Discrimination in Ireland

keu

I don't know how relevant this is, but I tend to take examples of the implications from personal experience, than to quote logical idioms to support my views.

It seems to me that the Irish are being discriminated against in their own country, by their own government and all I keep hearing about is refugees and other ethnic minorities which people seem to be more inclined to stand up and shout about.

This is just a vent, and it didn't seem suited to politics.

last year while on my way out for a few drinks with a friend we passed a bloke sitting on the steps of the franciscan friary wrapped up in a blanket in the pissing rain. He was a local homeless fella and knew him by name. He was a harmless man, not an alco bum, apx mid 60's.
After walking past, I had to turn around and go back and tell him there was a mens hospital a couple of yards away who would surely let him in out of the rain and offer him a bed for the night. He said he had already been there and they were full up. (i'm not sure how many they can take in there but it's no more than twenty)
I said there was another hostel (viking house) around the corner but the last I remembered there was a nominal fee and offered to put up the price for a warm bed.
So in delight he got up of the ground (soaking wet) and we walked to the hostel.
I knew it was being used to accomodate refugees, but I knew it was a big place (and a publhostel for public use, previously used by backpackers) and if someone was offering cash that there shouldn't have been any issues.
After waiting half an hour for a receptionsit to arrive, I asked the price for a night and was told bluntly that under no circumstances would he be allowed to stay as the hostel only accomdated refugees.
(during the half hour wait, I was able to access the reception computer from over the desk and saw that there were at least 20 rooms free)
The homeless bloke got a bit anxious because he didn't want to make a fuss, but eventually we left (very pissed off) back out in the pissing rain and I gave him the money that would have covered the price for a night in the hostel anyway.
He went back to his spot on the steps of the friary and camped there for the night with just a blanket.

I cannot understand how or why this government can provide (luxury) resources for foreign nationals and yet fail to provide for our own.
This is just one case, but here in waterford refugees have been provided with accomodation in some of the most desirable locations (where the government pays the rent) example, tramore's newest housing along side tramore bay, which was initially built as private luxury accomodation, and the rest of the city's requirements are being housed in run down local authority dwellings.
What is wrong with this picture.

simu

I wouldn't say it's discrimination but good ol' incompetence and lack of coordination on the part of the govt. agencies in charge of homelessness & asylum seekers tbh.

keu

it only seems reasonable then that the Government has a racism issue on their hands.
Don't ya think.

simu

I think the government should be very careful about how they handle asylum seekers and so on in this country - already, there are wild rumours flying around the place about what benefits asylum seekers get and this leads to hostility as people think they are getting preferential treatment. I know you can get info about their entitlements online but most people won't bother looking for this and will believe whatever they hear so I think it would do no harm if govt members spoke out about what benefits asylum seekers actually do receive in public, time and time again if necessary.

As for homelessness - that is definitely a problem in Ireland too and homelessness agencies seem to be underfunded. The problem is that, unlike you, most people don't seem to care very much at all about the homeless and they seem to think that seeing people begging on the streets is normal so it doesn't become an election issue.

This is just one case, but here in waterford refugees have been provided with accomodation in some of the most desirable locations (where the government pays the rent) example, tramore's newest housing along side tramore bay, which was initially built as private luxury accomodation, and the rest of the city's requirements are being housed in run down local authority dwellings.

I don't know about this, maybe this is along similar lines to the scheme they have in Dublin that sets aside a certain percentage of houses in some (or all? I don't know) new estates for "social housing". Or else, I'd imagine that the local authority rents accomodation for asylum seekers from the owners of whatever property is currently available rather than go about the task of building more local-authority owned housing.

It would probably be cheaper in the long term if the authority had its own houses it could use for people in need, until they became independant but on the other hand, looking at local authority schemes here in Cork, most of them have become ghettoes of high unemployment and low educational achievement so I don't think these sort of schemes would be a good idea either.

The bigger issue is that we have a property problem here in Ireland - a small number of landlords and property developers are making a fortune while most people have to pay high rents or struggle with mortages.

keu

I was trying to find a link to a newspaper article I read today (munster-express).
It went under the court cases page (always a good read).
The title of the article was: "Asylum seeker on 300e a week (social payments) charged with shoplifting."

Victor

I suspect the reason the people (refugees? are you sure they are refugees?) are in those houses in Tramore is because they are the only ones for rent.

Originally posted by keu
The title of the article was: "Asylum seeker on 300e a week (social payments) charged with shoplifting."

"Charlie Haughey on €50,000+ state pension, scams state for €5m in taxes". Crime statistics indicate foreign residents here are involved in the same amount of crime per capita as the rest of the population.

The problems with housing in this country are largely down to demographics (young people in their 20s moving out of home and having their own families), under usage (old couples occupying 3-4 bedroom houses by themselves) and lack of investment in hte 1985-1995 period.

Concorde

"Asylum seeker on 300e a week (social payments) charged with shoplifting."

In my job, I've encountered foreigners using different names and dates of birth - they are very obviously claiming benefit for each of these names! When I confronted one about the three (yes, THREE!) different names and dates of birth he had used in the few weeks he used our services, he got very stroppy and informed me that in Russia they don't have to abide by "stupid" rules like we do!!! I told him he was in Ireland and would have to abide by our rules - he called me "racist"!

Sand

In my job, I've encountered foreigners using different names and dates of birth - they are very obviously claiming benefit for each of these names! When I confronted one about the three (yes, THREE!) different names and dates of birth he had used in the few weeks he used our services, he got very stroppy and informed me that in Russia they don't have to abide by "stupid" rules like we do!!! I told him he was in Ireland and would have to abide by our rules - he called me "racist"!

He wasnt campaigning for a no vote in the citizenship referendum recently was he? If you voted no in that, then he was right to call you a racist.

Paddy20

keu,

Quote you: " He was a harmless man, not an alco bum " end quote.

That stupid ill informed remark. Took away any possible credibility your thread might have had for me.

In any case IMO Ireland has become one of the most prejudiced Countries in Europe.
Certainly, not something to be proud of, as the anti-foreign refugee discrimination is based on the general public not being informed of the legal rights of homeless foreigners, and the responsibility of Local Authorities throughout the EU to house these people, as it is illegal for them not to be provided with a roof over their heads. Unfortunately, this results in refugees being put at the top of housing lists before a specific countries own citizens, thereby creating more prejudice. Due to plain ignorance of how the system operates.

Ireland has received more financial hand outs from EU coffers than just about any other member state. I have not seen them handing any of this money back.

keu

ahhh...what I meant by that statement was, when they are looking for cash, I'm not so inclined to offer it freely knowing they would go off and buy booze with it.
If y'know what I mean, would rather see them use it to put themselves up for the night or buy a meal. In a seperate case, I would just give them hot food.
(I thought people would have understood that comment in that sense) apologies

I have already referred to the eu money in a seperate thread (politics).

edit:but if you wish you can continue to consider me stupid and ill informed, I don't really care either way.

simu

Originally posted by Concorde
In my job, I've encountered foreigners using different names and dates of birth - they are very obviously claiming benefit for each of these names! When I confronted one about the three (yes, THREE!) different names and dates of birth he had used in the few weeks he used our services, he got very stroppy and informed me that in Russia they don't have to abide by "stupid" rules like we do!!! I told him he was in Ireland and would have to abide by our rules - he called me "racist"!

Uh, well that's not racism - I hope you told him so as well! I'd say there's a fair amount of Irish people pulling similar scams - the Dept. of Social Welfare really needs better checks on this sort of thing.