Tag Archives: Mannix Flynn


Homeless and housing charity empires have sprung up in the last 20 years without any proper independent oversight and governance, says Dublin City Councillor Mannix Flynn (above)

In a no-holds-barred polemic, Independent Dublin City Councillor Mannix Flynn, writing in Village (full article at link below), takes on the homelessness ‘industry’….

‘…The Peter Mc Verry Trust, Focus Ireland, The Simon community, De Paul and the myriad approved housing bodies are worth tens of millions. With tens of millions on deposit.

Not-for-profit does not indicate non-commercial. Scandalously, homelessness is a business like any other, except when it comes to accountability and transparency.

Many of these entities have become fiefs in competition with each other for clients and real estate. One is reminded of the residential institutions and their greed to fill their institutions with the poor in order to make money per head

Homeless and housing charity empires have sprung up in the last 20 years without any proper independent oversight and governance. Vast sums of money and sprawling assets are under the control of these untouchables. What’s at play here is agency-capture as worthy intentions get corrupted by entanglements with conservative bureaucracy.

The saying goes that ‘the road to hell is paved with good intentions’. It was a byword for many of our grandest institutions like the Catholic Church.

…The CEOs of these institutions, the supposed charities, are on top dollar.

They control huge resources and operate like corporations. In 2016 Ashley Balbirnie, CEO of Focus Ireland, drew a €115,000 salary for overseeing 327 staff with revenue of €19,596,418 in 2014. Kerry Anthony, CEO of Depaul Ireland, drew an €82,831 salary for overseeing, including in Northern Ireland, 325 staff and revenue of €12,923,195. Joyce Loughnan of Focus Ireland was drawing €125,000 in 2013. In 2014, Dublin Simon’s chief executive, Sam McGuinness, was on a salary of €93,338.

A 2018 survey by the Wheel suggested of all charities the homelessness ones paid their CEOs the most, with average salaries of over €80,000.

…According to the Irish Times, in 2014 staff costs at the four main homeless agencies in the city absorbed all funds, and more, granted them by the State for the provision of homelessness services.

Dublin Simon, the Peter McVerry Trust, Depaul Ireland and Focus Ireland received a total of €33.6 million in grants from State agencies in 2014, but spent €35.8 million on staff costs on the 875 people they employed in 2014.

…As the canal banks fill up with tents and the footpaths with sleeping bags with no end of hand-wringing, anyone can slap on a hi-vis jacket and call themselves an outreach worker. Within a short space of time they can elevate themselves to becoming senior executives, or their own CEO…

Agency Capture Part 1: Homelessness (Mannix Flynn, Village)

Rollingnews

Course you are.

Acclaimed documentary ‘Land Without God‘ receives its Irish TV premiere on RTÉ One.

Co-directed by abuse survivor and Dublin City Councillor Gerard Mannix Flynn (whose story the film tells), Maedhbh McMahon, and Lotta Petronella, – Land Without God examines the legacy of Institutional abuse by the Irish Church and State over the last century.

Land Without God on RTÉ One on at 10.10pm.

Land Without God – examining the legacy of Institutional abuse (Mannix Flynn, RTÉ)

Last night.

On RTÉ’s Prime Time.

Mannix Flynn addressed Bishop of Derry Dónal McKeown and called on the guards to ring Pope Francis, during his visit to Ireland, and ask him to call into a Garda station and answer some “very, very serious” questions.

Watch back in full here

Yesterday: Temporary Cover-Up

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The Artane Boys’ Band en route to America in 1962; the image was on an album in 1969

Last week, it was reported that Dublin City Councillor Mannix Flynn, a former resident of the St Joseph’s Industrial School in Artane, was putting a motion down calling for the Artane Band to be renamed.

The original Artane Boys’ Band was established by the Christian Brothers at St Joseph’s in 1872 and started to become involved with the GAA in 1886.

Mr Flynn was reported as saying:

“It’s an absolute insult to those of us who are still trying to recover. When you go to Croke Park and that band marches out, we are constantly reminded.”

Further to this, two days ago, Mr Flynn released a statement that he is changing his motion and, instead of asking for the band to be renamed, he’s calling for the Artane School of Music to be disbanded.

In his statement, he said his new motion is as follows:

That this monthly meeting of Dublin City Council, mindful of the shameful legacy of institutional abuse in industrial schools documented in the Commission of Inquiry into Child Abuse, call on the Artane School of Music to disband as a matter of human rights.

The School of Music is an establishment jointly run by the Christian Brothers and the GAA, yet encompasses the original and traditional insignia and uniforms that hark back to an age of chronic sexual and physical abuse at the hands of the religious.

The Artane Boys’ Band was used as a front to hide the gross inhumanity that took place at St Joseph’s School in Artane and other industrial schools run by the Christian Brothers at home and abroad.

The harrowing memories of these institutions for abuse victims are regularly flaunted without care or recognition at national sporting events in Croke Park in the form of the present Artane band.

A disbandment of the trust would sever all ties with the former industrial school and its brutal history and in doing so, would acknowledge the ongoing collective suffering of so many.

Further to this, the Lord Mayor of Dublin Brendan Carr has released the following statement this afternoon, ahead of this weekend’s All Ireland Football Final:

“Congratulations to The Artane Band on their 130 years of proud association with the GAA and Croke Park. I urge all Dublin fans attending the big match on Sunday to show their support and appreciation for the ‘other’ boys and girls in blue, as they entertain us all and march in front of the parade of both teams at Sunday’s final.”

“Please show your support by giving them a special cheer of appreciation for their unwavering and dedicated service and commitment to the GAA and the fans over the years.”

Statement: Disband the Artane Band (Mannix Flynn)

Call to rebrand Artane Band due to ‘trauma’ (Mark Hilliard, Irish Times)

Artane School of Music

Pic: Mannix Flynn

Críona_Ní_Dhálaigh

Dublin Lord Mayor Críona Ní Dhálaigh

Louisa McGrath, in the Dublin Inquirer, writes:

Independent councillor Mannix Flynn has put forward a motion to the council’s protocol committee to decommission the title Lord Mayor and replace it with the more inclusive title of Civic Mayor.

“This would be in keeping with a much more democratic description and title. The days of Lords go back to a time when Ireland was under foreign rule and in many respects it is an alien colonialist term,” the motion states.

This motion will come before all councillors for debate at next month’s full council meeting.

Is it time to delete the “Lord” from Lord Mayor of Dublin? (Dublin Inquirer)

Pic: Wikipedia