Ukrainian refugees in Ireland - Megathread

road_high

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118964497#Comment_118964497

What is that country offering in terms of welfare package?

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118964504#Comment_118964504

Could it be these countries actually have a plan and indeed accommodation 🤔

golondrinas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118964504#Comment_118964504

Actually don’t know. I do know that if you don’t get a job ( and if after 6 months you haven’t found one) they will ask you to leave. Oh I do know from hearsay the rates are poor. You are much better off working — as it should be.

airy fairy

I think the welcoming, sympathetic sentiment will fade if it's seen that Ukrainian refugees are getting ahead in housing lists, health lists and the likes.

The government are doing Ukrainians no favour long term by welcoming everyone with open arms. Up to now, Ireland seems very attractive, with what seems like limitless support, especially financially. Until refugees end up being housed in tents and word filters back that this place isn't what it's cracked up to be, we'll keep seeing arrivals of those wanting to live here.

road_high

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118964546#Comment_118964546

Even if living in a tent (I’m sure it’ll be high quality) the welfare package is enormously attractive. As is the public generosity. Unless the blanket welfare entitlement is altered we will keep seeing a large influx.

and you’re correct, the housing and health lists were bursting at the seams already here. It makes no sense to make them even worse

Wibbs

In another thread here I reckoned we should have given Ukraine all the anti tank rockets we had on the shelves of the Curragh and made a big show of taking in two or three thousand refugees, essentially what the UK did, only with way more rockets but only about three thousand refugees who need to jump through hoops to get in, and we would have gotten all the slaps on the back we seemingly wanted, instead of a "nearly there" for Ireland's support from Zelensky.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118964313#Comment_118964313

If irish people really want a better future for themselves they must vote for something new because these lads are getting worse every year.

Except there are no alternatives. It's essentially a closed shop.

There has been no interest in allowing Irish politics to evolve. There's little real difference in our politics between now, and 60 years ago. TBH I think spoiling your vote is the best option, because all the political groups are the same. They're all playing their own game here. Maybe if enough votes are spoiled consistently, we might see some interest in either new parties or a renovation of our political system. And please! nobody be deluded enough to think that SF will be any different. They're established politicians just the same as the rest of them. They've been playing the game as long as the rest of them.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118964390#Comment_118964390

Nah. Sorry but this is nothing new. They've known how to herd the population in particular directions for decades. It's not as if the Irish population being cowed is anything new. Just look at how we reacted to the Banking crash. Not one politician saw the inside of a jail cell. Not one lost their pensions or other benefits. RTE have been pushing single-minded agendas forever, and that hasn't changed even slightly.

Boggles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118964170#Comment_118964170

Why will we be adding 25,000 people to hospital waiting lists? 😕

Also it would be nuts to declare a cap, because a cap is also a target. It's the reason no country has declared one.

Again though with anything in life if you only focus on the perceived negatives or in terms of this thread irrational scaremongering nothing will get sorted.

It's one of the main reasons we do go from crisis to crisis in this country.

But the perpetual contrarians will always find something to complain about, it's imbedded in them. Same malcontents wouldn't scratch their arsé if was itchy, because it would be someone else fault. Tis Teddlibe Joe.

MrMusician18

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118964546#Comment_118964546

This is what I suspect will happen..there is no need for a cap because capacity to take will be the cap. The number of people arriving in Ireland will slow to a handful a day if/when reality crashes into the rhetoric and families are left on camp beds for months

1percent

ShamNNspace

Meanwhile in our overburdened health service... "actively dying" thats a new one

BruteStock

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118964770#Comment_118964770

Are you adopting Ukrainians?

Potatoeman

Anyone that’s ever house shared for any period with people they didn’t know before moving in should know the issues that will come up. Not everyone can just get on, many house shares end with people leaving and only accept working professionals. Image randomly dropping someone from a completely different culture into the mix. Many of those offering up rooms in their homes would turn their noses up at renting a room to an inner city person permanently on the dole. You have no idea who you are inviting into your home, their values, standards and how you will get on. I do think it’s commendable but also nieve.

If we end up in a situation where Ukrainians are stuck in tents or in some remote place in Ireland for months on end, we should start communicating with other countries to see who actually has housing available and can take them in, and then make the travel arrangements and buy them the flight tickets, it would be cheaper in the long run and would benefit both parties. This war could go on the till end of next year.

Also modular housing is something that can be done quick and cheap, as far as I know Elon Musk live in one of these so cant be bad. Just need the political will power to make emergency changes to planning. But of course that might mean we cant pay a life time mortgage that keeps us working till retirement.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VuNK9P1I3U

pluckyplucky

It's farcical at this point, the entire leadership of this country.

It's been clear for years now that there is a widening gulf between the people that make decisions and the people they are supposedly representing. It is, practically, no longer a democracy. And as mentioned above, no discernible difference between any of the political parties.

Housing situation? They obviously don't care. It couldn't be any more obvious. Every decision is made to purposefully pump the price. If you believe theyre doing anything other than looking after themselves and friends, after a decade of tomfoolery, you're the fool.

As above, the health situation? They obviously don't care. Keeps getting worse, overcrowded, inefficiency. Year on year dilapidation. If you believe they care, you're a fool. Whatever they tell you is working, it patently isn't.

Ukraine situation, considering the above? You'd need to be a fool to think politicians represent Irish men and women, a literal invitation to increase pressure on rapidly failing systems. More people, more problems, but not for them. For you.

What this country needs, as well as a million other things to approach normality again, are far more referenda with 80% participation required. Put actual specific questions to the people on what they want for their own good. Democracy.

Do you want diminished immigration until the housing and health crises are well under control? Give a guess what the resounding answer would be.

Do you want foreign and domestic investment firms be allowed buy swathes of property to rent at maximum profit? No prizes for guessing the outcome.

The Ukrainian situation is obviously an emergency and can't be put under referendum due to time, but if there was a healthy democracy here in the first place the laughing stock of a leadership would already know not to take the mickey from actually being forced to listen to the people they represent.

And lots more besides, but there'd be some serious ructions for minority beliefs in this country if the population were actually allowed voice their opinion.

And that's probably why they won't and don't allow it. Surprise, surprise.

Things are coming to a head in this place, you'd need to be living under a rock not to feel the palpable tension across the nation. Nobody will be able to act surprised when it comes down.

Dempo1

Pippa Hackett (Greens) on Saturday with Katie Hannon, my god she's living in a parallel universe, Matti Mc Grath in the studio about to explode.

Questions now being asked if properties can be taken over by government by CPO powers. The fact this is even being discussed is alarming.

Strumms

Just keep your head down, look after yourself, keep your assets, entitlements, look after your family, friends and wellbeing. Simply that means my door is closed.

it’s going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better now… these absolute fûcking ghouls we have for politicians coupled with these grim NGO shîtbags wanting this country and its citizens asset stripped for the purposes of everyone else getting ‘supported’….

For whom the hangman’s rope was spun, 

And what, God help us, could they save? 

Romantic Ireland’s dead and gone, 

It’s with O’Leary in the grave.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118965125#Comment_118965125

A legal academic (didn’t hear/take in her name) recommending it as entirely regal & feasible & recommending it should be done. We’ve seen one dreadful war overseas, we do NO want to see civil unrest akin to the Northern Troubles in our country, would serve nobody.

The Russian Revolution was founded on compulsory taking over of people’s property, it would be so ironic if the Irish authorities are even thinking of this as a possibility here. Does nobody learn from history?

Wibbs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118964770#Comment_118964770

We've just added over 25,000 people to the medical card in a matter of weeks. Same for social support. And we can't house them in the medium term never mind the long. Hardly a shock in the worst housing crisis in decades. Of that 25,000 as you've kept reminding us a large percentage are children, a demographic that are over represented in healthcare stats and women attend GP's more than men.

Focus on the negatives? At least that focus is on the practical, the positives aren't. Just more emotionals for the most part. Those who are actually doing stuff on the ground is one thing and fair play to them, but they're doing so off their own bat and the overall plan from authorities, well there bloody well isn't one, save for handing out medical cards and free money. And this has eff all to do with "it's terrible joe" contrarians, but that's just more of your all too usual lazy deflection when facts and realities are pointed out to you.

So basically you're still more blah blah, still feck all How? And those pointing out the realities are the contrarians?

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118965171#Comment_118965171

Rachel Walsh, associate professor in Law at TCD. I'm actually in shock after listening to her contribution. My god could you imagine the reaction if Government started Compulsory purchasing properties. Whilst obviously in the context of the conversation vacant properties was being discussed, where would it end, holiday homes, homes to big for a single person, those in Nursing homes etc. It's very alarming.

Annasopra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118929458#Comment_118929458

20,000 Irish homeless on the streets?

Dempo1

Here's some stark numbers.

Refugee's currently in Direct Provision in ireland 7,000 (Many for years)

Officially classified as being Homeless but in emergency Accommodation 9,742 of which 2667 are Children.

Seeping Rough and its complex situation, certainly a few 100 but keep in mind, if allocated a hostel place, these people not included in official figures which are difficult to confirm.

Ukranian Refugees, Difficult to be precise but certainly near 23,000 based on recent reports.

Housing Waiting list Number is 59,247, many on it for years.

ShamNNspace

All I can think of when these medical cards, licences and all those benifits being handed out willy-nilly and paid for with our money is how my wife and I were reduced to tears a few years ago when she got that terrible disease with the big C, we were trying to get a medical card to help with all the chemo etc, every day on the phone it was some other bit of paper they needed, we finally got a basic card but she was well into the treatment at that stage and we had paid for what we could, thankful for small mercies in the end... Who's goin to pay for everything in the final roundup? Childrens hospital, covid, mica and the rest, throwing taxpayers money around like confetti to those who've never paid a cent tax here... The bobtailed cheque will land on the citizens doormat while the mcEntee's of this world will be nicely featherbedded with their generous pensions from the consequences of their actions

NIMAN

Some refugees who have arrived locally went to our school yesterday to meet some teachers and students.

Wasn't there, but from what I have heard from people there, some of the kids are very emotional. It's understandable considering what they have gone through, and I do hope they get any support they need to help them through this terrible situation they find themselves in.

Also some are staying in our local hotel, which hasn't been a hotel so to speak for many years. Apparently its in terrible state inside and its sad to hear refugees were put here without it being assessed first. The authorities probably seen it on a list and just assumed it was a functioning hotel and would be suitable. As bad as it is to stick refugees in a rural location with few buses and opportunities for them, to then put them in shoddy accommodation isn't acceptable.

And now one of local teachers has 36 student, including 4 who have experienced god knows what and who are in a new experience for them. And the additional help to come and help them learn, and in a foreign language too, is shared between 3 local schools, so will only be there for a few hours a day.

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118965653#Comment_118965653

That's shocking and so sorry to hear this and I'm absolutely aware of many similar stories such as yours, I do have a full MC due to a long term illness and greatful for it but I absolutely agree with your sentiments and I had to fight tooth and nail to get mine.

I personally don't understand why MC were issued as few of these Refugee's will actually never get to see a GP, if the intention was to cut red tape and cost at A&E"s surely a letter along with a Ukrainian passport could have been presented at an A&E department.

As it happens, it's now materialising few of these MC have actually been processed.

Deiselurker

It was very naive of the government to assume thousands of people would want to share their homes with strangers for free for an unknown length of time at a time of hign inflation. At least now they are considering paying people to encourage more to sign up. What's the plan when the war ends to encourage Ukrainians to return to their own country? I doubt if there is one going by what we have see seen so far.

Luxembourgo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118964445#Comment_118964445

1000 percent agree. I think we should help the Ukrainians. I do not think we should be purchasing houses for them to live in. There is a massive shortage of housing in certain areas of the country.

The idea of the government actively competing against taxpayers for desirable houses has never sat well with me

pluckyplucky

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118965774#Comment_118965774

I don't think it was "naive" of the government. They knew precisely what they were doing.

They know there is a worsening housing crisis, they know there is a embattled health system, they know that the last thing needed was more people.

They pulled the trigger anyway. They know what they are doing.

As for ukrainians going home afterwards? Does the acquisition of housing by the government sound like they're planning on these people leaving? Does the veiled threat of mandatory housing confiscation sound like they expect them to go home? Does the handing out of medical cards, social welfare, driving licenses, accompanied pets et al sound like they're expecting them to go home, and so forth?

No, the unaccountable ruling class of this country have done precisely what they intended to do. No naivety, no stupidity.

They've pumped the prices of their assets, yet again. And why not? What push back have they had over a decade? What dissent have they encountered from their pals in the newspapers, forums and television have they endured? None.

Their actions are shouting in people's faces what they think of you, they are screaming about where their priorities lie. They think the normal Irish man and woman are dirt, they will hold literally anyone else in higher regard than you.

And it's your money they are spending, it's your country they are selling, it's your housing they are doling out to whoever isn't you, it's your health system they have run into the ground. It's your life they are diminishing, not their own.

Believe what they are telling you with their actions. They mean it.