Will Budget 2015 help put an end to homelessness?

It's somewhat timely that October 10 happens to be World Homelessness Day, less than a week before the Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan, gets to his feet in the Dáil to unveil Budget 2015.

While we have been cautioned against having unrealistic expectations, all the indications are that there will be some respite for hard-pressed middle income earners. But despite all the positive signs that the economy is finally starting to lift, with less unemployment and rising house prices, a walk through the city on a weekend night tells a different story.

•An all-too-familiar sight on our streets. STOCK PHOTO

A colleague of mine was almost reduced to tears during a recent night out on the town. She was shocked, not only by the numbers of people sleeping rough or begging in the vicinity of Grafton Street, but by the age profile of Ireland's 21st century homeless community. She recalled a time when a homeless person generally fitted the stereotype of down and out wino. Now they look like any of us. They are young, middle-aged or getting on in years. They are a mix of Irish and non-nationals, united by poverty and social deprivation.

No person should have to sleep on the streets, in a hostel or in a car in modern-day Ireland. It's a sad fact that a large proportion of homeless people have drug dependency or other addiction issues. Others may be escaping from a difficult family situation or traumatic event in their lives. Some are homeless through losing their job or business. The rise in rents in the capital has exacerbated the  problem. Rent supplements - if they're even accepted - simply aren't high enough to meet the extortionate rates sought by private landlords. They either need to rise to reflect market values or we need new rent control measures introduced.

If you've a few moments to spare, you should go online and read the Simon Community's 'Stand & Deliver' letter (www.simonstandanddeliver.ie). This is addressed to Government ministers, urging them to fulfil their promise to end long-term homelessness and rough sleeping by 2016. It warns that Ireland is in the middle of "a catastrophic" housing and homelessness crisis.

"If you don't move quickly and wisely - rather than being solved - long-term homelessness will become an epidemic," a section of the letter reads. "This will mean more people facing a brutal winter on our streets. More families sleeping in their cars. Serious illness, depression and death. It will mean more 'working' homeless. More pressure on overrun shelters. More people on the housing lists."

The Simon Community says the Government's emerging ideas on solving the crisis are welcome - but are far too limited, short-sighted and moving far too slowly.

"This is devastating for vulnerable families and is also economically foolish," the letter continues. "Ireland can't afford the overwhelming costs of increased homelessness and lack of housing."

The charity has presented politicians with three 'common sense' solutions:
•Increase housing - and the right kinds of housing;
•Provide adequate support services;
•Prevent homelessness before it happens.

Simon are well on their way to achieving their target of 10,000 signatures in time for World Homelessness Day next week. It's an initiative most worthy of our support. Let's just hope our elected representatives are listening.

Attitudes to drug addiction need to be challenged

If there's one thing that unites Northside and Southside communities across Dublin, it is the scourge of drug addiction.

For every Darndale - as featured in TV3's controversial new series - there is an estate with mirror image problems in Tallaght, Clondalkin or Ballyfermot. Even supposedly affluent areas like Dun Laoghaire have residents battling heroin addiction. Tenants living in inner city flat complexes on both sides of the Liffey have seen more than their fair share of drug-related funerals.

•Fix: the reality is that nobody wants to live like this by choice. PIC POSED

Talk to any of Dublin's homeless and you'll most likely find addiction at the heart of their situation. RTÉ's recent series on women behind bars told a similar story.

TV3's 'Darndale: The Edge of Town' documentary has been a major talking point online and on radio shows. While gritty and uncompromising, it has been praised as an honest portrayal of the social problems of the area. Its critics argue that it has done the community a disservice by relying too heavily on stereotypes - the drug addicts; the single parents; the urban cowboys on horseback; the bored teenagers riding around the park on scrambler bikes.

Within minutes of the first episode going on air, it was trending on Twitter. The trolls got to work immediately, plumbing new depths of ignorance and snobbery. Every harrowing story depicted in the documentary was met with a mixture of mock outrage and pure contempt for the suffering of the contributors. The emotional detachment exhibited by some people was staggering, tweeting as if they were referring to fictional characters from Roddy Doyle's Barrytown instead of real life human beings.

That's the problem with social media - it can desensitise and dehumanise individuals who, under normal circumstances, would not express such hateful sentiments. And while there was a degree of support for the Darndale community, the overall impression on Twitter was that there was little sympathy for those struggling with drug addiction. Likewise, some of the commentary about single mothers living on social welfare was highly derogatory.

There were times when the programme strayed into sensationalist, tabloid television territory. But for all its flaws, TV3's series deserves credit for highlighting the sense of hopelessness felt by heroin addicts and their abandonment by successive governments.

We got an insight into life on methadone, the heroin substitute that allows chronic users to swap one addiction for another; a sticking plaster solution designed to stop addicts from committing crimes to feed their habit. In reality, methadone only benefits polite society. People with drug problems can languish on a maintenance programme for years due to a shortage of detox beds. Some will die before ever getting the opportunity to be drug-free.

Ask any heroin addict and they will all tell you the same thing: they want to be off drugs; they want to stop causing their loved ones pain and hardship; they want a chance to start again and make a positive contribution to society. But most of them can't even begin to think about quitting because the power of their addiction is all-consuming; it is too big a part of them.

Those of us lucky enough not to struggle with drug addiction can't understand it. We feel afraid when we see heroin users, sometimes with good reason. Not all addicts come from local authority estates or dilapidated flats. Some have middle-class backgrounds but made a catastrophic error of judgement by trying heroin, perhaps out of boredom or due to peer pressure. Now they find themselves on the fringes of society, labelled as junkie lowlife by a judgemental, uncaring community.

Rather than demonise all drug users, perhaps it's time we attempted to understand the many complex issues surrounding heroin addiction. Those who are trying to quit need to be given as much support as possible. Providing addicts with easier access to detox programmes is the way forward but it requires State investment and political will.

And while we should all rightly be intolerant of drugs, uninformed views about addiction only serve to make a bad situation worse.

Recovery is about having money in our pockets

Labour and Fine Gael will be hoping that the electorate has a poor memory if this Government manages to last its full term.

Under new leader Joan Burton, Labour is optimistic that it can slowly but surely recover from the mauling its candidates suffered in May's local elections. And while Burton so far appears to have reversed the decline, it remains to be seen if her party will be forgiven for its perceived sins by the time they stand before the people in 2016.

•Broke: will the Budget put more money into our pockets? PIC POSED

Blaming Fianna Fail for every unpalatable decision made since this Government came to power in 2011 is really starting to wear thin at this stage. We are told that the good ship Ireland has been stabilised and the omens are good for economic recovery. Unemployment is falling and property prices are starting to climb again. This is all solid evidence, we are led to believe, that the worst is over and the good times are only around the corner.

However, as we have found to our cost, being able to borrow easy money for overpriced homes should not be seen as a barometer of wealth. During the boom times there were people openly bragging about their portfolios of Bulgarian properties. Today they probably don't have the price of the air fare to Bourgas or Sofia.

Real wealth is about how much money is left at the end of each month when the mortgage, household bills, food and the expense of running a car are taken into account. For most families - even those considered to be 'middle-class' - September bleeds them dry with all the back-to-school costs. And just when they are starting to recover from this, Christmas will be upon them. I imagine it's going to be another bumper season for the moneylenders.

While it's impossible to predict what measures Finance Minister Michael Noonan will introduce in next month's Budget to make us feel wealthier, any gains are likely to be negated when water bills start coming through our letterboxes in January 2015. And let's not forget the annual Local Property Tax that will be hoovered out of our bank accounts just a couple of months after that.

Thanks to the punitive effects of the Universal Social Charge, water bills and property tax, it will become increasingly difficult to save money for that rainy day (or any other day for that matter). An unexpected visit to a GP can further throw a household budget into chaos. As for holidays - sure isn't Dollier as good as anywhere when the weather is good?

Fine Gael and Labour may well be banking on economic recovery by 2016 to avoid an electoral punishment beating at the polls. But unless they start giving back something tangible, furious taxpayers will be waiting in the wings to exact their revenge. The upcoming Budget needs to be the start of a process of putting more money into our pockets. Otherwise the notion of Mary Lou McDonald picking out new curtains for the Tánaiste's office might not be as fanciful as it once seemed.

There is hope yet for 'real' music in Ireland

Music is a divisive topic in our house. Any attempt by me to play anything that predates 2013 is met with howls of disapproval from the kids, followed by a physical struggle to wrest control of the iPod.

Things get even more heated in the car. As soon as the youngsters see the words Radio Nova on the stereo display, a chant of 'Turn on Spin' rings repeatedly in my ears until I can take no more and finally relent. You don't want to know what happens if I even suggest switching over to Newstalk or RTÉ Radio 1.

You see, I grew up in an era of 'real' music in the 1970s. This meant a daily diet of Led Zeppelin, Bowie, Supertramp, The Police, Talking Heads, Neil Young - the list goes on. The growing popularity of Radio Nova proves we are far from a dying breed, although we are pushing on a bit.

• Imelda May is fronting her own music show on RTÉ

When I was a teenager in the '80s, there was a thriving gigs scene as a whole new generation of musicians were spurred on by the global success of The Boomtown Rats, Thin Lizzy and U2. You had The Blades, Auto Da Fé, Cactus World News, The Fountainhead, In Tua Nua, A House, Something Happens, Aslan, Hothouse Flowers, Cry Before Dawn, Light a Big Fire, The Stunning . . .

Fledgling bands found their voices in venues such as The Underground, Slattery's and The Baggot Inn. You could walk down Grafton Street and hear a baby-faced Glen Hansard belt out his version of Van Morrison's 'Sweet Thing'. It was impossible to go into town without recognising at least one well-known face from the scene. Back then, the city was simply alive with music; it pulsated from its heart and spread through its veins out to the spare bedrooms and garages of the suburbs.

I remember in 1987 when The Waterboys played a free gig on a Greenpeace ship docked at Sir John Rogerson's Quay, close to the iconic Windmill Lane studios. And right enough, there was Bono and Adam Clayton standing behind us in the crowd. I pulled out my last one pound note and they both graciously signed it for me. I soon realised that this had been my DART fare and so began the eight-mile walk home. While I vowed to cherish that note in the expectation that it would someday be worth a fortune, it now remains lost in one of my old Leaving Cert school books.

For me personally, the music scene took a major nosedive in the 1990s and was tarnished by the rise of the boy bands, where being a singing, dancing clotheshorse was seemingly all that was required to make the big time. Would this generation grow up thinking that 'Father and Son' was the only version of the song, having never had an opportunity to hear it in its original glory on Cat Stevens' 'Tea For the Tillerman' album? The answer, sadly, was probably yes.

Even more worrying was the line dancing phenomenon and inexplicable rise of country and western music, exemplified by Garth Brooks (sorry to bring that name up again!). I realise that taste is a subjective thing and I'm something of a music snob but I could never get my head around the unstoppable rise in the popularity of this genre. It's my loss, as I'm often told.

Things have gone from bad to worse in this century. Success is now determined by 'The X-Factor' and other reality TV talent shows, turning half-decent karaoke singers and novelty acts into pop superstars. Ask yourself: could Jedward have existed in any other decade than this? While they're likable, energetic lads and have a certain comedic quality, do they deserve more success than a group of talented musicians who write, perform and produce their own songs?

But I remain hopeful of a 'real' music renaissance. The popularity of The Electric Picnic proves there is a still an appetite for retro as well as emerging acts like Hozier. And RTÉ's new Jools Holland-style show, presented by Imelda May, bodes well for the future. While the opening programme of the season did depend on old reliables such as Mary Black and Donal Lunny, it also featured a blistering performance by The Riptide Movement. I first heard them a couple of years ago when they brought Grafton Street to a standstill while busking. It goes to show that there are still bands out there willing to work their way up the music business through hard graft and talent.

Just like they did in the '80s.

Mixed blessings as property recovery gathers pace

The property recovery continued apace in August, particularly in Dublin, according to figures just released. And while it still seems to be a two-speed resurgence, there are now tentative signs that things are picking up beyond the Pale. Great news. Or is it?

It remains to be seen if we have learned anything from the spectacular property crash of recent years, which plunged hundreds of thousands of householders into negative equity territory. While we have become somewhat inured to the term, it's quite terrifying when you think for a moment about what negative equity actually means: that we owe more to the lending institution than our property is worth.

•Our home is supposed to be our greatest asset. FILE PHOTO

There was a time when you could pop the keys through the letterbox of your bank with a note attached telling the branch manager that they could keep the house while you did the decent thing and emigrated. But unless you are one of the lucky ones to secure a debt write-down, you can now find yourself in the unenviable position of losing your home while still being in hock to your lender.

The property crash was anything but the soft landing predicted by the last Fianna Fail-led Government. The late Brian Lenihan tried to instill a sense of collective responsibility in us, stating during a television interview that, "to be fair, we all partied". There may have been a degree of truth in what he said but it hardly takes from the fact that the property bubble happened on his Government's watch and was fuelled by Fianna Fail's - and the economy's - reliance on stamp duty.

We may well have partied but it suited the Government for us to do so. In fact, we were encouraged to spend like there was no tomorrow. Remember when Charlie McCreevy gave us money for nothing through the SSIA savings scheme? Or what about all the tax breaks afforded to property developers? We were even given an extra grand a year for every baby we produced - and that was on top of generous, universal Child Benefit payments.

After the crash, it was no longer a case of trying to get a foot on the property ladder; rather a question of climbing too high up it and suddenly discovering you were afraid of heights. For some, declining property prices were the least of their problems as what was supposed to be their most valuable asset began to to crumble before their eyes due to either shoddy workmanship or the scourge of pyrite.

The Priory Hall debacle, in particular, has laid bare the human cost of light-touch regulation and cowboy building practices. History will recall this disgraceful chapter as a parable of the greedy, vulgar times we lived in.

•The Priory Hall scandal is a shameful legacy of the last boom. FILE PHOTO

The latest news that property is now increasing at a rate not seen since the Celtic Tiger era will bring mixed blessings. Those trapped in negative equity will at least have realistic options if they want to trade down or move on. But first-time buyers will be worried that their hard earned deposits will be quickly eroded by a rising market. The consequence of this is that young couples or families may end up saddled with unsustainable rents in substandard accommodation.

There is also the risk that financial institutions will move in for the kill when they realise they can suddenly break even on the distressed mortgages on their books. Don't be surprised if we see a significant increase in property repossessions as 'the recovery' takes hold.

No doubt Minister for Finance Michael Noonan is watching recent developments in the property market with interest. He would do well to learn from the catastrophic mistakes of his Fianna Fáil predecessors as he prepares for October's Budget.

RTÉ needs to prove it deserves our TV licence fee

This week, I was forced against my will to watch the annual 'Lovely Girls' competition, aka 'The Rose of Tralee'. Admittedly, I must take some responsibility for subjecting my eyes and ears to such old-fashioned nonsense. After all, this is car crash television - you know you shouldn't be watching but there is something strangely compelling about seeing how bad it is.

I have to confess I was reasonably impressed with some of the musical competency on display. As for the poetry, well, let's just say that it wasn't to my particular taste. Dáithí Ó Sé did as good a job as any of his illustrious predecessors and seemed genuinely at ease in his role as host. No better man for a bit of harmless banter with the ladies.

But within one hour of this great big Kerry love-in, I could take no more and left the room while my sanity was still relatively intact. I was gutted when I learnt that this was only the first night of the competition and we would be doing it all over again the next day. It was like a being trapped in your own version of 'Groundhog Day' with big gúnas, tin whistles and a twinkly-eyed presenter who could collectively charm all the mammies of Ireland.

•Ryan Tubridy is not responsible for the flaws of 'The Late Late Show'

In a cruel twist of fate, the following morning I received a final demand for my TV licence fee. Not the best time to be reminded that my hard-earned €160 is helping to fund the State broadcaster's original output.

But in fairness, the beauty/talent/nice personality pageant in the Kingdom is only a small part of what RTÉ has to offer. The station recently revealed its autumn schedule, with highlights including another season of the acclaimed 'Love/Hate', as well as a drama on the life of the flawed politician Charles Haughey.

The fact that some of the same actors will be appearing in both productions is a little bit worrying and smacks of laziness. I find it hard to believe that there is such a small pool of talent in this country that we are forced to wheel out the same faces time and time again.

Naturally, 'The Late Late Show' will again take its place at the top of the table when it comes to the autumn/winter schedule. The station's flagship chat show has been in decline for some time and it's not the fault of genial host Ryan Tubridy. For starters, it's far too long. This may not have been a problem when we were living in five channel land but in an era of digital TV and Netflix, RTÉ needs to realise that the viewer has a shorter attention span than in days of yore and wants instant gratification.

In recent years 'The Late Late' has largely become a vehicle for promoting the station's other programmes or plugging some Z-lister's book. As for the musical content, let's just say that a Garth Brooks cover band was a particular low point in the last season for me personally. Tubridy has great empathy with the guests that have harrowing, human stories to tell but seems to struggle with the more lowbrow stuff concerning has-been soap actors or reality TV stars. And who could blame him for that? At least give the guy something he can work with.

RTÉ should shave at least an hour off 'The Late Late Show' and concentrate on attracting a higher calibre of guest if it wants the nation to stop flicking over to Graham Norton at the earliest opportunity. It will take far more than a fresh redesign of the show's set to reverse the rot.

There is still much to love about RTÉ. Its current affairs output - on television, radio and online - has yet to be matched by its competitors, although the excellent Newstalk is nipping at the broadcaster's heels in this regard. But with the impending launch of UTV Ireland and the station's acquisition of prize bull Pat Kenny, the media landscape is set for radical change in 2015.

RTÉ will still be able to compete for lucrative advertising while enjoying a financial top-up from the TV licence fee. But now, with more choice for the viewer than ever, it needs to prove that it's worthy of it.

Are Leaving Cert foreign holidays an incentive too far?

I collected my Leaving Cert results way back in 1987. Memories of that morning came flooding back today when I saw images of overjoyed teenagers all over social media sites.

I know I sound like an old curmudgeon but our celebrations were a little more muted and innocent than what you see today. A group of us boarded a DART to Howth and tried our luck in some of the local pubs, with mixed results. Frustratingly, I had just turned 18 but still found it hard to get served. Not surprisingly, the girls fared better than the lads thanks to the transformative power of makeup.

The upside was that I had a part-time job in the St Lawrence Hotel, home to the legendary Good Time Charlie's nightclub. Staff were permitted free entry on Thursday nights. The doorman was a neighbour of mine and turned a blind eye to the 'over 21s' policy for the night that was in it. I was home by 2am and slept till the afternoon the next day. Pretty lame, as kids today would put it.

•Life's a beach: should we allow our teenagers to go on holidays unsupervised? PIC POSED

Things are different now. For many Leaving Cert graduates, a foreign holiday with their mates, without parental supervision, is the norm. Perhaps the lure of a trip abroad helps keep them motivated through those difficult months of intensive studying. But is it sensible to give a teenager such unrestricted freedom?

Even before the recent controversy surrounding the hellhole that is Magaluf came to light, I had serious reservations about the post-Leaving Cert holiday trend. While not every resort has such a seedy reputation, allowing teenagers to celebrate the end of their exams or results in another country is a risky move.

Even 'sensible' kids can go off the rails when exposed to cheap drink, excess sun and the prospect of no-strings attached holiday sex. It's a potent mix. To an impressionable teenager on holiday with their peers, this type of temptation can throw up many potential dangers: alcohol poisoning, drownings, exposure to drugs, unplanned pregnancies, STDs ... take your pick.

While most of these risks can as easily present themselves at home, young people are often in fear of being caught by their parents. Such a deterrent does not exist when they are abroad, making them more likely to engage in uncharacteristic, reckless behaviour.

I'm of the view that a 17 or 18-year-old does not have the emotional maturity to navigate the hazards presented by a foreign holiday. Sitting the Leaving Certificate remains one of the most trying times of a young person's life. Even many university graduates will attest that it remains the most difficult exam they ever had to face.

Parents will understandably want to dangle a carrot during the difficult two years preceding the Leaving Cert and reward their children for the hard work and effort. There are other ways to do this: give them money; put them on your car insurance policy; bring them on a shopping spree; organise a party etc.

But I believe that allowing teenagers the freedom of an unsupervised foreign holiday is perhaps an incentive too far. It's not enough just to trust them. Protecting your children should always take precedent over pleasing them.