200 , 000 EMPTY HOMES.. Irish football coach is jailed for smuggling 8 , 500 PEOPLE HOMELESS hypnotic pills Housing minister blasted for failing to publish report
AN Irish football coach has been jailed in France after being found with more than 35,000 hypnotic pills often used illegally as “dangerous dope”.
Darren Lee Proudfoot, originally from Dublin, was arrested in Estezagues, close to the southern city of Avignon, on Tuesday.
Hidden in the back of the rear of the 41-year-old’s hire car were thousands of packets of Zoplicone, a psychotropic drug used to treat sleep disorders.
Proudfoot was travelling with Martin Salinger, a 61-year-old from Dublin, who was also arrested.
DANGEROUS
Both men were fast-tracked for trial at Nimes Criminal Court, where on Wednesday Proudfoot was sentenced to a year-and-a-half in prison, and fined €22,000.
He admitted smuggling merchandise dangerous to public health without documentary evidence and is now set to appeal the sentence.
The court heard the football coach was a known dealer and was under surveillance in his home country.
Proudfoot told the court Zoplicone was legal in Spain, where the car had been picked up, and cheaper than in Ireland and that he was simply involved in the pharmaceutical trade.
Salinger, who denied knowing the drugs were in the car, was cleared of any wrongdoing.
The cost of the drugs in the car was estimated at €17,770 but could have sold for much more on the black market . KYLIE Minogue is in the pink as she arrives for musician Jools Holland’s 60th birthday party. The pop singer, 49, wore a satin dress with matching pink jumper as she celebrated with Jools at Scottish eatery Boisdale of Belgravia in London.
They had a Hootenanny with comic Jennifer Saunders, designer Mary Mccartney, Spice Girl Mel C and soul star Ruby Turner. THE Government has been blasted over its failure to tackle the homelessness crisis despite the fact 200,000 housing units are lying empty.
Labour’s Jan O’sullivan hit out after it emerged a report on the critical issue has been gathering dust on Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy’s desk since last June.
The Limerick TD said it “beggars belief ” that it is being hidden and remains unpublished.
As it stands there are more than 200,000 empty housing units across the State, with more than 8,500 people homeless, including 3,000 children.
Minister Murphy trumpeted using the properties to help solve the crisis as part of the Rebuilding Ireland plan announced last year but admitted to the Dail yesterday the report has yet to be published.
Ms O’sullivan said: “It is now nearly a year since we were told by Government a Vacant Homes strategy was in the making to help deal with the housing crisis, with a similar pledge made during the summer.
“And yet here we are at the start of a new year being told a strategy is still being developed with a ‘view to publishing it in the near future’.
“Where is the urgency from Government on this? It is particularly baffling considering that ‘Utilising existing housing’ is one of the five pillars of the Government’s own Rebuilding Ireland.
“Bringing some of these homes back into use would be much quicker than the estimated three years it takes to build a new home.
“And with supply such a critical issue, it beggars belief we have not still seen the publication of a National Vacant Homes Strategy.”
Mr Murphy defended the fact the report has yet to be published, saying: “Preparatory work was undertaken by a working group chaired by the Housing Agency.
“My Department received the output in June 2017 and is presently further developing the strategy with a view to publishing it in the near future.
“It should be noted a significant number of measures to incentivise the increased use of vacant housing stock have already been introduced.” Labour TD Ms O’sullivan