Weekend Radio Heckle - Marian Finucane - Newstalk and So On

[The Moth]

Goatstoe's comment - "Heard a bit of a Newstalk radio programme this morning. Some of the panelists were making the point that there are empty buildings being allowed to become derelict in main streets and thoroughfares throughout the country, including across the street from the GPO. The point was made that in Canada among other countries, the owners of these properties would be hit with a severe dereliction tax which would force them to either fix up the property or to sell it on. Typical of the dereliction of duty from this administration, just another issue they are failing to tackle."
I agree 100%, owners should be made to pay higher rates for empty buildings and they would be keener to lease them instead of letting them run down and become derilict. Upward only rent leases are a major cause of the empty shops everywhere because although they are empty, the rent is still being paid because the tenant can't get out of the lease. The tenant closes the shop because the rent is so high that they can't make money and so it is cheaper to close. Or, the business has gone wallop and the guarantor is paying the rent until the lease runs out which could be in 20 years. Number 2 Grafton Street is an example of this. It has been closed for two to three years and the rent is still being paid so landlord does not care that it is empty. Destroys the street. I think the landlord and tenant are both banks. It used to be the Mortgage Store. There is the possibility of a good income stream for local authorities if they brought in increasing rates the longer a shop remains empty. Also it would force the sale of these properties allowing real values to prevail.

[Baron von Biffo]

Lab chair Colm Keaveney on This Week now on the health cuts.

[Baron von Biffo]

Martin on This Week saying the government is attacking FIS. Anyone know what the story is there?

[Baron von Biffo]

Brian Hayes on This Week now, painting targets on the backs of everyone over 65. He wants pensioners hammered to pay the mortgages of the young.

[Dr. FIVE]

GoBus are no longer accepting the bus pass. Drivers say social welfare haven't paid the company for months.

accounting trickery about

[C. Flower]

Goatstoe's comment - "Heard a bit of a Newstalk radio programme this morning. Some of the panelists were making the point that there are empty buildings being allowed to become derelict in main streets and thoroughfares throughout the country, including across the street from the GPO. The point was made that in Canada among other countries, the owners of these properties would be hit with a severe dereliction tax which would force them to either fix up the property or to sell it on. Typical of the dereliction of duty from this administration, just another issue they are failing to tackle."
I agree 100%, owners should be made to pay higher rates for empty buildings and they would be keener to lease them instead of letting them run down and become derilict. Upward only rent leases are a major cause of the empty shops everywhere because although they are empty, the rent is still being paid because the tenant can't get out of the lease. The tenant closes the shop because the rent is so high that they can't make money and so it is cheaper to close. Or, the business has gone wallop and the guarantor is paying the rent until the lease runs out which could be in 20 years. Number 2 Grafton Street is an example of this. It has been closed for two to three years and the rent is still being paid so landlord does not care that it is empty. Destroys the street. I think the landlord and tenant are both banks. It used to be the Mortgage Store. There is the possibility of a good income stream for local authorities if they brought in increasing rates the longer a shop remains empty. Also it would force the sale of these properties allowing real values to prevail.

There is a Derelict Sites Act - Local authorities can force owners to keep buildings presentable, or can CPO them. But they can't force owners to let them at a reasonable rent.

The way things are being run currently, we are in for a serious amount of dereliction.

[Baron von Biffo]

Sean Fleming and Pearse Doherty coming up on This Week to tell us how sorry they are for Roisin Shortall.

[Baron von Biffo]

"We're not playing politics with this" - Fleming

[Baron von Biffo]

SF diverts Oireachtas members expenses to hire its supporters but Doherty has the cheek to claim the high ground on stroke politics.

[Jolly Green Giant]

Alex White kept saying in his interview that he was away last week in Brussels so apart from a short chat with James Reilly on Friday he spoke to no one about the Dept of Health and Shortall resignation. Do Labour TDs not have access to mobile phones or the internet when abroad in backward countries like Belgium? Even Enda can read his emails in the Vatican. Its a dog ate my homework excuse that RTE should have picked White up on.

[C. Flower]

Burton's "National Interest" line is worth noting. A national emergency government - not a coalition. They are two quite different things.

[PaddyJoe]

Missed all the good stuff this morning. Switched on #marian to hear Paul Williams foaming at the mouth. I guess there's a crack RTE cleaning team that have to go into the studio after he's been in.
The funny thing is that when he gets going even the IMF guy doesn't interrupt him

[Baron von Biffo]

Missed all the good stuff this morning. Switched on #marian to hear Paul Williams foaming at the mouth. I guess there's a crack RTE cleaning team that have to go into the studio after he's been in.
The funny thing is that when he gets going even the IMF guy doesn't interrupt him

Probably awestruck in the presence of a celebrity of that calibre.

[DCon]

Ryan, leader of the alleged Green Party, is on with Marian

He has not admitted collapsing the last government once Ministerial pensions were in the bag yet

[PaddyJoe]

Jan O'Sullivan, Tony Foley and Matina Stevis on Claire Byrne's Saturday show after 1 pm.