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PUBLIC EXPENDITURE MINISTER Paschal Donohoe has defended his record on housing delivery despite former housing minister Eoghan Murphy stating in his recent book that he felt “ambushed” by senior government figures who derailed his plans.
In his book, ‘Running from Office’, the former housing minister outlines that he wanted to make substantial changes to Simon Coveney’s housing plans when he took over the office.
Declaring a housing emergency, holding a referendum to enshrine the right to housing in the Constitution and taxing vacant properties were just some of the ideas he said were slapped down.
In his book, Murphy described a “brutal” meeting with former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Donohoe (who was finance minister at the time) and the attorney general at the time, Seamus Wolfe, where his ideas were ruled out.
When asked for his reaction to Murphy’s assertions, that his ideas to change housing policy were quietly dropped, Donohoe stood over his record, stating that during his tenure as Minister for Public Expenditure during that period the housing budget increased every year.
“Funding that was available for social and public housing increased every year as well. In every budget that I have done, either as Minister for Finance or as Minister for Public expenditure, I have prioritised additional funding to ensure that new homes are being built,” he said.
However, he added that in his role as minister at the time he needed to ensure that there was also additional funding to deliver “the other projects that government wanted to make happen, to build more schools, to be able to invest more in public transport, to be able to invest more in our justice system”.
“I have to ask questions and I have to ensure that what we are doing overall adds up,” said Donohoe, stating that in his view, his actions have resulted in financial resources being available “in the future, to make the further shift change in the number of new homes that are being built and further invest in our country’s future”.
The Journal put it to Donohoe that this was also a time where homelessness figures began to skyrocket which was one of the reasons Murphy cites in the book as being a reason he wanted to resign from office.
“But this is the reason why, during that period, as well, we increased the investment that was available to try to deal with the risk of homelessness and to rebuild the social housing programme. It’s the reason why, when I engaged with Eoghan, after every budget that we did, we put more money into those areas,” said Donohoe.
Taoiseach Simon Harris added that he finds it “very interesting” some political figures “who spent a number of years excoriating Murphy, are now holding him up as a fountain of all wisdom, which I just think is quite interesting to note”.
Harris added that many people who opposed him in the Dáil every day “in a very personalised fashion, quite a vicious fashion, are now quoting him”.
He said he remains in contact with Murphy describing him as someone he holds in high regard.
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Hi journal could you please print more articles like this so I can show them to my girlfriend and convince her that me buying a Ps4 will not turn me into a sedentary immobile cabbage as she seems to believe it would? Thanka
Forget about your ps4 and build a pc for gaming :)
is that not a good bit more expensive/hassle? Though it has the Trojan horse advantage that I could pretend Im dropping a grand on it for its amazing word processing capabilities only to “discover” it can be used for games too once its in the door!
If you love gaming you’ll know the difference between console and PC gaming and money won’t come into it :)
My gaming pc only cost 200 more than my xbox one/ps4. The extra you spend you will save after buying 10 full price AAA games from steam.
Pc can be built for €600 and upgraded when needed. Lasts longer and games are cheaper.
Gaming PC pffft. How long are you waiting to play Gta 5 now?
I’d love to build a gaming PC someday.
T
Great piece. I’d even argue that games in themselves are a great stress reliever, without even trying to establish the link as directly as you have with the PIP. I find them great for blowing off some steam.
So sick of the ridiculous articles about games and ‘de-sensitising’ that do the rounds every so often, nice to read one without the scare-mongering!
I think it depends a lot on the type of game and the player’s personality. When I play CS:GO I don’t usually find it relaxing. Fun, yes, but stressful! Skyrim I find relaxing and I play a game called Cue Club. I think that open world games can be the best for relaxing and de-stressing (although a lot can be said for unloading a machine gun into a swarm of monsters attacking you!) as you can usually do whatever you like. I remember playing GTA3 years ago and just driving around. That’s it. Having fun driving around the city and trying out different vehicles.
I’d agree that gaming is a nice way to put the feet up and relax… right up to the point where I discovered Dark Souls and my blood pressure has never been the same since!
I hear that game is brutally tough, lol.
I’ve started playing Risk of Rain. It’s fun but you will die a lot. Like most roguelikes.
Games are for children. Any grown man playing computer games deserves to be neutered at the balls.
Newsflash many games aren’t actually made for children, the biggest selling games are always over 18′s and the average age of a typical “gamer” is actually 31 http://venturebeat.com/2014/04/29/gaming-advocacy-group-the-average-gamer-is-31-and-most-play-on-a-console/
Closer inspection of your profile pic and the name ‘anto’ has ruled your opinion null and void.
Games are for children? Really? Have you heard of F.E.A.R., Amnesia the dark descent, GTA, Silent Hill or Dead Space? Don’t think the developers had children as their target market there.
Or you could do some exercise or something useful. Gaming is an absolute waste of time. It’s bad enough children playing but anyone still interested in games as an adult needs to grow up.
I don’t have a TV. I agree most programming these days is even more moronic than wasting your life prancing around virtual reality.
I bet you sit on the sofa like a lemon watching rubbish tv shows on your laptop while your brain melts away. At least with gaming you’re using it.
Touch a nerve did I lads? Keep wasting you’re lives away, no skin off my back.
Your.
I’m certainly not wasting my life away. I find gaming relaxes me, makes me forget the troubles at hand. Get this, I read books too.
Endas too busy wrecking the country to have the time to play a game and chill out. If he’s as good at gaming as he is at running the country yeah you get my drift. )
Tell me how the typical evening goes in your house Enda, and please be honest. What do you do to chill out and take the edge off the day?
Enda stop being a right old one and get with the times grandad
It’s hard enough to get the kids off these games as it is,don’t want them to see this,or it will be impossible
Exactly, like the world needs more man-babies.
It’s better than watching tv.
I know the kids today with their “pop music” and “vidja games” in your day I bet you had a stick and were happy with that ehh?
Luddites
All the wives and girlfriends will be on giving out about their men folk anytime now. I have a ps4 it’s an excellent piece of equipment for helping to just loose yourself for a while in a game. I will admit you don’t notice the time go though. My wife thinks I’m a man child I keep telling her there are millions of men out there that are gamers. Don’t smoke or gamble I do exercise and have a hobby and spend quality time with the family so what harm is it to loose yourself in a game every and then while she’s down watching X factor or I’m a celebrity or strictly come dancing or East Enders or emerdale etc etc,so you see girls lighten up on the lads and their gaming.
Leslie: Teach your children time management skills, and if they are too young to self regulate then its your job to do it with them. Certain types of Games are excellent for children’s’ development – but like all things in life there must be moderation.
Gaming isn’t just for kids or adult men – women are a huge part of the gaming market. I’m an avid gamer and playing online is a wonderful sort of socialising. When my kids are in bed, I get to hang out with my international gaming mates from the comfort of home, and I’ve travelled to spend time with some in countries and cities I might not have visited otherwise, and some have come and visited Ireland. No soaps or “reality” tv shite in our home – gamers for life!
You should try and get her into gaming. I found the Lego games as a great introduction to gaming for the girlfriend.
Tv is terrible totally agree with you
Well don’t play fifa if ur lookin to reduce stress levels u will jus end up most of the time with a bill for a smashed controller and they ain’t cheap nowadays 50/60 a pop for the new gen consoles…
I so know what you mean.
What’s a PIP?
” As part of my final year project, I was given the chance to develop a prototype app for the PIP, a biosensor which helps manage stress. “
What fantastic projects are you working on in your spare time Enda?
It be adult’s buying them as there over 18. Buying them for there children in most cases. It’s not real life.
So the link I previously posted staying the average gamer is 31 you disagree with? You have any facts to back that up?
Enda? I’m nothing like Enda. I’m working class and I work for cash in hand and collect the dole
Anto is clearly a troll account, that comment coupled with profile pic proves it. Don’t feed the troll
Ian the majority buying those games. Even the 18 and over 1s are children. Foghorn, anto is short for Tony thanks. And Hugh, your girlfriend is write
Okay show me statistics proving that the majority buying them are children?
Ian, I don’t understand what you’re getting at here? So because a lot of grown men like playing childish games that makes it somehow ok?
Games specifically designed for adults that are over 18 are childish?
I was a manager in Gamestop few years ago, the average age of game purchaser is late 30s, you’re talking hole anto
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