I can’t help but feel we’re not getting the full picture here. Besides Ireland being a safe refuge from those feeling the war, which I absolutely support, what’s the catch? I feel like someone is making money from this and it’s not us(the people). What am I missing or is my tinfoil hat on too tight?

37 comments

  1. You’re just gonna get attacked for asking that here so I wouldn’t bother. But you’re right there are a LOT of people benefitting from all this

  2. I said this during our housing cricess…we had plans to build a cabin village in the phoenix park ..,.for the speical Olympics….

  4. Modular homes are no good for the long term. With Ireland’s litigious culture, the government couldn’t give Irish citizens a modular house without a bunch of chancers proceeding to sue the government for it being too cold or too warm or too small or too big or not meeting EU regulations in some way or another. Or the neighbors would complain that it’s lowering property values and would object to the planning permission. Or something. They’re only being provided to refugees as emergency shelter for the duration of the crisis.

  6. The housing crisis is the only thing Fine Gael have achieved successfully, they are worried though that the influx of refugees will not be enough to suppress wages or maintain rent price growth. They will likely end up paying ridiculous figures for them to live in hotels, possibly Russian owned ones.

  9. Corporations that receive US and European government contracts are the big winners. Most of the “relief money for Ukraine” actually goes to US and European corporations.

    Every time the American or British governments announce another billion euros in weapons for Ukraine, that means US and UK weapons manufacturers get the money. The billions go to US and UK weapons companies like Raytheon and BAE Systems who build the guns and ship them to Ukraine.

    Refugee relief money goes directly to big hotel chains, food service companies, apartment management companies, etc. Your photo shows a contract that apparently went to a modular home company. Refugees are big business.

    In many cases worldwide the companies benefiting from government refugee contracts have ties to the politicians awarding the contracts. I am not pointing any specific fingers, but 10 minutes on Google will show you some interesting connections.

  10. Whatever about it being dodgy, id take one of these over some 150 year old mold trap that was last done up 20 years ago. The rental stock we actually have in Ireland is garbage.

  12. Why is the solution to fucking every building need in the country of Ireland since 1950 prefabs?!

    FFS

  13. It attacks workers from two directions: 1: Worsen the housing shortage to keep rents high, 2: Cheap labour to keep wages low.

    Even if modular homes ‘slightly’ reduce 1, there is still 2 for attacking workers.

  14. These modular homes are great. I’ve been really looking into them myself as a cheaper yet effective housing option. Hopefully they will be sold for good prices to the people of Ireland once the refugees leave.

  16. Wood is pretty cheap right now and this kind housing has always been cheap to make but labour for tradesmen is extremely high right now. People who are supplying these will be making bank

  17. Put Irish people in modular homes, outcry at housing our citizens in subpar housing. Put Ukrainians in, warm people to the idea, have excess emergency accommodation.

    Also, giving refugees houses while in a housing crisis is not a good look for any Gov in power.

  18. EU funding. They get their developer buddies a job and the eu foots most of the bill and they look like the good guys. I’m all for housing these people and encourage them to stay. Ukrainians are hard working proud people and we need more people in the work force, but for fucks sake! I returned from living abroad where I owned a home and its impossible to get housing here! I refuse to move my kids again so I have to move them into a mobile home till we can hopefully build. But we still have the banks to fight for a mortgage and the council to beg for planning. Its disgusting that its this hard to shelter my children. The government can certainly get things done when they want.

  19. The only reason I can think of is ukrainian refugees have a higher likelihood of working and filling in those lower end jobs in high demand, as homeless people and people on the dole dont want to work

  21. Worked for a construction company based in Dublin for 2 years that angel invested into a modular building company. From speaking with directors and CEO directly, the profit margin is just insane on modular buildings compared to traditional construction. This company turned over ~€200m the last year I was there and made just shy of €11m profit. Nothing to sneeze at but not a great profit margin.

    Modular homes are built in Poland where labour is a lot cheaper, easier, and more efficient. To be fair the company I worked for was focusing more on hotels and college campus style housing. That’s likely a downside to the layout these modular homes will have. They will be called houses/apartments, but feel much more like dorms/hotels.

    The quality of this building is 10x anything anyone reading this is living in. They will all easily be A1 BER rated.

    For the cynics, the thing to be mad at is labour costs will go abroad, and more profits in the already rich’s pockets.

    It is also easier to pilot these new construction techniques on unique projects such as refugee housing than a new set of flats on Blackrock.
    My 2 cents.

    Edit: I wasn’t very clear on profit margin. The above figures were the profit margin for the traditional construction work, not modular. I don’t know the exact figures for modular but from looking at the supply chain it’s much much higher than the 5-6% of traditional construction.

  23. Probably Halliburton or one of its subsidiaries in some sort of shadow background subcontracting form. Couldn’t possibly have somebody else profiting from the collateral damage of war.

  24. I’d say they’d be pretty miserable to live. Put up as quickly as possible just to get a roof over a head but not something to live in long term

  25. I can only assume that by the time any Ukranians are leaving these houses, the houses will have lived out their useful life and need replacing/demolition anyway,

  27. Built from extremely cheap materials probably, probably will last about 2 to 3 years max before falling into disrepair, the fact they have no foundation is a red flag, especially since timber cannot touch the ground and stay in good condition. The walls look thick enough that they could have nice quality insulation in them and be relatively warm, but what are the chances of that honestly.

    I dont think anyone is making money off of this, I think they are just so cheap that the government is willing to take the hit to raise public opinion slightly.

  29. Why can’t similar be built for the people in hotel’s/renting?

    They have a lifespan of 60 years and they estimate they will have some ready by end of year.Why can’t more be built to help with the housing disaster?

    I’m sure most people would rather a 2 bed modular apartment at a fair rent than be stuck in shitholes paying huge rent or stuck in hotel’s.

  30. you must not think anything other than what you think other people will think you are thinking. I think.

  31. OP – ‘someone is mkkmf money from this and it’s not us’

    Welcome to Ireland – every crisis is an opportunity for well connected people to fleece the tax payer.

    Homelessness – tick
    Health/HSE not fit for purpose – tick
    Housing – tick
    Covid – tick
    Mental Health – tick
    Refugees – tick {via Direct Provision)

    What am I missing…?

  37. How about approving modular houses for everyone? I had to leave my job and flee Ireland to avoid homelessness. My money was no good there, apparently.

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