Young Fine Gael launch 'post a brick' campaign

[David Cochrane]

Young Fine Gael in Dublin will today launch their winter campaign on affordable housing with the construction of a lego house at the entrance to the Department of An Taoiseach. The House will demonstrate the fact that nine years of the Fianna Fail/Progressive Democrat administration has left thousands of young Irish people unable to put a roof over their heads.

Fine Gael will be encouraging young people in College Campuses across the city to post a lego brick to the Department of Finance in protest at the department's failure to deliver adequate provision of housing for young people.

Now, I must say I'm a tad disappointed, when someone in FG told me about this campaign a few weeks ago, I thought it was a REAL brick, not a lego one. Well, I assume some people can be a bit more intuitive than others......

[DOD]

Now, I must say I'm a tad disappointed, when someone in FG told me about this campaign a few weeks ago, I thought it was a REAL brick, not a lego one. Well, I assume some people can be a bit more intiuitive than others......

I must admit I assumed they meant people to post pictures of Enda kenny, given that he is YFG's favourite brick.

[Johnny]

Fine Gael will be encouraging young people in College Campuses across the city to post a lego brick to the Department of Finance in protest at the department's failure to deliver adequate provision of housing for young people.

And are these political stalwarts suggesting what Fine Gael would have done differently?

[Gladstone]

Whats FGs housing policy?

[Podolski]

Do all those bricks count as a political donation?

[WestOfCentre]

Whats FGs housing policy?

It appears Gladstone that they may be about to launch a policy detailing how they will build thousands of lego constructed units which will be available to first time buyers.

They will look lovely next to the picturesque creations of the three little pigs.

Following on from that, FG will launch their high speed road development strategy backed by Scaleecctix.

Seriously though, Kids of officals in the Taoiseach's department are about to get a truck load of 'surprise' christmas presents in the shape of lego blocks.

[Gladstone]

Indeed, I think people would think better of them if they just came up with, and promoted a decent housing policy.

Instead of doing things like this they come up with stupid stunts like this.

Add it to boot camps, Eircom refunding, and opposing decentralisation except in Enda kennys back yard, as ways FG find to shoot themselves in the foot.

[Rocky]

Whats FGs housing policy?

Here you go Gladstone:

A Policy Briefing on Affordable Housing

Earlier this year official statistics showed the average First Time Buyer is paying over a quarter of a million euro for their first home. Affordable housing is virtually non-existent. 100,000 individuals are still waiting for a Local Authority house. The voluntary sector is under-developed

Fine Gael has announced proposals to ease the affordable housing crisis in Ireland. The proposals centre on six key areas :

First-Time Buyers
We have already developed a three-point plan that we are committed to implementing. We will:
• Create an SSIA type savings scheme to help young people save for a deposit.
• Abolish stamp duty on second-hand homes up to €400,000 bought by First-Time Buyers.
• Frontload mortgage interest relief to help young homeowners in the difficult early years.

Shared Ownership Scheme
The Shared Ownership Scheme has massive potential but, as it stands, it is grossly unfair. Fine Gael will overhaul and dramatically expand the Scheme and pledges to:
• Increase eligibility limits: These limits are currently pathetically low and we intend to empower Local Authorities to raise eligibility limits. This proposal will be finalised in our Affordable Housing policy document.
• End the unfair practice of dual mortgage and rent payments.

A New Approach – Housing Ireland
Fine Gael proposes merging the Housing Finance Agency, the Centre for Housing Research and the National Building Agency, to form a new agency, Housing Ireland.

Housing Ireland will step in where Local Authorities fail to provide houses, will be empowered to work directly with the private sector, in tandem with the Local Authority, to get houses built and will be permitted to provide funding for house construction and also services such as roads and water

Coherent Land Disposal Policy
It is still unknown whether some State land would be more suitably used for social and affordable housing, for the good of a particular Department or as a valuable State asset that can be potentially auctioned. Fine Gael will:
• Instruct Housing Ireland and the OPW to conduct a full audit of State-owned land to identify land necessary for that Department or Agency and land suitable for housing development.

Homelessness
Officially, 5,581 people are homeless in this State. Meanwhile, over 43,000 households await a Local Authority home. It is intolerable that after a decade of prosperity we still live in a society where homelessness is a daily fact of life for so many people. All of us, Government and Opposition alike, must work toward eliminating homelessness once and for all.

Fine Gael is convinced of the need for the State to invest heavily in ‘move on’ accommodation. Such housing, in essence, provides a semi-sheltered environment for those who cannot cope with independent living.

Housing Legislation and Vulnerability
We commit to audit all existing housing legislation in order to root out inequities and unfairness that adversely affect vulnerable people such as people suffering from disabilities or psychiatric illness and separated spouses.

[rockofcashel]

This is a ridiculously stupid idea.

Eddie whatisname gets a reaction by sending nappies, so now FG send lego bricks.

I'd nearly hope it gets loads of publicity, because people would miss teh message, and focus on the idiocy.

And "SSIA" schemes for first time buyers.. how the hell would that work ?

[Gladstone]

So why not publicise the policy instead of sending lego to bertie?