Enda Takes Populism To A New Low

Boo2112

Heard this lady being interviewed on spin sw yesterday, it was a good enough debate on it.

Personally I think it undermined her more than helped her. She had the appointment anyway and was prepared for it but he thinks a quick word from the taoiseach is better for her case, if I was the bank manager I would have seen that as her not being able to justify the mortgage herself even though that's what she was doing before enda and his god complex stepped in.

InReality

I've read through 4 pages of posts , saw the photo, and yet find it hard to believe the leader of our country actually did that.

Thankfully Micheal Martin has a cunning plan to prevent such impluses ..

"We bump into Micheál Martin in the new town centre. He is not overjoyed to see us. He hasn’t his media man with him yet. In this by election, as in all recent elections, the parties are very sparing with their information on the movement of their candidates and party leaders.

from

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/stories-of-quiet-desperation-from-a-once-gilded-generation-in-meath-east-1.1337303?page=2

weemcd

Kelly, a regional volunteer organiser for the ISPCC, and Joe, a self-employed musician

I wouldn't give them a mortgage either, these are exactly the type of people who shouldn't have one. What happens when they can't make repayments on this dream € 250,000 house?

Maudi

Zebra3 wrote: »

Can someone explain to me why Edna Kenny is not at work?

We pay him more than the Americans pay Obama, yet he's sauntering around the streets in the middle of the day trying to get one of his own elected while interfering with other people's work.

Surely he should be trying to get some of the 400,000 people back to work instead.

the cnuts on more than obama??surely not.

fatherbuzcagney

weemcd wrote: »

I wouldn't give them a mortgage either, these are exactly the type of people who shouldn't have one. What happens when they can't make repayments on this dream € 250,000 house?

busking and strip dancing would be a way of raising a bit of cash on the side to help keep up with repayments:rolleyes:

wandatowell

I think its hilarious that people abuse Enda Kenny.

The country voted him in to solve the problems.
If people didnt think he was up to it then its their own fault
for voting for his party in the first place.

smileyj1987

I wonder will enda help repay the mortgage .

Maudi

wandatowell wrote: »

I think its hilarious that people abuse Enda Kenny.

The country voted him in to solve the problems.
If people didnt think he was up to it then its their own fault
for voting for his party in the first ....you havent been long on the island have you?

Maudi

wandatowell wrote: »

I think its hilarious that people abuse Enda Kenny.

The country voted him in to solve the problems.
If people didnt think he was up to it then its their own fault
for voting for his party in the first ....you havent been long on the island have you?

awec

Maudi wrote: »

the cnuts on more than obama??surely not.

The Taoiseach doesn't earn more than the US president any more, it was the case during the Bertie / Cowen days.

He earns more than David Cameron though.

smileyj1987

wandatowell wrote: »

I think its hilarious that people abuse Enda Kenny.

The country voted him in to solve the problems.
If people didnt think he was up to it then its their own fault
for voting for his party in the first place.

Who else was there to vote for Fianna Fail are crooks , Labour are useless and all the independents look after there own needs . If sinn fein got into power we would probably invade the north !

up for anything

shruikan2553 wrote: »

I could be wrong but I though this is how it works
Step 1: Have a job
Step 2: Save up money
Step 3: Go to bank and they look at income and job security to see if you can afford to repay them.
Step 4: Get a mortgage you can afford

If you have to live with your husband and daughter in 1 room I get the feeling you don't complete these steps, otherwise you would rent a 2 bedroom house/apartment and then wouldn't "need" to buy a house.

I doubt it's a matter of them being unable to afford to rent accommodation but that they are saving every penny they can in order to get the deposit/afford the mortgage. How do you think 'step 2' should be accomplished. Even the old people here seem to be too young to remember when living with your parents in order to save was commonplace.

_Kaiser_

This is a perfect example of what's wrong with Irish politics

TDs, or in this case the "leader" of the country, getting involved in local issues rather than focusing on the bigger picture like they're supposed to be doing. Local issues are (supposedly) why we have councilors.

If Enda hadn't been surrounded by press at the time (as he was when the off-duty Garda "confronted" - as it's been termed in some reports - him), I doubt this girl would have even been acknowledged.

But looking at this a little more - one child, she's a volunteer and the husband is a self-employed musician .. and she thinks that should get a her a 4 bed house worth a quarter of a million??!

WTF does she need 4 beds for anyway? Presumably there's one for her and the husband, and another for the child. What are they going to do with the other 2?

2-bed apartment is what they need, or they could rent as someone else said above. This ridiculous obsession that "we must own our own house" regardless of the circumstances or ability to afford it, is exactly the mindset that got us into this mess anyway.

I work full time on a "good" wage but I know I wouldn't have a hope of a mortgage because I was unemployed for a year a few years back, have a loan/debts and rent in Dublin, so I don't have a fortune to put away every month and build up that perfect 5 year banking history now demanded. That's just life! If my circumstances change, maybe the possibilities will too, but otherwise I just have to get on with it - not ring my local TD to come down to my bank with me.

I'd hope the bank would assess this application as they would any other (but this being the land of "Who you know, not what you know".. or have in this case I wouldn't necessarily be sure of that), and as for Kenny himself - he's just shown us again what a shallow cardboard cut-out he is with this stunt. He'd be better off marching into the banks of Europe and demanding our money back if that's what he's doing now.

K. Petit

Hey everyone,

Thanks for all the comments and interest in the story. It both amazes and saddens me that my fellow irishmen would begrudge me a mortgage when they know nothing about my circumstances.
Starting with the newspaper story, my advice would be to believe none of what you hear and half of what you see.

It was pure coincidence on my part that I happened upon Enda Kenny on the campaign trail on Monday. As he walked past I took the opportunity to introduce myself and made a passing remark that I was heading into the bank to apply for a mortgage...i simply asked 'what do you think my chances are' . I didn't beg for help as some of you may have suggested. I didn't need to beg for help, my husband is hard working...and I also get up and go to work everyday!!.

On Monday, myself and my husband already had an appointment in the bank. When I was standing outside i was actually waiting for him but Enda arrived first.Im my mothers daughter and there was no way I was going to let the opportunity pass me by. What I actually assumed would happen is that I would get into a debate/conversation about the banking debts and how it is a lot more difficult over the past couple of years to get a mortgage.

This is not France or Germany where everyone rents for 20 odd years...its Ireland and we are a nation of home buying people. At least thats the way I have been brought up. Is it so wrong that I would want my own home.

There has been a lot of reference to the price. It would be silly of me not to think that 250,000 was not a lot to ask for. But I wouldn't be asking for that if I was not sure that I could pay it. I have learned from the mistakes other people have made before me. I am not asking for a place fit for king and queen but a 'forever' home that my child will grow up in and have a secure base. There were comments made that we should buy cheaper and that there are cheaper houses in Ashbourne. You are right there are....Like the one down the road from me for 170,000 with an energy rating of F !! I may just set aside the remainder from the 250,000 for heating costs! Never mind the structural work that needs to be carried out inside, i knwo this because I have viewed it. I am not an idiot, if I dont need a 250,000 mortgage I would be jumping at the chance to get a house at a lower price in the area.

I made the choice to share my bedroom with my child in order to save. I can think of a lot worse things to do. You have to make sacrifices to get what you want out of this life. Its not a rehearsal..you only get 1 shot at this. This is my shot and Im going to take every opportunity to make it a good one!!

Regardless of whether Enda Kenny came into the bank that day, I still need to go through the normal application process like everyone else (including the begrudgers) If you don't get a mortgage and I do, thats not down to Enda, its down to your individual situation (work, savings etc)
Like someone said, I still need to prove to the bank that I have the ability to pay back the loan, show them profit and loss accounts for the past 3 years, statements etc.

Being a self employed musician does not make my husband a down and out with no future prospects. He's successful in what he does and pays his taxes like everyone else. I have so much respect for him as a husband and father who provides for his family.

With all that said, thanks to those that held back on making snap judgements. You've restored my faith :-)

Signed

Plucky!!!

Gweedling

Welcome to Boards Katie, and thanks for your post, good insight! Everything I ever read in the Star is taken with a pinch of salt, I knew it'd be mostly nonsense when it started quoting you "asking how you can get a mortgage", to Inda walking into the bank and "Demanding you be given a mortgage" when he's quoted as saying "Can you give this lady a mortgage?" Hardly demanding.

Like the paper, everything on AH is almost always tongue in cheek, so I hope you weren't too offended by some of the comments on here. It's all well and good for us to take a dig at Enda, but wrong of anyone to insult you personally without knowing you. One thing I'm sure you'll agree on though, for any application with any bank, a "Self employed musician" never looks good on paper, regardless of how successful or talented someone may be.

It's great that you posted what you did, good to see you're prepared to work hard and understanding of what needs to be done for the mortgage process, and what you need to show. It's a lot of hard work, especially with the addedd stress of sharing one room for three of you.

I know how you feel about the houses in Ashbourne, I wanted to buy there, but the prices there were just beyond our budget. We bought a house a few months ago about 30 minutes from Ashbourne, a hell of a lot cheaper than Ashbourne prices, and of much better quality. It's a descision you'll have to make - house budget versus location, we can't all have our "Dream house" if we can't afford it, expectations need to be lowered, and exceptions made.

Finally, best of luck finding a house and with the mortgage application, The missus and I have been living in our place for a month now and are loving it, but the mortgage/house buying process is very stressful, so you have a long difficult road ahead, I hope it works out for you! Once you get moved in it'll all be worth it, trust me

Zebra3

wandatowell wrote: »

I think its hilarious that people abuse Enda Kenny.

The country voted him in to solve the problems.
If people didnt think he was up to it then its their own fault
for voting for his party in the first place.

Some boggers in Mayo voted The Great Teacher in as a TD and a number of TDs voted him in as Taoiseach.

Not "the country".

VinLieger

Zebra3 wrote: »

Some boggers in Mayo voted The Great Teacher in as a TD and a number of TDs voted him inas Taoiseach.

Not "the country".

A vote for Fine Gael was a vote for Enda as Taoiseach

monkeypants

Bullseye1 wrote: »

Sorry but how can anyone defend the leader of our country enter a bank and demand that the bank give a mortgage to someone?

All he asked was "Can you give this lady a mortgage?" The answer is obviously yes. The more important question is "Will you give this lady a mortgage?" and that's still with the bank.

jacool

K. Petit wrote: »

This is not France or Germany where everyone rents for 20 odd years...its Ireland and we are a nation of home buying people. At least thats the way I have been brought up.

We do, and have done, a lot of things in this country in the past that we're not proud of. I think we have an unhealthy obsession with "a bit of land". In Germany you rent a house on the condition that when you return it, it is in the agreed state. So you can do your decorating etc. and have a place you'll enjoy living in, and you can move on when you want, as long as you leave it in the original state afterwards. Their laws are very strong towards tenants too. I wouldn't knock just because you were brought up differently.

token101

K. Petit wrote: »

Hey everyone,
What I actually assumed would happen is that I would get into a debate/conversation about the banking debts and how it is a lot more difficult over the past couple of years to get a mortgage.

It's gotten more difficult because banks have copped on! It's the way it should have been the whole time! If the banks are vetting people that haven't a hope of paying back, that's great because it means there won't be a need for another bailout in ten, twenty years time and it means people who didn't take crazy decisions don't see another USC or tax to bail out the people who made stupid choices. Long may it last.

K. Petit wrote: »

This is not France or Germany where everyone rents for 20 odd years...its Ireland and we are a nation of home buying people. At least thats the way I have been brought up. Is it so wrong that I would want my own home.

Absolute nonsense. What's all this 'nation of home buying people' stuff? I was brought up knowing it's idiotic to buy something you can't afford.

And, without knowing your personal circumstances, yes, it is very wrong if you can't afford it. Wanting your own home in 2012 in a ****ed housing market is as stupid as wanting a BMW, Aston Martin or anything else you just can't afford.