Homeless campaigner is a fraud. Mod Note #1835

Smondie · 21-08-2016 11:54AM

How much is her gym membership?

thebaz · 21-08-2016 11:55AM

as someone who has worked with the REAL homeless for years , NOT those living in Hotels , I find these allegations despicable - and for her poor daughter , just to raise her profile or career - unbelievable selfishness - Shame.

Dawn Rider · 21-08-2016 11:58AM

It's not clear that she goes to a gym every day, just that she wears the gear.
She may be going to a park to train for free.

That said, maybe the hotel has a resident's gym.

Sad Professor · 21-08-2016 12:01PM

Dawn Rider wrote: »

It's not clear that she goes to a gym every day, just that she wears the gear.
She may be going to a park to train for free.

That said, maybe the hotel has a resident's gym.

Also – this is Ireland. Since when does wearing gym gear mean you are going to the gym?

Smondie · 21-08-2016 12:06PM

Dawn Rider wrote: »

It's not clear that she goes to a gym every day, just that she wears the gear.
She may be going to a park to train for free.

That said, maybe the hotel has a resident's gym.

She should be putting on her suit and be out looking for a job.

anewme · 21-08-2016 12:06PM

Her Twitter describes her as:

30 year old single mother forced to raise my child in a cramped hotel room because of FG/lab/FF austerity.

Smondie · 21-08-2016 12:10PM

anewme wrote: »

Her Twitter describes her as:

30 year old single mother forced to raise my daughter in a cramped hotel room because of FG/lab/FF austerity.

Earlier in thread someone said she was in a long term relationship with her partner. The definition of single mother seems to have gotten a bit skewed over time.

quadrifoglio verde · 21-08-2016 12:10PM

enricoh wrote: »

What's the market rate for a two bed apartment in clontarf 1400/1500? And its not good enough for her. If we all commuted longer ,worked harder n paid more taxes this woman could get exactly what she's after!

Based on the rental rule of spending no more than 33% of your take home salary on rent in order for it to be affordable and a rather average rent for the area of 1400, you'd need a net yearly income of €50400 to live in a 2 bed shoebox in clontarf.

That's a gross salary of €79100....

musiknonstop · 21-08-2016 12:12PM

anewme wrote: »

Her Twitter describes her as:

30 year old single mother forced to raise my daughter in a cramped hotel room because of FG/lab/FF austerity.

No agenda there then.

strandroad · 21-08-2016 12:13PM

Smondie wrote: »

Earlier in thread someone said she was in a long term relationship with her partner. The definition of single mother seems to have gotten a bit skewed over time.

So there's a former partner (who owes his daughter some maintenance after all) and a current partner, and two offers of a place, but she's a homeless single mother... sure the system is to blame.

Corkman16 · 21-08-2016 12:15PM

We are paying taxes of over 50% of our incomes to keep her in the Hilton.

It has a gym, and it is probably too small for her.

The rooms in the hotel are not cramped, but a mother with a daughter should have jumped at a 2 bed apartment in Clontarf

Tasden · 21-08-2016 12:16PM

anewme wrote: »

Her Twitter describes her as:

30 year old single mother forced to raise her child in a cramped hotel room because of FG/lab/FF austerity.

This infuriated me too! Honestly, every time she was doing radio interviews etc the office would be praising her and I'd be so frustrated because these are well educated people who can't see past the sob story and take a step back and see that she has made herself a "victim", even the things she says about "the government", its always placing the blame on everybody else. As I was watching the programme I was thinking "if she put as much effort into finding a better job as she does phoning the council and writing to tds etc she wouldn't be in this situation". She is a "victim" by choice. And this just proves that beyond doubt. She is doing a disservice to actual victims of the recession and circumstance, families that for reasons actually beyond their control are out on the street with no support and no opportunities and they go about their day with dignity and aim to get themselves out of the situation they're in.

anewme · 21-08-2016 12:21PM

Smondie wrote: »

Earlier in thread someone said she was in a long term relationship with her partner. The definition of single mother seems to have gotten a bit skewed over time.

As has the definition of "homeless"

wigsa100 · 21-08-2016 12:26PM

quadrifoglio verde wrote: »

Based on the rental rule of spending no more than 33% of your take home salary on rent in order for it to be affordable and a rather average rent for the area of 1400, you'd need a net yearly income of €50400 to live in a 2 bed shoebox in clontarf.

That's a gross salary of €79100....

I don't quite follow your point here?? Frightening figures though aren't they, I'm glad I'm not forking that over.

Johngoose · 21-08-2016 12:28PM

It all seems like a career move.If she becomes well known in the media she could end up being a spokeswoman for a homeless charity or an independent in the Dail. I think that could be her real agenda. She is using her "plight" to get on the airwaves and make her self a recognisable face.

Wigglepuppy · 21-08-2016 12:30PM

BaaLamb wrote: »

There are questions around how the newspaper was allowed to see that DCC file on Erica Fleming. Surely there are issues with data protection?

Well either way I'm delighted the information is in the public domain. Sick of chancers using social media to tear into companies and organisations with one-sided stories, knowing they can't defend themselves.

If a family has to live in a hotel room because of a lack of rented accommodation, that's a difficult situation and I wish them well, however I dislike the attitude that the local authority should be doing all the work - the person themselves should be looking for private accommodation also, and work if applicable.

BaaLamb · 21-08-2016 12:33PM

Wigglepuppy wrote: »

Well either way I'm delighted the information is in the public domain. Sick of chancers using social media to tear into companies and organisations with one-sided stories, knowing they can't defend themselves.

If a family has to live in a hotel room because of a lack of rented accommodation, that's a difficult situation and I wish them well, however I dislike the attitude that the local authority should be doing all the work - the person themselves should be looking for private accommodation also, and work.

I think there are plenty of real struggling families out there who won't thank her for her actions.

Gatling · 21-08-2016 12:33PM

Well it's high time Dublin county council stop paying her for her hotel room ,she's working has a car and yet she's living like lady muck in a hotel and now demanding social welfare make her eligible to attend her prestigious university while everyone else pays for her ,

Tasden · 21-08-2016 12:33PM

Johngoose wrote: »

It all seems like a career move.If she becomes well known in the media she could end up being a spokeswoman for a homeless charity or an independent in the Dail. I think that could be her real agenda. She is using her "plight" to get on the airwaves and make her self a recognisable face.

Sure every presenter and caller on radio shows etc has been telling her to go into politics. She hasn't a clue and is essentially defrauding the state yet people think she should be running the country, i remember someone told her there'd be no homeless crisis if she was in charge!! The ridiculous irony was lost on them.

anewme · 21-08-2016 12:34PM

Johngoose wrote: »

It all seems like a career move.If she becomes well known in the media she could end up being a spokeswoman for a homeless charity or an independent in the Dail. I think that could be her real agenda. She is using her "plight" to get on the airwaves and make her self a recognisable face.

I think that Agends is now a bit Goosed John, pardon the pun!

quadrifoglio verde · 21-08-2016 12:34PM

wigsa100 wrote: »

I don't quite follow your point here?? Frightening figures though aren't they, I'm glad I'm not forking that over.

There's a rental rule for determining how much of your net income you can afford to pay in rent.
Basically it determines affordability
In order for me to live in a 2 bed apartment in clontarf, according to the rule of not spending more than 33% of your net income on rent, I'd need a gross of 79000 plus
ANd she has the cheek to not only reject it, but deprive her daughter of appropriate accommodation

FalconGirl · 21-08-2016 12:34PM

Seriously, wtf is the point in working hard to pay rent when able bodied people who dont work are just being offered properties with deposits and rents paid by the state in nice areas on a whim.

I pay my own rent and then my tax is diverted to pay to keep the lazy being lazy.

Jawgap · 21-08-2016 12:39PM

BaaLamb wrote: »

There are questions around how the newspaper was allowed to see that DCC file on Erica Fleming. Surely there are issues with data protection?

Yeah, they're probably are, but that's the problem with this country......to much focus on what people are 'entitled to' and nothing on what their responsibilities are.

Personally, I think whoever leaked the info had done a public service and should be fully protected by the whistleblowing legislation, if at all possible.

As for the topic at hand, I'm absolutely fuming. I do some small amount of work for a charity who occasionally help out people who are homeless - I know no one we've worked with who wouldn't crawl through rivers of spit to get an apartment in Clontarf......hell, I'd love an apartment in that part of Dublin!!

If she isn't bounced to the bottom of the list to prevent her soaking up more time and precious resources that would be better spent on people who'd be much more appreciative and have greater needs, then we really are living in a banana republic.

CMOTDibbler · 21-08-2016 12:41PM

wigsa100 wrote: »

I don't quite follow your point here?? Frightening figures though aren't they, I'm glad I'm not forking that over.

It is Dublin and Clontarf wouldn't be the cheapest anyway. Move out a bit towards Glasnevin or Finglas and it drops by about four grand a year. Galway or Cork for example are around the ten grand a year level for a two bed house.

It's still very expensive mind you, but to rent in Cork or Galway would (according to the 33% rule) require you to be earning about 30k net.

Jawgap · 21-08-2016 12:41PM

Johngoose wrote: »

It all seems like a career move.If she becomes well known in the media she could end up being a spokeswoman for a homeless charity or an independent in the Dail. I think that could be her real agenda. She is using her "plight" to get on the airwaves and make her self a recognisable face.

I'd say you're not wrong, except I'd say she's looking to take seat (McGrath's or Haughey's) in the Dail, probably for the Shinners.

jimmy blevins · 21-08-2016 12:47PM

Goes to show how social media is not a replacement for proper journalism or social activism, but a **** stirring machine for populist bulll crap.

wigsa100 · 21-08-2016 12:49PM

I've done a good bit of work with a homeless charity over the past number of years. I'm disgusted by this but not surprised. The vast majority of cases are genuine but there are always a few dishonest scroungers. I had a feeling Erica was one of them for a while now so I'm kind of glad she's been exposed now. I realise there are issues with violation of data protection but that doesn't really bother me because it is an important exposure of the facts.

The last furore about BTEA was what began to irritate me. She broke the story as if she was entitled to receive the payment and that some cold hearted civil servant had stamped a big "DECLINED" on her application for no good reason. She would have known perfectly well that that she was never entitled to the payment, so going through the application process was purely an effort to get a headline. Then people have the audacity to demand that an exception to the rule be made for her, ignoring the tens of thousands who have had to go through the proper process or never got the chance to do so at all. Then tweeting a picture of the letter of refusal and tweeting "Thanks @JoanBurton for shattering my dreams" or some nonsense like that.

She was offered an apartment in a lovely part of Dublin with a cheque for rent of about 18,000 euro for the year, in addition to all the welfare assistance she gets already, which she turned down in favour of sharing a hotel room with her unfortunate daughter. That should say enough for everyone.

There is far too much cheerleading for scroungers in Ireland these days. When the lines get blurred between those who actually need help and those who want everything for free, it's the genuine cases that inevitably lose out. Particularly when one of the fraudsters is in national headlines every week. And make no mistake about it, this woman is a fraudster.

Tasden · 21-08-2016 12:49PM

If she was willing to give up her job (in dublin) for college then she should be offered a house outside of Dublin and she can apply to the local IT for her access course. There is no need for her to be staying in Dublin, if she uses the excuse of family support then she should be staying with said supportive family, not in a hotel, and anyway she has a car so she can drive to them. There is absolutely no reason why she needs to go to Trinity, if she was doing a specialised subject that Trinity has the best amenities/services for, fair enough but she's not.

wigsa100 · 21-08-2016 12:53PM

CMOTDibbler wrote: »

It is Dublin and Clontarf wouldn't be the cheapest anyway. Move out a bit towards Glasnevin or Finglas and it drops by about four grand a year. Galway or Cork for example are around the ten grand a year level for a two bed house.

It's still very expensive mind you, but to rent in Cork or Galway would (according to the 33% rule) require you to be earning about 30k net.

It's not an actual rule though is it? I know plenty of people paying close to half their wages on rent in Dublin! As I said, glad it's not me that's for sure.

Gatling · 21-08-2016 12:58PM

Jawgap wrote: »

If she isn't bounced to the bottom of the list to prevent her soaking up more time and precious resources that would be better spent on people who'd be much more appreciative and have greater needs, then we really are living in a banana republic.

So she can spend another few years living in a hotel free of charge while she contributes nothing .

She should be discharged from the list and made stand on her own two feet

Homeless campaigner is a fraud. Mod Note #1835

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