Irish Pork Barrel Politics: Where The Housing Funds Go

Scofflaw · 10-02-2015 11:12am #1

I seem to recall covering this before on foot of an academic study of the allocation of funds at Ministerial discretion, which showed a definite pattern of additional funding flowing to Ministers' constituencies. It may have been a little dry - "the correlation between the variables is significant" sort of stuff.

This is from RTE, and being journalistic, is more dramatically encapsulated in a handy infographic:

http://www.rte.ie/news/investigations-unit/2015/0206/678283-housing-funds-favour-counties-of-some-senior-politicians/

The average there would be what each county would get per capita if the funds were evenly divided. Obviously they are not evenly divided.

That's not to say these figures are quite as bad as they look - Mayo and Limerick do have a higher proportion of disabled and elderly than average, so their figures should be above average - just not quite that far above average.

Hoe acceptable is this kind of funnelling of discretionary funds towards Ministerial constituencies? And, if one finds it unacceptable, is it unacceptable only because someone else is benefiting?

cordially,
Scofflaw

Chips Lovell · 10-02-2015 1:58pm

I'd find it unacceptable because I'd believe in funding being allocated on the basis of need rather than influence. But then you wonder if you're in the minority, given how many people seem to vote on the basis of what a TD can get for their local area?

BoJack Horseman · 10-02-2015 2:05pm

The need for a list system grows & grows.

Scofflaw · 10-02-2015 7:55pm

Jep Gambardella wrote: »

I'd find it unacceptable because I'd believe in funding being allocated on the basis of need rather than influence. But then you wonder if you're in the minority, given how many people seem to vote on the basis of what a TD can get for their local area?

That's what strikes me - surely everyone would consider this unacceptable, yet equally surely Ministers do it because the beneficiaries find it not just acceptable but even expected.

Which in turn implies a poor level of public spirit.

cordially,
Scofflaw

oscarBravo · 10-02-2015 9:36pm

Scofflaw wrote: »

That's what strikes me - surely everyone would consider this unacceptable, yet equally surely Ministers do it because the beneficiaries find it not just acceptable but even expected.

You underestimate the Irish voter's capacity for doublethink. I've seen the very same people who decried such favouritism in the past rub their hands with glee at the prospect of Mayo benefiting from some largesse at last.

They don't even see it as doublethink: the argument goes that it shouldn't happen, but since it's always happened, we may as well benefit from it for the brief period that it's likely we can.

Manach · 13-02-2015 9:57pm

There was a similar study done matching the correlation between lotto grants and the minister who happen to in charge of sports. Very similar to the OP's graph, irrespective of which party the minister belonged to. Foxes and hen-houses spring to mind.

conorhal · 18-02-2015 2:56pm

Interesting, correct me if I'm wrong here, but that suggests the residents of the most affluent constituencies seem to be the biggest NIMBY's in the country, they like social housing in principle, just not in their area.

ardmacha · 19-02-2015 7:24pm

It is difficult to image that Donegal's needs are so much different from Mayo's as suggested by the above table.

conorhal wrote: »

Interesting, correct me if I'm wrong here, but that suggests the residents of the most affluent constituencies seem to be the biggest NIMBY's in the country, they like social housing in principle, just not in their area.

if you live where property is most expensive then it is logical to suggest that social housing be built elsewhere as more can be built with the same funds at a cheaper location.

Hotblack Desiato · 21-02-2015 7:59pm

conorhal wrote: »

Interesting, correct me if I'm wrong here, but that suggests the residents of the most affluent constituencies seem to be the biggest NIMBY's in the country, they like social housing in principle, just not in their area.

Ever been to Loughlinstown? No, thought not.

There is plenty a great deal of social housing in DLR (although almost certainly not enough, like everywhere else)

As a resident of SDCC it's very disappointing to see it well down the rankings. There is huge social housing need in its area. The government can borrow cheaply, housing is definitely needed, building it creates employment in the skill areas worst hit by the crash. Win win win all round, so why is so little being done?

And the ruralist nature of Irish politics is exposed once again. Dublin voters are under-represented and a lot of their TDs are rural 'party men' and 'party women' parachuted in who have no real feeling for the city.

conorhal · 23-02-2015 11:55am

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

Ever been to Loughlinstown? No, thought not.

There is plenty a great deal of social housing in DLR (although almost certainly not enough, like everywhere else)

As a resident of SDCC it's very disappointing to see it well down the rankings. There is huge social housing need in its area. The government can borrow cheaply, housing is definitely needed, building it creates employment in the skill areas worst hit by the crash. Win win win all round, so why is so little being done?

And the ruralist nature of Irish politics is exposed once again. Dublin voters are under-represented and a lot of their TDs are rural 'party men' and 'party women' parachuted in who have no real feeling for the city.

There may be a great deal of social housing in DLR, but how much if it was built in to 60's to the 1980's and how much of it has been built there since?

Irish Pork Barrel Politics: Where The Housing Funds Go

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