Call for property sales cash to help homeless

THE chairman of the Irish Property Owners Association (IPOA) has called for the Government to set aside €50 million for homeless causes from the €4.6 billion to be paid by property owners in 2007.

Stephen Faughnan said: “During next year alone some 90,000 new homes will be built in Ireland and according to economic reports, 43% of these units will be purchased by investors, thereby handing €4.6bn to the Exchequer.

“Of new house sales 40% goes to the State coffers and annually, €220m will go to the State in income tax from the 2007 new house purchases by investors alone.”

However, he stresses that there has been no mention of the homeless in this month’s Budget speech.

“Next year a general election will take place, how can we elect Government if they ignore the most vulnerable people in our society,” the IPOA chairman asked.

The chairman made the call at yesterday’s launch of the annual fund by the IPOA, Home for Christmas, highlighting the urgent need that Focus Ireland has for funding in its work to support homeless people.

This year Focus Ireland received €25,000 from IPOA members. Mr Faughnan said: “Our members are aware that it is not always appropriate to house homeless people in the private rental sector but it is totally unacceptable that people with difficulties are homeless.”

A presentation was made yesterday to Sr Stanislaus Kennedy, life president of Focus Ireland in the Stanhope Project in Dublin.