logo
ISIF diviested all Israeli bonds in past weeks, Dáil told

ISIF diviested all Israeli bonds in past weeks, Dáil told

RTÉ News​5 days ago
The Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) has divested itself of all Israeli bonds in the past number of weeks, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe has told the Dáil.
He said the board of ISIF was independent of Government when it came to investment decisions.
He was replying to the Sinn Féin Spokesperson on Finance Pearse Doherty, who said it was shocking and disgraceful that ISIF had held Israeli bonds "when genocide was taking place last year".
The Donegal TD said Israel did not hide what its bonds were on sale for - supporting its war in Gaza - and both ISIF and the Government knew that, he added.
He asserted that Mr Donohoe could not wash his hands of responsibility given he was the Minister for Finance and ISIF reported to his department.
Mr Doherty accused the Government of being complicit in Israeli genocide, a charge Minister Donohoe flatly rejected.
ISIF is managed and controlled by the National Treasury Management Agency and describes itself as "a sovereign development fund with a unique mandate to invest on a commercial basis to support economic activity and employment in Ireland".
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Irish Examiner view: Poverty is driving a wedge between generations in Ireland
Irish Examiner view: Poverty is driving a wedge between generations in Ireland

Irish Examiner

time2 hours ago

  • Irish Examiner

Irish Examiner view: Poverty is driving a wedge between generations in Ireland

We may all know it on some instinctual level, but ombudsman for children Niall Muldoon stating aloud that the children from Ireland's wealthier families are 'sailing away from the have-nots' is sobering nonetheless. This is a country which has been running budget surpluses and which has been among the world's wealthier nations since the Celtic Tiger era. And yet inequality persists, and is widening. We have 5,000 homeless children in a country which spends €350m a year housing homeless families in Dublin alone. Imagine that money being used to eradicate homelessness by purchasing or building homes. The cost of living crisis — and it is a crisis for many — is only exacerbating what was already a chasm between the haves and have-nots. Such a high number of families are living from pay packet to pay packet, even in cases where the pay should hypothetically see them in good stead, that anybody who can hold on to a few extra euro at the end of the month ends up slowly pulling away from those who cannot. There is also the phenomenon that just subsisting can prolong and deepen poverty. It's perhaps best, and most irreverently, known as boots theory, from a Terry Pratchett novel where the example given was that if you could afford a very good pair of boots, they would last for years, whereas if you can only afford cheaper ones that need to be replaced more quickly, you'll end up spending more over the same time period. Academic studies have identified similar circumstances where people have to rent instead of buy houses, for example; and the cost of rent is now astronomical in this country. Worryingly, while stress has long been known to have detrimental effects on health, the Patrick MacGill Summer School in Glenties, Co Donegal, was told last week that poverty is actually making people age faster. Rose Anne Kenny of TCD said: 'The children experiencing depression at home, alcohol, drugs, homelessness, uncertainty, et cetera – those children age faster.' Most of these problems are within our ability to repair, or at the very least mitigate. We just never seem to be able to invest the right amounts in the right projects at the right time. Perhaps we need to start thinking beyond the years right in front of us. Future generations Calls for the Government to appoint a 'commissioner for future generations' are not without merit, even that sort of role might seem more long term than we're used to. Still, its supporters would say that's part of the point. Much social and economic policy is based on the short term — the next election, the next budget, or what have you. As a nation and a planet, we are now faced with sustained challenges that will continue to plague us long after our grandchildren have grown to maturity. Even apart from climate collapse or the seemingly ever-present threat of global war and deep recession, the looming increase in pension claimants is not going to go away, nor are the demands for services that go with a population that is both growing and ageing. As Sarah Carr of the Goal NextGen youth programme said: 'Today's policies shape tomorrow's realities, from housing and healthcare to climate and economy. We are the last generation with a real chance to get this right and a commissioner for future generations can pave the way for action.' As such, a move to a more holistic, long-term decision-making approach can only be a good thing, and a cultural shake-up that we could benefit from. What's your view on this issue? You can tell us here New crisis in Afghanistan Between the genocide in Gaza and ongoing illegal invasion of Ukraine, it can be easy to overlook the brutal totalitarian regime of the Taliban in Afghanistan. The more than 1.4m people fleeing or being expelled from Iran back to that country don't have the luxury of forgetting, however. Some 500,000 have been caught up in a crackdown following the Israel-Iran exchange of missiles recently, but the process had begun before that as Iran claims it no longer has the resources to support them. Now they are being accused of spying for Israel. Iran claims as many as 6m Afghans live in the country, while 20m people in Afghanistan rely on humanitarian aid to survive. While the deportees include people who have worked in Iran for decades as well as recent arrivals, the most ominous aspect is the number of women being sent back to a country that grows increasingly hostile toward women on a daily basis. The deportees are being left at border crossings — but because women cannot travel without a male escort in Afghanistan, some women and their children — including babies — are being left with little more than the desperate hope that some relative in the country's heartlands will take them in. Another 1m at least have been expelled from Pakistan. There is a very real danger that these already impoverished deportees will end up at the heart of a new humanitarian crisis. Given the Taliban's horrific human rights record, one wonders who might come to their aid. Read More Irish Examiner view: All set for a mesmerising 48 hours of sport

Use of private properties to house Ukrainian refugees up by 17% this year
Use of private properties to house Ukrainian refugees up by 17% this year

Irish Examiner

time9 hours ago

  • Irish Examiner

Use of private properties to house Ukrainian refugees up by 17% this year

Concern has been voiced about the impact of a Government scheme for housing refugees from Ukraine on the private rental sector as new figures show the number of private properties being used has increased by 17% since the start of the year. A record number of over 21,800 dwellings are currently being used to accommodate Ukrainian refugees under the Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) scheme, according to the latest figures from the Department of Justice. It represents an increase of over 3,100 additional properties being involved in the ARP scheme since January. Owners or tenants of such properties were entitled to claim a monthly payment of €800 for housing Ukrainian refugees who arrived in Ireland under the EU Temporary Protection Directive but the sum has been reduced to €600 per month since June 1. Sinn Féín justice spokesperson Matt Carthy said the 'deeply unfair' scheme 'gave Ukrainians access to housing supports without a means test that was available to no other person including those on lower wages trying to secure housing.' File picture: Liam McBurney/PA A total of 21,803 properties are now being used as part of the ARP scheme to provide homes to almost 39,600 Ukrainian refugees with 16,900 hosts in receipt of monthly payments. The figures show that over €339 million has been paid to date to 26,100 recipients for hosting 56,700 temporary protection beneficiaries since the scheme was launched in July 2022. The figures were provided in response to a parliamentary question by Sinn Féin's justice spokesperson, Matt Carthy. Highest numbers in Dublin, Donegal, and Cork Not surprisingly, the largest number of properties involved in the scheme are located in Dublin with almost 3,300 currently housing refugees from Ukraine. The second highest number is in Donegal where 2,070 private properties are in use followed by Cork (1,611) Mayo (1,425) and Kerry (1,308). Scheme uses 1% of Ireland's housing stock The figures indicate that approximately 1% of the Republic's stock of 2.1m homes is being used to house Ukrainian refugees with varying differences across the country. The proportion ranges from an estimated 2.4% of all dwellings in Donegal to just 0.4% of all homes in Roscommon. Less than 1% of residences in Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Meath, Kilkenny and Wicklow are involved in the scheme. The number of properties being used to house Ukrainian refugees has risen by at least 10% since the start of the year in all counties with the exception of Kildare and Kilkenny where the increases were at a slower rate. 'Deeply unfair' scheme Mr Carthy criticised how the EU Temporary Protection Directive has been operated in Ireland and claimed the ARP is 'deeply unfair and caused huge divisions within communities". Mr Carthy said: It gave Ukrainians access to housing supports without a means test that was available to no other person including those on lower wages trying to secure housing. He claimed the measure was also driving up rents particularly in parts of the country that traditionally had lower rents. 'These figures also show that there are significantly more properties than property owners coming under the scheme. There are 21,803 properties being provided by 16,900 owners which clearly means that a significant number of people have more than one property under this scheme. Emergency services personnel work to extinguish a fire following a Russian attack in Odesa, Ukraine, this month. Picture: Michael Shtekel/AP 'It indicates that landlords are availing of this scheme because it financially benefits them while avoiding the normal obligations and responsibilities regarding tenancies." Department and RTB analysing scheme Asked by the Sinn Féin TD about the impact of the ARP scheme on the private rented sector, justice minister Jim O'Callaghan said his department is awaiting the outcome of an analysis being carried out by the Department of Housing in conjunction with the Residential Tenancies Board. Property owners or tenants were originally paid a rate of €400 per month when the scheme was introduced before it was increased to €800 per month in December 2022 and lowered to €600 last month. Accommodation must be provided for at least six months and meet the required standards in relation to structural condition, fire safety, ventilation and various facilities. The ARP scheme has been extended to March 31, 2026 in line with the extension of the EU Temporary Protection Directive. Separate figures provided by Mr O'Callaghan earlier this month show that the State had contracts with 670 different commercial properties including hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs and self-catering accommodation at the start of July to provide temporary accommodation to persons fleeing the war in Ukraine in addition to the ARP scheme.

Pope renews call for immediate Gaza ceasefire
Pope renews call for immediate Gaza ceasefire

The Journal

time9 hours ago

  • The Journal

Pope renews call for immediate Gaza ceasefire

POPE LEO HAS renewed his call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, asking the international community to respect international laws and the obligation to protect civilians. 'I once again call for an immediate end to the barbarity of this war and for a peaceful resolution to the conflict,' the pontiff said at the end of his Sunday Angelus prayer from his summer retreat in Castel Gandolfo. Leo also expressed his 'deep sorrow' for the Israeli attack on the only Catholic church in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, which killed three people and wounded 10 others, including the parish priest. 'I appeal to the international community to observe humanitarian law and respect the obligation to protect civilians as well as the prohibition of collective punishment, the indiscriminate use of force, and the forced displacement of populations,' the Pope added. The shelling of the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza also damaged the church compound, where hundreds of Palestinians have been sheltering from the Israel-Hamas war, now in its 21st month. Israel expressed regret over what it described as an accident and said it is investigating. 'We need to dialogue and abandon weapons,' the Pope said earlier today, after presiding over Mass at the nearby Cathedral of Albano. Advertisement 'The world no longer tolerates war.' Gaza The bodies of Palestinians who were killed while attempting to access aid trucks entering northern Gaza through the Zikim crossing with Israel are brought to a clinic in Gaza City. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Pope Leo's call for a ceasefire comes as at least 73 people have been killed while attempting to access aid at locations across Gaza, the health ministry in the Palestinian territory has said. The largest toll was in the northern part of the territory, where 67 Palestinians were killed while trying to reach aid entering through the Zikim crossing with Israel. More than 150 people were injured, with some of them in a critical condition, hospitals said. Seven Palestinians were also killed while sheltering in tents in Khan Younis, including a five-year-old boy, according to the Kuwait Specialised Field Hospital, which received the casualties. It was not immediately clear whether they were killed by the Israeli army or armed gangs, or both. But some witnesses said the Israeli military shot at the crowd. The Israeli military said soldiers had shot at a gathering of thousands of Palestinians in northern Gaza who posed a threat, and that it was aware of some casualties. But it said the numbers being reported by teams in Gaza were far higher than the military's initial investigation found. The military added it is attempting to facilitate the entry of aid, and blamed Hamas militants for fomenting chaos and endangering civilians.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store