€100bn infrastructure spending forecast in next five years as defence spending to significantly increase
The country's economic model is under threat, ministers will be warned today as the Government plans to signal a shift in budgetary strategy towards more permanent spending on infrastructure and services.
Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe is likely to outline a more cautious approach later today when he publishes the Summer Economic Statement (SES), which details what level of funding will be available for Budget 2026.
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The Journal
13 minutes ago
- The Journal
Simon Harris says he will try to make a 'national day of protest over Gaza' happen
TÁNAISTE SIMON HARRIS took to Instagram today to endorse a letter advocating for a national day of protest over Gaza, and said that he will talk to colleagues on 'how to make this happen'. Harris was responding to a letter written by Micheal Cush that was published in The Irish Times on Thursday. The letter states that the Irish government has been strong in its condemnation of Israel's actions in Gaza, but that the government and the people of Ireland are growing frustrated as they feel 'helpless' to prevent the ongoing conflict. Advertisement 'But together, the Government and the people might be much more influential,' Dublin man Cush wrote in his letter. 'If the Government were to call a national day of protest, making clear that it was a condemnation of atrocities in Gaza, not of Israel's right to self-determination or self-defence, the turnout would likely be enormous.' Today, Harris posted the letter alongside a statement endorsing Cush's suggestion. 'The people of Ireland stand with the people of Palestine. We stand for human rights, for international law, for a two state solution, for aid to flow, for hostages to be released. We stand for peace. We stand for an end to genocide,' Harris wrote. 'The suggestion for a national day or moment of solidarity made by Michael Cush in the letter above is sensible and a good idea. It could be powerful if many countries did it together. I will now talk to colleagues on how to make this happen.' Related Reads EU tells Israel to 'stop killing people' who are seeking food and aid 'Humanitarian city' for Palestinians would be a 'concentration camp', says former Israeli PM The Irish government has been one of the few within Europe that have labelled Israel's actions in Gaza as 'genocide'. However, it has faced intense criticism from staunch supporters of the 'Free Palestine' movement over the Central Bank's role in facilitating the sale of Israeli bonds, as well as the delay in passing the Occupied Territories Bill. Internationally, pressure has been ramping up on countries to take decisive action as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens. The territory's population is facing malnutrition and starvation as an aid crisis continues. Overnight, at least 25 people were killed by Israeli air strikes and gunshots , according to health officials and the ambulance service today. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Independent
44 minutes ago
- Irish Independent
Tánaiste backs national day of protest over Gaza: ‘I will talk to colleagues on how to make this happen'
Mr Harris was responding to a letter written by Michael Cush and published in The Irish Times earlier this week, asking for the government to call a national day of protest. The letter outlined this would be a condemnation of 'atrocities in Gaza, not of Israel's right to self-determination or self-defence', predicting the turnout would be 'enormous'. In a social media post shared on Saturday, the Tánaiste said he plans to talk with Government colleagues about how to bring plans for a national day of protest forward. 'The people of Ireland stand with the people of Palestine. We stand for human rights, for international law, for a two state solution, for aid to flow, for hostages to be released. We stand for peace. We stand for an end to genocide,' he wrote in a statement on Instagram alongside the letter. 'The suggestion for a national day or moment of solidarity made by Michael Cush in the letter above is sensible and a good idea. It could be powerful if many countries did it together. I will now talk to colleagues on how to make this happen.' This move comes as the starvation crisis in Gaza deepens further. Health ministry officials earlier this week said more than 110 people had starved to death in the besieged enclave, many of them children. Reports earlier in the week from journalists in Gaza told of how doctors were now fainting from hunger as they battled to save the lives of many sick with malnutrition issues, as well as those injured in shootings and bombings by the Israeli Defence Forces. A statement from news organisations in recent days said many of their journalists who are operating within Gaza are also now at risk of starvation, as well as much of the 2.2m people in the Gaza strip. More than 55,000 people have been killed by Israel in Gaza since October 7, 2023, including thousands of women and children. This followed a terrorist attack by militant group Hamas and affiliates inside Israel on October 7, which saw 1,200 Israelis killed as well as 250 more kidnapped. Some are still held captive in Gaza, nearly two years later.
The Journal
5 hours ago
- The Journal
'They have nowhere else to go': Payments for hosting Ukrainians on the rise as centres close
THERE HAS BEEN a considerable rise in the number of households in receipt of the state payment for housing Ukrainians, as the Government has ended the contracts for over 100 centres that were housing them so far this year. Since January of this year an additional 3,125 payments have been made to property owners, representing a 16% rise in payments made under the Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) scheme since the start of the year. Sinn Féin has called for a full review of the ARP scheme, and said that it is giving landlords 'tax free' payments and reducing the rental stock in certain counties. The party has also said that the Government has ignored calls for the scheme to be 'means-tested'. At the same time, however, 109 accommodation centres that were hosting Ukrainians have returned to their original use, according to figures provided by the Department of Justice. Agencies involved in arranging local accommodation for Ukrainians have told The Journal that hundreds of Ukrainians have sought out hosting arrangments locally due to these closures, as in many cases the alternative accommodation they are offered is far away, and they have become embedded in the local communities they're in. The Department of Justice has said that 16,900 hosts are currently accommodating almost 39,600 people under the scheme in over 21,800 properties. That means that there are currently over double the amount of payment recipients that there were in January of 2024, when payments were being made in respect of 10,208 properties. A spokesperson for the Red Cross, however, has said that their register of pledged accommodation has seen a steady decline in numbers. Angie Gough, the CEO and founder of Helping Irish Hosts, a network that has been informing Ukrainians and hosts of their rights and obligations under the ARP scheme, told The Journal that that's because there has been a steep rise in the number of Ukrainians that are living with 'solo hosts' who have not gone through official channels. 'There is no other option for people leaving other state accommodation, apart from the private rental market. 'Increasingly people are seeking out 'solo host' arrangements on the internet, and that means that more people are going into unregulated arrangements, where you see a prevalence of Ukrainians being charged 'top up' payments and even rent,' Gough said. Gough said that a full review of the scheme would be 'welcome' with a view to introducing 'stronger safeguarding'. Helping Irish Hosts members at an event in Dublin that marked the anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine. 'This scheme wasn't created to bypass tenancy obligations. Behind every figure is a person who needed shelter, and someone who offered it. Let's not allow that core human story to be lost in political point-scoring,' she said. Advertisement Since the scheme kicked off in July 2022, over €339m has been paid to some 26,100 recipients in respect of hosting over 56,700 temporary protection beneficiaries. Sinn Féin's Justice Spokesperson Matt Carthy, who requested the figures via a parliamentary question, has called for a full review of the ARP scheme. 'The number of properties in the scheme in some counties is astonishing – for example there are 2,070 properties receiving payments under the scheme in Donegal, while on there are only 20 properties for rent in the county this morning,' he said. Carthy said landlords 'are using this scheme because it is financially beneficial and to avoid tenancy obligations.' He said that the scheme gives 'tax free' payments to landlords, who can also get a 'top up payment' from the Ukrainian tenants of the properties. Carthy slammed the scheme as 'deeply unfair' and said that it gives access to 'non-means tested housing support' to one group of people 'which is available to no others'. He said that the Government has ignored calls for the scheme to be means-tested. Social Democrats TD and Spokesperson on Justice Gary Gannon told The Journal that a survey published by the Red Cross found that of the homes where Ukrainians have been welcomed most have never been RTB registered as rentals. 'This is a system that has worked during the crisis and for families taking people in, it's not a huge amount of money for having somebody living with you when you consider the increase to bills and all of the other aspects that go into it. 'For all these people to be placed into the IPAS system would put a huge financial strain on the system,' Gannon further said. The Dublin Central TD added that he 'absolutely' thinks the ARP scheme should be extended beyond March 2026. 'In the absence of that, we still have a huge number of people who came who are women and children, with childcare needs, and a lot of older people, who haven't been able to access employment. I don't think there's this story of Ukrainians living here 'rent free', lots of people are renting, but there are lots of other variables for those who can't,' Gannon said. Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan replied to Carthy and said that there is ongoing engagement between his department and the Department of Housing in respect of the scheme. O'Callaghan added that the scheme has been extended until March of this year, and that the monthly contribution rate was reduced to €600 as of 1 June. This year the Department of Justice set out a plan for closing Ukrainian accommodation centres it is funding across the country, and for 1,800 beds in the student accommodation centre to be returned to their primary use for the upcoming academic year. In areas where this has already happened , Ukrainians have sought out accommodation in their locality, as many who work in the areas they have spent two years in some cases, and others have children attending local schools. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
