Ask yourself why our TDs won’t stop vulture funds
IT’S always interesting to see how selective politicians are on what issues they act on and what issues they engage in handwringing.
The quickest piece of legislation to pass in recent times was to lift the ban on the sale of alcohol on Good Friday, but apparently there’s nothing the Government can (or wants) to do to clip the wings of vulture funds lining up to inflict landlord-era misery on struggling households.
The sting in the tale of course is that the loans being ‘sold’ were already paid off by the taxpayer when the banks were bailed out. Yet Fine Gael don’t want anyone to know why the banks were not required to reduce or re-structure loans on a case-by-case basis.
Now Fine Gael and the Independent Alliance are standing by while the banks sell off loans to a vulture fund, which can even increase the interest rate if they want without any need to worry about the Central Bank caring as vulture funds are not regulated.
Fine Gael’s poll rating are going up. Why wouldn’t they when the sort of people who support them are the very people who benefit most from other people not being able to afford a home of their own? It suits the financial interest of Fine Gael supporters for a rentier economy to take root.
The challenge to this isn’t going to come from a spineless Finance Minister or a Taoiseach with a sense of entitlement that beggars belief. Those who prop up this Government can make things change but sadly it doesn’t seem Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin will ever have the guts to pull the plug. DESMOND FITZGERALD, Canary Wharf, London.
Eighth debate
AS a member of Galway East for Choice I am concerned at the lack of knowledge, understanding and urgency from a significant portion of our society regarding the Eighth Amendment and the imminent referendum.
While we do have the support of a large variety of ages and genders, I worry that women of childbearing age are the primary demographic taking this as seriously as they should.
Grandparents have grandchildren who will be pregnant; men have wives, sisters, nieces, and friends. This amendment affects every pregnancy and therefore affects every person in Ireland. There is much more to this referendum than just abortion. It is about compassion, trust and essential healthcare during pregnancy.
I call on everyone, regardless of age or gender, to use your vote on referendum day. Use it for the women in your life who may be pregnant in the future.
Use it for the people without a vote who have chosen to make Ireland their home. Use it for the daughter you may someday have or use it for the granddaughter that’s not yet born.
GINA DOOLEY, Galway East for Choice,
Doughiska, Galway.