The Pat Kenny Show

It's very easy to frame the far-right as the bad guys here, but the reality is, and considering the lack of garda resources, people are worried and people are scared. Regular, normal people.

The Garda station in my local village is manned on Wednesday from 2-4pm. Luckily no crime happens the other days of the week!

I am reading the protest last night had 50 gardai on scene. Where did the 50 come from? Where are they normally? During a recent trip to Dublin, staying in the city centre and commuting to sandyford over a three day period I saw a grand total of three gardai.

It's ironic really, that as 'filler' programming on virgin media they broadcast episodes of Border Security from Australia where they show the diligent work of the ~6000 strong Border Force. When people arrive with no documents or insufficient proof they can pay for their trip there, they are booked on the next plane back to where they came from. They don't get sent to live in the only hotel in Walkabout Creek that is 50 miles from anywhere.

Interesting on the PK show this morning.

He had a reported on from Mount St. She said she spoke to a man, but she couldn't really understand him cos the man was crying. But the reported then went onto say that the man's wife was European and he was being separated from her, it was awful etc. Pat wasn't long telling her that she should disregard what she was told.

He's an "i'm alright Jack". Lives near the Shelbourne so in a high value area that has plenty of bus options. Probably has no need to ever get to Swords. He has a bus near him that can get to the airport in 24 minutes. So he's fine.

Edit: And I am taking him at his word when he says he gets the bus to the airport. I suspect the reality is he thinks nothing of sticking his hand out outside his house and flagging down a taxi for his trip to the airport.

He's against offshore wind farming but he is forgetting the main argument for offshore windfarms, is you dont have the expensive issue of NIMBYism. He seems to be a fan of nuclear but is again forgetting the factor NIMBYism would play in that. If the government announced a plan to build a nuclear plant every green organisation in the country would be camped out on the proposed site for years to come. They would make shell2sea look like a scout camp.

What is the reason for government incompetence/inaction on this? This laissez faire approach is what is giving those far right nutters oxygen! No more tent cities - it's not. acceptable. We need appropriate accommodation, with sanitary facilities and access to hot food. Quick decision making on the validity of individual's cases is crucial - our lethargy seems to be a huge pull factor. Any applications deemed to be invalid need to be removed. That is how a fair system works

Aww bless.

that's jess "turn it off and on again/buy a new phone" kelly's level of tech problem anyway.

this guys impressions seem to be just giving everyone a persistent stutter

was that the same segment where the reporter mentioned that the hospital in baggott street was lying empty only for Pat to pooh-pooh it with "sure you'd fill that in a few weeks, why bother" ? Funny argument against housing people on the basis that you're housing people. The old Eye & Ear hospital would also take a few hundred, maybe Pat doesn't saunter along that way or sip a coffee nearby and so would pass his test.

Didn't some citizen-journalist types recently break in gain access to Baggot St Hosp lately, and were streaming videos of ceilings falling in, and leaks and damp and general dereliction - sounded like it would take quite a job of work to make it habitable, it's not just a case of moving them from the tents into the building. It's been empty and neglected for a long time now.

They mean the Royal City of Dublin Hospital.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_City_of_Dublin_Hospital

While, in 2023, it was proposed that part of the building be used for the provision of primary care services,[9] as of 2024 the building remained vacant.[1] Though, as of April 2024, the HSE was reputedly still considering "using the Haddington Road side of the hospital site as the location for a new primary care centre", the remainder of the property was in poor condition and reportedly unsuitable for refurbishment for healthcare use.[1] At that time, the HSE stated that the property was included on its schedule of vacant properties and "State register for disposal".[1]

Yes i got confused, I always thought the E&E had been closed for some reason. Wasn't aware of the derelict state of Baggot Street either - but then again neither was Pat when dismissing it. The point though is still valid - there are government sites where you can put people to have them escape from being on the side of a street or a canal. You cant dish every one of them induvially like Pat did by saying ah sure you'll fill that in no time.

i suppose it is the urgency that means sites like these are bypassed, but the thing is that people were saying these sites could be used 2 years ago. On the News At One Roderick O'/Gorman was still talking about conducting an audit of state owned buildings. How hasn't this happened yet.

It really shouldnt take a crisis in a different country to trigger an audit of unused buildings. The minister seems to be looking for that forgotten facility that is in turn-key condition to house migrants in. Failing that he'll just buy a struggling hotel.

Something I have been saying for years, and its the same for housing and for healthcare, if the every-day default status is jampacked, queues out the door, then if we have any kind of a major event, that is when lives will be lost needlessly. We have been lucky so far, but that luck will eventually run out.

DP was a big cash cow for a few interests. Those interests weren’t just going to walk away.