Theo McDonald
@tbald101
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Reporter ✍🏻 @Independent_ie Prev: @IrishMirror @TheEchoOnline @BusinessPostHQ @nypost @unherd @irishcathnews @thecurrency @thehill 📺 @TonightVMTV @RTE
Hibernian Metropolis
Joined May 2014
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Pinned Tweet
🚨🚨🚨
The Financial Times has a thread on Ireland’s much remarked upon housing crisis. 🏡🏡🏡🏡
Here’s a thread on what stood out /1
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‘Come out ye black and tans’ as Sinn Féin’s Dessie Ellis gains seat
#GeneralElection2020
#GE2020
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I love hearing people call a border poll ‘divisive’. Do you know what else is divisive? A border.
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I caught the footage.
Horrific stuff.
When the driver was confronted he started laughing.
No idea how this bollard massacre took place on Gardiner Street
Three rigid bollards in a row completely wrecked 🙄
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#Trump
: "We have a lot of people standing outside", "broke the all time record" in this arena.
#EmptySeats
#TrumpRally
#Harrisburg
#WHCD
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Aodhán Ó Ríordáin says he’s running for MEP because of the Dublin riots last year. Not sure what the EU has go to do with riots but ok
#primetime
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Some may relish in Paddy Cosgrave's demise. He pissed off a lot of people.
However, a bunch of mega companies cancelling someone for saying there should be no war crimes on both sides will have a chilling effect.
It's Paddy today.
Who next?
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What do Simon Harris and Aodhán Ó Ríordáin actually disagree with each other on?
This is how you engage with someone you don’t agree with.
Politics is important. This has been the hardest election I’ve ever fought. Criticism is fine - abuse isn’t.
We can all do better.
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@DaraTurnbull
of Housing Europe sums up the housing crisis as follows: “About two-thirds of all the social housing that we built in the history of the state is now in private hands. That’s it. That’s the whole story.” /15
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It’s time Ireland introduce legislation that bans foreign investors from bulk purchasing property
Canada has extended its ban by 2 years while Australia prohibits foreign funds from purchasing existing property
Instead, domestic banks should provide much needed credit
🏡🇮🇪
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Resharing my initial response to the Dublin riots in 2023.
Seems to be happening again.
The State has learned nothing
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Dublin Castle is virtually empty.
The stage set up to celebrate the victory was dismantled for some reason 🤔
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“A home should be a place to live, part of the social contract between the public and its leaders, not an asset for funds to profit off.”
My latest piece in the Sunday Independent
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The Telegraph providing maps of how to get to Dublin’s International Protection Office which is currently encamped with hundreds of migrants.
Meanwhile Tory Jacob Rees Mogg and others encouraging Britain to send migrants to Ireland
Anglo-Irish relations couldn’t be worse
🇬🇧🇮🇪
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In order to unite Ireland we must cease being Irish
🇮🇪
I think we can safely assume that compulsory Irish in schools will be dropped in a united Ireland.
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Delighted to represent Aountú on the topics of immigration and housing.
(Not a member by the way)
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Some more stats
🚨 Between 2010 and the second quarter of this year, average rents rose by 82 per cent in Ireland, far outstripping the EU average of 18 per cent. /19
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On homelessness the
@FT
paints a stark picture noting that 11,397 people were reported in emergency shelters in October adding that “experts say rough-sleepers, couch-surfers and other “hidden homeless” are not included, meaning the true problem is even greater.” /8
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@EoinDrea
@POLITICOEurope
Ireland was never ‘bailed out’ we bailed out foreign bondholders; and Germany was addicted to Russian gas for years before the invasion which has meant Europe stands no chance in defeating Russia.
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One last stat
🚨 Housing starts were 17 per cent lower in October compared with September this year.
Overall, a good report although little mention of landlords, but insightful quotes from Gen Zers and millennials on how they cannot afford to buy their own home. /24
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Delighted to have made it through to the finals of the Irish Times Debate
Lessons of The Troubles discussed in Irish Times Debate semi-final
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@RoryHearneGaffs
is quoted saying that while ‘we had strong tenant purchase policy’ in the 50-60s “we were building enough council housing to replace it.”
“The problem is when we stopped replacing it,” he says. /14
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Same dynamic present in Ireland:
Blackrock has over €900 billion of funds domiciled here
90 per cent of assets sold by NAMA went to US Private equity and vulture funds
Since 2018 20 companies have left Euronext Dublin with CRH, Flutter and Smurfit opting for the NYSE
🇮🇪🇺🇸
As British millionaires flee the country, companies like BlackRock are swooping up what's left.
Britain is now fully subordinated to America, writes
@philippilk
👇
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However, Ireland’s housing stock is much smaller than European peers /3
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So granting the State the power to raid peoples’ homes for possessing material that is considered ‘hateful’ is normal in a liberal democracy?
It has absolutely nothing to do with censorship.
Hate speech laws have existed for 30 years.
In the meantime, the internet and social media were born.
It’s simply a case of adapting laws to reflect new social realities.
That’s liberal democracy.
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“Housing demand breaks a lot of basic rules of economics.
“Building more houses… offers no guarantee that prices or demand will fall, because houses are also treated as investments that have value whether they are used or not.”
🏡
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RIP Betty Boothroyd. Back in 94 she removed Ian Paisley for claiming the NI Sec of State had lied about contacts with the IRA. He later said to her, "I want to thank you for the gracious way you threw me out the other day.”
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So instead of increasing the pension age, young people (Generation Rent) will be forced to pay higher taxes to cater for the pensions of the home-owning generation.
The Government has signed off on a plan to increase PRSI over five years to replenish the Social Insurance Fund. It will mean hikes in PRSI rates for employers, employees and the self-employed
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🚨In parts of the west of Ireland, property prices rocketed more than 16 per cent.
🚨Property prices nationally have increased 130 per cent since early 2013.
@FT
cites
@CSOIreland
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@FT
also touches on Ireland’s population increase which has risen to 5.1mn, the highest level since 1841 and an increase of 7.6 per cent compared with the last census in 2016.
“Ireland has also taken in more than 62,000 Ukrainian refugees,” the report mentions /7
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Ireland has traditionally been a nation of homeowners so much so that it has made one in eight households millionaires… on paper that is /2
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The report goes on to mention Ireland’s historic record on house building: “The government was the country’s largest homebuilder, delivering 112,144 social homes between the early 1930s and mid-1950s.
“That was more than half of all new housing.” /12
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“My generation couldn’t care less about architectural purity, we just want a home to call our own.”
My piece in today’s Sunday Independent
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This graph suggests Irish real house prices are above the OECD average /9
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Look how inclusive the Republic has become. A massive Orange parade in the middle of Dublin and nobody bats an eye!
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Figures from
@daftmedia
show there were only around 500 homes available to rent in Dublin on July 1 and only 35,000 nationwide, half the level available in 2016.
Meanwhile, rents rose by an average of 14.1 per cent in the third quarter this year compared with the same period /6
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“While there are many proposals worth examining if Ireland is to reunite the celebration of the subjugation of Catholics should not be entertained.
St Patrick’s Day is worth celebrating. The 12th of July is not.”
@irishborderpoll
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@Scaramucci
My boy Anthony great job in the Ray Darcy show man. You’re right my mom was upset I use that language!
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Some stats
🚨House prices rose nearly 10 per cent nationwide in the year to October, down a percentage point from the year to September
🚨Median price of a property in the year is €300,000 /4
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I disagree Gino.
The video will come out in due course but I felt I reasonably argued against marijuana legalisation.
At last night’s DCU debate on legalisation of cannabis for personal use. Our argument won the majority view but those that proposed against regulation were utterly farcical in their arguments against.
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Appeared on RTÉ last night to explain the danger faced by otherwise ‘neutral Ireland’ given the unilateral decision to intervene directly in the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
We need a referendum to finally put the bickering to rest.
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Catherine Day told us in a recent Irish Times opinion piece that “there is a strong case for a national campaign to provide the facts about asylum .
It might be a good idea to begin that process by looking at some of the assertions made by Ms Day
👇
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Interesting that less Catholics in the south of Ireland is met with cheers but more in the north of Ireland is also met with cheers lol.
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@darraghkelly19
@dubslife1
Apparently they were arguing over whether Barrys or Lyons tea was better.
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@RoryHearneGaffs
is quoted again claiming that a third of people in private rentals who should be in social housing are being subsidised to the tune of €1bn a year. /18
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Great vibes here
@EireAcc
@dogpatchlabs
Plenty of great ideas for making Ireland a better place
🇮🇪🔥
@willobri
@Keyes
@ParsonsFintan
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Glad to get a shoutout on
@BCFE_Official
’s website! I would encourage anyone who emerges from secondary school unsure of what they want to do to embrace a PLC. It gives you time to realise your full potential.
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“The social contract of working hard and playing by the rules falls asunder amid the statistical reality facing young people.”
My latest in the SINDO
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Business Post reporting that the $1.5 trillion private credit market could be under stress due to high interest rates
Ireland is host to the world’s fifth-biggest shadow banking industry with exposure tripling in a decade by over 900pc of Irish GDP 🤯
📈 📊📉
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@ballsdotie
Piers gets interviews because he puts his guests at ease. It’s not a bad tactic. Why be combative with a sports star anyway?
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“The public understood perfectly well what they were voting for, and issued a resounding “no” to the proposals on the grounds that the constitution, as it stands, is not sexist or discriminatory towards anyone.”
My latest in UnHerd
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Theo McDonald: Ireland’s demographic doomsday clock is inching closer to midnight
Generation Rent is thrown under a bus on pensions as politicians prevaricate and ignore risks being posed by falling fertility rate
My piece in today’s Sunday Independent.
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“During the Celtic Tiger Ireland was building some 90,000 houses a year. But in the austerity period that followed, social house building collapsed by 90 per cent to fewer than 760 units in 2013 and 2014, versus 8,763 in 2007.” /17
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“While regulation of social media is necessary and important given the sheer power tech firms have amassed in recent years, seeking to curb freedom of speech is an even bigger threat.”
Latest piece from
@thehill
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According to the OECD Ireland has one of the most ‘progressive’ tax systems in the world. The last richest person in Ireland was only on that list because he moved here from India. And the two richest people in Ireland right now - Stripe brothers - are based primarily in America
1% of Irish population owns 27% of the wealth. Inequality is the world’s biggest problem. The super rich get richer. They fund/buy political parties/government. They own most of the media. Public services are cut to the bone. Poor get poorer. Look around.
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This is insane stuff.
A Belgian mayor is banning a political conference because of outlandish safety concerns.
If this happened in Russia it would be viewed as proof it’s an autocratic regime.
🇧🇪🇪🇺
J'ai pris un arrêté du Bourgmestre pour interdire l'événement "National Conservatism Conference" pour garantir la sécurité publique.
A Etterbeek, à Bruxelles Ville et à Saint-Josse, l'extrême-droite n'est pas la bienvenue.
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Ireland refuses to invest in its own nuclear potential but will import it from France.
Ireland also refuses to provide its own LNG terminal but will import it from Britain.
This is lunacy.
One reason for refusal of LNG development in Shannon Estuary it was contrary to Government policy on Fracked Gas.
We are now dependent on UK for 75% of our gas.
What guarantees did Minister Ryan get in MOU that gas supplied by UK is not fracked gas???
UK imports LNG from USA.
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“Ireland’s hate speech bill has garnered international attention from critics who argue it will impede on free expression and debate.”
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DCU Debating Society was awarded most promising society last night. Huzzah !
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“His obsession with displaying trendy, progressive positions to an international audience ultimately cost him electoral advantages domestically, as his party’s base still remains nominally conservative.”
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My remarks in Leinster House regarding vulture funds
The report should be publicly available online this week
🏠
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭.
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One thing that intrigues me about Michael Collins is that he’s become the acceptable face of Irish nationalism even though he was just as pious - at least publicly - as Eamon de Valera
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Over half of tech jobs in Ireland are filled by workers from abroad.
Despite having one of the most educated young people in Europe they are increasingly unqualified for a lot of FDI jobs.
🇮🇪
Two thirds of 25-34 year olds in Ireland have third level qualifications, the highest in Europe. EU average is 43%. Explains to a significant degree why the country attracts so much foreign investment.
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It’s incredible how often we’re told how bad things were in Ireland in the 1930s-50s, yet the State was actually building more social and affordable homes back then.
🇮🇪 🏠
The report goes on to mention Ireland’s historic record on house building: “The government was the country’s largest homebuilder, delivering 112,144 social homes between the early 1930s and mid-1950s.
“That was more than half of all new housing.” /12
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“My generation has been confined to the status of “Generation Rent” — those of us who don’t own a home and either live with our parents or are forced to pay exorbitant rents.”
My piece in today’s
@TheSundayIndo
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@TheLeadCNN
@benshapiro
Literally no evidence. Donna Brazile's 'evidence' is not proof of rigging.
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The business model of vulture funds is coming under major scrutiny after a revealing court ruling indicated that credit servicing firms - who act on behalf of such funds - may not be the legal owners of debt (allegedly) sold to them.
🚨Link Below🚨
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Ireland backing the confiscation of Russian assets to “rebuild Ukraine” despite protestations from the ECB.
The politicisation of the financial order benefits no one and will have dire ramifications.
🇮🇪 🇪🇺
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An absolute pleasure to debate the topic of a DEM for Dublin in the Mansion House last night alongside
@AnMailleach
@DHamill2004
@dsmooney
@Niko_Kaw
As I said last night Dublin’s current governing structures are as convoluted as Pythia’s machinations at the oracle of Delphi.
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@OfficCrumlinSC
When you’re trying to put the kids to sleep but the Russians keep bombing ye.
“Ah here Putin would ye stop”
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“Northern Ireland and indeed the entire Island has come a long way since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. Pitting old against young is futile and only sows more needless divisions.”
Me writing for
@irishborderpoll
@KevinPMeagher
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Grim, PMIs down to 47.2 and 47.4 in Germany and France respectively.
Anything below 50 is considered a contraction
🇫🇷 🇩🇪
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