Former Mayor of Galway Noel Larkin has called for a General Election amid what he has said is the 'absolute madness' of proposed legislation regarding emigration and housing.
Cllr Larkin, who is running for Independent Ireland in the forthcoming local election said that the Government is out of touch with taxpayers, who foot the bill for everything in the country.
He also said that by highlighting these issues, politicians like himself are often branded racist and bigoted, a development which he says is undeserved.
He said that Justice Minister Helen McEntee last week proposed introducing a new bill to cabinet which proposed enhancing security and screening of migrants wishing to enter our country.
"If we refuse anyone entry into Ireland at any point the state will incur a fine of €25,000 by Europe. This is not just a once off payment, its €25K per person, per year, paid by the state, namely us taxpayers. This is a high degree of madness, and an insult to the intelligence of us taxpayers, and general public. We need a referendum on this matter. People need to have their say," Cllr Larkin said.
"A recent poll stated that 70-75% of people believe we have let too many migrant people into our country. This is borne out by the number of people that are homeless here already. Human beings living in tents on the side of the road. There are numerous encampments in our city. Some are hidden from view; some are in plain sight.
"Yet the decision makers, supposedly working on our behalf, continue to allow thousands extra into Ireland on a weekly basis. How is this allowed to happen? There is a severe shortage of homes throughout the country already. Our own citizens unable to find accommodation for themselves to rear a family, and eventually get to purchase their own homes," he said.
Cllr Larkin hit out at the proposal by Minister Roderick O Gorman that warehouses and empty office blocks should be converted into living areas to ease the accommodation crisis.
Branded racists
"Sometimes people are branded racists because they highlight particular major issue in an area.
Pointing our problems and issues that we were elected to represent is not being racist, its being practical, and trying to find solutions, which our government have no interest in resolving.
Another ludicrous idea that is being proposed. Any person who lets a room or two in their homes to tourists, should stop doing this, and do long-term letting to someone who is homeless or a migrant. The government are so far out of touch it’s frightening.
Landlords, which means people who purchased their own property, paying a mortgage with high interest, paying income tax, USC, Vat, property tax, insurance, maintenance and every other charge that the government introduces at a whim.
The government has failed dismally to recognise that landlords are leaving the market at an enormous rate, because they have over legislated, to such a degree that the property owner has the feeling that they don’t own the property anymore. Then to add insult to injury, they charge 40% tax on income earned from the letting. Utter madness.
To highlight how intolerable the letting market has become, the Independent Ireland election candidate said he knows a case which may explain why property owners would prefer to leave it idle altogether, or do short term lets to tourists.
"A person who bought and paid for their own home over many years, decided to downgrade to a smaller home, as the family was reared and no longer living at home. A smaller home was purchased, and while they were waiting for the first house to be sold, they decided to let the smaller house. The tenant paid the deposit and first months rent. No more rent was paid. That was three years ago.
Heads in the sand
"Numerous court appearances, and agreement reached that the sheriff would remove the tenant for the house, but never happened. The tenant sublet a room in the rented house and was collecting rent every month, without paying the property owner. In the interim the bigger house was sold, and they are living in rented accommodation, without any assistance from the PRTB, or state agencies. The tenant has more rights that the property owner. Decision makers need to take their head out of the sand and see what is really going on in the country," he said.
Another masterplan being brought forward. People who own holiday homes should let them long term to people who need accommodation. How dare they propose that people who buy a holiday home to get a break occasionally, after paying all the taxes, let them out, just to save the government incompetence and inability to supply affordable homes is every area throughout the country.
Imagine if EU proposed that every holiday home throughout Europe should be let to migrants or people seeking long term accommodation, there would be a revolution in France, Spain, Italy, Germany and others also. Government grasping at straws, instead of making proper decisions that they are getting well paid to do.
The Galway City East candidate said he is calling on the people who make the decision to keep letting more and more people into the country, while there is no accommodation to review what they are doing.
"Landlords leaving at an alarming rate, councils unable to supply houses, builders unable to build because of prohibitive cost and taxes, leaves us in an intolerable situation, which is not going to be tolerated anymore.
"The Government should not be allowed to dictate to property owners what they are allowed to do with their own bought and paid for properties. They should instead, which I believe they are incapable of doing, concentrate on incentive building companies to fast forward affordable home building, relax the current planning regulations, and issue work permits to people already here, and want to work, thus relieving the shortage of workers required here now.
"We need a general election now and let us angry public have our say," concluded Cllr Larkin.
