012 I was struggling even more, and terrified of
various institutions; determined to get me and my son out
of our small home. I then became a target of the most
scurrilous of predators. And then, following a few short
weeks of desperate suicidal thoughts, I collapsed. What
followed, was a year of the most intense head pain,
tinnitus so loud I couldnt hear people speak, and total
lack of co-ordination. I went into physical rehab and I
went into myself; and I slowly healed. Due to my illness I
received apology letters from a bank, as well as a general
decline in pressure; but it was far too late. And those old
friends never reappeared Well,.. save for when one or
two sent me bills for 'help' I'd received. Heartbreaking;
that was.
I was told I would never be allowed to work on my feet
again. So as soon as physically strong enough, I applied to
do a degree in law. And perhaps for the first time in my
life, I got nothing but high honours.. Most probably
because my artistic right brain hemisphere was affected
by the illness. Or maybe I was always clever; as opposed
to what extremely nasty nuns and others convinced me of.
Going to college though, lost me the Mortgage
supplement Id had, so I had put our little home on the
line. I was tired and felt damn sorry for myself.
And then one of my middle class childhood acquaintances
messaged me here on Facebook. She was homeless and
living in a four to a room hostel; paying 100 per week to
be there. Terrified and oppressed, she was not allowed to
live with her only child till she had a home. She asked for
help; so we met in Dublin after thirty odd years, and made
a plan. It took three months and the help of several people
to end her misery. And now she and her child are together
in a lovely home, both happy; both functional. And in fact
those who helped this girl were all 'middle class'. In fact
that is the very reason it all worked so fast.
So... Dear middle class friends, and others, you know a

little more about me now. And the above story of a
beautiful friend's homelessness, is one of many I have had
first-hand experience of; including the fact that my dear
my friends died in a fire, purely because DLR Co. Council
left an official halting site, filled with unofficial dangerous
dwellings; at risk. And now my friends are gone.
What none of you will know about me though, is that when
I was ill, it was those same Traveller friends, who held my
hand, walking me to the shops, when my balance was
gone. Those same beautiful people, who loved me the
same regardless of so called 'class'. That same family
Terry chose to mention, in this speech for Home Sweet
Home Eire. At least their lives have now been
acknowledged publicly. And it will serve as a reminder, to
ensure that those who survived ('dumped' in the car-park
since); will not be forsaken. Not by us anyway.
What none of you will know about, is that if you sat
chatting with me in the last six years or so; if I wasn't
eating, I most likely was hungry, because that is
something I got used to; and trained myself to be ok with.
I am fearful of homelessness that could happen any day,
but I prefer to convert that emotional energy to something
that might help others somehow.
And what you wont know about me, is I understandably
find it almost impossible to trust anymore; so if you are
my friend; you are a true diamond in the proverbial rough.
So please listen to what this man Terry McMahon has to
say; because hand on heart I can tell you, over the last
few years, he has kept a lot of people on their feet; and
kept them from leaving this tough world of ours. I know
this, because I am one of them.
And please take off your legal, political, or judgmental
hat while listening to, and watching this. The truth packs a
powerful punch; if you let it..
I will support Home Sweet Home Eire, because these are
the only people giving support and safety to our homeless;
with no financial conditions attached. Their dignified and
respectful approach is something we could all learn from.
This is the only chance of true recovery this country and
our weary wounded have. Thanks to these people:
Brendan Ogle, Dean Scurry, Jim Sheridan, Liam Maonla,
Glen Hansard, Damien Dempsey, John Connors, Mattress

Mick Flynn and their devoted team. And thanks to the
beautiful brave homeless for trusting them.
And a big shout out, to the The Irish Times for their
support.
VIDEO: 'This is our Ireland. Not the government's,

not the banks''
Writer/Director Terry McMahon, speaking at an event in the Axis
Theatre, Dublin,
VIDEO: Today the European Commission published its full

decision on the finding that Ireland offered computer giant
Apple up to 13 billion in illegal state aid. Cliff Taylor
explains the controversial decision.
http://on.irishtimes.com/HLEiwrL
VIDEO: 'This is our Ireland. Not the government's, not the
banks', not the corporations, not the scum in three-piece
suits'
Full video:
http://on.irishtimes.com/uVpXa5P
Home Sweet Home - The Beginning (UTV Ireland)

https://r19---sn-q0c7dn7y.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?
mv=m&pl=16&mt=1482191837&ms=au&id=o-ADuLV2FVIldXslxrK3AjX36oD0P1ETRZmY1iV6cS9zM&ei=3XRYWJ6MLsWP1gKigKCIDA&expire=1482213693&gir=yes&ip=89.100.45.63&ratebypas
s=yes&mn=sn-q0c7dn7y&source=youtube&mm=31&sparams=clen%2Cdur%2Cei%2Cgir%2Cid
%2Cinitcwndbps%2Cip%2Cipbits%2Citag%2Clmt%2Cmime%2Cmm%2Cmn%2Cms%2Cmv%2Cnh
%2Cpl%2Cratebypass%2Crequiressl%2Csource%2Cupn
%2Cexpire&lmt=1482155711792268&requiressl=yes&clen=16204849&initcwndbps=1293750&key=y
t6&signature=4252898004C97DD77B1A30F0158479FA7CEB7240.99B83D51A9E1CFDC423A48EA6752
1E4C3FDB7445&ipbits=0&nh=IgpwcjAxLmR1YjA2Kg0yMTMuNDYuMTY1LjUz&upn=zFaW9LOI9Do&itag
=18&mime=video%2Fmp4&dur=304.367&title=Home%20Sweet%20Home%20-%20The
%20Beginning%20(UTV%20Ireland)
Kenny Donates to Arcade in new york instead Of Putting

Irish tax payers Money instead of looking after severe
Homeless in Ireland and Corrupt FG, FF, and LB scum No
Responsibility Austerity Kill People Dec 19th 2016
This video is worth watching to the end. I am sure you will
enjoy it.
Only the ignorant elite want what is happening in Ireland
today.
Our elected leaders need to take time out to study what

will happen if the down ward spiral continues for much
longer.
They can no longer depend on the judges to slap people
down, because the people are now on the rise, and the
courts will fail if they keep on the path of their dictatorial
role, no people will suffer that for long,
We need proper policing proper justice we need our poor
and the homeless to be looked after. January and February
are forecast to be the coldest in living memory, yet we
know people will not be able to heat their homes, and our
social welfare will not be prepared to help them out,
because it will cost money. Yet our government is able to
spend millions on foreign projects, they say this is
investing for the future, but our people who are dying now
will not benefit from this waste of money now or in the
future. Joe Doocey and Colm Granham are fighting a battle
against injustice and against corrupt policing, the powers
that be are willing to jail them just to silence them in case
they may wake you up, well if it takes two gentlemen like
Colm and Joe to wake you up you are as near to death as
any man can be, so sleep away my fellow country men, if
you do not know already what is going on around you .
Your funerals will go unnoticed, your lives will only be
remembered by the grave stone over your head in the
ground, what a waste of life, it should have been given to
some worthwhile person who would have made use of it.
https://www.facebook.com
Just over a week ago I attended a meeting with the artists

and activists now involved in Apollo House. I explained
how the government (and NAMA) are trying to increase
property prices so that developers can build and make at
least 15% profit - and that is one of the main reasons for
the housing and homelessness crisis. When I said the

government's reliance on the 'market' meant they have to
restrict supply, meaning they refuse to build public
housing, Glen Hansard and Jim Sheridan, in particular,
seemed shocked.
For many it's difficult to believe that our own elected reps
would deliberately participate in creating such a housing
crisis, one that is making 70 families homeless every
month. But here it is in black and white.
Minister Noonan knew exactly what he was doing in the
recent Budget where he gave tax cuts and incentives to
drive up the price of housing against the wishes of his own
Department.
"Officials in the Department of Finance warned Mr Noonan
that the introduction of the help-to -buy scheme could
drive up the price of homes and land, and they
recommended against its introduction.
According to documents released to The Irish Times under
the Freedom of Information Act, Mr Noonan told officials
the idea of the scheme was to drive up demand in order to
make it more attractive for developers to build homes for
first-time buyers."
The frustrating thing is, they not only drive up housing
prices, but they actively restrict wage growth making it
impossible for a worker to afford a place to live.
As Conor McCabe explains, you can't have a policy of high
housing costs going hand in hand with a policy of low pay.
And Ireland is currently the country with the second
highest prevalence of low pay in the entire OECD, but has
among the most expensive property in Europe. This is a
crisis that could be averted, but for the ideology of the
main political parties and the people they represent.
THIS IS DISGRACEFUL.. THESE PARASITES ARE CAUSING THE
HOUSING SHORTAGE AND THEY SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM
OFFICE. THIS IS TRUE BROWN ENVELOPE EXPLOYTATION

Michael Noonan was warned the plan would drive up house prices,
documents show
IRISHTIMES.COM
Activists take over city block to house

Irish homeless
By Donie O'Sullivan, CNN

Updated 1752 GMT (0152 HKT) December 19, 2016
Homeless man Quentin Sheridan stands outside the office

block taken over by activists in Dublin.
(CNN)A group of activists have taken over an

empty office block in Dublin, Ireland, to
house the city's homeless.
The activists, who are backed by a slew of
Irish celebrities including singer Hozier,
actress Saoirse Ronan and director Jim
Sheridan, took over the property Thursday
night and say they are overwhelmed by the
level of support from Dubliners who have

donated beds, food, and other essential
items. More than 90,000 euros (about
$94,000) had been raised through a
GoFundMe page by Monday afternoon for the
"Home Sweet Home" campaign.
Follow
Hozier
Verified account
Anyone wants to support and

their work w/ donations: . Info
on
The building is linked to an Irish governmentbacked "bad bank" that was set up after the
collapse of the Irish property market in 2009.
More than 200 people are sleeping rough or
staying in a homeless cafe in Dublin,
according to the most recent statistics
compiled in November. However, another
4,900 people are without a home, staying in
emergency accommodation, including hotels
and hostels.
Housing Minister Simon Coveney condemned
the takeover.
"To occupy a building and try and put
supports together in an ad hoc way is not the
way to deal with this," he told Parliament
Friday. The Department of Housing, Planning,
Community and Local Government told CNN
the government has provided enough
accommodation for all of the city's homeless.
"Everyone who needs a bed can get a bed,"
the department said.
Follow
Glen Hansard

2:18 PM - 16 Dec 2016
Civil disobedience
Activists including Academy Award-winning
songwriter Glen Hansard argue that because
the building is linked to the National Asset
Management Agency (NAMA), it "belongs to
the Irish people."
NAMA is a "bad bank" that was set up by the Irish
government to acquire bad loans that property
developers and other debtors were unable to pay
after the collapse of the Irish economy in 2009.
The accounting firm Mazars, the receivers
appointed to the property by NAMA, disagree with
Hansard's assessment and on Friday their lawyers
sent a letter to the activists asking them to vacate
the building.
"Anyone who pays taxes in Ireland knows that
buildings like Apollo House that are part of NAMA
belong to Irish people," Hansard told CNN. "This is
an act of civil disobedience, we shouldn't have to do
it but the government is not doing its job to house
the homeless."
"We're sick of walking down streets in Dublin seeing
people having to sleep in doorways. These are very

good people, many of them lost everything in (the
financial crisis of) 2008," he added.
<imgalt="ActivistsplayedIrishrebelballadsaftertakingoverthe
buildinginDublincitycenterlastweek."class="media__image"
src="http://i2.cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/161219105430irish
homelessoccupationlarge169.jpg">
Activists played Irish rebel ballads after taking over the

building in Dublin city center last week.
Support from Sinn Fein
A Facebook Live video showed the activists as they

took over the building Thursday night, singing the
Irish rebel ballad "The Foggy Dew" after they
entered the premises.
Ireland's left-wing political parties have voiced their
support for the occupation. Gerry Adams, the
president of the Irish republican party Sinn Fein,
said that the campaign showed the "undaunted
spirit of the Irish people."
'Not the solution'

n a tweet Friday, the Dublin Simon
Community, a homeless charity, said the
project would "provide much needed respite."
But one of the country's most prominent
campaigners on the issue said he would not
be lending his support to the occupation.
Father Peter McVerry told The Irish Times that
while he applauded the group for highlighting
the issue, it was "not the solution."
HOME SWEET HOME. WALK FOR THE HOMELESS WICKLOW - RISE
UP!
Thank you to everyone for your support & donations in solidarity &
awareness for our homeless citizens. Ireland needs to wake up &
fast, to the reality our country is in. Families are living in tents &
people are dying on our streets. More people are facing being made
homeless everyday. Suicide & mental health issues are increasing
more everyday.
The corrupt government keep ignoring the reality along with the
media & the so called guardians of the peace. It is all only going to
get worse. Think of our people in need & our children's future, stand
up, make your voice be heard. No more ignoring the reality. Help
save lives.
Have a listen to Fiona Nichols, Phil Maher & Sean Doyle telling the
truth, something the media continue to hide. Respect to every
single person all across Ireland helping out any way they can with
every humanitarian act. We need to keep it going strong. Remember
1916, this is 2016, keep moving forward, never give up.
HOME SWEET HOME. HELP THE HOMELESS
Support the occupation. Keep updated like & share the Home Sweet
Home page.https://www.facebook.com/Home-Sweet-Home-Eire161288547233/ #HomeSweetHome
The government had better step back from this one, we had a
similar thing happen in Cork some years ago, but we didn't have the
level of enforced homelessness back then so it didn't gain traction,
this is very different. If the government are foolish enough to send in

the goon squad (and I think they are that foolish) the backlash will
be the end of them!
My mortgage is around 800 per month, Im paying close

to 500 a month and you dont approach the bank
anymore.
You dont ask questions because youre afraid to come to
their attention.
Mum facing 'Christmas from hell' as she battles to

save home from repossession
IRISHMIRROR.IE|BY ANITA MCSORLEY
19 DEC 2016
A woman has described a Christmas from hell as she

battles to save her home from repossession.
The mother, whose case came before Cork Circuit
Court last week, said the stress is so unbearable she
hasnt been able to put up decorations for a holiday she
once loved.
Fighting back tears, she explained: I dont have any
Christmas decorations up. I dont have any Christmas
shopping done. I love Christmas, but you dont think
about anything else when this is going on.
Its at the back of your head the whole time. You talk to
people, you pretend that everything is normal, but

nothing is.
Its like standing on quicksand. You cant do anything.
She also opened up about the circumstances that lead
to her fighting for her home through the courts.
My marriage broke up. Obviously the financial crash.
My wages sunk, I actually havent had a pay rise since
2004.
My mortgage is around 800 per month, Im paying
close to 500 a month and you dont approach the
bank anymore.
You dont ask questions because youre afraid to come
to their attention.
You just want to stay quiet and hopefully you can carry
on with things a little bit longer, she said.
The woman admitted that she has been keeping the
situation from her children, who have no idea they
could be about to lose their home.
Im in pieces, she cried to RTE radio.
My head is suffering. Im constantly stressed. I find
everything so difficult and they dont need to live like
this.
They pick up on things when theyre not good, but they
dont know.
The woman broke down as she recalled something her
youngest son said to her recently.
He had a bunch of change for a collection for Focus
Ireland and he actually said, mum, at least well help
some homeless person, and Im actually thinking, that
could be you!
She described the stress she is going through as
unbearable.
I can feel my whole body crumbling. Im so tired and

weary all the time. I would love to just sleep, sleep
properly just to actually not be thinking constantly
about every decision you make in your life.
You be thinking about your kids and their future and
what theyre planning on next year.
Am I going to be in my home when my child is doing
her Leaving Cert, or is she going to be sitting in a hotel
room studying?
http://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/irish-mother-facingchristmas-hell-9485199
Fund for European Aid to the Most

Deprived (FEAD)
<div id="playbutton"> </div>
The Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD) supports EU
countries' actions to provide material assistance to the most
deprived.
This includes food, clothing and other essential items for personal use,
e.g. shoes, soap and shampoo.
Material assistance needs to go hand in hand with social inclusion
measures, such as guidance and support to help people out of poverty.
National authorities may also support non-material assistance to the
most deprived people, to help them integrate better into society.
How does the FEAD work?

The Commission approves the national programmes for 2014-2020, on
the basis of which national authorities take the individual decisions
leading to the delivery of the assistance through partner organisations
(often non-governmental). A similar approach is already used for
cohesion funds.
EU countries may choose what type of assistance (food or basic
material assistance, or a combination of both) they wish to provide,
depending on their own situation, and how the items are to be obtained
and distributed.
National authorities can either purchase the food and goods themselves
and supply them to partner organisations, or fund the organisations so
that they can make the purchases themselves. Partner organisations
which buy the food or goods themselves can either distribute them
directly, or ask other partner organisations to help.
How are partner organisations selected?
The partner organisations are public bodies or non-governmental

organisations selected by national authorities on the basis of
objective and transparent criteria defined at national level.
How much money is available?

In real terms, over 3.8 billion are earmarked for the FEAD for the
2014-2020 period.
In addition, EU countries are to contribute at least 15% in national cofinancing to their national programme.
How does the FEAD complement the European

Social Fund (ESF)?
FEAD support will help people take their first steps out of poverty and
social exclusion. The FEAD will help the most deprived people by
addressing their most basic needs, which is a precondition for them to
be able to get a job or follow a training course such as those supported
by the ESF.
The Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD) supports EU
countries' actions to provide material assistance to the most
deprived.
This includes food, clothing and other essential items for personal
use, e.g. shoes, soap and shampoo.
Material assistance needs to go hand in hand with social inclusion
measures, such as guidance and support to help people out of
poverty.
National authorities may also support non-material assistance to the
most deprived people, to help them integrate better into society.
http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId=en&catId=1089
my former landlady was paying 700 a month mortgage AIB put it up
to 850 over 3 years - the rent we were paying via r.a.s covered her
original mortgage but thanks to aib 's increases she fell into arrears
and we faced eviction because she would have had the house
repossessed fortunately for us she sold the house to the local
council and we were allowed to stay put ,but AIB are now chasing
her for a further 30k "loss of potential interest " due to her
mortgage being paid off ahead of time. what sort of legal system
allows that to happpen -robbing bastards!
because bullies always pick on the smallest,most vunerable

first....then came portugal,greece,italy & spain.....jean claude
junker,drunk before noon running the show........europe at the
moment is an lunatic asylum run to facilatate ptivate
corporations......generations in the future will look back at the
history of this era and compare it to facist germany pre 2nd world
war
because bullies always pick on the smallest,most vunerable
first....then came portugal,greece,italy & spain.....jean claude
junker,drunk before noon running the show........europe at the
moment is an lunatic asylum run to facilatate ptivate
corporations......generations in the future will look back at the
history of this era and compare it to facist germany pre 2nd world
war
FG attacks 'outrageous'
threat to impose new
charges on tenants
John Downing Twitter
BIO
PUBLISHED
17/12/2016
1
Demands: Fianna Fil housing spokesman Barry Cowen. Photo:
Tom Burke
The Government has downplayed threats of

a backlash by landlords in response to a new
law aimed at capping rent increases at 4pc
per year.
The move by Housing Minister Simon Coveney caused
three days of bitter political rows with Fianna Fil,
underpinning the minority Coalition, and other
Opposition parties who have said the measure was not
good enough. But Mr Coveney persisted with the
legislation, which Government colleagues argue is a first
important move in bringing order to a chaotic rental
market, especially in Dublin and other large population
centres.
The Dil last night backed Mr Coveney's rental control
plan. TDs voted by 52 to 43 in favour - but there were 25
allowed the measure to become law. The Dil vote means
the draft law will go to the Seanad next week for the
senators' approval.
A group representing landlords has, however, warned
some of its members may withdraw from State-subsidised
rent schemes and introduce a series of new charges for
tenants on things such as keys, parking, and
administrative costs to claw back what the group has said
are heavy revenue losses.
"The measures being introduced are so severe that rents
significant - all adding to the exit of the investor," said
Stephen Faughnan, chairman of the Irish Property Owners
Association (IPOA), which said it had 5,000 members.
But Government chief whip Regina Doherty rejected the
IPOA arguments, and said this was an "outrageous"
warning. "It is statements like that which give landlords a
bad name," she said. She also questioned how many
property owners the organisation actually represented.
Ms Doherty defended the new law, and said it would help
tenants keep their homes by moderating rent increases.

She thanked opposition parties for their help in ensuring
passage of the measure, despite difficulties, including a
mistake in the drafting process, which caused further
delay yesterday.
But the IPOA said it was seriously contemplating its
strategy for the future. The rent caps are expected to apply
in rent pressure zones covering all of Co Dublin and Cork
city from January.
The cities of Limerick, Waterford, and Galway, and
Dublin's commuter belt, are expected to be included from
later in 2017. Other parts of the country can then be
designated as rent pressure zones.
Much of the delays were due to demands by Fianna Fil's
housing spokesman Barry Cowen, who said he wanted an
earlier extension of the rent pressure zones.
Mr Cowen also unsuccessfully called for a halving of the
rent increase to 2pc.
Following a row over mistakes in the legal text, Mr
Coveney said his department had checked the new
wording to ensure rents in designated areas would not
increase by more than 4pc per year.
http://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/propertymortgages/fg-attacks-outrageous-threat-to-impose-new-charges-ontenants-35301104.html?
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Richard Curran: Rental

plan is just cream on the
cake for many landlords
Richard Curran
EMAIL
PUBLISHED
18/12/2016
Minister for housing Simon Coveney
There is a new endangered species in

Ireland. Its Latin name is "landlordus
Hibernicas residentalis" but it is commonly
known as the Irish residential landlord. It
seems that in attempting to control
spiralling rents that are ruining many
people's lives, this delicate and shy creature
must be coaxed to remain in business at all
costs.
It happened back in 2015 when then environment minister
Alan Kelly tried to introduce some kind of rent certainty.
His proposals, which would have gone a considerable way
towards capping rents, were ambushed by Fine Gael.
The rental scheme that emerged from the coalition
discussions was diluted beyond recognition and the
situation has just got worse.
It has happened again with housing minister Simon
Coveney's proposals to control spiralling rents.
Coveney has a tough, if not impossible job. Accused of
giving too much to landlords by some, nonetheless, he had
a battle at Cabinet with some colleagues just to get this
plan over the line as they didn't want rent caps at all.
He opted to contain rent increases to 4pc per year for
three years in particular designated cities. Any less than
that and the landlords will leave the market, apparently.
Fianna Fail wanted it to be just 2pc, which is more
popular, but then wanted to give sustenance to landlords
by providing them with tax breaks as compensation.
Fianna Fail and Fine Gael reached a compromise on what
areas would be reviewed to see if they should be covered
by the rules, but the 4pc increase stands.
One question is where did the 4pc figure come from? Why
that figure and why not stick it to the rate of inflation?

Bear in mind that average rents in Dublin went up by 15pc
in 2014, 8.5pc in the 12 months to August 2015 and are up
11.7pc in the 12 months to September 2016.
When asked about it on RTE Radio's Morning Ireland, the
minister suggested that 4pc was a reasonable figure
similar to a rate of return that might be sought by the likes
of the Irish Strategic Investment Fund.
Of course, this has nothing to do with the rate of return in
residential investment property. Many landlords are
already making "returns" or yields in excess of that,
without any further increases. According to one property
website, as of June 2016, the yield on a one-bedroom
apartment in Dublin 1 was 8.7pc. On at three-bedroom
house in the same area it was 6.1pc. In Dublin 7 the yield
on the same size properties was 7.9pc and 5.7pc.
Bear in mind that any investor who bought a property in
2012 or 2013 won't be rushing to leave it behind given that
he/she can sell it tax free if they hold on to it for at least
seven years.
IRES is a residential property investment company listed
on the stock market. It bought 442 apartments in Tallaght
a year ago. Tenants in the 85pc of the apartments that
were occupied were delivering a gross yield of 7pc. This
was expected to increase to 8.4pc on the remaining 15pc
through higher rents.
Coveney's 4pc per year is just cream on the cake for many
landlords who bought in recent years.
However, there are landlords who are not ripping people
off and many other reluctant or accidental landlords who
got caught in negative equity on second properties, such as
apartments.
They owe a fortune on them and are hoping that rent rises
will help them to get out of them. But if they haven't sold
yet, and crystallised their losses, they are extremely
unlikely to do so now.
Bear in mind that rents in Dublin are on average 9.3pc
higher than at the peak of the boom. In Cork they are 8pc
higher and in Galway City they are 14pc higher.

Yet, average house prices in Dublin are still 30pc lower
than at the peak of the boom. Somebody is seriously
cleaning up. This plan puts an end to the free-for-all in the
rental market, but it is too little, too late. For many the 4pc
is just another dollop of cream on top.
Strong dollar good news for Irish plcs in the US
Whatever about "making America great again", Donald

Trump simply cannot buck the basic laws of economics.
Since winning the US presidential election, the US dollar
has climbed sharply in value. During the week it hit a 14year high against the euro on the back of an interest rate
rise and the fact that the US Federal Reserve signalled up
to three more hikes in 2017.
Trump seems to want a strong dollar. Yet at the same time
he wants companies to produce more goods in America
and increase exports. A strong dollar will undermine
America's competitiveness when it companies to selling
their US-made products around the world.
The latest speculation is that Trump's Corporation Tax
reform will cut the rate but in a way that benefits exporters
the most. It may even see big importing companies get a
lot less of the tax benefits. This is bad news for US retailers
who import most of what they sell.
It could spell trouble for growth in FDI in Ireland. The US
is our biggest export market with 26bn of exports last
year accounting for nearly a quarter of everything we sell
abroad.
A lot of it is pharmaceutical products, chemicals, medical
devices and drink. Any US company supplying the US
market with product it is having made in Ireland, might
not get the tax benefits that Trump's incoming
administration is talking about offering.
In the meantime, a strong dollar will be good for any large
Irish company that sells a lot of product in the US and gets
paid in dollars. This includes the likes of CRH which
generates around 40pc of revenue in dollars. Kerry Group
has sizeable operations in the US and a client base there
too. The American market is also a big play for Glanbia.

No wonder then, that CRH's market value is up nearly
3bn since November 1st. Kerry group's market value is
up 600m in the last month. And Glanbia's is up 290m
since the beginning of November.
The risk for all of these companies is that Trump may
deliver a strong dollar but what other damage might he do
to the economy along the way?
Our farmers may be meat in the Brexit sandwich
Ireland's meat exports to the UK could be quite literally

"slaughtered" according to warnings from the Irish
Farmers Association (IFA). Its president told an
Oireachtas committee during the week that 80pc of our
meat exports to the UK could be lost and 60pc of dairy
exports, in the event of a hard Brexit.
Assuming a reasonable level of exaggeration or hyperbole
in these estimates from the lobby group, would still leave
Irish farmers in big trouble.
Cross-border trade in meat is enormous. For example, the
IFA explained that 350,000 lambs and some half a million
pigs were sent North for processing there. In the absence
of EU rules, the World Trade Organisation tariff regimes
would be applied between the two jurisdictions resulting
in between 15pc and 50pc on meat and dairy products.
The really big meat processors in Ireland have facilities in
the UK to supply the British market and could offset the
financial pain by switching capacity and investment across
the Irish Sea or simply north of the Border. Smaller
operators would suffer a lot more.
But of course farmers would be hit very hard. Processors
here, big and small, would have to squeeze them further
on price to continue to make a margin if tariffs were
introduced.
It could lead to quite a boom for British farming - which is
part of the whole idea.
http://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/propertymortgages/richard-curran-rental-plan-is-just-cream-on-the-cake-formany-landlords-35302447.html
COMPENDIUM OF SCIENTIFIC, MEDICAL, AND MEDIA

FINDINGS DEMONSTRATING RISKS AND HARMS OF
FRACKING (UNCONVENTIONAL GAS AND OIL
EXTRACTION)
Fourth Edition November 17, 2016
this report widely because it can be cited as evidence if you ever
have to object to a licence for fracking or any other unconventional
extraction of gas or oil.
Also put it in the Files Section of groups or ask someone else to do it
for you.
PINNED
https://lookaside.fbsbx.com/file/COMPENDIUM4.0_FINAL_11_16_16Corrected.pdf?
token=AWx1kbxp3trKBQ8tZH33QiVsi1yKGy8EpF089EL2p7k_E3j_TTh
LW_EGxQD_mpZk1gNKPdCWOYL7edx5q1N_qB0j_OdebSF5Z3uYn14s0gcyL3G7FpIVQ3c
HAc0aPdbt4YQJ7lJpqNOi1wbmO3pXQZw
Debt the First 5000 years

https://libcom.org/files/__Debt__The_First_5_000_Years.pdf
Tantrum from landlords

ignores need for reforms
in rental sector
Paul Melia Twitter
EMAIL
PUBLISHED
17/12/2016
1
Fintan McNamara from the Residential Landlords Association.
Photo: Mark Condren
It is hard to know whether the threat by

landlords to withdraw from State rental
schemes and pass on a raft of charges to
tenants is posturing, or a reality the
Government will have to face.
Housing Minister Simon Coveney's rent control measures
outlined this week, which are expected to become law
before Christmas, have certainly raised the hackles of the
Irish Property Owners Association (IPOA), which has
5,000 members across the State.
It said some members have threatened to withdraw from
State-sponsored rental schemes, despite in many cases
signing legally binding leases with local authorities. It has
also proposed charging a payment to collect keys,
imposing service charges and registration fees, obliging

tenants to pay for parking and documents, and even
asking tenants to contribute towards the Local Property
Tax - which the Revenue Commissioners have said must
be paid by owners, and not those renting.
The IPOA's claims that its members are "hard-pressed"
and "victims of the newest onslaught on the sector" ring
hollow. As far back as 2009, it was saying the same thing,
yet the number of people renting and the amount being
charged has since increased. The fact that tenants living in
almost 150 locations across the State have experienced
double-digit hikes in recent years means there is little or
no sympathy for landlords. But the IPOA appears to be of
the peculiar view that throwing a tantrum is the best
course of action to stop these measures from becoming
law.
But here's a wake-up call. Fianna Fil and Fine Gael have
agreed the measures, so they are coming into force.
Threatening to impose a raft of additional charges as a
means to circumvent the rules is counterproductive.
While many TDs are landlords - including Housing
Minister Simon Coveney, Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie
Flanagan, Government chief whip Regina Doherty, as well
as John McGuinness and Timmy Dooley from Fianna Fil
- to say our politicians are in thrall to landlords is a
stretch. If so, why introduce the concept of rent pressure
zones and effectively cap rents for the next three years?
There's little doubt that the rental market as it currently
exists is dysfunctional, serving neither the landlord nor
tenant well, and changes are needed. There is no security
of tenure, and landlords are not treated fairly by the
taxation system - a point acknowledged in the
Government's 'Strategy for the Rental Sector'. There are
not enough inspections of rented properties, and landlords
who breach the rules are rarely punished.
But this cohort are in the minority. Most landlords are far
removed from the greedy money grabbers they are often
branded, but the actions of those who seek to increase
rents at the first available opportunity paint them all in a

bad light.
The majority own one, two or three properties, and many
are servicing hefty mortgages. Many are accidental
landlords, stuck with a house or apartment which their
family has grown out of but which they cannot sell because
it is in negative equity. Others have been left high and dry
by tenants who refuse to pay but won't leave the property.
And there's no doubt that many renting are paying less
than the market rates, because their landlord is happy to
keep them in the property. Some have genuine concerns
about the cap being introduced, and a major bone of
contention is the 4pc limit on all tenancies, which will
leave many out of pocket.
"I didn't realise the extent of the controls which would be
assigned to new lets too," said Fintan McNamara (inset),
from the Residential Landlords Association.
"If you have a tenant where you didn't put up the rents and
they paid below-market rents, that rent applies to new lets
too. It means landlords will have to charge 4pc every year
just to keep up. The ones charging large rents will be
rewarded.
"It wouldn't be so bad if it only applied to existing
tenancies. It's very rigid. If they don't relax on that I could
see a problem."
The measures will be subject to further Dil debate next
week, but major changes are unlikely.
While the focus has been on the imposition of the rental
caps in Dublin and Cork, to be followed by the other cities
and commuter towns early in the new year, there's a raft of
other proposals in the strategy which must be
implemented to improve the lot of landlords and tenants
alike.
But the rental strategy only forms one part of the overall
package of measures needed to return rents to sustainable
levels. The basic problem is one of supply. There are not
enough houses and apartments being built to keep pace
with demand from those hoping to purchase or rent a
home.
So far this year, fewer than 12,000 have been completed not even half the number needed to meet demand. A more
telling figure is the number of properties on which work
has commenced. So far this year, that stands at fewer than
10,000.
Unless the other strands of 'Rebuilding Ireland' start to
bear fruit, rent controls may end up being in place for
longer than the three years envisaged. And that could pose
a bigger headache for government than a tantrum from the
landlord sector.
http://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/propertymortgages/tantrum-from-landlords-ignores-need-for-reforms-inrental-sector-35301110.html?
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Elizabeth Arnett to leave

Irish Water for Ulster Bank
Public face of utility had high media profile when dealing
with various controversies
December 19, 16
Elizabeth Arnett was praised for her significant contribution to Irish Water
since its establishment in 2013
Elizabeth Arnett is to leave her job as head of corporate

affairs at Irish Water to join Ulster Bank in a similar
role.
Ms Arnett, who appeared regularly on television and
radio in relation to the various controversies at Irish
Water, is to head the banks communications and
corporate affairs operations at a time when it is aiming
to expand again in the Irish market, having undertaken
a major retrenchment following the economic crash.
Ms Arnett has been a member of the senior
management team at Irish Water since September
2013, first as head of communications and corporate
services and, since January 2016, as head of corporate
affairs and environmental regulation. As such she was
the public face of the organisation when many
controversies broke over the establishment and
operation of Irish Water.
A spokesman for Irish Water confirmed the move,
while managing director Jerry Grant referred to her
significant contribution to Irish Water since its
establishment in 2013. She is to leave Irish Water to
take up her new position in March.
Prior to Irish Water, Ms Arnett worked with
multinational energy resource and environmental
consultancy company RPS, where she was a director
since 2009.
She will join Ulster Bank as head of corporate affairs
and communications. Ulster Bank, part of the RBS
group, ran up massive losses during the financial crisis
and significantly reduced the size of its operations here
as a result.
However its parent RBS has said it is committed to
expanding its Irish operation again, hinting that it
might even look for acquisitions to increase its
presence here.
The bank set aside 118 million in its latest financial

accounts to deal with the cost of investigating, repaying
and compensating customers due to overcharging on
tracker mortgages.
http://www.irishtimes.com/business/financial-services/elizabetharnett-to-leave-irish-water-for-ulster-bank-1.2910532
Firm secures Kuwait

water station contract
John Mulligan Twitter
EMAIL
PUBLISHED
19/12/2016
1
Celebrating the deal in front of the iconic Kuwaiti Towers
Irish engineering consultancy firm Fehily

Timoney has won a multi-million euro
contract in Kuwait.
S
The company, which has offices in Cork and Dublin,

secured the contract to design a major water distribution
system in the country's capital city. It will also prepare
tender documents for the project.
Fehily Timoney has signed the deal with Kuwait's ministry
of electricity and water. The company will partner with
Arab engineering consultants and Dublin-based firm
Nicholas O'Dwyer to deliver the project, which is expected
to last 17 months.
At least half of the total project revenue reverts directly
back to Ireland, according to Fehily Timoney.
The new pumping station in Kuwait the partners are
designing will handle twice the annual water supply

requirements of Dublin.
Kuwait relies entirely on saline groundwater and sea water
to meet its water supply requirements. It has no natural
freshwater resources.
Average per capita water consumption levels in Kuwait are
about 470 litres a day.
As many as 16 Irish jobs will be generated over the lifetime
of the contract, according to Fehily Timoney managing
director Eamon Timoney.
The company is also involved in wind energy projects.
http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/firm-secures-kuwait-waterstation-contract-35304127.html
Glen Hansard
channels national
shame about
homelessness
Hansard - "Can you imagine walking home Christmas Eve

after doing your shopping and there's no homeless people
on the street? That's what we're trying to do"
Glen Hansard has made an impassioned

appeal for people to support homeless
coalition Home Sweet Home's occupation of
Apollo House in Dublin, saying that the
NAMA-managed building "essentially belongs
to the people of Ireland".
The singer-songwriter made his appeal on
Friday night's Late Late Show, where he
described the takeover of the vacant office
building on Tara Street as "an act of civil
disobedience".
"I call upon the better spirit of the Irish
people to look at this... it is an illegal act,"
Hansard told host Ryan Tubridy. "We have
taken a building that essentially belongs to
the people of Ireland and that has been lying
empty."
Follow
Glen Hansard
This act of civil disobedience is about starting a long

overdue national conversation, it's about dialogue and
inclusion.. all welcome..
#
4:40 PM - 16 Dec 2016
While the Department of Housing, Planning

and Local Government has said there are
enough beds being provided to meet the
needs of people who are currently rough
sleeping, Hansard said that not enough is
being done.
"The Government will shelter 200 people this
Christmas and there's 260 people between
the Royal Canal and the Grand Canal in
Dublin. Now, this is not only a Dublin issue
but this is for us: between the Royal Canal
and the Grand Canal there are 260 people
tonight homeless," he continued.
"What we would like to do is bridge the gap
Can you imagine walking home Christmas
Eve after doing your shopping and there's no
homeless people on the street? That's what
we're trying to do."
Posted by Entertainment on RT
To applause and cheers from the audience,

Hansard added: "We've got a building. We've
got beds. We've got a lot of people
volunteering. We'll be asking people to
volunteer, we'll be asking people to get
behind the idea. It is a radical idea."
When asked what Home Sweet Home would
do if told to vacate Apollo House, Hansard
replied: "You appeal to the better nature of
the Government and NAMA. This is a NAMAowned [sic] building. If everybody pays tax in
this audience, if anyone knows their stuff
they know that that's essentially our building.
We are just going to take it for a few
months."
Follow
Glen Hansard


#
2:18 PM - 16 Dec 2016
Earlier on Friday, another Home Sweet Home

supporter, director Jim Sheridan, said he
felt he had been "as heartless as everybody
else" about the homeless.
D'Arcy Show on RT Radio 1 on Friday,
Sheridan said of the occupation: "It just
happened because there's a homeless crisis,
and there's a lot of anger that extends even
situation.
epidemic."
Jim Sheridan - "I feel like I've been as heartless as

everybody else walking past people on the street"

become a debate."
people gathered on Thursday night at Apollo
House under the Home Sweet Home banner,
which includes trade unionists, charities and
other artists such as Liam Maonla, Damien
Dempsey, Conor O'Brien of Villagers and
members of Kodaline.
Trade unionist Brendan Ogle, who is a cofounder of Home Sweet Home, told the
paper that the group had identified
the NAMA-managed property in Dublin's city
centre and called the action a "citizens'
intervention in the homelessness crisis".
safe.
Kodaline

Nama building belongs to the people of

Ireland were taking it for a few
months, says Glen Hansard
Singer Glen Hansard spoke passionately tonight about his

role in taking over Nama-owned Apollo House in Dublin
city centre for use as a homeless shelter.
The Oscar winning singer-songwriter was on The Late Late
Show to perform with the RT Orchestra and afterwards
spoke to host Ryan Tubridy about his involvement with the
Home Sweet Home group and 'Operation Nama'.
accommodating the homeless. To loud cheers from The
Late Late Show audience, Hansard confirmed the group
was occupying the Nama-owned building illegally.
Follow
The Late Late Show

Show
#
10:15 PM - 16 Dec 2016

essentially belongs to the people of Ireland and that has
been lying empty.
Grand Canal in Dublin. Now this is not only a Dublin issue
but between the Royal Canal and the Grand Canal there
are 260 people tonight homeless.

appeal to the better nature of the Government and Nama.
for a few months.
different artists, singers and friends over the year, he told
Tubridy.
Apollo House where a group of campaigners have taken

over a vacant building in Dublin city. Pic: Rollingnews.ie
I found myself part of a group of people who are
essentially concerned citizens and we wondered is there a
way that we could stage an intervention on our own
behalf, he said.
So I find myself now part of group called Home Sweet
Home. It is a group of artists, a group of friends, a group of
people that we know and love. Like minded souls. Jim
Sheridan Andrew Hozier, Saoirse Ronan, Christy Moore.
started, he said.
This should be a national emergency... The homelessness
is at a level now, not since the Famine have families been
homeless like they are right now. It is really, really
difficult.
Homeless families are being offered 25 hours of free

childcare a week for their young children.



reminders.

than one classroom.
jurisdictions.
those rights.
Human Rights.
human rights.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/viewpoints/ourview/nohomes-for-2470-of-our-children--un-report-shames-ourcountry-434751.html
Free childcare for families affected by

homelessness
Contracted childcare providers will get a flat weekly rate

of 110 for providing care and a meal.
Funding of 8.25m is being provided to fund the scheme,
announced yesterday by Minister for Children and Youth
Affairs Katherine Zappone.
The scheme for children aged up to five, will start next
month in Dublin where there are around 850 homeless
children who could benefit from it.
Ms Zappone said Focus Ireland would work closely with her
department to identify eligible families.
The Dublin-based City and Country Childcare Committee
will encourage and support relevant childcare providers to
engage with the scheme.
Ms Zappone said the scheme would be extended outside

of Dublin and would be demand led.
She pointed out that it was to be available in Dublin
initially because 85% (2,110) of homeless children live in
the city.
The Community Childcare Subvention scheme has been
changed to allow the new childcare provision.
Focus Irelands national director of services, Catherine
Maher, said the scheme was designed to be as flexible as
possible.
She said more families were becoming homeless in Cork,
Limerick, Waterford, Kilkenny, and Sligo.
We are identifying the areas that have the highest
concentration of homeless families in the regions at the
moment, she said.
The Childrens Rights Alliance said the provision of free
childcare for homeless children was a welcome stopgap.
Let our children judge us on the fight we make on their behalf.
Please will you kindly look at the evidence which says it costs tax
payers less to house the homeless. The most comprehensive
evaluation of housing related support services estimated that 1.6
billion investment generated net savings of 3.4 billion to public
spending. Preventing homelessness is far more cost effective than
dealing with it once it has occurred
d/free-childcare-for-families-affectedby-homelessness-435551.html
Fr McVerry: I applaud Apollo House

sit-in but it's not the solution to
homelessness

NAMA-owned site.
the streets.

long.
Irish charity sector is being

drained by duplication
Agencies are funded mainly by the State, but expanding
payrolls are burning up that money
Mon, Jul 11, 2016, 01:00
Patsy McGarry
Irelands crowded Charity Sector
The Revenue Commissioners recognise 8,194 non-profit
organisations as charities for tax-relief purposes and, to date,
12,500 are registered with the Charities Regulatory Authority. Is
Ireland's charity sector over-crowded?
The charities sector in Ireland is a pretty crowded

space. There is also lots of duplication, which means it
is quite territorial.
It can make for intense competition when pursuing
donations whether from private or State sources. And

the State is the mother of all funders where Irish
charities are concerned.
A good example of proliferation in a specific area of
service where charities are concerned has to do with
suicide prevention/bereavement.
In all there are 48 separate agencies supplying services
in this area, with 13 doing so exclusively.
The largest by turnover is at Pieta House, founded by
Senator Joan Freeman, which had a reported total
income of 5.97 million in 2015. Six of its staff are on
over 70,000 with two earning over 85,000.
It reflects another feature of Irelands charities,
particularly the larger ones; key staff are well-looked
after.
Total benefits received by the eight key management
personnel at Pieta House in 2015, not including
employer pension contributions, was 585,226. It
received 895,228 in funding from State sources.
Other charities operating in this sphere are the Suicide
Research Foundation, Samaritans Ireland, Fight
Against Suicide Limited, Reach Out Ireland Limited,
Irish Association of Suicidology, Sosad Ireland
Limited, Galway East Life Support Limited, and Its
Good To Talk Counselling Psychotherapy Support
Services Limited. In the case of Kinsale Youth Support
Services Limited, the HSE pays 30,000 for one
member of staff. All others involved are unpaid.
Tax relief
Overall, there are 18,539 non-profit organisations in
Ireland, including non-government, non-commercial
organisations that file regulatory returns with the
Companies Office, the Charities Regulator, the
Revenue Commissioners, the Housing Agency and/or
the Department of Education.
The Revenue Commissioners recognise 8,194 as

charities for tax-relief purposes and, to date, 12,500
are registered with the Charities Regulatory Authority.
Included too are, 3,600 schools, the churches, religious
congregations, and trusts.
According to their financial statements, 7,651 Irish
nonprofits on the (non-governmental) Benefacts
database had an aggregate income of more than 7.1
billion in 2014, of which 3.5 billion came from the
State.
Involved are 108,000 employees.
Another instance of the duplication which besets this
sector was evident last week when UN special envoy for
climate and El Nio Mary Robinson visited Ethiopia to
highlight the drought there where over 10 million
people are at risk.
She was accompanied by the chief executives of
Irelands three largest aid agencies Concern
Worldwide (Dominic MacSorley), Trcaire (amonn
Meehan) and Goal (Barry Andrews).
Concern received 24.6 million from the Government,
through Irish Aid, in 2015. It has 32 staff on over
60,000 a year, with four on 90,000-plus. Chief
executive Dominic MacSorley is on 99,000 plus a 9
per cent contribution to his defined contribution
pension.
Remuneration, including pension contributions, paid
to its 10-member executive management team in 2015
came to 874,631
threshold_signed_accounts_2015_cro "There are 8
registered charities working with the homeless in
Dublin. The government gives them millions but all
of it is being spent on huge salaries.
http://www.threshold.ie/download/pdf/threshold_signed_ac
counts_2015_cro.pdf?issuusl=ignore
I am showing the FACTS that needed showing and the money that is
given to these charities with little return is a concern in these harsh
times. The Government are not going to ever provide the housing
you speak of so while people are freezing their butts off in the
street, those wages are still being paid. It's about time these
charities worked within the realms of reality. The charities are
spending nearly every cent they get from the government on
wages. They are not spending the money as it was intended. The
State gave these eight charities money for the homeless. Not for
pay scales for an entity that isn't in the public sector under a
government department...
There are far too many charities "claiming" to help people while
enriching the ceo's etc. Any money I can give to homeless people I
do directly i.e. I hand to the person on the street.

he will not be joining them."
""Though I think they are highlighting the absurdity of the
long."
Why does it matter that it's not a permanent solution?
Anything and everything should be supported...
So it's better to do nothing and let the homeless stay out
in the cold while everyone waits for the Government to
build social housing??
Maybe THIS has something to do with it.
It's a scandal. There are 8 registered charities working
with the homeless in Dublin. The government gives them
millions but all of it is being spent on huge salaries. In fact
the money they get from the government doesn't cover
the big fat salaries in some cases and a lot of the work
they do is duplicated. The money these charities get every
year is more than enough to house the homeless.
Dublin Simon, the Peter McVerry Trust, Depaul Ireland and
Focus Ireland got a total of 33.6 million in grants from
State agencies in 2014, but spent 35.8 million on staff
costs for the 875 people they employed in 2014.
In 2014, Dublin Simons total income was 12,519,761. It
received 6,194,218 from the State. Its average number
of employees was 188 at a total cost of 7,420,022,
including wages and salaries, social security and pension.
Its chief executive, Sam McGuinness, was on a salary of
93,338 a year, with five employees altogether on over

70,000 per annum. In 2014, Dublin Simon also spent
84,980 on motor vehicles.
The Peter McVerry Trust had a total income of 10,656,737
in 2014, of which 6,842,691 came from the State. It
employed 146 employees in 2014 at a cost of just under
8.1 million.
Chief executive Pat Doyle is paid 96,211 (98,382 since
June 2016), the same level as director regional health
office).
The trust pays a 16 per cent employer contribution to the
chief executives defined-contribution pension scheme.The
income of all senior employees is in line with HSE pay
levels.
The Depaul Ireland homeless agency had 213 employees
in 2014. They cost it 6,469,677. Almost all its 9,184,802
income for 2014 came from State agencies.
Four employees there earned over 60,000 each in 2014,
with chief executive Kerry Anthony on between 80,000
and 90,000.
Focus Ireland had an average of 328 employees in 2014 at
a cost of 13.82 million, including pensions and social
insurance costs. In 2014, State agencies granted it 11.38
million.
Its chief executive, Ashley Balbirnie, was paid a salary of
115,000 plus approximately 5,000 in medical insurance
which amounted to a total of 120,000.
The most recent annual accounts audited accounts
available for Threshold are for 2014 and show that they
received 1.3 million in government grants, while
479,000 was raised through donations from the public.
1.2 million of this was spent on a staff of 46. In other
words almost all of the money given by the government
went on wages.
These figures are from Irish Times. I did the Threshold one
myself from their annual report available on their website.
https://www.facebook.com/anna.kavanagh.102/posts/1021
0420356932549
Deal Effect Ireland - Charity Sector

Launch - Fundraising platform using
Daily Deals - DealEffect.ie
Jan 11, 2013

www.DealEffect.ie. Deal Effect will partner with Irish charities
and 11% of all deals sold will be donated to a chosen charity.
Deal Effect will be a commercial business and will supply
quality deals from various categories at hugely discounted
prices. Deal Effect aims to raise over 2.1 million in the next
three years for charities participating in the venture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_Ujy_tv0IM
DealEffect.ie - Founding Charity

Members of Deal Effect Ireland
Sep 16, 2013

www.DealEffect.ie. Deal Effect is partner with Irish
charities/non-profits and 11% of all deals sold will be donated
to a chosen charity. Deal Effect aims to raise over 2.1 million
in the next three years for charities participating in the
venture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzpw6wAz7rU
Time for the charity sector to be

regulated - Gerry Adams
Jan 22, 2014

Sinn Fin Leader Gerry Adams TD has said revelations by
Justice Minister Alan Shatter TD about the Rehab organisation,
information he said the Minister possessed for some time, had
shocked people.
Saying a lack of charities regulation was doing untold damage
to charities and those who depend on them, Mr Adams pointed
out that the Government had refused for three years to
implement the Charities Act 2009 and had resisted Sinn Fin
efforts to get it to do so.
He said the refusal by the Rehab CEO to declare her salary and
a general lack of transparency around remuneration needed to
be addressed.
Gerry Adams said:
"Recent scandals such as that at the CRC and now major
question marks over the fundraising at Rehab are causing
enormous disquiet.
"In 2009, Fianna Fil passed legislation claiming to regulate the
charities sector but never implemented it.
"In February 2012, my colleague Padrig Mac Lochlainn TD
asked Minister Shatter why the Act was not being
implemented.
"In his reply Minister Shatter said: 'It was not practicable to
proceed with the full implementation of the Act at this time
given the financial and staffing resources that would have been
required, hence the implementation of the Act has been
deferred.
"His reply further claimed that 'it is not the fact that the
charities in Ireland are devoid of oversight.'
The Sinn Fin Leader asked the Taoiseach to support Sinn
Fein's Bill to implement all provisions of the Charities Act 2009.
He also asked if the Taoiseach agreed with him that the refusal
thus far by the CEO at Rehab to declare her salary and the
general lack of transparency about remuneration, where it
exists, needed to be addressed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4HDdqoQ6Oo
REPORT ON ABUSE OF CHARITIES FOR

MONEY-LAUNDERING AND TAX EVASION
http://www.oecd.org/tax/exchange-of-taxinformation/42232037.pdf
CHARITIES ACT 2009
http://www.oireachtas.ie/documents/bills28/acts/2009/a0609.pdf
"There are 8 registered charities working with the

homeless in Dublin. The government gives them millions
but all of it is being spent on huge salaries. In fact the
money they get from the government doesn't cover the
big fat salaries in some cases and a lot of the work they do
is duplicated. The money these charities get every year is
more than enough to house the homeless. "
https://www.irishtimes.com//irish-charity-sector-is-being-

http://www.threshold.ie/
/threshold_signed_accounts_2015_cr
Don't like others showing up the absurdity of the situation.
And quite a cozy one it seems to be too...
http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/frmcverry-i-applaud-apollo-house-sit-in-but-its-not-the-solution-tohomelessness-768980.html
Forgery Act, 1913. [3 & 4 GEO. 5. Cu. 27.] ARRANGEMENT
OF SECTIONS. Section. 1. ... Privy Seal of ireland.
Forgery of the following documents, if committed
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1913/27/pdfs/ukpga_19130
027_en.pdf
UK & Ireland Charity Committee Donation Request Form
Thank you for your interest in AES UK & Irelands Charity
Committee. Charitable organisations
http://s2.q4cdn.com/601666628/files/doc_downloads/sustanaibi
lity/charitable/AES-Charity-Committee-Application-Form.pdf
Enough is enough. This NAMA made homelessness scam
has to end. It's not good enough to make the Irish People
suffer so that property prices remain at above Celtic Tiger
levels so NAMA can sell them to vulture funds.
It has got to stop. People are dying because of this
deliberate government policy...
Charity Commission The text in this document

(excluding the Royal Arms and organisation logos)
may be reproduced free of charge in any ... Irelands
charity landscape 2009-2010
https://apps.charitycommissionni.org.
uk/Library/pdf_documents/ccniannual-report-2009-2010.pdf
Why We Occupy
Bodger at 11:22 am December 16, 2016
From top: Apollo House, Dublin this morning; Dr

Rory Hearne
Further to last nights occupation of Namacontrolled Apollo House, Tara Street, Dublin 1
Dr Rory Hearne writes:
Ordinary citizens have stepped up and acted

where politicians and government have failed
over and over again.
Ordinary citizens have bravely challenged the
on-going shameful situation whereby hundreds
of people are forced to sleep on our streets
while there are 35,000 vacant (and liveable)
housing units and thousands of empty buildings
in the city.
An empty NAMA building, Apollo House, in
Dublins South inner city has been opened up by
a citizens alliance of housing campaigners,
homeless people, high profile musicians and
trade union activists to house homeless people.
In the last year the number of homeless families
and children in Dublin has doubled from 770
families and 1185 children last year to 1,353
families and 2020 children this year.
While thousands more face possible
homelessness from the lack of social housing,
unaffordable and rising rents and landlords
evicting to sell their properties, receivers selling
off private rented accommodation,
repossessions of family homes in mortgage
arrears, and the lack of appropriate emergency
accommodation for the homeless and
particularly, victims of domestic violence.
And while the government wrings its hands and
dithers and promises plans, strategies, rapid
build, new supply and fails to provide
affordable housing at the same time they
wont use the thousands of empty buildings
(particularly offices) that the state owns
through NAMA, local authorities and other state
agencies to house homeless and those in need

of emergency accommodation. There are 200,000
vacant (not derelict actually houses liveable in)
across this country, as I said earlier, 35,000 in
Dublin.
Yet dont forget NAMA is ours it is a state
agency belonging to the public. All these
empty NAMA and public buildings are ours
belonging to you.
So why are they not being used to address this
humanitarian disaster here on our streets? It is
because the government has prioritised the
profitability of the banks, the bailing out of the
European and Irish financial system, our
reputation on the international financial markets,
and the bailing out of their developer friends.
They have ploughed 64 billion of Irish peoples
money into the banks essentially into the top
10% the super wealthy. They argued that it
was an emergency and when they needed to be
bailed out and there was no limit to taxpayers
money they would provide and no limit to what
they would do for the financial institutions.
Yet when it comes to the the human right to a
home, for our citizens we are told there isnt
enough funding, they cant refurbish offices,
they have to sell off these buildings to pay back
loans etc etc.
With NAMA the government continues to push it
to use its buildings and land to secure the
highest return which means NAMA is hoarding
vacant buildings and land, waiting for prices to
rise, before it sells them on. It is investing in

office and high-end residential rather than
affordable housing provision.
NAMA holds significant building and land assets
and therefore has the potential to develop
affordable housing if the government directs it
to do so. Remember NAMA is a state agency
that has to do what the Minister for Finance tells
it to!
So it boils down to one simple truth its about
priorities and political decisions.
If they so wished, our government could solve
the homeless crisis within weeks by directing
NAMA to refurbish the empty NAMA and public
buildings in this city and opening them as
hostels and emergency accommodation.
They could hire a few hundred support workers,
security, social workers and accommodation
managers to run them. That would require a
simple political decision just to do it. They have
the money to do it- they have the buildings. Isnt it
time to prioritise the needs of our people ahead of
the financial institutions?
I visited the occupied building this morning to
meet with and express my support to the
activists and they told me that this is about
trying to do something practical to address the
homelessness crisis.
I saw clearly that by undertaking this inspiring
action this citizens alliance is revealing to the
people of Ireland the shame of our current
policies.
It is a hugely symbolic and practical act of
solidarity and social justice. It shines a head

light on a potential (temporary) solution to
growing numbers sleeping on our streets. They
will need all the public and political support
possible in the coming days and weeks.
So if you can do one thing contact them at the
Home Sweet Home facebook page donate and
lend a hand. And please everyone should
email their local TDs and the media to say you
support this the campaign to open up and
refurbish the empty NAMA and state owned
buildings to solve the homelessness crisis and
for the government to start building affordable
homes now.
We have had many commemorations of 1916
this year. But this setting up of homeless
accommodation in a vacant NAMA building is
actually the most truly genuine commemorative
act in this centenary year.
They are fulfilling the Republic of equality
envisioned in the Proclamation. There is light at
the end of this austerity tunnel of inequality and
they are providing it.
Uplift and Home Sweet Home ask you to sign
their petition here: The time for broken
promises is over. Take action today to support
the powerful action by the
#HomeSweetHomecampaign.
Dr Rory Hearne is a policy analyst, academc,
social justice campaigner. He writes here in a
personal capacity. Follow Rory on
Twitter: @roryhearne
This morning.
Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams (right) and
Sinn Fein Dublin City Councillor Chris Andrews
join Dean Scurry , from Home Sweet Home, to
lend their support to the occupation at Apollo
House.
This is a practical but mostly symbolic act to
focus attention on the issue and shame the
government into meaningful action, well done
to all involved.
Well done in your fight against the thatcherite
fascists in government.
Apollo House is central, functional and safe.
Theres toilets and running water, kitchenettes
and enough offices for privacy. Well done to
Home Sweet Home for this initiative.
RTE have listed this under their Entertainment
section. Im speechless
http://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2016/1216/839
329-christy-moore-and-hozier-among-starsbacking-homeless/

Show | RT One
Dec 16, 2016
and #OccupyNama
Shame and media attention is how the

government gets its wheels greased. Grease on.
Good work lads. Im sick of Coventry saying that
appeasing tom parlon and co is the only show in
town. Its time for the government to get
involved in house building. All parlon is offering
us is 300,000 starter homes in west Kildare
for the guard and the nurse
What a load of boll!x
Glen Hansard & the RT Concert

Orchestra - "Song of Good Hope" | The
Late Late Show | RT One
Dec 16, 2016
Glen Hansard & the RT Concert Orchestra perform "Song of
Good Hope" from the "As Seen on The Late Late" album which
is raising funds for St Vincent de Paul. Buy here:
https://itun.es/ie/ril6fb
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHlnq40CQRs
Supreme Court to rule on

Joan Collins appeal on
promissory notes
Independent TD challenged Minister for Finances issuing
31bn in 2009 for bank debt
Thu, Dec 15, 2016, 20:11
Mary Carolan
Independent TD Joan Collins: Maintains the promissory notes were

impermissibly issued without a Dil vote. Photograph: Collins
The Supreme Court will give judgment on Friday on
the appeal by Independent TD Joan Collins against the

rejection of her challenge to the Minister for Finances
issuing of 31 billion promissory notes in 2009 for
Anglo Irish Bank and other financial institutions.
The constitutionality of what the High Court described
as the far-reaching legislation under which the notes
were issued is a core issue in the appeal.
Ms Collins maintains the promissory notes were
impermissibly issued without a Dil vote in breach of
constitutional provisions dealing with appropriation of
public money.
The State pleads the Minister had power to issue the
notes under a 2008 law, the Credit Institutions
(Financial Stabilisation) Act, enacted by the Oireachtas
with the aim of averting a banking collapse. The notes
were security for the Central Bank continuing to
provide emergency liquidity assistance for the banks
after the government provided the bank guarantee of
September 2008.
Promissory notes
The case relates to promissory notes issued for Anglo,

Irish Nationwide Building Society and Educational
Building Society. Anglo and INBS were later
nationalised and, after their successor, Irish Bank
Resolution Corporation (IBRC), was wound up in 2013,
the Anglo note, on which 25 billion was then
outstanding, was converted into long-term Irish
government bonds.
The EBS note no longer exists following the
reorganisation of the finances of Allied Irish Banks,
owner of EBS.
After a three-judge High Court rejected her case in
November 2013, Ms Collins appealed to the Supreme
Court.
The death of Mr Justice Adrian Hardiman earlier this
year meant the appeal, which opened before a sevenjudge court, finished last April before a six-judge court
with judgment reserved.
Her lawyers argued a statutory power to charge the
central fund is unconstitutional unless that charge is
prequantified or there is an outer limit on it.
It is unconstitutional for the Minister to charge a
public fund under statute unless the imposition of the
charge has been considered in advance by the Dil,
they also argued.
Her counsel John Rogers SC said Ms Collins, as a
citizen and TD, had a right to have the democratic
process adhered to when the Minister decided to
provide the promissory notes.
Relinquished control
The 2008 Act, an empty shell of an Act, had

relinquished the budgetary control of the Dil, he said.
The State, through its counsel Michael McDowell,
maintained the situation in 2008 was not normal.
The Minister, it was argued, remained fully
accountable to the Dil and the Oireachtas was
entitled, under the 2008 Act, to authorise the Minister
to take the necessary steps to stabilise the financial
position of the State.
In November 2013, the High Court, comprising Mr
Justice Peter Kelly, Ms Justice Mary Finlay Geoghegan
and Mr Justice Gerard Hogan, ruled the promissory
notes were validly issued under a law which was
constitutional.
The State later said it would not seek the substantial
costs of that hearing against Ms Collins if she did not
appeal.
When she did, the State sought its costs against her but
the High Court refused that application and ordered
the State to pay 75 per cent of the substantial legal
costs incurred by the TD. She would have to pay the

remaining 25 per cent herself, it said.
The case raised exceptional issues affecting the
operation of the States finances, many of which had
never been previously considered, the High Court said
in its costs ruling.
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/highcourt/supreme-court-to-rule-on-joan-collins-appeal-onpromissory-notes-1.2907727
I hope it goes the right way but the judges are probably government
appointees. You know what that means.
judges have a stake in Nama probably
And all because of a unilateral decision by one man that

was allowed to stand.
Maybe she should take her case to the European Court of Justice?
After all, it's not permissible for a government to step in and offer
financial support to an ailing company no matter what their status
is. A number of leading European airlines went bust in the early
2000's which would have previously survived because of state
interventions. Why was an exception made to bail out a broken
bank?? The EU is as corrupt as our own lot in Dail Eireann...
New world order Rothschild banks get their way with the freemason
judges says it all..
Debt till death debt grip for the poor.. billions for the rich bankers!
As long as we have banks falsifying promissory obligations

(debts) to themselves when the neither give up nor risk
anything of value of the own the world will always be
enslaved.
Sad that the appeal was shot down. Thanks to Joan Collins
and David Hall for trying to redress a grave injustice on
the Irish People...
Don't forget folks. The Supreme Court are ruling on Joan

Collin's appeal on the Prom Notes ruling this morning...
For more on just how important this ruling is for us all...

disobedience' - Musicians lend support
to homelessness sit-in
Homeless campaigners have vowed to continue their
occupation of a Nama-controlled office block despite

warnings that their presence is a health and safety risk.
Film director Jim Sheridan and Brendan Ogle at Apollo

House at Poolbeg St, Dublin.
The Irish Housing Network, backed by a number of
musicians and celebrities, occupied the vacant former
Department of Social Protection offices at Apollo House in
Dublin city centre for use as a shelter for rough sleepers
on Thursday night.
Oscar-winning singer-songwriter Glen Hansard of The
Frames and fellow singer-songwriter Damian Dempsey are
among those who joined the occupation.
Mr Hansard acknowledged last night that the sit-in was
illegal, but said it was a necessary act of civil
disobedience.
Oscar-winning singer Glen Hansard at the sit-in.

Speaking on The Late Late Show, he said Apollo House
was effectively owned by the taxpayers.
That is essentially our building. We are just going to take
it for a few months, he said. What we are trying to do is
get a national conversation started. This should be a
national emergency.
Not since the Famine have families been homeless like
they are right now. It is really, really difficult.
Follow
The Late Late Show

Show
#
10:15 PM - 16 Dec 2016
Film director Jim Sheridan, actor John Connors, and

musicians Hozier, and Christy Moore are among the other
well-known figures supporting the campaign, either in
person or through social media messages.
However, the Department of Housing disputed the need to
take over the property, saying an additional 210 beds had
been provided for rough sleepers this winter and there
was emergency accommodation available for anyone who
wanted it.
The receivers for the property, Mazars, meanwhile said the
building was not suitable for living accommodation and
the occupation presented a health and safety and

insurance risk for which they could not take responsibility.
Follow
David Doyle Arts

Outside Apollo House in solidarity with the people so
come down and support the homeless
2:28 PM - 16 Dec 2016
1 1 Retweet3 3 likes
Mazars said the campaigners were trespassing and asked
them to leave with immediate effect. In the
circumstances we have no option but to refer the matter
to our legal advisers to pursue the appropriate course of
action, they said.
The Irish Housing Network and the Home Sweet Home
campaign said they had no plans to leave and were last
night seeking volunteers with first aid training, CPR skills
or experience working in homeless or community services
to get in touch.
The coalition Home Sweet Home has occupied the former

Department of Social Protection building, Apollo House, as
part of a campaign to highlight the homelessness crisis
They said many other volunteers offering general help had
already been in contact and would be responded to over
the coming days.
Sinn Fin president Gerry Adams, who visited the
occupation yesterday morning, applauded the campaign.
It is an indication of the extent of the homelessness crisis
that activists have been pushed to occupy a building
thats been lying idle for six years in order to provide
some form of refuge for those forced to sleep on our
streets, he said.
Follow
Come Here To Me
Dropped down to Apollo House, best wishes to all the
occupiers. There is a housing crisis in Dublin.
#
4:33 PM - 16 Dec 2016
In the Dil, Fianna Fil TD Anne Rabbitte urged Housing

Minister Simon Coveney to facilitate the occupation if it
was needed over Christmas.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/we-are-involved-in-an-act-of-civildisobedience--musicians-lend-support-to-homelessness-sit-in-435679.html
Simon Coveney: Apollo House sit-in

'not the way to deal with homeless
crisis'

crisis.
Limerick bus initiative ensures

homelessness no barrier to education
A community-supported school bus is ensuring that 15
homeless children living in emergency accommodation in
the city get to school every day.
Thursday, December 15, 2016
By Daniel Keating
The school children are among a total of 57 living in

emergency accommodation in Limerick, according to
latest figures.
The daily bus service to Corpus Christi National School in
Moyross is supported by school principal Tiernan ONeill
and financed through local community fundraising
activities.
The driving force behind the service is Moyross parish
priest Father Tony ORiordan who said the service costs up
to 5,000 to run annually.
For children on the bus that are homeless, we dont know
where home is going to be. That can be stressful for an
adult but can you imagine how an eight or 10-year-old
feels, he said.
I know of one situation where a baby was born, released
from hospital and that child began its life at four days old
in a hotel room with his older sister. We have had one
family that has been in 14 different locations within a
three-week period, he continued.
The Moyross school bus begins its school run at 7.30am
and brings up to 15 school children living in emergency
accommodation in the city to school every day.
Principal of Corpus Christi National School, Tiernan ONeill,
said, What the bus enables us to do, is provide a safe
environment for the children during the day and ensures
that their journey to school is a smooth one.
The bus service is used by up to 15 children throughout
the day, during a number of runs. We fund the service
through a number of activities including bag packing and
cake sales, he continued.
According to most recent figures, 197 people, 57 of whom
are children, are in emergency accommodation in
Limerick.
Three hostels in Limerick city are accommodating men
and women; St Patricks Hostel, Thomond House and
McGarry House; all of which are operating at full capacity,
and have waiting lists.
Suaimhneas, which provides emergency accommodation
for families, is also operating at full capacity.
According to Fr ORiordan some homeless families need to
find emergency accommodation themselves.
The children dont have a permanent address and may be
sleeping in their relatives, grandparents or uncles and
aunts, he said.
The system with the Homeless Action Team is that they

will calculate a rough budget, they will give you a cheque
that you will need to present at the hotel and in many
cases hotels can be fully booked, he continued.
He explained that in some cases families dont get enough
money which means supplementing them.
They have been given 300 but the hotel is actually
450, so the money is not matching the need, he said.
Limerick TD Maurice Quinlivan has pledged to seek
government support for the bus service, insisting, nobody
should be homeless with children.
The government should deliver on homes for people to
be able to live in. There should be funding provided for the
bus, I will ask Minister Simon Coveney to intervene and
provide funding for this bus, said Mr Quinlivan.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/limerick-bus-initiative-ensureshomelessness-no-barrier-to-education-435455.html
Doctors, plumbers and

Mattress Mick have got behind
the group occupying Apollo
House
It just shows that if government doesnt do something, people will.
December 17, 16
Image: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie
/Photo Text content

THE GROUP OCCUPYING Apollo House in Dublin city
say they are heartened by the public support they have
received since moving into the vacant office building.
The Home Sweet Home group moved into the building
late on Thursday night, occupying the former Department
of Social Protection building, which was vacated last year.
The group includes high-profile names such as musicians
Damien Dempsey and Glen Hansard, actor John Connors
and others.
Last night, Hansard said the occupation was an act of
civil disobedience.
Hansards Late Late Show appearance also saw him appeal
for help from volunteers. That call has been answered,
Rosi Leonard of the Irish Housing Network told
TheJournal.ie.
Its going really well. Weve had 800 offers to volunteer in
the last ten hours and just this morning a woman got the
train from Galway just to drop in two bags of supplies.
There are people staying here who would have been
sleeping on the streets last night.
Leonard said the group has put out a call for skilled people
including medical staff and tradespeople to help and this
has been answered across the board.
There has also been a donation of 30 mattresses by
Mattress Mick.
#MattressMick supplied mattresses arriving at #HomeStreetHome

in the early hours of Friday morning. irg activists, along with
dozens of others from many groups and from none, helped to get
the citizen-operated homeless accommodation up and running.
The first residents were in their rooms within a couple of hours of
the NAMA building being taken over. This is people power in
action. Video shot by Damien Farrell
Planning and Development Housing and

Residential Tenancies Bill 2016 Report
Stage 16 12 16
Dec 17, 2016
v=0nDoD6tvK5U&feature=youtu.be
Seamus Healy TD Proposed FOCUS IRELAND Amendment

To Halt Evictions from dedicated Buy-To-LETS
FULL SPEECH LIVE https://youtu.be/0nDoD6tvK5U
DEFEATED BY GOVERNMENT (FG, INDEPENDENT
ALLIANCE) BECAUSE FF ABSTAINED
FOR 43: Against 52: Abstained 27 Missing- 157-122= 35
(Full Details not yet Posted on Oireachtas
FINA FAIL ABSTAINED, LOUSER'S SHAMEFUL PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY
DUBLIN SEE YOU THERE 21ST JANUARY 2 PM
Someone needs to keep a note of all FF abstentions for future
reference.
I think I will do it myself
This picture is from one of the rooms from the nama building which
was took over by homeless protesters, what you guys think? Better
than the streets anyway!
Legal notice served against activists occupying

Dublin office block
Lawyers for Apollo House receivers said they cannot allow property
be unlawfully occupied
Lawyers for Apollo House receivers said they cannot

allow property be unlawfully occupied

in Dublin to accommodate the homeless have been
served with legal notice to vacate the building or face
court action.
The protestors, including a number of high profile
artists and musicians and calling themselves Home
Sweet Home, gained entry to the vacant office building,
Apollo House, on Thursday night.
A number of rough sleepers slept there on Thursday
and Friday nights.
Solicitors for the buildings receivers wrote to the
protestors on Friday evening, saying that while they
sympathetic to the plight of those that are homeless
they cannot allow the property to unlawfully occupied
by trespassers.
This was particularly in light of the condition of the
property and the obvious health and safety concerns.
R
R
R

homelessness crisis
housing problem?
Brendan Ogle: Why we have occupied Apollo House
A&L Goodbody solicitors, acting for the receivers, Tom

OBrien and Simon Coyle of Mazars, say Home Sweet
Home are trespassing and they want to meet them
as soon as possible with a view to agreeing an
immediate and orderly vacation of the property in the
interests of the health a safety of those who are
unlawfully trespassing on the property.
In the event that those who are unlawfully trespassing

on the property are not willing to vacate the property
the receivers will have no alternative but to apply to
court for the necessary orders compelling those
persons to vacate the property.
Brendan Ogle, co-founder of Home Sweet Home, said
the coalition would be happy to meet Mr OBrien and
Mr Coyle to discuss the best use of the building.
He said the building was safe for people to sleep in.
We have had Dublin Fire Brigade in to inspect the
premises and they are very happy with the rules and
systems we have in place here. So that is great. We also
have a team of maintenance workers, plumber, joiners,
that sort of thing. So we are very happy everything is
being done correctly and to the highest standards. And
yes well meet them [THE RECEIVERS]. Why not?
Among the founders of Home Sweet Home are
musicians Christy Moore, Glen Hansard, Hozier,
Damien Dempsey, Liam O Maonla, director Jim
Sheridan, actors Saoirse Ronan and John Connors, and
members of the band Kodaline.
Spokeswoman Rosie Leonard said there were five
homeless families in the building on Friday evening,
and this number would increase as maintenance
issues were resolved and office space made suitable
for bedrooms.
Electricity and water had been connected and turned
on. She said she expected up to 30 people could be
accommodated on a few floors in the 10-storey
building.
The property was part of a portfolio of loans relating to
Shelbourne Developments, a company controlled by
Garrett Kelleher, which were taken over by Nama. In
April 2014, Nama appointed Mazars as a receiver to
the properties.
The most recent rough sleeper count, in November,
found 142 people sleeping rough in Dublin and 77

people sleeping on roll-out mats in the Merchants
Quay night cafe, bringing the total number of adults
unable to access an emergency bed to 219.
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/legal-notice-servedon-activists-occupying-dublin-office-block-1.2910168
The row between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael shows no sign
of abating. As Simon Coveney seeks to cap rent rises in
Dublin and Cork at 4% a year for the next three years Dec
15th 2016
https://soundcloud.com/the-floating-voter-independent-ie/this-timeits-personal-fix-our-rental-problems
Rent rise cap of 4% on the

way as FF drops objections
Simon Coveneys plan to cap rent hikes at 4% to go ahead
as inter-party tensions heighten
Fri, Dec 16, 2016, 01:00 Updated: Fri, Dec 16, 2016, 07:12
Sarah Bardon, Pat Leahy

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
A 4 per cent ceiling on rent increases in Dublin and

Cork, with other cities and commuter counties to
follow, will be introduced next year after Fianna Fil
withdrew most of its objections to a package of
measures published earlier this week by Minister for
Housing Simon Coveney.
However, officials had to scramble to salvage the
legislation on Thursday night after Sinn Fin spotted a
drafting error that would have allowed annual
increases of up to 8 per cent.
The Government was forced to table an emergency
amendment to the legislation to correct the mistake.
The last-minute hiccup came after a tense few days in
Leinster House. Relations between Fine Gael and
Fianna Fil were greatly strained by the dispute over
the rent strategy before an agreement was reached on

Thursday afternoon.
Fine Gael TDs were pleased at what they perceived to
be a victory over Fianna Fil, while senior figures in
Fianna Fil said that the events of recent days had
breached trust between the two parties.
Major coup
The move is seen as a major coup for Mr Coveney, after

he faced down Fianna Fil demands to alter the terms
of the package. Fianna Fil sought that the 4 per cent
rent increase ceiling be reduced to 2 per cent and also
argued for tax incentives for landlords.
R
R
R
Noonan briefed construction lobby on housing plan

two weeks before budget
Landlords threaten to impose levies in response to
4% rent cap
The Fianna Fil housing spokesman, Barry Cowen, also

wanted the geographical scope of the rent controls to
be extended, an issue on which Mr Coveney ceded
some ground, promising an early review to include
Limerick, Galway and Waterford, as well as counties
around Dublin that are home to thousands of
commuters.
Fianna Fil will now abstain on the legislation to give
effect to the measures, allowing it to pass in the Dil on
Friday, after TDs sat late last night debating the Bill.
TDs will first have to vote on the amendment to correct
the drafting mistake, highlighted by Sinn Fin TD Eoin
Broin, which would have provided for an annual
increase of twice the intended limit of 4 per cent.
Opposition TDs last night disputed that the
Governments amendment would have the desired
effect, with Labour TD Jan OSullivan accusing the
Government of making it up as you go along.
Sources in Leinster House say there is likely to be

fallout between the two big parties after a difficult
week.
Lack of consultation
Fianna Fil sources say that Fine Gael was guilty of an

abuse of the confidence and supply arrangement by not
consulting with them before the strategy was
published.
Mr Cowen said the dispute would not have taken place
if Mr Coveney had consulted him prior to the
publication of the strategy.
However, Fine Gael TDs rejected the charges and said
that, while Fianna Fil had an input into legislation,
the Government had to be allowed to govern and to
legislate. The Minister for Housing received strong
support from his Fine Gael colleagues after he refused
to budge on the 4 per cent rent cap.
Mr Coveney, who was supported by the Taoiseach,
insisted to Fianna Fil he would under no
circumstances alter that rate, pledging to withdraw the
legislation rather than make the changes Fianna Fil
wanted.
This put Fianna Fil in a position where it feared being
blamed if the legislation fell or was delayed. Agreement
was eventually reached after a series of discussions
between Mr Cowen and Mr Coveney.
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/rent-rise-cap-of-4-on-theway-as-ff-drops-objections-1.2907844
Omg, we have this shower by the short and curleys, we

need to realise the card we are holding, their positions of
power are only held because of our inaction, its past time
to kick them into touch, water and homelessness are
trump cards we hold, and they know it.....come on!
Dil backs Simon
Coveney's rental control

plan
PUBLISHED
16/12/2016
1
File Photo: Reuters
The Dil tonight backed Simon Coveney's

rental control plan.
TDs voted by 52 to 43 in favour - but there were 25
allowed the measure to become law.
Grafton Street.
told the Dil.
plight of those currently sleeping rough in Apollo House
in Dublin City was raised repeatedly.
Meanwhile landlords have threatened to impose a raft of
new charges on tenants in response to the Governments
decision to cap rents in Dublin and Cork.
registration fee.
property tax.
http://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/propertymortgages/dil-backs-simon-coveneys-rental-control-plan35300054.html
Over 20,000 homes in

Dublin are vacant
Greater Dublin area contains more than 20,000 empty
apartments and houses
Olivia Kelly
Video

More than 20,000 apartments and houses, excluding

holiday homes, are vacant in Dublin city and suburbs,
with nearly 9,000 of those in the city centre, according
to this years census.
In addition, just in excess of 2,000 commercial
properties are vacant, according to Dublin City
Council, which gives a discount on rates on empty
buildings.
Both these figures might seem unacceptably high,
given the acute need for housing in the city.
However, the building selected by the homeless
campaigners to illustrate the scandal of empty
properties, is curiously, not one that has been left to
moulder.
Apollo House on Tara Street had until last year been
leased by the Department of Social Protection.
The 1969 building is currently vacant because, along
with its neighbour Hawkins House it is the subject of a
planning application to the city council for its
demolition and redevelopment.
The 50 million scheme involves the demolition of all
buildings on site and their replacement with a new
office and retail complex.
A decision on the applications made by the OPW in
relation to Hawkins House and receivers Mazars in

relation to Apollo House is expected to be made by the
council early next year.
The number of empty commercial buildings in the city
has fallen significantly and is about half what it was in
2009 and 2010, and vacancy rates in the city centre are
significantly lower than those in the suburbs, less than
4 per cent as opposed to just over 10 per cent in
suburban Dublin.
Residential vacancy rate

Commercial buildings are unlikely to provide a
solution to homelessness and housing shortages, but
there is potential in returning vacant houses to use.
The census showed a residential vacancy rate for
Dublin city of 9 per cent, which is lower than the
national rate of 13 per cent, but the number of vacant
homes is still substantial particularly in some parts of
the city centre.
Between the canals 8,857 apartments and houses were
deemed vacant by enumerators, who called several
times to each property in an attempt to establish if they
were in use.
In the inner city, residential vacancy rates were
particularly high, with districts immediately north and
south of the river showing vacancy rates above 20 per
cent and in almost all parts of the city centre more than
10 per cent of homes were empty.
Although mostly these homes were apartments and
flats which present difficulties for enumerators in
establishing occupancy.
who converted it into emergency accommodation for the
homeless.
The group which is occupying the building on Dublin's Tara
Street says vacant properties owned by the State agency

should be used to house the homeless. They renamed
Apollo House 'Home Sweet Home'.
She said: "It seems obscene that Nama isnt being utilised
to help prevent the (homelessness) crisis.
"Our main concern is ending the homelessness crisis. As to
how we proceed on that, it remains to be seen."
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/over-20-000-homes-indublin-are-vacant-1.2909055#.WFUgMNDyvOM.facebook
Banksters Possession Order Struck-Out

for Misrepresentation
14/10/2013
The following is a transcript of a recent High Court judgment,

explaining the reasons for the striking-out of a possession
order over a property, which was obtained by Spanish bank
Santanders misrepresentation of whether a purported
mortgage they were seeking to enforce had been securitised.
To the very best of my knowledge, this is the very first time
that a mortgagor has won a mortgage case against a bankster
in the High Court since the founding of the Ministry of Justice.
Provided that the judgment is not set aside by either the Court
of Appeal of the Supreme Court,this unprecedented case could
provide a powerful authority to all those who are alleging
misrepresentation against UK and Irish mortgage agreement
companies in Her Majestys Courts.
Neutral Citation No. [2013] NICh 14
Ref:
DEE8994
Ex tempore Judgment: approved by the Court for handing down
Delivered:
19/09/2013
(subject to editorial corrections)*
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE IN NORTHERN IRELAND
________
QUEENS BENCH DIVISION
________
BETWEEN
SANTANDER (UK) plc
Plaintiff/Respondent
and
THOMAS ANTHONY CARLIN & MAXINE KARON HUGHES

Defendants/Appellants
________
DEENY J
Application
[1] The court here is dealing with a situation which happily is
unusual.
Thomas Anthony Carlin and Maxine Karen Hughes have
appealed from an Order
for possession granted by the Master relating to their home
because they
are in arrears of payments on an interest only mortgage on the
property. As
a number of personal litigants do in recent times they
challenged the right
of Santander UK plc to enforce the mortgage because they
suspected that
they may have transferred it away.
[2] It is clear law, as has been recently reaffirmed by the Court
of Appeal
in England in Paragon Finance v Pender and Another [2005] 1
W. L. R. 3412
that a legal owner of a charge can part with the equitable
interest in it
without losing their right to enforce the charge. Therefore, this
point in
many cases is likely to prove a short-term gain for any
borrower because it
is simply a matter of the right person establishing that they are
entitled
to assert what had been agreed between the parties under the
mortgage would
happen in default of the payments agreed. Nevertheless, it is
essential
that the court is making an order in favour of the correct party
who has
the right to enforce a legal charge, as much as any other
contract between
parties.
[3] A most unhappy situation has developed here. Santander
UK plc sought
the Order for possession. They put in an affidavit in support;
they chose
to do it in a particular way, that is through their solicitor. Now,
Mr
Carlin in one of several documents which he submitted to the
court has
sought to rely on a judgment of Mr Justice Peart in the High
Court in
Dublin where he objected to hearsay evidence of debts. It
seems clear that
there is no equivalent of the Civil Evidence Order in the
Republic of
Ireland and explains the judges remarks. We do have a Civil
Evidence
Order. Parties are entitled to put in an affidavit and to rely on
hearsay
evidence with the court assessing its weight. In any event even
before the
Civil Evidence Order an affidavit with the deponent saying that
they had
been informed of something by a named person and that they
believed it was
true, in appropriate cases for the smooth administration of
justice was
received. This is often done, particularly in originating
summonses cases.
But it is important that it is done carefully and conscientiously.
The
system only works if both the lawyer is scrupulous in what the
lawyer says
and the client is honest in what they inform the lawyer.
[4] Here we have the situation where, it is now admitted that
paragraph 15
of the affidavit of Miss Valerie Gibson, solicitor, for the lender
Santander plc of 6 December 2012 is simply wrong. Mr Carlin
would say it is
a lie and at the moment I do not see how that can be clearly
gain said; it
is not Ms Gibsons lie but when somebody told her that the
mortgage had not
been assigned they were either being careless or untruthful
and at this
precise moment in time I do not know which is the case. And
what is more Mr
Carlin asserts and Mr Gibson with his customary and proper
candour does not
dispute that the Master was told that there had been no
assignment here and
so that these issues did not arise. So the Order of the court
below was
obtained improperly by a misrepresentation to the court,
misrepresentation
put by the advocate for the lender to the Master and put in a
sworn
affidavit.
[5] That would be a serious enough state of affairs but at the
review of
this matter before me when listing this case for hearing today,
19
September, the plaintiff was given an opportunity and was
directed on that
occasion on 10 June to serve a rejoinder affidavit to Mr Carlins
affidavit
and that of Miss Hughes within two weeks from that day, that
is by 24 June.
They did not do so. They did not serve affidavits, as far as the
court was
concerned, until 16 September, only three days before the
hearing. Mr
Carlin says he got an unsworn, undated draft two days before
that. That is
utterly unsatisfactory. It shows a disregard for the orders of the
court
which would be disreputable in a litigant in person and is
equally
disreputable on the part of a large commercial enterprise
which should know
better. No satisfactory excuse is offered for that.
[6] Furthermore, the matter is worsened by the disregard by
Santander of
the decision of Mr Justice Horner in Swift Advances plc v James
and Maureen
McCourt [2012] NI Ch. 33. He on that occasion, on behalf of
Swift did have
in court an official of Swift giving oral evidence before him
because this
or a similar point had been raised there. Of course it failed
ultimately
because Mr White, the Risk Manager of the plaintiff, gave
sworn testimony
that he had made the checks and the plaintiff had not sold the
loan of the
McCourts to any third party and it had not legally nor,
apparently in that
case, equitably assigned the charge, which the judge accepted
and so Swift
succeeded.
[7] The judge, and as I have already previously said in this

court, wisely
in my view, commended the course that the solicitor acting for
the
financial institution should expressly warn the proposed
deponent on behalf
of the financial institution of the serious consequences he or
she bears
personally and the consequences for his or her employer if he
or she swears
an affidavit that is false in any respect. Next, their solicitor
should
confirm to the court that the deponent has been so advised
before the
affidavit is sworn. Thirdly, the deponent on behalf of the
financial
institution should then swear the affidavit dealing with the
plaintiffs
title to seek an order for possession. It is only if some
uncertainty is
left then that one should go on to deal with applications for
specific
discovery. So it can be seen here that Santander have further
disregarded
the decisions of this court because they have not deigned to
swear the
affidavit themselves but have required Miss Gibson to do it.
Now the matter
that is set out therein may or may not be right but it seems to
me as it
contradicts the earlier information on affidavit as it was given
to the
Master that Mr Carlin is entitled to cross-examine this lady as
to whether
it is true and perhaps is entitled to further discovery.
[8] His initial application today was to adjourn the matter
because he had
not got the skeleton argument in time and he had just been
presented with
this change of front at a very late stage and the court was
sympathetic to
that application. I heard from Mr Gibson. I gave the opportunity
to Mr
Carlin as to whether he had any further application and of
course he might
have made several applications at that time but he has
chosen, as he put
it, to ask me to strike out the order, and as he put it, I think not
unreasonably in the circumstances, on the basis of untruth.
Now the court
of course recognises that everybody makes errors. They should
not make them
on affidavits, but at this point I do not know whether this was
an honest
error, I do not know whether somebody was playing fast and
loose with the
truth. No explanation of the earlier misstatement is given in
the new
affidavit. What is certainly the case is that Santander have
been in breach
of the directions of the court, they have been in breach of the
judgment of
Swift v McCourt and they obtained an order by at least, as I
said earlier,
misrepresenting the facts to the Master.
[9] In all those circumstances I conclude therefore that the
appeal should
succeed and I reverse the order of the Learned Master, making
it clear that
this is no reflection on him, and strike out the order for
possession.
STATUTE LAW REVISION (PRE-1922) BILL 2004
0a04s.pdf
Letter Mr Donald Tusk President of the European Council
Digital_Single_Market_a_chance_for_investment_growth_and_jo
bs_in_Europe_-_Taoiseach_
http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/eng/News/Government_Press_Rele
ases/Digital_Single_Market_a_chance_for_investment_growth_a
nd_jobs_in_Europe_-_Taoiseach_.pdf
Digital Single Market a major opportunity to

boost the dynamism and competitiveness of
the European economy Taoiseach
Taoiseach Enda Kenny has been joined by 15 other EU leaders in
a letter this week to European Council President Donald Tusk
emphasising the importance of pressing ahead with full
implementation of the EU Digital Single Market. He is highlighting

the vast potential of the Digital Single Market (DSM) as a major
opportunity to boost the dynamism and competitiveness of the
European economy, significantly reduce transaction costs for
business, and provide a real dividend for consumers.
Speaking in the Dil on Tuesday ahead of this week's European
Council meeting, the Taoiseach said:
"In adapting our shared market rules to the digital realities of the
early twenty-first century, we will either create the right economic
environment here in Europe or accept that the most promising
digital opportunities are beyond our grasp. The reality is that
barriers to doing business digitally and across borders are now
barriers to growth and jobs.
That is why I am leading an initiative in advance of this weeks
meeting and will be joined by 15 Member States in my letter to
President Tusk reaffirming the importance of maintaining strong
political momentum on the Digital Single Market.
This builds on work that Minister Dara Murphy has been
coordinating with a core group of digitally advanced countries. We
have specific concerns about the risk of delay in presenting a
legislative proposal to prevent unjustified data localisation
requirements under the 'free flow of data' initiative, as highlighted
at the Telecoms Council on 2 December, and more general
concern that meeting the 2018 deadline for full DSM
implementation set by the June European Council will require
further stepping up of engagement with key dossiers in both
Council and Parliament.
The 15 countries supporting this week's political initiative by the
Taoiseach are: Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands,
Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, and UK. Others are
supportive but unable to join on this occasion because of recent
Government changes.
According to the letter:
"We need to give clear political priority to creating the right
conditions across Europe for innovation, investment and
entrepreneurship, including by recognising the crucial role of fastgrowing young firms in employment growth.
More generally, the key challenge we face is pressing ahead with
conviction to execute the DSM legislative programme: stretching
our political ambition, agreeing concrete timelines, and delivering
early and practical results, particularly for European consumers
and SMEs.
We agreed in June that all DSM measures should be completed

and implemented by 2018. Delivering on this commitment will
clearly require further stepping up of our work in the Council, and
setting stronger expectations for effective engagement with the
European Parliament. Otherwise we risk missing our deadline and
jeopardising our ambition to establish a dynamic Digital Single
Market in the Union.
A previous letter by the Taoiseach in June 2015 was joined by 7
other leaders and also stressed the importance of a high level of
ambition for a fully functioning DSM. This informed the
endorsement by the June 2015 European Council of the current
Digital Single Market Strategy that was presented by the
Commission the previous month.
The Taoiseach will also be highlighting at this week's meeting the
related importance of completing the Single Market for services,
including pressing for a high level of ambition for the forthcoming
Services Package expected from the Commission in January.
ENDS
http://www.taoiseach.gov.ie/eng/News/Taoiseach's_Press_Relea
ses/Digital_Single_Market_a_major_opportunity_to_boost_the_d
ynamism_and_competitiveness_of_the_European_economy_
_Taoiseach.html
Conversation between Taoiseach and Vice

President-Elect Pence
Taoiseach Enda Kenny and US Vice President-Elect Pence
spoke on the phone tonight and the Taoiseach began by
congratulating the Vice President-Elect on his recent
electoral success.
The Taoiseach also expressed his intention to engage
positively with the new administration on a number of
issues to the mutual benefit of Ireland and the U.S.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny also raised the issue of the
undocumented Irish in the U.S and expressed his
determination to work with the President and Vice
President-Elect in seeking a solution to the issue.
The Taoiseach also referred to the economic ties between
the two countries, including the long standing and
productive relationship Ireland has with many US

companies, as well as the fact that there are 100,000
Americans employed in Irish companies across America.
Both men spoke of Vice President-Elect Pence's strong
Irish heritage and the Taoiseach expressed the wish that
the Vice President-Elect might visit here again sometime
in the future.
Vice President-Elect Pence expressed an in-depth
understanding of Irish and Irish/American issues during a
warm conversation that lasted 15 minutes.
Ends
Planning and Development (Housing) and Residential

Tenancies Bill 2016 [Seanad]
216s-memo.pdf
Builders bid for smaller

apartments sparks
Ministers fury
Government reacts angrily to construction federations
lobbying for more concessions
Mon, Dec 5, 2016, 01:00 Updated: Mon, Dec 5, 2016, 08:24
Fiach Kelly Political Correspondent
Construction Industry Federation director general Tom Parlon, a former

Progressive Democrats junior minister, argued for smaller apartments, similar
to the standards that apply in the UK. Photograph: Eric Luke
Pleas from the Construction Industry Federation for

further State concessions for developers, including a
radical reduction in apartment sizes, were firmly rejected
by Ministers at a meeting last week.
The Irish Planning Institute (IPI) has expressed concern at reports
today that further changes to apartment standards are being
sought by some in the construction industry.
President Deirdre Fallon said The Government has already made
significant concessions to overcome the misguided perception
that the planning system is holding back development. If there is a
perception among some developers that further changes can be
achieved it increases the likelihood that they will hold back supply.
The planning process has played its part. There should be a clear
message from Government that it is now up to the sector to
deliver quality, sustainable housing in our towns and cities.
Taxation in Ireland EFFECTIVE ZERO TAX RATE FOR
FOREIGN DIVIDENDS 2016
http://www.idaireland.com/docs/publications/Taxation_201
6.pdf
Ireland Tax Alert . ... measures to enhance Irelands
intellectual property (IP) regime and underpin ... Irish
regime up to 31 December 2020
https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/global/Do
cuments/Tax/dttl-tax-alert-ireland-101414.pdf
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (IP) IN IRELAND | 08
INTERNATIONALISATION | 09 ... Irelands tax regime does not
involve the filing of consolidated tax returns.
http://www.idaireland.com/docs/publications/Taxation_in_Ir
eland_2015.pdf
Ireland announces
improvements to IP
regime and phasing
out of "double Irish"
http://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/Ireland_announ
ces_improvements_to_IP_regime_and_phasing_out_of_dou
ble_Irish/$FILE/2014G_CM4787_Ireland%20announces
%20improvements%20to%20IP%20regime%20and
%20phasing%20out%20of%20double%20Irish.pdf
Tax Sandwich - Irish Business Law Firm Mason

Hayes Curran
for an orderly exit from Ireland, the regime ... Head of Tax, at
Mason Hayes & Curran Tax Sandwich: ... non-US intellectual
property in an Irish
http://www.mhc.ie/fs/doc/publications/mhctimes/Tax_Sandwich.pdf
WILLIAN FRY AVIATION FINANCE THE IRISH SECTION 110
REGIME
http://www.williamfry.com/docs/default-source/practicearea-industry-sector-brochures/aviation---the-irish-section110-regime.pdf?sfvrsn=2
DIRECTORATE GENERAL FOR INTERNAL

POLICIES - European Parliament
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/IDAN/2015
/563454/IPOL_IDA(2015)563454_EN.pdf
Intellectual Property Tax Treatment in Ireland
http://www.offshoreinvestment.com/media/uploads/Hickso
n.pdf
Irish Government announces Budget 2016 and publishes ...
only intellectual property ... to the Irish tax regime
http://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/Irish_Governme
nt_announces_Budget_2016_and_publishes_update_on_int
ernational_tax_strategy/$FILE/2015G_CM5877_Irish
%20Gvmt%20announces%20Budget%202016%20and
%20publishes%20update%20on%20international%20tax
%20strategy.pdf
Ireland to exploit intellectual property. ... friendly taxation
regime. ... the effective rate of tax on income from
intellectual property.
http://www.techlaw.org/wpcontent/uploads/2010/07/Arthur-Cox-Choosing-Ireland-asa-location-for-your-Intellectual-Property-Trading-CompanyOct-10.pdf
Generating cash from Irish R&D ... R&D. Allied to the new
Intellectual Property (IP) tax regime introduced in 2009 ...
provisions of Irelands R&D tax credit regime.
http://www.pwc.com/gx/en/pharma-life-sciences/pdf/irishrd-activities.pdf
Watching the RTE News this evening with breath bated in

excitement, just like the thousands of others from all over the
country, only one question mattered, how does the rising go.
Once again, rebels and poets, (well singers actually), have taken
over Government property and risen against injustice and tyranny, a

motley crew of sinister elements, almost as distasteful as those
thuggish water protesters, as Pearse and Connolly before them,
holding democracy, indeed the political process, hostage. How
would those mandarins of unvarnished accuracy and principled
factualism in Montrose handle this glorious opportunity of
engagement and revelation from the front line?
All across the country we waited, our ears to the radio in hysterical
exhilaration, waiting in a frenzied anticipation of news from the
trenches, neighbours popping in to ask, is the GPO on fire yet? Is it
true that the battleships are in the bay? Will there be more
executions? All these questions, yet still, hours later, unbelievingly
and disappointingly, not a word from the capital. We were never
going to see the housing minister fearlessly throw himself against
the enemy lines, a Lee Enfield in one hand and a handful of housing
policy documents in the other. Not a word from Simon Monotonous
Coveney, the man who has something to say about everything,
except for the horsemeat scandal of course. (It has gone away you
know). Not even a pompously egocentric sounds bite from Richard
the Half-hearted Bruton or a single reassuring illusory platitude
from Michael Kitten Soft Noonan.
How could they not tell us, even mention this momentous
happening? Did they not follow those water dissenters everywhere,
bravely and fearlessly reporting on their every insidious move
against impartiality and rationality, did they not brave the barbaric
horde as they held elected representatives hostage, all this in a
selfless quest for truth and justice.
What has gone wrong RTE? Why not identify these malcontents and
expose them on the news? Surely it is a crime to break into NAMA
property, and heartless to invite the homeless to sleep inside when
its so nice, and not even cold out at the moment, there is no excuse
for this anarchy. What if some of them are sick and spread disease,
will we have another Black Death? What if some of them are
mentally ill, will we even be safe in our beds? Surely the streets are
the place for these infected vagrants.
Where are our politicians when we need them, not a word, where is
RTE in our hour of need, not a word, its surely as mystifying as its
indefensible.
You would nearly think it isnt happening at all
/react-text Have to say fair play to Mattress Mick!
The Taoiseach had a simple message for these difficult

times last night: Keep calm and carry on suffering; youve
been brilliant. Just like your government. Big thanks to
everyone. What a knob, while he is sitting having hie
sumptuous Christmas dinner, thousands of other families

will be scraping by!
Simon Coveney has requested

an amendment to his housing
amendment after a 'drafting
error' was highlighted by Sinn
Fin's Eoin Broin
So Eoin Broin has spotted a mistake in Rent Increase

legislation and it's back to the drawing board after the
stunt Fianna Fil indulged in earlier. Not the first time Sinn
Fin corrected the Govt homework
Glen Hansard and Mattress Mick this afternoon. at

Apollo House.
Nama lawyers issue order to vacate Apollo

House
17/12/2016

who converted it into emergency accommodation for
the homeless.
The group which is occupying the building on Dublin's
Tara Street says vacant properties owned by the State
agency should be used to house the homeless. They
renamed Apollo House 'Home Sweet Home'.
She said: "It seems obscene that Nama isnt being
utilised to help prevent the (homelessness) crisis.
"Our main concern is ending the homelessness crisis.
As to how we proceed on that, it remains to be seen."
Nama building belongs to the people of Ireland were
taking it for a few months, says Glen Hansard


'Operation Nama'.
illegally.
We are involved in an act of civil disobedience, he
said.
homeless.
Asked what the response would be if the group are told by the
authorities to vacate the building, Hansard said: You appeal
to the better nature of the Government and Nama.
This is a NAMA-owned building. If everybody pays tax in this
audience, if anyone knows their stuff they know that that is
essentially our building. We are just going to take it for a few
months.
The action came about through conversations with different
artists, singers and friends over the year, he told Tubridy.


audience.
started, he said.
Well done to all involved, and shame on our

Government for the need to do this.
The government simply allowed 'market

forces', have-a-go landlords funding their kids
college fund or retirement nest egg, or
investors (who couldn't give two hoots about
moral social responsibility anyway) to fill the
void left by the non supply of social

housing...and this is what we get. 'Keep the
recovery going'...what bloody recovery?
CORRUPTION IS THE ROOT CAUSE OF MOST OF IRELAND'S WOES:

Hospital crisis, homelessness and evictions, child poverty, bank bail
outs, miscarriages of justice and corrupt judges, rogue Gardai, bent
lawyers, lying politicians, fake news from RTE, Dennis O' Brien's
excessive political clout are all a direct result of corruption in some
form or another. Corruption is not even seen as wrong by our
society. In fact it is rewarded in many instances. But the time has
now arrived where as a society, we must label all forms of

corruption as being bad for the people, bad for the country and bad
for the country's international image. The time has now arrived
where the nod and wink culture which runs our political system is
scorned by our society. The time has now arrived where ALL
instances of corruption are severely dealt with and not just the
occasional token prosecution. The time has now arrived where we
the people ourselves must highlight corruption, because there is no
media scrutiny due to the meda also being corrupt to the core. The
time has come to begin a peoples war against corruption. ACT Anti
Corruption Taskforce will be to the forefront in this war and we
intend to up the ante in 2017. Some of our actions will be pre
announced but some will not. We will continue to highlight
corruption outside the work places and homes of those people who
have been proven to be corrupt and who are benefiting from
corruption. We intend to occupy buildings that are known to house
corruption and where corrupt individuals make their living. We
intend to publicly confront corrupt individuals without warning and
without fear or favour. ACT Anti Corruption Taskforce will work hard
to ensure that there will be no hiding place in society for corrupt
people from 2017 onwards.
Bono has told the Taoiseach Enda Kenny, that he feels he

has a "moral obligation" to talk to the #HomeSweetHome
group on behalf of Nama!
Complex issues Simon Coveney, a roof over head is not complex, it's
a Human right, scrap the four increase for landlords, year on year
successive Irish coalition governments, you outh to be ashamed of
yourselves
Theyre trying to kick out our homeless from Apollo House! Court
order! Shame! Scum!
Damien Dempsey & Glen Hansard
Homelessness in Ireland has been going on too long.
Were going to end it
This is the link to the fb page for 'Home Sweet Home Eire'Volunteers
needed for so many things - you don't have to be able to go to the
building, helping online and in other ways too
Comment from a judge today in a certain court to a man on his
knees facing homelessness;
' How can you come in here claiming you have a right to your home
when you borrowed the money?'Mans eyes fell to the floor with
embarrassment.
Pity he was too traumatised to answer back with the following;
"We have more right to property than anyone in Europe because the
state used our money without permission to bail out the banks and
now the state is compliant with the banks in trying evict the people
who bailed them out'.
Just remember. All homelessness begins with the bank.
Never EVER leave your home.
There is NOWHERE to go.
Feed your family.
Make sure you have heat in for the winter.

Stay in your homes.
Fight the banks.
We will help you.
We are FREE.
Leaders Questions
I sat and looked at Leaders Questions today and I must say that
Francis Fitzgerald who serves as Tnaiste and Minister for Justice and
Equality has not got a clue about the homecare packages. Michael
Collins (Rural Independent Group) raised many questions about the
lack of these services and he also commented on the Private
Companies coming in to take over the work of the local home Helps,
he also made the point that the Home help service could save this
state 147 million and 264 thousand Euros per year by looking after
people in their own homes a point which I totally agree with . Francis
Fitzgerald in her wisdom decided that there is absolutely no concern
for the homecare package and insist that there is no problems in the
homecare sector at all, in fact she went on to say that the
government had invested a great deal of money this year alone in
the homecare package. I have to say that she ( Francis Fitzgerald is
definitely not tuned in to the reality of the situation. If what Francis
Fitzgerald was saying was right we would be delighted and so would
all the people who depend on the homecare service who has had
their care hours cut by more than half and people who are in need
of the service are being told that they wont receive the service
simply because the money and the hours are not there. So where is
Francis Fitzgerald coming from she is certainly not on the same
wavelenght as many thousands of people who are having their
services cut on a daily basis?.
Merkels' puppet on a string.

#HomeSweetHome - Don't stop there...
The people also own Leinster House, numerous museums
and public offices, and Dublin Castle (i think). All of these
have canteens, cafeterias and even restaurants...
While they're closed for the Christmas break AT LEAST,

demand that they be made available to give hot food to
homeless! even if they are not fed on premises...and they
should be...demand that kitchen facilities be made
available either with staff or your own volunteers...
At the VERY least...give the government the opportunity to
say "no" and let's see just how serious they are about real
issues and not just academic, abstract shit like "the
economy".
The govt simply allowed 'market forces', have-a-go landlords
funding their kids college fund or retirement nest egg, or investors
(who couldn't give two hoots about moral social responsibility
anyway) to fill the void left by the non supply of social housing...and
this is what we get. 'Keep the recovery going'...what bloody
recovery?

than those in UK
10/12/2016


Dublin region.
Scotland.
Feed our homeless inner city Dublin team of volunteers supporting

home sweet home please show your and end homelessness for
good this Christmas
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.
News Top News

May 17, 2016


homeless.
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
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

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.
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.

and in some parts of the capital it has reached beyond
2,000 a month.
Mr Ehrlich said there was only one answer

to controlling the market. The solution is
more supply.
We look forward to what proposals come
from the new Housing Minister.
increase from a year earlier when the company
charged 1,250 per month.
Our investors want steady, consistent

returns. A market showing increases such as
these is fine, but we want consistency.
We do not want peaks and troughs, we
want sustainability, and the market is
touching the limits of sustainability at
present, he said.
built.

and Nama.
Limerick.
Clara, Co Offaly.
Macroom, Co Cork.

Citywest in Dublin.
11: Pat Deering: 1 rental property in Rathvilly, Co
Carlow.
Limerick.
14: Charlie Flanagan: 1 property: He lets a holiday
house in Co Sligo part of the year.
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.
Road, Dublin 4.
Dublin.
inDublin.
22: Wexfords Mick Wallace: 2 properties: Both are
rented out in Wicklow.
http://irelandtodaynews.com/index.php/housing-minister-simoncoveney-is-a-landlord/
Ministers Coveney and English

launchStrategy 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.
M
M
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
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
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 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.
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.
The Five
Pillars
The Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness includes a

comprehensive Five Pillar approach these pillars are the
foundations upon which we will build our plan. They are open
to debate, additions and amendments, but for now they will be
our starting point for immediate action.
Rapid Build Housing housing

solutions for homeless
households
The Dublin Region Homeless Executive formally replaced the
Homeless Agency in 2011.
The Dublin Region Homeless Executive is provided by Dublin City
Council as the lead statutory local authority in the response to
homelessness in Dublin and adopts a shared service approach
across South Dublin County Council, Fingal County Council and
Dn Laoghaire- Rathdown County Council.
We are responsible for providing support and services to

the Dublin Joint Homelessness Consultative Forum and
the Statutory Management Group. The Housing (Miscellaneous
Provisions) Act 2009
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2009/act/22/enacted/en/pdf
provides a statutory structure to address the needs of people who
are experiencing homelessness.
The Act outlines a statutory obligation to have an action plan in
place and the formation of a Homelessness Consultative Forum
and a Statutory Management Group.
In line with Chapter 6 Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act
2009, the Dublin Joint Homelessness Consultative Forum and
Management Group have adopted Error! Hyperlink reference not
valid.Pathway to Home 2014-2015
http://www.homelessdublin.ie/sites/default/files/publications/Dublin
%20Region%20Homeless%20Executive%20Action%20Plan
%202014-2016%20%283%29.pdf
Central to this action plan are five key strategic aims as set out in
national homeless policy;
#
#
Prevent homelessness
Eliminate the need for people to sleep rough
Reduce the length of time people experience homelessness to less
than six months.
Meet unmet housing need of people experiencing homelessness
through an increase in housing options that delivers affordable,
accessible housing with supports as required.
Ensure the delivery of services for homeless people that meet their
needs, produce the sought-after, person-centred outcomes
required and can demonstrate their effectiveness through
monitoring and reporting arrangements.
Dublins empty buildings:

could they solve the housing
problem?
In the midst of a severe housing shortage why do so many
buildings in the capital, both publicly and privately owned,
lie vacant?
about 19 hours ago
Olivia Kelly Dublin
Property on Moss Street in Dublin 2 has been derelict for decades.

Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
This week Apollo House, a vacant Nama-owned

property on Tara Street, in Dublin 2, was taken over by
concerned citizens who want to use it to house
homeless people. Their response to the widespread
homelessness problem highlights a paradox of the
current housing crisis.
While more than 6,000 people in Ireland are officially
homeless, while a frenzy of building activity struggles

to meet housing demand, and while arguments about
rising rents convulse Dil ireann, numerous buildings
in the capital sit empty. Naturally, concerned citizens
must wonder why they cannot be used as homes.
Would filling these empty buildings alleviate the crisis?
In theory, yes. Nine per cent of Dublin dwellings
almost 21,000 units, excluding holiday homes, in the
city and suburbs are vacant. (The national rate is
even worse, at 13 per cent.)
Many of the citys buildings date from the 18th and
19th centuries. A large proportion of them, even those
originally built as housing, have been converted to
commercial use over time. But their desirability as
office or other commercial space has been waning for
many years.
Businesses increasingly favour purpose-built schemes,
often far from the city centre. As a result many of these
older properties in the city lie empty.
Some older public-housing schemes are also vacant. In
most cases these no longer meet modern living
standards, and the trend has been to build anew rather
than to renew.
The Celtic Tiger boom did surprisingly little to reduce
the number of vacant older buildings. Although lots of
new apartments were built and the city centre
population grew from 84,000 in 1991 to 136,000 in
2011 many older buildings bought up in large batches
were left empty and deteriorating after their
redevelopment plans fell victim to the crash.
With the current shortage of housing, the vacancy level
in the city has moved from being merely a visual blight
to being an affront to those in need of homes.
New policies have been introduced to bring older
buildings back into use, but they have yet to produce
significant results. One such scheme is the Living City
Initiative. This tax incentive allows owners of old city

houses to claim relief for refurbishment at a rate of 10
per cent a year for 10 years. It came into effect in April
2015, but the response has been disappointing. In the
recent budget some of the schemes rules were relaxed
in an attempt to increase take-up.
Weve had 26 applications and weve processed four
so far, Paul Clegg of Dublin City Councils planning
department says. But were hoping the changes in the
budget will see an increase.
Applications have mainly been for the restoration and
reuse of whole houses, but the council is hoping that
more people will apply for the conversion of the upper
floors of buildings.
Studies on Capel Street and South Great Georges
Street done at the time of the Living over the Shop
scheme the forerunner of the Living City Initiative
showed a large amount of vacant upper-floor space
that is being unused, Helen McNamara, of the
councils active land management unit, says.
It requires serious marketing, because mostly the
retailer is only interested in his own shop and not the
space above. But Thomas Street, DOlier Street and
OConnell Street all have vacant upper floors which, in
another city, would be the most attractive places to
live.
The council also plans to start buying derelict and
empty properties and has set aside 15 million to do so
over the next three years. The council has always had
the power to compulsorily purchase properties from
the derelict-sites register, but it has done so only
rarely.
Its so long since were acquired property that were
relearning the process. But we have 10 ready to go, one
where weve reached terms by agreement and a couple
in negotiation with the housing department,
McNamara says.
In many cases just contacting the owners and telling
them of an intention to compulsorily purchase the
building has had the desired effect, according to Clegg.
A lot of people came back very smartly, and either
rendered the building nonderelict or put it on the
market, but there were others where there was no
engagement. We contact the reputed owners, but there
can be title difficulties, or owners out of the country, or
in nursing homes. Theres almost always a human side
to these cases.
The 15 million fund will be a rolling one, and as
buildings are sold on it will be replenished. The council
has initially concentrated on easy wins buildings that
dont cost too much and are quick to shift but it plans
to tackle more ambitious projects if the fund is
successful, Clegg says.
We would like to buy more historic buildings, but we
need to be prudent: you could blow the entire city
budget acquiring these properties.
Fears about the regulatory burden associated with
listed buildings deters buyers from taking them on,
particularly when it seems that complying with
standards such as disability access can conflict with
conservation requirements.
Recognising this, the council cut some of the costs of
bringing listed buildings back into use three years ago.
Where an owner is making an application for the
change of use of a building often the case when a
vacant protected structure is being brought back into
occupation they are exempt from development levies.
An owner extending a protected structure will pay only
half the standard development contribution.
But are the incentives sufficient? The low uptake of
schemes seems to indicate that buyers are still
cautious.
http://www.irishtimes.com/lifeand-style/homes-andproperty/dublin-s-emptybuildings-could-they-solve-thehousing-problem-1.2899765
Fine Gael labelled the landlord party
due to homeless crisis
Long-awaited plans to tackle the rental crisis are to be

published by Housing Minister Simon Coveney next
Tuesday.
Enda Kenny was accused of being the leader of the

landlord party which has failed to address the housing
crisis. But the Taoiseach told the Dil that the proposals
have taken time to develop as it has to be done properly
and said there will be a debate on the rental sector plans
when the bill goes through the House.
It wont be sorted out without dealing with the question
of supply, he added.
AAA-PBP TD Mick Barry pointed out that rents have
increased year on year by nearly 12% throughout the

State, and nearly 15% in Cork city.
In the Taoiseachs lifetime, has he ever witnessed more
families homeless at Christmas? he asked Mr Kenny
during Leaders Questions in the Dil, adding that kids
are waiting for Santa to come down the chimney of a bed
and breakfast or hotel, some for the second year running.
The Cork North Central TD went on to say that the country
is crying out for a Taoiseach who will bang the table, turn
calmly to the landlords and tell them that they have bled
the people for long enough and will not increase rents on
our people by one single penny more.
He claimed that Mr Kenny does not look like the man for
that job and instead said he is the leader of the landlord
party.
Juno McEnroe
TD Mick Barry calls Taoiseach Enda Kenny 'the leader of
the landlord party', as residential rents continue to rise
2:35 PM - 6 Dec 2016

Mr Kenny told the Dil that a balance has to be struck
between those who are tenants and those who supply
accommodation for tenancy: I admit that there are people
under real pressure, many of whom have had to leave the
accommodation they were in.
But he added that Mr Coveney has been making very
strenuous efforts to deal with the homeless and housing
crisis.
Separately, Sinn Fin published its own policy document
on the rental sector which includes linking rent to the
consumer price index (CPI) and reviewing tax rebates for
landlords.
Party housing spokesman, Eoin Broin, said the 19
recommendations in the document include a proposal to
make tenancies of indefinite duration the norm.
Rent caps part of a carefully thoughtout process

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has defended Government plans to

cap rents in Cork and Dublin for the next three years,
insisting that the move is a carefully thought-out
process which will protect many thousands of tenants.
He rejected claims a deal struck with Fianna Fil to

potentially extend the plan to other cities early next year
is a watering down of the original move.
Under plans debated by the Dil, rent pressure zones
are to be introduced in Irelands two largest cities from
next month, capping price rises for existing renters to a
maximum of 4% a year for the next three years.
The move was put before cabinet by Housing Minister
Simon Coveney this week, before facing severe criticism
from Fianna Fil and other parties over claims the 4%
annual cap was too high and that people in other parts of
the country were being left without help.
As part of a deal between Fine Gael and Fianna Fil which
has been seen as a victory for Mr Coveney, the 4% rate
will remain in place with the possibility of extending the
move to other cities and commuter belts to be reviewed
early next year.
However, while the decision has led to some concern that

landlords in areas outside of Cork and Dublin may now
increase rents before any future potential changes are
introduced and ongoing concerns the cap will still allow a
12% rise over the next three years, Mr Kenny insisted the
policy has been carefully thought out.
Speaking in Brussels after the European Council leaders
summit, the Taoiseach said many thousands of tenants
will be protected by the new rules who would otherwise
be fearful of the next rent increase coming.
No, not at all, he said when asked if the deal with Fianna
Fil to potential expand the plan to other parts of the
country early next year shows it is being watered down.
What was put in place, and what was decided on during
the week, was a very carefully thought out process.
One [aspect] was taxation to be reflected on by a
commission to be set up by Finance Minister Michael
Noonan in January.
One was the process and conditions when a rent zone
would be authorised. And the third was a very carefully
thought-out level of a 4% cap which would apply.
Thats designed to protect many thousands of tenants
who would be fearful of the next rent increase coming, he
said.
Its time to assess the do-nothing

Dilers
The 32nd Dil has descended into a laughable farce and
with the politicians now off on their Christmas holidays,

Political Editor Daniel McConnell says its time to assess
ministers performance since taking office.
At the end of the second term of the so-called New

Politics, a number of things have become clear.
The Government and the 32nd Dil are not working
and, in truth, the whole edifice is a laughable farce.
Secondly, the naked desire of Fine Gael and Taoiseach
Enda Kenny to keep the show on the road, no matter what
the cost, is galling.
Labour Leader Brendan Howlins description of a DoNothing Dil is now a mild analysis of the current chassis.
The system is dangerously lurching from one populist
driven crisis to the next and ultimately this leads to

disaster.
But with our politicians now on their Christmas holidays, it
is time to assess their performance since taking office:
The overwhelming number of families becoming

homeless had their last stable home in the private
rented sector, and the crisis in this sector is the
immediate cause of their homelessness rising
rents, landlords selling up or being repossessed,
shortage of properties to rent.
Most of the families becoming homeless have
never experienced homelessness before and never
thought this could happen to them.
Thousands more families are struggling on very
low incomes or social welfare and many are falling
into serious housing difficulties as rents continue to
rise.
Some families are becoming homeless as Rent
Supplement payments fail to cover the rent. They
fall into arrears and end up losing their home.
Other families cant find anywhere to rent as
payments are too low and many landlords do not
accept rent supplement. Meanwhile, the
Government has so far failed to provide better
access to affordable housing for people in need.
Rebuilding Ireland_Action Plan
http://rebuildingireland.ie/Rebuilding
%20Ireland_Action%20Plan.pdf
Implementation Plan on the State's Response to
Homelessness May 2014-December 2016
http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/migrat
edfiles/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/Hous
ing/FileDownLoad%2C38053%2Cen.pdf
New report on homelessness by the UN Special
Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing
http://www.housingrightswatch.org/sit
es/default/files/UN%20SR%20Right
%20to%20housing%20report
%202016%20eng.pdf
Year ago, Apollo House receivers Mazars lambasted
95m wasteful support to housing charities. This

Christmas, Mazars is supporting ...Simon!
Dublin Fire Brigade have

inspected the premises and
they are very happy with the
rules and systems we have in
place
Activists handed legal

notice over empty Tara
Street office block used
to house homeless
The protesters include director Jim Sheridan,
actor Saoirse Ronan and musicians Glen
Hansard, Christy Moore and Hozier
17 DEC 2016

in Dublin to accommodate the homeless were
yesterday served with legal notice to vacate the
building.
The protesters - including director Jim Sheridan, actor

Saoirse Ronan and musicians Glen Hansard,
Christy Moore and Hozier - have been told they face
court action unless they leave Apollo House in Tara
Street.
Last night they said they would happily meet with the
receivers to discuss the best use of the building - but
insisted they were going nowhere.
The Home Sweet Home movement, which includes
celebrities, trade unionists and Irish Housing Network
members, continued their occupation of the vacant 10storey premises.
A number of rough sleepers stayed there on Thursday
night and Friday night but lawyers for Apollo House
receivers said they were trespassing.
Mazars, the receivers appointed by Nama to the building,
said it was an illegal occupation and the property was not
suitable for living in.
Saoirse Ronan
Their solicitors A&L Goodbody wrote to the protestors

advising that while they were sympathetic to the plight of
those that are homeless they cannot allow the property
to be unlawfully occupied by trespassers.
They added that this was particularly in light of the
condition of the property and the obvious health and safety
concerns.
The legal firm wants to meet with Home Sweet Home with
a view to agreeing an immediate and orderly vacation of
the premises.
A spokesperson said: In the event that those who are
unlawfully trespassing on the property are not willing to
vacate the property the receivers will have no alternative
but to apply to court for the necessary orders compelling
those persons to vacate the property.
Home Sweet Home co-founder Brendan Ogle said the
coalition were satisfied that the building was safe for

people to sleep in.
He added: We have had Dublin Fire Brigade in to

inspect the premises and they are very happy with the
rules and systems we have in place here.
We also have a team of maintenance workers,
plumbers, joiners... so we are very happy everything is
being done correctly and to the highest standards.
The latest rough sleeper count in Dublin found 219
adults without access to an emergency bed - 142
sleeping rough and 77 sleeping on roll-out mats in the
Merchants Quay night cafe.
On Friday night Oscar-winning singer songwriter Glen
Hansard told Late Late Show host Ryan Tubridy:
We are involved in an act of civil disobedience.
this.
How many young people are

homeless?
Focus Ireland has identified youth homelessness as
Irelands forgotten homeless. Vulnerable young
people are among the first victims of the housing
crisis, with private landlords, social housing bodies
and local authorities reluctant to rent to them.
Government policies such as reducing welfare
rates for people under 25 have added to the
problem, resulting in destitution for many. Without
effective interventions, an experience of
homelessness at this age can result in long-term or
chronic homelessness.
What is the Government doing to end

homelessness?
While the Government has introduced a range of

policies to tackle homelessness the growing
number of people becoming homelessness shows
they are inadequate.
Some of the problems are long running such as
the decision to cut social housing spending by 72%
between 2008 and 2012 (1.38bn to 390m), but
short term measures such as Rent Supplement
levels, rising rents and reduced welfare rates for
under-25s have not been tackled either.
Focus Ireland has published a large number of wellresearched proposals for positive chance. Read
what our Director of Advocacy, Mike Allen, had to
say about the government approach here.
Celebrities join 'concerned

citizens' as Home Sweet Home
group occupies vacant
building to house homeless
Hozier, Glen Hansard, Damien
Dempsey and actor John Connors
were involved in the peaceful
initiative
, 16 DEC 201
A number of high-profile celebs have backed a group

that has taken over a NAMA owned building to provide
accommodation for homeless people.
Home Sweet Home, with the aid of The Irish Housing
Network, opened the city centre property at 11pm last
night.
It is fully kitted out with light, heating and around 30
mattresses.
Hozier, Glen Hansard, Damien Dempsey, Kodaline
members, actor John Connors, director Jim Sheridan
and Mattress Mick were outside the building during the
peaceful takeover.
It is understood gardai aware of the situation and are in
contact with those involved.
Home Sweet Home spokesman Brendan Ogle said the

move is a message to Government that something needs
to be done to tackle our homeless crisis.
He told the Irish Times: We are going to go in, turn on the
electricity, turn on the water, turn on the heating and
gather up as many homeless people as need a roof over
their head.
We know at least 140 people are sleeping rough on the
streets of Dublin every night.
"We know the Government has opened up emergency
beds but there will still be people out sleeping on the
streets and we are coming together to say to the
Government that enough is enough."
The Irish Housing Network demanded action be taken by
the Government to tackle the homeless crisis.
A spokesman said: "Last week on Thursday the 8th of
December Fine Gael Minister for Housing Simon Coveney
said in the Dail that if we cannot protect those without a
roof over their heads we need to ask ourselves some
serious questions.
Flowers & messages of sympathy at the scene where

homeless person Jonathon Corrie died on Molesworth Street
in 2014 (Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins)

believe that these questions are crystal clear.
"Why under this government did a homeless man freeze to
death in Dundalk carpark on November 25th?
"Why under this government do over 193,000 homes lie

empty while homelessness grows?
"Why under this government is Dublin considered the 10th
richest city in Europe and yet the life expectancy for a
homeless woman is just 38 years of age, the same
expectancy as a woman in Ireland during 1847.
"Why under this government are there 32,000 millionaires
in the capital, but over 100 people sleeping on our
shopping streets every night.
believe that private interests can no longer come before
public need.
"We demand an end to deaths on our street. We demand
an end to this crisis.
"Out of respect for the residents, the Irish Housing
Network are asking for 12 hours of privacy."
This Dublin pub is sending food to

Apollo House and wants other
businesses to do the same
BY TONY CUDDIHY
Hopefully, one good deed will snowball into

something far bigger.
We've been contacted by the Adelphi venue in Dublin, who

tell us that they're hoping to start an initiative whereby the
homeless people in Apollo House will continue to be fed
throughout Christmas and beyond.
Last night, we shared the story of how singer Glen
Hansard was leading efforts to find a solution to Dublin's
homelessness with an act of 'civil disobedience' in Apollo
House, an abandoned building on Tara Street.
Home, a group that have taken over the building and
adapted it for use as a homeless shelter.
Now, the Adelphi are trying to feed the people who are
staying there.
Well guys here at Adelphi we are saddened by the

homeless situation here in Dublin and it's even harder this
time of year. So today we will be sending down platters of
our Gourmet Hotdogs to Apollo house to try do something
to help those less fortunate.
But we will also be tagging another business and hoping
they will also do the same and tag another business and
so on, if we all get behind this then maybe we can at least
bring some joy to the homeless in Dublin.
https://www.joe.ie/news/this-dublin-pub-is-sendingfood-to-apollo-house-and-wants-other-businessesto-do-the-same/571043?
utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=onsite_share
Why is having a home so important?

We believe that having a place to call home is the
most fundamental of human rights.

Home is a powerful word. It means many things to
many people. At its most basic, we believe that the
word home means a safe and secure place where
you can truly be yourself.
We all take having a home for granted. But imagine
if you woke up tomorrow to the news that youd
lost your home. What would you do? Where would
you go? What would it mean for your job? What
would it mean for your childrens schooling?
Imagine not having a say in when youd like to go
to sleep. Imagine not having cooking facilities.
When you dont have a home, every mundane,
routine aspect of your day becomes another hurdle
to overcome. And now imagine you have a young
family to look after, and youre in nightmare
territory.
The rights to housing is recognized by the United
Nations (Article 25 in the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights) and the UN has been active in
highlighting homelessness as a violation of human
rights. The UN has released a new report
on homelessness addressing the right to
adequate housing.
As regards the rent issue, I thought all those fiscal
cleansing acts, such as the Home Improvement and Rent
Restriction, were made unconstitutional in the mid
seventies, but not of course before they had done their
job, of forcing out the original owners, who often parted
with their properties for a few shillings just to get rid of
them. Isn't the first thing needed then a constitutional
amendment to allow that sort of carry on again.?
This of course is all a complete nonsense. All that actually

needs to be done is to zone the Rent Allowance. Double it
for down country towns and halve it for areas of our prime
real estate. We have over 200,000 empty houses in the
country, a lot closer to "home" than were a lot of our
people have had to go,
The Dublin Simon Community counted 99 people

sleeping rough in the city this morning and the
organisers of Home Sweet Home are taking people
off the streets.
He said that once the heating is turned on then the
building will function to an extent that it will be safer

than sleeping in a doorway or some kind of
dumpster.
immediate effect.
They said: In the circumstances we have no option
but to refer the matter to our legal advisers to
pursue the appropriate course of action.
http://www.housingrightswatch.org/news/newreport-homelessness-un-special-rapporteur-rightadequate-housing
FEANTSA response to UN Special Rapporteur on the Right
to Housing Questionnaire
http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Housing/H
omelessness/CSOs/28102015-FEANTSA.pdf
Focus Ireland has actively participated in this
process, both in our own right and as part of
FEANTSA (the European network of homeless
organisations.
Fine Gael's new rent rules will

throw tenants to the vultures

Enda Kenny, Taoiseach

legislation.


certainty
the increases.
The grand survivor of the farce, I mean feast.
The continuing question over his departure continues to
overshadow all matters.
It appears the whole thing is being allowed to continue
merely to allow him stretch out his farewell.
Time to go.
Gets O/10 for being able to survive when a majority
wanted rid of him.

return for landlords but 12.5% is hardly modest to
those who are struggling to pay rents that have
exploded in recent years.
If workers, be they in the public or private sector,
slapped a 12.5% pay demand on their employer they
would be accused of trying to wreck the economy.
Lets put this deal in perspective, for it comes as Fine
Gael is about to enter its seventh year in government
and the party is now expecting praise for overseeing
the greatest homelessness and housing crisis in the
history of the State.
predictability which comes way ahead of a tenants
need for rent certainty.
Part of the excuse for the huge rise in rent prices to
come is it will offer an incentive for developers and
builders to construct more homes in the coming years.
for the homeless crisis is the lack of affordable housing
because the Fine Gael/Labour Government built
virtually no local authority homes during their time in
office.
The excuse that funds werent available wont wash

when there was any amount of billions to pump in the
banks.
Besides, previous governments built tens of thousands
of council homes during the 1950s and 60s when there
They cant afford to rent a home as it is and will have
even less chance of doing so when the new increases
kick in.
The vultures are actually fuelling the homelessness
crisis yet they will be the main beneficiaries of this

agreement.
After six years of doing nothing while rents went
through the roof and the numbers of homeless
rocketed, it came down to a last-minute rush to get the
measures over the line before the long Dail Christmas
break.
what has to be the greatest scandal to plague this
country in modern history yet much of last week was
taken up with a murder which took place in 1983.
there can be no doubt that both Fine Gael and Fianna
Fail engaged in political point-scoring, using the death
of this loyal servant of the State to get at Sinn Fein.
since 2011.

rough.

Tara Street.

last night.

immediate effect.
action."

demolition

and safety issues.

streets.
the park".
the night".
being taken over.
Christmas.

in".
Mr Daly and Mr McDonagh ... how about you call off your
expensive lawyers and donate a few thousand Euro from
NAMA's billion Euro budget to buy beds, blankets and
breakfast cereals. And If nobody dies on the streets this
Christmas you might feel you have done some good (for
once).
Remember Jonathan Corrie this Christmas
Earlier we posted a photo of some of the food that has been

donated to #HomeSweetHome at Apollo House. Here is just some of
the clothing, bedding and Christmas presents that have also been
donated in the last 48hrs. #IrelandBeProud
Don't give a penny to any of these charities, they need to go out of
business!
A long overdue reality check so please share.
Its a scandal of the highest proportions.
There are 8 registered charities supposedly working with the
homeless in Dublin. The government gives them millions but all of it
is being spent on huge salaries. In fact the money they get from the
government doesnt cover the big fat salaries in some cases and a
lot of the work they do is duplicated. The money these charities get
every year is more than enough to house the homeless.
Dublin Simon, the Peter McVerry Trust, Depaul Ireland and Focus
Ireland got a total of 33.6 million in grants from State agencies in
2014, but spent 35.8 million on staff costs for the 875 people they
employed in 2014.
In 2014, Dublin Simons total income was 12,519,761. It received
6,194,218 from the State. Its average number of employees was
188 at a total cost of 7,420,022, including wages and salaries,
social security and pension.
Its chief executive, Sam McGuinness, was on a salary of 93,338 a
year, with five employees altogether on over 70,000 per annum. In
2014, Dublin Simon also spent 84,980 on motor vehicles.
The Peter McVerry Trust had a total income of 10,656,737 in 2014,
of which 6,842,691 came from the State. It employed 146
employees in 2014 at a cost of just under 8.1 million.
Chief executive Pat Doyle is paid 96,211 (98,382 since June
2016), the same level as director regional health office).
The trust pays a 16 per cent employer contribution to the chief
executives defined-contribution pension scheme.The income of all
senior employees is in line with HSE pay levels.
The Depaul Ireland homeless agency had 213 employees in 2014.

They cost it 6,469,677. Almost all its 9,184,802 income for 2014
came from State agencies.
Four employees there earned over 60,000 each in 2014, with chief
executive Kerry Anthony on between 80,000 and 90,000.
Focus Ireland had an average of 328 employees in 2014 at a cost of
13.82 million, including pensions and social insurance costs. In
2014, State agencies granted it 11.38 million.
Its chief executive, Ashley Balbirnie, was paid a salary of 115,000
plus approximately 5,000 in medical insurance which amounted to
a total of 120,000.
The most recent annual accounts audited accounts available for
Threshold are for 2014 and show that they received 1.3 million in
government grants, while 479,000 was raised through donations
from the public.
1.2 million of this was spent on a staff of 46. In other words almost
all of the money given by the government went on wages.
Government to accept extra

260 refugees in response to
crisis
Tnaiste Frances Fitzgerald to seek approval for new
figure at Cabinet meeting
Tue, Nov 29, 2016, 01:00
Sarah Bardon
Frances Fitzgerald: will tell Cabinet that 520 refugees will have been resettled
in Ireland by end of the year. Photograph: Dave Meehan
The Government is to accept a further 260 refugees

from Lebanon in 2017 under its resettlement
programme.
Tnaiste Frances Fitzgerald is to bring a memo to
Tuesdays Cabinet meeting seeking Government
approval for the move, which would be in addition to
the 520 people being accepted this year and the 260
due for admission by next spring.
Ms Fitzgerald announced in September 2015 that
Ireland would accept up to 4,000 refugees as part of a
co-ordinated European Union response to the crisis in
the Mediterranean.
As part of that commitment the Government agreed to
accept 2,622 asylum seekers under the relocation
scheme from Greece and Italy. The new agreement
comes within the figure approved.
R
R
R
Europe proactively harming refugees, conference told

Comoros Islands: Drowning in pursuit of the European
dream
Italy convicts man over deaths of nearly 700
migrants
Only 109 people have arrived in Ireland under that

programme, mostly families from Greece; some 69 of
these are from Syria.
Relocation system
A further 128 people have been assessed and cleared

for arrival, and arrangements for their travel to the
State are currently being made.
The Irish Refugee Protection Programme travelled to
Athens earlier this month and interviewed another 87
people. It is expected that at least another 80 people
will be interviewed during a further mission in
December.
By the end of 2016, the Government hopes Ireland will
have accepted more than 400 people from Greece
under the relocation pledge system.

Ms Fitzgerald will inform her Cabinet colleagues that
the pace of relocation programme has been slower than
anticipated but will increase in the new year.
Ms Fitzgerald will also say that 520 refugees will have
been resettled in Ireland by the end of the year.
However, 233 of the refugees have not been housed
yet. Some 274 have completed their language training
and orientation programme in the Hazel Hotel in
Monasterevin, Co Kildare or the Clonea Strand Hotel
in Dungarvan, Co Waterford.
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/government-to-acceptextra-260-refugees-in-response-to-crisis-1.2885689
The inside story of Apple's $14 billion tax bill
"The Maxforce" is the European Union team that ordered Ireland to

collect billions of euros in back taxes from Apple Inc., rattled the Irish
government, and spurred changes to international tax law. You'd think
it might have earned the name by applying maximum force while
investigating alleged financial shenanigans. It didn't. It's just led by a
guy named Max.
A European Commission official gave the nickname to the Task Force on
Tax Planning Practices in honor of its chief, Max Lienemeyer, a lanky,
laid-back German attorney who rose to prominence vetting plans to

shore up struggling banks during Europe's debt crisis. Since its launch
in 2013, the Maxforce has looked at the tax status of hundreds of
companies across Europe, including a deal Starbucks had in the
Netherlands, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles's agreement with Luxembourg,
and -- its largest case -- Apple in Ireland.
Lienemeyer's team of 15 international civil servants pursued a threeyear investigation stretching from the corridors of the European
Commission, the EU's executive arm, to Ireland's Finance Ministry and
on to Apple's leafy headquarters in Cupertino, California. Much of it
outlined for the first time here, this story chronicles a growing clash
between Europe and the U.S. and a shift in the EU's approach to the tax
affairs of multinationals.
The Maxforce concluded that Ireland allowed Apple to create stateless
entities that effectively let it decide how much -- or how little -- tax it
pays. The investigators say the company channeled profits from dozens
of countries through two Ireland-based units. In a system at least tacitly
endorsed by Irish authorities, earnings were split, with the vast majority
attributed to a "head office" with no employees and no specific home
base -- and therefore liable to no tax on any profits from sales outside
Ireland. The U.S., meanwhile, didn't tax the units because they're
incorporated in Ireland.
In August the EU said Ireland had broken European law by giving Apple
a sweetheart deal. It ordered the country to bill the iPhone maker a
record 13 billion euros ($13.9 billion) in back taxes, plus interest, from
2003 to 2014. One example the Commission cites: In 2011, a unit called
Apple Sales International recorded profits of about 16 billion euros from
sales outside the U.S. But only 50 million euros were considered taxable
in Ireland, leaving 15.95 billion euros of profit untaxed, the Commission
says.
Though the EU says its goal is "to ensure equal treatment of companies"
across Europe, Apple maintains that the Commission selectively
targeted the company. With the ruling, the EU is "retroactively changing
the rules and choosing to disregard decades of Irish law," and its
investigators don't understand the differences between European and
U.S. tax systems, Apple said in a Dec. 8 statement.
Apple, which has some 6,000 workers in Ireland, says its Irish units
paid the parent company a licensing fee to use the intellectual property
in its products. The Irish companies didn't own the IP, so they don't owe
tax on it in Ireland, Apple says, but the units will face a U.S. tax bill
when they repatriate the profits. "This case has never been about how
much tax Apple pays, it's about where our tax is paid," the company
said. "We pay tax on everything we earn."
Ireland on Nov. 9 appealed the Commission's ruling at the EU General
Court in Luxembourg, arguing it has given Apple no special treatment.
Irish Finance Minister Michael Noonan has said he "profoundly
disagrees" with the ruling and that Ireland strictly adheres to tax
regulations. The government says Ireland has no right to tax nonresident companies for profits that come from activities outside the
country.
"Look at the small print" on an iPhone, Noonan said after the EU
released its ruling in August. "It says designed in California,
manufactured in China. That means any profits that accrued didn't
accrue in Ireland, so I can't see why the tax liability is in Ireland."
In the coming weeks, the EU is expected to publish details of the
Maxforce investigation. At about the same time, Apple will likely lodge
its own appeal in the EU court. Though Apple will have to pay its tax bill
within weeks, the money will be held in escrow, and the issue will
probably take years to be resolved.
This story is based on interviews with dozens of officials from the EU,
Ireland, and Apple, though most didn't want to speak on the record
discussing sensitive tax matters. A Maxforce representative declined to
make Lienemeyer available for an interview. Ireland's Office of Revenue
Commissioners (the equivalent of the American Internal Revenue
Service) says it can't comment on specific companies.
Lienemeyer began assembling the Maxforce in late spring of 2013 with a
mandate of scrutinizing tax policies across Europe in search of any
favoritism. Direct subsidies or tax breaks to court a specific company are
illegal in the EU to prevent governments aiding national champions. His
first hire -- the person who would oversee the Apple probe -- was Helena
Malikova, a Slovak who had worked at Credit Suisse Group in Zurich.
He quickly added Kamila Kaukiel, a Polish financial analyst who had
been at KPMG, and Saskia Hendriks, a former tax policy adviser to the
Dutch government.
As the four initial members began their investigations, they got a head
start from a U.S. Senate probe of the tax strategies of American
multinationals. The Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on
Investigations said Apple shifted tens of billions of dollars in profit into
stateless affiliates based in Ireland, where it secured a tax rate of less
than 2 percent.
At 9:30 a.m. on May 21, 2013, senators gathered in Room 106 of the
Dirksen Office Building. Included in the evidence presented that day
was a 2004 letter from Tom Connor, an official at Ireland's tax
authority, to Ernst & Young, Apple's tax adviser. Connor's question: A
unit of the tech company hadn't filed a tax return; Was it still in
business? E&Y responded two days later that the division was a nonresident holding company with no real sales. "There is nothing to return
from the corporation tax standpoint," E&Y wrote. The Senate exhibits
didn't include Connor's response if there ever was one.
At the hearing, Arizona Republican John McCain castigated Apple as
"one of the biggest tax avoiders in America." Democrat Carl Levin of
Michigan peered over the glasses perched on the tip of his nose and said
Apple uses "offshore tax strategies whose purpose is tax avoidance, pure
and simple." Crucially, though, Levin told the crowded room that under
U.S. law, there was little the panel could do to force Apple to pay more
tax. Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook passionately defended the
company's actions, telling the senators "We don't depend on tax
gimmicks."
The Senate revelations raised eyebrows at the Maxforce's office in
Madou Tower, a 1960s high-rise in the rundown Saint-Josse
neighborhood of Brussels. Three weeks after the Senate hearing,
Lienemeyer's team asked Ireland for details of Apple's tax situation. The
Irish tax authorities soon dispatched a representative carrying a
briefcase filled with a bundle of bound pages. The Irish could have
simply sent the material via e-mail, but they were cautious about
sharing taxpayer's information with the EU and have a ground rule to
avoid leaks: never send such documents electronically.
While the Irish government remained bullish in its public statements,
saying Apple hadn't received any favors, behind the scenes tensions
were rising. Through the summer of 2013, the Finance Ministry assured
government ministers that the EU investigation would amount to
nothing, according to people familiar with the discussions. But those
assertions seemed less confident than earlier communications. There
was a sense that Apple had worked out its Irish tax position in a vastly
different era, and no one remembered many details of the negotiations
decades earlier.
In 1980, the four-year-old company -- the Apple III desktop had just
been released -- created several Irish affiliates, each with a different
function such as manufacturing or sales, according to the Senate report.
Under Irish laws dating to the 1950s designed to shore up the moribund
post-war economy, as a so-called export company Apple paid no taxes
on overseas sales of products made in Ireland.
To comply with European rules, Ireland finally ended its zero-tax policy
in 1990. After that, Apple and Ireland agreed that the profit attributed to
a key Ireland-based unit, the division discussed in Tom Connor's letter,
be capped using a complex formula that in 1990 would have resulted in
a taxable profit of $30 million to $40 million.
An Apple tax adviser "confessed there was no scientific basis" for those
figures, but that the amounts would be "of such magnitude that he
hoped it would be seen as a bona-fide proposal," according to notes
from a 1990 meeting with the Irish tax authority cited by the EU. The
equation didn't change even as Apple began assembling the bulk of its
products in Asia.
Ireland and Apple started to make changes a few months after the
Maxforce began looking into their tax relationship. In October 2013,
Finance Minister Noonan announced he would close the loophole that
let stateless holding companies operate out of Ireland. The EU says
Apple changed the structure of its Irish units in 2015.
As the Maxforce stepped up its probe in June 2014, Irish Prime Minister
Enda Kenny was wooing potential investors in California. At a San
Francisco event to promote Irish entrepreneurs, Governor Jerry Brown
quipped that he had thought Apple "was a California company," but

according to tax returns, "they're really an Irish company." News clips
show Irish officials looking on stony-faced as the governor makes his
jest.
With Lienemeyer's team digging further into the issue, Apple's concern
deepened. In January 2016, CEO Cook met with Margrethe Vestager,
the EU competition chief -- and Lienemeyer's ultimate boss -- on the
10th-floor of the Berlaymont building, the institutional headquarters of
the European Commission in Brussels.
Vestager, a daughter of two Lutheran pastors, has a reputation for being
even-handed but tough, cutting unemployment benefits while
advocating strict new rules for banks when she served as Denmark's
finance minister. While she has acknowledged that her team had little
experience with tax rulings -- in a November interview with France's
Society magazine, she said, "We learned on the job" -- Vestager says
enforcement of EU rules on taxation is a matter of "fairness."
In the meeting with Cook she quizzed him on the tax Apple paid in
various jurisdictions worldwide. She told the Apple executives that
"someone has to tax you," according to a person present at the meeting.
In a Jan. 25 follow-up letter obtained by Bloomberg, Cook thanked
Vestager for a "candid and constructive exchange of views," and
reasserted that Apple's earnings are "subject to deferred taxation in the
U.S. until those profits are repatriated."
Subsequent correspondence became more heated. On March 14, Cook
wrote to Vestager that he had "concerns about the fairness of these
proceedings." The Commission had failed to explain fully the basis on
which Apple was being investigated, and the body's approach was
characterized by "inconsistency and ambiguity," Cook said.
Apple contended that the EU had backtracked on a 2014 decision
recognizing that its two Irish subsidiaries were not technically resident
in Ireland, and therefore only liable for taxes on profits derived from
Irish sources. Now, Cook said, it seemed the Commission was intent on
"imposing a massive, retroactive tax on Apple by attributing to the Irish
branches all of Apple's global profits outside the Americas."
"There is no inconsistency," an EU spokesman said in a Dec. 15
statement. Only a fraction of the profits of the subsidiaries were taxed in
Ireland, the statement said. "As a result, the tax rulings enabled Apple to
pay substantially less tax than other companies, which is illegal under
EU state aid rules."
Cook's entreaties did little to sway Vestager, and in August she phoned
Noonan to tell him the results of the Maxforce investigation: The
Commission was going to rule against Ireland. Late in the afternoon of
Aug. 29, Irish officials began hinting to reporters that Apple's tax bill
amounted to billions and "could be anything." At noon the following
day, Vestager told a packed press conference in Brussels that the
Commission had decided Apple owed Ireland 13 billion euros.
Though that would be equivalent to 26 percent of the 2015 national
budget, Ireland didn't want the windfall, saying the ruling was flawed
because the country hadn't given Apple any special treatment. The
decision sparked a political crisis as left-leaning members of Enda
Kenny's fragile minority administration saw a potential bonanza for
taxpayers that the world's richest company could well afford. Even as
Noonan toured television studios vowing to appeal the decision,
independent lawmakers demanded that Ireland take the money.
Facing a potential revolt that could bring down the government, Kenny
and Noonan eventually bowed to demands for a review of the country's
corporate tax system. But they said they would fight the case, and on
Sept. 7, Irish lawmakers overwhelmingly backed the motion for an
appeal.
Officials from Lienemeyer's team and other EU offices say they have
gathered tax information on about 300 companies, looking for what
they deem to be favorable treatment by governments across Europe.
While they don't expect all of those to yield payoffs as hefty as that from
their investigation of Ireland and Apple, they say a worrying number
require the kind of maximum force that the Maxforce can apply.
"We focus on outliers where you're looking at something that is off the
radar screen," Lienemeyer's boss, 50-year-old Dutchman Gert-Jan
Koopman, who is in charge of state-aid enforcement at the EU, said at a
Brussels conference in November. "If you're paying a fair amount of tax
then there is absolutely nothing to worry about."
Michael Noonan, Finance
Another who has outstayed his welcome.

Many within his own party feel he is not able to fulfil the
role.
He commands a critical brief in Finance and the country
deserves someone at the top of their game.
No questioning his acumen and his role in smoothing interCoalition rows in recent months and weeks.
The heart may be willing but the legs appear to be gone.
0/10.
why Oireachtas banking inquiry

didn't call
UniCredit breached liquidity requirements in 2007.

Matthew Elderfield nods. The interconnectedness
of banking dysfunctionality.
Michael Smith
There is a general official view that Irelands ethical
delinquencies are in the past. Corrupt planning
stopped when the tribunals started; and bad bankregulation stopped with the demise of Pat Neary
and the production of two limited and innocuous
reports by Patrick Honohan and Klaus Regling.
Inconveniently for a country that has started to see
regulation in black (then) and white (now) terms,
the general view does not reflect the reality. Hold
tight for a mind-boggling trip through the
complexity of banking dysfunctionality.
Liquidity is the short-term financing vital to ensure
the banks still do their core job of funding the
economy. Somehow Ireland went from having
liquid banks to having banks so illiquid that a bank
guarantee was offered by the government in
September 2008. But there are staff in every bank
legally charged with ensuring banks do not become
illiquid. There is an intricate and comprehensive
system in place to ensure they cannot become
illiquid, bearing in mind their customer base. It
involves arrangements they must have in place if
for some reason they become illiquid e.g. they can
ask another named financial institution to lend
them money short-term. Every morning the banks
have to produce a report showing how they kept
their liquidity up to the target the previous day.
The measure used for the target is the liquidity
ratio.
In mid 2007 the financial regulator, Pat Neary
following a six-month dry-run introduced a new
rule for the liquidity ratio implementing the
latest Basel banking accord. It required that cash
inflows equalled at least 90 per cent of cash

outflows forecast over the relevant period. This
prudential system was, and is, central to how
banking is possible. The system was intended to
be stringently monitored by the financial regulator.
In fact Village has evidence that a failure of
liquidity, that if it as may well have been the
case was typical to both Irish banks and foreignowned subsidiaries, shows dysfunctionality on a
scale that should have prompted the financial
regulator to advise the government to go out into
the markets and get funds for the banks
immediately, was ignored by the regulator. Nor did
auditors pick up on it. Indeed it is highly likely that
liquidity problems were dysfunctionally glossed
over by auditors all over Dublins financial world
around this time. If such dysfunctionality had not
occurred and been ignored for so long after the
collapse of Northern Rock, Ireland could have dealt
with general bank liquidity in a structured and
gradual way and not purportedly needed the
bank guarantee that has finished up bankrupting
the country and immiserating much of the
population.
The people behind this dysfunctionality should be
made to account for it. The new regulator,
Matthew Elderfield, should explain what went on
on his predecessors watch so we can see what
happened. Instead it appears the new regulator is
being disingenuous.
In late July or early August 2007, an experienced
financial risk-manager, says he discovered his
employer bank the Irish subsidiary of the giant
UniCredit Bank of Italy had been dramatically
breaching the liquidity ratio. The risk-manager
maintains he was specifically warned by senior
personnel at the Irish subsidiary not to report the
matter to the financial regulator in Ireland. On one

occasion he reported a ratio of only 70% to the
regulator (and obtained a receipt). In fact he says
I was getting 75%, even 65%, not occasionally but
day in, day out. Banks are obliged by law to
maintain all daily records for at least five years so
there must be written evidence of this. At the
time, I thought: Is it my fault? Then I asked
questions and I was told its a system error or a
trader forgot to book a deal or its complicated.
Give it a bit more time and youll understand. It
will be fine. In any event, even if taken at face
value, such failures would attract penalties under
Sections 3.4 and 10 of the regulators
Requirements for Management of Liquidity Risk,
2006, which seem to impose fairly strict liability.
Ascertaining the liquidity ratio is a complex task
and eventually the risk-manager turned to a
consulting company in London for help, affording it
access to UniCredits systems. That company a
company which continues to provide such services
for some of Irelands most well-known banks
calculated the liquidity ratio at an extraordinary
50% when a ratio of 89% would in normal
circumstances be deemed problematic. The riskmanager resigned, in part fearful of the draconian
penalties that applied for breach of the law.
A simple call to UniCredits Milan-based parent
could have been expected to generate a transfer of
many billions of Euro within a few hours, so
resolving the problem. But that would have
undermined the parent banks confidence in its
Celtic subsidiary, and perhaps jeopardised bonuses
against a background where the previous years
final accounts had anyway required substantial and
embarrassing revision to the tune of tens of
millions of Euro.
Around two weeks later the financial regulator

came in on a scheduled inspection. It appears all
hell then broke loose with the regulator effectively
taking over the firm for two weeks. During this
period the arrangement with the expert London
consulting company was terminated, so it may
have proved difficult for the regulator to ascertain
the prevailing liquidity ratio. The risk-manager was
warned by his former employers that repeating his
story to a third party would constitute grounds for
a claim of defamation which we would not hesitate
to pursue. Solicitors McCann Fitzgerald wrote to
him on their behalf advising that his allegations
were outrageous. They have claimed the same to
Village.
What is surprising is the reluctance of Irish
authorities, and indeed Irish politicians,
government and opposition alike, to make the
running with this still unresolved issue. The
honourable exception is Senator David Norris who
outlined the events described above and pushed
the issue in the Seanad, though without naming
the bank except privately to the Minister.
The regulator
The new until-now poster-boy regulator, Matthew
Elderfield, has stated in response to questions from
the Sunday Business Post, and the Sddeutsche
Zeitung, a respected German newspaper, that
our records do not match the description of events
given by Senator Norris; nor did we receive what
might be described as a whistleblower letter. We
can, however, confirm that an overnight liquidity
breach was reported by an institution around the
time in question. The matter was followed up with
the institution and rectified to the satisfaction of
the Financial Regulator at the time. For a poster
boy this is in fact remarkably disingenuous, though
certainly true. The regulators records presumably

do not match Senator Norriss because its agents
didnt look hard enough or take a proper record;
and they did not receive a whistleblower letter as
the letter came from UniCredit itself which limited
its declaration to one overnight breach. Notably,
nothing the regulator said undermines the
credibility of the risk-manager.
It is impossible that there could be a flagrant
breach without a systemic problem since the whole
prudential system is constructed with actuarial
precision so it can deal with every contingency.
That is what makes it prudential. In prudential
circles a 1% breach is taken very seriously. 20% or
40% is calamitous. Impossible even. It is
impossible that there would be an overnight move
from compliance (90%) to flagrant breach (70% or
even 50%), when the maximum deviation allowed
from 90% is 1%. Unless perhaps there was a single
extraordinary event, an unpredictable act of god.
Anyone with any knowledge of the dynamics of
liquidity ratios, including particularly the regulator,
would know this. If there had indeed been such an
extraordinary event, there would seem to be no
reason why some intimation of the nature of the
problem would not have been provided by the
regulator, when questioned about the breach. In
the absence of such an extraordinary explanation,
seeing a breach of 20% or even 40% would
necessarily alert the regulator to a systemic
problem likely to be sustained over a long period. It
would appear almost certain that the scale of the
breach had evolved incrementally and continued
for some time. Not just overnight. This would tend
to corroborate the risk-managers story.
Extraordinarily, the financial regulator did not then,
and Matthew Elderfield who has been in office
since January 2010 still has failed to, interview

the risk-manager about the matter. This is despite
the risk managers patently abrupt departure (and
that of the London consultants) during this
controversial episode and an accelerating
number of enquiries to the regulator about the
matter. Nor is it clear whether the regulator
informed the Milan-based parent of UniCredit or,
crucially, the Italian and EU regulatory authorities.
In June 2009 the regulator issued a revision of
regulations for liquidity ratios without making any
reference at all to the fact that the regulations had
been revised to achieve precisely this new effect
in 2006. This served deceptively to imply that the
regulations had not been in force at the time of the
breaches by UniCredit (and by all the other banks
whose liquidity imploded illegally, though without
media recognition of the illegality, around the time
of the bank guarantee). The text of the 2006
document [section 9.4] which specified that the
new requirements had taken effect on 1 July 2007
disappeared from the 2009 document.
The bank itself
The 2007 annual report of UniCredits Irish
subsidiary is signed as chairman by Professor Brian
Hillery, one-time FF TD for Dun Laoghaire, current
chairman of Independent Newspapers and Director
of the Central Bank. The auditors were KPMG who
appear to have had some difficulties with the
accounts but to have swallowed their pride. They
as usual state concerning the accounts that to
the fullest extent permitted by law we do not
accept or assume responsibility to anyone other
than the company and the companys members as
a body for the audit. The report states that, in
the light of pressures in the marketplace, we have
maintained strong liquidity ratios since the middle
of 2007. This must be highly controversial since

the new legislation came into effect in the middle
of 2007, and the risk-manager claims UniCredit
was still not compliant in September, occasioning
his resignation. Interestingly, UniCredit in Milan
has emphatically denied, to the Sddeutsche
Zeitung and more recently the Sunday Business
Post, that it is the bank to which Norris was
referring in the Seanad. Perhaps it simply didnt
know.
Department of Finance/Central Bank
Finance Minister, Brian Lenihan, has stated that
the supervision of liquidity requirements for credit
institutions licensed and operating in ireland is
primarily a matter for the Central Bank and the
Financial Regulator Breaches of liquidity
requirements may be subject to proceedings
under the Financial Regulators administrative
sanctions procedure or to prosecution. Elsewhere
he has emphasised that the Central Bank was
subject to strict confidentiality requirements
unless the issue gives rise to some broader
financial stability issue which did not arise in this
instance. Nevertheless he acknowledged that the
Central Bank had been advised of an overnight
breach around this time but the institution
rectified the position to the satisfaction of the
Central Bank. The Central Bank required an
external review of the liquidity reports submitted to
it but did not identify material issues outside the
single date highlighted. He claimed that
appropriate steps necessary to prevent any
recurrence off this issue have now been taken by
the institution concerned.
Opposition politicians
A prominent member of one of the opposition
parties recently told the risk-manager, we cant
afford the consequence of revealing this story. We

already have enough to deal with when we come
to power.
Joan Burton of the Labour Party was perhaps a little
slow to move but, under a little pressure, diligently
raised the matter with Brian Lenihan and met
Patrick Honohan. Burton had met Honohan
previously about the German bank, DEPFA, and
been told that the regulators staff was not trained
to monitor IFSC activities and that by-and-large,
the IFSC had been treated as some off-shore
entity that did not warrant strict supervision as
most of its entities were subsidiaries of much
larger overseas corporations, and therefore
someone elses head-ache. The Green Party
Senator Mark Dearey and its Chairman, Senator
Dan Boyle, wrote to the regulator but did not
receive a substantive reply. Sinn Fins Arthur
Morgan did not reply to correspondence from a
senior academic friend of the risk-manager. Fine
Gaels then-Finance spokesperson, Richard Bruton,
who met the risk-manager in his solicitors office,
has sat on the file and his successor Michael
Noonan doesnt appear to know it exists. Former
Fine Gael Taoiseach John Bruton is the head of
Dublins International Financial Services Centre,
which aims to attract financial companies to set up
there, and is touting Irish the saleability of Irish
banks to Gulf sovereign funds.
An inadequate regulatory culture is alive. Lack of
interest in the truth abounds. Figures just dont
matter. The blind wearing of the green jersey goes
on.
The media
The Irish Times has been reluctant to pursue the
story, though Fintan OToole did an
extensive spread on it. Others in the newspaper
were keen that the risk-manager should go public

before the paper would pursue it further. No other
media have covered the matter except the Sunday
Business Post, whose Kathleen Barrington has
given it considerable space.
The New York Times famously alleged as long ago
as 2006 that the IFSC was the Wild West of
banking. Around that time it was reported that
General Res Irish subsidiary, Cologne Re, was seen
as an ideal location for a major fraud because
Dublin did not report to anyone and so avoided
the North American problem of financial
regulation. The simple truth is that one of
Irelands few genuine policy successes has been
attracting major US-based multinationals like
Google and Microsoft on the back of a 12.5%
Corporation Tax rate. Irish banks then assume a
disproportionate importance to the world economy
because these corporations have an interest in
channelling profits through Ireland, so avoiding
heavier tax rates elsewhere where the profits may
in fact have been earned. This is one of the
reasons Irish banking was a flashpoint, certainly
the European flashpoint following the collapse of
Lehmans. The clout of the multinationals
conduced to a lax regulatory rgime for banking. It
also partly explains the governments deference to
the banks (over the people) in policy terms
including perhaps some of the pressure the
government was under to guarantee the banks,
lest a run threaten the billions of Euro in
multinational profits resting in Irish accounts. Light
regulation helped attract multinationals but it was
a gamble that, after a time and on a grand scale
has stopped paying off for Ireland. It stopped
paying off because it led uniquely to liquidity
problems across the ranges in a nations banks and
so to guarantees that have precipitated national

insolvency. But the policy of light regulation also
risks major legal actions from those who have been
victims of the dodgy, sometimes illegal, laxity. It is
surprising in this context that the bailout was not
linked to higher standards. In late November the
Financial Times commented, An element of the
bail-out should have been specifically targeted at
plugging the liquidity gap, if only to signal an
acknowledgement of how crucial a role it has
played in undermining the global system in
Ireland, just as it did during the big bank failures in
the UK (Northern Rock) and the US (Lehman
Brothers and Bear Stearns).
The reason the green jersey is in play apart from
the obvious embarrassment of mishandled liquidity
issues which were so central to our mishandling of
the bank guarantee is that if it can be shown that
the regulator systematically allowed breaches of
liquidity ratios, indeed still does not recognise
those breaches, it could trigger litigation against
Ireland by the likes of HRE (Hypo Real Estate).
HRE, was bailed out for 140bn in loans and
guarantees in September 2008 by the German
government, after HRE had hastily bought
heedless to its underlying liquidity problems IFSCbased DEPFA. DEPFAs directors then included
pillars of Irelands economic sector including
Francis Ruane, director of the ESRI, and Maurice
OConnell, former governor of the Central Bank.
If HRE had not bought DEPFA, so transferring the
relevant headquarters from Ireland to Germany,
Ireland would have been responsible for this
colossal bailout. It is perhaps reflective of the lack
of seriousness of the debate here for so long that
this lucky escape from the consequences of our
lackadaisical regulation, was not more widely
recognised as far back as 2008. HRE is suing its

former chief executive Georg Funke for allegedly
not briefing them properly on the liquidity
problems. HRE was, at the beginning of 2010
reported to be considering suing the entire former
board of DEPFA too. Crucially its litigation refers to
faulty risk-management procedures and numerous
breaches of Irish banking regulatory law before,
as with UniCredit, the bank went to the regulator
who in the case of DEPFA settled with its relevant
subsidiary for a 250,000 fine without any public
indication of the number of breaches. It is implicit
that the Irish regulatory authorities may have
been delinquent in monitoring breaches in a firm
that the German regulator memorably described as
a pigsty. An extensive German parliamentary
investigation into what was after all a bigger
bailout than that accorded to Ireland, found that
the German regulator had behaved competently
within the confines of the legislation which
included that HRE, as a holding company, entirely
avoided the gaze attracted by banks. An enraged
German body politic believes Irelands regulatory
rgime did not help. And Ireland, perhaps
myopically, refused requests from Germany for a
contribution to the DEPFA bailout.
In a separate but analogous case Sachsen
Landesbank had to receive over 17bn in
emergency funding from Germany following
liquidity difficulties with its Irish subsidiary,
Ormond Quay, and ultimately was taken over by
Landesbank Baden-Wrttemberg (LBBW Bank).
Unfortunately for Ireland the same smarting
Germany, more than any other country, is
responsible for the penal bailout interest-rate that
may scuttle Ireland and will take the determining
stance on any renegotiation of the deal.
UniCredit
UniCredit is Italys largest bank, a major
international financial institution with strong roots
in 22 European countries and an international
network represented in approximately 50 markets,
with 9578 branches and more than 162,000
employees. In the Centre and East of Europe,
UniCredit operates the largest international
banking network with around 4,000 branches and
outlets. UniCredits Irish branch managed 27bn at
the relevant time. UniCredit is said to be Italianconservative in much of its ethic. It was in the
news when its renowned head Alessandro Profumo
resigned in September 2010 arising out of a feud
with UniCredits main shareholders who have been
uncomfortable with the banks growing need to
raise capital, especially from Libya. The Libyan
Investment Authority, a sovereign-wealth fund,
recently increased its holding in UniCredit by 0.5%
to 2.6%, while the Central Bank of Libya holds an
almost 5% stake in the bank.
UniCredit operates on its own and through a
labyrinth of subsidiaries.
UniCredits 96.35%-owned subsidiary, Bank Austria
Austrias largest bank has a twenty-five
percent stake in another Austrian bank, Medici,
which is in big trouble. In mid-December a
complaint against Ms Sonja Kohn was part of a
fusillade of litigation filed in federal bankruptcy
court in Manhattan by Irving H Picard, the trustee
trying to recover $40bn in assets for victims who
sustained cash losses in the enormous Ponzi
pyramid fraud perpetrated by the worlds most
famous fraudster, Bernie Madoff. The trustee
contends Bank Medici was nothing more than a
conduit set up for the sole purpose of funnelling
money to Mr Madoff. It is alleged Sonja Kohn
knowingly raised billions of dollars in cash to

sustain Mr Madoffs fraud in exchange for at least
$62 million in secret kickbacks. Bank Medici was
25-percent-owned by Bank Austria and the trustee
claims in his complaint that it was effectively a de
facto branch of that bank. The association with
Bank Austria gave Ms Kohn and Bank Medici an
imprimatur of legitimacy when recruiting investors,
the trustee asserted.
Bank Austria, UniCredit, and its subsidiary
Pioneer, are all named as defendants in the
trustees Madoff lawsuit which cites their ties to
Ms Kohn. UniCredit said in a statement in midDecember that its policy was not to comment on
litigation but that it intended to vigorously defend
itself against the accusations made against it and
its Bank Austria unit.
As if all this were not intricate enough, according to
Roman prosecutors cited in the Austrian weekly
newspaper, Profil, in March 2010, banks in Austria
including the Austrian branch of Anglo-Irish banks,
Anglo Austria, but also Bank Austria the
UniCredit subsidiary cited in the Madoff
proceedings were used to launder about twobillion Euro for the Italian mafia between 2005 and
2007.
In 2008 Sen Fitzpatrick sold Anglo Austria to a
private Swiss Bank, Valartis, a bank which tells no
secrets but has 4000 clients with funds of around
1.25bn.
Extraordinarily, FitzPatrick even funded a loan for
Valartis of 24 out of the 141m purchase price
with the sale completing the day after FitzPatricks
resignation from Anglo. It was a surprising move at
a time when Anglo had liquidity (i.e. cash)
problems. Anglo Austria was a rich source of
scarce deposit cash, up to 600m according to the
Sunday Business Posts Kathleen Barrington a

cheaper alternative to the contrived and fastevaporating interbank borrowings that Anglo had
come to depend on, particularly welcome just
around the time Anglo was performing its balancesheet contortions with Irish Life and Permanent. It
is an issue of real concen that some of Irelands
developers or even bankers may have ploughed
dodgy assets into this inscrutable repository away
from the gaze of NAMA, trustees in bankruptcy, the
office of corporate enforcement and the rest. In
another twist the UniCredit subsidiary, Pioneer
Investments, which has an office in Dublin, owns a
large number of Anglo-Irish bank bonds. Pioneers
Dublin office seems to be a colourful operation.
Village was told of a meeting arranged for
employees of Pioneer in Dublin with the papal
nuncio to Ireland, at which it appeared that a
hierarchy, entirely unrelated to the separate
hierarchy in the bank, determined the sequence in
which baciamani (kisses) were performed around
the ecclesiastical ring.
On a more prosaic level, Italian media reports last
year suggested Roman prosecutors suspected
certain Italian taxpayers of using the Vatican bank,
the Instituto per le Opere die Religione (Institute
for Religious Works) as a cover for tax fraud and
embezzlement. According to the well-respected
Italian newspaper, La Repubblica, investigators
discerned years ago that the Vatican bank
administered several accounts at other banks
including UniCredit. According to press releases,
bank investigations revealed that from 2006 to
2008 illegal transactions were carried out totalling
about 180 million. In September 2009, the former
President of the Vatican Bank, Angelo Caloia,
resigned after 20 years in office.
The last big scandal concerning the Vatican Bank

was in 1982 when Banco Ambrosiano, in which it
was the major shareholder, went bankrupt. Banco
Ambrosiano was implicated in multiple fraud and
its head, Roberto Calvi, was found hanging from
Blackfriars Bridge in London, fuelling one of the
subplots in the movie Godfather III.
One thing is for certain in an age where the
banking system is so interdependent and so
fragile: the silence of national regulators about
dodgy banking practices is unsustainable and
dangerous. European regulators and their US
counterparts need to know what is going on with
UniCredit in Dublin and elsewhere. Germany
needed to know how DEPFA was being regulated in
Ireland. Irish taxpayers need to know who has
funds in the former Anglo Austria, and we could all
do with enlightenment about the recurring
dodginess of the papal bank. In a world where
money can be transferred instantaneously, banking
systems are all interconnected. It is hopeless for
national regulators to narrow their horizons to
protect their own banks. Matthew Elderfield is
doing no favours to EU banking regulators, or to
the worlds banking and economic system, in being
disingenuous about liquidity breaches at the
elusive UniCredit.
Stephen Donnelly is an accidental politician. There he was
sitting in front of his TV minding his own business,
watching the news pictures of IMF officials striding the
streets of Dublin. He saw the threat. Im trained in this
stuff what happens when the IMF arrives in your country,
the mistakes that get made, and how to protect people in a
context of painful economic correction. He had a sense,
from watching the government make mistakes, that our
political system was missing some key skills. I couldnt just

sit by and watch it happen. A whirlwind election campaign
saw the new deputy take his seat in the Dil. Endearingly,
his first day he mistakenly went to the gate of the nextdoor National Museum in search of his new place of work.
The 2011 election created a politburo. A huge majority in
the Dil was controlled by a cabinet that was ruled by four
people. This consolidation of power made for a highly
dysfunctional Dail with parliament effectively sidelined,
left with the role of observer to critical decisions affecting
millions of people. Donnelly was unimpressed with his
initiations in the Dil. I, and many other TDs, invested a
great deal of time and effort in drafting amendments to
proposed legislation and then spent hours debating them,
only to find that none of them were ever, ever accepted.
It is not easy to break into politics in Ireland. You need to
be family, you need to be part of the party machines and
you need resources. Irish politics has been unique, with
economic crisis and austerity merely nudging politics to
the left without any real change in personnel or direction.
New faces and new ideas are scarce. Donnelly stands out
in this regard. Its not easy to start a new political party in
Ireland. Donnelly gave it a go, but came a bit of a cropper.
Ambition, however, will not hold him back.
He is an enthusiast for the new politics. He is unforgiving
of the jaded commentary that asserts this Dil is a
mess. Parliament is relevant for now. Parliament has a
role. It is working. Im talking with TDs and Senators
across the political spectrum who are flying. This Dil
provides them with the opportunity to make progress on
issues they care about and that matter for the country.
That is what good politics should be about. This could go
in the future but once you empower people it is hard to
revert back. TDs who have never been remotely happy
with their role on the sidelines are unlikely to allow a
return to the dysfunctionality that was a feature of previous
majority governments.
Tax avoidance by vulture funds costs the State between
10bn and 20bn, according to Donnelly. He offers
treatment of this issue as an example of the new politics
in action. He raised it at leaders questions a few months
ago but the government had no position on it. He then
talked to politicians across Fianna Fil, Labour and even
Fine Gael and prepared a policy paper on the issue.
Fianna Fil then announced they would not vote through
any Finance Bill that did not address the issue.
Michael Noonan presented an amendment to address the
issue. Donnelly prepared a technical note on the
amendment, pursued the matter further through the new
Budget Oversight Committee, and met Michael Noonan
privately on the matter. A further amendment was put
forward by the Minister. Another detailed technical note
issued from Donnelly: further change was promised.
This new-found efficacy, he allows, may reflect the fact
hes a more experienced legislator in his second mandate.
However, his case is that this is the new politics in action.
This would not have happened in the last Dil. TDs can
now raise issues, co-operate across party lines, and have
some confidence that the executive will respond. TDs have
greater and more varied forms of leverage open to them.
They have more possibilities for engagement on issues.

More responsibility leads to better outcomes. My hope is
that is what we are seeing now through this new politics.
He comes across as somewhat unforgiving in his first
responses on issues. He is not patient with popular
disaffection. If we are not happy with our political system,
we need to be aware that: the political system is a
manifestation of the country. If it has faults we need to
remember we get to choose those who run it. If we are
not happy with our economic system, we need to keep in
mind that: we live in one of the most prosperous countries
in the world. We have high quality public services
compared to most countries. However, conviction gives
way to further reflection and nuance when he is pushed.
This is what makes him an interesting politician.
Are we short of political vision? Yes. Do we need more
political vision? Yes. Would the public respond positively to
this? Yes. It gets more interesting when he suggests
politicians need to get better at laying it out. We dont do
much political vision and the bit we do, we dont do very
well. That last element is missing from most
commentaries, but it could be the real stumbling block.
Still he doesnt let go. We have an awful habit here of
blaming the supposedly lazy or self-interested politicians
for everything. Thats a trap and it disempowers us. If we
want to see change, we have to stand up and make it
happen.
Donnellys political vision is set out in neat frames. We
should be building a country where every child grows up
with opportunities and everyone can live with dignity. We
have a fantastic country but were still a long way from

achieving this. If we are to pursue this goal, we need first
to secure sustainable exchequer revenues. That means
backing SMEs and Foreign Direct Investment, stopping
unwanted tax avoidance, and responding well to Brexit.
Secondly, we need targeted investment looking at shortterm and long-term projects by both state and non-state
actors.
Thirdly, we need to focus on quality of life. This
encompasses great public services, reducing the cost of
living, ensuring decent wages and working conditions,
defusing the pensions time-bomb, invigorating community
based activity. Critically weve got to get smart about
sustainability, both ecological and built environment.
All very neat. But what happens when the focus on
sustainability under quality of life suggests that the manner
in which you are generating exchequer revenues is from
unsustainable economic activity? I detect the merest
pause as he points to the sustainable in his sustainable
exchequer revenues.
You have got to square the circle for sustainability. You
have got to be smarter. He puts a lot of store on the need
to be smarter. This is his new ideas territory and we
certainly need new ideas.
All very well. But not a mention of equality. He reminds
you that he has already said that this is about building a
country where every child grows up with opportunities and
everyone can live with dignity. Opportunities and dignity
are imperative. However, they are minimal standards when
it comes to equality. It all comes across as a bit tame and

lacking in ambition at first.
Donnellys neat frames seem for a moment to symbolise
this former McKinsey advisor in their tidiness. It gets more
chaotic and interesting as the thoughtful reflective
politician emerges. Lets go back to the sustainability
issue. Surely the political response to climate change
reflects everything that is bad about our supposedly new
politics? Climate change must run a horse and cart
through his neat formulae?
Donnelly is irrepressibly positive and nervous of general
negativity. The response to: climate change is not an Irish
failure, it is a global failure. It reflects a weakness in
democratic systems rather than Irish politics. Political
systems are short-term by nature. Surely there is also a
specific failure of political leadership in Ireland? Donnelly
falls back on: the public get the politicians they choose.
Sustainability, both ecological and economic, is the
greatest challenge and opportunity we face. We either
figure it out or ultimately we are dead. Yet, we dont elect
many Green Party TDs. Thats not political failure, its
public choice.
Then his innate thoughtfulness gets the better of his innate
positivity. We should be ashamed of our response to the
Paris Agreement. A tough critique of the Irish political
system is bubbling away in the background. There is a
lack of expertise in the political system and in the
administrative system. We dont have a mixed list system
and we dont get experts into politics, we get generalists.
We have a highly protected civil service and little capacity
to address gaps in expertise. There is very little movement

between industry, academia, politics, the public service
and civil service, and civil society.
He has an engagement with issues of environmental
sustainability in real life. He wants Wicklow to be the first
carbon-neutral county. He enthuses over the social
solidarity and pride such a move would generate as well
as the economic potential it would hold. He boldly does
so in that order too.
However, what about equality and all this talk of
opportunities? He gets a bit testy. He has been clear about
everyone having an equal opportunity to be the best that
they can be. He has evidenced his concern for
community activity to address disadvantage. But isnt
opportunity just an illusion? We offer opportunities
confident in the knowledge that there are whole groups of
people that will never be able to take them up. Opportunity
is merely a cover for lack of interest in tackling equality.
Upon reflection, Donnelly explains what he means.
Imagine we tracked 1,000 children from Foxrock and
1,000 children from Fassaroe, a disadvantaged area in
Bray, and we look at them when they are 25 years old.
When I say I want equal opportunity I mean that when we
look at these young adults, we would see broadly similar
levels of achievement in socio-economic outcomes,
happiness, and empowerment between the two groups.
It wouldnt matter a damn where you are from, how
wealthy your parents are, how many letters they had after
their names. This is closer to a vision of equality of
outcome, way more ambitious.
This equality requires: massive additional investment in

education that is needs-led and targeted at disadvantage.
We need to direct resources, intellectual capital, and new
ideas into disadvantaged communities and disadvantaged
families in other areas. Equality of outcome does require
such positive action, but why is this not happening?
Donnelly becomes passionate, convinced and thoughtful.
We have paid lip service to this issue. Have we taken it
seriously? I am not sure we have. He does not hold back
now about politics lacking vision, lacking capability and
lacking leadership when it comes to addressing
inequality. He still emphasises his thoughts on the laziness
and danger of politics bashing just to be sure.
Donnelly has always been an advocate of equality
budgeting. It is a passion that invariably throws those who
would pigeon-hole him as economistic and right-wing into
a bit of quandary. He is currently working with Katherine
Zappone to advance the commitment in the Programme
for Government for equality and human rights budgeting.
In the debate on this approach on the Budget Oversight
Committee he stood out as one of the few members who
actually understood what it was about. If this approach to
the Budget was to be effectively put in place it would offer
a new and unexpected foundation for a more equal
society. That would be no mean measure of a new
politics.
Stephen Donnelly ends the interview with a suggestion
that this is really the point from which we should have
begun. He is engaged and thinking and ready for more,
despite being thirty minutes late for his next appointment. I
dont know what his next appointment thought of all that,

but I was impressed. He asserts that he is full of hope
and ambition for the country. I borrowed a bit of that and
left the encounter with a spring in my step. We need a bit
more of all that in our politics.
Extraordinary in a democracy
that there's so little interest in
this
2016:
2017:
2018:
2019:
Bertie re-joins Fianna Fail

Bertie ousts Martin in coup
Entire island completely tarmac'd
Bailed out by IMF
What was the commission 'Expert' on?

Certainly not Water. Perhaps Politics,
and Irish Political Hangups? Coalitions?
Constitutions?
Another one to remember is

that Haughey was CORRUPT took money from Lenihan liver
fund & did corrupt favours 4
Ben Dunne & passport-seeker
When the first small piece of

shit finally sticks.
NOVEMBER 30, 2016
So could it really be that after years of stonewalling,

Draghi, the ECB and the cabal of central bankers and
regulators, are finally being dragged blinking in to the
light?
Funny how so often the biggest most powerful criminals,
the untouchables, are brought down by the smallest of
their crimes. The one they thought so beneath them they
never bothered to think about it.
Like Al Capone indicted for tax evasion.
Here is Irish MEP Luke Flanagan asking Mario Draghi
directly, and in Parliament, the question that could be the
smoking gun.
Flanagan :
In 2007 you were governor of Banca dItaliaUnicredti
the biggest bank on your watch: Can you please confirm
whether you were informed by the Central Bank of Ireland
of the multi-billion Euro breaches at UniCredit Dublin? If
so, can you explain why the bank has never been
sanctioned for those breaches of 2007.
You can see the exchange as it happened here.
Could this be the small piece of shit that sticks to the
expensive suit?
If so, then Mr Draghi, the Irish regulator and the various
politician and bankers involved will NOT welcome that the
whole sordid tale as told by the whistleblower who would
not be shut up, is now published as a book.
Nor that now one question has been asked, others are
going to be asked today.
If just one whistleblower succeeds in getting their question
asked, their story told instead of being gaoled and
silenced, then the others will be able to hope for justice
too. For every insolvent, bailed out bank there is a
whistleblower too threatened and bullied to dare to speak
out.
For my part am trying to put together and fund a film
about Too Big to Fail/Too Big to Goal. About the
whistleblowers versus the banks no government will
prosecute.
Ill let you know.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?
story_fbid=1162932557117392&id=182354901841834
Whistleblowers Testify in EU
Parliament
by Golem Xiv on NOVEMBER 17, 2016 in LATEST
Yesterday a very high-powered panel of international

banking whistleblowers met and told their stories in the
European parliament. The questions raised were
important. Among them was the Irish Whistleblower,
Jonathan Sugarman, who when UniCredit Ireland was
breaking the law in very serious ways reported it to the
Irish regulator.
He related how he was not only ignored by his bank, the
Irish regulator but also all the major political parties. He
then pointed out that the Irish regulator claims that it
always and it is the law after all informs the regulator
of the home country of banks which have subsidiaries in
Ireland, about any serious problems. In the case of
UniCredit that would mean the Italian Central bank would
have been told that Italys largest Bank was in serious
breach of Irish law in ways that could endanger the whole
banking system. The head of the Italian Central Bank at
the time was a certain Mr Mario Draghi. Mr Sugarman
suggested Mr Draghi should be asked point-blank of he did
or if he did not know. If he did not then the Irish regulator
was at least incompetent, and may have lied, misled and
perhaps even broken Irish laws. If he was told and did
know, then Mr Draghi has serious questions to answer
regarding his own dereliction of duty.
Surely not I hear you say. Well perhaps someone might
ask him? Or is he above the law?
Property bubbles and Banks

again.
by Golem Xiv on JULY 7, 2016 in LATEST
Update: Aberdeen suspends trading on 580m UK Property fund

and cuts price by 17%
So begins an article in Investment Week.

Aberdeen Asset Management has temporarily suspended trading
in its 580m UK Property fund as well as reducing the price of the
fund by 17%, joining a number of other groups in making property
fund adjustments amid a post-Brexit rush to exit the asset class.
In fact Aberdeen are the 7th major fund in just a few weeks to
either lock in their investors, not allowing them to get their money
out, or to allow it but at a heavy discount. Before Aberdeen we
have already had:
Standard Life Aviva M & G Henderson Columbia
Threadneedle and Canada Life
All have suspended trading in a large property fund. Standard Life
also cut the valuation of the fund by 15%. And that sudden revaluation, a mark to market is the headline.
When one fund says its property assets are actually worth 17%
less today than yesterday, that means every single investor in
every single fund now faces that same loss. Every one of those
assets that is being used as collateral for a loan or for margin
trading is now worth 17% less. Trading on margin simply means
that instead of using your own money to trade, you borrow money
and pledging or post collateral to underpin it with your lender. But
when your collateral is considered to have fallen in value your
lender makes a margin call which means they require you to
pledge more collateral to make up the shortfall. In this case an
additional 17%.
Where do you get that money from? Well some will have to sell
assets to make up the difference. But those assets, if they are
property, might well also be suddenly worth 17% less. And if lots of
people try to sell, to meet margin calls, the price might go down
further.
So Funds like Aberdeen are warning their investors not to trip this
booby trap.
If they insist on getting out anyway, you have a run.
Which would spread because its not just funds that hold lots of
property assets or loans underpinned by them. This from a Soc

Gen study via Zerohedge (CRE is Commercial Real Estate)
RBS exposure to CRE is GBP 26b, equivalent to 63% of tangible
equity
Lloyds 2nd most exposed at 46% of tangible equity, Santander
3rd at 24%, Barclays 4th at 23% and HSBC 5th at 17%
These are all big numbers. For RBS a 17% mark down on 26B is
4.42B
Now we have a clue what RBS share price has been falling
relentlessly and is headed right back to where it was trading at the
bottom of the crisis in 2009.
Now if you listen to the press this is all the fault of Brexit. Which
strikes me as misdirection. Its trying to suggest this is a political
problem created by the great unwashed and nothing to to do with
greedy investors speculating and lenders lending into a bubble
market.
The fact is that RBSs share price has been sliding from early 2015
onwards. Which is interesting since until the end of
2015 commercial property prices were still going up and the
experts just a few months ago in December 2015 quoted in the FT
were assuring us that,
Real estate prices expected to remain high for years.
and that,
Pricing has gotten very high but theres a reason it has gotten
highand we think it can stay high, said Bob Sulentic, the
companys [CBRE the worlds ;largest property service company]
chief executive. Theres a wall of capital out there that wants to be
invested in real estate.
So let me recap property prices were fine and going to stay fine
said the experts in property. But all the while certain people
were selling their bank shares and trying to get out. And then what
do you know. Suddenly those property prices were revalued down
by 17% overnight.
And if it was just RBSs share price we might just think it was one
bad apple. But Credit Suisse shares are trading at their lowest
ever. While Deutsche bank, with more derivative exposure than
any other bank, except perhaps JP Morgan is, .. well you decide.
I seriously doubt those banks are tumbling to such crisis levels just
because of UK property and in some sort of clairvoyant

anticipation of Bresixt. No this has been building and its real cause
is systemic across the entire European banking sector.
So this is not something caused by Brexit. At most Brexit has made
those holding over valued property assets suddenly crystallise a
worry they have had for a while now, that someone might stop
blowing their bubble for them.
Brexit has simply made it clear, again, that despite all the trillions in
QE and the ECB buying corporate debt/bonds right down to the
junk bond level, that the banks and the markets they lend to ARE
NOT FIXED and never were.
Aberdeen Asset Management has lifted the trading

suspension on its 2.7bn UK Property fund and feeder
fund, allowing investors to resume dealing at a 17%
diluted price.
Any orders placed during the suspension period will
have been rejected and new trades will now need to be
re-submitted after midday today. The group originally

announced trading in the funds had been...
Frances Fitzgerald, Tnaiste and Justice:
2016 has been a bruising year for the Justice Minister.

A spree of gangland killings and controversies involving
the Garda Commissioner have dogged her.
Her department remains a carbuncle in desperate need of
reform and she still does not have a secretary general
more than two years after the last one departed.
More to do if she wants to be a leadership contender.
4/10
Paschal Donohoe, Public Expenditure and

Reform
Of the big four at Cabinet, Donohoe is the youngest and

brightest prospect and one who has grown significantly in
stature since his appointment.
Now a proper heavyweight politically, he appears to be the
natural heir to Noonans crown.
His allowing of the Garda pay row to get as far as the
Labour Court has been criticised but his big task will be to
deliver a new pay deal in early 2017.
He says he doesnt want to be leader, but
7/10
Leo Varadkar, Social Protection
If you want a beer, go to the races, need a pal to appear

at your birthday party, Leo is your man.
His strategy of working the backbenches in his bid to be
leader has done him well so far, but will it be enough to
see him succeed Kenny.
His habit of commenting on all matters not in his
department has annoyed some, but remains a very
talented politician.
5/10
Simon Coveney, Housing
The triumphant king of the OK Corral showdown with

Fianna Fil on rents this week.
Serious Simon even made an appearance in the Dil bar
(something he never does) to celebrate his moment of
victory.
His leadership bid is back on course, we are told. Handed
a torturous brief by Enda Kenny with Water and Housing,
Coveney has taken to the task with dedication but actual

results elude him so far.
A bloody stinker
2/10
How many people are homeless?
There are 6525 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.
However it does not include the hidden homeless
who are living in squats or sofa surfing with
friends or people who are living in domestic
violence refuges.
This figure also excludes people who are sleeping
rough. In December 2015, the official rough
sleeping count confirmed 91 people sleeping
rough, with an additional 61 in the Nite Caf,
without a place to sleep.
The Department of Environment publishes the
official homeless figure each month, along
with details about gender and county.
https://www.housingagency.ie/Housing/media/Medi
a/Our%20Publications/Methodology-to-EstimateNew-Property-Requirement-for-Social-Housing.pdf
Are families affected?

In the past, most of the people using emergency
homeless accommodation were single adults. But
in the last three years, there has been a rapid
increase in the number of families becoming
homeless, so that in June 2016, there were over
1000 families accessing emergency
accommodation, which includes over
2,177 children. Focus Ireland has just completed a
four part insight into family homelessness.
How many children are homeless?
In June 2016, there were 2,177 children in

emergency homeless accommodation with their
families. In the 1990s, Ireland had a serious
problem of children who were homeless on their
own. Focus Ireland played a key role in ending this
situation and today it is very unusual for children to
be homeless on their own, and the response is
speedy and positive.
How many households are on the

waiting list for social housing?
The most recent official assessment of social

housing need was published in May 2013 and
showed 89,872 households qualified for social
housing one of five of which had been on the list
for more than 5 years.
Under the Social Housing Strategy the Government
estimated that only 35,573 of the households on
the list actually needed a new home.
Focus Ireland services
Focus Ireland services across the country provided

support to over 12,500 people. It is important to
recognize that, given our strong commitment to
preventing homelessness, not all of these were
homeless many were seeking support to avoid
becoming homeless.
Why are so many families losing their

homes?
The causes of homelessness are always complex.

Broadly speaking, homelessness can be caused by
structural factors (like lack of affordable housing,
unemployment, poverty, inadequate mental health
services, etc) or personal factors (like addictions,
mental health issues, family breakdown etc). The
current rise in family homelessness is driven
primarily by structural economic factors.

http://www.crisis.org.uk/data/files/publications/Hom
elessnessMonitor_England_2012_WEB.pdf
Simon Harris, Health
Simon g, as he is called by the Taoiseach, Harris, is a

young man with tremendous energy and ability to speak
fast.
Competent but is being severely tested in the poisoned
chalice of Health.
Secured additional funding but waiting lists remain
stubbornly high.
Will need all his wits if he is to succeed.
5/10
Richard Bruton, Education
Mr dependable-but-dull, Bruton has shown he is a solid

minister in whatever brief he is allotted.
His beloved Action Plan for everything is a bit one
dimensional but was effective in Jobs.
The funding crisis in our universities, legacy battles with
the Church over abuse costs and patronage of schools are
his major obstacles to success.
No big wins to report.
4/10
Heather Humphreys, Arts
A truly lovely person and managed the 1916

Commemorations series but her presence at Cabinet
continues to baffle many.
Not a lot more to say really.
4/10
Mary Mitchell OConnor, Jobs
Victim of sexist campaign or simply not up to the job,

Mitchell OConnor has been the subject of intense criticism
from many quarters, including from within Fine Gael.
The loss of her special adviser did little to quell the
concern around her abilities.
2/10
Shane Ross, Transport
Poacher turned gamekeeper, Ross has become the bte

noire of Fine Gael and their cheerleaders.
He has in fact achieved a considerable amount since
taking office.
Most notably he has won the major concession on the
issue of judicial appointments, despite a lot of noise from
the Blueshirts.
In his own brief, he has overseen record tourism numbers
and the delivery of the Phoenix Park tunnel link for rail
commuters.
Failure to move on State Board appointments is his major
black mark.
6/10
Denis Naughten, Communications
The former Fine Gaeler turned Independent must be

pinching himself.
Left his party in 2011 on the moral high ground yet still
finds himself in Cabinet.
A canny operator who is also an arch pragmatist.
Has a big call to make on media ownership. RTs financial
woes will occupy his agenda.
6/10
Katherine Zappone, Children
Another who has made a sluggish start to ministerial life.

Appeared to be a big winner in terms of childcare in the
budget but progress appears to have stalled.
Also her big issue of repealing the 8th Amendment on
abortion has been long fingered.
Must do better.
4/10
Michael Creed, Agriculture
The underrated star of this Cabinet and was a big winner

in the budget.
Not a show pony but has quietly and effectively gone
about his job.
Farmers are a notoriously tricky bunch to keep happy and
Creed will have to raise his profile somewhat but very
solid.
6/10
Charlie Flanagan, Foreign Affairs
Has adopted a very cautious and low-key approach as our

effective Brexit Minister.
Has put a lot of work into ensuring the Northern
institutions prevail.
Flanagan was outraged when the Taoiseach went on a
solo-run calling for an All-Ireland forum on Brexit, which
was quickly slapped down by the Norths First Minister
Arlene Foster.
His welcome outspoken tendencies when he was Fine Gael
chairman are clearly a thing of the past, sad to say.
4/10
Finian McGrath, Disabilities
The super junior minister gets to sit at Cabinet but has

managed to make the transition to Government fairly well.
The Governments response to the Grace Scandal has
slowed somewhat and McGrath needs to inject some
urgency to it.
His bloody-minded focus on the disability agenda annoys
some but is the only way to achieve results.
His fawning expressions of tribute to the late Fidel Castro
were baffling.
5/10.
Regina Doherty, chief whip
The Ring Mistress of the New Politics has not always had
an easy ride of it.
She has had to crack the whip on her fellow ministers to
make sure the Government has enough numbers in the
Dil to win votes.
Hers is a largely procedural role and she has been solid
enough in the face of hideous chaos on a daily basis.
5/10.
The banks must pay for

what they've done
PUBLISHED
17/12/2016
1
Looking back over the wreckage of the

economic crash, there is ample evidence to
suggest that the moral economy went
bankrupt long before the financial one. With
all those billions burned and the burden of
debt shouldered by people who had no hand
in amassing it, there is still a sense of
smouldering injustice which feeds its way
into the political mainstream. When it came

to finding someone to blame the banks were
top of the list, but their culpability and the
real cost of their profligacy could never be
adequately atoned for.
Today we reveal the biggest financial rip off in the State,
which was perpetrated on the holders of tracker mortgages
- the cost of which is put at 1bn. For the banks to be still
hoodwinking customers is scandalous. At what point is
there going to be a clean-up of the ethical culture of our
financial institutions?
This is not a case of adding insult to injury, it is plainly one
of adding further injury.
http://www.independent.ie/opin
ion/editorial/the-banks-mustpay-for-what-theyve-done35300906.html
Prof. Richard Werner - Banking Industry

Exposed & Solutions Presented - Dublin
April 2016
Nov 28, 2016
Detailed Index - Professor Richard Werners Talk:
1 - Why is banking so important for the economy, society and
the sustainable development of regions and communities?
2 - What causes the recurring boom-bust cycles and crises?
3 - What policies or banking systems have historically been
most successful in avoiding these cycles and crises?
4 - What kind of banking system and banking policy do we
need?
5 - While we are at it, can we solve the major problems of our
time with this?
6 - What are the policies which are being pushed that we need
to oppose?
4:40 - Banks create the Money
7:00 - Where is your Money Safe?
8:50 - Trade Secrets of Banking Banks dont lend Money,
Banks dont take Deposits!
10:40 - The bank doesnt pay-out, it will just record its debt to
you, which is called a deposit and we use it as Money.
12:45 - Credit Swiss & Barkleys Bank Create their own
Capital
16:25 - Cash & QE
17:35 - The money supply is created and allocated by Banks
22:30 - Colwyn Report 1918 nothings Changed!
22:40 - Bank Collusion
24:00 - Banking Market Concentration - The 'HerfindahlHirschman Index (H-HI)
26:30 - Number of financial institutions (Banks & Credit Unions)
Debate
27:00 - H-H Index for Germany
29:00 - The Creation of Boom-Bust Cycles
30:50 - Credit for GDP transactions - financial circulation credit
(Asset Credit Creation)
36:10 - The East Asian Economic Miracle Credit Guidance
40:30 - Abuse of Power by the Bank of Japan A warning to All
47:10 - The German Banking System
51:20 - Hampshire Community Bank Project - Local First CIC
56:40 - Dangers of Centralise Money creation & allocation
(Central Banks)
58:00 - The Alternative to bailing out the Banks. Ireland - what
the Central Bank could have done
1:00:00 - Japanese Bank Restructuring 1945-47 and 1990s
1:06:00 - Iceland
1:06:50 - Activities of the ECB
1:07:00 - EU war on Community Banks
1:08:30 - Negative Interest Rate Policy of the ECB, favours
speculators to the detriment of the economy
1:10:25 - War on Cash
1:11:45 - Lower Interest Rates do not stimulate the economy
1:14:00 - Quantity of money not the price of money that drives
the Economy Bank credit for GDP transactions drives the
economy
1:15:45 - Current Central Bank War on Cash
1:19:30 - Princes of the Yen, Central Bank Truth Documentary
on YouTube (247,000 views, Nov 2016) & Book plus other
Publications.
Prof Werners Books on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Richard-Werner...
Princes of the Yen: Central Bank Truth Documentary
https://youtu.be/p5Ac7ap_MAY
1:20:00 - Irish Government - Stop the issuance of Government
Bonds - 12% Vs 4%
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MechH0ebs_c&feature=youtu.be
I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties
than standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks
to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation,
the banks and corporations that will grow up around [the banks] will
deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless
on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be
taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly
belongs "
The little guys steal a pack of sausages and get sentenced to 3 months in
prison.
The big guys fiddle millions, even billions and are told it is unacceptable
and are at worst fined.
The laws are inadequate and biased to say the least.
banking.... laws are "spider webs through which the big flies pass and
the little ones get caught".' That sums it up. Very well said! I think
recently on VB show it was said by a FG TD that we pay a few bn in
interest alone on our national debt, a big part of which is the repayment
on the cited bank billions. The real cost, as the author states is the moral
bankruptcy of both these and our governing institutions. Moral hazard
lies squarely on their shoulders as people occupy buildings to merely get
out of the cold.
Don't expect any action from Old Baldy. he is the banks puppet.
Glen Hansard says the taking

over of Apollo House is an 'act
of civil disobedience'
The group Home Sweet Home took over the building late on Thursday
night to house the homeless
December 16, 16
GLEN HANSARD HAS said that the group Home Sweet

Home wants to start a national conversation about
homelessness after the group took over Apollo House in
Dublin to house the homeless.
The Oscar-winning singer-songwriter was speaking to
Ryan Tubridy on The Late Late Show tonight about his
involvement with the group, as well as Operation Nama.
Home Sweet Home, a coalition of housing groups, trade
unions, musicians and actors, took over the Apollo House
late on Thursday night.
We are involved in an act of civil disobedience. I call upon
the very spirit of the Irish people to look at this, it is an
illegal act. We have taken a building that essentially
belongs to the people of Ireland and that has been lying
empty. said Hansard.
Now this is not only a Dublin issue but between the Royal
Canal and the Grand Canal there are 260 people tonight
homeless. What we would like to do is bridge the gap
Well be asking people to volunteer, well be asking people
to get behind the idea. It is a radical idea

Hansard confirmed on The Late Late Show, to loud cheers
from the audience, that the group is occupying the
building illegally.
According to Hansard, Home Sweet Home wants to start a
national conversation about homelessness, saying that
the crisis should be considered a national emergency.
Source: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie
Hansard told Tubridy that the action came about through

conversations with different artists and friends over the
year. So I find myself now part of group called Home
Sweet Home. It is a group of artists, a group of friends, a
group of people that we know and love.
Like minded souls. Jim Sheridan Andrew Hozier,
Saoirse Ronan, Christy Moore. Mattress Mick has been
great, he has really helped us out a lot. He has donated a
lot of beds.
Apollo House
The Apollo building was formerly used for offices by the
Department of Social Protection but has been left vacant
for the last year. It was planned to be demolished and
rebuilt as an office block.
In a statement released by the Irish Housing Network,

they said that the building would provide safe and secure
accommodation to the most vulnerable people in Irish
society, those sleeping on our streets.
This building has been opened to stop people dying on
the streets, this building has been opened to save lives.
When asked what would happen if the group were told to

vacate the property by the authorities, Hansard appealed
to the better nature of the Government and Nama. If
everybody pays tax in this audience, if anyone knows their
stuff they know that that is essentially our building. We
are just going to take it for a few months said Hansard.
A spokesperson for Nama has said it did not own the
Apollo House and any issues arising are for the receiver of
the building and not Nama.
I call upon the very spirit of the Irish people to look at this.
people of Ireland and that has been lying empty," Glen
Hansard said on the Late Late Show tonight.
http://www.thejournal.ie
/hansard-nama-buildingcivil-disobedience3144670-Dec2016/
We're being forced to take

a step backwards' - couple
hit with 40pc rent hike
Couple learned of rent increase day
before Government announced rent
caps
Laura Larkin
PUBLISHED
15/12/2016
1
Niamh and George O'Hara, from Ballymun, who are 'taking a step
back' after nine years of marriage to get out of the rental market
A couple have opted to take a step

backwards after nine years of marriage and
are moving home, after being hit by a 40pc
rent increase.
Niamh and George OHara, from Ballymun, learned of the
hike in their rent the night before the Government
announced details of the controversial rental cap plan.
They have been renting a two-bed home in the area for six
years and their rent is set to be increased to 1,300.
We came home from work on Monday to a letter which
said they were more than happy to allow us stay on as
tenants but because of rents in the area they would be
increasing our rent from March by 375, Niamh (36),
who works as a retail worker, told Independent.ie
The couple lost two night of sleep due to stress but have
now opted to leave their home.
After three days of talking about it and being stressed
weve decided that in order to go forward in our life we
actually have to take a step back and weve decided to
move back in with my dad for a year.
Hopefully that year will give us time to get back on our
care of for the last six years, she said.
Were just not willing to be at the hands of greedy people
anymore.
Read more: The rent row explained: What it
means for renters, landlords, Coveney and the
minority government
Both Niamh and her husband are from Ballymun but they
will now have to move to Cabra, leaving their community
behind.
Hopefully its just for a year, she said.
The pair plan to try and secure a mortgage to buy a home
after saving for a year when they live with Niamhs dad.
Were six years in our house this week. When we took it
on the rent was 775, it just goes to show you how much
things have spiralled out of control, she said.
Were nine years in this trap and its probably our own
fault that at the beginning we didnt take time out to live at
home for a year. The last thing youre thinking as a
married couple is live with your parents.
But its come to the crunch now and something has to
give.
When the 4pc was introduced on Tuesday we talked
about it [fighting for a lower increase] for a while but after
two days of no sleep and the distress we were put through
I decided its time to just get out of this, she said.
Its time to say I give up Im going to better myself and
my life.
Trying to put an increase of 40pc on any one person or
couple at one time is appalling I think, he said.
Capel Abbey, the management company who manage the

property let to the O'Hara's denied the increase was
introduced to beat the rent caps expected to be introduced
by the Government.
At the moment legislation dictates that a 90 day notice is
given to tenants in case of a rent review. As the current
lease for these tenants ends in March 2017 we had to send
the notice now in order to follow the procedure.
If you research the historical rents for a two bedroom
townhouse in the area, you will find that the rent charged
for the property has always been way below the market
rate and tenant had been treated more than fair, the
company said.
The decision to increase the rent to 1,300 was based on
the current market rents.
The proposed rent is well in line with what the going rate
is in the area, they added.
http://www.independent.ie/incoming/were-being-forced-to-take-astep-backwards-couple-hit-with-40pc-rent-hike-35296788.html
We got a 300 monthly

rent hike because we were
good tenants, says Amy

Molloy
How can rent rises be modest when
prices are already extortionate?
Amy Molloy Twitter
EMAIL
PUBLISHED
15/12/2016 |
1
Amy Molloy, who says the 4pc rent cap proposed by the Housing
Minister is not going to solve the problem. Photo: Tom Burke
Housing Minister Simon Coveney stated on

Wednesday that a 4pc cap on rent hikes was
a very "modest margin".
But how can it be 'modest' when it's giving landlords the
option to increase something that is already extortionate?
As someone who has been renting accommodation in

Dublin for seven years, I have gone from paying 300 per
month in 2009, to over 500 in 2016.
In most walks of life, the price tag usually reflects the
quality of the product.
You don't see Penneys charging 80 for a coat which is
only worth 25.
Substandard
However, when it comes to the Irish rental market, it's
acceptable to charge 500 for a single room in a property
which is damp and substandard.
When plans for the two-year rent freeze were announced
last year, it sent landlords into a price hike frenzy.
Yet it was declared a significant step in tackling Ireland's
rental crisis.
The 4pc cap on rent increases proposed by the Housing
Minister isn't going to solve this problem.
People are still going to be living in dumps, and paying
over-the-top prices to do so.
In recent years, I rented a property in Santry for 475. As
the end of our tenancy approached, our landlord believed
we would renew our lease.
Read more: Fianna Fil refuse to back Coveneys rent
strategy creating crisis for Government
We received an email from the estate agents notifying us
that the landlord would be increasing the rent for this
three-bed property from 1,425 per month up to as much
as 1,925.
But then it added that because we were "good tenants", he
would only hike it up to 1,725.
That is not much of an incentive to be "good".
The most patronising part was when they highlighted the
following: "That will only be an extra 100 each."
That is "only" 100 to three girls on salaries of 24,000 a
year. Know your audience, estate agents.
You don't mind paying a high price for somewhere you
look forward to going home to.
But I've lived in places where the shower was the
equivalent of someone dribbling on you from a height, and

we had a slug infestation to boot.
There was also a build-up of mould on the kitchen ceiling
due to our extractor fan not working - despite numerous
requests to get it fixed.
If the Government really wants to tackle the rental crisis, it
should implement measures whereby the quality of
housing is assessed before landlords get to slap any price
they like on the property.
At the moment, if you go house-hunting on the various
rental websites, you'll come across some horrid sights.
The problem is there's nobody overseeing the standard of
property being rented.
The 4pc rent cap isn't going to stop landlords exploiting
tenants, and it most certainly isn't going to lower the
exorbitant prices we're already paying to live in the capital.
Fashionistas say if you want to brighten up a struggling
outfit, stick a belt on it.
To fix Ireland's housing problems, the Government need
to stick a lot more than a cap on it.
http://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/propertymortgages/we-got-a-300-monthly-rent-hike-because-we-were-goodtenants-says-amy-molloy-35295989.html?
utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=IN
%3ADaily&hConversionEventId=AQEAAZQF2gAmdjIwMDAwMDE1OS
0wMGRlLTNmNDUtYzQ5OS05YTE2M2UzNDYwMDjaACRiZTQ3ZGVmNi
1kYmQ4LTQ0OTMtMDAwMC0wMjFlZjNhMGJjY2HaACQ2ZTAzODhiZC1
mM2I3LTQ0YzItOGZhMC0xM2RhMjk1NTIzYjGuhn3iWB5hQDvWeqf6Z
glnYNBW1uK7BqDT_PBRPJxRTA
The impact.
"Hopefully that year will give us time to get back on our
care of for the last six years, she said.Were just not
willing to be at the hands of greedy people anymore
TWO TRADE UNIONS have today called on the

government to provide support to organisations giving
food assistance to people around the country so they can
meet the demand on their services this Christmas.
Today Mandate and Unite released a map with a countyby-county breakdown of food poverty in the country, to
highlight this demand.
Click here for a larger version of this image.

The map shows Dublin fares worst with 112,300 people
suffering food poverty. Larger counties like Cork and
Galway follow close behind, with 50,500 and 25,300
people in need of assistance respectively.
Nationally, one in ten people suffer food poverty.
Food poverty means that someone missed a meal in the
last fortnight because of a lack of money, Mandate
general secretary John Douglas said. It may mean they
cannot afford a meal with meat or the vegetarian

equivalent every second day or afford a roast or vegetarian
equivalent once a week.
Those suffering food poverty may be lone parent families;
they may be the newly unemployed; they may be
pensioners and they may be people in work, struggling
to survive on low wages.
Today the unions demanded that the government provide
immediate aid of 10 million to organisations offering
food assistance and to reverse cuts to low income groups
in the new year.
They also called for an increase in the minimum wage
something the country has not seen since 2007.
Poverty in Ireland today is part of a policy-made disaster
austerity, and the collapse in incomes it has brought in
its wake, commented Unite regional secretary Jimmy
Kelly. The figures released by Unite and Mandate show
that food poverty is a reality in every county in Ireland.
Once again it has been proven that the constitution is
worthless, judges can interpret the constitution which ever
way suits them or the government of the day.
What we think is enshrined in the constitution can be
wiped away with the brush of a judges hand.
The Irish people should demand that a new constitution be
drawn up but this time with ordinary citizens sitting on the
panel and it be written so as even a fool like me can easily
understand it, so will not be depending on men dresses in
wigs saying this is what was meant when it was written
shit they were not there when it was written. If you say in
court that you think this is what was said the judge will tell
you very quickly you cannot presume you have to be
certain, yet a judge can say i think, and that thinking
effects the whole nation now and forever. Not very
democratic in my mind
Out of touch - Minister dismisses tax

charge
FINANCE Minister Michael Noonans curt nothing-to-seehere dismissal of the Oxfam charge that Ireland is one of
the worlds leading tax havens does him, our Government,
and this society no credit.
The claim that Ireland is sixth among the worlds top 15

countries prepared to offer flexible tax arrangements may
be off the mark but you dont need to be Actuary of The
Year to understand that it may not be that far off the
mark. After all, it is unlikely that so many of the worlds
glitzy hi-tech firms base themselves on this small island on
the edge of Europe because they like the conversation in
the pubs or the climate.
Mr Noonans nobody-will-take-them-seriously dismissal
is also spectacularly out of touch. Has he not noticed the
great changes, driven by electorates fed up of established

politics and their failure to control multi-national
corporations?
However, the saddest element of his response is obvious
if a figure as powerful as Mr Noonan really believes
Ireland is not a tax haven of sorts then it is more than
unlikely the inequity will be even challenged, much less
eliminated.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/viewpoints/ourview/out-of-touch-minister-dismisses-tax-charge-435062.html
Hard-pressed' landlords threaten to

impose new charges in response to
new rent caps
A group of up to 5,000 landlords say they will pull out of a

State rent scheme and introduce a raft of new charges for
tenants.
The Irish Property Owners Association says its response to
the new rental strategy legislation will be to make tenants
pay charges for car parking, letting costs, registration
fees, service charges and more.
They are also introducing a "key" payment at handover,
imposing a registration fee and passing on service
charges.
advertisement
The Irish Property Owners Association statement claims its

members are hard-pressed and victims of the newest
onslaught on the sector and they are seeking legal
advice, saying rent controls were deemed unconstitutional
in the early 1980s.
Their statement said: The measures being introduced are

so severe that rents will not cover costs and devaluation of
property will be significant all adding to the exit of the
Investor.

Fianna Fil has called for the association to be referred to
the competition authority.
Housing Minister Simon Coveney told the Dil: "I've only
just seen that press release, but just in case you think that
this is - a number of people have described this as some
sort of pro-landlord strategy - it doesn't look like the
landlords are too happy, to me.
"And I'm not saying that as a good or a bad thing, I'm just
saying that we are trying to get the balance right here."
Meanwhile, a sit in at an office block in Dublin has been
raised repeatedly in the Dil.
Supporters of homeless people have taken over Apollo
House and say they are turning offices in the NAMA-owned

building into bedrooms
Fianna Fil's Anne Rabbitte got emotional when raising the
plight of homeless people to the Dil.
She said: "It's very easy for us to leave here, walk down
Grafton Street and pass people who are actually putting in
a bed for the night.
"That's not right, and that's the social conscience in me."
http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/hardpressed-landlords-threaten-to-impose-new-charges-inresponse-to-new-rent-caps-768921.html
So eirigi ire have taken over apollo house 'big office block on tara
street empty 8 years ' and mattress mick has filled it with
mattresses and they've taken in all the homeless around Dublin ..
deadly
To me this is something that was a no brainer and should

have been done years ago , massive buildings owned by
the state lieing idle while people lie in the wet and cold ,
good to see the likes of Damo Dempsey , Glenn Hansard
and Hosier getting on it last night and lets not forget
matress mick , whoo rahh to the people
11,000.00 raised in the first day via 'gofundme'

Dec 15, 2016
Home Sweet Home - This is Ireland

Dec 15, 2016
v=WptTC2BcWUk&feature=youtu.be

Dec 15, 2016
Takeover of vacant NAMA
building for use by the

homeless continues
Minister for Housing said while he understands the
motivation behind it, he said it is "not the way" to deal with
the homelessness crisis
16 Dec 2016
Dozens of people have taken over a Dublin building to

provide shelter for homeless people.
The Irish Housing Network says they will provide safe and
secure accommodation at Apollo House - currently controlled
by National Assets Management Agency (Nama).
Gardai confirmed that they were called to an incident shortly
after midnight on Tara Street, to deal with that they said was a
peaceful incident.
Gardai are no longer at the scene, but are liaising with the
occupants.
The action was organised by the Home Sweet Home,
coalition which includes trade unionists, charities, poets, actor
John Connors and high-profile artists including Hozier, Glen
Hansard, Damien Dempsey, Conor OBrien of The Villagers
and members of the band Kodaline, all of whom attended the
opening of the building. However, the musicians did not enter
the building.
"It's scandalous that there are people dying and freezing on
the street," singer Damien Dempsey told reporters outside the
building.
Co-founder of Home Sweet Home, trade unionist Brendan
Ogle, told The Irish Times the group had identified the Namamanaged property in the city centre and was staging a
citizens intervention in the homelessness crisis.
Around 30 mattresses were delivered to the building by
Mattress Mick.
Figures in November showed the level of homelessness in
Dublin rose 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.
"There is nobody more aware than I

am"
Minister for Housing Simon Coveney said he has been
assured that there is a bed "for everyone who wants one" by
the Dublin Homeless Executive.
"We have, in the last ten days, opened two new hostels and
we had a court decision today to remove a stay on opening a
third one on Francis Street, which will open within days," the
Minister said in the Dil, saying the combination of their
occupancies was an extra 210 beds.
Speaking to directly to those involved in the Apollo House
action, he said he understands the frustration and that
homelessness is his number one priority.
"We are pumping a lot of extra money into it. I've made it clear
to Dublin City Council that money is not the issue [...] We are
ramping up the supports that are necessary.
"Ultimately, what we need is homes for people through social
housing problems, not emergency beds. In the short-term, we
need to increase emergency facilities."
http://www.newstalk.com/Takeover-of-vacant-NAMA-buildingfor-use-by-the-homeless-continues
Protesters take over vacant

Nama building for use by
homeless
Group of supporters and celebrities have moved five into
bedrooms in Apollo House
Supporters of the homeless who took over the Apollo

House office block in Dublin have moved five people
into makeshift bedrooms in the building.
afternoon representatives of Home Sweet Home and
the Irish Housing Network said the seizure of the
building was necessary to save lives.
Spokeswoman Rosie Leonard said numbers would be
increasing as maintenance issues were resolved and
office space made suitable for bedrooms. Electricity
and water had been connected and turned on. She said
she expected up to 30 people could be accommodated
on a few floors in the 10-storey building.
Ms Leonard said garda had visited on Thursday night
and were satisfied that there was no danger to people
or property.
However in the interests of health and safety and to
protect the privacy of the residents she said media
were not being allowed in with cameras.
We will be releasing images of the inside later in the
day, she said.
The occupiers were supported by Sinn Fin councillor

Chris Andrews who stood outside in solidarity with the
move.
Emergency help
Dean Scurry of Home Sweet Home said the the
action was a short-term initiative designed to provide
emergency help for the real number of rough sleepers
in Dublin City Centre which he said was about 300.
Mr Scurry said It is Christmas time. We dont want to
hear of any more deaths on the streets, he said.
Mr Scurry who said concerned friends had planned
and executed the plan to seize a building in five weeks,
said he believed the move would be successful because
of the people who have shown the love for this proving
they wanted to make a difference, people like Glen
Hansard. all those people that we look up to when we
go to gigs. People all over the country believe we can
make a difference.
He said the initiative came from a homeless man who
posted a video on Facebook saying it would be great if
we could get the homeless people off the streets and
put them in a Nama building.
An hour after that I met him in a park. We had a chat ,
an hour after that I had a chat with Brendan Ogle. An
hour after that I had a chat with the Irish Housing
Network, I had a chat with Glen Hansard, starting to
pull things together. That was five weeks ago.
Activists gained access to the property in the capitals
south inner-city at around 11pm on Thursday.
A Garda spokesman said that garda were called to the
area at about 12.30am on Friday morning. He
described the incident as peaceful and said garda
are no longer at the scene but are liaising closely with
parties involved.
The Home Sweet Home coalition includes trade

unionists, charities, poets, director Jim Sheridan, actor
John Connors and high-profile artists and singers
including Hozier, Liam O Maonla, Glen Hansard,
Damien Dempsey, Conor OBrien of Villagers and
members of the band Kodaline, all of whom attended
the opening of the building.
Do you think vacant Nama-owned properties should be opened for
use by the homeless?
Irishtimes
Yes 89
No 11
3.8K voters
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/protesters-takeover-vacant-nama-building-for-use-by-homeless-1.2908396
Is this what you want for your country?

The Taoiseach and Tnaiste have repeatedly refused to
rule out doing a deal with independent TD Michael Lowry
after the election. - Irish Examiner 25th Jan 2016
"The findings of the Moriarty tribunal will not lie, gathering
dust in some office under Fine Gael"
Enda Kenny 2011.
TAKE LEAVE AND DONT VOTE THIS LIAR AND IDIOT

LABOUR IN
VOTE FROM INSTEAD, FROM WILL REBIT
As Labour's popularity falls ..Brendan Howlin JUMPS ship
and is seen launching his new party " The Hop Skip Jump "
Party
Whats on your wish list for Christmas?

Which ONE of these would be your favourite ?
Maybe you have a few wishes of your owl
Following on from the Sunday Business posts article

" The slow but steady rise in support for Fine Gael as the
general election approaches has continued this month in
the latest Red C tracking poll "
WE the people would like to say .. WE did our own poll and
the results are in!
People think that in order to privatise our water that Irish

Water, the company, has to be sold off. That the keys of
the building have to be handed over to private interests.
That isn't quite the way privatisation works, in this case.
Privatisation is carried out piecemeal with the outsourcing
of services that would normally be carried out in the public
service.
The Government has been using what are known as Public
Private Partnerships to farm out these services to third
party private contractors for quite a while. It was Fianna
Fraud that introduced PPPs.
"PPPs were first introduced in the delivery of public
infrastructure (schools, motorways, social housing, water
treatment plants etc) in Ireland by the Fianna Fail and the
PD Government in 1999, following lobbying by IBEC and
the Construction Industry Federation."
Now PPPs are the preferred methodology in the
privatisation agenda.
Take a look at the picture. You will see the private
contractors who have been provided multi year contracts
to provide the same service that the Local Authorities
used to provide. They do all the work while Irish Water

collects the charges.
This is how privatisation will happen. Under the radar and
not so obvious until there's nothing left of Irish Water but
for the letterhead on the top of your water bill...
"According to Dail records there are, in fact, 115 of these
PPP contracts to Design, Build, Operate and Maintain
(DBO), water and waste-water treatment plants across 232
sites in Ireland. The contracts are worth a massive total of
1.4bn and most are set to run up to 2030. It is estimated
that Irish Water (previously the local authorities) are
paying out 123 million per annum to the private
companies to cover the operation/maintenance/repayment
costs of these PPP contracts.
RIP OFF IRELAND

Just a few of the many ways we the public are ripped off
everyday !!
DUBLIN NORTHEAST REMEMBERS 1916 PUBLIC MEETING.

7.30pm Wednesday 28th October, Kilmore Recreation
Centre, Cromcastle Road, Kilmore. Open to all interested in
a community based celebration and commemoration of
the 1916 Rising in Dublin Northeast. A few activists and
people interested in history came together with the idea

last July. We have already run a couple of successful
events and are planning many more for the centenary
year. Reclaim the celebrations of the1916 Rising for our
community! Reclaim the noble ideals of the 1916
Proclamation! Spread the word and share widely!
Community Activists, Trade Unionists and Concerned Citizens have

occupied Apollo House in order to provide shelter for those forced to
sleep on the streets over Christmas. A number of homeless people
have bedded down for the night as the rain pours down and Elected
Representatives do nothing but massage Landlords Bank Accounts.
Please share and drop down to lend even an hour of support outside
in order to protect those inside seeking a warm place to sleep and
raise awareness for the Housing Crisis currently running rampant
across our nation.

Now you know why simon will never sort the housing crisis
Theas people are the Mafia of Ireland when are ye going to realise
90% of our politicians are clueless from reality removed gobshites !
Ever seen a penny drop; we did, dropped off the top shelf, it rolled
across the floor and stopped at WoodsHogan; it came from our own
post last night about the switcheroo, one aspect of the switcheroo is
the fact that WoodsHogan are dead and gone and yet when we were
going through the Courts listings today, Woodshogan were still on
record. Anyone joining the dots?
Bank A has your mortgage and employs a solicitor ABC.
The Bank then sells your mortgage to bank B who has a solicitor
DEF:
Bank Bs solicitor DEF then goes into the Circuit Court to change
all of the paperwork: this cant happen and those changes have
been done illegally;
Bank As; solicitor thats ABC must change the paperwork, then
come off record; Bank B solicitor DEF must then come on record.
Any Order gained is: invalid, any Court Case going forward is
:invalid.
So: its a notice of Motion to Strike the case out for want of
Jurisdiction: the whole process of the name change is flawed and not
done properly.
Has the original entity since died?
If WoodsHogan is a dead entity: how did Bank A or bank B for that
matter get the Court Papers. This plot just got deep, real deep:
still trying to get our heads around the situation but some heads will
roll over this one. The Vulture funds may have just shot themselves
in the foot: more to follow, we suspect, just joining the dots, crossing
the Ts and dotting the Is.
The Irish Famine was the greatest tragedy in Irish History. Between
1845 and 1848 about a million people died. Many of these people
are buried in unmarked graves. One of these graveyard is behind
my house at Kilally Ardee Road Dundalk.In 1842 Dundalk Union
workhouse was opened to look after the poorest people. These
people got very little to eat and they only got meat at Christmas
and Easter. They slept on straw and this lead to a lot of infection and
diseases .By 1852 the graveyard at the workhouse was full and a
new graveyard was needed. A man named Thomas fortesque sold
an acre of land at Kilally to the workhouse and Mr McEvoy who had
the ladnd rented got 20.00 for giving it up. The first people were
buried here in 1853. These people were not considered important.
The graves were not marked out , they were not given headstones
and their names were not recorded.My grandfather told me that the
people were carried from the workhouse to the graveyard about
1km in a coffin with a trap door, carried by two men. Thew body was
dumped in the graves and was covered with a sheet. There are no
records of how many people are buried in the graveyard. Over the
years the graveyard dilapidated. In 2005 some neighbours restored
the graveyard and put a new gate with a plaque on the wall.
Fine Gael will today tell Independent TDs and smaller

parties it will consider struggling family mortgage reforms,
levies for vacant property hoarders, and a new rural
towns and villages development scheme if they support
Enda Kennys bid for power.
m
m
The proposals are outlined in a five-page discussion

document sent last night to all politicians participating in
round-table talks with the caretaker Taoiseachs party,
marking the first concrete deal since the post-election
stalemate began.
The file, which has been seen by the Irish Examiner and
includes 37 separate policy suggestions in response to last
Thursdays day-long negotiations on housing, contains no
figures on how much any of the plans will cost.
However, it will be central to the opening hours of todays
second day of round-table talks between Mr Kenny, the
Independent Alliance, five loosely aligned rural
Independents, the Healy-Rae brothers. Maureen
OSullivan, Katherine Zappone and the Greens, as the
countdown begins to the next Dil Taoiseach nomination
vote next Tuesday.
The suggested housing plans, to be followed by similar
documents on other government areas over the coming
days, include:
A new housing action plan within eight weeks of the new
government, which will include quarterly updates and
involve input from housing charities and other
independent groups in addition to key performance
indicators which must be met
A cabinet minister for housing.
A new site valuation tax and vacant site levy to stop
developers from hoarding land.
A town and village renewal scheme to help address the
hollowing out of rural Ireland and encourage people to
move out of Dublin.
A commitment to examine mortgage reforms for
struggling families.
Improved access to the tenant-purchase scheme.
A commitment not to cut funding for rough sleeper, longterm homeless and tenancy sustainment protocol
services.
Doubling of available funds for social housing approvals
New measures to link local authority funding directly to
estate management to reduce the risk of empty or
unusable homes
Tax relief for landlords who accept rent supplement from
tenants.
The document also includes a focus on addressing the
related issues of homelessness, the rental bubble,
difficulties in obtaining mortgages, construction and the
amount of houses available in an apparent admission the
matters are part of the same problem.
The 37 separate points, and the fact none are costed to
date, will be central to the second day of round-table talks
at 10.30am today in Leinster House.
While Fine Gael remains hopeful forming a minority
government on April 6, a number of Independent TDs have
privately said the reality that other equally important
policy matters must be addressed means late April is more
realistic. In addition, the Independent Alliance and the
five-strong rural TD alliance have already committed to
holding separate meetings with Fianna Fil and its leader
Michel Martin throughout that day.
Speaking at Fairyhouse Racecourse yesterday, Mr Kenny
said no TD can sit on the sidelines and that they have
to take responsibility.
Independent TDs Michael Collins and John Halligan last
night said the public is frustrated Mr Kenny and Mr Martin
have yet to open talks.

HomeSweetHome One Ugly Building. One Beautiful Idea.
NAMA have been sitting on the derelict Apollo House for
years. Last night dozens of citizen activists took control of
this large city-centre building and opened it up as a hostel
for the city's homeless population.
The Irish people are putting our government to shame here,they
didn't & don't give a fiddlers fuck about anyone so people from all
walks of life took it into their own hands to do something cos they
care,the same should be done with the boarded up houses around
the country to give familys a home & get kids that are living I'm
hotels out of them so they can have a normal life & be kids.
Yes let's do this all over ireland limerick have started taken care of
the homeless by helping with clothes blankets and lots more
another collection on 20th Dec outside penny's from 7pm maybe an
empty building next
Do you think vacant Nama-owned properties should be

opened for use by the homeless?
Yes all the way, take over every damn buildings , good
luck to them all
No, don't give a fuck
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/protesterstake-over-vacant-nama-building-for-use-by-homeless1.2908396
Homeless numbers in south

Dublin rose 60% in nine
months
In October, there were 439 people on the councils homeless register.
Nov 15th 2016,
THE NUMBER OF people presenting to South Dublin

County Council has shot up in the last nine months
according to the latest figures.
In January this year, there were 274 people registered as

homeless with the council that figure in October was
439, representing a 60% increase.
Local Sinn Fin TD Eoin Broin said he has seen steady
numbers of families presenting as homeless since
September 2014.
The difference now is that the length of time they spend
in emergency accommodation is much longer. The figures
now are 12 to 15 months in south Dublin and two years in
Dublin city.
Broin also said these numbers do not fully represent the
problem in his area as they exclude certain groups of
people, like those who are couch surfing or people living
with their families on a temporary basis.
Follow
Eoin O Broin
Latest homeless figures show the housing crisis is still
spiralling out of control.
9:07 AM - 15 Nov 2016
Source: Eoin O Broin/Twitter
If it doesnt work out for some reason and they are

thrown out, they are turned away at the desk because they
dont have any supporting documentation from a

professional, he explained.
Resources in the housing section of the council are under
so much, he said some families have been told to self
accommodate.
There was a couple with six kids, he was working and she
had six jobs taking care of the kids. They lost their private
rental accommodation, they were already on the council
list, but when they went to the council there was no
They were given a list of hotels and told to get a room and
the council would pay for it. They couldnt get one and on
the day of their notice to quit, the council said they better
overhold stay there illegally essentially which they did
for six weeks. For six weeks they were running around
phoning all the hotels themselves to get a space.
Broin said he believes the government should be
allowing the council to purchase homes that are ready to
move into, rather than cheaper derelict houses that need a
lot of work done and therefore time spent on them to
make them habitable.
Some estates have former council houses up for sale for
good value he said, and these could be bought up by the
council.
The TD said the government should also work on
addressing rent certainty and legislation to ensure tenants
have rights to remain in a property if it is sold or
repossessed.
Pat Flanagan: Fine Gael's

new rent rules will throw
tenants to the vultures
BYPAT FLANAGAN
13:44, 16 DEC 2016



legislation.

certainty
the increases.
Simon Coveney TD
(Photo: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie)

return for landlords but 12.5% is hardly modest to those
who are struggling to pay rents that have exploded in
recent years.
If workers, be they in the public or private sector, slapped
a 12.5% pay demand on their employer they would be
accused of trying to wreck the economy.
Lets put this deal in perspective, for it comes as Fine Gael
is about to enter its seventh year in government and the
party is now expecting praise for overseeing the greatest
homelessness and housing crisis in the history of the

State.
predictability which comes way ahead of a tenants need
for rent certainty.
Part of the excuse for the huge rise in rent prices to come
is it will offer an incentive for developers and builders to
construct more homes in the coming years.
for the
homeless crisis is the lack of affordable housing because
the Fine Gael/Labour Government built virtually no local
authority homes during their time in office.
The excuse that funds werent available wont wash when
there was any amount of billions to pump in the banks.
Besides, previous governments built tens of thousands of
council homes during the 1950s and 60s when there
They cant afford to rent a home as it is and will have even
less chance of doing so when the new increases kick in.
The vultures are actually fuelling the homelessness crisis
yet they will be the main beneficiaries of this agreement.
After six years of doing nothing while rents went through

the roof and the numbers of homeless rocketed, it came
down to a last-minute rush to get the measures over the
line before the long Dail Christmas break.
what has to be the greatest scandal to plague this country
in modern history yet much of last week was taken up with
a murder which took place in 1983.
there can be no doubt that both Fine Gael and Fianna Fail
engaged in political point-scoring, using the death of this
loyal servant of the State to get at Sinn Fein.
since 2011.
http://www.irishmirror.ie/news/fine-gaels-new-rent-rules9469418?service=responsive
Just Announced Monday Dec 19th in aid of Peter
McVerry Trust.
Tix 35 on sale Monday at 9am
Damien Dempsey, Glen Hansard and John Connors lead occupation

of Apollo House in protest against housing crisis.
It is also supported by director Jim Sheridan, musicians Hozier and
Christy Moore and actor Saoirse Ronan among others.
The Home Sweet Home group is a broad coalition of housing groups,
trade unions, musicians, actors and artists. It operates in association
with the Mandate Trade Union.

The last rough sleeper count found 150 people sleeping on the
streets of Dublin alone. This greatly underestimated the count as
people sleeping in parks and inaccessible areas were not counted.
People Before Profit fully support this action and we want to see a
mass movement, like the people power movement that pushed back
water charges, on the streets to demand housing.
There are over 250,000 empty properties in Ireland according to a
Deutsche Bank report.
But the government won't act because they are too tied to vulture
firms and developers- the only groups benefiting from the housing
crisis.
We need all community groups, trade unions and left political
parties to come together to build a people power movement to
demand housing.
We also need to build a radical left movement to replace the
establishment parties. People Before Profit would:
- build 50,000 houses
- bring in rent controls
- stop evictions
- pass laws against intentional deriliction of property
Now you know.
Christy Moore and Hozier among stars backing

homeless
Jim Sheridan felt
'heartless' about
homelessness
Sheridan - "I feel like I've been as heartless as everybody

else walking past people on the street"
As the occupation of Apollo House in Dublin

by homelessness umbrella group Home
Sweet Home continues, director Jim Sheridan
has said he feels he has been "as heartless
as everybody else" about the homeless.
Sheridan and musicians including Christy
Moore and Hozier are backing a "citizens'
intervention" takeover of the vacant office
building on Tara Street to accommodate the
homeless.
people gathered on Thursday night at the
National Asset Management Agency (NAMA)

property under the Home Sweet Home
banner, which includes trade unionists,
charities and artists.
The coalition also includes Liam Maonla,
Glen Hansard, Damien Dempsey, Conor
OBrien of Villagers and members of Kodaline.
Follow
Glen Hansard


#
2:18 PM - 16 Dec 2016

D'Arcy Show on RT Radio 1 on Friday, filmmaker Sheridan said: "It just happened
because there's a homeless crisis, and
there's a lot of anger that extends even
situation.
epidemic."
become a debate."
Trade unionist Brendan Ogle, who is a cofounder of Home Sweet Home, had earlier
told The Irish Times that the group had
identified the NAMA-managed property in
Dublin's city centre and planned to stage a
"citizens' intervention in the homelessness
crisis".
safe.
Kodaline

The Department of Housing, Planning and
Local Government has said there are enough
beds being provided to meet the needs of
people who are currently rough sleeping.

Christy Moore and Hozier among stars backing homeless
Christy Moore
Irish musicians including Christy Moore and Hozier are
backing a "citizens' intervention" taking over Apollo House
in Dublin and using it to accommodate the homeless.
According to The Irish Times, around 100 people gathered
last (Thursday) night at the Nama property under the
banner of a coalition called Home Sweet Home, which
includes trade unionists, charities and artists.
The coalition is reported to include film director Jim
Sheridan and singers Hozier, Christy Moore, Liam O
Maonla, Glen Hansard, Damien Dempsey, Conor OBrien
of The Villagers and members of Kodaline.
Trade unionist Brendan Ogle is a co-founder of Home
Sweet Home, and he told The Irish Times that the group
had identified the Nama-managed property in Dublin's city
centre and planned to stage a "citizens' intervention in the
homelessness crisis".
"We are going to go in, turn on the electricity, turn on the
water, turn on the heating and gather up as many
homeless people as need a roof over their head," he said.
"We know at least 140 people are sleeping rough on the
streets of Dublin every night. We know the Government
has opened up emergency beds but there will still be
people out sleeping on the streets and we are coming
together to say to the Government that 'enough is
enough'."
Ogle added: "We want to appeal to the goodwill of the
powers-that-be and to say, 'Let's pull together as a nation
and end homelessness. There is no need for it'."
Meanwhile, Christy Moore tweeted a link to a YouTube
video with the message: "Please take a look & please
share.Christy #endhomelessnessnow."
The video, about homelessness in Ireland, includes Jim
Sheridan speaking outside Dublin's GPO about the
situation.
Final vote on Courts Bill taking place in Dil now.

FG & FF voting to increase evictions. SF, AAA/PBB,
I4C & others opposing.

Collins loses appeal

in promissory note
challenge
Updated / Dec. 16, 2016 Main Article Image
Joan Collins said the minister did not have the power to
allocate an unlimited sum of public money
Independents4Change TD Joan Collins has

lost her challenge to the Minister for
Finance's decision to issue 31bn in
promissory notes to Anglo Irish Bank and
other financial institutions.

The notes were effectively IOU notes from the
State allowing Anglo Irish Bank and other
financial institutions to get emergency
funding from the Central Bank in 2010.
Ms Collins argued that the Minister for
Finance did not have the power to allocate an
unlimited sum of public money.
She appealed the High Court's rejection of
her challenge.
But in a unanimous judgment, six Supreme
The core issue in the case was whether or not
the Minister for Finance had the power to
allocate unlimited sums of public money
without the funds being quantified and
considered in advance by the Oireachtas.
Ms Collins' legal team described this as an
enormous case and argued the constitution
did not permit the allocation of unlimited
monies.
The State argued the minister had the power
to issue the 31bn in promissory notes to
Anglo Irish Bank, the Educational Building
Society and Irish Nationwide Building society
under 2008 legislation enacted by the
Oireachtas to prevent a banking collapse.
In the judgment, which was delivered by
Chief Justice Susan Denham, said the
legislation was "undoubtedly exceptional".
But she said it was a permissible
constitutional response to an exceptional
situation.
However, Ms Justice Denham said it could not
be considered as a template for broader
ministerial power on other occasions.
She said it was unlikely the Oireachtas would
concede such wide ranging power in other
less pressing circumstances.
But she said if it did, and a minister or other
body was permitted to provide unlimited
financial support, without limitation in time to
any commercial entity, then it would not
follow from this case that such would be
constitutionally permissible.
The ruling also found that the fact that no
financial cap was placed on the financial
support capable of being provided, might be
imprudent.
Or she said it might be an entirely prudent,
though necessary and awesome response to
an exceptional situation.
In either case the Chief Justice said it is a
decision made by the organ empowered by
the Constitution to do so.
She said the Oireachtas was free to decide to
impose limits on the extent to which the
State may borrow or spend but that decision
is one consigned by the Constitution to the
legislative branch and not the judicial branch
of government.
In the ruling, the court found the limits
placed on the exercise of ministerial power
under the 2008 act did not include a financial
cap, beyond which the financial support
could not extend.

But it found the Constitution did not require
such a limit.
The court found that the Constitution requires
that the functions it confers on the organs of
State must be exercised by the appropriate
organ and no one else, in the manner set out
in the Constitution and in no other way.
In the ruling, the Chief Justice said it was true
that in this case the potential exposure was
enormous.
The amount was vast and the impact on the
State's finances significant.
She said the legislation was exceptional but
that did not make it unconstitutional.
She said it was designed and tailored to meet
an exceptional situation - addressing an
extraordinary risk to the State's economy
which could be said to represent a systemic
economic danger.
She said it was a feature of financial crises
that matters move very quickly and speed is
often of the essence.
If it was accepted that it was appropriate to
make provision for a swift response to a
financial crisis in a credit institution, then
there can be no quarrel with the fact that the
minister for finance was the body designated
to make that decision.
She said if this was permissible, then it was
difficult to understand how the absence of a
financial limit could render the provision
unconstitutional.
The Chief Justice said the court had no

function in considering the wisdom of
decisions taken by other branches of
government, only a limited capacity to review
them in judicial review proceedings.
She said it was the court's function to ensure
that the constitutional organ which has the
responsibility to make such decisions
whether they be wise or foolish, trivial or far
reaching, was allowed to do so within the
limits imposed by the Constitution.
She said the momentous nature of the
decisions which have been made in relation
to the crisis which the Irish economy
experienced in recent years, including those
made in this case, highlighted the
importance of each organ of government
respecting the field of operation of the other
branches and performing its own functions
conscientiously and carefully.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/1216/839277-promissory-notejudgment/
joan-collins-v-minister-for-finance-delegate-spending But in a
unanimous judgment, six Supreme Court judges dismissed her
appeal.
Irish Finance Minister admits promissory

notes arrangement was "totally illegal"
Feb 8, 2013
Michael Noonan: "Well, the legal people would say that the
existing promissory notes arrangement is totally contrary to..
Pat Kenny: "Illegal?"
Noonan: "Totally"
Context: http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/...
Full interview available here with comments beginning around
nine minutes in
http://www.rte.ie/radio/radioplayer/r...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76z7gIJQEaA
Promissory Notes Are Legal Tender Private Banker from Blacks Law
Dictionary
an 30, 2016
Private Bankers National Banking Association,
http://www.PBNBA.com Promissory Notes Are Legal Tender.
Private Banker from Blacks Law Dictionary, 5th Edition, page
133, definition: Banking. The business of banking, as defined
by law and custom, consists in the issue of notes intended
to circulate as money..
And defines a Bankers Note (A Promissory Note) as: A
commercial instrument resembling a bank note in every
particular except that it is given by a private banker or
unincorporated banking institution. A Private Banker is a
Financial Institution; Unincorporated Banking Institution; and
Financial Agency pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 5312. Private Bankers
National Banking Association, PBNBA, Bankers Acceptance
Promissory Note under (U.C.C. 2-304) states, "The price can
be made payable in money or otherwise...".
IRS codes section 1.1001-1 (4657) C.C.H. states that Federal
Reserve Notes (Dollars) are valueless. The only lawful money
of the United States Of America are gold and silver coins with 1
oz .999 pure gold or silver as per Articles VIII and X of the
Constitution
For the United States of America, 1787. Bank Loan Contracts or
lender promissory notes requiring legal money that is not true
money such as: bank checks, cash, check, money orders,
attorney checks, bank transfers, wire transfers, FEDERAL
RESERVE PROMISSORY NOTE DOLLARS, cashier checks, and
certified checks from a bank, attorney, or escrow company are
illegal pursuant to Title 31 U.S.C. 5118(d)(2); 31 U.S.C.A.

463; and Public Law 97-258 (September 13, 1982). Be sure to
go to www.PBNBA.com today and join hundreds of Private
Bankers in the Private Bankers National Banking Association
and issue their preprocessed promissory notes to pay off your
debts at www.PBNBA.com. Let's beat the banks at their own
game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zxl26hh3saM
Systemic Corruption in Irish government & Banks.

Nov 24, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8MD-7u2UDw
Johnathon Sugarman (Whistleblower)

With Vincent Browne
Dec 6, 2016
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.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUpmZV8QZiw
'Atlantic' - the race for the resources of

the North Atlantic
Apr 27, 2016
Atlantic is a new feature documentary from Risteard
ODomhnaill (The Pipe, 2010). Narrated by Emmy Awardwinning actor Brendan Gleeson, the film explores ocean
resource mismanagement across Ireland, Norway and
Newfoundland (Canada). When traditional fishing communities
meet big oil and overfishing, what does the future hold?
Atlantic was awarded Best Irish Documentary at the Dublin

International Film Festival 2016, and was Official Selection at
the Sydney Film Festival and the Environmental Film Festival in
Washington DC. It is in selected Irish cinemas now.
theatlanticstream.com/screenings
Please Follow us on
Facebook: 'Atlantic Stream'
Twitter: @AtlanticStream #AtlanticFilm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtRHSWGYNFc
mainstream interviews Johnathon Sugarman,
Bastards.
Bastards.
Next step - take over the empty properties, and properties
owned by the Vulture Funds and rehouse the families
living in Hotels and Bed and Breakfast. 40 Families a
month being put out on the street, and more to come. All
this Government is interested in doing is to increase the
rents - instead of building Social Housing with our Tax
money. They bleat on, that there is no money - yeh right WE DO NOT BELIEVE YOU..
The Truth About How Anglo Ripped us

off. Warning this will piss you off
Jul 13, 2013
Two former Anglo Irish Bank executives have denied
allegations that they participated in misleading the Central
Bank in 2008, shortly before the bank guarantee was
introduced.
One of the executives said he "deeply regrets the language
and tone" he used in phone calls at the time.
John Bowe, the bank's then head of capital markets, described

the language used as "both imprudent and inappropriate".
It has emerged that the Central Bank was told by Anglo that 7
billion in funding would be needed to stabilise it.
However, a senior Anglo executive said to a colleague at the
time that the true cost would be higher.
The revelation came to light in a recording of a phone call
obtained by the Irish Independent, which published a partial
transcript today.
Both of the executives involved - Mr Bowe and then director of
retail banking Peter FitzGerald - have categorically denied
misleading the Central Bank.
Mr Bowe said he was not a member of the executive
management board of Anglo in 2008 and "therefore I was not a
decision maker in relation to either the bank's requirement for
funding or negotiations with the Central Bank."
Mr Fitzgerald told RT News that he also regretted the tone of
his conversation with Mr Bowe.
The conversation between two Anglo executives happened in
mid-September 2008, just days before the State guaranteed all
of the Irish banks.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny said this morning he understands the
"anger and rage" of people listening to the Anglo tapes.
However, Mr Kenny said he did not want to say anything to
prejudice the banking inquiry, which he said would be
comprehensive.
He said legislation to provide for an inquiry would be passed by
the summer recess and the Government would then decide the
best way to proceed.
Noonan believed 'Anglo had a lot to answer for'
Minister for Finance Michael Noonan said he "always believed
that Anglo had a lot to answer for."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTwK0pGHnQM
Vincent Browne v The ECB

Jan 19, 2012
Vincent Browne takes on Klaus Masuch over the issue of the
Irish people having to foot the bill for unguaranteed
bondholders.
Looks like the Ray Darcy Show have taken up the cause of
getting the question answered. Here's a link to their website
for e-mailing Klaus Masuch:
https://r12---sn-q0c7dn76.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?
ei=4F1UWLCwMOzGiQbZtr24Dg&upn=Pk9GKdbDsD4&lmt=13876125040
79694&expire=1481945664&mt=1481923946&itag=18&ipbits=0&mm=31&
mn=sn-q0c7dn76&mime=video
%2Fmp4&signature=BDCA4B81200EAB57CB93D6DC8861B93C30208900
.60F66A63CBC25FB172B2A9BF9E76C8F277998587&ms=au&source=yo
utube&mv=m&id=oAFg__8ENvSfcj7bR49sOo6iYyWyFV8G8CVeb_LL8F8q4&initcwndbps=12
93750&pl=16&dur=339.800&ip=89.100.45.63&ratebypass=yes&gir=yes&n
h=IgpwcjAxLmR1YjA2Kg0yMTMuNDYuMTY1LjE3&sparams=clen%2Cdur
%2Cei%2Cgir%2Cid%2Cinitcwndbps%2Cip%2Cipbits%2Citag%2Clmt
%2Cmime%2Cmm%2Cmn%2Cms%2Cmv%2Cnh%2Cpl%2Cratebypass
%2Crequiressl%2Csource%2Cupn
%2Cexpire&requiressl=yes&clen=21118028&key=yt6&title=Vincent
%20Browne%20v%20The%20ECB
Statement from Joan Collins TD in response to the

Supreme Court verdict...
Statement from Joan Collins TD - Supreme Court sided against the
Irish people in #promnotes case
Speaking after the Supreme Court decision to dismiss her appeal,
Joan Collins TD said that she was disappointed but not particularly
surprised with today's judgement.
Unfortunately, I believe the political and financial concerns which
were repeatedly emphasised by the state during the proceedings
weighed strongly on the judges verdict.
The strategy in this case was to paint a doomsday scenario to
justify the governments decision to waste huge amounts of public
money, particularly on Anglo-Irish Bank, without even bringing the
issue to the Dil for a vote."
Deputy Collins said she believed she had made a robust legal case
that Article 28 of the Constitution forbids borrowing or spending
without a Dil vote.
By allowing this provision of the constitution to be bypassed using
excuses about extraordinary circumstances and temporary

measures the court has weakened our political system, placing
fewer checks on the actions of the Minister for Finance and the
government of the day.
This judgement means that the 2008 Finance Act will be
interpreted by Ministers of Finance as carte blanche to take any
action they see fit to stabilise the banking system. Therefore, some
of the worst decisions made in response to the recent banking crisis
could happen again in the next one, which may not be too far
away.
She said her opinion of the nature of the debt accrued through the
promissory notes deal was unchanged by the court's decision.
This is an odious debt. Our government made a decision that
benefitted a handful of well-connected Irish bankers as well as
French and German financial institutions which are insulated from
the costs of their recklessness by a European framework demanding
full repayment of bondholders.
"The interests of Irish citizens were never a consideration.
As the bonds which replaced these promissory notes are sold off
huge sums of public money will flow to private interests and 31
billion of debt will be copperfastened to the state for decades. This
decision made by the Fianna Fil, and backed by Fine Gael and
Labour in government, will be with us for a long, long time.
People should remember this when we are told we cant afford to
solve urgent crises in housing or healthcare - we can, but our money
is going elsewhere."
joan-collins-v-minister-for-finance-She appealed the High Court's

rejection of her challenge. But in a unanimous judgment, six Supreme

Apollo House.
I think we should do something like this in #Sligo What do

ye think Sligo? Dec 16th 2016
Landlord group
threatens new
charges over rental
plans
The Government introduced its rental strategy during the

week
A lobby group representing landlords has said

its members are considering introducing a
raft of new charges for tenants and
withdrawing from State-sponsored letting
schemes in response to the Government's
rental plans.
The Irish Property Owners Association, which
lists 5,000 members on its website, said
"hard-pressed landlords are the victims of the
newest onslaught on the sector".
Following a meeting with members, the IPOA
issued a statement stating that the
"measures being introduced are so severe
that rents will not cover costs and
devaluation of property will be significant".
The statement said its members are now
"seriously considering" withdrawing from
State-sponsored rental schemes; introducing
new fees for keys, documents and car

parking; additional service, letting and
registration charges as well as contributions
for Local Property Tax.

Earlier Mr Coveney said his department
has checked the wording of new legislation
on the rent certainty measures to ensure that
rents in designated areas do not increase by
more than 4% annually.
8%.
period.
be 2%.
The Dil is sitting until 8pm to continue the
debate on the legislation.
suburb who were served with notice to vacate
homes after they were bought up by a so-called
'vulture fund'.
Attorney General who suggested that figure be
changed to 10.
The amendment was lost by 59 votes to 34 with 24

abstentions.
Minister for Housing Simon Coveney has said his
department has checked the wording of new legislation on
the Government's rent certainty measures to ensure that
rents in designated areas do not increase by more than 4%
annually.
He said his team worked late into the night and took
advice from the Attorney General last night following a
drafting difficulty that arose in the legislation.
Some TDs were concerned that the wording could see
rents for some tenancies rise by 8%.
Mr Coveney said the new wording would ensure that
anyone who is a tenant in a rent pressure zone will be sure
that at the end of their two-year tenancy they will not face
more than a 4% increase, and thereafter there would no be
more than a 4% increase.
The NAMA controlled property has been vacant for a

period of six years and Home Sweet Home and the Irish
Housing Network have reclaimed it in a bid to tackle the
homeless crisis.
Five people are now residing in the property which is
located on the corner of Tara Street and Poolbeg Street.
afternoon representatives of Home Sweet Home and the
Irish Housing Network said the seizure of the building was
necessary to save lives.
The two groups hope to house 30 people in the building.
Home Sweet Home is made up of poets, artists, trade
unionists and activists while Mattress Mick has supplied
beds for the residents.
Jim Sheridan, Glen Hansard, Andrew Hozier, Saoirse
Ronan and Christy Moore are all involved with the
coalition.Rosie Leonard of the Irish Housing Network
said: Apollo house has been vacant for six years and it has
been opened by Home Sweet Home, the Irish housing
Network and a number of volunteers as housing for people
who would otherwise be on the streets.
Two people died on the 24 and the 25 of November, one

in Dundalk and one in Donegal. So this action is about
saving lives, there are about 30 people a year who die as a
direct result of homelessness.
Ms Leonard also said each room has its own bed, theres
shared facilities on each floor.
She also said they are currently working on setting the
building up with electricity and running water.
Dean Scurry of Home Sweet Home said a lot of people
watching this are a week or a pay cheque away from being
homeless, so they connect with this.
Theyre not going to die in the spring so well get the
winter months out of the way first and then we can set
about making housing a human right.
Mr Scurry said five weeks ago we had an idea and now we
are standing here.
In response to a plea from Fianna Fail TD Anne Rabbitte
to turn the heating on in the building, Minister for Social
Housing Simon Coveney said;
To occupy a building and try and put supports together in
an ad hoc way is not the way to deal with this.
However, a spokesman for NAMA Ray Gordon said that
the building was not a NAMA owned building and any
issues were for the receiver.
Its thought that the receiver of the building is connected
with financial firm Mazars Ireland.
Here is the news update from the Leinster House bubble.
Simon Coveney won that spat, played out over two days,
about the rent control plan.
Many, but not all, in Fine Gael will be pleased that he
chalked up a scarce win for the ones who have the name of
leading this creaky minority Coalition.
Landlords threaten raft of

new charges in reaction
to Government decision
to cap rents
Dil tonight backed Simon Coveney's
rental control plan

PUBLISHED
16/12/2016
LANDLORDS have threatened to impose a

raft of new charges on tenants in response to
the Governments decision to cap rents in
Dublin and Cork.
S


registration fee.
property tax.
Meanwhile, after three marathon days of often heated
debate, the Dil tonight backed Mr Coveney's rental
control plan. TDs voted by 52 to 43 in favour - but there
were 25 abstentions, mainly from Fianna Fil, which
effectively allowed the measure to become law.
Grafton Street.
told the Dil.
plight of those currently sleeping rough in Apollo House in
Dublin City was raised repeatedly.
http://www.independent.ie/business/personal-
finance/property-mortgages/landlords-threatenraft-of-new-charges-in-reaction-to-governmentdecision-to-cap-rents-35300054.html
Dail Erin Are a Disgrace to Humanity over allowing Vulture Landlords
To Crucify Tenant's in order to Provide Pensions for themselves. Once
again the the Markets and Capitalist System including Democracy have
utterly Failed. t is up to the State to Provide Reasonable priced housing
and rental accommodation for its Citizens All Rents Should Be
Reduced Immediately by 50% God Knows we have had enough of
Landlord Vultures in the Past. Politian's are elected to Protect Citizens
not Enslave Them..........Disgusted to see the policies of making The
Rich Richer being enforced 100 years after achieving our
Independence and Freedom. .
Last night a group of activists supported by well-known

celebrities occupied Apollo House on Tara Street.
The object of the occupation was to give rough sleepers a
place to sleep for the night.
http://jrnl.ie/3144658f
Deal reached
between Fine Gael
and Fianna Fil on
rental measures
4% annual limit on rent increases will be introduced in

Dublin and Cork city
A deal has been reached between Fianna Fil

and Fine Gael on rental measures.
The move paves the way for legislation
underpinning the changes to be passed
by the Oireachtas before Christmas.
As previously planned a 4% annual limit on
rent increases will be introduced in Dublin
and Cork city once the legislation is passed.
It has also been agreed that Meath, Kildare,
Wicklow and Louth, as well as areas around
Cork city will be immediately assessed to see
if they qualify to have a limit on rent
increases imposed.
The cities of Galway, Limerick and Waterford
will also be included in this first phase of
assessment.
The first results of these assessments are
due to be completed in January.
There will also be a review of how areas are

assessed as designated areas in June next
year.
More resources will also be given to the
Residential Tenancies Board.
Minister for Housing Simon Coveney told the
Dil during the debate on the matter that the
rent limit would apply for a period of three
years and would apply both at the start and
at each rent review.
He also told the Dil that he accepted
amendments within the Planning
Development and Residential Tenancies Bill
calling for completion of the assessment by
the Residential Tenancies Board to be done in
a speedier manner.
Fianna Fil housing spokesperson Barry
Cowen said while the party has not achieved
everything it sought, he was "pleased that for
the first time in the history of the State, the
Dil is now in a position to introduce rent
certainty measures that will protect tenants
and help address some of the issues
currently distorting our rental market".
Speaking on RT's Six One Mr Cowen said he
would have preferred a 2% increase
associated with legislation for rent controls,
but a compromise had to be reached.
Mr Cowen said his party had issues
surrounding the rate and the areas it is to
apply to, but "it's not about me winning, or
Simon Coveney winning", adding, "it's about
ensuring that the right measures and the

right legislation is approved".
Mr Cowen said he would rather Mr Coveney
had approached him, in confidence, last week
to discuss the proposed legislation, and
agreed on a unified approach.
He said, instead, there was a "public
negotiation".
Dil debate on rent legislation under
way
The controversial rent legislation is to being
debated in the Dil despite earlier assertions
that it would not.
The debate will continue tomorrow if it has
not concluded tonight.
After talks between the two sides broke up
late last night without agreement, Mr
Coveney said the Fianna Fil party position
had made it impossible for the Government
to bring forward legislation on the issue.
Fianna Fil accused the Government of
intransigence.
Fianna Fil leader Michel Martin this morning
criticised the Government's stance, but said
his party wants to be constructive and
engage.
He told the Dil: "I don't believe the bill
should have been pulled there was no need
for that."
He said to bring in legislation on rent
certainty in the last days of the Dil was
reckless.
However, he said there was a need to see if
there was space to have the debate, adding
that tomorrows sitting should not have been
cancelled.
Mr Howlin criticised the bill, which he said
was to have been debated and the legislation
enacted before Christmas, affecting
thousands of tenants.
PBP-AAA Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett said all
of this would be scuppered because Fianna
Fil and Fine Gael are rowing over how much
landlords will get.
Sinn Fins Eoin Broin described the
proposal as a very bad one which will hurt
renters, and said Fianna Fil recoiled from it
when it heard negative media and tenant
reaction.
He said the debate should be held today.
Mr Coveney, however, insisted that he could
proceed with legislation on rent certainty
without knowing what the outcome would
be.
Responding to criticism of the delay, he said
the Government had flagged for many weeks
that it would announce key changes to the
private rental sector and seek to enact
legislation this week.
Mr Coveney said putting forward a bill
without knowing what the outcome would be
would mean he would have to implement
legislation that did not make sense and was
not legally sound.
Fianna Fil and minority Government at

odds
The issue is the most significant
disagreement to date between the
Government and Fianna Fil.
After talks yesterday both sides agreed that
the working group to look at tax incentives
for landlords should begin its work in the New
Year, however differences remained on other
key issues
Throughout the negotiations Mr Coveney said
the proposed 4% limit on rent increases in
the rent pressure zones of Dublin and Cork
city was not negotiable.
The limits are being introduced in these cities
because they meet two designated criteria:
that annual rents have risen by at least 7% in
four of the last six quarters; and that the
average rent is above the national average in
the past quarter.
However, it is understood the main issue in
the dispute was the criteria for other areas to
qualify for a rent limit to be imposed.
Fianna Fil wanted Galway, Limerick,
Waterford and large population centres
surrounding Dublin and Cork city also
included from the outset.
The party also believes the proposal to speed
up the process to assess these areas from
mid-January does not go far enough.
Last night he said it seemed political
considerations were more important to
Fianna Fil.
This morning, Mr Coveney said the parties

had moved beyond the issue of the 4% rent
limit.
Speaking on RT's Morning Ireland, the
minister said: "What Fianna Fil focused on
last night is that they said they could live
with the 4% as long as we got more areas
into rent pressure zones.
"What I have said is that we are going to
bring more areas in but we have to do that
on an independent assessment as opposed to
the basis of politics. I am a minister here who
has to implement this legislation and to make
it work for the years ahead."
He said he would not make decisions for
political convenience "knowing it is the wrong
thing to do".
Mr Coveney said he has offered a
compromise; to look at cities like Galway and
Limerick and other local areas to make
decisions in the new year about having other
rent pressure zones. He said it is not legally
possible to do so before then.
The minister defended the 4% limit, saying:
"It is based on what is happening
internationally. If you look at other countries
who have introduced rent limits, 4% is based
on a modest rate of return so if people invest
in the market they can have an increase."
He went on to say he has to take a holistic
view of the whole market to make sure it
functions and to make sure for both landlords
and tenants it works effectively.

"It is about protecting tenants in this report. If
I do it in a way that undermines the business
propositions of landlords then they will leave
the market and we will make the situation
worse."
Mr Cowen later said his party is prepared to
do whatever is necessary to ensure the new
rent legislation covers more areas than just
Dublin and Cork.
Speaking on RT's Today with Sean ORourke,
Mr Cowen said he wants to ensure rent
certainty for those who deserve it.
"I think there was an opportunity to debate in
the Dil today as our interest has always
been to have good legislation."
Mr Cowen said they were prepared to
compromise on some issues but added that
had his party been consulted and had an
opportunity to participate, they might be at a
different stage to where they are now.
He said they now have to wait two to three
months to see if other areas are going to be
included in the rent pressure zones.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/1215/838989-rent-strategy/
Mary Robinson to
gift archive to NUI
Galway
Updated / Nov. 28, 2016
Mary Robinson will not avail of tax credits for donating her
archive
Plans for a Mary Robinson Presidential Library

in Ballina, Co Mayo look to have stalled, after
the former president announced that she
would gift her archive to NUI Galway and
have it stored there.
The Victoria House Foundation, which has
been working to develop a centre at Ms
Robinson's childhood home in Ballina, says
storage of the archive in Galway will mean
there is no need to have archival facilities in
Co Mayo.
In a statement this evening, the foundation
said the former president would not avail of
any tax credits that may be available to her
when she donates her archive.
Instead of progressing with the plan to open
a Presidential Library in Ballina, the
statement talks of a "vision" to use Ms
Robinson's legacy "at a location" in the town.
The foundation says Revenue valued the
archive at 4.65 million, while Mayo County

Council had arrived at a figure of 2.5m.
Under the Taxes Consolidation Act, this would
result in an overall tax credit for the donor of
1.2m.
Ms Robinson informed the board of the
foundation at a meeting last Saturday that
she did not intend to avail of the credit.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/1128/835057-mary-robinson/
250,000 valuation
for Mary Robinson
'light in the window'
Mary Robinson put the light in a window at ras an

Uactarin as a symbol to Irish emigrants all over the world
that there was a welcome for them at home
A light which shone in a window at ras an

Uactarin when Mary Robinson was president
was valued at 250,000 according to the
foundation which had planned to locate a
presidential library in County Mayo.
Two weeks after RT's Prime Time broadcast
its last report on the proposed Mary Robinson
Presidential Library, the Victoria House
Foundation announced it was abandoning its
plan to locate Mary Robinson's archive in
Ballina, Co Mayo.
Instead, her collection of papers is to be
gifted to NUI Galway.
In a statement, the foundation said it would
"obviate the need to duplicate expensive
archival facilities in Ballina".
The archive collection of hundreds of
thousands of documents and other items has
been valued by Revenue at
4.65m according to the foundation but
Revenue has not confirmed this.
Separately, some years ago another
valuation put it at 2.5m.
Documents obtained by Prime Time under
the Freedom of Information Act reveal that
the Victoria House Foundation had told
insurers that her famous 'light in the window'
was worth 250,000.
The centre informed their insurers of this in

an email sent by them on 20 February 2015.
Ms Robinson put the light in a window at ras
an Uactarin when she served as president in
the 1990s.
The light (above) was a symbol to Irish
emigrants all over the world that there was a
welcome for them at home.
It also emerged in recent weeks that
Ms Robinson's brother Adrian Bourke has
resigned from the foundation.
Mr Bourke owns the former family home and
Mayo Co Council planned to buy it from him
to locate the library there.
In October, Prime Time reported on the

complex structures of the foundation; staff
members at Mayo Co Council were members
of the board, as was Mr Bourke, who was to
sell the house to the local authority.
The proposed transaction was disclosed in
the foundation's annual report and was not a
breach of company law.
In mid October Mr Bourke resigned.
Under the Freedom of Information Act, Prime
Time received the letter of resignation he
submitted to fellow board members.
ras 'light in the window' worth 250,000
#RTEPT pic.twitter.com/CJRDH96FnK
9:33 AM - 16 Dec 2016
In it, Mr Bourke confirms he has asked the

council to re-value the house which they are
to buy from him.
He said previous valuations - one was
665,000 - are "completely out of date".

He told board members he intended to
engage with the Mayo Co manager Peter
Hynes and his staff, "immediately in order to
reach finality and an early closing".
He states that he is to resign from the board
due to the discussions, and says, "there may
be a conflict, either real or perceived".
Despite the fact the archive is now to be
based in NUIG, the Victoria House Foundation
has said developing a visitor centre in
Ms Robinson's childhood home, "remains the
preferred option" but "other options" are
being explored as part of its review of the
project.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/1216/839458-mary-robinson-light/
Coveney: No
Govt plans to
forcibly take
vacant
properties
Updated / May 24, 2016
The Government has no plans to forcibly take

possession of vacant properties, according to
Minister for Housing Simon Coveney.
He said he had no "absolute" statements on
measures to address the housing crisis, but
they would include accessing the 240,000
empty properties around the country while
respecting property rights.
Mr Coveney was speaking at a conference
organised by the Housing Agency focussing
on the issue of affordability.
He said that six-month emergency plans will
be implemented in urban areas to "inject
some adrenalin into the system".
He also said student accommodation is easier
to provide through rapid build and could freeup affordable rental properties.
Furthermore, accommodation designed for
the elderly could attract people into leaving
large family homes where they live on their
own.
Housing Agency Chairperson Conor Skehan

said one third of the population will need
State support to buy or rent their home.
The conference heard that 100,000 homes
will be needed by 2020 and there are plans
to build 35,000 social units.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for a group set up
to help homeowners in mortgage difficulties
has said that there are roughly 5,000 families
who do not have the money to restructure
their debt and are facing repossession.
Speaking on RT's Morning Ireland, Ross
Maguire from New Beginnings proposed that
a mortgage rescue scheme - similar to one
that worked in the UK in the 1990s - should
be established.
This would allow the State to purchase the
houses and allow families to stay on as
tenants.
Mr Maguire said such a scheme could also be
funded by the private world so long as leases
were between new owners and local
authorities were strong.
It comes as new figures obtained from the
Housing Agency by Sinn Fin show there are
more than 5,000 vacant homes across South
Dublin County Council.
Sinn Fin Housing spokesperson Eoin
Broin said the report, which has been
presented Mr Coveney and the Dil Housing
Committee, has revealed that as many as
230,000 homes across the State are vacant.

He called for as many of the vacant
properties as possible to be made available
to those on housing waiting lists.
"South Dublin County Council is already using
compulsory acquisition powers to bring some
vacant sites back into use. However the
Minister for Housing must make more funding
available to the Council to allow them to
acquire a greater number of these units", he
said.
"At a time when over 2,000 children across
the State are homeless allowing such a high
rate of vacant dwellings in not only
unacceptable, it is a scandal," he added.
Chairwoman of the Housing Finance
Agency Dr Michelle Norris has said it is
proposing to Minister Coveney that the
agency increases lending to the housing
association sector and also that the local
authorities be given eligibility to borrow from
it.
Speaking on RT's Today with Sean O'Rourke,
Dr Norris said the agency funded around 350
units that way last year.
She said the housing strategy plan is for an
additional 13,500 units to be provided and
the Housing Finance Agency believes the
best option to pay for this very large build
programme in the short-term, is for it to
borrow money from the markets and EU
institutions such as the European Investment
Bank.
She said it can do this at a very, very low

interest rate and she said the best way to
address the social housing issue is to provide
additional new build social housing units.
She said the private rented sector is an
important part of the solution in providing
social housing, but "we can't rely on it".
She said at this stage, we are over-reliant on
it to house low-income households and it
simply does not have the capacity.
Dr Norris said the Housing Finance Agency
borrows money on international markets and
from institutions such as the EIB and lends its
onto local authorities and non-profit sector
housing associations to provide social
housing and to house low income
households.
Call for emergency legislation in rental sector
In the Dil, Fine Gael TD Fergus

O'Dowd called for emergency legislation to
stop people being put out of their homes by
landlords selling their properties.
Speaking at the Oireachtas Housing and
Homeless Committee, Mr O'Dowd said it was
an absolute scandal that families were using
blow up beds in hostels.
He said: "We cannot accept a situation where
callous landlords were abusing a situation
when the law allows them to put tenants out
when they are selling."
The committee is currently hearing from the
housing charity Threshold, which last year
dealt with 32,000 housing queries.
Threshold CEO Bob Jordan said tenants

needed rent certainty and security of tenure.
"Four-year security of tenure doesn't cut it
when you have children in school for ten
years".
Mr Jordan said rent certainty was good for
landlords as well as tenants.
Among the measures the charity is calling for
is an increase to rent supplement to reflect
market limits; an extension to the Tenancy
Protection Service; and a review of the tax
code to encourage landlords to accept and
retain tenants on state payments.
To prevent evictions, the charity is calling for
legal safeguards to allow tenants to remain
during and after the sale of a property. They
also say the legal definition of landlord
should be amended to include receivers and
lenders in possession.
Threshold is also calling for a second
Commission on the Private Rental Residential
Sector. The first Commission reported in
2000.
Mr Jordan warned that while there was a
huge focus on those in emergency
accommodation at the moment, the focus
should be on preventing homelessness.
He suggested a localised increase in rent
supplement where Community Welfare
Officers would have a band for certain areas.
But he warned the limits should not be visible
to landlords: "It doesn't make much sense to
have it up on a notice board", he said.
He also said students should be

accommodated in affordable on-campus
accommodation. He said the Section 50
scheme was an example of a successful tax
break but he said what happened was that
on-campus accommodation had become as
expensive as the private rented sector.
Mr Jordan also warned against any row back
on the bedsit regulations, saying they had
increased supply because they made older
properties more likely to be occupied.
He added that Dublin City Council had
discovered that around 50% did not comply
with fire safety.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/0524/790533housing/
LeinsterHouse Restoration - Memorandum of
Understanding agreed by the Houses of the Oireachtas
Service and National Museum of Ireland bit.ly/MOUOirNMus
Glen Hansard, Damien Dempsey, Kodaline, Jim Sheridan and more

have joined Home Sweet Home Eire to battle the homeless crisis
this Christmas.
The group occupied the NAMA-controlled Apollo House on Tara
Street, which was formerly used by the Department of Social
Protection, but has been empty for a year.
Everyone deserves a safe place to sleep this Christmas
IRELAND WRONGED, PURE AND SIMPLE
State to sell 500m worth of

12-month short-term debt
NTMA to auction treasury bills as surging oil prices lead to
speculation about inflation rise
Mon, Dec 12, 2016, 10:22
Joe Brennan
The National Treasury Management Agency said the bills were due to be
repaid in 12 months. Photograph: Eric Luke
The States debt agency plans to sell 500 million of shortterm debt, known as treasury bills, this week in what is
expected to be its last engagement this year with the
capital markets.
THREE SIMPLE STEPS TO DESTRUCTION
The ongoing cancellation of the IBRC Promissory Note
bonds and subsequent destruction of the money raised is
a three-part process:
The National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) issues
sovereign bonds from which it raises billions of euro this
becomes part of the national debt, interest paid on the
bonds from the date of sale, the principal to be repaid
when those bonds mature;
In increments (so far) of 500m, the NTMA uses some of
those billions to buy the IBRC Promissory Note bonds held
by the Central Bank of Ireland;

The Central Bank of Ireland destroys the hundreds of
millions received from the NTMA and that portion of the
31bn Promissory Note debt is declared cancelled, thus
satisfying the ECB. This is the most critical of the three
elements, in fact the raison d'tre for the entire exercise
Quantitative Squeezing is what MEP Luke Ming Flanagan
has titled it, the ECB-ordained destruction of the entire
31bn used to bail out the failed creditors of two failed
Irish banks, Anglo Irish and INBS.
This week, March 2016, the Central Bank of Ireland
destroyed 500,000,000, half a billion euro, a sum it
received from our National Treasury Management Agency
(NTMA) that had been borrowed on the financial markets;
last year, 2015, in four similar tranches of 500m, our
Central Bank similarly destroyed a total of 2bn; in 2014,
it was 1bn - all of those billions given to them by our
NTMA from funds it had raised from sovereign bond sales.
NONE of our national media reported the above; those
that did, reported only that an IBRC bond had been
'cancelled', while some even suggested it was a 'good
news' story, that we had gained on the whole deal! 'A
profit of 180m handed over to the Exchequer!' it
trumpeted, never bothering to question whence this
'profit' originated - it came from our NTMA, the ones from
whom the Central Bank was getting all those hundreds of
millions, all of which is borrowed.
THE PROMISSORY NOTES - PROMISE OF HELL TO PAY
The actual Promissory Note bonds are easily explained and
understood:
What happens to a house built on dodgy foundations, a
house missing many critical support pillars and beams? It
collapses. So it was with the euro and so it is that now, 17
years after the currency was launched in 1999 and several
years after that collapse, the EU is trying to salvage what's
left, trying to install those structural pillars and beams
(Single Supervisory Mechanism, Single Resolution
Mechanism etc. etc.) in a building that is still tottering on
the brink.
When the banking crisis hit Ireland there were still no such
structures in place to deal with troubled banks and as a
direct result of that negligence, Ireland suffered a major
hit.
The EU, however, the ECB in particular, DID have a policy
no bank would be allowed fail. So in 2009/10 when Anglo
and INBS were already (to anyone with even half a brain)
obviously insolvent, a fudge was concocted between the
Central Bank of Ireland, the Irish government and the ECB
to save those banks. This involved the issuance of
Promissory Notes by the Irish government, accepted as
collateral by the Central Bank of Ireland/ECB, and funding
eventually amounting to 31bn was issued to the two
insolvent banks from the Emergency Liquidity Assistance
(ELA) fund.
Despite the fact that this was done principally to save
bigger banks across the eurozone, in Germany and France
particularly (Anglo and INBS were non-systemic to the Irish
banking system); despite the fact the ECB colluded in the
circumventing of its own rules on use of the ELA; despite
the fact all involved knew that Anglo/INBS (later combined
to become IBRC) would never be able to repay those
billions, the same ECB now insists that Ireland must take
that entire 31bn back out of circulation.
We dont have it (were broke, up to our necks in debt) so
we borrow it, and tranche by 500m tranche our Central
Bank destroys it the three-part system described above.
Is all this too complex to understand? Why are not being
told whats happening? We in the Ballyhea Says No
understand, we know whats happening, down to the last
sordid detail.
We are determined that all in Ireland should also know,
that all our friends in Europe (and we have many) should
know.
And we are determined that however long it takes, this

wrong will be righted. Water under the bridge? The Central
Bank of Ireland still holds 25bn in Promissory Note bonds,
awaiting sale, that money then destroyed. Thats a lot of
water yet to flow
How the Irish Times sees the destruction of 500m
AND NOW THE GOOD NEWS IRELAND JUST DESTROYED

ANOTHER 500M
On December 21st, for the fourth time this year, the
National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) announced
the cancellation of a 500m bond which had been issued
in connection with the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation
(IRBC) Act 2013.
As with three previous such 500m bond sales earlier this
year, as with two other such last year, the Irish Times
carried a report of the cancellation and it sang with
positivity, nothing but good news for Ireland. Why, we
even gained from the transaction It is known, sang the
Times, That the Central Bank realised a 180.3 million
gain on the sale of 500 million of 2038 notes this day last
year.
Think about that for a moment realised a 180.3m gain
on a 500m transaction. How? Well you see that's a
secret, the Irish Times doesn't elaborate.
Incredible? Yes, but for those of us who closely track these
events, even that isnt the major howler.
Bear in mind that the Irish Times claims to be The Paper
of Record. Now, know this.
The most important element in all these NTMA IBRC bond
cancellations, in fact the whole raison d'tre for those
bonds in the first place, is what happens to the money the
NTMA gives to the Central Bank of Ireland to buy out those
bonds.
That money is destroyed.
Thats right, my friends destroyed.
FOLLOW THE MONEY

In a nutshell:
NTMA borrows billions on the finance markets through the
issuance of sovereign bonds; in tranches of 500m the
NTMA then uses that borrowed money to buy the IBRC
bonds from the Central Bank of Ireland and thus cancels
those bonds that much IS reported by the Irish Times;
whats NOT reported, the Central Bank of Ireland then
destroys those borrowed billions. Every cent.
Even as we headed into a festive season that sees record
numbers of people evicted, on the streets, below the
poverty line, record numbers fed by charity organisations,
record numbers on waiting lists in a health service that
has all but fallen apart, this broke and heavily indebted
money is destroying borrowed money by the hundreds of
millions.
And even in its own reports of those incidents, the Irish
Times omits to mention this, the most critical element of
all.
Last year, the NTMA gave the Central Bank of Ireland
1,000m of borrowed money, 1,000m on which we are
now paying interest, 1,000m which will have to repaid by
a future generation of Irish people when those bonds
mature; this year, 2015, the NTMA gave the Central Bank
of Ireland 2,000m of borrowed money, 2,000m on which
we are now paying interest, 2,000m which will have to
repaid by a future generation of Irish people when those
bonds mature.
And the Central Bank of Ireland immediately destroyed
those hundreds of millions of euro, all three billion.
Those three billion are just the start the Central Bank of
Ireland still holds 25bn of IBRC bonds for sale, that 25bn
then also to be destroyed.
A NOD AND A WINK, A 31bn DEBT
The reason for all this destruction of money? In 2009/10,
to prevent the collapse of two insolvent banks (Anglo Irish
and INBS), the Central Bank of Ireland, the Irish
Government and the ECB colluded to bypass the ECBs
own regulations and allowed the creation of 31bn to bail
out the creditors of the two banks; a couple of years ago
those banks were finally wound up and as was known
even at the time, didnt have the wherewithal to cover
that 31bn; the ECB now insists that our Central Bank has
to take that entire 31bn back out of circulation. We dont
have it of course, so we borrow it and, tranche by 500m
tranche, destroy it.
The irony, as we head into 2016 if this were to happen
now, under the new ECB banking Single Resolution
Mechanism, those two banks would be bailed out using
funds raised from the banks themselves. All too late for
Ireland of course; those structures SHOULD have been in
place from the launch of the euro, but werent.
That the government would much prefer you didnt know
any of this is understandable, for obvious reasons; that the
Irish Times, that ALL our major national media, would so
misrepresent it, is an utter disgrace.
They would also have you all believe that the bank-debt
ship has sailed, all water under the bridge.
BALLYHEA SAYS KNOW

In the Ballyhea Says No campaign, we know otherwise. For
252 weeks, every week since March 6th 2011, weve been
trying to get our message across, the real story as
outlined above. We dont have the audience of The Irish
Times; you can help us. Copy this, share it, tweet it; let
people know.
TheIris Times and all other media sources are colluding with the
Government to lie to the people. Omitting the truth or the facts when
reporting a story is a lie by omission. And they are not afraid of being
called to be punished for this grievious lie because the Government is
their partner in this lie. This leaves the people with no recourse to
justice, The people don't have even a voice. Ballyhea Says No has
been that lonely voice now for these past years, they have spread the
facts as far as it is possible to do so in this corrupt system. Now they
are aiming to have a voice in the Dail by NOMINATING DIARMUID
O'FLYNN AS THEIR INDEPENDANT CANDIDATE FOR NW CORK. HE
NEEDS ALL YOUR SUPPORT. PLEASE GO TO HIS WEBSITE, ANY
HELP YE CAN GIVE IN CANVASSING , FUNDONG, ETC ETC WILL
BE IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE COUNTRY AND THE PEOPLE.
JUST SPREADING THE WORD AMONG YOUR FRIENDS WILL BE
MOST HELPFUL. THE AGENDA HE REPRESENTS IS VITAL TO THE
PRESENT AND THE FUTURE OF THE PEOPLE OF IRELAND .; THE
EXPOSURE OF THE TRUTH OF THE DEBT AND A VOICE IN THE
DAIL
IRELANDs long-term government debt

increased to 115.6bn in June up 39pc on
the same month last year.
The hike reflects the liquidation of the former Anglo Irish
Bank earlier in the year, as the controversial promissory
note was scrapped and replaced by a series of longer-term
government bonds.
A by-product of the deal also meant that Irish resident
investors increased their share of long term debt.
At the end of June, Irish resident investors held 45pc of
long term Irish government bonds compared with 27pc in
June last year, according to data from the Central Bank.
The states debt management body, the National Treasury
Management Agency, also raised 500m in June through
an auction of short-term government debt known as
Treasury Bills.
About 21.4bn of euro-denominated long term debt falls

due for repayment over the next three years - 13.2bn of
which will be paid out to non-resident investors.
The Dail passed legislation to liquidate the Irish Bank
Resolution Corporation (IBRC) during a hasty late-night
session in early February under a plan to deal with the
massive annual repayments due under the controversial
promissory-note deal.
With IBRC in liquidation, the Central Bank became the
economic owner of the promissory notes.
They were replaced by the Government with a series of
longer-term, floating-rate bonds to the value of 25bn and
with maturities of up to 40 years.
At the end of June, the outstanding amount of debt issued
by Irish financial and non-financial firms and by
Government was 905.7bn, a drop of almost 3pc since
June of last year.
Irelands Return to the Bond Markets
The state officially re-entered the sovereign bond markets
last Thursday, July 26th for the first time since requesting
an international bailout at the end of 2010. In all, 5.2
billion was raised by the National Treasury Management
Agency (NTMA), 4.2 billion of which was new money. The
other 1 billion was a debt swap whereby holders of debt
due in the next two years were offered an exchanged for
longer-dated bonds. 3.9 billion was invested in a 5 year
bond, maturing in 2017 with an interest rate of 5.9%, and
a further 1.3 billion in an 8 year bond to be held until
2020 with an interest rate of 6.1%. The auction of long
term debt follows the sale of 500 million in short term
debt earlier in the month and a 3.5 billion bond swap at
the beginning of the year.
Interest Rates in Perspective
What do these interest rates mean? Well, before the global
financial crisis, 5 year debt trading on the secondary
market would yield in the region of 3.5-4.5%, while 8 year
debt would yield around 4-5%. These rates are much lower
than what was achieved at the July 26th auction. In fact,
the interest rate on the new debt is higher than the yield
on government bonds that forced Ireland to seek official

funding from the troika.
It is unsurprising that investors demand a greater return
now as the Eurozone is in an even more fragile condition
than it was in 2010. However, comparing the interest rate
on the new debt to the yields prevailing in the secondary
market on the day before the auction also paints an
unflattering picture. According to the data available on the
Bloomberg website, the 8 year Irish government debt yield
was 6.3% the day before the auction. This means that the
NTMA managed to sell the 8 year debt at a lower rate of
interest than what was prevailing on the secondary
markets. However, for the 5 year debt, the yield was only
5.4% on the secondary market, lower than the interest
rate achieved at the auction.
Given the skittishness of the market at present, it may be
illuminating to see how Ireland compares with other
Eurozone countries. The table below sets out the yields on
5 year and 8 year government bonds for a selection of
Eurozone countries. The divergence between core and
peripheral countries is stark, but so too is the performance
of the programme countries, Greece, Ireland and Portugal.
While Greek yields are currently in the stratosphere,
Portuguese rates are also too high to be in any way
sustainable. Ireland has managed to avoid this fate, and is
instead grouped with Spain and Italy on the fringe of fiscal
solvency.
Yields on Selected Eurozone Government Bonds as of July
25th 2012 (%)
5 year yields Spain 6.6 Greece 61.2 France 1.1 Finland*
0.7 Belgium 1.6
8 year yields
6.7 45.4 1.8 1.5 2.4
Ireland
5.9
6.1
Italy
5.5
5.8
Portugal*
11.1
11.3
Germany
0.4
1.7
1
Austria
0.8
Netherlands
0.8
1.4
Source: Bloomberg, NTMA. *10 year yield used due to
lack of information on 8 year yields
Funding Practicalities
While the high interest rate on the new debt takes some of
the shine off Irelands return to the markets, the second
bond swap of the year has helped remove the significant
challenge of a funding cliff. At the beginning of this year,
Ireland was faced with a particularly unfriendly profile of
debt maturity: around 12 billion was due to be repaid in
January 2014, followed by a period of much smaller bond
repayments. The logistics of finding a buyer for 12 billion
worth of Irish debt so soon after the planned exit from the
troika assistance programme presented a daunting task.
However, thanks to the two successful bond swaps, this
funding requirement has been reduced to 7.8 billion and
the funding profile has become more balanced and
manageable.
Restoring Confidence
Confidence that Ireland can manage its debt in a normal
fashion is a precursor for Ireland to exit the troika bailout
programme, and this successful auction of long term
bonds is a part of building that confidence. The fact that
yields fell in the aftermath of the bond auction indicates
that the market attaches some value to the NTMAs
actions. There is also a possible link between a return to
conventional sources of government funding and higher
levels of investment and consumption in the domestic
economy, although such benefits would be hard to
quantify. The costs of returning to the market are easier to
identify: funding from official lenders carries an interest
rate of around 3.6%, far lower than rates currently

available to any peripheral Eurozone country.
While National Treasury Management Agency chief John
Corrigan hails the news that his organisation has raised
5bn of 10-year money, the austerity programme is
strangling life for many Irish citizens, says Kyran
Fitzgerald
IT was another upbeat week for Ireland Inc and one

more pretty lousy one as far as many of its citizens were
concerned.
The National Treasury Management Agency flushed with
pleasure like a pretty debutante on her first day at court,
faced with an array of suitors.
Eyelids fluttering, NTMA boss John Corrigan was gasping
with joy at the news that his organisation had raised 5bn
of 10-year money twice as much as expected at an
interest rate of 4.15%.
The NTMA was keen to add that it had offers for as much
as 12bn, though whether all these disappointed suitors
were prepared to settle for a yield of just over 4% is
debatable.
Yields on Irish Government paper have been falling
steadily since summer 2011, when Italy found itself being
sucked into the eurozone crisis.
For quite some time, Finance Minister Michael Noonan has

been signalling that the country is on course to exit the
EU/IMF bailout by the year end. This weeks sale
represents a larger than expected step in this direction.
The country has now raised three quarters of the funds
required to keep the State going through 2014.
There has even been talk that Ireland might not use up all
of its bailout money, though given that it is on offer at
between 3% and 3.5%, this seems unlikely.
The ability of the country to borrow and to do so at
relatively low interest rates is clearly important.
Irish utilities are much better placed to refinance at lower
rates on the back of a recovering sovereign. This increases
their ability to fund projects and rein in the bills which they
send out to customers. The ability of Irish banks to stand
on their own two feet is also boosted.
What we are beginning to see is a sequence of events
feeding positively off each other.
Bank of Ireland moved in the slipstream of the 10 -year
bond issue with the launch of a five-year bond aimed at
raising 550m.
The semi-states have also returned to the bond markets,
with over 1bn worth of issuance by the ESB and 500m
by Bord Gis ireann. Its sale prospects, in turn, will have
been boosted.
Overseas interest in investing in the country, whether in
public-private partnerships, share-holdings or greenfield
projects, will have been boosted. Companies are
depositing more funds in Irish banks and the reliance of
domestic Irish institutions on the European Central Bank
for support has fallen back to levels last seen in 2008.
For all of this, the Government must take a bow, but it is
precisely the austerity programme dictated both by the

EU/ IMF/troika and by harsh economic reality which is
strangling life on Main St, where the vast majority of the
population lives.
On Thursday evening, it emerged that the countrys
largest trade union, SIPTU, would be reluctantly
recommending acceptance of a deal paving the way for a
1bn programme of cutbacks in the pay and pensions bill
300m this year.
While the deal is by no means home and hosed, the union
establishment and, one suspects, a significant chunk of
the membership, is adopting a pragmatic attitude to what
is a cleverly crafted take-it-or-leave-it deal.
Cuts to the pay of hundreds of thousands of workers will
do little to promote growth at a time when property tax
demands are about to plop through letter boxes and when
banner headlines warn of a surge in repossessions.
In the unemotional world of the financial markets, the job
of John Corrigan and his team is to sell the Irish story at
road-shows in Europe, the US and Asia. It will be
interesting to see if one effect of this weeks issue will be a
widening in the bondholder investment support base.
Much has been made of the fact that one fund, Franklin
Templeton, holds around one 10th of the paper in issue.
Questions have been raised as to what might happen if its
director, Michael Hasenstab, decided to take some or all of
the large profits he has made on Irish paper since 2011.
What is clear is that it is overseas investors and not
domestic banks, who are scooping almost 90% of the
paper, with European and American institutions to the fore
and Asian investors lagging well behind.
The Asian concern centres on the eurozone and its
prospects and this also helps to explain the continuing
reluctance of Moodys to abandon the junk bond rating it
attaches to Ireland, despite its acceptance that the

country is on the road to recovery.
It is more than a little ironic that the countrys recovery is
being stalled, courtesy of a deepening recession in the
eurozone.
Indeed, coverage of the Irish bond issue, a good news
story, was overshadowed by a much more sluggish Italian
bond issue held on the same day. The Italians are having
to pay more to raise money, punished by the markets for
the temerity of their voters in consigning pro-economic
reform politicians to the political wilderness.
The continuing crisis means the Irish export motor of
recovery is grinding along more slowly than expected.
John Corrigan and his colleagues have reason to be upbeat
about some skilfully executed entry to the bond market,
but if the euro crisis were to re- ignite and/or the current
global bond bubble were to pop, they could at least rest
easy in the knowledge that another 5bn is in the bag.
Ireland has had a pretty good run. Yields on benchmark
10-year money have fallen steadily from a peak of 14% in
mid-2011 to just over 4% but apple-carts can overturn,
investor mood can change. Better, sometimes, to bank
your winnings.
The larger than expected issue can be viewed as a gesture
of caution. With 30 years investment experience under
his belt, and with memories of 2007 and 2008 no doubt
still fresh, Mr Corrigan knows the benefits of caution.
All going well, the NTMA will now make regular dips into
the market to raise short-term money, while keeping up its
contacts with fund managers. Corrigan has indicated that
another 2.5bn in longer term money will be raised by the
year end, at a time of the agencys choosing.
Corrigan as NTMA head has a number of other important
irons in the fire, not least the relationship with Nama,
which has just seen the size of its empire boosted by the
inclusion of property previously on the books of the now
liquidated IBRC.
The NTMA will be spearheading the sale of Bord Gis on
behalf of the state holding company New Era, while
continuing in charge of a shrunken National Pensions
Reserve Fund which has just committed 500m towards
Irish SMEs.
The resum
- Born: 1951.
- Education: University College Dublin.
- Career: 1980s, chief investment officer, AIB Investment
Managers. - 1991: Joined NTMA shortly after its launch by
the Haughey government.
- Initial position: Director, domestic funding-debt
management.
- 2001-2009: Investment director, National Pensions
Reserve Fund.
- 2009 to date: Chief executive.
- In the news: Oversaw this weeks 5bn issue of 10-year
bonds, the largest such Irish state issue since the
beginning of the financial crisis.
Homelessness Implementation Plan

21st May, 2014
The Implementation Plan on the States Response to Homelessness
which was announced yesterday (Tuesday) is a practical plan containing
direct and immediate actions to deliver a ring-fenced supply of
accommodation for homeless households.
The plan has the aim of achieving the Governments objective of ending
long-term homelessness (more than six months in emergency
accommodation) by 2016. The plan estimates that 2,700 units over the
next three years (900 per annum) are required to meet this target.
It will do this by:
Ensuring that empty and boarded-up units are brought into use as quickly as possible
Ensuring that vulnerable groups including homeless households are prioritised in the
allocation of housing.
Ensuring that other suitable vacant residential properties are brought into use as
quickly as possible.
Using NAMA units, and ensuring priority for homeless households.
Ensuring that state leasing arrangements facilitate the use and accessibility of these
properties by homeless households.
Establishing a social housing renting service where properties for homeless
households are sourced for use by local authorities and voluntary housing associations.
Key measures/funding
In 2014, over 5,000 social housing units will be added by means of direct construction,
returning vacant properties to beneficial use, and leasing of units from the NAMA and
the private sector.
Funding for housing this year at over 587 million, is effectively maintained at 2013
levels.
In March 2014, some 56 social housing construction projects with an overall value of
some 68 million were announced.
This new construction programme will deliver 449 new units of accommodation for
people on the housing waiting list.
Last month details were announced of a new measure with funding of 15 million
which will be invested in bringing some 950 vacant and boarded-up local authority
houses back into productive use.
Last week the Government also pledged a further 50 million for further construction
projects, the reinstatement of vacant dwellings, and for homeless-specific projects.
Minister OSullivan will announce details in the coming days of further projects under
the Capital Assistance Scheme, including a 25m provision for homelessness.
http://patdeering.ie/2014/05/21/homelessnessimplementation-plan/
Homeless occupiers
are trespassing in
city centre building,
says receiver

volunteers at Apollo House (Pic: Home Sweet Home)

rough.
Tara Street.


last night.
immediate effect.
action."

demolition

and safety issues.
streets.

the park".
the night".
being taken over.
Christmas.
in".
http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/1216/839385-homeless-protestdublin-apollo-house/

Apollo House
Hat tip to you Dean Scurry!

Great work by all involved x
Glen Hansard says the taking over of Apollo House is an 'act of
civil disobedience'
https://www.scribd.com/document/334420486/Glen-Hansardsays-the-taking-over-of-Apollo-House-is-an-act-of-civildisobedience
https://www.scribd.com/document/334420751/Collins-LosesAppeal-in-Promissory-Note-Challenge
Judgment, Six Supreme Court Judges Dismissed Her Appeal.
https://www.scribd.com/document/334420826/Joan-collins-Vminister-For-finance-She-Appealed-the-High-Court-s-Rejectionof-Her-Challenge-but-in-a-Unanimous-Judgment-Six-SupremeCourt-Judges-Di

homeless.
We are involved in an act of civil disobedience, Glen Hansard tells

The #LateLate Show as he talks about #HomeSweetHome and
#OccupyNama
Most beautiful song ever I love his voice and his absolute passion for
doing the right thing. You're so right Glen this is an emergency we
forget that. We've become desensitised to the horrors of what
people have to exist in. Simon Coveney said in the Dail that issues
surrounding homelessness are too complex to just allow people to
'stay' in a NAMA building well then Simon u took the job on fix it,
dear Simon FIX IT and stop talking about it.
They should set up a text a donation site ! I'm sure everyone would
donate !!! great guy
Well done to you all me an my great colleagues are outside the Gpo
every Tuesday night from 8/10 if we have any left over food An
clothes would your group accept them be more than welcome to
them an also wiling to help out
Glen well done tonight and continued strength. Don't give up. True
Irish people will get behind you all. You are not breaking any laws
use your words right. It's not what you say but how you say it. Listen
to anyone in Dail Eireann, how they are coaxed into using their
words very carefully. That building belongs to the Irish People.
https://www.facebook.com/RTEOne/videos/1332462826827554/
?hc_ref=NEWSFEED

'Operation Nama'.
illegally.
Follow
The Late Late Show

Show
10:15 PM - 16 Dec 2016

homeless.
Asked what the response would be if the group are
told by the authorities to vacate the building, Hansard
said: You appeal to the better nature of the
Government and Nama.
This is a NAMA-owned building. If everybody pays tax
in this audience, if anyone knows their stuff they know
that that is essentially our building. We are just going
to take it for a few months.
different artists, singers and friends over the year, he
told Tubridy.



audience.
started, he said.
Should vacant Nama buildings be available to homeless

services at Christmas?
Poll: Should vacant Nama
buildings be available to
homeless services at
Christmas?
A derelict building in Dublin has been occupied by homeless activists
with a view to converting it into housing for the homeless.
December 16, 16
LAST NIGHT, A group of 100 people occupied a derelict

Nama-controlled building in Dublin with the intention of
converting it into housing for the homeless.
The group, operating under the banner of housing group
Home Sweet Home, say the building has been occupied as
a last resort to save lives.
That building is currently listed for demolition.
But should all vacant Nama buildings be available to
Nama services to help ease Irelands homeless crisis?
Were asking: Should vacant Nama buildings be
available to homeless services at Christmas?
Poll Results:
http://www.thejournal.ie/housing-crisis-nama-poll3143393-Dec2016/
"sinister fringe" report.
7554/?hc_ref=PAGES_TIMELINE
Well done to hansard who said 'Its a nama building which

means it belongs to the irish people. We're just taking it
for a few months'. He intends to appeal to the better
nature of the government which is damned optimistic.
If everybody pays tax in this audience, if anyone knows
their stuff they know that that is essentially our building.
- Glen Hansard talks about his "act of civil disobedience"
with the Home Sweet Home Eire group tonight.

his job, a real gent
The Late Late Show 2h

2 hours ago
We are involved in an act of

civil disobedience tells The
Show
RTE One
The Late Late Toy Show
The Late Late Show, Fridays at 9.35pm on RT One
Garda have released a statement saying they were called to

an incident at Tara Street at approximately 12.30am this
morning.
They said a number of people had moved into a property,
reportedly Apollo House, and they said the incident was
'peaceful'.
Garda are no longer at the scene, but are liasing closely with
the parties involved.
Apollo House was formerly used by the Department of Social

Protection, but was vacated last year.
The Irish Housing Network says it led the action at the NAMA
owned building to provide accommodation for the city's
homeless.
http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/nama-buildingbelongs-to-the-people-of-ireland-were-taking-it-for-a-fewmonths-says-glen-hansard-768954.html

Dec 15, 2016

Dec 15, 2016

than those in UK
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.
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
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.
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.
Committee on the Rights of the Child earlier this year,
to provide housing for homeless children, adequate to
their health and well-being."
Dublin region.
Scotland.
Free childcare offered for homeless

children
15/12/2016
Children up to the age of five, whose parents are homeless,

are to be offered free childcare for 25-hours a week under a
new scheme.
The Children's Minister Katherine Zappone says families
registered as homeless in the Dublin region will benefit from
next month as part of 8.25 million euro in funding.
The Minister says school children can avail of the free
childcare outside of term time and it will be available for 50
weeks of the year.
The Department says other areas are also expected to follow.
WATCH: Glen Hansard on Apollo House: We are

involved in an act of civil disobedience it is an
illegal act | JOE.ie
Glen Hansard on Apollo House:

disobedience it is an illegal act
BY CONOR HENEGHAN
The singer was speaking to Ryan Tubridy

about homelessness on the Late Late Show.
Singer Glen Hansard confirmed that the Home Sweet

Home group that has taken over the NAMA-owned Apollo
House in Dublin are occupying the building illegally.
Home, a group that have taken over Apollo House, a
vacant building on Tara Street in Dublin city centre, for use
as a homeless shelter.
Speaking about the actions taken by Home Sweet Home
to Ryan Tubridy after performing a song with the RT
Concert Orchestra, Hansard said: We are involved in an
act of civil disobedience. I call upon the very spirit of the
Irish people to look at this, it is an illegal act.
people of Ireland and that has been lying empty, Hansard
added.
Follow
The Late Late Show

Show
10:15 PM - 16 Dec 2016
#
#
Retweets245 245 likes The Government will shelter 200

people this Christmas and theres 260 people between the
Royal Canal and the Grand Canal in Dublin. Now this is
not only a Dublin issue but between the Royal Canal and
the Grand Canal there are 260 people tonight homeless.
What we would like to do is bridge the gap well be
appeal to the better nature of the Government and NAMA.

for a few months.
Home Sweet Home
Hansard, whose comments were greeted with loud cheers
by the audience, added: What we are trying to do is get a
national conversation started. This should be a national
emergency... the homelessness is at a level now, not since
the Famine have families been homeless like they are right
now. It is really, really difficult.
https://www.joe.ie/news/glen-hansard-weare-involved-in-an-act-of-civil-disobedienceit-is-an-illegal-act/571015?
utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=onsite
_share
The question that has now arisen is: Was RTE, Late Late Show
Management and Ryan Tubridy aware that Glen Hansard was going
to say what he did. If none of them were pre warned, then Home
From Home have scored a massive coup on behalf of the homeless
in Ireland. However, if Glen Hansard's announcement was previously
cleared by RTE, then more very serious questions arise. Because
RTE, THE LATE LATE SHOW, RYAN TUBRIDY AND HIS BRAINWASHED
AUDIENCE OF SHEEP, DO NOT GIVE A FUCK ABOUT THE HOMELESS
IN IRELAND.
Civil disobedience! Another direct action that will hopefully lead to
change
Good on glen and every body that's involved fear play
Legend. Rattlin' the bars in the Dil, I'd say.
/react-text Why oh why did the late late decide to give away a
sponsored hamper to everyone in the audience just after Glen
Hansard was on? Surely said sponsor could have given it one of the
charities just spoke about instead of the audience
Absolutely right the people should take the power back
Well if they can take a building that rightfully belongs to us what's
stopping us taking back OUR country and get them gobshytes out of
the government
Its About someone took a stand! What should be illegal is the fact
nama leave these buildings unused, builders are buying back
properties at rock bottom prices on allsop while families lose homes.

That's criminal in my eyes.
Not a Dickey bird outta Fianna fail na geal..Mafia parties of

corruption!
New politics ha ha ha ...

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.
homeless.
eight properties.

eight properties.
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.
increase from a year earlier when the company charged
1,250 per month.
, he said.
built.
and Nama.
Limerick.
Clara, Co Offaly.
Macroom, Co Cork.
Citywest in Dublin.
12: Chief whip Regina Doherty: 2 properties: One in
Ashbourne Business Park and City Campus in Limerick.

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.
Road, Dublin 4.
Dublin.
21: Robert Troy: 2 properties: 1 in Mullingar and 1 inDublin.
out in Wicklow.

Minister
IRELANDTODAYNEWS.COM
heas people are the Mafia of Ireland when are ye going to realise
Greedy greedy bastards not happy with a big wage they have to pry
on the poor May they all rot in hell I'm sure there is a place for them
there

Landlord
Regina Doherty, Stephen Donnelly, Haely Brothers,
Flanagan
https://www.scribd.com/document/334283250/HousingMinister-Simon-Coveney-is-a-Greedy-Corrupt-Landlordand-a-Traitor-To-Irish-Citizens-of-Ireland
CALL FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO RESIGN IMMEDIATELY.
THE GOVERNMENT BACK BENCHERS ARE CALLING FOR A
REFERENDUM ON THE PRIVATIZATION OF WATER BUT THAT
IS NOT WHAT THESE PROTESTS ARE ABOUT NOW, THESE
PROTESTS ARE ABOUT POLITICAL CRIMINALITY, POLITICAL
CORRUPTION, FAILURES UPHOLD THEIR POLITICAL OATH
OF OFFICE, FAILURES TO UPHOLD THE CONSTITUTION,
FAILURE TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE THEY WERE SWORN TO

PROTECT, BREACH OF DUTY, ENACTING LEGISLATION THAT
WAS NOT IN THE GREATER GOOD OF THE PEOPLE OF
IRELAND IN FLAGRANT BREACH OF THE CONSTITUTION.
IF THERE ARE ANY DECENT FG OR LABOUR DEPUTIES THAT
ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE OF IRELAND, THEN
THIS IS YOUR DEFINING MOMENT, PUT YOUR COUNTRY
FIRST AND CALL FOR A VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE IN ENDA
KENNY AND DISSOLVE THE DAIL AND STAND WITH THE
PEOPLE OF IRELAND, YOU CAN DO THIS NOW OR WAIT 18
MONTHS FOR THE NEXT ELECTION AND WE WILL
PERMANENTLY REMOVE YOU FROM OFFICE.
WE MUST RESTORE ARTICLES 47, 48 AND 50 BACK INTO
OUR CONSTITUTION, THESE ARTICLES COVERED DIRECT
DEMOCRACY WHEN THE PEOPLE HAD THE RIGHT TO CALL
A REFERENDUM, RECALL POLITICIANS AND APPROVE OR
REJECT BAD LEGISLATION.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE NATIONAL CITIZENS
MOVEMENT TO RESTORE DIRECT DEMOCRACY
Matt Ellison - The word "economic terrorism" is thrown about to
define the actions of the EU's oligarchy and the legacy of European
rule in Ireland; THIS (threatening anti-water campaigners with
higher taxes), by a literal definition, is actual economic terrorism. In
response, protests should change their message to one of anti-Irish
Water to directly calling for the dissolution of government and fresh
elections to be held immediately. If the people of Ireland settle for
ANYTHING less, the actions of this government will simply be
repeated by the next - if you don't believe me, ask anyone who
voted for Fine Gael to replace Fianna Fil in the last election.
References
^ Fianna F il (www.irishtimes.com)
^ Fine Gael (www.irishtimes.com)
^ Oireachtas (www.irishtimes.com)
^ Public Service Pay Commission (www.irishtimes.com)
^ Workplace Relations Commission (www.irishtimes.com)
^ Labour Court (www.irishtimes.com)
^ National Treatment Purchase Fund (www.irishtimes.com)
^ Policing Authority (www.irishtimes.com)
^ Ireland (www.irishtimes.com)
^ Judicial Appointments Commission (www.irishtimes.com)
RTE NEWS SPINNING HARD TODAY

MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT IRELAND IS BEING
DELIBERATELY GUIDED TOWARDS BAILOUT 2
Todays headlined stories are working very hard to
convince you that things are getting better while other
stories prove otherwise but not getting as much attention:
1. The Fiscal Advisory Council says significant
improvement on budget deficit situation in the years
ahead.
2. Ireland could be given an additional seven years to
repay bailout. By extending the repayment schedule,

payments would be spread over a longer time, which
would give the markets the confidence to lend to Ireland
at lower rates.
The Fiscal Advisory Council are clearly not working for the
people when they wanted austerity to be even more
severe. Deferring bailout payments does nothing to solve
the economic dilemma. The markets don't want to lend to
Ireland because they know the domestic economy is in
meltdown due to stupid austerity policies by the Fine Gael
Labour Party Government. While no money flows into the
economy, matters will only worsen.
The Irish economy will always be in pain while people have
to pay enormous mortgage repayments based on prices
from a property market that was completely manipulated
by bankers and the previous Fianna Fil Government. Plus
NAMA is doing its best to protect and return crazy property
prices to benefit vested interests.
The reality is Ireland is an island nation of 4 million people
and its property market was deliberately inflated to trigger
a bailout scenario to allow for a massive transfer of wealth
to vested interests who are represented by the Troika.
Ireland must return to a realistic scale of economy that fits
a nation of its size. A debt cut must happen now for all
family homes which will save the domestic economy,
boost job creation and avoid bailout 2.
While the illegal bailout scam remains attached to
Ireland's sovereign credit card it will always be a lose lose
situation. The fact is the people of Ireland will continue to
suffer and see their wealth flow into the hands of a small
few for decades to come.
Gilmore hits out at relentless
criticism from the

commentariat
In an email to party members this evening the Labour leader insists that
his party has helped bring Ireland from a state of economic chaos to
stability.
Apr 12th 2013,
Image: Niall Carson/PA Wire/Press Association Images
TNAISTE EAMON GILMORE has sought to reassure

members of the Labour Party in an email distributed
earlier this evening.
The email comes after a difficult few weeks for the junior
coalition partner following the result in the Meath East byelection where it secured less than five per cent of the vote.
In the aftermath of that result questions have arisen about
Gilmores leadership but he has defended the partys

performance in government.
In an email bulletin to party members this evening
Gilmore notes: While it often seems that we are subject to
relentless criticism from the commentariat, we also have
some friends.
The email twice links to piece from former Dublin TD
Derek McDowell in the Irish Times earlier this week while
the Tnaiste also says that the current Dil recess has
given us time to take stock of where Labour is as a party of
government.
Gilmore tells members that he has spoken to individual
party members around the country as well as
parliamentary colleagues and found the feedback very
instructive.
Under a section entitled Stabilising the chaos the
Tnaiste says that Labour has been putting the country
first by bringing Ireland from a state of economic chaos to
stability.
He writes: To do this we have had to make tough
decisions, but the stability we have created, has allowed us
to turn our attention to bread and butter issues such as job
creation and personal debt.
Gilmore says he is very optimistic that his trade mission
to Turkey this week will result in jobs in Ireland and also
says he was delighted to hear that the pharmaceutical
company Novartis announced the creation of 100 jobs this
week.
This Party has been putting the country first by getting
our people back to work and dealing with the
unemployment crisis, he says adding that in the last year
private sector employment grew by over 12,000.
PROTEST NOW AND REMOVE THE FG/LAB GOV BEFORE IT
IS TOO LATE!
DISCOVER OR TRAIN NEW POLITICAL REPRESENTATIVES
LOCALLY WHO SPEAK ONLY FOR YOU. IGNORE THE
ESTABLISHED PARTIES AND THEIR FOOLISH MINIONS.
I definitely do not agree with a lot of the fine gael labour party
policies but has everyone forgotten why we're in this situation in the
first place? Fine gael through history have always come back into
power and fixed the greedy idiotic decisions of fine fail and are then
attacked by the people for the decisions they HAVE to make
because of it! I cant believe fine fail popularity has even grown after
what they've done to us and unfortunately people are forgetting
that it was Fine Fail that put us here.
The President of Ireland

All sitting TD's
All Senators
All MEPs
The Examiner
The Irish Times
The Independent
===================================
===
A Member of the COMMENTARIAT replies to Eamon
Gilmore
===================================
===
Gilmore hits out at relentless criticism from the
commentariat |
http://www.thejournal.ie/eamon-gilmore-labour-criticism86/
===================================
===
Gilmore is reduced to sending around a circular which
relies on the utterances of an Ex-Labout TD Derek
McDowell.
Would none of the sitting Labour TD's of even the
Ministers go on the record to support him?
Is he afraid they are all about to leave the Parliamentary
Party la Nessa Childers?
He's right to be afraid!
Why is that I wonder?
Here are a few clues...
Gilmore says he is turning his attention to job creation JOB CREATION! I ask you!
After two terrible years in power where he reneged on his
election promises!
"Frankfurts way or Labour's way!" (see link below)
Who caused our current dire situation, exacerbated it and
is prolonging it - the Banks!

What real regulation has been brought to the Irish Banking
section by this government - None.
Matthew Elderfield has just cut and run after the
disgraceful behaviour of the last regulator over Unicredit.
No action on an investigation into banking following up the
allegations of whistleblower Johnathan Sugarman.
The last regulator shut that down and Labour have just
handed the whip hand in Mortgage negotiations to the
Irish Banks.
http://www.villagemagazine.ie//still-waiting-for-thetrut/
This is how Regulators - both Austria's and Ireland's - have
acted to shut down investigations into bad practices in the
banks.
http://www.golemxiv.co.uk//making-the-truth-illegalrevis/
Far from discharging their duty to act in the public
interest, they act in the interest of banks.
The same banks whose profligate lending and chasing
share price and economic treason has bankrupted this
country!
Its something I would expect from a Party like Fine Gael
after Sir Garrett the Good's handling of the ICC/AIB
Debacle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allied_Irish_Banks
But Labour - Labour is supposed to support the little guy isn't it?
Since when does a Labour Party fail to act?
What has brought about this 180 degree-turn in stated
Labour policy?
How in God's name has a party of Shinners and a rag-tag
group of irascible "Independents" consistently managed to
outperform an historic Party like Labour with pedigree as
long as your arm when addressing issues of historic
corruption in this State?
Perhaps its because the Shinners, uncorrupted by wielding
power as a government (yet) are acting in the Public
Interest.
Perhaps its because Independents like Thomas Pringle and
Stephen Donnelly will not lay supine and let us be
steamrolled by Europe.
http://www.independent.ie//stephen-donnelly-heres-whythe-
Fianna Fil should have been buried for three decades
when Labour took over, their working class power base
destroyed by this present governments completing preexisting investigations into corruption in six local
authorities and launching new investigations into the
banking, insurance and estate agents, legal and financial
sectors.
Fianna Fil fully expected this kind of destruction of their
power base, yet that hasn't happened.
Phil Hogan shut down the planning investigations, an act
of infamy that will haunt him, of that you can be certain.
There has been NOTHING done to properly Tax, Monitor
and Regulate the banks - instead we have seen Noonan's
hand-wringing!
Labour seems to have a far-too-cosy relationship with Fine
Gael and the main Opposition Party Fianna Fil
All three "mainstream" parties are working to try to block
the advance of the Shinners and the Independents.
Now they are facing a new party - Direct Democracy
Ireland - and the cat is well and truly amongst the pigeons.
Some of the effects of this are noted above, but worse was
to follow.
The Fiscal Treaty has bound us to Europe.
Between the government and the courts the electorate
was denied the right to vote on the ESM, an
unconstitutional act in my opinion.
The ESM exposes us to unlimited calls on our exchequer
and should therefore have been put before the people.
These treaties taken together dilute our voting power so
that the next time the transnational banks engineer an
economic crash they will be able to drain unlimited monies
from the coffers of governments in Europe.
Is anyone still in doubt this was engineered by the banks
and their endgame is not yet reached?
All TD's Senators and MEP's urgently need to look at
section 1 of this "Troika" of Videos at 2:11
At that point, a banker states quite baldly: "What we also
did we engineered the World FInancial Crisis."
1 - the Admission
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4B5f2ezEB8
2 - Christin Lagarde
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHaCajsyAe0
3 - More Plans
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iz6NY0s4AcQ
What has our government done do deal with this Global
Fraternity of Bankers who are quite clearly manipulating
events at national an international scale?
Far Reaching Legislation was rammed through in an
unconstitutional manner with no proper consideration of
the wording, unbalancing the relationship between
legislative, executive and judicial branches of Government
in the State and giving powers to the Minister for Finance
which do away with the checks and balances of a properly
formed Oireachtas.
This is the result of an irrelevant Labour Party! Our country
sold down the river!
We have an effective National Government where Fine
Gael is Fianna Fil Lite!
We have a disgraceful mess, where a Tax-Amnesty-Availing
Cosy-Cartel-Alleging "Best Friend of John Bruton" and now
"Independent" Michael Lowry is starting to smell like an
over-ripe Ham and still there is no investigation following
the Moriarty Tribunal!
http://www.independent.ie//michael-mcdowelldeafening-sile
It seems that Labour have sold the same shirt to two
different people once two often.
In Gilmore's own words, "They'll take the Schilling and
follow the Drum!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kpr2zaXvb4M
In Meath, the electorate decided what to do.
Is there no hope then for the Labour Party?
While there's life, there's hope, but it looks like a fresh
direction is needed.
Labour's willing, even supine, participation in all things
Fianna Fil and Fine Gael has to end.
The Powers of the Minister for Finance and the ESM Treaty
must be revisited to prevent disaster in the future.
The government must face the two obvious facts - you
cannot cut your way out of a recession, or tax your way to

prosperity.
There must be measures that offer hope for the people
and a reverse the cover up mentality shrouding the banks
and the government.
Other than that, Labour is gone in the local elections and
the next national election. As it is they are mortally
wounded.
Thanks for reading this far. I hope you found it informative.
I hope you act on that information.
Michael McDowell:
Deafening silence from
government and RTE
In a major analysis, Michael McDowell
says publication of the Lowry Tapes is
a matter of huge public importance
Michael McDowell
PUBLISHED
07/04/2013
The secretly taped conversation between

Michael Lowry and Kevin Phelan, which
occurred apparently in 2004, tells us a lot
about what happened behind the scenes
between some of the dramatis personae in
the Moriarty tribunal. While Michael Lowry
now insists that the payment of almost
250,000 to Mr Phelan which features in
the conversation was a payment that was
"fully declared" (whatever that means), he
has been careful not to dispute that the voice
on the tape is his, and he has not suggested
that the tape was doctored in any way, or
that he did not use the words attributed to
him in the transcripts of the tape which were
published in the Sunday Independent.
It was only when excerpts from the tape were broadcast in
their original form on the Vincent Browne programme on
TV3 that the penny dropped in the minds of the Irish
public that they were actually listening to an expletiveladen, foul-mouthed plea by an elected Irish public
representative to an obscure land speculator for
confirmation that the speculator had not taken any steps
which could link him in any way with the Doncaster
Rovers land deal then being investigated by the Moriarty
tribunal.
That investigation formed part of its enquiries as to
whether Denis O'Brien, who had an interest in the
Doncaster development (which, we hear, he has finally
disposed of just this month), was using, or had used or had
intended to use, the Doncaster land deal to enrich Michael
Lowry, whom the tribunal found had wrongfully

intervened as minister in the interests of Mr O'Brien in a
competitive licensing process in which Mr O'Brien's
consortium had been successful.
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/michae
l-mcdowell-deafening-silence-from-governmentand-rte-29179189.html
Banker Admits "We Engineered the Global Financial
Crisis" 3 Feb 23rd 2013
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iz6NY0s4AcQ
Banker Admits "We Engineered the

Global Financial Crisis" 1
Feb 24th 2013
https://www.youtube.
com/watch?
v=J4B5f2ezEB8
Stephen Donnelly: Here's

why the 64bn is ours for
the asking
PUBLISHED
07/10/2012
1
Representatives of the Troika, from right, Ajai Chopra from the IMF,
Istvan Szekely of the EU, and Klaus Masuch from the ECB
Ireland was never bailed out. But it was the

ECB's middle man, saving Europe from
banking contagion. Guess how we were
rewarded, says Stephen Donnelly
LAST week the president of the European Parliament was

invited to speak to the Dail. I took the opportunity to ask
him to take one message back to the mainland: Ireland did

not get a bailout, and we are not looking for a bailout -but we do need our 64bn back.
Martin Schulz is hardly a household name. He's a former
bookshop owner from Rhine Westphalia in Germany. As
well as holding the presidency, he is the leader of the
Socialists in the European Parliament. And if the speech
he gave on Thursday is anything to go by, he is on our side.
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/stephe
n-donnelly-heres-why-the-64bn-is-ours-for-theasking-28818348.html
Kevin Doyle: It will hurt

democracy and
meritocracy, but it's a

necessary evil
Kevin Doyle Twitter
EMAIL
PUBLISHED
12/12/2016
1
Frances Fitzgerald, Heather Humphreys, Katherine Zappone, Mary
Mitchell OConnor and Regina Doherty were at the front of a photo
taken at Government Buildings when Enda Kenny unveiled his new
Cabinet
On the day Enda Kenny announced his new

Cabinet, the ministers all lined up one
behind the other for a photograph in the

corridors of Government Buildings.
At the front was the Taoiseach, followed by Frances
Fitzgerald, Heather Humphreys, Katherine Zappone, Mary
Mitchell O'Connor and Regina Doherty. And then there
were 12 men in suits.
By putting his female ministers to the foreground of the
picture Mr Kenny was disguising the fact that he had fallen
well short of a promise to appoint a Cabinet that was split
50:50 in terms of gender.
Sign In
The mental health stigma

has faded, but quacks are
thriving
Therapy is no longer a dirty word, but
the lack of regulation means we still

don't know where to turn
Donal Lynch
PUBLISHED
11/12/2016
1
If you went by recent celebrity interviews and the amount of
awareness campaigns out there, you would think Irish people are
still in chronic denial about how messed up they really are. But the
reality on the ground feels somewhat different.
Is there still really such a terrible stigma

around getting therapy? If you went by
recent celebrity interviews and the amount
of awareness campaigns out there, you
would think Irish people are still in chronic
denial about how messed up they really are.
But the reality on the ground feels somewhat
different.
You have a whole generation of 30- and40-somethings
who aren't shy about looking for help. They come from a
confessional culture and they already speak the language
of therapy. They've been into mindfulness for years (even
though they've never quite got the hang of it). They are
quite ready to blame their parents. They know full well
when their black dog needs curbing.
Most of my friends are quite open about the fact that
they're just hanging on by their fingernails and we'll
casually pass on therapist tips to each other the way
previous generations might have recommended a builder.
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/themental-health-stigma-has-faded-but-quacks-arethriving-35284300.html
Apollo House occupation: The

story behind how a wellorganised team took over this
Dublin building
Celebrities, activists and politicians all got together today to open

Apollo House occupied for rough

sleepers
Dec 16, 2016

accommodation for Dublin's rough sleepers.
JOURNALISTS, CAMERA CREWS, activists and

politicians gathered outside a car park in Dublin this
afternoon, looking through a set of closed blue gates.
Behind the gates, up a ramp and inside the 10-storey
Apollo House which looks out over Tara Street in
Dublins south inner city a group of five or so homeless
people had spent the night.
They had been led there late last night by a band of
activists, campaigners, poets and actors, as well as wellknown musicians, such as Glen Hansard, Damien
Dempsey.
A Facebook Live video taken after some of the group had
broken into the building by actor and activist John
Connors shows Damien Dempsey being joined by a big
group in a powerful rendition of the Foggy Dew, providing

a revolutionary score to the occupation.
Well-known personality Mattress Mick even donated 30
mattresses to the cause.
This morning, a number of media outlets
(including TheJournal.ie) were quick to cover the
powerful, resonant story.
By this afternoon when the journalists descended, the
celebrities had all gone, leaving behind the activists and
the homeless people to deal with the specifics.
The hope for here is to create a home for homeless

people, Dean Scurry, one of the main people involved
with the occupation, told reporters outside the building.
Theyre lined up here in a bed with a blanket over them
they wont die from the cold, he said.
Dean Scurry is one of the members of Home Sweet Home
the group central to the occupation - which seems to
have sprung up literally over night, but is in fact the result
of weeks of careful planning.
T-shirts with the groups logo hung from railings outside
the building on Poolbeg Street today, and the group has a
dedicated website and social media channels, as well some
slickly-produced promotional videos.
Source: SAM BOAL
The group is closely linked to the Mandate trade union

and was co-founded by Brendan Ogle who has been an
instrumental driving force behind the Right2Water and
Right2Change campaigns.
It is supported by the People Before Profit political party,
whose TDs Brid Smith and Richard Boyd Barrett were also
on Poolbeg Street this afternoon.
This is direct action in dealing with the crisis, said
Smith.
And fair play to the people that have organised it and the
volunteers who have maintained it. Its a great example of
the answer to the corporate takeover of our world.
Follow
Cormac Fitzgerald
#
1:07 PM - 16 Dec 2016

Source: Cormac Fitzgerald/Twitter
Irish Housing Network

The other group at the centre of the occupation is the Irish
Housing Network, a broad collection of different far-left
grassroots housing organisations.
Many of the organisations formed separately over the past
number of years as a direct response to Irelands
worsening housing crisis, before coming together to
pursue a common goal.
They have been at the centre of various high-profile
occupations over the past year or so, and are wellorganised and media savvy.
The IHN was behind the Bolt Hostel takeover in the
summer of 2015; and the Lynams Hotel occupation this
summer, among others.

Speaking to reporters on Poolbeg Street this afternoon,
spokesperson for the IHN Rosi Leonard said the plan for
Apollo House was to eventually house 30 homeless adults
there.
There has also been a callout for volunteers in all types of
roles including legal advice, counselling supports and
others.
The idea is to turn Apollo House which is due to be
demolished into supported long term accommodation
for the homeless.
A number of extra beds have already been opened by
Dublin City Council in the city centre as part of the Winter
Initiative. Speaking to TheJournal.ie this morning,
Leonard labelled the Initiative ridiculous.
The homeless crisis doesnt end once the winter is over,
she said.
Health and safety

The move is not supported by the leading homeless
charities in Ireland Focus Ireland, the Peter McVerry
Trust and others are keeping quiet on the matter.
Speaking this afternoon on RTs News at One, Sam
McGuinness, CEO of the Dublin Simon Community, said

that he had been giving advice to the activists (but stressed
that Dublin Simon was not involved).
It will certainly be more secure than sleeping in a
doorway or sleeping in tents in the parks, or sleeping in
cardboard some other place, he said.
Some sources within the homeless charity sector have
been less enthusiastic, citing the serious health and safety
concerns the occupation could pose without properlytrained staff present.
Meanwhile, the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive

which manages homeless services for the four Dublin local
authorities is keeping schtum on the whole matter, and
has said that it will not be commenting.
The garda also said that they assessed the situation last
night. They are liaising with the occupiers but have made
no attempt to evict them.
NAMA said in a statement that it does not own Apollo
House.
Any issues arising are for the receiver of the building not
NAMA, a spokesperson said.
With the building in private ownership and scheduled for
demolition, it is unclear how long the protesters will be
able to remain.
The latest rough sleeper count for Dublin found 142 people
sleeping rough in the city centre. There have since been an
extra 145 beds opened, with the Housing Department
saying that there will be a bed for anyone who want one
this Christmas.
However, McGuinness said that the beds are nearing
capacity already, and the latest Simon rough sleeper count
found over 100 homeless people still sleeping rough.
The IHN, Home Sweet Home, and the various activists
and big-name celebrities associated with their cause
clearly believe there is a need and are taking direct action
in relation to homelessness.
Occupations have sprung up and fizzled out over the past
year, but with the time of year thats in it, and the big
names behind it, this one could have staying power
Kenny 'Is there many sleeping rough on the streets in
Dublin tonight Simon'
Coveney 'None!'
Kenny 'Good man. After five years you have solved the
problem?'
Coveney 'No, Enda, it wasn't me - Home Sweet Home
solved the problem! We failed the homeless'
A RALLY IS due to take place outside Bolt Hostel at 10am

today as housing activists are set to meet representatives
of Dublin City Council (DCC) to discuss the future of the
building.
The Irish Housing Network (IHN) reclaimed the building,
located at 38/39 Bolton Street in Dublin city centre, just
over a week ago.
It was formerly known as Bolton House and
accommodated 17 homeless people until 2011, but has
been vacant since then.
Rosi Leonard from IHN said the group expects DCC to
serve them with an injunction notice.
Leonard said many of the people helping to refurbish the
building have direct experience of homeless services or
We would rather this be a homeless hostel than be
empty, she told TheJournal.ie this morning.
Leonard said the property could house three families, but
DCC told us its not liveable.
A spokesperson said council representatives met with IHN
on Tuesday and Thursday and continue to discuss the
occupation of 38/39 Bolton Street with the group.
The building is not fit-for-purpose and requires significant

upgrading works to ensure that is a suitable building to
accommodate families or individuals in terms of
compliance with health and safety.
They added that local authorities in Dublin continue to

expand and implement measures to respond to the
housing needs of homeless households.
Leonard said DCCs stance on the building is very
disappointing given the fact so many families are in
urgent need of housing.
Earlier this week it emerged that the councils homeless
budget has been left with an 18.5 million shortfall.
John Connors
A beacon of hope for all, the atmosphere in the now iconic

Apollo House is electrifying. Months of planning went into
taking over this NAMA owned (meaning we own it)
building to house our forgotten homeless. Didn't film
inside out of discretion but just watched the most
honourable in our society bypass the most malignant to
protect the most vulnerable. Never forget what a beautiful
people we can be
This has to be the best thing that has happened this year . Fair play
to all involved. If we , the people own the building, then we , the
people should decide how it is put to good use .
Shame on government look what ordinary people can get done by
standing shoulder to shoulder not like ye gobshits
Funny how the ONLY victims FF, FG, and the journalists involved care
about are victims that can damage the biggest threat to their as yet
uninterrupted governance of this state. This is a disgraceful charade
and an insult to the many thousands of victims of FF and FG
policies, which included throwing fuel on the troubles for decades.
Despicable maneouvres, and Stack's contentions don't hold up to
the mildest of scrutiny. He's a liar, victim or not.
Time to take our country back enough of these politicians
dictationing what they want not what the irish people want
THE MINISTER FOR the Environment will meet with

Dublin City councillors after the capitals homeless budget
was left with an 18.5 million shortfall.
Councillors were last night informed that services for the
citys 3,300 homeless people would have a budget deficit
this year.
Richard Brady, the head of housing at the council, told
members that he was allocating 37.1 million for homeless
services this year, leaving the 18.5 million deficit.
He said that the situation was serious and that the
council would attempt to secure the rest of the funding by
releasing a 5 million contingency fund and seeking to
have the other Dublin local authorities contribute.
Fianna Fil group leader on the city council Cllr Paul
McAuliffe questioned what he called a ministerial u-turn

by Alan Kelly, who led a summit on the citys homeless
problem last December.
The government need to clarify why they indicated last
December that they were willing to fund all necessary
services and yet they have now left as a massive 18.5
million shortfall.
The impact of this decision will mean that there will be no
funding for any emergency accommodation in the final
months of this year. The Minister is effectively turfing-out
more than 2,000 people in emergency accommodation.
Kelly last night confirmed to a council member that he was
willing to meet with members, something that was
welcomed by Sinn Fins Daithi Doolan.
He has also agreed to meet with councillors to discuss the
housing crisis in Dublin.
This is a positive development and to be welcomed by all
parties interested in tackling Dublins housing crisis.
This meeting must happen as a matter of urgency, must
result in funding being released immediately and a long
term plan to tackle Dublins housing crisis.
PLANS HAVE BEEN submitted to demolish two large

office buildings in the centre of Dublin and replace them
with an environmentally sustainable new office quarter.
Hawkins House and Apollo House on the corner of Tara
Street and Poolbeg Street will be knocked down and
replaced with newer office buildings that the OPW says
will allow for a public plaza at the centre of the block.
The plans propose opening up a pedestrian route from

Tara Street to College Green. At present, no such route
exists and pedestrians are forced to walk around the
buildings.
The Hawkins House building currently houses the head
office of Department of Health and is often described as
Dublins ugliest building. It dates from 1962 and is
located on the site of the former Theatre Royal.
The building is currently 11 storeys tall with the
redevelopment seeing it reduced to a maximum of 10
storeys.
Its planned that therell space for a caf/restaurant on the

ground floor and a public space with some greenery at the
boundary near the former Screen Cinema.
Apollo House was previously used by the Department of
Social Protection who vacated it last year. Its
redevelopment will see it turned into a office building
ranging in height from between five and 12 storeys with
ground floor space for both retail and food outlets.
Both buildings will have some underground parking and

will provide cycle access with showering and toilet
facilities for workers in the building.
Speaking today as the plans were launched, Minister of
State for the OPW Sen Canney said that this major plan is
a big chance for the city.
This development represents a once-in-a-generation
opportunity to create a new vibrant commercial and
government office quarter in the city of Dublin, he said
It is clear that Hawkins House is now obsolete and no

longer meets the demand for modern flexible workspace.
The development of this site will provide up to 60% more
office space, will offer significant savings in running costs
and will facilitate my office to reach sustainability targets
and free up older leased buildings throughout the city.
The plan is approved by Nama who and the receivers

appointed to the property. Nama chief executive Brendan
McDonagh described it as an exciting project that is,
consistent with the receivers aim to maximise the return
and to deliver much-needed high-quality commercial
space.
Lead architects in the design team are Dublin-based
architecture firm Henry J. Lyons with Mola Architecture
designing the public space.
The full document:

Fine Gael-Fianna Fil
deal for government
BY 3RD, MAY 2016
The following is the full text of the Fine GaelFianna F il1 document which deals with the
mechanics of how a minority government
arrangement will work and broad policy
areas.
A Confidence and Supply Arrangement
for a Fine Gael-Led Government
This document outlines the Confidence and
Supply arrangement between Fine Gael2 and
Fianna F il to facilitate a Fine Gael-led
minority Government and the agreed policy
principles that underpin that arrangement.
Fine Gael will seek to agree separate policy
commitments in a broader range of areas
with other Oireachtas3 members as a basis
for a comprehensive Programme for
Government.
Core Principles for the Confidence and
Supply Arrangement for a Fine Gael Led
Government
This is a document that outlines the
confidence and supply arrangement to
facilitate a Fine Gael-led minority
Government. Subject to the ongoing
implementation of the attached policy

principles:
Fianna F il agrees to:
abstain in the election of Taoiseach,
nomination of Ministers and also the
reshuffling of Ministers;
facilitate Budgets consistent with the agreed
policy principles attached to this document;
vote against or abstain on any motions of no
confidence in the Government, Ministers and
financial measures (eg money bills)
recognised as confidence measures; and
pairing arrangements for EU Council
meetings, North South meetings and other
Government business as agreed.
The Fine Gael -Led Minority Government
agrees to:
accept that Fianna F il is an independent
party in opposition and is not a party to the
Programme for Government;
recognise Fianna F il s right to bring forward
policy proposals and bills to implement
commitments in its own manifesto;
publish all agreements with Independent
Deputies and other political parties in full.
allow any opposition Bills (that are not money
bills) that pass 2nd stage, proceed to
Committee stage within 10 working weeks;
Implement the agreed policy principles
attached to this document over a full term of
Government;
have an open approach to avoiding policy
surprises; and
introduce a reformed budgetary process in

accordance with the OECD review of the
Oireachtas along with the agreed D il reform
process. Should an event arise that has
potential to undermine this agreement efforts
will be made to have it resolved by the two
Party Leaders.
It is agreed that both parties to this
agreement will review this Framework
Agreement at the end of 2018. It is agreed
that the final arrangements will be a written
agreement signed by the respective Party
Leaders. This is a political agreement and is
not justiciable.
Appendix 1
Policy Framework for a Confidence and
Supply Agreement to Facilitate a Fine
Gael-Led Minority Government
Ireland s Economy
Maintain our commitment to meeting in full
the domestic and EU Fiscal rules as enshrined
in law.
Facilitate the passage of budgets presented
by the Government within these rules and
which are consistent with the policy
principles contained in this document.
To address unmet needs introduce budgets
that will involve at least a 2:1 split between
investment in public spending and tax
reductions.
Base health expenditure on multi-year
budgeting supported by a 5 year HSE Service
Plan based on realistic, verifiable projections.
Introduce reductions in the Universal Social

Charge (USC) on a fair basis with an
emphasis on low and middle income earners.
Establish a Rainy Day Fund.
Maintain Ireland s 12.5% corporation tax, and
engage constructively with any measures to
work towards international tax reform while
critically analysing proposals that may not be
in Ireland s long term interests.
Industrial Relations and Public Sector
Pay
Recognise full implementation of the
Lansdowne Road Agreement in accordance
with the timelines agreed and recognise that
the recruitment issues in the public service
must be addressed as part of this Agreement.
Establish a Public Service Pay Commission4
to examine pay levels across the public
service, including entry levels of pay.
Support the gradual, negotiated repeal the
Financial Emergency Measures in the Public
Interest Acts having due regard to the priority
to improve public services and in recognition
of the essential role played by public
servants.
Tackle the problems caused by the increased
casualisation of work that prevents workers
from being able to save or have any job
security.
Respect the Workplace Relations
Commission5 and the Labour Court6 as the
proper forum for state intervention in
industrial relation disputes and ensure that
both bodies are supported and adequately

resources to fulfil their roles.
Securing Affordable Homes and Tackling
Homelessness
Significantly increase and expedite the
delivery of social housing units, remove
barriers to private housing supply and initiate
an affordable housing scheme
Retain mortgage interest relief beyond the
current end date of December 2017 on a
tapered basis.
Increase rent supplement and Housing
Assistance payment (HAP) limits by up to
15% taking account of geographic variations
in market rents, and extend the roll out by
local authorities of the HAP, including the
capacity to make discretionary enhanced
payments.
Protect the family home and introduce
additional long term solutions for mortgage
arrears cases.
Improve supports and services for older
people to live independently in their own
home, including a provision for pension
increases.
Provide greater protection for mortgage
holders, tenants and SMEs whose loans have
been transferred to non-regulated entities
( vulture funds ).
Creating Decent jobs and Supporting
Enterprise
Prioritise regional development across all
policy areas.
Fully implement Food Harvest 2020 and Food

Wise 2025.
Secure the future of family farms and support
our fishing industry.
Seek to introduce a PRSI scheme for the selfemployed and provide a supportive tax
regime for entrepreneurs and the selfemployed.
Increase capital investment in transport,
broadband, education, health and flood
defences following the mid-term review of
the Capital Plan which is expected mid-2017.
Examine all options for increased credit
availability, competition and quality of
service in the banking sector through the
development of new and existing platforms.
Develop a strategy for growth and
development for the credit union sector.
Cutting Costs for Families and
Improving Public Services
Reform the public sector to ensure more
accessible public services.
Maintain a humane approach for
discretionary medical card provision.
Develop targeted supports to reduce
childcare costs, broaden parental choice and
increase supports for stay at home parents.
Tackle child poverty by increasing community
based early intervention programmes.
Increase and ring-fence 15m in 2017 in
funding for a National Treatment Purchase
Fund7 to urgently address waiting lists for
those waiting longest.
Reduce primary school class sizes;

reintroduce guidance counselling to
secondary schools and increase financial
supports for post graduate students with a
particular focus on those from low income
households.
Take all necessary action to tackle high
variable interest rates.
Seek to alleviate pressures affecting
household budgets across energy, childcare,
medical and insurance costs.
Tackling Crime and Developing
Community Services
Increase Garda numbers to 15000, invest in
CCTV and mandate the Policing Authority8 to
oversee a review of the boundaries of Garda
districts and the dispersement of Garda
stations.
Increase funding to LEADER.
Strengthen the Social Inclusion and
Community Activation Programme (SICAP)
and develop new Community Development
Schemes for rural areas and reactivate and
increase funding to RAPID areas through the
Local Authorities.
Improve services and increase supports for
people with disabilities: particularly for early
assessment and intervention for children with
special needs and provision of adult day
services.
Fully implement Vision for Change in the area
of mental health.
Strengthen and develop cross border bodies
and services in Northern Ireland9 and

implement the Fresh Start agreement.
Establish a Judicial Appointments
Commission10 to identify the most suitable
candidates for judicial office.
Ensure that local Government funding,
structure and responsibilities strengthen local
democracy.
Increase investment in the Irish language
Appendix 2
Fine Gael Fianna F il Agreement on
Water Services
Irish Water will be retained as a single
national utility in public ownership
responsible for the delivery of water and
wastewater services.
The Government will establish an External
Advisory Body on a statutory basis to build
public confidence in Irish Water. It will advise
on measures needed to improve the
transparency and accountability of Irish
Water.
It will publish advice to the Government and
give quarterly reports to an Oireachtas
Committee on the performance by Irish Water
on the implementation of its business plan,
with particular regard to:
= Cost reduction and efficiency
improvements;
= Procurement, remuneration and staffing
policies;
= Infrastructure delivery and leakage
reductions;
= Improvements in water quality, including

the elimination of boil water notices; and
= Responsiveness to the needs of
communities and enterprise
The Government will suspend the Water
Conservation Grant, while restoring
exchequer funding to Group Water Schemes
to pre-2015 levels, implement multi-annual
funding for the Rural Water Programmes and
revise grant levels to new group water
schemes and for the refurbishment of private
wells.
The Government will, within six weeks of its
appointment, introduce and support
legislation in the Oireachtas to suspend
domestic water charges for a period of nine
months from the end of the current billing
cycle. The suspension of domestic water
charges will be extended by the Government
if this is required and requested by the
Special Oireachtas committee on the Funding
of Domestic Water Services (see below) in
order to facilitate the completion of its work
and the consideration of its
recommendations by the Oireachtas.
The Government will establish within eight
weeks of its appointment an Expert
Commission to make recommendations for
the sustainable long-term funding model for
the delivery of domestic water and
wastewater services by Irish Water (see draft
terms of reference below). The Expert
Commission will endeavour to report within
five months of its establishment.

The recommendations of the Expert
Commission, will be considered by the
Special Oireachtas Committee which will
endeavour to make its own recommendations
to the Oireachtas within a period of 3
months. The recommendations of the Special
Oireachtas Committee will be considered and
voted upon by the Oireachtas within a one
month period.
The Fine Gael and Fianna F il parties reserve
their right to adopt differing positions on any
consequent legislation or resolutions being
debated by the Oireachtas.
The Government will facilitate the passage of
legislation (whether it be a money bill or
otherwise) the implementation of the
recommendations in relation to domestic
water charging supported by the Oireachtas
(including abolition, a reformed charging
regime or other options).
We affirm that those who have paid their
water bills to date will be treated no less
favourably than those who have not.
Draft Terms of Reference for the Expert
Commission
An Expert Commission will be set up to
assess and make recommendation upon the
funding of domestic water services in Ireland
and improvements in water quality, taking
into account:
The maintenance and investment needs of
the water and waste system on short,
medium and long-term bases;

proposals on how the national utility in State
ownership would be able to borrow to invest
in water infrastructure;
the need to encourage water conservation,
including through reviewing information
campaigns on water conservation in other
countries;
Ireland s domestic and international
environmental standards and obligations;
the role of the Regulator; and
Submissions from all interested parties. The
Commission will be empowered to
commission relevant research and hear
evidence to assist this work.
The Commission shall endeavour to complete
its work within five months.
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.
AHHHH... This is why the 158 plus keep silent....
"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
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 lifetime's 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), Clare's
Michael McNamara and Kerry's Arthur Spring. Former
minister Joe Costello volunteers that he owns properties in
Dublin's Sean McDermott Street and North Circular Road
which he uses for "office and storage". Meath's 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 O'Dea 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 Coveney's
declaration reveals less than Richard's. He describes
himself as a "landlord" with a single property, but admits
to holding shares without being specific. Coveney's 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.
Coveney's 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.
Noonan's patriotic instincts and bullishness about the
economy do not extend to his choice of personal
investments.
Noonan's 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
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 Creighton's husband, Paul
Bradford's 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 Quinn's portfolio stretches to
three pages with a global diversification that will
undoubtedly safeguard the former supermarket king's
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."
Never give up your home.
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/shaneross/landlords-of-leinster-house-declare-interests31153379.html?
utm_source=indoshare&utm_medium=socialoremail&ut
m_campaign=indoshare
Denis O'Brien started buying shares in Independent News

& Media in 2006 and over the next number of years built
up his shareholding at a cost of tens of millions of Euro (I
suppose if you didn't have to spill blood, sweat and tears
to gain your wealth ...). O'Brien's plan was to take control
of INM from Tony O'Reilly - Irelands first homegrown
billionaire and the majority shareholder. In the battle for
supremacy O'Brien eventually came out on top, O'Reilly
lost everything and was declared bankrupt by a court in
the Bahamas in 2015.
Upon taking control of INM with around 30% of the shares
O'Brien installed his loyalists on the board, people like
Leslie Buckley and Lucy Gaffney. Very soon journalists and
other staff jumped ship or were pushed out and now the
company is fully under the control of O'Brien. Denis
O'Brien likes to have Fine Gael in power and after all his
bribe to Communications Minister Michael Georgina Lowry
when the Blueshirts were in government in the 1990's was
what set him on the road to riches. His gift from Fine Gael the first mobile phone licence, thanks to Lowry made
O'Brien a killing when he quickly flipped the company. He
pocketed 250 million and skipped off to Portugal to save
having to pay 55 million in Irish tax on his windfall.
O'Brien lost tens of millions on his investment in INM, but
it has brought him a big dividend in other ways. Control of
the media in Ireland (he also has a huge radio portfolio
through his Communicorp Group) has enabled him to wield
huge political power. He was instrumental in getting Kenny
and Fine Gael returned in the General Election. And when
Fine Gael are in power Dinny makes money. Loads of
money, Contracts awarded. Millions written off ...
O'Brien's media attack opposition politicians and give
endless free PR to his Blueshirt buddies. His media have a
particular hatred of Sinn Fin and in particular Gerry
Adams, and a relentless barrage of attacks before the
General Election resulted in the Shinners not gaining more
seats, possibly as many as a dozen. So O'Brien through his
wealth influenced the result of the election and he got his
protg Kenny returned (albeit with a weak hand).
Journalists working under O'Brien have to toe the line and
through fear of losing their jobs churn out relentless
propaganda on behalf of the government. Journalists like
Irish Independent editor Fionnn Sheehan and Kevin Doyle
Group Political Editor for Independent News and Media
obediently print their master's words. The government are
in thrall to O'Brien and so the present Communications
Minister Independent Blueshirt Denis Naughten will not
threaten O'Brien's media monopoly. In fact the media
baron is adding to his monopoly by snapping up more
regional newspapers. The media control will soon rival RT
and will reach every corner of the land like an octupus,
spouting out it's owner propaganda and promoting his
business interests.
The present government will not touch O'Brien.
We desperately need an alternative, a new national
newspaper that is not controlled by the wealthy 1% and
that can give a democratic voice to the majority of
citizens.
Would YOU support such a newspaper?
Temple Bar Hotel bought by

Singapore company in 55m
deal
The property is on Fleet Street.
December 16th 2016
THE TEMPLE BAR Hotel has been bought in a 55m deal.

The hotel was bought by Singapore-based company
CapitaLands serviced residence business unit, The Ascott
Limited (Ascott).
CapitaLand is one of Asias biggest real estate companies,
while Ascott specialises in serviced apartments, which
are furnished apartments that have amenities found in
hotels but also kitchens and washing machines.
The company said that acquiring the 136-unit hotel means
that Ascott is now positioned right at the heart of one of
the worlds most attractive business centres.
Lee Chee Koon, Ascotts chief executive officer, described
Europe as a key market for Ascotts global expansion.
He pointed out that some of the worlds biggest
companies, like Google, Facebook, Microsoft and
LinkedIn, have established their European headquarters

in Dublin.
Ireland is also used as a launch pad to the European Union
(EU) by many US companies and the US is amongst
Ascotts top source markets globally.
He added:
Ascotts entry into Ireland will cater to these rising
demands for accommodation by corporate and leisure
travellers. The acquisition will boost Ascotts 1.2 billion
portfolio in Europe and bring us closer to our target of
10,000 units in the region by 2020.
Ireland has had a record number of visitors in 2016, up
12% in the first nine months of the year.
Koon noted that Dublin hotels had the highest revenue per
available room growth rate in Europe in 2015 and that the
city is expected to top the table again in 2017.
And supply for extended stay accommodation is vastly
outstripped by demand in Dublin, at only 0.08 units per
1,000 overseas visitors, he said.
Alfred Ong, Ascotts managing director for Europe, said
that Ascott has built a strong presence in Europe as one of
the regions largest international serviced residence
owner-operators.
We look forward to bringing our signature hospitality to
Ireland with a centrally located and quality
accommodation in Dublin for our corporate and leisure
guests, said Ong.
The property has been achieving over 80% occupancy in
the last few months and we are confident that we will be
able to add value to this prime asset.
The acquisition brings Ascotts portfolio in Europe to more
than 5,400 units in 45 properties across 19 cities in
Belgium, France, Georgia, Germany, Ireland, Spain and
the United Kingdom.
The hotel has been bought by one of the world's biggest
real estate companies
http://www.thejournal.ie/temple-bar-ascott-hotel-3144429-
Dec2016/?utm_source=facebook_short
no the only isis here are FG, ff, and LB and independent some of
them landlords in the dial who fleece and rob the irish people in
rents and if they cannot afford an extra 4% they will be on the
streets too, these bastsrd deliberately escalated the housing crisis
for their own greed and corruption we need them out, and every
build in Dublin is belong to the Irish people not the government we
own them and the banks we pay the taxes not these fucking fG, LB
FF and IND BUNCH OF MAFIA CORRUPT corrupt wankerS, THEY ARE
THE ISIS FRINGE NOT US,
IF COVENEY OR ANY TD OR NAMA TRIES TO THROW THE HOMELESS
OUT OF THE BUILDING IT WILL CAUSE A HUGE REVOLUTION IN
IRELAND AND AROUND THE WORLD WE HAVE THE SUPPORT OF
OTHER COUNTRIES, IT WOULD BE AN EMBARRASSMENT ON EVERY
TD LANDLORD MAFIA FUCKERS IN THE DIAL AND KENNY TOO IF
THEY ALLOWED THIS, AND IF THE GARDA INTERFERED THEN THEY
TOO WOULD BE AN EMBARRASSMENT TO THEMSELVES AND IT
WOULD BE ILLEGAL AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE
WHAT CORRUPT JUDGE WHOO WOULD TRY TO CHALLENGE THIS,
LIKE THEY DID ON THE PROMMISIONARY NOTES CHALLENGE TODAY
THE CORRUPT HIRE FF, FG, LB JUDGESSELECTED BY THESE FUCKERS
AND CORRUPT DPP MARIE WHELAN THEY WILL GET THERE COMINGS
SOON, IT IS CATCHING UP NOW, WHISTLEBLOWERS ARE ON THE
CASE PG THE JUSTICE WILL BE DONE SOON AND THE BASTARDS
WILL BE FOUND OUT
HOME SWEET HOME, WE ARE THE FIGHTING IRISH

PEOPLE, WE PAY TAXES ON EVERY BUILDING THEREFORE
WE OWN EVERY GOVERNMENT OR BANKS BUILDING IN
IRELAND OUR TAXES PAYS FOR THESE BUILDINGS

https://www.scribd.com/document/334424494/Home-SweetHome-We-Are-the-Fighting-Irish-People-We-Pay-Taxes-onEvery-Building-Therefore-We-Own-Every-Government-or-BanksBuilding-in-Ireland-Our-T
Brendan Ogle: Why we have

occupied Apollo House
Opinion: We have 193,000 homes without people and
6,500 people without homes
about 5 hours ago
Brendan Ogle
Jim Sheridan and Brendan Ogle of Home Sweet Home at Apollo House at
Poolbeg Street, Dublin. Photograph: Gareth Chaney Collins
Its been just over two years since Jonathan Corrie, a

homeless man, was found dead yards from Dil
ireann as our elected parliamentarians went to work.
Jonathans 16-year-old son Nathan told The Irish
Times after his death that his father had left Carlow
because he did not want his family to see him in
difficulty. Jonathan was 43 years old. Young yes, but
the life expectancy for a homeless man is 44, and for a
woman just 38.
Sixteen people died on our streets between 2011 and

2014 and the graph has been rising since. You might
remember Jonathans name but will you remember the
names of the other 15? The people dying now hardly
merit a footnote on the national daily news stories
about recovery growth; so much bombast and
bluster, and alongside it the reality of so much
unnecessary death and suffering.
It is to our national shame that neither Jonathans
death, nor that of any of the others before or since, has
shocked us into addressing the root causes of
homelessness. The situation has gotten exponentially
worse: homelessness has risen 40 per cent in the last
year alone. We are a nation that, in 2016, cherishes
none of its children equally.
Artists row in
I got a phone call from a friend in the music industry

recently who is also a Trojan community activist in his
native Ballymun. Dean Scurry, who I first met through
the Right2Water campaign, told me how many of
Irelands artists and poets, actors and film directors
wanted to do something to address this human crisis. I
knew one or two of them a little. Glen Hansard had
done me the honour of launching a book I wrote
recently about the water campaign and our dreadful,
policy driven, inequality. Damien Dempsey has
performed at Right2Water events and people like John
Connors and Terry McMahon feel the pain of our
broken nation deeply.
Coveney: Emergency beds available for anyone who wants
one
homelessness crisis
Protesters take over vacant Nama building to accomodate
Dublin's homeless
Others too were on board: Christy, Jim Sheridan,

Kodaline, Saoirse Ronan, the list went on. Dean had an
idea. Could a citizen-led intervention take homeless
people off the streets until the Government got around
to housing them? The artists would be open to
supporting such a move if it had as its objective the
creation of a home for people forced to live on our
streets. It was the lads from Kodaline who stated we
have homes without people, and people without
homes when confronted with the startling statistic
that while we have 6,500 people officially homeless
including 2,400 children, that the census shows we
have a whopping 193,000 empty homes in Ireland,
excluding holiday homes.
Socialising private debt
And then theres Nama. The bad bank that was used to
socialise private debt and bequeath to us buildings all
over our landscape that lie fallow while people get
soaked, freeze, go hungry and even die below. Did I
think we could get access to a Nama property? We
owned it after all. It took about a week to find a
property we could access with some assistance and
eventually Apollo House, a former social welfare office
now closed down, came into our possession.
This has been tried before. The wonderful Irish
Housing Network and many other groups have been
trying to provide support for our homeless people for a
long time. But never in a Nama property and never
with such support. So a loose coalition was formed. We
all had different tasks, but the same motivation. Could
we arrive at a situation where nobody, at least in
Dublin, is forced to be without a roof and home for
this Christmas and beyond?
There are wonderful videos involving Jim Sheridan,
Glen and many others and I hope, we all hope, that
these efforts may force us all to look inwards and stop

this madness. And it is madness that can be easily
stopped. In recent years governments have given more
than 2.7 billion in tax cuts disproportionately
benefiting the wealthiest and corporations. Did you get
any of that? Did it change your life? No, me neither.
But it could have built over 10,000 homes each year. It
could have changed the life of every homeless person,
of every homeless child, and ultimately cleared social
housing waiting lists.
Human decency
Homelessness is a result of poor, or cruel, political

policy decisions. I prefer to think of them as just poor.
Otherwise, what have we become as a society?
Ultimately homelessness and its causes will only be
resolved by a movement in policy towards housing that
is based on citizenship as much as profit, that puts
human decency above uncaring ideology.
I do not know how Home Sweet Home will work out,
but whatever differences we all have, can we please
resolve to end this cruelty? The garda who came to
Apollo House last night praised the volunteers and
confirmed the event as peaceful and well organised.
They toured the building checking the welfare of the
homeless people who were sleeping in private rooms
on new mattresses for the first time in a long time. We
told them that Apollo House was a dry house for
genuinely homeless people, well-resourced and taken
care of. So please help in any way you can.
Tonight there are people sleeping in a safe and secure
building with heating and electricity, and if it wasnt for
this intervention of artists and citizens they would be
in doorways and alleyways. I have no doubt this
intervention, with your support, can save lives. To find
out more about how you can help please
http://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/brendan-ogle-why-we-haveoccupied-apollo-house-1.2908984
Rent plan collapses,

plunging government into
crisis
Simon Coveney says Fianna Fail is
'messing with lives'
Kevin Doyle Twitter
EMAIL
PUBLISHED
15/12/2016
2
Housing Minister Simon Coveney. Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins
Fianna Fil will not back Housing Minister
Simon Coveney's rental strategy, plunging

the minority Government into an
unprecedented crisis.
A Dil debate on the plan has been dramatically pulled
from today's agenda, with Mr Coveney accusing Fianna
Fil of "messing with people's lives".
The dispute centres around the designation of towns and
cities as 'Rent Pressure Zones' (RPZs).
Mr Coveney had proposed that Dublin and Cork City
would immediately become RPZs, meaning that landlords
would be restricted to hiking rents by a maximum of 4pc
Speaking to the Irish Independent after the talks collapsed
Mr Coveney said: "I am not going to allow them to make a
farce of the legislation."
It is understood that Fianna Fil's housing spokesman
Brian Cowen demanded that the cities of Galway, Limerick
and Waterford added to the list of RPZs, along with some
commuter belt towns.
Fianna Fil's Barry Cowen. Photo: Tom Burke
Initially he also wanted the 4pc rent cap halved but
ultimately said his party would live with the 4pc figure if
Mr Coveney moved on the list of RPZs.
However, the Housing Minister took a substantial political
risk and refused to budge, meaning the talks ended in
deadlock. Mr Coveney said he has the full backing of
Taoiseach Enda Kenny for the move.
"I think what has happened is just extraordinary. There is
a lot of politics going on. They are messing with people's
lives," he said.
A senior Fianna Fil source claimed they were "backed
into a corner". "We were prepared to reluctantly move on
the rate but he wouldn't give on the other areas."
Mr Coveney argued that further study by the Residential
Tenancies Board would be required on the areas listed by
Fianna Fil before they could be designated as RPZs.
He offered "assurances" that this would happen as quickly
as possible in the new year and that decisions on Galway
and Limerick could be fast-tracked in January, followed by
Waterford, Meath, Kildare, Louth and Wicklow before the
end of February.
But Fianna Fil sources said: "That's a ridiculous scenario.
You might as well put a big billboard in all those towns
saying 'put rents up now because controls are coming in a
few months'."
The breakdown came just hours after Mr Coveney was
close to being feted for his work on the rental strategy at a
Fine Gael parliamentary party meeting.
The minister gave a presentation to TDs and senators in
Leinster House and received "unanimous" support for his
uncompromising position with Fianna Fil.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny told a private meeting of Fine Gael
TDs and senators that renters will be left in a "perilous
position" unless legislation passes through the Dil today.
Fianna Fil were said to be annoyed by what party sources
described as reports of the "pumped up" atmosphere in
Fine Gael.
Mr Cowen was last night consulting with the party
hierarchy about their next move, while the Housing
Minister said he is available for fresh talks if Fianna Fil

are willing to work with his proposals.
"I find it very frustrating. They support the vast majority
of the measures. It's just this one issue around the
qualification criteria for Rent Pressure Zones," the
minister said.
A third issue raised by Fianna Fil was the potential for tax
incentives for landlords to encourage supply in the market.
Housing Crisis Q&A: What is a

Rent Pressure Zone?
country.
covered?
approach?
reasonable return."
providers
Warning Coveney's rentcap plan will 'hit

investment and new
home supply'
Michael Cogley Twitter
EMAIL
PUBLISHED
15/12/2016
1
Minister Simon Coveney
Government plans to cap Dublin and Cork

rents will discourage big landlords from the
market here, potentially hampering the
supply of new homes.
S
Housing minister Simon Coveney's scheme to tackle rents

may have unintended consequences for the supply of new
houses, stockbroker Goodbody has warned.
Analyst Dermot O'Leary said the scheme, to introduce rent
caps in high-demand areas across Dublin and Cork would
"reduce the motivation" among investors to enter the Irish
private residential sector.
The minister's plan to limit rent increases to 4pc per year
on dwellings in "Rent Pressure Zones" (RPZs).
"From an investor's perspective, the motivation to enter
the Irish private residential sector is reduced by this policy

and should have knock-on negative implications for new
supply," said Mr O'Leary in a note.
"In the context of the attempt to entice large-scale
institutional investment into the sector, this is a
retrograde step."
Mr Coveney's plan to impose the caps for three years came
under immediate attack from Fianna Fil, which
complained about a lack of consultation in the lead-up to
its publication.
Areas that are designated as RPZs must have an average
rent registered with the Residential Tenancies Board
above the national average - and rising at a year-on-year
rate of 7pc for four out of the last six months.
While new and "substantially renovated" properties will be
exempt from the plan, Mr O'Leary believes that will also
have an impact.
"Turnover of the stock is likely to reduce as tenants hold
on to their property.
"Given that properties that have recently been
'substantially refurbished' are exempt, there are likely to
be many disputes about this definition among landlords
and tenants," he said.
Davy analyst David McNamara said the threat of further
State intervention may spook investors.
"The optics of further Government intervention in the
market is obviously negative in terms of investment, but
Ireland is not unique in an international context in
introducing rent controls," he said.
http://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/propertymortgages/warning-coveneys-rentcap-plan-will-hit-investmentand-new-home-supply-35294507.html

Mr Coveney said his department has checked
the wording of new legislation on the rent
certainty measures to ensure that rents in
designated areas do not increase by more
than 4% annually.
8%.

period.
be 2%.
The Dil sat later than scheduled tonight to
debate the Planning and Development and
Residential Tenancies Bill, which was backed
by 52 TDs with 43 voting against and 25
abstaining.
The Bill will now be debated in the Seanad
next Wednesday.
It is likely to be enacted before the beginning
of the New Year.
suburb who were served with notice to
vacate homes after they were bought up by a
so-called 'vulture fund'.
Attorney General who suggested that figure
be changed to 10.
The amendment was lost by 59 votes to 34
with 24 abstentions.
and safety issues.
streets.
the park".
the night".

being taken over.
Christmas.
in".
Again showing their completely disassociation from reality.

I don't think helping the homeless is quiet the same as throwing
people off buildings for being gay!

It's actually so stupid they should really question if he is fit for
office!
/react-text Next step - take over the empty properties, and
properties owned by the Vulture Funds and rehouse the families
living in Hotels and Bed and Breakfast. 40 Families a month being
put out on the street, and more to come. All this Government is
interested in doing is to increase the rents - instead of building
Social Housing with our Tax money. They bleat on, that there is no
money - yeh right - WE DO NOT BELIEVE YOU...
Squatter told he can stay in NAMA ghost estate home

Judge throws out trespass case taken against dad of seven
15/10/2011
He was on the housing list for five years and, out of
desperation to find somewhere to call home, eventually
resorted to squatting in one of the thousands of empty
houses in ghost estates littering Ireland.
William Tuohy said last night that the house in Church Hill,
Tullamore, Co Offaly, wasn't his first choice -- but he is
delighted with his new home.And yesterday a judge
allowed him to continue living there when she threw out a
case to force Mr Tuohy from his home.
Squatter told he can stay

in NAMA ghost estate
home
Judge throws out trespass case taken
against dad of seven
Claire O'Brien
PUBLISHED
15/10/2011
William Tuohy in his home at Church Hill, Tullamore, Co Offaly,

yesterday
He was on the housing list for five years and,

out of desperation to find somewhere to call
home, eventually resorted to squatting in
one of the thousands of empty houses in

ghost estates littering Ireland.
William Tuohy said last night that the house in Church
Hill, Tullamore, Co Offaly, wasn't his first choice -- but he
is delighted with his new home.
And yesterday a judge allowed him to continue living there
when she threw out a case to force Mr Tuohy from his
home.
Mr Tuohy (46) had appeared before Tullamore District
Court charged with trespassing in the NAMA house.
But after viewing pictures of the improvements he had
made to the two-storey home, Judge Catherine Staines
dismissed the case, saying there was no evidence that he
Mr Tuohy, a separated father of seven who is originally
from Mountmellick, Co Laois, moved into the house four
months ago.
There are around 250 houses in the estate, with a further
20 unfinished. Around 30 of the completed homes are
unoccupied.
Mr Tuohy said he had made the house his own.
Previously in rented accommodation, he had to leave
following a dispute with the landlord, who he says failed to
deal with open sewage flowing in the back garden.
Now his children -- who are aged between eight and 29 -love to visit on the weekend because they can play in the
garden.
"I'm delighted to have somewhere nice for them to come
into. It's lovely to have somewhere where you're not
worrying about what's going on outside," he said.
He said this particular house wasn't his first choice, but he
loved its quiet location at the rear of the housing estate.
"I picked a house at the very front but unfortunately, when
I went to move into it, somebody had broken in and
robbed the tanks out of it and the houses all along that
block," he said yesterday.
He said he was frank with gardai when they visited him.
"I explained straight out what I was doing. I told them I

was claiming squatters' rights using adverse possession to
the property," he said.
Mr Tuohy is unemployed and receives a disability pension
because of depression. He also admits to previous drug
problems. He said he enjoyed doing up the house because
it kept him busy.
Inspect
He said it was "no problem" to get it connected to the ESB
mains after paying a local company 250 to inspect and
confirm the house was wired properly.
There is a gas connection but he cannot afford gas so he
relies on solid fuel for heat.
Michael Duignan Auctioneers was handling the sale of the
properties, which were priced up to 300,000.
Speaking after the judge dismissed the garda prosecution
for trespass, Mr Tuohy, who has been on the housing list
in Tullamore for five years, said he tried all the vacant
properties in the estate until he found one with an open
door.
The house had a fitted cherrywood kitchen and bathroom
and he painted the walls, put down flooring and dealt with
a serious mould problem that developed while the house
was vacant for three years.
There were no electrical appliances so he bought his own
but said much of the furniture had been donated by family
and friends. He said he had paid around 2,000 on the
house and that the money had made it "very habitable".
The case was dismissed because, after seeing photographs
of his new home, the judge said there was no evidence he
"I was kind of surprised when she went with me -- the
guards seemed to have everything wrapped up. As far as I
was concerned it didn't look good.
"She might have put me out of the house but I knew she
was going to be fair with me, maybe give me a month or
six weeks to get a place."
Solicitor John Hughes explained that his client had been
left to his own devices in the house and, as they had

recently learned the name of the owner, who is in NAMA,
Mr Tuohy would like to pay rent and arrears.
He described Church View as "effectively a ghost estate,
part completed, part unoccupied and unfinished, with
around 30 vacant houses".
Mr Tuohy said he planned to stay in the property.
"I just want a place of my own, somewhere to bring my
kids at the end of the week, with no headaches.
"I can't understand why somebody like the council can't
take over these properties and rent them out to people. It's
a shame. There are so many people on the housing list.
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/squatter-told-hecan-stay-in-nama-ghost-estate-home-26782266.html
Man finishes off own house he broke

into on ghost estate
Friday, January 24, 2014
By Dan Danaher
A retired businessman who broke into in his house in a

well-known Killaloe ghost estate last July, is almost ready
to move in permanently.
Fed up of waiting for the completion of the sale of Ard na

Deirge, Killaloe, Co Clare, and the completion of necessary
connections such as water, sewerage and public lighting,
John Ryan Sr decided to try and progress matters himself.
He has been busy tiling the hallway, kitchen and
bathrooms and fitting out the dwelling, which he first
purchased in 2006 and was subsequently locked out of
for over seven years.
Thanks to the provision of the water mains past his house,
the South Tipperary native hopes to have running water
within the next two weeks once a plumber completes
some relatively minor connection works.
This will pave the way for an electrician to connect his
electricity supply from the meter to his house, which will
make it habitable on a permanent basis in late February or
March.
Mr Ryan Sr has also been working on the neighbouring
house, which was purchased by his son, John Ryan Jr, at
the same time as the retired businessman who intended to
fulfil his dream of retiring in Killaloe after running a
hairdressing franchise business in Limerick and his native
Clonmel.
This dream turned into the proverbial nightmare when AIB
and its receiver, KPMG, took over the management of the
ghost estate after the initial builder couldnt get the
finance to complete the estate after experiencing serious
financial difficulties.
It would be a major achievement to make my house
liveable after such a long time.
Once the plumbing and the electricity are connected, I
will be able to move in full time with my wife Breda and
son, John once two bedrooms and two bathrooms are
operational.
It will be much easier to finish off the work needed in
Johns house once I can move into my house. John has the
timber floors picked out for his kitchen already.
I am back and forth to the house carrying out works on a
regular basis and at this stage the security seems to
ignore me I am there so often. Breda and John get security
warnings when they visit the site but I think they have
given up on me, he joked.
John Ryan Sr made local and national headlines last year
when he broke into his house, ignoring security warnings
he was trespassing on private property and risking the
wrath of AIB and its receiver, KPMG.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/man-finishes-offown-house-he-broke-into-on-ghost-estate-256336.html
131 Syrian refugees

arrive in Ireland
from Greece
The Syrian refugees have come from Greece
Some 131 Syrian refugees, including three

unaccompanied children, have arrived in
Ireland from Greece.
The three unaccompanied minors were met
by Tusla, the Child and Family Support
Agency.
In a statement earlier, Tusla said it and the
Department of Children and Youth Affairs
have agreed under the Irish Refugee
Protection Programme that Ireland will
receive 20 separated children under the EU's
resettlement and relocation programmes by
the end of next year.
One child was brought to Ireland in October.
Earlier this week, Tnaiste and Minister for
Justice Frances Fitzgerald confirmed services
will also be offered to up to 200
unaccompanied minors who will go into

foster care, organised by Tusla.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/1216/839381-refugees/
Digicel hires consultants to

help in massive cost-cutting
plan
Denis OBrien-owned companys debt at unsustainably
high levels, says CreditSights
about 11 hours ago
Joe Brennan, Mark Paul
Denis OBrien: Digicel has appointed McKinsey and Goetzpartners as

consultants, as it seeks to cut its debt ratio down from 6.2 times earnings.
Photograph: Reuters
Denis OBriens Digicel Group has started an

unprecedented cost-cutting plan and hired financial
consultants McKinsey and Goetzpartners to help cut its
massive debt burden as the mobile phone group
grapples with declining earnings.
Digicels 6.2 billion debt is at unsustainably high
levels at 6.2 times earnings at the group, Michael
Chakardjian, an analyst with US credit research firm
CreditSights, said at a conference in London this week.
He also said that the companys cost-cutting plan was
ambitious and opaque and that the company faces
near-term refinancing risks.
Digicel said on Friday that it fundamentally disagrees
with the conclusions, and has a positive outlook.
The Irish Times reported on November 30th that
Digicel executives had pitched a plan to investors and
analysts earlier that month to cut its debt ratio to 4.5
times earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and
amortisation (ebitda) by March 2019 as it sees profits
finally rebounding in its next financial year after
investing $2.3 billion (2.2 billion) in its network over
half a decade.
The Bermuda-based company, which operates in 32
markets in the Caribbean and South Pacific regions, is
in the middle of a third year of earnings decline, with
its latest quarterly figures, to the end of September, hit
particularly by currency weakness in several of its
markets against the dollar.
Project Swan
Mr Chakardjian said Digicels cost-cutting plan, known

as Project Swan, includes changing internal process
and structure, such as back office functions and
technology and that management has never sought to
extract savings from these measures before.
Management has presented a plan which, if executed,
would be fantastic. However, we see managements
plans to improve margins as opaque, the analyst said.
By their own admission, the company is trying to do
something they have never done before, for example
with their cost cutting plans, and other items are
somewhat outside their control.
Mr Chakardjian said the groups debt level is so high
that it has no equity cushion and that this gives the
company little wiggle room for poor performance and
there is not an immaterial threat of distress in the
event of poor results in key markets.
He said that CreditSights are positive on the
companys long-term position, but the near-term risks
are increasing, which has led to us having an
increasingly cautious view on the credit.
While Digicel doesnt have large debt maturities until
the end of this decade, it has $291 million of loans
maturing in the year to March 2018.
Weakened
Digicels liquidity position has weakened, which

brings increasing concerns with the companys near-
term refinancing needs,he said.

A spokesman for Digicel said: Digicel fundamentally
disagrees with the conclusions of the report. Digicels
outlook remains positive with robust plans to delever
by monetising our network investment and through
realistic cost management initiatives.
In October last year, Mr OBrien pulled an initial public
offering of Digicel shares, in which the company was
seeking to raise as much as $2 billion to help lower its
debt mountain, expand operations and list on the New
York Stock Exchange. Digicel blamed volatility in
global markets at the time.
The businessman, who founded the group in 2001 in
Jamaica, a year after he received 285 million from the
sale of his shares in mobile phone group Esat Telecom
to British Telecom, said in May that it would be
another 12-18 months before he attempted another
initial public offering.
Earlier this year, it emerged that Mr OBrien had
started to waive a $10 million a quarter cash dividend
in the second half of 2015 and that he had promised
lenders he would not take further payments until
business improved.
http://www.irishtimes.com/business/tech
nology/digicel-hires-consultants-to-helpin-massive-cost-cutting-plan1.2908705#.WFSMtlBoX9E.facebook
You could have him down for 2 days and would not still be cooked.
Launch of the Garda Armed Support Unit

(ASU) Dublin RegionLaunch of the Garda
Armed Support Unit (ASU) Dublin Region

Region
On Wednesday 14th December 2016, An Garda Sochna
launched their new Armed Support Unit (ASU) for the
Dublin region. The allocation to duty of ASU, together with
the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) significantly increases
Garda capability in the area of armed response. The highly
trained unit will be used to respond to firearms and critical
type incidents in support of the public and Garda
colleagues. The ASU will also be used in support of
planned operations, such searches and checkpoints to
disrupt feuding organised crime groups under Operation
Hybrid. ASU have been allocated high performance
vehicles and each team member will be issued with
firearms as well as Taser and other Less Lethal capability.
ASU vehicles also carry breeching equipment, a ballistic
shield and a medical bag including defibrillator (all ASU
members are trained as emergency first responders). All
of this equipment will be on display at the launch and will
be available for the media to examine. The launch is the
culmination of an intensive selection process in which over
five hundred and fifty members of An Garda Sochna at
Garda and Sergeant rank applied to join the new unit. Fifty
five members successfully completed a twelve week
training programme and will commenced duty in the
Dublin Metropolitan Region ASU today. They will be based
in Harcourt Square. The ASU forms the second tier of
firearms and tactical capability, sitting underneath the
Emergency Response Unit. Both units have distinct roles,
with ASU providing high visibility patrolling and response
and ERU concentrating on covert and high risk firearms
interventions against both organised crime and terrorist
groups. Both units train together, specifically in scenarios
relating to sieges and other critical incidents.
Commissioner Nirn O'Sullivan & Tnaiste Frances

Fitzgerald at the launch of the Garda Armed Support Unit
(ASU) Dublin Region.
Commissioner Nirn O'Sullivan, Assistant Commissioner

Michael O Sullivan and Chief Superintendent Gerard
Russell

Region
MICHAEL Noonan has told of his disappointment at

learning Brazil had placed Ireland on its international
tax black list .
BRAZIL NUTS
Michael Noonan
fumes after Brazil
brand Ireland a tax
haven and put them
on their naughty
list this Christmas
Ireland is ranked the 6th worst tax haven
by Oxfam because of its low tax rate
.article__header
BY JOHN DRENNAN 12th December 2016
This country is a brass plate economy, some small
buildings in Dublin have over a hundred companies listed
in the phone book, they don't answer the phones should
you ring them, there is no one employed in these buildings
there is just brass plates telling you some companies do
exist there, but only on the brass plate. Liars Liars Liars
This is a grouping of countries which are believed, by

Brazil, to facilitate Cayman Islands-style tax evasion by
large corporations.
The decision of Brazil is particularly embarrassing,

following as it does an Oxfam research document claim
that that Ireland is the sixth worst tax haven, just coming in
behind Bermuda and the Cayman Islands.
It also damages Irelands ongoing battle in Europe to
protect our 12.5 per cent corporate tax rate.

Responding to queries from the Fianna Fail Finance
Spokesman Michael Mc Grath, an angry Finance Minister
Michael Noonan said he had been surprised and
disappointed to learn in September that the Brazilian
Federal Revenue Service had, without warning, added
Ireland to Brazils tax black list.
The consequence of being on the black list is that Irish
exports to Brazil will be taxed more heavily via a series of
special withholding taxes which will damage our
competitiveness in a key export market.
Fianna Fails Michael McGrath (left) and Dara Calleary
Mr Noonan warned that being included on the list has a

number of negative tax consequences including greater
Brazilian taxation on flows of income from Brazil to
Ireland.
Brazil, the worlds sixth largest economy, is one of
Irelands top export priorities, with the most recent figures,
with the most recent Enterprise figures indicating exports
of over 261 million.
In an indication of its importance Enterprise Ireland and

the IDA maintain offices there whilst Michael D Higgins
has visited the country on trade missions.
Finance Minister Michael Noonan told the Dail that a
formal request for Ireland to be removed from the Brazilian
list was submitted by Ireland to the Brazilian Federal
Revenue Service on 27 September.
Despite a subsequent diplomatic flurry, Mr Noonan noted
that; unfortunately, the reply from the Brazilian Federal
Revenue Service on 17 November rejected our request for
the listing to be suspended.
Brazil nuts
Following further follow up discussions, the Brazilian

Federal Revenue Service have agreed to meet a technical
delegation from the Department of Finance and the
Revenue Commissioners to discuss this issue.
Mr Noonan said the Brazilian Federal Revenue Service
made it clear Ireland has been included on the list
because our statutory rate of corporation tax is below 17
per cent which is the benchmark set under Brazilian law.
Mr Noonan said: We believe it is inappropriate to include

Ireland on a black list simply because we apply a low tax
rate to a wide tax base which is fully in line with
recommended OECD best practice.
A furious Finance Minister added that: I strongly reject
any allegations that we are a tax haven. Ireland does not
meet any of the international standards for being
considered a tax haven.
But, whilst the minister added that: Ireland has not been
and will never will be a brass-plate location, one Leinster
House source noted; if it walks like a tax-haven and
quacks like a tax haven, dont blame other countries for
calling us one
https://www.thesun.ie/news/290136/noonan-fumes-after-brazilbrand-ireland-a-tax-haven-and-put-them-on-their-naughty-list-thischristmas/
Asylum-seeker assumed
false identity to allow him
work before claiming
50k in welfare
Isabel Hayes
PUBLISHED
13/12/2016
2
Samba Sow. Picture Collins Courts.
An asylum-seeker who assumed a false

identity to allow him to work in Ireland,
before claiming 50,000 in social welfare
payments when he lost his job, has avoided
going to prison.
Samba Sow claimed entitlements including job seekers'
benefit, job seekers' allowance and rent allowance under
the name Moussa Sow over a four-year period between
2011 and 2014.
His deception was flagged by the Department of Social
Protection's facial recognition system when he was made
legal in 2015, tried to drop his false identity and regularise
his situation, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard on
Tuesday.
Sow (55) with an address in Kilakee Way, Firhouse, Dublin
pleaded guilty to 18 counts of stealing social welfare

payments from Phibsborough Post Office, North Circular
Road, Dublin 7 and AIB in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 between
April 2011 and December 2014.
2
2
Handing down a suspended two-year sentence, Judge
Catherine Murphy noted that although Sow claimed his
entitlements under a false name, he never tried to claim
double payments. As soon as he was given an alternative
social welfare payment, he ceased claiming the first
payment, she said.
Garda Nigel Daly told Dean Kelly BL, prosecuting, that
Sow arrived in Ireland from Senegal in 2007 and claimed
asylum. He was placed in direct provision in Tralee, Co
Kerry and received a payment of 19 a week.
Sow then paid 900 for a French passport with the name
Moussa Sow which allowed him to work in the country. He
acquired a PPS number under this name and worked in a
pub in Dublin for the next four years. While working, he
paid income tax and PRSI.
Mr Kelly said Sow was made redundant during the
recession and started claiming social welfare payments
under the name Moussa Sow. He claimed a total of
50,006 over the next four years, the court heard.
However, when Sow was granted permission to remain in
the state, he brought the claim under Moussa Sow to an

end and made a legitimate claim in his real name, Mr
Kelly said. He was recognised by the department's facial
recognition software and later arrested.
He has no previous convictions.
Defence barrister, Paul McCarthy SC, said Sow contacted
the Department of Social Protection in October 2015 and
arranged to pay back 20 weekly. To date, he has returned
1000 of the money he took.
He is currently living in emergency accommodation and
shares a double room with another occupant. He has been
there some time and is regarded as a model occupant,
the court heard. He continues to support his wife and two
children in Senegal and hopes to gain employment soon,
Mr McCarthy said.
Gda Daly agreed that had Sow not sought to regularise his
situation, he might never have been detected. He also
agreed that Sow never tried to double dip or access
payments under two names.
Judge Murphy noted a probation services report was
extremely positive and found Sow was in no need of
further supervision. He is making and will continue to
make an honest effort to pay back the money to social
welfare, she said.
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/asylumseeker-assumedfalse-identity-to-allow-him-work-before-claiming-50k-in-welfare35291001.html
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
1
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.
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
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. 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 Dublin and Cork
city as RPZs before Christmas. As a result
annual rent increases in these cities will be
restricted to 4pc per annual for the next
three years.
X

country.
covered?
approach?
reasonable return."

providers
Coveney's rent plan is flawed - but it's a

start
Housing Minister Simon Coveney.
This is the season when children take part in
nativity plays and we celebrate kind-hearted

inn-keepers and cosy mangers where a child
can be brought into the world, in the
certainty of security and shelter. The latest
figures on homelessness in Dublin are a
challenge to our spirit of goodwill.
There were 5,146 adults and children in emergency
accommodation last month, a 35pc increase in the year.
So we need to be doing much better. Yesterday, Housing
Minister Simon Coveney attempted to do just that with a
series of measures to ease upward pressure on rents. Some
weeks back, Mr Coveney set himself an ambitious task of
having no family in a hotel room through homelessness by
the middle of next year.
As yearly tenancies end landlords will seek vacant possession and set
new much higher rents for incoming tenants thus deepening the crisis
and only those who can afford to pay the higher rents will be able to find
accommodation.
The problem is that the Government has failed to make provision for
additional rental accommodation in Dublin and Cork.
Minister Coveney is "TALKING" about 'Build to Rent' developments,
and the fast-tracking of 'Repair and Leasing' schemes but has done very
little or nothing to advance those schemes.
In the meantime, people are getting desperate to find somewhere to
rent.
Another ill-conceived law which will have to be modified again in 6
months time when all the other areas of Dublin and Cork decide to
'catch up' with these so-called "rent pressure zones".
True Christmas spirit - David the homeless man on Lower Baggot

Street takes pity on me in the rain and gives me his second umbrella
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/coveney-rent-caps-arenot-up-for-negotiation-35293492.html
Taoiseach endorses MEP
McGuinness for EU
presidency bid
Kevin Doyle Twitter
EMAIL
PUBLISHED
01/12/2016
1
Taoiseach Enda Kenny in conversation with Mairead McGuinness
MEP
Taoiseach Enda Kenny has backed the

candidacy of Mairead McGuinness for the
position of president of the European
Parliament.
S
Taoiseach Enda Kenny has backed the candidacy of
Mairead McGuinness for the position of president of the

European Parliament.
The MEP wants to replace Martin Schulz in January.
Mr Kenny said she would make an "outstanding" president
and bring "valuable experience" to the role.
"Mairead is a professional communicator and will be able
to communicate to the people of Europe what the EU is all
about, something that has been lacking in the past," he
said.
Ms McGuinness must first win the nomination of the EPP
group on December 13 ahead of a vote by parliament.
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/taoiseach-endorsesmep-mcguinness-for-eu-presidency-bid-35258794.html
Judge appointed to deal

with pre-trial matters for
David Drumm case
Shane Phelan Twitter

EMAIL
PUBLISHED
14/12/2016
1
Anglo chief executive David Drumm.
A judge has been appointed to deal with pretrial matters in the case of former Anglo
Irish Bank chief executive David Drumm.
The President of the Circuit Court, Judge Raymond
Groarke, has appointed Judge Karen OConnor to decide
on issues, including disclosure of evidence.
The former bank executive is scheduled to go on trial next
April on two charges of conspiring to defraud depositors
and investors at Anglo by dishonestly creating the
impression that deposits in 2008 were 7.2bn larger than

they were.
At a brief pre-trial hearing at Dublin Circuit Criminal
Court, Judge Melanie Greally informed Mr Drumms legal
team of Judge OConnors appointment.
Mr Drumms solicitor Michael Staines said he intended to
make an application in relation to certain matters, but it
was indicated he would have do so before Judge OConnor.
Mr Staines has previously indicated there is likely to be a
huge amount of disclosure involved in the trial, which is
expected to last 12 weeks.
The former banker (50), with an address in Skerries, Co
Dublin, was not present in court as he had been excused
from attending.
He has also been excused from attending the next pre-trial
hearing.
As well as next Aprils trial, he is facing a further one in
January 2018 on 31 other charges, mainly relating to the
so-called Maple 10 share support scheme.
Mr Drumm is accused of unlawful lending to members of
the Quinn family and the Maple 10 investors to unwind a
secret 28pc shareholding in Anglo built up by tycoon Sean
Quinn.
The second trial will also deal with allegations he was privy
to the falsifying of documents and that he created false
documents.
David Drumm shouldnt be

allowed testify via video-link,
Inquiry told
The inquirys own legal team has advised that Drumm should not be
allowed provide his evidence remotely.
Jul 27th 2015
THE BANKING INQUIRY has been advised that David

Drumm should not be allowed give testimony to the
committee via video link, as he had requested.
The former Anglo CEO has already provided a written
statement to the inquiry, and was also asked to attend in
person this Wednesday to give evidence in person.
A number of committee members have expressed their
strong opposition to Drumm being allowed to speak to the
inquiry from the US in recent days. Others said they would
wait to see what the legal advice said.
The inquirys own legal team has advised that Drumm
should not be allowed provide his evidence remotely.
Members have also been told by the DPP that she would
make an application to stop them going ahead, if the
committee attempts to have Drumm testify via video.
The committee will meet in private session tomorrow
afternoon to discuss the legal advice provided today.
Flouting authorities
A file on David Drumm was given to the Director of Public
Prosecutions by the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation
and the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement in
2011.
However Drumm refuses to cooperate with garda and will
not return to Ireland.
In a strongly-worded statement on Friday, Fianna Fls
Michael McGrath a member of the committee said
allowing the video testimony to go ahead would be a grave
error.
I will not support or play any part in such an exercise,
the TD warned.
Other committee members have also voiced their
concerns. Also speaking on Friday, Taoiseach Enda Kenny
said Drumm should cooperate fully and completely.
It emerged at the weekend that the testimony of the
former Anglo boss is expected to contradict that given by
former Taoiseach Brian Cowen.
The Irish Times reported on Saturday that Drumm is
expected to say Cowen was lobbied by the bank at at
dinner in April of 2008. Cowen told the committee it was
purely a social event, and that no business was discussed.
http://www.thejournal.ie/david-drumm-advice-2238093-Jul2015/
David Drumms statement to

the Banking Inquiry will NOT
be published yet
The DPP raised the concerns this morning.
Jul 29th 2015,
THE BANKING INQUIRY will not publish a statement

from former Anglo Irish Bank chief executive David
Drumm.
An Oireachtas spokesperson said this evening that the the
inquiry had received the legal opinion from the Director of
Public Prosecutions on the statement provided to the
Committee by Drumm, who is in the US.
Consequently, the inquiry has agreed not to publish the
statement until it has received its own advice.
Earlier, there was anger and frustration among the
banking inquiry committee members today after they were
told the DPP had concerns about the publication
ofDrumms witness statement.
An Oireachtas source told TheJournal.ie that the anger
and frustration is due to the eleventh hour nature of the
DPP raising the concern.
It came almost two days after the DPP said that Drumm
would not be allowed to make a video statement to the
inquiry.
Drumms testimony has been highly anticipated not
least since it emerged at the weekend in the Irish Times
that Drumms testimony was due to contradict that given

by former Taoiseach Brian Cowen.
An Oireachtas spokesperson said that contact had been
received from the DPP this morning raising concerns
about the Drumm statement.
He added that the committee has asked the DPP for
clarification, asking does this mean that the entire
statement cant be published, or if it pertains to part of it
or does it mean bits will have to be redacted.
The committee held a private meeting this morning where
it discussed its concerns.
Legal advice
The committee had accepted the DPPs and its own legal
advice in relation to a video statement by Drumm. It has
never gone against the advice of the DPP in the past.
Drumm, the former CEO of Anglo, had already provided a
written statement to the inquiry.
He had requested to testify by video link, but the inquirys
legal team advised against it.
A number of the committee members had spoken of their
opposition to Drumm giving his evidence by video link
from the US.
A file on David Drumm was given to the Director of Public
Prosecutions by the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation
and the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement in
2011.
Drumm refuses to cooperate with garda and will not
return to Ireland.
THE BANKING INQUIRY continued its recent trend for
grilling high-profile Oireachtas members from the
beginning of the financial crisis this afternoon.
Tnaiste to Bertie Ahern and former leader of the
Progressive Democrats Mary Harney made her inquiry
bow, with John Gormley, former leader of the Greens
when they formed part of a coalition with Fianna Fil
following the 2007 election, in attendance also.
Source: Rollingnews.ie
Mary Harney (top) a
The standard for politicians appearing before the inquiry

has seen a general level of contrition in their opening
remarks. In this case, Harney was a little more contrite in
her opening statement than Gormley.
She said she was proud of our achievements in
government but admitted that we made mistakes.

I regret those mistakes deeply, Harney said.
Gormley for his part said that two-thirds of the necessary
fiscal adjustments made following the banking crisis were
put in place by his Green Party.
We made these adjustments knowing it would lead to our
own governmental annihilation, he said.
In 2011 the Greens lost every seat they had at the general
election in a total wipeout.
He said that poor regulation and zoning practices led in
part to the property bubble that emerged in the late
2000s. He also acknowledged the important part played
by economist David McWilliams in bringing about the
bank guarantee that was put in place on 30 September
2008.
He added further that he believes the inquiry should call
his Green party colleague Eamonn Ryan before it as he
chiefly dealt with the partys financial policy during the
crisis.
In truth, the session had a slightly jaded hue to it, with
little or no fireworks on show. Perhaps the controversy
over the DPP and former Anglo Irish Bank CEO David
Drumms potential testimony to the inquiry had sapped
the inquiry members spirits.
Whose fault?
First up to question the two was Fine Gael TD John Paul
Phelan.
John Paul Phelan

Source: Oireachtas.ie
In response to his line of questioning Harney asserted

that, more than anyone, the failure of the banking system
must rest with the bankers.
When asked if she thought enough had been done in the
interim to prevent a reoccurrence of the crisis Harney said
I hope so.
The Oireachtas is now far more questioning and robust

than it was in its approach to the financial institutions.
But if you ask me can I put my hand on my heart and say it
will never happen again, then no I cant do that.
Harney added that if you want credibility in the global
financial markets then you need good regulation.
Misled
A key thread of the questioning by Fianna Fils
spokesman on finance Mattie McGrath was that the
government was misled as to the gravity of the financial
situation in late 2008 by the banks.
Well certainly some people in the banking industry must
have known that things were fairly dire, said Gormley.
Harney said that she recalled worry being expressed by
then finance minister Brian Lenihan as to whether or not
he was getting the correct information from the banks.
Follow
TheJournal Politics
John Gormley is using the name 'McWilliams' an awful lot

this afternoon
#
4:08 PM - 29 Jul 2015
1 1 Retweetlikes
Source: TheJournal Politics/Twitter
Michael McGrath
Returning to a popular theme for his testimony, Gormley

repeatedly referred to the McWilliams Option, that being
the full guarantee of the Irish banks by the government, in
reference to economist David McWilliams, himself a
witness to the banking inquiry.
At the time Minister Lenihan was a man who played his
cards very close to his chest I often found out what was
going on in his mind from David McWilliams, said
Gormley.
McGrath then asked Harney whether there had been much
conversation at cabinet level about the pressures building
up on the financial system in the months leading up to
September 2008.
She replied: As I recall we were assured all was well with
the financial system.
When the crisis hit it all happened very quickly to the best
of my memory.
Lobbyists
Fianna Fil senator Marc McSharry, who had been
particularly boisterous in his questioning of Enda Kenny,
Pat Rabbitte and Joan Burton at the inquiry last week, was
a little more restrained this time round.
Marc McSharry
He wanted to know whether or not many groups had

lobbied the government of the time as to tax cuts or
increased budget spending.
Both witnesses agreed that lobbyists are something you
deal with on a daily basis when in power.
Certain lobby groups have huge access to the corridors of

power, said Gormley.
Gormley was at pains to remind those watching however
that at the time the Green Party operated without a whip
system, with all decisions being made by consensus
John Gormley
Under questioning from inquiry chairman, Labour TD

Ciaran Lynch, as to why Anglo Irish Bank was nationalised
and not recapitalised as initially planned in January 2009
Gormley replied that it had long become clear that the
bank was insolvent and that recapitalisation would have
been pointless.
This line of questioning appeared to discomfit the former
Green leader a lot more than Harney he repeatedly said
that his former colleague Eamonn Ryan was a lot more
privy to what was going on with the banks than he was,
while a reference to David McWilliams was never far away.
Follow
TheJournal Politics
Will Eamonn Ryan be getting a call from the banking

inquiry after John Gormley's performance today?
http://
jrnl.to/1h53Zbp
4:42 PM - 29 Jul 2015
Tired performances all round as David Drumm controversy

casts shadow over Banking Inquiry
Mary Harney and John Gormley were the latest former politicians
to brave the banking inquiry gauntlet this afternoon.
thejournal.ie
Retweets1 1 like
Liquidity
Lynch then wanted to know whether or not the guarantee

of September 2008 had any effect on the entering of
Ireland into the troikas bailout programme two years
later.
Ciaran Lynch
I have no evidence that that was the case, replied

Gormley.
I believe the seeds of our destruction were sowed in
advance of 2007, not after.
You want a narrative that the bank guarantee was the
worst ever decision in the history of the Irish state, that
Fianna Fil were up to dodgy dealings with Anglo, and that
the Greens had no clue what was going on.
I cant back that narrative.
To the same question Harney acknowledged that the two
events are certainly inter-related.
At the time of the guarantee the issue was liquidity as far
as we knew, she said.
Subsequently we would have become aware that the real
issue was insolvency.
When asked when she became aware that Anglo was
insolvent Harney replied around the same time as deputy

Gormley, which was in the run up to that bank being
nationalised.
Morgan Kelly
Under questioning from Fine Gael senator Michael Darcy,
Harney said that the information available to UCD
economist Morgan Kelly (who infamously predicted the
worst of the financial bust at the time) was not available to
the government.
But it was a case of he was right and you were wrong?,
persisted Darcy.
As it happens, yes, the former Tnaiste replied.
Follow
TheJournal Politics
"As it happens, yes" - Harney response to question

'Morgan Kelly was right, and you were wrong?'
http://
jrnl.to/1h53Zbp
5:36 PM - 29 Jul 2015
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Publication of Drumm Statement

Suspended
July 31, 2015
The Oireachtas Banking Inquiry has decided to suspend the

publication of the witness statement of former Anglo Irish
Bank chief executive David Drumm.
The inquiry said the decision was arrived at even though it was
waiting for further discussions with the Director of Public
Prosecutions.
The decision followed an intervention on Wednesday by the
DPP requesting the inquiry not publish the document. The
committee then sought clarification on the DPP's objections.
Members of the inquiry met in private session twice yesterday
morning to consider its own legal advice on the matter and has
decided not to publish the statement at this point.
The committee intends to seek further clarifications from the
DPP before reaching a final decision on publishing Mr
Drumm's statement, which was received some weeks ago.
It was expected to be published this evening but now the

committee is waiting for further clarifications before it can
proceed.
The statement was received a few weeks ago and has
already been accepted into evidence.
RTE has reported that the DPP is likely to insist on
redactions or else could block the entire statement.
The move comes after the committee rejected Mr
Drumm's offer to be questioned by video link from the US
where he lives.
The controversial banker is wanted in Ireland by the Garda
fraud squad.
David Drumm's witness statement is due to be
published later today by the banking inquiry.
But the Director of Public Prosecutions has contacted
the banking inquiry raising concerns about its
publication.
Former colleagues: Willie McAteer and Drumm
(Photo: Sasko
Lazarov/Photocall Ireland)
But Mr Drumm has ruled out returning to Dublin of his own

free will, offering instead to field questions from the
parliamentary investigation remotely.
But his written statement has now been accepted by the
committee and forms part of its evidence.
It will be used in questioning other witnesses.
David Drumm and wife Lorraine enjoying double shot

espressos and bagels outside Monomoy Coffee shop in Cape
Cod
People mentioned by Mr Drumm in his statement include

former Taoiseach Brian Cowen, former regulator Patrick
Neary and former Anglo director Fintan Drury.
They have been informed of the statements made by Mr

Drumm so they can reply.
FRESH CONCERNS OVER PUBLICATION OF

DRUMM'S STATEMENT TO BANKING INQUIRY
29 July, 2015
There's fresh concerns from the Director of Public Prosecutions over

the planned publication of David Drumm's written statement to the
Banking Inquiry.
The statement from the former CEO of Anglo Irish Bank was to be
published later today after an offer by him to give evidence by
video-link from the United States was rejected on legal advice.
The inquiry was planning to publish David Drumm's written
statement this evening and accept it as evidence.
But this station understands that this morning the DPP has
contacted the inquiry raising concerns about the statement being
made public.
The banking inquiry has now sought clarification from the DPP on
how to proceed and has requested that legal advice as soon as
possible today.
I understand some members of the inquiry are frustrated that they
sought advice from the DPP over Mr Drumm's statement and
planned video link evidence and only received advice not to accept
the video link, and that the concerns about the written statement
are only being raised at the 11th hour.
The committee has been informed of the new concerns in private
session this morning, and will likely discuss the matter again in
private later today once the DPP's position has been made clear.
The banking inquiry is awaiting legal advice on the witness statement of

former Anglo Irish Bank CEO David Drumm.
The Banking Inquiry has suspended its plans to publish David

Drumm's written statement, it's been confirmed.
The inquiry said it will continue with its schedule of hearings,
and will hold further discussions with the DPP about
publishing Mr Drumm's evidence.
The publication of Mr Drumm's written evidence to the inquiry
was originally scheduled for yesterday, but was delayed after
the DPP said it would be strongly against the move.
The Oireacthas group sought legal advice on the matter

before today's decision not to publish the material.
Following that legal advice, and a meeting held in private
session this morning, it has decided to suspend publication of
the statement and liaise further with the DPP.
The group will now continue hearing from witnesses, including
friend and advisor to former Taoiseach Brian Cowen, Fintan
Drury, who is due before the inquiry today.
The committee agreed last night to suspend publication as the Director
of Public Prosecutions restated its opposition to publication.
It is the last day of public hearings at the banking inquiry before a break
for August and the committee is still wrestling with how to deal with the
evidence supplied by Mr Drumm.
It was to be published yesterday but the DPP intervened raising
concerns about its potential to prejudice upcoming trials.
The inquiry sought clarification but the DPP restated its opposition last
night.
The committee then agreed not to publish the statement pending a full
briefing from its own legal advisers expected this morning.
The inquiry particularly wants clarity before questioning former Anglo
Irish Bank non-executive director Fintan Drury, mentioned in the
statement, as he is due to give evidence at 9.30am.

Also on today's agenda, Alan Dukes and Mike Aynsley, who took over at
Anglo after nationalisation.
RT
Liquidators IBRC report in progress

and to be sent imminently
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
The special liquidators report into IBRC will be sent to the

Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE)
"imminently", according to sources.
A spokesman for KPMG, the special liquidators of IBRC,

said the report is in progress but declined to comment
on when exactly it would be delivered to the ODCE.
The contents of the report are confidential and will not be
released to the general public.
Under Section 56 of the Company Law Enforcement Act,
all liquidators have to make a report for the ODCE.
These reports indicate, among other matters, whether the
liquidator is seeking relief from the obligation that
ordinarily exists to take restriction proceedings against the
directors of a company.
Unless relieved by the ODCE, the liquidator is required to

initiate such proceedings.
In the majority of cases the relief is granted, but in roughly
10% to 15% of company liquidations, relief is not granted.
In these circumstances,restriction proceedings then
commence within five months from when the report was
submitted.
It is only if the special liquidator initiates proceedings
through the High Court that it will be known if a case is
being taken against any former directors of IBRC.
IBRC was responsible for winding down the assets of Anglo
Irish Bank and Irish Nationwide Building Society.
It was forced into liquidation in February 2013 as part of
the restructuring of the 23bn in promissory notes.
Alan Dukes was appointed chairman of the bank by the
government. Australian Mike Aynsley was the chief
executive at the time of the liquidation.
Finance Minister Michael Noonan said that all IBRC assets
would be offered to private investors and any assets that
were not sold would then be transferred to Nama.
Nama issued a 12.9bn floating charge note to the Central
Bank as consideration for the roughly 22bn nominal
value of IBRC assets.
An update from the special liquidators on June 6 revealed
that 10.9bn has been repaid and it is expected that the
remaining 2bn will be repaid over the course of this year.
It is also expected that no IBRC assets will be transferred
to Nama.
The State is expected to be paid 275m by

the liquidators of IBRC, formerly Anglo Irish
Bank and Irish Nationwide.
The Finance Minister Michael Noonan said

that an interim payment of 25% of claims
made by creditors would be made by the end
of this year.
The unsecured creditors include the State,
credit unions and local authorities.
Minister Noonan said liquidators expected the
creditors will eventually be paid 75% to 100%
of what they are owed.
After creditors are paid, the remaining funds
could be distributed to junior bondholders.
However, this would depend on future asset
sales and litigation.
IBRC now only has 37 employees and all of
the bank's offices have been closed.
Today's progress report on the special
liquidation of IBRC says litigation continues to
be a "key risk" and 29 new sets of legal
proceedings have been added since January
of 2015.
"I am satisfied with the financial outcome of
the liquidation to date which has far
exceeded our expectations and has not
resulted in any further cost to the Irish
taxpayer," Mr Noonan stated.
State pays out 110m to IBRC's
liquidators
1
A workman removes the Anglo Irish Bank sign from outside the
bank's headquarters in St Stephens Green. Photo: Damien Eagers
THE final closure of the former Anglo Irish

Bank won't happen until legal actions,
including those against the family of former
tycoon Sean Quinn, have ended.
Yesterday it was revealed that 110m in fees had been paid
to accountants, banks and lawyers working on the
liquidation of Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (IBRC)
in the 14 months to the end of March, in a progress report
published by Finance Minister Michael Noonan yesterday.
But the decision to close IBRC early by putting it into
liquidation has ultimately saved 1.1bn in having to keep
the bank running until 2020, according to the report.
It is now hoped that IBRC will be wound down by the end
of the year, when its remaining 2.5bn of assets linked to
the former scandal-hit lender are expected to be sold off.
About 12.9bn advanced by the State to help cover the
costs of the wind-down will have been repaid by autumn,

liquidators KPMG told the Government.
The report shows the liquidation team have held meetings
with officials from the Department of Finance as
frequently as once a week.
Even after the final sale of assets, the liquidation process
and some of the fees associated with it will continue
because of the separate ongoing legal battles, such as highprofile cases involving the Quinn family, David Drumm in
the United States and litigation surrounding Irish
Nationwide Building Society.
IBRC was rushed into a dramatic liquidation on February
7 last year on the orders of Minister Noonan.
The progress report showed special liquidators from
accountancy firm KPMG earned the lion's share of the fees
paid to date, roughly 53m in the 14 months to the end of
March, or about 40pc of the total cost associated with
shutting Anglo.
Charges paid to KPMG where the special liquidators
Kieran Wallace and Eamonn Richardson are partners
were in line with rates struck by the National Asset
Management Agency but were reduced by 5m following
discussions requested by Finance Minister Michael
Noonan, according to the latest report.
Law firm A&L Goodbody racked up the next highest fees
with 25m earned, but it also agreed a rebate of 2.5m.
International law firm Linklaters earned 16m and
agreed a 100,000 rebate.
Mr Noonan said the successful outcome of the liquidation
process "has drawn a line once and for all" under the cost
to the taxpayer of Anglo.
"A significant risk to the State and taxpayer has been
removed and the benefit of this can be seen in the
significant reduction in the State's borrowing costs," he
said.
"The success of the liquidation has brought many new
investors to Ireland and this has had knock-on benefits
across the economy."
The progress report on the special liquidation of

the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (IBRC)
gives a rare glimpse inside the biggest liquidation
in Irish corporate history.
would have been due to report on the second anniversary

of the liquidation in February. But Finance Minister
Michael Noonan said that, on the suggestions of his
officials, it was decided to publish a progress report to
provide a "transparent" update.
The scale of the operation to wind down the bank has been
considerable, and has included 345 parties across 13
countries. Mr Noonan said the sheer complexity of the
operation is borne out in the myriad of numbers laid out in
the report.
Since the former scandal-hit lender was placed into
liquidation in February of last year, 21.7bn of loans have
been brought to the market.
Just 2.5bn remains, with 90pc of the loan book being
sold. The final 2.5bn, which includes 6,500 residential
mortgages, mostly in the Republic, is expected to be sold
by the end of the year.
The KPMG liquidators are to tender for advisors for these
loans in the coming weeks and no decision has yet been

made on whether mortgage holders will be able to buy
back their loans.
Over the course of the liquidation, 27,000 letters were
issued to borrowers and 3,500 property valuations have
been obtained.
More than 80,000 documents were reviewed and
uploaded to virtual data rooms.
Some 201 bids were received across six portfolios
Projects Pebble, Sand, Evergreen, Rock, Salt and Stone,
with collateral based in 22 different jurisdictions.
Repaid
The progress report also details the engagement between
the special liquidators and the Department of Finance,
with weekly liquidation update meetings, weekly sales
update meetings and monthly liquidation and sales
updates.
The 12.9bn National Asset Resolution Limited (NARL)
facility money advanced by the State to fund the wind
down will be repaid in full by the third quarter of the
year. A total of 10.9bn has already been repaid following
the loan sales.
To date, payments of 28.6m and 109.8m have been
made through the Deposit Guarantee Scheme and the
Eligibility Liability Guarantee Scheme (ELG), with the
liquidators saying in the report that the remainder will be
paid as claim forms are submitted for the ELG scheme.
Mr Noonan said the outcome exceeded expectations.
The good news for taxpayers is the report makes clear
there is little or no risk that the catastrophic cost of saving
Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Nationwide Building Society
will be higher than estimated before the plug was pulled.
The bad news is that the bank failures will ultimately still
cost taxpayers around 30bn.
Progress Report Update on the successful Special Liquidation of IBRC
Home Progress Report Update on the successful Special

Liquidation of IBRC
/#content-header
Department of Finance (DoF)

Document Type:
Publications
Practice Area:
Banking and Finance
The Minister for Finance, Mr. Michael Noonan T.D. has received and
published a Progress Update Report on the special liquidation of
IBRC from the Special Liquidators, Mr Kieran Wallace and Mr
Eamonn Richardson.
http://www.betterregulation.com/ie/news/progress-report-updatesuccessful-special-liquidation-ibrc
IBRC annual report for 2011 - Anglo Irish

Bank
partner to minimise the environmental impact of our Annual
Report & Accounts 2011 publication. ... (IBRC) in October
2011
http://www.ibrc.ie/About_us/Financial_information/Annual_
Report/Annual_Report_2011.pdf
Briefing Paper on the IBRC, ELA and

Promissory Notes Prepared ...
http://www.karlwhelan.com/IrishEconomy/Oireachtas-Feb-2012.pdf
The Irish Government actively promotes foreign direct

investment (FDI) and has had ... exit a Troika bailout program.
http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/227418.pdf
From Bail-out to Bail-in: Mandatory Debt

Restructuring of ...
https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/sdn/2012/sdn1203.pdf
IBRC liquidation Progress Report The Irish Economy
http://www.finance.gov.ie/sites/default/files/DOF_IBRC_Pr
ogress%20update%20report%20to%2031%20Dec
%2014.pdf
NAMA BOARD MINUTES
First Meeting o f2014:12.30pm. to 1.00pm., 8thJanuary 2014, Treasury

Building
https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/2082329/na
maminutes2014.pdf
Dodd-Frank Progress Report ... Orderly Liquidation
Authority ... As of February 1, 2013 Dodd-Frank Study
Progress by Due Date
http://web.law.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/documentlibrary/clsbsbdl_document/files/Feb2013_Dodd.Frank_.Pr
ogress.Report.pdf
NAMA report floating charge from the Central Bank as

part of the liquidation of IBRC in February 2013. By the
end of this year, ... C&AGs Progress Report,
http://www.tara.tcd.ie/bitstream/handle/2262/69791/Brend
anMcDonaghOpening_Address_to_Public_Accounts_Committee_29Ma
y2014.pdf;sequence=1
DOF_IBRC_Progress update report to 31 Dec 14
http://www.finance.gov.ie/sites/default/files/DOF_IBRC_Pr
ogress%20update%20report%20to%2031%20Dec
%2014.pdf
EU/IMF bailout ... other international institution to produce
a public report
http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/229022.pdf
Social Justice Ireland statement on

Anglo/IBRC agreement
8th February 2013
Deal on Anglo/IBRC compounds the injustice of the original

deal and copper-fastens it for generations to come.
The liquidation of IBRC and the related changes agreed

between the Irish Government and the European Central Bank
(ECB) has compounded the injustice of the original deal. It is
clear that Government and the European Central Bank have
decided that banks must be protected ahead of people and
that bank gambling debts must be repaid by those of us who
had no hand, act or part in causing the banking collapse in the
first place.
This new agreement is unjust for at least three reasons:
While the agreement holds the potential to ease some of the
current budget austerity it is unjust that Irish people continue
to carry the burden of repaying much of the losses incurred by
reckless bankers and speculators who gambled their money in
Anglo-Irish Bank.
It is also unjust that the systematic transfer of resources to the
rich from the rest of us has been copper-fastened in this new
agreement. In recent years resources have been transferred
from low and middle-income people to those who are rich e.g.
the bondholders and speculators who benefitted from the
Anglo deal. This process is now copper fastened as the
sovereign takes responsibility for the debt.
A further injustice can be seen in the fact that while it has been
agreed by the European Council that banks and financial
institutions will have to share in the hit if they crash in the
future, Ireland has been blocked from benefitting from this
facility where the Anglo crash is concerned.
Social Justice Ireland fully acknowledges the gravity of the
situation which has been caused by a variety of groups
including bankers, regulators and government itself. However,
decisions in this context should be fair and just.
Social Justice Ireland believes a fairer future is possible. For
that to emerge, however, a different approach is needed which
prioritises investment, promotes public services, protects
vulnerable people and communities and ensures its
development is underpinned by an equitable tax system.
Overview of moving from Promissory Notes to Soverign Debt

Presentaion
Social Justice Ireland statement on

Anglo/IBRC agreement
8th February 2013
https://www.socialjustice.ie/sites/default/files/attach/policy-issuearticle/3089/2013-02-07pppresentationbyjohnmoranrepnchange1.pdf
Q&A IBRC liquidation 6 Feb 2013
https://www.socialjustice.ie/sites/default/files/file/Bailout
%20docs/2013-02-06%20-%20Information%20note%20on%20IBRC
%20liquidation%20-%20D%20Finance.pdf
Governments must break the link

between states and their banks and
minimize costs to taxpayers - Chopra
(IMF) supports position proposed by
Social Justice Ireland
16th October 2011
https://www.socialjustice.ie/sites/default/files/attach/policy-issuearticle/3084/2011-10-15-ajaichoprastrengtheningthefinancialstabilityframeworkoftheeu.pdf
A different approach to tackling debt

crisis - Karl Whelan article in
Business and Finance
4th December 2011
This article was written by Professor Karl Whelan of UCD and

published in Business and Finance November 2011.
Debates about burning bondholders who have already

been repaid misses the point. It is all about promissory
notes, writes Karl Whelan.

The repayment of a $1 billion unguaranteed unsecured Anglo
bond in early November generated a heated debate about the
burden that banks debts are placing on the Irish taxpayer. Most
of this debate has focused on the question of whether it is fair
for the Irish taxpayers to repay these bondholders.
One could debate the merits of the ECBs position on Anglo
bonds until the cows come home. However, the vast majority of
the bonds of Anglo and Irish Nationwide, now combined to
form the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (IBRC), have been
repaid. In addition, the bond debts of Bank of Ireland and AIB
will end up being honoured both because these banks are now
solvent thanks to massive taxpayer investments and write-downs
of subordinated bonds.
So the debate about bondholders is largely a too-little-too-late
affair. Strangely, however, there has been very little public
discussion about a far more significant issue: The need to repay
Emergency Liquidity Assistance provided to Anglo and Irish
Nationwide. This issue is somewhat technical but Ill do my best
to explain it in simple terms.
Banks that cannot obtain market funding from depositors or
bond investors often borrow from central banks as an
alternative. Within the Eurosystem, the standard procedure for
these loans involves banks pledging some financial assets to
their national central bank as collateral which can be kept by
the central bank if the borrowing bank does not pay back. If this
collateral still does not cover the amount loaned out, the losses
incurred by the central bank are shared with all the other central
banks in the Eurosystem.
In general, the collateral required to obtain loans from the
Eurosystem should be marketable assets of high quality. During
the crisis, all of the Irish banks used up all their eligible
collateral but still needed extra funding to pay off bonds and
deposits.
Instead of regular Eurosystem loans, the Irish banks received

what is known as Emergency Liquidity Assistance (ELA) from
the Central Bank of Ireland. The Central Bank of Ireland is
legally allowed to give these loans unless the ECB Governing
Council finds by a majority of two thirds that these interfere
with the objectives and tasks of the Eurosystem.
In practice, this means that the Central Bank of Ireland had to
consult with the ECB Governing Council (whose twenty three
members consist of the seventeen national country governors
and the six members of the ECB Executive Board) to set the
terms of its ELA operations. These terms included a guarantee
from the Minister for Finance that the ELA would be repaid but
no official timeline for repayment has been published.
The ELA is recorded on the Central Banks balance sheet under
the heading Other Assets and this category rose from only a
couple of billion euros before the crisis to 70 billion in
February. This had fallen to 48 billion by October as money
from recapitalising banks and selling off assets was channelled
towards repaying the ELA.
At this point, the vast majority of the outstanding ELA, about
42 billion by my estimate, is owed by the dreaded IBRC. In
fact, the ELA now appears to account for about two-thirds of the
debts of the IBRC.
Unfortunately, the balance sheet of the IBRC shows very little in
the way of good financial assets likely to yield funds to repay
this enormous ELA debt, equivalent to almost 10,000 per man,
woman and child in the Republic.
IBRCs principal assets are what is known as promissory
notes from the Minister for Finance. These notes promise to
provide Anglo with 3.1 billion on March 31 every year up to
2023 and then an additional 7.6 billion in payments up to 2031.
These notes currently account for 20 percentage points of GDP
of our national debt and the interest payments on the notes will
continue to be added to the debt in the coming years.
It is important to emphasise that even though the ELA

repayments are going to the Central Bank of Ireland, a public
sector body, there is no hidden benefit to the state from these
repayments. The Central Bank will take in its 3.1 billion annual
payment and then deduct this from the value of its ELA asset.
On the liability side of its balance sheet (which shows how
much money the Bank has created) it will reduce other
liabilities by 3.1 billion because this repayment is effectively
siphoning off part of the money that was created in the original
ELA operation. In this case, no new securities are purchased by
the Bank. It is as if the 3.1 billion is being burned.
It is true that the Irish taxpayer has taken on far too big a burden
in ensuring that bondholders at Anglo and INBS were repaid.
But quibbling about bondholders misses the elephant in the
room. It is the huge burden of repaying ELA, not bondholders,
that is going to bleed the taxpayer dry for the next twenty years.
It is time for the Irish government to declare that it has no
intention of putting 3.1 billion towards repaying ELA in March
and that it has arranged an agreement in principle with the
Central Bank of Ireland that the state will repay this debt when it
has fully recovered from its current crisis.
If my understanding of the legal situation is correct, then Patrick
Honohan would only require the support of seven other
members of the ECB Governing Council to proceed with this
plan. This could easily be achieved with the support of Mario
Draghi. Ireland has borne a heavy burden in the name of
European financial stability. Its time for a quid pro quo from
super Mario.
2011 Facts and Figures on Euopean

Banks
20th January 2012
https://www.socialjustice.ie/sites/default/files/attach/policyissue-article/3079/2012-01-eubankingsectorfactsfigures2011.pdf
Euro Summit makes some progress

but huge questions remain
29th June 2012
Social Justice Ireland welcomes the Euro Area Summit (June 2829, 2012) conclusion that "it is imperative to break the vicious
circle between banks and sovereigns". This is a development
we have advocated for almost four years. However, the
specifics of how this is to be done and what its impact will be
on Ireland's budgetary situation are not clear.
As always the devil will be in the detail. The more carefully we
examine the text of the statement issued after the summit, the
more questions are raised about how the proposed measures
will actually work. What the statement says is: "When an
effective single supervisory mechanism is established, involving
the ECB, for banks in the euro area the ESM could, following a
regular decision, have the possibility to recapitalize banks
directly" (emphasis ours). So once a supervisory mechanism is
in place the ESM could have the possibility of taking such
action.
The devil as usual will be in the detail. The more carefully one
examines the text of the statement, the more questions are
raised about how the proposed measures will actually work.
The German Finance Minister has insisted that there will be no
increase in the size of the ESM. This position has not been
changed at the summit The German Chancellor has repeatedly
insisted that there will be no joint financing of Eurozone debt
(e.g. through Eurobonds) before full fiscal union has been put
in place. This position too has not changed as a result of the
summit.,
It appears that the summit has given the ESM new
responsibilities but has not provided the additional money
required to act on those responsibilities. The summit

statement remains obscure.
On Ireland, the summit statement states: "The Eurogroup will
examine the situation of the Irish financial sector with the view
of further improving the sustainability of the well-performing
adjustment programme. Similar cases will be treated equally."
What does this mean in terms of Irelands debt? There is
nothing in this statement that would suggest the debt Ireland is
carrying due to the bank bailout will be shared or reduced.
As Social Justice Ireland has constantly argued reducing the
debt is the key issue. Ireland and its citizens are carrying a
64bn debt to bail out banks a debt that was not our debt,
should not be presented as our debt and should not be
accepted as being our debt. What we get is a fund which will
loan money directly to banks. The fund will not absorb losses.
The fund will want its loans back. So who is going to pay?
It is also important to note that nothing in this deal was
achieved by Ireland's negotiating stance; rather it was achieved
as a result of much better negotiating tactics (than Ireland was
prepared to use) by the Spanish and Italian governments.
Euro Summit makes some progress

but huge questions remain
29th June 2012
https://www.socialjustice.ie/sites/default/files/attach/policyissue-article/3083/2012-06-29-euroareasummitstatementtext.pdf
Reading The Greek Deal Correctly

25th February 2015
The following article by Professor James K. Galbraith appeared

in Social Europe Journal on 23 February 2015 and challenges
the analysis which has been communicated across mainstream
media for several days.
break
On Friday as news of the Brussels deal came through, Germany
claimed victory and it is no surprise that most of the working
press bought the claim. They have high authorities to quote
and to rely on. Thus from London The Independent reported:
several analysts agreed that the results of the talks amounted
to a humiliating defeat for Greece.
No details followed, the analysts were unnamed, and their
affiliations went unstated although further down two were
quoted and both work for banks. Many similar examples could
be given, from both sides of the Atlantic.
The New Yorker is another matter. It is an independent
magazine, with a high reputation, written for a detached
audience. And John Cassidy is an analytical reporter. Readers
are inclined to take him seriously and when he gets something
wrong, it matters. Cassidys analysis appeared under the
headline, How Greece Got Outmaneuvered and his lead
paragraph contains this sentence:
Greeces new left-wing Syriza government had been telling
everyone for weeks that it wouldnt agree to extend the bailout,
and that it wanted a new loan agreement that freed its hands,
which marks the deal as a capitulation by Syriza and a victory
for Germany and the rest of the E.U. establishment.
In fact, there was never any chance for a loan agreement that
would have wholly freed Greeces hands. Loan agreements
come with conditions. The only choices were an agreement
with conditions, or no agreement and no conditions. The choice
had to be made by February 28, beyond which date ECB
support for the Greek banks would end. No agreement would
have meant capital controls, or else bank failures, debt default,
and early exit from the Euro. SYRIZA was not elected to take
Greece out of Europe. Hence, in order to meet electoral
commitments, the relationship between Athens and Europe
had to be extended in some way acceptable to both.
But extend what, exactly? There were two phrases at play, and
neither was the vague extend the bailout. The phrase extend
the current programme appeared in troika documents,
implying acceptance of the existing terms and conditions. To
the Greeks this was unacceptable, but the technically-morecorrect extend the loan agreement was less problematic. The
final document extends the Master Financial Assistance Facility
Agreement which was better still. The MFFA is underpinned
by a set of commitments but these are technically distinct.
In short, the MFFA is extended but the commitments are to be
reviewed.
Also there was the lovely word arrangement which the
Greek team spotted in a draft communiqu offered by
Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem on Monday afternoon
and proceeded to deploy with abandon. The Friday document
is a masterpiece in this respect:
The purpose of the extension is the successful completion of
the review on the basis of the conditions in the current
arrangement, making best use of the given flexibility which will
be considered jointly with the Greek authorities and the
institutions. This extension would also bridge the time for
discussions on a possible follow-up arrangement between the
Eurogroup, the institutions and Greece. The Greek authorities
will present a first list of reform measures, based on the
current arrangement, by the end of Monday February 23. The
institutions will provide a first view whether this is sufficiently
comprehensive to be a valid starting point for a successful
conclusion of the review.
If you think you can find an unwavering commitment to the
exact terms and conditions of the current programme in that
language, good luck to you. It isnt there. So, no, the troika cant
come to Athens and complain about the rehiring of cleaning
ladies.
To understand the issues actually at stake between Greece and
Europe, you have to dig a little into the infamous
Memorandum of Understanding signed by the previous
Greek governments. A first point: not everything in that paper
is unreasonable. Much merely reflects EU laws and regulations.
Provisions relating to tax administration, tax evasion,
corruption, and modernization of public administration are,
broadly, good policy and supported by SYRIZA. So it was not
difficult for the new Greek government to state adherence to
seventy percent of the memorandum.
The remaining thirty percent fell mainly into three areas: fiscal
targets, fire-sale privatizations and labor-law changes. The fiscal
target of a 4.5 percent primary surplus was a dog as everyone
would admit in private. The new government does not oppose
privatizations per se; it opposes those that set up price-gouging
private monopolies and it opposes fire sales that fail to bring in
much money. Labor law reform is a more basic disagreement
but the position of the Greek government is in line with ILO
standards, and that of the programme was not. These
matters will now be discussed. The fiscal target is now history,
and the Greeks agreed to refrain from unilateral measures
only for the four-month period during which they will be
seeking agreement.
Cassidy acknowledges some of this, but then minimizes it, with
the comment that the deal seems to rule out any large-scale
embrace of Keynesian stimulus policies. In what document
does any such promise exist? There is no money in Greece; the
government is bankrupt. Large-scale Keynesian policies were
never on the table as they would necessarily imply exit an
expansionary policy in a new currency, with all the usual
dangers. Inside the Euro, investment funds have to come from
better tax collection, or from the outside, including private
investors and the European Investment Bank. Cassidys
comment seems to have been pulled from the air.
Another distant fantasy is the notion that the SYRIZA team was
giddy with political success, which had come practically out of

nowhere. Actually SYRIZA knew for months that if it could force
an election last December, it would win. And I was there on
Sunday night, February 8, when Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras
opened Parliament with his version of the State of the Union.
Tsipras doesnt do giddy. And Yanis Varoufakiss first words to
me on arrival at the finance ministry just before we went over
to hear him were these: Welcome to the poisoned chalice.
Turning to the diplomatic exchanges, Cassidy concludes that
Tsipras and Varoufakis overplayed their hand. An observer on
the scene would have noticed that the Greek government
remained united; initial efforts to marginalize Varoufakis were
made and rebuffed. Then as talks proceeded, European
Commission leaders Jean-Claude Juncker and Pierre Moscovici
went off-reservation to be helpful, offering a constructive draft
on Monday. Other governments softened their line. At the endgame, remarkably, it was the German government that split in
public with Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel calling the Greek
letter a basis for negotiation after Finance Minister Wolfgang
Schuble said it wasnt. And that set up Chancellor Angela
Merkel to make a mood-changing call to Alexis Tsipras. Possibly
the maneuver was choreographed. But still, it was Schuble
who took a step back in the end. It seems that none of these
facts caught Cassidys attention.
Finally, in the run-up to these talks did the Greek side fail to
realize that they had no leverage, giving as Cassidy writes all
the advantages to Schuble once he realized that Varoufakis
couldnt play the Grexit card? In truth the Greeks never had
any intention of playing any cards, nor of bluffing, as Varoufakis
wrote in The New York Times and as I had written two days
after the election, in Social Europe:
What leverage does Greece have? Obviously, not much; the
heavy weapons are on the other side. But there is something.
Prime Minister Tsipras and his team can present the case of
reason without threats of any kind. Then the right and moral
gesture on the other side would be to grant fiscal space and
to guarantee Greek financial stability while talks are underway.

If that happens, then proper negotiations can proceed.
That appears to be what happened. And it happened for the
reason given in my essay: in the end, Chancellor Merkel
preferred not to be the leader responsible for the
fragmentation of Europe.
Alexis Tsipras stated it correctly. Greece won a battle perhaps
a skirmish and the war continues. But the political sea-change
that SYRIZAs victory has sparked goes on. From a psychological
standpoint, Greece has already changed; there is a spirit and
dignity in Athens that was not there six months ago. Soon
enough, new fronts will open in Spain, then perhaps Ireland,
and later Portugal, all of which have elections coming. It is not
likely that the government in Greece will collapse, or yield, in
the talks ahead, and over time the scope of maneuver gained in
this first skirmish will become more clear. In a year the political
landscape of Europe may be quite different from what it
appears to be today.
This article first appeared in Social Europe Journal
About James K. Galbraith
James K. Galbraith holds the Lloyd M. Bentsen Jr. Chair in
Government/Business Relations and a professorship of
Government at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs,
The University of Texas at Austin. He is the author, most
recently, of The End of Normal.
WHERE DID THE GREEK BAILOUT MONEY GO? DRAFT VERSION
http://static.esmt.org/publications/whitepapers/WP-16-02.pdf
Restructuring and Recovery of the Irish

Financial Sector: An Economic Case
History V2
http://repec.maynoothuniversity.ie/mayecw-files/N259-15.pdf
Overview of moving from Promissory

Notes to Soverign Debt - February 67, 2013
9th February 2013
Legislation has been passed providing for the orderly wind up

of IBRC through the appointment of Special Liquidators
who will manage the process
Existing funding arrangements with regard to the Promissory
Notes between IBRC and the Central Bank of
Ireland (CBI) unwind and the CBI becomes economic owner of
the Promissory Notes which are exchanged for
Government bonds
NAMA, through an SPV, has been directed to acquire the
Exceptional Liquidity Assistance (ELA) Facility Deed
and the associated floating charge over the other IBRC assets
from the CBI, funding this purchase by the
issuance of Government Guaranteed NAMA bonds to the CBI
The other creditors of IBRC will receive payment to the extent
there are excess assets in the company available
The Promissory Notes will be replaced with a portfolio of
Irish Government bonds
The portfolio will be comprise:
https://www.socialjustice.ie/sites/default/files/attach/policyissue-article/3070/2013-02-07pppresentationbyjohnmoranrepnchange.pdf
An Overview: Irelands Bailout and associated Budget for
2011 1 Background On 7 December 2010, the European Union
formally approved an 85billion financial
http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/globalassets/documents/rais
e/publications/2010/finance-personnel/19810.pdf
IRELAND - European Commission
covered creditors of Irish Bank Resolution Corporation

(IBRC) (0.6%).(20) The upward ... increased from 106% in
2011 to 118% in 2012.
http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/eu/forecasts/2013_s
pring/ie_en.pdf
Quinns' Fight with Anglo

Resembles Bank Inquiry ; Material
Given to the Quinn Family, in Its
Battle with the Former Anglo Irish
Bank, Indicates What Would Be
Revealed in a Banking Inquiry
An indication of the type of material that would emerge were a
banking inquiry ever established is contained in an affidavit
sworn earlier this year by Aoife Quinn, daughter of the former
billionaire, Sen Quinn snr.
The Quinn family, in its battle with the former Anglo Irish
Bank, has been given access to a swathe of material as a result
of an order of discovery granted by the courts in July of last
year.
One of those documents, called the O'Connor Report by the
Quinns, is dated January 9th, 2009, and was prepared by
Anglo executive Pat Whelan for Donal O'Connor, a nonexecutive director of Anglo and an accountant with
PricewaterhouseCoopers, who was appointed executive
chairman of the bank in December 2008 following the
departure of chairman Sen FitzPatrick.
http://www.thejournal.ie/concerns-banking-inquiry-david-drummstatement-2241723-Jul2015/
Banking inquiry to accept

written statement of David
Drumm
Former Anglo chief executives submission to be published
at 6.30pm on Wednesday
Wed, Jul 29, 2015, 00:29 Updated: Wed, Jul 29, 2015, 07:21
Sarah Bardon
In the correspondence, David Drumm had apologised to the people affected

by the crash and to staff who worked with the bank. Photograph: Josh
Reynolds for The Irish Times
The banking inquiry has agreed to accept the written

statement of former Anglo Irish Bank chief executive
David Drumm.
At a private session last night, the committee formally
rejected Mr Drumms offer to give evidence by video
link.
However, it agreed to accept the evidence the banker
sent to committee members last week.

The full statement will be published at 6.30pm on
Wednesday.
Apologised
In the correspondence, Mr Drumm had apologised to

the people affected by the crash and to staff who
worked with the bank.
He had also contradicted evidence given to the
committee by former taoiseach Brian Cowen. The
people he referenced in his written statement will be
given the opportunity to respond.
It is unknown at this stage whether witnesses may be
recalled at a future date.
This will be decided when all public hearings are
concluded in September.
It is expected Mr Drumms statement will be published
on the inquirys website on Wednesday.
A number of former Anglo executives, including Fintan
Drury who is referred to in Mr Drumms statement
will appear on Thursday.
It is expected he will be asked about claims that the
former chief executive of Anglo Irish Bank and Mr
Cowen discussed banking issues at a board dinner in
April 2008.
The former taoiseach insisted there was no business
discussed and it was a purely social occasion.
Mr Drumm claimed bank funding issues were debated
between the two.
The inquiry also discussed concerns that the final
report could be delayed due to an ongoing
investigation into claims by a whistleblower.
The committee was due to report at the end of
November but fears grew last night this could be
pushed back until December.
A whistleblower has made a series of allegations about
the investigation team working with the committee.

ADVERTISEMENT
Senior counsel Senan Allen has been hired to probe the

claims by the person who worked as an investigator
with the committee.
Members admitted last night the final findings may be
delayed until that investigation was complete.
Review
The inquiry also discussed a letter from Fianna Fil

Senator Marc MacSharry about revising the witness
list.
He had called for a number of people, including
another whistleblower who worked in the Department
of Finance, Marie Mackle, to appear. However, the
committee did not make a final decision on this.
Mr MacSharry has now written to Taoiseach Enda
Kenny to seek an independent review into the
allegations by the whistleblower.
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/banking-inquiry-to-acceptwritten-statement-of-david-drumm-1.2300267
Mairead McGuinness fails

to be selected in EU
presidential bid
Sarah Collins
PUBLISHED
13/12/2016
Taoiseach Enda Kenny in conversation with Mairead McGuinness

MEP
Midlands north-west MEP Mairead

McGuinness has failed to be selected for the
job of president of the European Parliament.
Ms McGuinness is Parliament's vice-president and a long-
standing member of its agriculture committee. She, along

with her Fine Gael colleagues, belong to the centre-right
European People's Party (EPP) group, the largest in the
Parliament.
She put herself forward after the incumbent president,
socialist Martin Schulz, announced he would step down
next year to run in the German national elections.
The EPP selected its candidate this evening, opting for
Italian MEP Antonio Tajani.
Antonio Tajani received 94 votes to Mairead McGuinness's
57. Frenchman Alain Lamassoure finished in third place
with 34.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny said Ms McGuinness would make
an "outstanding" president.
Agriculture minister Michael Creed said a win for Ms
McGuinness would be "a great help to the agriculture
sector, generally, and in particular the Irish agriculture
sector".
And Social Protection minister Leo Varadkar told the Irish
Independent this week that having an Irish person at the
helm of the Parliament would be crucial during Brexit
talks.
"The election of an Irish person as president of the
Parliament would send out an absolute, clear signal
through the European system that, not only are we
staying, we're at the top table, and that our perspectives
will be recognised within Europe," he said. "So I really
hope she pulls it off."
Under a deal done in 2014, the Parliament's presidency
was due to pass from the socialists to the EPP next year.
But the leader of the socialist group, Italian MEP Gianni
Pitella, threw a spanner in the works when he decided to
run last month.
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/mairead-mcguinnessfails-to-be-selected-in-eu-presidential-bid-35291781.html
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
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.

S
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 ?
m
m
m
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


reminders.

than one classroom.
jurisdictions.
those rights.
Human Rights.
human rights.
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
M
M
M
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

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.

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.
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
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.
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.
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"

#
9:57 PM - 3 Sep 2015
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:
M
M
M
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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
M
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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:
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
1:39 PM - 19 Jul 2016
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.
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
Enhanced supports for homeless families with
children; separately, enhanced supports for homeless
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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
Follow
TheJournal Politics
Taoiseach says plan will work to end the use of long term
emergency accommodation
#
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
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.
R
R
R
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.
Follow
TheJournal Politics
Coveney on why he didn't opt for nationwide rent cap

1:51 PM - 13 Dec 2016
Retweetslikes
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
#
#
#
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
#
#
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/

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'THIS IS OUR IRELAND' HOME SWEET HOME READING AT

Glen Hansard says the taking over of Apollo House is an

DAMIEN DEMPSEY 'WHERE IS OUR JAMES

Hansard - "Can you imagine walking home Christmas Eve

This is the actual article body

Glen Hansard has made an impassioned

This act of civil disobedience is about starting a long

4:40 PM - 16 Dec 2016

318 318 Retweets680 680 likes

While the Department of Housing, Planning

To applause and cheers from the audience,

This building was taken over peacefully last night.. my

his job, a real gent.

2:18 PM - 16 Dec 2016

219 219 Retweets488 488 likes

Earlier on Friday, another Home Sweet Home

Jim Sheridan - "I feel like I've been as heartless as

"We're trying to have a national discussion

"We know at least 140 people are sleeping

Nama building belongs to the people of

Singer Glen Hansard spoke passionately tonight about his

The Late Late Show

We are involved in an act of civil disobedience tells The

10:15 PM - 16 Dec 2016

452 452 Retweets607 607 likes

We are involved in an act of civil disobedience, he said.

Asked what the response would be if the group are told by

Apollo House where a group of campaigners have taken

Homeless families are being offered 25 hours of free

No homes for 2,470 of our children UN report shames our country

HOW many times does the Government have to be

It isnt as if the powers-that-be have not had constant

in the UK where emergency accommodation is very much

Free childcare for families affected by

Contracted childcare providers will get a flat weekly rate

Ms Zappone said the scheme would be extended outside

Fr McVerry: I applaud Apollo House

A leading social justice activist has said he will not be

"Though I think they are highlighting the absurdity of the

Irish charity sector is being

The charities sector in Ireland is a pretty crowded

donations whether from private or State sources. And

The Revenue Commissioners recognise 8,194 as

A leading social justice activist has said he will not be

93,338 a year, with five employees altogether on over

Deal Effect Ireland - Charity Sector

Jan 11, 2013

DealEffect.ie - Founding Charity

Sep 16, 2013

Time for the charity sector to be

Jan 22, 2014

REPORT ON ABUSE OF CHARITIES FOR

"There are 8 registered charities working with the

Charity Commission The text in this document

Bodger at 11:22 am December 16, 2016

Irish Homeless Street League Charity, Said

From top: Apollo House, Dublin this morning; Dr

In the last year the number of homeless families

profitability of the banks, the bailing out of the

NAMA to refurbish the empty NAMA and public

Glen Hansard: 'We are involved in an act

Shame and media attention is how the

Glen Hansard & the RT Concert