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The Journal
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Journal
Aontú leader says social housing waiting list figures are 'out by the population of Tullamore'
AONTÚ LEADER PEADAR Tóibín has claimed that the Government is 'understating' both homelessness figures and the numbers of people on social housing waiting lists. Speaking in the Dáil this afternoon during Leader's Questions, Tóibín said he had submitted Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to every Local Authority and that the information he received 'contradicted the information the Government is giving out'. He said he asked all Local Authorities for the 'number of homeless people that exist throughout the State' and that the current figure provided is 16,472. The most recent figures released by the Government stood at 15,580. 'Your government is understating the number of homeless people in this state by 892 people currently,' said Tóbín. He added that he also asked Local Authorities for the number of people on housing waiting lists and that the combined figure across the State that he received was 75,000. The most recent official government figure is 58,824. 'Your ability to count the number of people who are on the housing waiting list at the moment is out by the population of Tullamore,' said Tóbín. Tóbín also asked Local Authorities about the number of council-owned homes that are currently empty, and this figure across the State is 3,779. 'Having empty homes in the middle of a housing crisis is akin to exporting food in the middle of the famine,' said Tóibín. In a statement to the PA news agency, Aontú said the highest council-owned home vacancy rate was in Cork City at 355, followed by Dublin City Council at 336, Fingal at 323 and Limerick and City Council at 315. Speaking in the Dáil, Tóibín added that the government is 'paying nearly €600 million to house people in RAS (Rental Accommodation Scheme) and HAP (Housing Assistance Payment) home while so many Local Authority homes are empty'. Tóbín asked if this was government 'incompetence' or if it was 'actually misleading the general public'. In response, Tánaiste Simon Harris said: 'I hate to burst your 'gotcha' moment, but I'd suggest that you might wish to interrogate your numbers'. Harris said there 'can be duplications' and people 'involved with more than one Local Authority'. Advertisement Meanwhile, Harris said that 'this is what people do when they seek to be divisive, to try and dispute official figures'. He added that these figures 'aren't calculated by government in a party political sense' and that they are calculated in a 'robust, impartial manner'. 'If we could at least have the decency to respect the impartiality and robustness of those who gather statistics in Ireland, because if we start trying to erode belief in statistics, that's part of a bigger agenda I think,' said Harris. However, Tóbín said 'you cannot be on two social housing lists simultaneously'. 'Either you're incompetent and you're not able to count the number of people who are actually on waiting lists at the moment, or you're trying to hide the fact,' said Tóbín. 'The reason why I think you're misleading the people is because you have previous on this. 'Right up to the jaws of the last general election, you were determined to give the impression that 40,000 homes were going to be built that year. 'As soon as that election was finished, it became very clear that that statement was wrong. 'This housing crisis is far too serious for misinformation,' said Tóibín. The government has previously defended supplying the public with incorrect figures in the lead-up to the 2024 General Election, with Taoiseach Micheál Martin insisting that he and his party had not attempted to mislead the public with the inflated figures. Harris replied by stating that 'this is far too serious to engage in conspiracy theories'. 'You suggest I'm going around counting people here,' said Harris. 'The reality is we have robust, politically independent, impartial structures in our state. 'I want to know who in the public service you're calling 'incompetent', it's our public service and they do a bloody good job.'. 'I made the point in relation to the duplication regarding how you can report homelessness in more than one area and that didn't suit you,' said Harris. He added: 'We're working on trying to make progress – day in, day out, new ideas, big, bold decisions, every day to get to the 300,000 homes (by 2030). 'You're just simply over there throwing brickbats and engaging in conspiracy theories.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Business Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Times
Diverging fortunes in Singapore's F&B scene as diners turn to cheaper options
[SINGAPORE] Fortunes are diverging in the local dining scene, with restaurant takings on the decline but other food and beverage (F&B) outlets seeing some recovery, based on official data. Maybank co-head of macro research Chua Hak Bin said: 'Consumers are downtrading to cheaper food options, like food courts and fast food chains, from restaurants.' Sales of Chinese restaurant Ka-Soh, for instance, fell about 15 per cent since January. Weekday deliveries have plunged from six a day to just one, said owner Cedric Tang. From January to April, restaurant sales fell 20.1 per cent with a consistent downward trend, based on the government's Food & Beverage Services Index. In contrast, fast food outlet sales were down 7.5 per cent in the period, but have risen since February. Cafes, food courts and other eateries also picked up since February, and were up 1.4 per cent from the start of the year. Restaurant Association of Singapore (RAS) president Benjamin Boh said the data reflects trends on the ground, though some of the effect is seasonal. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up January sales were strong partly due to Chinese New Year, but February was a short month and March was Ramadan, when outlets serving halal food typically experience a 15 per cent decline in sales, he observed. Yet the current decline goes beyond seasonality. Fast casual chain Jinjja Chicken's sales dipped 5 to 10 per cent during Ramadan last year, but 'took a greater hit' this year, said founder Bernard Tay. Similarly, sales were down 20 to 30 per cent at Enjoy Eating House & Bar, compared with the same period last year. Director James Ang noted that sales have been declining 'for a while', since around the second half of last year. Loh Lik Peng, founder of hospitality brand Unlisted Collection, believes the trend is affecting 'more expensive restaurants' as well as those in the middle. 'If you look at the one-Michelin stars, if you look at the amount of closures in the last year, it tells you that they have been having a very hard time,' he said. 'But if you look at the very top end of the market, and then you look at the restaurants that are more affordable, they could be doing okay.' Smaller appetite to splurge One reason for the decline is that consumers are preferring to spend abroad and tightening their belts at home, said economists and F&B players. Said RAS' Boh: 'Apart from the seasonality factors above, a big factor that is contributing to most categories declining – except the likes of food courts – is also continued tightening of consumer spending.' Some consumers now routinely visit Johor Bahru on weekends to 'get more bang for the buck', he added. 'With that, naturally the likes of restaurants would get hit the most, as weekends are when restaurants would make the most revenue.' Such trips over the Causeway also worry Jinjja Chicken's Tay, who expects the local F&B situation to worsen as transport links between Singapore and Johor Bahru improve. Beyond Malaysia, the strong Singapore dollar has made travel attractive, said CGS International economic adviser Song Seng Wun. 'People are just flying off to Japan, South Korea, or other places overseas to spend.' Even if consumers stay home, per-head spending has fallen. 'At the start of the year, many customers bought multiple bowls of noodles and added desserts,' said Ka-Soh's Tang. 'Now, customers typically buy one bowl of noodles.' Casual cafe chain Grub has also seen customers order less for a meal. Said owner Amanda Phan: 'Previously they might have had a drink or added a dessert; now, they just have water.' Companies, too, are being more cautious about spending and thus cutting back on corporate dining amid economic uncertainty, said Song. For individual restaurants, sales have suffered due to rising competition, as new F&B outlets continue to open. 'Many new outlets opening seems to signal positive prospects for the industry, but big brands are the ones opening these outlets, which kill the business of small and independent restaurants,' said Ka-Soh's Tang. Amid rising competition, Arron Poh, owner of Mexican restaurant Huevos, felt the need to set lower prices for his dishes. Along with the opening of a second outlet last year, these lower prices may have contributed to a 'steady increase' in sales between January and May, he said – while acknowledging that his restaurants buck the trend. Such belt-tightening, however, means that casual outlets have not been hit as hard. While business is 'not as good as last year', sales across Grub's three outlets have not fallen drastically, said Phan. 'I would say that we are probably not a splurge.' Food courts may be doing better because of their 'location and price point', with meals under S$10, said RAS' Boh, adding that their acceptance of Community Development Council vouchers helps too. Similarly, fast food 'is not hit as badly because they can still reach consumers on weekdays' and offer meals for S$5 to S$10, said Boh, who is the managing director of McDonald's Singapore. Spending slowdown expected despite festive bump Maybank's Chua expects consumers to continue preferring cheaper options amid 'a more uncertain economic and job outlook arising from US President Donald Trump's tariff tantrums and the adoption of artificial intelligence'. Similarly, Song expects the industry's struggles to persist over the next 12 months, given worries about geopolitics and downside risks to growth, driven by trade tensions. Said RAS' Boh: 'I foresee that the outlook for sales volume will be choppy and patchy from the second half of the year. Some will do well; some will continue to struggle.' June sales may be soft as families travel during the school holidays, but he expects 'some uptick in July and August' with SG60 celebrations. 'The festive mood plus the disbursement of more goodies will encourage people to spend more in Singapore.' 'Post-August, I believe people will start cutting back again, so that's when the industry will struggle,' he added. Restaurateurs themselves are downbeat. Enjoy Eating House & Bar's Ang said: 'The concerns over cost of living are going to remain. The instability of the financial markets is also going to remain. So it doesn't look like there's anything that will brighten the outlook in the near future.'
Irish Examiner
6 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Housing minister urged to remove restrictions on tenant in situ scheme
Members of the public have pleaded with housing minister James Browne to remove restrictions on the tenant in situ scheme, with families saying they are desperate, afraid, and will fall into homelessness. Correspondence released through the Freedom of Information Act shows that over 60 letters were sent to the housing minister since the start of the year about the tenant in situ scheme. The scheme itself allows local authorities to buy up rental properties if a landlord is selling up, but additional restrictions introduced in March told councils to focus on prioritising families, older people, and people with disabilities. Some local authorities have since been forced to put applications on hold, including Cork City, due to a lack of funding to the scheme. In one letter, a father writing to Mr Browne explains how he has been living in a rental property with his wife and 10-year-old daughter for the last decade. Plea to reconsider 'Our landlord informed us he's selling the property, but would be willing to sell it to the council as we fit the criteria needed for the tenant in situ scheme,' he said in the letter. However, with changes to the scheme, he says his family no longer qualify for tenant in situ. 'I understand the scheme isn't perfect, but to make it even more difficult, if not impossible, for most people to avail of it makes absolutely no sense to me — especially in the middle of a housing crisis,' he wrote. 'We've just worked hard and tried to give our daughter a good life and somewhere to call home. But with these changes, and the confusion around what funding is available for the tenant in situ scheme, we will be put in a situation where we will have to tell her the home she's known her whole life is no longer her home 'It's a conversation no father or mother wants to have with their children,' he added. The father said he could not 'for the life of me' understand why restrictions were introduced to the scheme. 'I would absolutely beg you to reconsider the proposed changes to this scheme, and also get the funding in place so it can continue to help families,' he wrote. Housing minister James Browne has received letters from desperate families who are afraid they will fall into homelessness: Brian Lawless/PA In response to the letters, the department urged individuals to engage with their local council to help them find suitable accommodation, saying it is a matter for 'individual local authorities to identify suitable acquisitions in line with local circumstances and their social housing allocations policy'. The restrictions placed earlier this year mean that councils are no longer permitted to buy any property where a tenant is facing eviction due to a landlord selling on a property. Previously, any individual in receipt of housing supports, such as HAP or the rental accommodation scheme (RAS), was able to ask a council to buy the property and turn it into a social housing unit. Read More Councils criticised for spending too much refurbishing rental properties
The Print
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
Rajasthan Administrative Services aspirants protest exam schedule, cite overlap with ongoing interviews
'We were promised that the exam will be postponed but a lot of people have received admit cards that proves that no one raised our issue and they are not ready to postpone the exam,' said Himanshu Sharma, an RAS aspirant who works in banking services, to ThePrint. Several BJP leaders, including party's state president Madan Rathore and Agriculture Minister Dr Kirodi Lal Meena, have met the protesting students and assured them they would raise the issue, but so far, no concrete action has been taken. New Delhi: Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) aspirants have been protesting at Rajasthan University for the past 15 days, demanding that the upcoming RAS mains exam—scheduled for 17 and 18 June—be postponed. Their main concern is that interviews for the previous RAS cycle are still ongoing, and many candidates currently facing interviews are also eligible to appear for the upcoming mains. This, they argue, will increase competition and result in duplication of seats. In protest, a large number of students are staging a dharna on the Rajasthan University campus, with many also observing a hunger strike. As a result, according to those present at protest site ThePrint spoke to, the health of 32 students has deteriorated. Currently, there are ambulances parked at the site too. On Saturday, the protesting students marched to the residence of Kirodi Lal Meena, demanding that the RAS mains exam be postponed, but were not able to meet him. 'Suppose if 10 people clear the interview and the mains too, that means 10 seats will get wasted as they will join the service and the mains exam won't happen again. Ten is just an example, but the actual number could be more,' said Sharma At the outset of the protests, BJP leaders had reportedly assured the students that the exam would be postponed, which led many aspirants to ease up on their revision. Now, with no postponement in sight, the students are protesting in frustration and anger. Another reason behind the demand for postponement is that students living in border areas were unable to prepare properly due to recent India-Pakistan clashes and Operation Sindoor. Frequent blackouts and lack of electricity severely disrupted their study schedule, leaving them at a disadvantage. Political leaders—including ministers, MLAs, and the BJP state president—had written to the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) a few days ago highlighting the irregularities, but the Commission has not responded, a leader said to ThePrint, wishing not to be named. The matter is now taking on a political colour, with opposition parties accusing the government of ignoring students' concerns. A week ago, BJP's Madan Rathore asked the students to call off their hunger strike, saying he will raise their issue. Around 40 MLAs wrote in support of the students urging the commission to address their demands, but the RPSC has remained unresponsive. Since the release of the admit cards Saturday, more than 20,000 candidates have downloaded them. The RAS mains examination is scheduled to be held on 17 and 18 June. It will take place at 77 centers—29 in Ajmer and 48 in Jaipur—across two shifts: from 9 am to 12 noon; and from 2.30 pm to 5.30 pm. A total of 21,440 candidates have been registered by the commission for the exam. The proposed date of RAS (Main) Examination-2024 was released by the Commission on 31 December 2024 itself. The preliminary examination was conducted on 2 February and its result was released on 20 February, within 18 days. As the Commission had announced the proposed dates for the mains examination in advance and released the preliminary results promptly, candidates have had time to prepare. (Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri) Also read: Angry letter to a pending resignation, how the Bhajan Lal govt is facing heat from BJP MLAs
Time of India
6 days ago
- General
- Time of India
RPSC RAS admit card 2025 for mains released at rpsc.rajasthan.gov.in: Check direct link to download hall ticket here
The Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) has released the RAS Mains Admit Card 2024 on its official website — Candidates who passed the Prelims exam can now download their hall tickets online. The RAS Mains Exam will be held on June 17 and 18, 2025, in two shifts each day: 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM. Over 21 thousand candidates are expected to appear for the exam at various centres in Jaipur and Ajmer. This exam is being conducted to fill 1,096 government posts in Rajasthan. The selection process includes three stages — Prelims, Mains, and Interview. The release of the admit card is an important step in this recruitment journey. How to download RAS mains admit card 2025? The admit card for RPSC RAS mains exam can be downloaded by following the steps below: Visit the official RPSC website: Click on the 'Admit Card for RAS/RTS Mains 2025' link on the homepage. You will be redirected to the admit card download page. Enter your application number and date of birth. Click on 'Submit' to view and download your hall ticket. Take a printout for use on the exam day. Direct link to download RPSC RAS mains admit card 2025 Alternatively, candidates can log in to the SSO Rajasthan portal and download the admit card via the 'Recruitment Portal' tab. Details Mentioned on the Admit Card Candidates are advised to check the following details carefully: Name of the candidate Roll number Exam date and time Examination centre and address Important exam-day instructions Candidate's photograph and signature In case of discrepancies, candidates must contact RPSC immediately. Important instructions for candidates On the day of RAS mains examination, candidates are advised to follow the instructions mentioned below: Reach the exam centre at least one hour before the scheduled time. Carry a printed copy of the admit card and a valid photo ID (Aadhaar card, driving license, voter ID, etc.). Electronic gadgets, smartwatches, calculators, or mobile phones are strictly prohibited inside the exam hall. Follow all COVID-19 protocols and guidelines, if applicable. Is your child ready for the careers of tomorrow? Enroll now and take advantage of our early bird offer! Spaces are limited.
