A Stone’s Throw

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The doorway on Molesworth Street (top) where Jonathan Corrie died in 2014 (bottom) old Passport Office also on Molesworth Street.

Anon writes:

On the same street where Jonathan Corrie died sleeping rough the government can find €5m to renovate an office space. It is just shy of a year since Mr. Corrie passed away. People are still sleeping on the street in large numbers and those earning but struggling to cover rent could join them.

(RollingNews.ie)

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29 thoughts on “A Stone’s Throw

    1. Randy Ewing

      We should raise unemployment benefit too and rent allowance and cover them by increasing the PAYE.

    1. Randy Ewing

      moron, stop be constructive and say random stupid things that you’ve seen in headlines and in clips on you tube that make you feel clever and informed !

      Burn the middle classes and their drudging 9 to 5 working tax paying law abiding foolish ways !

    2. Pretendgineer

      Exactly, I’d have thought basic fact checking like that would be the first thing done before this got posted. The building is being redeveloped by the landlords (http://www.iput.ie), there’s no government involvement.

      Even the figure Anon gives is nonsense; the Indo link clearly states that it’s for hiring staff (to combat the backlog that’s no doubt been complained about on here before), find new offices and make them suitable. I suppose government wastage is a snappier headline though.

  1. Nicelives

    God love the poor man and definitely anyone sleeping in the open as the weather gets colder but did Jonathan Corrie not have two houses bought for him that he sold for cash? Or was that just a rumour at the time. It doesn’t sound like his case especially was a simple money issue or something to beat the government with over refurbishing offices.

    1. MoyestWithExcitement

      Does it matter. It’s about the issue of homeless not Jonathan Corrie specifically.

      1. rotide

        It actually is specifically about him. His name is mentioned twice, the doorway is pictured. There is nothing vague about that.

        1. MoyestWithExcitement

          So everyone is giving out about how the government specifically treated Jonathan Corrie were they? Or were people giving out about the government’s attitude towards the issue of homelessness in general? You might want to take a mulligan there.

          1. rotide

            I don’t know what ‘everyone’ is giving out about.

            This anon contributor is giving out about government wastage and from the explanation above is being a complete penis-shaped sex toy. You might want to be looking hard at that mulligan yourself.

            .

  2. DubLoony

    At the risk of being flamed…..
    Mr. Corrie’s family bought him 2 houses. He was not homeless.
    He had a loving and supporting family of origin as well as his partner and his children.
    He chose the life he led and unfortunately he died on the streets because of it.

    Flame away.

    1. phil

      No flame needed, but I think its well flagged that Homelessness is one of those multi problems, there may even be an over supply of beds at any one time while there are still people sleeping on the streets. I think … what we need is some sort of organisation that represents all citizens, say… a government, that will try to understand all the facets of this problem and implement a strategy, when they strategy fails , they will attempt another one..

      If they complain their hands are tied because of funding issues, then we can point at the OP’s example above…

      1. rotide

        So should all facets of government grind to a screeching halt untill every homeless person is housed?

  3. Joan Burton

    Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t Jonathan Corrie a home owner who chose to sleep rough after choosing to to take bag loads of yokes ?

  4. DubLoony

    That said, there is an obvious and significant problem with homelessness in Dublin.
    There are people who have fallen through welfare system and that system is creaking at the seams from rent increases.

    1. ReproBertie

      That’s not true Clampers.

      Budget 2016 allocated an extra €17m to increase the total amount available for tackling homelessness next year to €70m. That figure does not include the funding of 500 modular homes.

  5. Al

    Never let facts get in the way of an emotive headline

    http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/disputed-molesworth-street-development-gets-go-ahead-1.1869839

    “IPUT, the company behind the new office block, has a portfolio of nearly 80 properties across the office, retail and logistics sectors including Grafton Street’s Brown Thomas building and the Pavilions shopping centre in Swords. ”

    Privately owned building NOT government owned. Refurbishment funded by the owners not the government.

    Also I wish people would have an honest debate about homelessness and its causes rather than the default option to kick the government, banks etc.

    1. stev

      There is a an interesting study worth doing on the amount of government office space that is rented from private sector landlords though.

      How much money is transferred from taxpayers to the private sector through often over-market rate long-term fixed leases is possibly a better way to consider this in my view. Especially when you consider how much of that space has had public funding too.

      1. Al

        Who else would they rent from, long term leases tend to be significantly cheaper for Grade A office space, any evidence of govt over paying? Lxv on the green just set new record of €55 square ft

        Are you advocating using public money to build premises for government departments?

        Should some money be taken out of the heath budget to build a replacement for Hawkins house, bits are falling off, or should they rent something at market rates from the private sector?

    2. AlisonT

      Also worth remembering that Mr. Corrie was not in need of government housing, he had money and accommodation. He chose to live on the street and people should respect that choice. Instead those who are supposed to be fighting for the dignity of the homeless make it out that he had no right to make that choice.

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