*”Don’t blame us, it’s not our fault we couldn’t build them overnight… or in the last 13 years of being in power.”*
TheStoicNihilist on
Damned if you do… one side or the other will hop on you whatever you say, facts be damned.
badger-biscuits on
“But if you look at the figures, for example, for the month of July in Dublin, the single biggest reason people gave for presenting at Dublin homeless services was exiting direct provision.
“And if you look at the figures for Dublin over the summer months, I think June, but, but this is generally over months, you’ll see that around 20 to 24% of people who present come from countries outside the European Economic Area, and I think around a similar percentage from either the UK or the EU.”
Michael D really needs to stop talking shit about things he clearly doesn’t have correct information about
MrStarGazer09 on
I do kind of think it’s crazy that he’s facing big criticisms for this.
How do you ever solve a problem if you’re not allowed to say or acknowledge what the contributing factors are.
jeperty on
Immigration can add to homeless numbers, but here the record level is entirely on the government being unwilling to change their stance on how to do housing in the country and slow movement. Its been over a decade since Kenny said the famous line about fixing it overnight, and things have gotten worse, they still blame someone else or external factors.
Intelligent-Donut137 on
We now have the situation where the head of government finally admits the obvious, what everyone has known for years, that his governments immigration policy has exacerbated the housing crisis to catastrophic levels.
I guess the opposition are having a field day with this, right? Nope, SF and the SocDems are saying that he is lying and that more people coming into the country has nothing whatsoever to do with the availability of a finite resource like housing, giving him a complete pass.
You couldnt make it up.
MacFlogger on
I actually appreciate that he is telling the truth. Both previous Taoisigh didn’t have the balls to admit this.
Drengi36 on
Going after the coolock votes?
FunktopusBootsy on
Certain figures who are used to having the consensus nod dimly along with their luxury beliefs and endless moral kite flying are beginning to learn they’ve lost the room. Simon Harris is *just* savvy enough (or possibly young enough) to be willing to grasp reality and say it out loud as the mood has shifted.
DaveShadow on
Here’s the thing.
The instance by some people to obsess about immigration is absolutely helping the government, to the point of being suicidal if you genuinely want some level of change.
The housing crisis is not an issue only born in the last five years, as immigration numbers have gone up. Kenny’s comments about not being able to build more houses overnight was over a decade ago. The housing crisis is one that has been building due to, at best, the utter ineptitude of the government for over a decade.
But by hyper focusing onto immigration, and hyper focusing it onto the last 4-5 years since Covid, the Ukranian war, and so on, it allows the government to pretend it’s an issue that is somewhat new and somewhat out of their control. By hyper focusing on immigration, it’s giving the government a massive out. Because immigration is an issue, but it’s absolutely not THE issue.
There’s a reason Harris is admitting this; it’s because it suits his government if the entire next election links the crisis to immigration, and tries to clash with the hardcore racist far right groups, who scream about deportations, illegals, and throw in jabs at trans people (this is not saying all people who have concerns about immigration are racists; it’s saying the main political parties who are making it their entire identity sure have a habit of being hateful fucks overall). By fanning the flames of the anti-immigration debate, he’s absolutely getting to deflect away from the decade plus of shitty cutting and cutting of basic rights, in terms of health, housing, Gardai, education and so on.
Focusing the next election onto immigration will likely hurt SF the most, as the harder right wing voters peel away from them, split the vote, and likely see FF and FG strengthen their position, rather than weaken it. The trends in current polls show that this insistence of making immigration issues the entire basis of the next election will absolutely lead us into another five years of the status quo.
Additional_Olive3318 on
Getting criticised for saying the obvious seems a bit odd.
Housing is a matter of supply and demand. If the supply side increases then a few things will happen – prices will go up in the private sector, the social and public sector will be under pressure and a combination of the two will lead to increased homelessness.
High_Flyer87 on
Not buying what Harris is selling here. He is scapegoating immigrants for sustained Fine Gael Governance failures.
Educational-Pay4112 on
Wait…wait.. so does this mean that Simon has gone “far right”?
tronborg2000 on
It’s not the fault of anybody ?? What??? Ah lads … what on earth is going on
demonspawns_ghost on
I’m old enough to remember how cheap and accessible rented accommodation was to get before the flood of Polish and Chinese migrants, and how difficult and expensive it was after. I’m not anti-immigration, in fact I’m an immigrant myself, but the government seems to think they can just open the doors to unlimited immigration and everything will just work itself out somehow.
Deflection, a key narcissist trait (most politicians).
nednewt1 on
Build up!! more housing options for singles and couples without children. More quality apartments, higher and bigger.
Legitimate-Leader-99 on
Common sense would tell you a massive increase in population is going to affect housing ,health , all services
LtGenS on
“There is undeniably an “absolute link” between Fine Gael housing policy and homelessness. There’s no votes in that for SimonHarrisTD so he’s blaming immigration. He’s a nasty individual.”
22 Comments
*”Don’t blame us, it’s not our fault we couldn’t build them overnight… or in the last 13 years of being in power.”*
Damned if you do… one side or the other will hop on you whatever you say, facts be damned.
“But if you look at the figures, for example, for the month of July in Dublin, the single biggest reason people gave for presenting at Dublin homeless services was exiting direct provision.
“And if you look at the figures for Dublin over the summer months, I think June, but, but this is generally over months, you’ll see that around 20 to 24% of people who present come from countries outside the European Economic Area, and I think around a similar percentage from either the UK or the EU.”
Michael D really needs to stop talking shit about things he clearly doesn’t have correct information about
I do kind of think it’s crazy that he’s facing big criticisms for this.
How do you ever solve a problem if you’re not allowed to say or acknowledge what the contributing factors are.
Immigration can add to homeless numbers, but here the record level is entirely on the government being unwilling to change their stance on how to do housing in the country and slow movement. Its been over a decade since Kenny said the famous line about fixing it overnight, and things have gotten worse, they still blame someone else or external factors.
We now have the situation where the head of government finally admits the obvious, what everyone has known for years, that his governments immigration policy has exacerbated the housing crisis to catastrophic levels.
I guess the opposition are having a field day with this, right? Nope, SF and the SocDems are saying that he is lying and that more people coming into the country has nothing whatsoever to do with the availability of a finite resource like housing, giving him a complete pass.
You couldnt make it up.
I actually appreciate that he is telling the truth. Both previous Taoisigh didn’t have the balls to admit this.
Going after the coolock votes?
Certain figures who are used to having the consensus nod dimly along with their luxury beliefs and endless moral kite flying are beginning to learn they’ve lost the room. Simon Harris is *just* savvy enough (or possibly young enough) to be willing to grasp reality and say it out loud as the mood has shifted.
Here’s the thing.
The instance by some people to obsess about immigration is absolutely helping the government, to the point of being suicidal if you genuinely want some level of change.
The housing crisis is not an issue only born in the last five years, as immigration numbers have gone up. Kenny’s comments about not being able to build more houses overnight was over a decade ago. The housing crisis is one that has been building due to, at best, the utter ineptitude of the government for over a decade.
But by hyper focusing onto immigration, and hyper focusing it onto the last 4-5 years since Covid, the Ukranian war, and so on, it allows the government to pretend it’s an issue that is somewhat new and somewhat out of their control. By hyper focusing on immigration, it’s giving the government a massive out. Because immigration is an issue, but it’s absolutely not THE issue.
There’s a reason Harris is admitting this; it’s because it suits his government if the entire next election links the crisis to immigration, and tries to clash with the hardcore racist far right groups, who scream about deportations, illegals, and throw in jabs at trans people (this is not saying all people who have concerns about immigration are racists; it’s saying the main political parties who are making it their entire identity sure have a habit of being hateful fucks overall). By fanning the flames of the anti-immigration debate, he’s absolutely getting to deflect away from the decade plus of shitty cutting and cutting of basic rights, in terms of health, housing, Gardai, education and so on.
Focusing the next election onto immigration will likely hurt SF the most, as the harder right wing voters peel away from them, split the vote, and likely see FF and FG strengthen their position, rather than weaken it. The trends in current polls show that this insistence of making immigration issues the entire basis of the next election will absolutely lead us into another five years of the status quo.
Getting criticised for saying the obvious seems a bit odd.
Housing is a matter of supply and demand. If the supply side increases then a few things will happen – prices will go up in the private sector, the social and public sector will be under pressure and a combination of the two will lead to increased homelessness.
Not buying what Harris is selling here. He is scapegoating immigrants for sustained Fine Gael Governance failures.
Wait…wait.. so does this mean that Simon has gone “far right”?
It’s not the fault of anybody ?? What??? Ah lads … what on earth is going on
I’m old enough to remember how cheap and accessible rented accommodation was to get before the flood of Polish and Chinese migrants, and how difficult and expensive it was after. I’m not anti-immigration, in fact I’m an immigrant myself, but the government seems to think they can just open the doors to unlimited immigration and everything will just work itself out somehow.
https://preview.redd.it/0vfg64v5ziqd1.png?width=640&format=png&auto=webp&s=3086cfb0b682c61260a9eb02ed629e587e876a65
Dog whistle alert for those who can’t hear it
Deflection, a key narcissist trait (most politicians).
Build up!! more housing options for singles and couples without children. More quality apartments, higher and bigger.
Common sense would tell you a massive increase in population is going to affect housing ,health , all services
“There is undeniably an “absolute link” between Fine Gael housing policy and homelessness. There’s no votes in that for SimonHarrisTD so he’s blaming immigration. He’s a nasty individual.”
[https://x.com/lukeming/status/1838144641796800937](https://x.com/lukeming/status/1838144641796800937)
Appealing to the Jonfer vote isn’t going to get houses built or solve our problems.
This pathetic “advocacy” focusing on immigrants and demand while putting no energy towards supply will get us nowhere.