Michael Leahy, a candidate in the European Election for Ireland South, has called for the scrappage of a scheme that offers rental accommodation to Ukrainians tax-free.
The Ennis based architect and planner and Chairman of the Irish Freedom Party, said the Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) measure is discriminatory.
“It leaves Irish people and everyone else in a vulnerable position because if a landlord can rent a house tax-free, of course the landlord will choose that option,” Mr Leahy said.
The Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) is a monthly rate of €800 per property and is tax free to landlords. ‘Those fleeing Ukraine’ are entitled to the payment whether they are working or not and regardless of their salary.
“I believe the tax incentives for landlords that rent property to ‘those fleeing Ukraine’ are unjust and discriminatory against Irish people. If a landlord has a choice to rent a property to a Ukrainian family or an Irish family, the landlord is rewarded by government for choosing the Ukrainian family, because the rental income for a Ukrainian family will be tax free,” Mr Leahy said.
“I believe this is an example of active discrimination against Irish people. It is unjust and unfair. We have a housing crisis and circumstances are particularly difficult for people trying to find rental accommodation. We need to respectfully re-think our priorities on this issue.”
“When it comes to the allocation of social housing, the Irish Freedom Party will prioritise Irish people,” Mr Leahy said.\
“On the Clare Byrne Radio Show on RTÉ radio Thursday, 24th April, Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien said there was an ‘over reliance’ on the private rental sector but his own government introduced the Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) that removes even more rental properties from the market – specifically for refugee use. How can Irish people compete in that market? It’s discrimination.”
“The Minister then said, that he is aware things are very difficult for people looking for rental properties now and he said ‘we need to improve that’ but here again, his own ARP policy shows that he is actively doing the opposite.”
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The Government , supported by the opposition , has got the country into a complete tangled mess.
It is essential for the survival of Ireland as we know it that the mess be untangled and sanity restored to policy.
There are some essential steps that must be taken before that difficult task even becomes possible.
Firstly the government, and indeed the opposition, must recognise and acknowledge that the country is in a complete tangled mess. If they don’t do that the task of rectification cannot even commence .
Secondly they must acquire the humility and wisdom to acknowledge that when you reach the point that you are pepper spraying your own citizens to implement your policy then there is something very wrong with your policy and you need to stop and rethink. You need to have the courage to eject colleagues from cabinet who go on television exuding great personal satisfaction at the fact that the Law enforcement are willing to commit violence against the people in order to implement the government policy , and effectively promising more of the same.If they cannot understand that the situation which was encouraged to develop at Newtownmountkennedy is indicative of poor policy and is not indicative of good policy , and should certainly not be a source of pride , then they cannot even hope to start untangling the mess.
Thirdly , stop victim blaming . Stop denigrating your own citizens who are merely pointing out the calamitous nature of the problems .Have the humility to recognise that Irish people are the victims of your poor policy , not the cause of it . If you show that humility the victims will be more likely to try to help you to sort out your mess but you cannot achieve that by alienating the victims.
Fourthly , recognise that 20th Century blame shifting will not fix 21st century problems . The Irish people urgently need the mess to be sorted , not to have it left unresolved while the government, weakly and haplessly , tries to pretend at the last minute that it is all somehow somebody else’s fault. The Irish people know how enthusiastic the Irish government was for all the disastrous policies that led us to this sad state of affairs. They know that the mess they are in now is the responsibility of the Irish Government. They have borne the insults and endured the intimidation when they pointed out how disastrous those policies were. They know who thinks it is right and proper that we reach a point whereby Irish police are pepper spraying Irish citizens to implement government policy and they know who thinks that is a bad thing . Don’t now , for electoral purposes , try to tell the Irish people that it is all the UK’s fault . That does not address any of the issues and just serves to insult the intelligence of the Irish people.
The four steps outlined above represent an essential beginning to any effort to resolve the mess this government has got the country into. Unfortunately, I am absolutely certain this government has no intention of sorting the mess , let alone take a single one of those steps.The country is in a bad place and I fear that this government, supported by the opposition, have no intention of doing anything other than to ensure that things get worse.
Great post. Well articulated.
Thank you . It is absolutely heartbreaking and soul destroying that Ireland is becoming a place where coercion is normalised. And what makes it even more so is that there are plenty of enthusiasts for a coercively controlled Ireland. Why can they not see that when a state needs to resort to coercion then something is really badly wrong?
questions now will have to be asked (who knew what and when)when this goverment ended the eviction ban last year it was rushed throught by blueshirts leo vodka and now we know WHY a tax free break of 800euro
for rich buddies landlords , over 5000 irish people mostly families with kids chucked out of a home, for this scam , this calls for goverment P45s.
Very well said indeed!!!!!
somebody needs to explain to blueshirt and finna fail voters that keep voting in ff/fg will enventualy come back to bite them in the @ss in the future their kids can not go to collage or take a job in another town or city no accommadation crime and corruption be epademic by then
Excellent post
Great post free of conspiracy theories. When you see the co- leader of Ireland on tv trying to solve the middle east war while Limerick hospital fails to uphold basic standards it makes you question what his values are. Where is the minister for health? Why is Martin on a tour of Egypt where he is just making a nuisance if himself to both sides. It feels like all the ministers are abandoning their core jobs and looking to pad their cv’s with high minded Gaza work prior to losing their seats by next year. The UN is full of vacancies for empty suits with no talent.
Good call by Michael Leahy of the Irish Freedom Party.
” “It leaves Irish people and everyone else in a vulnerable position because if a landlord can rent a house tax-free, of course the landlord will choose that option,” Mr Leahy said.“
“I believe the tax incentives for landlords that rent property to ‘those fleeing Ukraine’ are unjust and discriminatory against Irish people. If a landlord has a choice to rent a property to a Ukrainian family or an Irish family, the landlord is rewarded by government for choosing the Ukrainian family, because the rental income for a Ukrainian family will be tax free,” Mr Leahy said.
“I believe this is an example of active discrimination against Irish people. It is unjust and unfair. We have a housing crisis and circumstances are particularly difficult for people trying to find rental accommodation. We need to respectfully re-think our priorities on this issue.”
“When it comes to the allocation of social housing, the Irish Freedom Party will prioritise Irish people,” Mr Leahy said. ”
Found this previous article yesterday here on Gript written by him Why I’m standing for election on the issue of immigration – Gript where he outlines his/IFP’s position.
“ The Irish Freedom Party, for whom I am a candidate, opposes any drive to expand Ireland’s population unless it is organically generated from within the existing Irish population. “
Note: I am not a supporter of the Irish Freedom Party or any Independents or other parties. I urge all who are considering who to vote for to scrutinise the policy of all candidates in relation to Immigration in general and also to the asylum racket i.e.” genuine war & famine refugees and those fleeing ‘persecution’ ….”
If you believe that people paying thousands (in some cases up-to €20,000 travelling from Bangladesh) to people traffickers to travel thousands of miles, across continents, through dozens of countries because a rain and windswept Island on the North-West corner of Europe is the first place they can find refuge then you have a duty to inform yourself properly.
I do note that he says
” “When it comes to the allocation of social housing, the Irish Freedom Party will prioritise Irish people,” ”
– I think this should be extended to the general principle that Irish people are prioritised for private housing. While with some immigration or tourism, housing will inevitably be used for housing foreigners, we should not have the situation we currently do where Irish people are evicted so landlords can pack in foreigners in bunks. Nor should we have the situation where foreigners are bringing suitcases of money and pricing Irish out of both the rental and buying of properties.
I also note he’s a planner and was with An Bord Pleanála. I’d be interested to know what his views are now that he is no longer with An Bord Pleanála on the right of individuals to be able to build a home on their own land and the restrictions around planning in general .e.g. people denied planning in the area they grew up because they moved away for a while and cannot demonstrate a ‘need’ or tie to the area; the restrictions on permitted extensions and so on.
Have his views changed over time?
excellent post . the citizens of ireland deserve so much better from their politicians across ALL PARTIES and at ALL LEVELS ,the same must be said of our ” PUBLIC SERVICE ‘ bodies and departments , far too many ‘ career politicians at all levels local and national, far too many ‘ im alright jack’s in prominant positions within local and nation bodies , far too many ‘ im only here for the pension’ public servants who are useless at their jobs but keep being promoted above others far more capable because of political loyalties and affiliations .
The next government of this country needs to do something about the nepotism,cronyisn and blatent corruption across EVERY LOCAL AND NATIONAL OFFICE AND DEPARTMENT .
We need politicians who will work for EVERY CITIZEN of this state as they are elected to do and NOT for multi national corporations, global pharmacutricals ,N.G.O. and UNELECTED EUROPEAN COMMITTES foisting rules and regulations ,taxs and levies and making US responsable for OTHER COUNTRIES FUCK UPS AND WARS !!
i have to see more of your programe but i would give my scratch in june election , i would ssy 90℅ of people did not know about this till last 2 weeks because of housing cricis and free prefab housing for non irish,this goverment has lost the plot with irish people that were hoodwinked with this joining of ff/fg,i think people see the charlie haughey corruption for what it is now
I’ve read the policies of the Irish Freedom Party and listened to the videos of the sensible reasoned policies of the leadership – Herman Kelly and Michael Leahy. We desperately need them and others like them running the country and unraveling the damaging legacy of Leo Varadkar & his fellow travelers.
Another example of the gov’s war on the native Irish.
Well said Michael.
Roll on the elections and VOTE MICHAEL LEAHY down SOUTH!!!
More proof that Irish are being treated like 2nd class citizens in their own country.
The lot of them should be deported, never mind ending tax free.
One step at a time James! Take the honey away and the bees won’t come!!
Lol…. I can’t help it Frank, I’m just so excited, I just want to arrive there… Lol
👍🇮🇪
I suggest full benefits on a rolling 90 day basis. Reviewed and discontinued if no basis found for protection claim
I agree that the €800 pm tax free payment to landlord for Ukranians should go.
However I wonder how many landlords took up that offer. You see the rent for a place big enough for a family whether Ukrainian or Irish would be much higher than €800 pm. The family would have to pay the difference between the actual rent and €800 to the landlord. Any sensible landlord would want to know what the Ukranian family was earning and how secure the employment might be, before letting. Not all landlords would be on the top rate of tax 40% so the tax free element of the govt subsidy might not be a big attraction, given the probably insecurity of getting the balance of the rent.
A landlord I know had an application for a flat with rent €2,100pm from a Ukrainian family who said they could pay €800pm and it would be tax free. They did not mention what work they had or the balalnce of the rent that would be due. This landlord took an irish couple who sent with their application an employers statement showing their income.
Everyone in the EU leadership expected this conflict to be over quickly.
That’s not been the case tragically.
The dysfunctional EU keeps funding and encouraging the conflict at the US insistence.
Consequences born of arrogance.
This is a tiny part in the process.