No point in trying to better yourself is there ?

klaaaz

suicide_circus wrote: »

my neighbour has a bumper sticker on his car which says something like "my road tax already pays for my water"

i sh1t you not.

It actually does, 66% of the motor tax intake has gone to Irish Water.

mariaalice

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

I genuinely have empathy for the OP, but why o why did you have to go and blame the poor?

I understand that you're feeling angry and dejected, and for good reasons; but poor people didn't create this absurd, dysfunctional economy. They are little more than a paper-cut on the body of a leper.

You are completely ignoring the real problem, and by blaming the poorest people in society, are absolving of blame the real architects of deprivation and falling living-standards: Irish and European governments, large industry, and globalisation.

In a way, I understad why peopel do that even educated and intelligent people its a copeing mechanism and the poor/ those on welfare are more visible and have more advocates in the media making them even more visible, globalisation, weak governments, huge wealth funds ect are too defuse so not so easy to blame.

Bobblehats

Nope; no point you will only ever be at odds with yourself.

Forging a split personality to contend with into the bargain too so best to just accept who you are.... people in public will catch you remonstrating with yourself and say that boy’s not right.

mariaalice

klaaaz wrote: »

It actually does, 66% of the motor tax intake has gone to Irish Water.

That just meant someonter tax is paying for roads and infrastructure water should be metered and paid or by eveyone.

suicide_circus

klaaaz wrote: »

It actually does, 66% of the motor tax intake has gone to Irish Water.

and if people paid for their water by usage like the rest of the developed world, that 66% of motor tax could go into transport infrastructure.

sbsquarepants

klaaaz wrote: »

It actually does, 66% of the motor tax intake has gone to Irish Water.

I just gave the bastards €254.10 this morning so:mad:

El_Duderino 09

This is the reality of having so many old people without a clue about how the realities of life have changed.

So many old people today were massive beneficiaries of the welfare state. They had social housing, public servants like teachers had secure jobs that paid enough to buy a house and raise a family. And now that it's their turn to pay for the welfare state for the young of today, they turn their back and vote for politicians who promise not to tax them to raise the money for the services they had when they were young.

Old people are the ones with most wealth. They are also the ones who vote most consistently. So politicians pander to them by promising to protect their wealth. I wonder if old people even know how their votes are affecting the young people of today?

If old people cared about building social housing and paying public servants enough to buy a house and raise a family, it would simply have to get done because politicians need their votes.

MontgomeryClift

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

You are completely ignoring the real problem, and by blaming the poorest people in society, are absolving of blame the real architects of deprivation and falling living-standards: Irish and European governments, large industry, and globalisation.

... and central banking, money printing, inflation and debt monetization.

Kivaro

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

This is the reality of having so many old people without a clue about how the realities of life have changed.

So many old people today were massive beneficiaries of the welfare state. They had social housing, public servants like teachers had secure jobs that paid enough to buy a house and raise a family. And now that it's their turn to pay for the welfare state for the young of today, they turn their back and vote for politicians who promise not to tax them to raise the money for the services they had when they were young.

Old people are the ones with most wealth. They are also the ones who vote most consistently. So politicians pander to them by promising to protect their wealth. I wonder if old people even know how their votes are affecting the young people of today?

If old people cared about building social housing and paying public servants enough to buy a house and raise a family, it would simply have to get done because politicians need their votes.

Jesus, the irony of this post, and the complete lack of insight by the poster.

Old diesel

Wheeliebin30 wrote: »

It was not 6 years ago we had too many houses and ghost estates.

Did people expect the government to build more houses then?

There is an issue now but that’s expected, in a few years it will catch up.

Google rental and housing crisis and every country is exactly the same as Ireland.

There isn’t billions to build 100,000 houses a year.

The money just isn’t there, people cant understand this simple equation.

"The money just isn't there".....

Absolutely - the money just isn't there - it isn't there to pay excessive rents, it isn't there to pay into a shambles of a rental sector.

People simply havent got bottomless bank accounts to pay 2 k a month rent.

The money simply has to be found by Govt. Even if the funding is limited we nonetheless need to make a start.

The benefits to the economy of investing in affordable housing include.

1) employment and spin off benefits from homes being built.

2) people in homes that cost less per month having more to spend in businesses like hair salons, car dealreships and restaurants.

3) reduced pressure on wages

El_Duderino 09

Kivaro wrote: »

Jesus, the irony of this post, and the complete lack of insight by the poster.

Why did you bold the words "old people" and claim irony? I don't get your point

eviltwin

There is always a reason to better yourself, pride in yourself for starters.

I sympathise with anyone in the OP's position but it's just bad luck that these are the times we live in. Most people are struggling and housing is affecting all working or not.

It won't always be like this and it will get better. Stay positive.

Anteayer

We have to start seeing housing as part of our infrastructure. It can't just be treated as a commodity to be traded without regulation or we end up where we are today.

amcalester

suicide_circus wrote: »

my neighbour has a bumper sticker on his car which says something like "my road tax already pays for my water"

i sh1t you not.

I've seen those a few times, a few times I checked the tax disk and it was out of date.

Some folk have no sense of irony.

victor8600

Kivaro wrote: »

But the government is exactly doing that, with social housing.
They spent 46% over 2017's budget at a cost of €1.14 billion to build primarily social housing. They also plan to spend billions more in the the next few years; again primarily for social housing. ....

Sorry, but I call this a complete and utter BS. Here is a quote from the article which mentions your 46% increase too among other things:

Rebuilding Ireland - the government’s housing action plan launched in the summer of last year – committed to delivering 47,000 new social housing units by 2021.

These units were to be delivered through a combination of new builds, refurbishments, acquisitions, leasing and rent assistance measures such as the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) and Housing Assistance Payment (HAP).

No actual new social housing builds were announced for 2018 in this year’s Budget.

Note the last sentence: NO ACTUAL NEW BUILDS FOR 2018. What the government is doing is committing my tax money to give to private landlords and to buy properties, instead of actually building anything. So they are driving house prices up by competing with people who want to buy a home for themselves, and propping up rents by schemes such as HAP.

antix80

Would I be right in saying teachers get paid the same all over the country? In which case, unless you really love Dublin you should probably consider moving to somewhere with cheaper rent and the same salary. Or up-skill to a better paid job. The choice is yours.

Living with strangers isn't for everybody either. Pay your rent first, pay for food and bills and if nothing is left over well that's the cost of living alone. Your relationship status is none of my business but on a teacher salary and Dublin rents, an obvious solution is to get yourself into a relationship with a financially stable individual who can pay half the rent and bills without you feeling forced to scrimp to pay rent or share with strangers.

cgcsb

sbsquarepants wrote: »

Why isn't there?

There's billions for broadband, there's billions for the childrens hospital, why is it beyond the range of possibility to borrow another billion to house the population ffs?

Interest rates have never been lower - now is the ideal time to do so. There's no end of land already in state ownership, there's tons of demand, it is clearly in the national interest, far more so than bringing Netflix to west Cork I'd argue.

What's stopping it?

If housing were abundant and HAP was gone and there were enough social homes, investors wouldn't have much income, the housing charity bosses would be unemployed. These people are well connected so it's not in the interest of politicians to upset them.

klaaaz

suicide_circus wrote: »

and if people paid for their water by usage like the rest of the developed world, that 66% of motor tax could go into transport infrastructure.

No, paying double for the same thing is wrong. Scrap motor tax and put the tax on fuel and have water charges separate, then it's fair.

The OP has stated he's nearly 40, with this FFG govt he'll have to find a partner to afford a house and then commute to work in a car paying extortionate car insurance. Want to start a family? Pay extortionate childcare costs and don't ever get sick as having paid extortionate health insurance won't make you jump the A&E queue!

daheff

could you try changing jobs to a school near your fathers house and live with him?



or look at an area where you want to live (and can afford to live) and look for teaching jobs in a commutable distance from there?

mariaalice

antix80 wrote: »

Would I be right in saying teachers get paid the same all over the country? In which case, unless you really love Dublin you should probably consider moving to somewhere with cheaper rent and the same salary. Or up-skill to a better paid job. The choice is yours.

Living with strangers isn't for everybody either. Pay your rent first, pay for food and bills and if nothing is left over well that's the cost of living alone. Your relationship status is none of my business but on a teacher salary and Dublin rents, an obvious solution is to get yourself into a relationship with a financially stable individual who can pay half the rent and bills without you feeling forced to scrimp to pay rent or share with strangers.

A very cold veiw of a relationship or else you are advocating a kind of prostitution in order to have financial security.

suicide_circus

klaaaz wrote: »

The OP has stated he's nearly 40, with this FFG govt he'll have to find a partner to afford a house and then commute to work in a car paying extortionate car insurance. Want to start a family? Pay extortionate childcare costs and don't ever get sick as having paid extortionate health insurance won't make you jump the A&E queue!

I'm no fan of FG/FF but who from the available crop would you like to see in government instead?

cgcsb

Wheeliebin30 wrote: »

So 1 billion will house everyone?

1 billion will get you roughly 3,500 houses at a cost of 300k for example.

It's actually even better than that. Apartments can be built in Dublin for under €200k, when you exclude the tax that would come back to the state from the building.

Let's say we spent €2bn, that's 10,000 apartments. The social housing list is currently about 30,000 households in Dublin. Take off what it costs to accommodate those people elsewhere, using HAP or paying for a hotel etc., say €20k per year. Over 10 years it's cost neutral and you save on the 11th year, the housing list drops to 20,000. Do the same again and the housing crisis is gone, HAP is gone, rents drop.

This won't happen because the housing crisis is about ideology, not money.

Blinky Plebum

Is the 2.5 hour commute each way or both ways?

Is there not a bus service you can use?

I have a commute of just under 2 hours (each way) and I've been doing it for close to ten years, It's perfectly manageable (although not ideal) if you have a decent bus service (which thankfully I do).

Commuting wouldn't be anywhere near as bad if the bus services in this country were better.

Wheeliebin30

cgcsb wrote: »

It's actually even better than that. Apartments can be built in Dublin for under €200k, when you exclude the tax that would come back to the state from the building.

Let's say we spent €2bn, that's 10,000 apartments. The social housing list is currently about 30,000 households in Dublin. Take off what it costs to accommodate those people elsewhere, using HAP or paying for a hotel etc., say €20k per year. Over 10 years it's cost neutral and you save on the 11th year, the housing list drops to 20,000. Do the same again and the housing crisis is gone, HAP is gone, rents drop.

This won't happen because the housing crisis is about ideology, not money.

Yeah because once you gigt 30,000 in a house at 50 euro a week you won’t have another 30,000 with their hand out.

Once people see a mortgage is for suckers everyone will want the same.

cgcsb

Wheeliebin30 wrote: »

Yeah because once you gigt 30,000 in a house at 50 euro a week you won’t have another 30,000 with their hand out.

Once people see a mortgage is for suckers everyone will want the same.

Is that really a problem? most of the populaiton of the other European capitals live in social housing.

Wheeliebin30

cgcsb wrote: »

Is that really a problem? most of the populaiton of the other European capitals live in social housing.

Do they???

60% of Germans rent.


So should we all stop paying mortgages and expect a social house?

mystic86

johnmck wrote: »

What the hell do I do come September? Rent another room in a house with complete strangers. I can't afford a place of my own.

Yes...?

antix80

mariaalice wrote: »

A very cold veiw of a relationship or else you are advocating a kind of prostitution in order to have financial security.

Prostitution would imply the op receives a payment from a person, which isn't the case at all.

What I'm saying that people are usually better off in relationships. Being financially better off is just one reason, but there are other advantages too. Certainly better than sleeping in your childhood bedroom in your parent's home moaning that life isn't fair.

sbsquarepants

cgcsb wrote: »

neutral and you save on the 11th year, the housing list drops to 20,000. Do the same again and the housing crisis is gone, HAP is gone, rents drop.
.

The whole HAP scheme is crazy - there's no money to build council houses, but there seems to be no end of it to pay private landlords. You have the state handing tax payers money to (often) non tax payers so that they can pay the mortgage on someone elses house. By the end of it the state has basically just paid over the odds for a house it doesn't own. It's absolutely bonkers!

Ray Palmer

Have to laugh at those who suggest the middle east as an option. People spend all their time complaining the lack of social housing and funding for the poor. What do they do it the middle east with regard to social protection? Workers rights? Basic human rights? Etc...
Those who go and work in the middle east and get tax free salaries are part of the regime there. The property they live in was basically built by slave labour. You are a second class citizen there.
The hypocrisy of people who complain about social services here and then work in these places is amazing

mariaalice

Ray Palmer wrote: »

Have to laugh at those who suggest the middle east as an option. People spend all their time complaining the lack of social housing and funding for the poor. What do they do it the middle east with regard to social protection? Workers rights? Basic human rights? Etc...
Those who go and work in the middle east and get tax free salaries are part of the regime there. The property they live in was basically built by slave labour. You are a second class citizen there.
The hypocrisy of people who complain about social services here and then work in these places is amazing

That is true and one of he reason my husband would not take a job he was offered in the UAE during the down turn, but at the same time its a simpliisitic answer someone not taking a teaching job in the middle east is not goign to change the system there.

cgcsb

Ray Palmer wrote: »

Have to laugh at those who suggest the middle east as an option. People spend all their time complaining the lack of social housing and funding for the poor. What do they do it the middle east with regard to social protection? Workers rights? Basic human rights? Etc...
Those who go and work in the middle east and get tax free salaries are part of the regime there. The property they live in was basically built by slave labour. You are a second class citizen there.
The hypocrisy of people who complain about social services here and then work in these places is amazing

People suit themselves at the end of the day, it makes sense for people in some professions to go there and earn a nice tax free salary and have a nice life. FGFFLab suit themselves and their friends with their housing policy, so why not. Only chumps care about what happens to society at this stage. Humanity is in it's final stages anyway.

topper75

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

I genuinely have empathy for the OP, but why o why did you have to go and blame the poor?

I understand that you're feeling angry and dejected, and for good reasons; but poor people didn't create this absurd, dysfunctional economy. They are little more than a paper-cut on the body of a leper.

You are completely ignoring the real problem, and by blaming the poorest people in society, are absolving of blame the real architects of deprivation and falling living-standards: Irish and European governments, large industry, and globalisation.

Don't know though. Check Albania. Don't seem to do any of that large industry or global markets stuff. I don't think their economy ought to be our model. They could write the book on absurd and dysfunctional.

Taxpayers money is misspent for sure. And yes granted most of that shamefully was on bank bailouts (paying for rich guys' mistakes and keeping them rich when they bet wrong) rather than buying things for the less well off and giving them dole. I don't think it is either/or though. Waste should be tackled at all turns.

topper75

sbsquarepants wrote: »

Why isn't there?

There's billions for broadband, there's billions for the childrens hospital, why is it beyond the range of possibility to borrow another billion to house the population ffs?

Interest rates have never been lower - now is the ideal time to do so. There's no end of land already in state ownership, there's tons of demand, it is clearly in the national interest, far more so than bringing Netflix to west Cork I'd argue.

What's stopping it?

What is stopping it is banks telling govt that they want the highest value possible on all their mortgage loan collateral. Limit supply. This arrangement was struck in 2008/9 and will not be changed. Ever.

wakka12

You do deserve sympathy OP, its really sad that people who work the majority of every week of their lives cant even afford a decent room with a kitchen to rent out, its not asking a whole lot, for the effort most people put into their daily job

Old diesel

Wheeliebin30 wrote: »

cgcsb wrote: »

It's actually even better than that. Apartments can be built in Dublin for under €200k, when you exclude the tax that would come back to the state from the building.

Let's say we spent €2bn, that's 10,000 apartments. The social housing list is currently about 30,000 households in Dublin. Take off what it costs to accommodate those people elsewhere, using HAP or paying for a hotel etc., say €20k per year. Over 10 years it's cost neutral and you save on the 11th year, the housing list drops to 20,000. Do the same again and the housing crisis is gone, HAP is gone, rents drop.

This won't happen because the housing crisis is about ideology, not money.

Yeah because once you gigt 30,000 in a house at 50 euro a week you won’t have another 30,000 with their hand out.

Once people see a mortgage is for suckers everyone will want the same.

It's better then paying 2 k a month rent.....

The percentage of income someone in future social housing but on a higher income could be considered.

At 30 percent of income - someone on 600 euro a week would pay 180 a week.

720 per month.

Leroy42

So OP has a good job, that they like, have had their education subsidised throughout but because they haven't achieved everything they want they want to simply give up? You now have a permanent job, which unlike most people you can almost never lose it, and will only ever have pay increases. Pension is sorted.

How about looking at a different profession, one that earns more money? Or starting your own business? Doing grinds, or something?

What about starting up a summer school with the huge holidays you get every year. Or using that time to take classes in investments etc.

You say your a teacher, and I would say I feel sorry for the children you teach. A bit of a struggle and you, despite having so many advantages that many people would kill for, instead want to feel sorry for yourself.

Hours of commuting? Really, you finish at 4 every day. And off for most of the summer. Whatever 'hardships' you feel you will face is as nothing compared to what many others deal with.

johnmck

topper75 wrote: »

You are not seeing your opportunities OP and only see crisis - each and every one of those kids you are teaching buys drugs.
Why can't the dealer be you?
Most dealers would kill (probably even literally) for market access like yours.
In 18 months you'll be turning the key in the door of your Killiney mansion.
You won't have just bettered yourself; you'll have bested yourself. *exhales doobie smoke*

😂

johnmck

antix80 wrote: »

Would I be right in saying teachers get paid the same all over the country? In which case, unless you really love Dublin you should probably consider moving to somewhere with cheaper rent and the same salary. Or up-skill to a better paid job. The choice is yours.

Living with strangers isn't for everybody either. Pay your rent first, pay for food and bills and if nothing is left over well that's the cost of living alone. Your relationship status is none of my business but on a teacher salary and Dublin rents, an obvious solution is to get yourself into a relationship with a financially stable individual who can pay half the rent and bills without you feeling forced to scrimp to pay rent or share with strangers.

Hmmm easier said than done! I was in a long-term relationship, very cautious these days because of how I ended up being treated!

johnmck

Leroy42 wrote: »

So OP has a good job, that they like, have had their education subsidised throughout but because they haven't achieved everything they want they want to simply give up? You now have a permanent job, which unlike most people you can almost never lose it, and will only ever have pay increases. Pension is sorted.

How about looking at a different profession, one that earns more money? Or starting your own business? Doing grinds, or something?

What about starting up a summer school with the huge holidays you get every year. Or using that time to take classes in investments etc.

You say your a teacher, and I would say I feel sorry for the children you teach. A bit of a struggle and you, despite having so many advantages that many people would kill for, instead want to feel sorry for yourself.

Hours of commuting? Really, you finish at 4 every day. And off for most of the summer. Whatever 'hardships' you feel you will face is as nothing compared to what many others deal with.

You are right Leroy, I should be more grateful.

klaaaz

Old diesel wrote: »

It's better then paying 2 k a month rent.....

The percentage of income someone in future social housing but on a higher income could be considered.

At 30 percent of income - someone on 600 euro a week would pay 180 a week.

720 per month.

It's like that in Scandinavia, subsidised accommodation, childcare and health coverage for all. But that's the nasty socialism some posters here hate but our model having failed the majority of the population has not hit home to those posters yet who want to continue with more of the same misery.

Ray Palmer

cgcsb wrote: »

Ray Palmer wrote: »

Have to laugh at those who suggest the middle east as an option. People spend all their time complaining the lack of social housing and funding for the poor. What do they do it the middle east with regard to social protection? Workers rights? Basic human rights? Etc...
Those who go and work in the middle east and get tax free salaries are part of the regime there. The property they live in was basically built by slave labour. You are a second class citizen there.
The hypocrisy of people who complain about social services here and then work in these places is amazing

People suit themselves at the end of the day, it makes sense for people in some professions to go there and earn a nice tax free salary and have a nice life. FGFFLab suit themselves and their friends with their housing policy, so why not. Only chumps care about what happens to society at this stage. Humanity is in it's final stages anyway.

Fine if they have no morals but claiming others don't so it is ok is a stretch. It also puts a huge question mark over their moral outrage about what happens in Ireland.

As for politicians looking after themselves and friends prove it! Legislation has been punative on landlords for years. No change to the protections of landlords for no payment and additional charges and restrictions. They haven't made it easier to evict non paying tenants and mortgage holders.
Housing is a mess because of listening to the public. When the ERSI warned of the impending housing shortage the public laughed and claimed it was just a ploy to help out the builder mates of politicians. Guess what it wasn't and resulted in us not building properties. The banks warned about taking out 100% mortgages and public cried out that they wanted them.
It is very simple to blame the government but ignoring what the public did and wanted is just willful ignorance.

I think it is gas the way people go on about landlords screaming it in from HAP. A payment so popular with landlords they changed the laws to make it illegal to refuse. Landlords don't want it and it means being underpaid on true rent values.

Leroy42

johnmck wrote: »

You are right Leroy, I should be more grateful.

It is not about being more grateful, it is looking at what you can do rather than what you can't.

You are clearly intelligent, have plenty of motivation and have got this far. There are plenty of options open to you, but they require that you make decisions.

You have chosen a profession that will always be stifled in terms of what you can earn (in terms of the core job), but it comes with significant other benefits, such as the holidays. Are these benefits worth it, or do you value other things more?

But many of the 'problems' you claim are not really that big problems. I fully understand your frustration. You can move to a nicer house, but that would require a bigger commute. Well, yeah, that is the same for everyone. I would like a better car, but that would involve having less money so I choose not to.

The point being that you are still very much in control. Not might sound like it right now, but put together a plan, based on what is important to you, and work on that.

If there is no way to get a nice place to live within reasonable commuting distance in Dublin as a teacher, maybe look at moving down the country or taking up a different profession. Simply giving up and expecting that somebody somewhere will sort it all out for you is, unlikely, to happen.

That is not to say that I don't share your frustrations, but would you really want to live on the dole? No hope, no future, nothing to pass on?

Blaizes

johnmck wrote: »

I already worked for years in the country, got screwed around, never got a permanent post. Feel I'm too old for going abroad to teach English, plus over qualified for that. I'm almost 40. Be fine if I was in my 20s

You are not too old to go abroad. You don't have to teach English, you can teach your subject at an international school, there are international schools all over the world that look for licensed teachers- nothing to do with T.E.F.L You should look in to it.Ideally if you could get a career break and go but I wonder if it's too late now to apply, guessing it is.

Sympathies with your situation by the way, but if you have no ties it means you can leave Ireland or try to get teaching outside of Dublin.But probably you already know the score with going to another part of Ireland; bits of jobs, nepotism, small hour cids etc. The career break would be a great option for you freeing you up to relocate and teach else where.The housing situation is a disaster and its dreadful that you and so many other people are finding themselves in this situation. I know for sure who I won't be voting for on Friday!!

TuringBot47

klaaaz wrote: »

... our model having failed the majority of the population has not hit home to those posters yet who want to continue with more of the same misery.

The majority are housed.
The majority have jobs ( < 6% unemployment rate )

There will always be an angry gang of "have-nots" who aren't as hard working, or intelligent or have the skills to live in comfort in the location of their choosing.

10000maniacs

johnmck wrote: »

I'm a teacher working in Dublin. Worked all my life from the age of 15. Re-educated myself to become a teacher. Took me years to get a full time post.
Very happy with my job now, after a bit of struggling to secure a permement post. I love helping students achieve their goals.
I've had to move several times in the past 2 years due to landlords and crazy co-habitants. I've handed in my tenancy notice in the latest rodent / bug invested kip I'm living in Dublin. Technically at the end if the month I'm homeless. Luckily I can move my stuff back to the home house, where my elderly father still lives. But I can't stay there. Some friends have offered to put me up for the summer. Im lucky in that sense. My cousin has offered me cheap rent on his cottage down the country. But it's a 2.5 hour commute to Dublin. What the hell do I do come September? Rent another room in a house with complete strangers. I can't afford a place of my own. Or risk my life from tiredness of falling asleep behind the wheel commuting !
Sometimes I feel I'd be better off having not tried to better myself, developed some sort of disorder or health condition, or had 5 kids and got myself on the local authority housing list and have been a social welfare lifer.
Don't seem to be able to get on with my life for having to tried to be a better person. I'm not expecting sympathy, just that people see the unfair society we are living in. Guessing I'll might get a few haters for this , but it's my truth.

That's what 50 years of unapologetic liberalism has done to us.
Our "cannot be assed" workshy set have better lifestyles than a lot of the people who break their back earning an honest crust. They play the system. Drop a half a dozen sprogs, fight tooth and nail for every drop of taxpayers money they can wangle and happy days. Free accommodation and a fat salary with benefits.

klaaaz

TuringBot47 wrote: »

The majority are housed.
The majority have jobs ( < 6% unemployment rate )

That means nothing when having a job means a person cannot afford rent/mortgage, childcare, health insurance, the "privilege" of running a car or heaven forbid a private pension.

TuringBot47 wrote: »

There will always be an angry gang of "have-nots" who aren't as hard working, or intelligent or have the skills to live in comfort in the location of their choosing.

Nice description of johnmck, perhaps he should work harder to be principal!

Leroy42

10000maniacs wrote: »

That's what 50 years of unapologetic liberalism has done to us.
Our "cannot be assed" workshy set have better lifestyles than a lot of the people who break their back earning an honest crust. They play the system. Drop a half a dozen sprogs, fight tooth and nail for every drop of taxpayers money they can wangle and happy days. Free accommodation and a fat salary with benefits.

But where do you draw the line? Working 9 months a year isn't breaking your back. So one could easily say that since they get such holidays then any houses should first go to those that work full time.

The OP has a good education, has plenty of spare time. He has plenty of opportunities.

10000maniacs

Leroy42 wrote: »

But where do you draw the line? Working 9 months a year isn't breaking your back. So one could easily say that since they get such holidays then any houses should first go to those that work full time.

The OP has a good education, has plenty of spare time. He has plenty of opportunities.

I think the OP is more entitled to a house in Dublin than a lot of people who get one for free.

ToddyDoody

antix80 wrote: »

an obvious solution is to get yourself into a relationship with a financially stable individual who can pay half the rent and bills without you feeling forced to scrimp to pay rent or share with strangers.

...and they say romance is dead