TD’s views on homeless ‘derogatory’

A Fine Gael TD has warned against a plan to “export” or rehouse homeless Dubliners in rural areas and claims they will bring criminal behaviour to the Midlands.

Longford-Westmeath TD James Bannon surprised party colleagues when he criticised a rural resettlement scheme, saying he had learned of “social and criminal” problems as a result of people from Dublin moving to his constituency.

He said gardaí confirmed this to him and he stressed that every local authority should look after its own homeless people.