Morris writes:

 Nicely framed question there RTÉ…’a vanity project by a bunch of celebrity do gooders’ or a ‘real community drive to help the homeless’. Is that best you can do? This is a serious crisis and you are peddling this?…. Another reason why I’m switching to Today FM…

Update:

Oh.

*trashes wireless*

Earlier: What a Bunch of Artists And Volunteers Have Managed To Do

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28 thoughts on “Dividetime

  1. Daddy

    Each day, RTE runs the same editorial agenda from Morning Ireland right through the day to the Late Debate, taking in Sean O’Rourke, Joe Duffy, News at One, Ray D’Arcy and Drivetime.

    It’s very deliberate and designed to set a tone for the nation to frame debate into a narrow divisive black and white simplistic style.

    It means all shouting and no talking so that nothing gets resolved and nothing changes.

  2. Cot

    RTE is crap. And right wing. Hence I have never, nor will I ever, pay my TV license. Don’t like RTE? Then do the same.

      1. Cot

        Well, TV3 is as right wing as RTE. TnG has some good stuff, but apart from them, it’s all IBEC generated bullcrap.

        1. Cian

          TV3 get very, very little – only for specific programmes.

          RTE do get well over half of it, though. TG4, collection and the various production and archival schemes get the rest.

          Its not particularly long ago RTE was accused of being the mouthpiece of Official Sinn Fein/Workers Party…

          1. stev

            There’s still definitely a Democratic Left (remember them folks) streak in Montrose. It’s going as that generation moves on but it’s really quite interesting to see how deep the influence went/goes to an extent.

  3. Cian

    Yes, yes it is.

    Putting people in an unsuitable building (sanitary and cooking facilities for an office are not suitable for habitation) with rigged up energy supplies is insanity when there was a very significant amount of actual dedicated, designed capacity added to the shelters available at the same time. If the fire detection/supression systems are even operable there now let alone meet standards for habitation I’d be astounded – as office ones don’t.

    They could have put the efforts in to ensuring the injunction against the one in D8 was lifted (it has been) rather than this and housed as many people as a result. Lovely PR for a few singers and Je Suis Derek and his cheeseburgers, though.

    1. 15p

      there’s the typical broadsheet commenter response i was expecting. bypass any good and go looking for negatives. i know if i was sleeping rough, i’d take the shelter. i wouldn’t turn my nose up at it while reciting fire safety regulations. as for the celeb bashing goin on over this, is deeply cynical. they’ve used their notoriety to get the message of a problem to the masses. good on em. they’ve used their fame to help people. but no. thats looked down on too. people like you, cian, you’re whats wrong with this country. looking for the negatives and whining about someone else who is actually bothered to do something positive.

      1. Cian

        If there’s a fire (or an outbreak of disease from inadequate sanitation), are you going to blame the misguided ‘slebs or try blame the council/the state/whoever?

  4. Jocky

    They are presenting too opposing views in their question which is their role to stimulate debate. You would clearly prefer that they just presented a fawning report on the saintly celebrities and their not in any way illegal actions.

    1. Happy Molloy

      Yep, some people think their position is above being challenged rather than relishing the chance to justify their views

  5. Antoin

    There is no doubting the activists’ sincerity and placing a spotlight on the issue of homelessness is always worthwhile, but there is also a serious problem with what ‘Home Sweet Home’ are doing.They say they are just going to do this for a couple of months. Do they think the homelessness problem is going to go away in a couple of months? Equally, do they think a makeshift hostel is really a ‘home sweet home’? It is just a bed and a roof. A bed and a roof is not a home. There is a real danger of treating this issue as some sort of hobby. Being homeless is not a hobby and dealing with the problem of homelessness is not something that can be resolved as a hobby either. It is good to ventilate the issue, but Home Sweet Home poses more questions and raises more issues than it resolves (and that is a good thing, not a bad thing).

    1. SomeChump

      Sorry, you haven’t pointed out any reasons why Home Sweet Home doing this is worse than them not doing it. You’ve actually argued that their action is better than none so it’s a good thing, thanks.

    2. Yer Man There

      Winter is devastating if your homeless. If you are going to do anything, no matter how small, this is the time when it matters the most.

  6. Turgenev

    Who is it owns Today FM again? Some raging socialist, yes?

    Given the choice of Apollo House with its lack of excellent canteen facilities or sleeping on the streets with witty partygoers pissing on my face or worse, hmmm, both so lovely, how do I choose?

    Good on the celebrities, as far as I’m concerned.

  7. the florist

    I think the majority of people have very good intentions here, but I do think it’s being run by others who have a definite political agenda.

    1. Joxer

      of course theres a political agenda here ….to show up the Government for the shower of wankbags of poo that they are….(as well as ensuring homeless can reside somewhere safer than the streets)

      1. Sheik Yahbouti

        Me life on yah Joxer – that’s the whole point – entirely missed by the assembled FG fanboys.

        1. scottser

          there’s too much hand-wringing, mouthing off and victim-blaming in this debate, sheik. homelessness is ALWAYS a political issue. the law doesn’t allow a right to tenancy but it does allow a right to shelter. if you or me had to break into a derelict building to avail of shelter then by rights, there isn’t a judge in the land should convict us. anyone sleeping rough due a lack of availability means that a local authority somewhere is in breach of the housing act.

          i might have concerns about the conditions of apollo house and its suitability as a homeless service, but first principles apply here – ground temperatures are hitting zero on a regular basis. if anyone finds themselves out of home at night, then get inside, anywhere if you can.

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