Never-employed guy with 6 kids refuses accommodation provided by council in favour of

take everything

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/family-opts-to-squat-after-rejecting-house-offered-by-council-1.2672122

Anyone see this story in today's Irish Times.
I'm aware that this story has a lot of Daily Mail-ish hot button aspects to it (Traveller, welfare lifer, sense of entitlement etc) and i would try to see the nuance but just reading it, I asked myself the simple common sense question "why did he have 6 kids if he never worked".

This is a shocking level of entitlement IMO.
Admittedly i'm biased in the sense of having to work hard and have half my pay go on taxes only to pay through the nose for every tiny aspect of my life while never looking for support but FFS.

Edward Hopper

In favour of what? OF WHAT dagnabit?

Mr.Crinklewood

Edward Hopper wrote: »

In favour of what? OF WHAT dagnabit?

Fully expected the Eastenders theme tune to play when opened thread. ..

namloc1980

take everything wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/family-opts-to-squat-after-rejecting-house-offered-by-council-1.2672122

Anyone see this story in today's Irish Times.
I'm aware that this story has a lot of Daily Mail-ish hot button aspects to it (Traveller, welfare lifer, sense of entitlement etc) and i would try to see the nuance but just reading it, I asked myself the simple common sense question "why did he have 6 kids if he never worked".

This is a shocking level of entitlement IMO.
Admittedly i'm biased in the sense of having to work hard and have half my pay go on taxes only to pay through the nose for every tiny aspect of my life while never looking for support but FFS.

Never mind having 6 kids. They broke into a house that wasn't theirs and are happily living there for nearly two months! WTF??

Conall Cernach

Well, in fairness the council offered accommodation doesn't sound the best for a family with young children. On the other hand don't councils take previous squatting into account when deciding on offering housing? I know my local one does. If he ends up out on his ear in a few weeks time then he'll be at the back of the council list once more and in a worse position than he was.

BrokenArrows

Oh Ireland. What a joke.
Hes getting €490 a week from the government and breaks into someone's house and he isn't being arrested?

bigroad

He is not doing too bad with his 500 euro per week.
A lot of people working their backside off to come home with that money.

HiJacques

I blame the government... and the bankers.

While the house offered doesn't seem suitable, for me the interesting thing about the article is the amount of money he's getting from Welfare every week! Shur, why would he work!

"Doyle is an intelligent, articulate and able-bodied man, but he has never had a job, something he attributes to his illiteracy.
“I’m unemployable. Disability, learning disability; reading and writing,” he says. “I’m on the disability. I’m getting €490 a week. That’s everything. You have to try to do your best with that few hundred you get.”
Private house
Would he like a job? “I’d love a job, yeah. I’d love to get an income. It would take a while to get used to [a job], wouldn’t it?” he says."

namloc1980

bigroad wrote: »

He is not doing too bad with his 500 euro per week.
A lot of people working their backside off to come home with that money.

€500 per week plus no accommodation expenses!

Chorcai

"I’m getting €490 a week. That’s everything. You have to try to do your best with that few hundred you get.” says it all really, break into a house, get nearly 500euro a week, no rent, etc all becaues it's apart of our culture boss.

tabby aspreme

For me the worst aspect of the article is that the 17 yo son is living with his girlfriend, no doubt the cycle is about to begin again with the next generation.

FortySeven

namloc1980 wrote: »

€500 per week plus no accommodation expenses!

He is on significantly more money than I am. I am working today as I do 40 hours a week. This can't be right?

bigroad

What did Big Leo say the other day was it, make work pay...
With that level of social welfare and a nice house for 40 odd quid a week ,Leo will have a mountain to climb.

colm_mcm

Would that include his partner's money too?
€500 a week seems high.

stoplooklisten

WAIT A MINUTE, THAT HOUSE DOESN'T HAVE WHEELS

stoplooklisten

WAIT A MINUTE

That house doesn't HAVE WHEELS


"The Doyles are Travellers, although they have been settled for all of their lives. "



So not travelers then?

FortySeven

FortySeven wrote: »

He is on significantly more money than I am. I am working today as I do 40 hours a week. This can't be right?

After paying my mortgage I am left with 272 a week. I also have kids. I also have a disability if I wanted to let it stop me working. Pretty sure it could be classed as a learning disability too. I work anyway.

This man is a tit, he can't expect people to not be angry. Feckin scum.

dissed doc

FortySeven wrote: »

He is on significantly more money than I am. I am working today as I do 40 hours a week. This can't be right?

Sucker!! It is completely right, and you are neither a Nazi fascist or a capitalist pig to feel hard done by.

But, it is only 25K a year for him. Every asylum seeker case costs the state €36K/year.

So this guy is actually a good deal!

namloc1980

colm_mcm wrote: »

Would that include his partner's money too?
€500 a week seems high.

They get an allowance for each child as well as their own payments.

ZeitgeistGlee

Because nobody has ever had to compromise where they might like to live for the sake of what they can afford. :rolleyes:

namloc1980

FortySeven wrote: »

After paying my mortgage I am left with 272 a week. I also have kids. I also have a disability if I wanted to let it stop me working. Pretty sure it could be classed as a learning disability too. I work anyway.

This man is a tit, he can't expect people to not be angry. Feckin scum.

Well now you know what to do....you'll nearly double your weekly net disposable income!

Panthro

dissed doc wrote: »

Sucker!! It is completely right, and you are neither a Nazi fascist or a capitalist pig to feel hard done by.

But, it is only 25K a year for him. Every asylum seeker case costs the state €36K/year.

So this guy is actually a good deal!

Orr..a complete waster.

HiJacques

FortySeven wrote: »

After paying my mortgage I am left with 272 a week. I also have kids. I also have a disability if I wanted to let it stop me working. Pretty sure it could be classed as a learning disability too. I work anyway.

The system is completely screwed where someone like you who endeavours isn't much better off than a scrounger. I think most people would accept higher taxes if they thought it was going to help people like you rather than subsidising the other guy.

Dirty Dingus McGee

Conall Cernach wrote: »

Well, in fairness the council offered accommodation doesn't sound the best for a family with young children. On the other hand don't councils take previous squatting into account when deciding on offering housing? I know my local one does. If he ends up out on his ear in a few weeks time then he'll be at the back of the council list once more and in a worse position than he was.

then maybe he should buy/rent his own house an not expect the council to provide him with accommodation.

Beggars can't be choosers.

McDermotX

It's a magnificent article, if only for this gem

"At night, he parked the 4X4 where he could – “on the banks of canals, rivers, anywhere” "

Overall it's nuanced enough to appear impartial and presenting both sides factually, but leaves a hand grenade in there like that to really angry up the blood.

Anyway, on my way into work for the next 5 nights.........like a mug, apparently.

bigroad

bigroad wrote: »

He is not doing too bad with his 500 euro per week.
A lot of people working their backside off to come home with that money.

I work full time and make less than that after tax. Its absolutely sickening to read that he get that much and gets away with breaking into someone else's house.

PLL

Don't forget to add €840 a month (€210 a week) child allowance on top of that.

FortySeven

PLL wrote: »

Don't forget to add €840 a month (€210 a week) child allowance on top of that.

Would you shut up, some of us are working here!

colm_mcm

Lovely

http://www.shannonside.ie/news/ballymahon-man-faces-indecent-exposure-charges/

Gatling

Kick them out of the house they broke into and them kick them off the housing list permanently

Tasden

Dirty Dingus McGee wrote: »

then maybe he should buy/rent his own house an not expect the council to provide him with accommodation.

Beggars can't be choosers.

Cause it's that simple.

Not saying he's right or that you're wrong, but its really not that simple. I'm in a decent paying job due to my qualifications, I work hard and I save as much as I can so that if the opportunity ever presented itself I'd have a decent deposit towards a house. It is looking more and more likely that this opportunity will never present itself because at it stands I would have to be earning a lot more to even qualify for a modest mortgage with the central bank rules once my childcare expenses etc. are taken into account.
Finding somewhere to rent under 1200 is difficult enough for people like me as just one person with one child, throw in six kids and the fact he's a traveller, he's probably never going to be able to rent privately or buy from his own resources.
You can argue that that's all his own doing but saying things like "he should buy his own house" is pointless when half the decent hardworking people in the country will never be in a position to do so, never mind this guy.

namloc1980

Tasden wrote: »

Cause it's that simple.

Not saying he's right or that you're wrong, but its really not that simple. I'm in a decent paying job due to my qualifications, I work hard and I save as much as I can so that if the opportunity ever presented itself I'd have a decent deposit towards a house. It is looking more and more likely that this opportunity will never present itself because at it stands I would have to be earning a lot more to even qualify for a modest mortgage with the central bank rules once my childcare expenses etc. are taken into account.
Finding somewhere to rent under 1200 is difficult enough for people like me as just one person with one child, throw in six kids and the fact he's a traveller, he's probably never going to be able to rent privately or buy from his own resources.
You can argue that that's all his own doing but saying things like "he should buy his own house" is pointless when half the decent hardworking people in the country will never be in a position to do so, never mind this guy.

Well, breaking into a house ain't the answer.

mikeym

I might quit my job and have 6 kids myself.

Money for nothing.

Dirty Dingus McGee

Tasden wrote: »

Cause it's that simple.

Not saying he's right or that you're wrong, but its really not that simple. I'm in a decent paying job due to my qualifications, I work hard and I save as much as I can so that if the opportunity ever presented itself I'd have a decent deposit towards a house. It is looking more and more likely that this opportunity will never present itself because at it stands I would have to be earning a lot more to even qualify for a modest mortgage with the central bank rules once my childcare expenses etc. are taken into account.
Finding somewhere to rent under 1200 is difficult enough for people like me as just one person with one child, throw in six kids and the fact he's a traveller, he's probably never going to be able to rent privately or buy from his own resources.
You can argue that that's all his own doing but saying things like "he should buy his own house" is pointless when half the decent hardworking people in the country will never be in a position to do so, never mind this guy.

Exactly.I won't be in the position to buy my own house and I've had to accept it.Why should it be any different for him.The system either changes for everybody or nobody because there is no way in hell he deserves any special treatment.If he wants a cheap house he should go where there is one available.

He shouldn't have had so many children then if it's a case that he can't afford to pay for them.

The housing and rental market in general needs to be deflated so that housing is more affordable for everyone but I don't feel an ounce of sympathy for this fella.

Gatling

It's not the first time this has happend a single man broke into a house in a ghost estate that was been finished off ,3 bed with front and back garden because he felt it was unacceptable to wait any longer than a year for a social housing,
Developer went to court to have the man removed but in a suprise twist the the judge sided with the man who broke and gave him permission to stay

FalconGirl

HiJacques wrote: »

I blame the government... and the bankers.

But heres the thing.... It actually is the government's fault for not putting sufficient measures in place to tackle such behaviour and allowing it to fester.

oppenheimer1

Tasden wrote: »

Cause it's that simple.

Not saying he's right or that you're wrong, but its really not that simple. I'm in a decent paying job due to my qualifications, I work hard and I save as much as I can so that if the opportunity ever presented itself I'd have a decent deposit towards a house. It is looking more and more likely that this opportunity will never present itself because at it stands I would have to be earning a lot more to even qualify for a modest mortgage with the central bank rules once my childcare expenses etc. are taken into account.
Finding somewhere to rent under 1200 is difficult enough for people like me as just one person with one child, throw in six kids and the fact he's a traveller, he's probably never going to be able to rent privately or buy from his own resources.
You can argue that that's all his own doing but saying things like "he should buy his own house" is pointless when half the decent hardworking people in the country will never be in a position to do so, never mind this guy.

Oh please, this guy lives in Longford, it is perfectly possible to rent a 4 bedroom house there for less than 500pm.

Alf Stewart.

A traveller/dole/council house entitlement related thread, all rolled into one.....

S'like after hours has cum in its pants. :pac:

foggy_lad

They were squatting in the house in Keenagh because it was close to his sister and also expected that after breaking into a council house when they were in need of housing the council would let them stay but obviously the council are going to give that house to someone else.

Saying all that though the alternative house that the council have arranged is not a council house but a private rented house making me think that there might be something going on with the council . Wasn't there some issues in the past with Longford councillors offering their own properties for purchase by the council?

The Ballymahon road is one of the busiest roads out of Longford town and it is disgusting that the council deem a house that opens right onto the main road with no garden at all as suitable for a family with 5 young children and one almost adult son.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/family-opts-to-squat-after-rejecting-house-offered-by-council-1.2672122

Frances and John Paul – who also has a sister living on Casey Court – have been offered accommodation by Longford County Council in a private rented, four-bedroom house at Stonepark, about 4km south of Longford town, further along the R397 road to Ballymahon that also passes through Keenagh.

The Doyles would have to pay just €42 a week rent, with the remainder of the cost being paid by the State.

The husband and wife say the council would never offer such a property to another family with young children – “I wouldn’t take the house for nothing,” says Doyle – and at first glance, it appears far from suitable.

The house is an extended, single-storey cottage surrounded on three sides by a working repair garage. It has no garden, front or rear, and there is no barrier of any description between the front of the house and the busy R397.

On the far side of the road from the cottage is Maguire’s petrol station and shop.

“Look at that ice-cream sign,” says Doyle. “All I see when that front door opens is the little one running out, over there, straight across that road and bang! That’s the end of it.”

Who in their right mind would live there? Who owns that house and what arrangements have been made with council officials to get that unsuitable house rented out to someone at all costs?

There are a few different issues here. The welfare issue is one, and there's no doubt the guy appears to have a bad attitude to work. The squatting is also a separate issue, and should be dealt with by the Gardai.

But the house allocated by the Council is obviously unsafe.

There's no boundary against the very busy road, and it's surrounded by a garage with heavy machinery. There is no garden. The kids will have to be locked in the house, and even then, the parents will have to be tirelessly watching and checking on them.

Whatever you think about that man and his actions, I don't think any of us would be comfortable having so many small children in that environment. On that issue alone, I think the Council have really messed up.

punisher5112

My heart bleeds.

WTF are we good honest people working for.

I'm stuck in a sH1t hole 2 bed and paying big rent.

I get no help.

This country just keeps getting better.....

dublinman1990

The worst thing that I read in the article was that he had afforded himself to buy a 4x4 for his own family on welfare.

He has a certain air of entitlement about him that no doubt is despicable.

gigantic09

mikeym wrote: »

I might quit my job and have 6 kids myself.

Money for nothing.

And your kid's for free

oppenheimer1

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

There are a few different issues here. The welfare issue is one, and there's no doubt the guy appears to have a bad attitude to work. The squatting is also a separate issue, and should be dealt with by the Gardai.

But the house allocated by the Council is obviously unsafe.

There's no boundary against the very busy road, and it's surrounded by a garage with heavy machinery. There is no garden. The kids will have to be locked in the house, and even then, the parents will have to be tirelessly watching and checking on them.

Whatever you think about that man and his actions, I don't think any of us would be comfortable having so many small children in that environment. On that issue alone, I think the Council have really messed up.

So you even know where the house is? What it's like?
There's plenty of room at the front for them to enclose it by putting up a fence

Gatling

oppenheimer1 wrote: »

So you even know where the house is? What it's like?
There's plenty of room at the front for them to enclose it by putting up a fence

There's room for a fence /wall and gate



R397

https://goo.gl/maps/2Pm9V31noV72

SEPT 23 1989

I would say with all his learning disabilities he is well able to count pound notes

boardsuser1

Jasus this is hilarious. I would have a very common traveller surname, however i work 45 hours a week for not much more than he gets to sit at "home"

I have a few kids myself but i think i'll jack it all in and demand my 'entitlements' boss.

God knows the wife will join me.

Don't forget full medical cards for that entire family as well.

EricPraline

Tasden wrote: »

Finding somewhere to rent under 1200 is difficult enough for people like me

I can understand if you are talking about Dublin, but rent levels and general cost of living in the area in question is far lower than Dublin. €400-500 per month will get you a house near the centre of the village:
http://homes.mitula.ie/houses-to-rent-keenagh-longford

FURET

Where is KomradeBishop to educate us all about the importance of raising taxes so that the inequality of prolific people like this isn't accelerated?

JustTheOne

HiJacques wrote: »

The system is completely screwed where someone like you who endeavours isn't much better off than a scrounger. I think most people would accept higher taxes if they thought it was going to help people like you rather than subsidising the other guy.

But we're constantly told it's an unfair society and the poor get screwed while the rich get richer.

Absolute horse ****. This state is such a welfare state. You are better looked after if you don't bother working.

No wonder 1/3 of our expenditure is welfare.

It's a joke.