Joanna Tuffy | Broadsheet.ie

Labour TD Joanna Tuffy

The Labour recovery.

We’re getting our ‘stuff’ back.

Take that, misery junkies.

Labour TD Joanna Tuffy writes:

The feeble attempt by Aengus O Snodaigh yesterday to deny the very existence of the economic recovery is laughable, although when you consider the paucity of his party’s economic ‘expertise’, it i

Sinn Fein are misery junkies and as far as they are concerned, the more people who are out of work, the more people who are in mortgage arrears, and the less money families have to spend, the better.

Aengus O Snodaigh and his party feed off the uncertainty and anxiety that people experience at times of economic difficulty and there is no party better at exploiting ordinary people’s fears than Sinn Fein. But now that the recovery is under way Sinn Fein are petrified, and that’s why they have tried to dismiss the recovery as ‘false’.

Is it false, that in July, sales of new cars increased by 48% year on year? Is it false that car sales are set to exceed 100,000 for first time since 2008?

Is it false that so far this year, the number of foreign trips taken by Irish people has increased by 14.1% to 1.3 million?

Is it false that spending on home improvements by families has increased by 32% this year, and that over 33,000 works have been registered for the Home Renovation Scheme at average value of €15,457 per job?

Nobody is saying that everything is rosy in the garden, or that all our problems have been solved, but it is clear that things are getting a bit better for a lot of people.

Try as they might, not even Sinn Fein can wish away this recovery.”

Recovery is under way, and the Shinners are petrified (Joanna Tuffy, Labour)

Previously: “It’s Great To be Able To Finally Do The Kitchen”

Previously: Homeless Charities ‘Need To Step Up To The Plate’

Labour TD Joanna Tuffy

Stephen O’Brien, in yesterday’s Sunday Times, reported that, according to Labour TD Joanna Tuffy, some homeless charities – specifically Focus Ireland and the Peter McVerry Trust – need to ‘step up to the plate’ in relation to the homeless crisis.

Mr O’Brien reported:

Joanna Tuffy, a Labour TD, claimed two of the country’s largest homeless charities, Focus Ireland and the Peter McVerry Trust, should be doing more to provide social housing given their capacity and expertise.

The Housing Finance Agency (HFA) has confirmed that just five out of 13 charities registered as approved housing bodies (AHBs) have applied to it for funding. Focus Ireland secured AHB status earlier this year, but has not applied for funding. The Peter McVerry Trust has not applied for AHB status.

“At the risk of agreeing with the taoiseach, funding doesn’t seem to be the problem – there is plenty of money around,” said Barry O’Leary, chief executive of the HFA. “We have facilities to lend up to €500m – €300m for housebuilding, €200m for house purchases. We are open for business, we are very keen to lend, and we can lend European Investment Bank money fixed for 25 years at about 3.25%, which is an absolutely phenomenal offering.”

“…Pat Doyle, chief executive of the Peter McVerry Trust, said he was disappointed with Tuffy’s comments. He said the trust is in the process of meeting the HFA’s rigorous requirements for recognition, and is currently buying 55 homes in Dublin using a mixture of commercial finance and business donations.”

“Tuffy said increasing the rent supplement cap – as suggested by Focus and the McVerry Trust – would simply drive rents up further. ‘The issue is supply,’ she said. ‘Some AHBs are stepping up to the plate and borrowing from the Housing Finance Agency to fund social housing, but two major players have been slower than others – Focus Ireland and the McVerry Trust. They are criticising [the government] but they need to step up to the plate themselves. Look at what smaller organisations like Cluid, Tuath and the Oaklee Housing Trust have done.”

In response to the Sunday Times story, Focus Ireland wrote on its Facebook…

Meanwhile outside the Trust Homelessness Services on Bride Road, Dublin 8 this morning…

.@alankellylabour says #homeless problem is “unprecedented”, says more cooperation from local authorities needed pic.twitter.com/Jkr6HHVFRf

— Brian O’Donovan (@BrianODTV3) August 24, 2015