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Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Keeping homeless figures down will be 'very difficult', says housing minister
Avoiding crossing the threshold of 5,000 children living in emergency accommodation will be "very difficult", the housing minister has admitted. The latest figures show that 4,844 children were in emergency accommodation in May — the highest number ever recorded in Ireland. James Browne said that it is going to be "very difficult to prevent a crossing of that 5,000 considering how close we are". As the number of homeless people continues to rise each month, Mr Browne denied that a move to limit access to social housing to non-habitual residents is an attempt to improve optics. Under the legislation, those who are not habitually resident in Ireland and who do not have the right to remain, will not be able to access homeless supports. According to the homelessness figures for May, just 51% of those in emergency accommodation are Irish citizens with non-EEA residents accounting for 3,031 people. Groups such as the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) previously raised concerns that the legislation would disproportionately impact migrants and ethnic minority communities. Mr Browne said an individual's immigrant status is not relevant to the matter, saying: "We are talking about people who might arrive in the country, who have not been working here, who have not been living here and then seek social housing supports." The move to legislate to provide legal and habitual residency as eligibility criteria to access social housing, which was first raised last year, would regularise what already exists on an administrative basis, said Mr Browne. It is the "right thing to do" and would match current rules for social protection, he continued. The minister was speaking as details were released showing that 17 local authorities failed to reach their targets on social housing delivery between 2022 and 2024. Minister of State for local government and planning John Cummins said it is clear which authorities are performing and which are not. "Some have a can-do attitude, think outside the box, have a clear vision and, to be honest, some don't have those attributes," said Mr Cummins, adding that the system can only move as fast as the slowest cog. However, when it comes to those local authorities that are under performing, Mr Browne said he would not favour introducing penalties. When you penalise what is effectively a social service, it is the customers who will end up suffering and not those in charge, he said. A reward system is being explored for those who are delivering, potentially around the discretionary funding that councillors have available to them as is done in Britain and other countries, Mr Browne said. Sinn Féin's housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin called the Council League Table on social housing delivery a "cheap gimmick" designed to deflect from the Government's failures. "Government knows that due to their own failures the 2025 social and affordable housing targets cannot be met and are now setting the local authorities up to take the blame come the year's end," said Mr Ó Broin. Read More Cork TDs clash over emigration figures as housing crisis forces more young people abroad
Irish Examiner
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Andrea Horan: Why are flags on fingernails less valid than those in windows?
The other week, one of our clients in Tropical Popical (who happens to be a TD) was assigned the moniker Nailson Mandela for daring to use their nails as a platform to protest against the genocide that Israel continues to ravage upon Gaza. Whilst the label is a genius sardonic victory for sure, the underlying snideness behind it is clearly rooted in a misogyny that dismisses any female-led form of art or protest as frivolous, inferior and even distasteful. Sinead Gibney is currently a Social Democrats TD and was previously the Chief Commissioner and the inaugural Director of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. Nobody could argue that she isn't extremely well versed and capable of utilising her channels to speak about the injustices that are taking place in the world. So why then would her statement of solidarity and support for Palestine be reduced to a cheap blow simply because one of the ways she communicates it is in the form of nail art? Repeal nails. Picture: Andrea Horan Nails are often used as a form of protest; for making political statements and as a platform to communicate social issues. We've had HIV activists sitting in our chairs getting the U=U message on their nails; Pride nails; anti-war nails; Repeal nails; trans rights nails and many supporting Palestine. Yet once again, when something is a female-led art form it is mocked and derided. Badges, flags, murals - all ok. Nails? Frivolous and distasteful. Nail art and manicures have emerged as a powerful form of silent protest and expression, particularly in times of conflict or social unrest. Individuals use nail polish and designs to convey messages, express solidarity, and uplift their spirits amidst difficult circumstances. This trend is evident in Kim Barker's recent New York Times feature story from Ukraine, where manicures have become both an act of defiance and a way for women to maintain a sense of normalcy and resilience during the war. During the Repeal campaign, the Guardian reported: "Nail bars may not be considered a hub of political activism but at Tropical Popical in Dublin, a wave of socially conscious beauty is spreading. One minute we're talking about pink glitter, the next we're discussing women's reproductive rights.' Repeal nails. Picture: Andrea Horan Like any political symbolism, nails provide a jumping off point to open conversations and build community around complex concepts that may feel too big to approach without a supportive prompt. The whole reason the Hunreal Issues - a campaign that aimed to make political issues relatable and accessible to a broader audience, particularly women, by removing elitism and snobbiness - was set up was to bring the message of Repeal to young women in spaces where they were naturally and authentically comfortable - the worlds of fashion, beauty, pop culture and music. Precisely because for so long these spaces were seen as frivolous, this cohort of women were being left out of the conversations that concerned them. You have to meet people where they are without patronising those interests. And it's rare that men's interests face the same ire. Art has always been used as protest. When you try and separate art out into its different 'credible' forms and exclude some formats like nail art, we are led back to the age old question 'what is art?' and who gets to decide that anyway. For centuries, traditionally female forms of art like weaving, embroidery, pottery, etc have been deemed simply 'craft' and not lofty enough to be included in galleries or to just be considered art. This proposition formed a lot of the work we did for an exhibition in the National Gallery of Ireland when we explored how, traditionally, female art formats were deemed less artistically valid and yes, frivolous. Andrea Horan: 'Art has always been used as protest. When you try and separate art out into its different 'credible' forms and exclude some formats like nail art, we are led back to the age old question 'what is art?' and who gets to decide that anyway.' An opinion piece in this very publication mocked the use of nail art in the gallery to explore and highlight cultural phenomena such as the rich landscape of Irish fashion designers we have like Simone Rocha, Colin Horgan and Richard Malone; Thérèse Rafter's fine art photography and Jill & Gill's screen printing and wearable art as well as a mini Caravaggio recreation on the smallest canvas - a nail! - by saying that its inclusion opened the doors to ideas like 'Love Island in the Louvre'. Groups like Guerilla Girls, an anonymous New York-based group of feminist, female artists devoted to fighting sexism and racism within the art world and beyond have been protesting and using guerilla exhibiting tactics to highlight the lack of representation of female artists in museums and galleries around the world with popular works including 'Do women have to be naked to get into the Met Museum, 1989.' Unfortunately, until attitudes change and the snideness towards female art forms and interests is gone, they won't be quitting their endeavours anytime soon. Read More Irish designer Simone Rocha shows her rebellious side at London Fashion Week
Irish Independent
01-06-2025
- Irish Independent
Elders of Cork's Traveller community draw on their memories of days of old to inform new archive
The project was funded by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission and supported by the Heritage Council An online archive focused on preserving and sharing cultural heritage while keeping the stories of Cork Travellers documented and accessible for future generations was launched in Cork on Thursday.
