Did you know that Morgan McSweeney's Mum & Dad have been paid €8.4M+ by the Irish Govt for asylum accommodation... with all profits routed through a Cyprus shell company??
...🧵
The name of the company is "TÓGÁIL VEILBHIT GLAS TEORANTA"
Set up very recently in Feb 2023, it has already been paid €8.4million!! Tim & Carmel McSweeney are directors, secretary.
Tógáil Veilbhit Glas Teoranta is owned by another Irish company Velvet Quality Systems which is ultimately controlled by Cerapon Ltd, a holding company based in Cyprus.
Each of which links back to Tim McSweeny and his business partners.
Why Cyprus? Tax & Privacy.
One name that appears on the paperwork: Armand Lako.
He’s a director of both the Cyprus company and the Irish holding company.
He’s also a senior figure in RELM Finance, a private lender operating in the shadow banking world of high-risk real estate finance.
And there’s more...
Morgan McSweeney's 1st cousin, Clare Mungovan, is special advisor and lead policy advisor to Simon Harris,
Tim McSweeney is her uncle.
So one family is influencing both Irish and British Govts at the highest levels while making millions on asylum seekers
Yesterday Simon Harris said it was not possible to row back on controversial policy of IPAS planning exemptions... even though his own councillors want him to
I think it is only reasonable to now ask if those advising him on this subject are conflicted??
Opinion
This might not be illegal.
But it stinks.
€8.4 million in taxpayer money.
Routed through a private company.
Owned by the family of the UK Prime Minister’s chief adviser.
Structured through a Cyprus shell.
Tied to a shadow banking insider.
And linked to an adviser to the Irish Taoiseach.
This is a look at the lowest level of political-business ecosystem grossly profiting from a public crisis.
What else don't we know?
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Fine Gael TD, Barry Ward, has posted an update on Facebook re Merrion House IPAS centre in Dublin 4.
No challenge to the decision ❌
Blind acceptance of wreckless Govt policy ✅
But is he conflicted?....🧵
As a sitting TD opining on migration, Ward is also actively acting as barrister for Somali diplomat Mohamed Abdallatif Hussein who was arrested at Dublin Airport on 8 charges of people smuggling.
Everyone deserves a lawyer, and barristers have a duty to represent their clients.....
BUT Ward’s choice to stay on this case is nothing short of jaw-dropping, given that he sits on the Justice Committee & is currently an elected Govt TD. His role in trying to release a charged people smuggler surely undermines any trust?
This case is highly unusual.
Ward is pushing diplomatic immunity for Hussein, on eight counts of people-smuggling. That's someone allegedly exploiting the very IP pathways Ward publicly champions as "safe and vetted" in his Facebook post.
Given that Somalis represent ~11% of asylum applications so far this year (around 900+ out of 8,259 from Jan-Aug), makes this highly relevant.
How can he stay impartial on a system he helps shape while defending its alleged exploiter?
The Irish Govt is trying to rewrite planning laws in the middle of a High Court case it’s losing.
Kevin "Boxer" Moran's old friendships & alliances shattered. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael councillors now at war with their own Party.
This is extraordinary.... 🍿
The Site
Lissywollen IPAS centre in Athlone was pushed through in 2024 under “emergency” planning powers for up to 1,000 men.
Locals were not consulted and they pushed back.
Local Democracy in Action!
Four Councillors, Paul Hogan (Independent Ireland), Frankie Keena (Fianna Fáil), Aengus O’Rourke (Fianna Fáil) and John Dolan (Fine Gael), launched a High Court challenge.
Kevin “Boxer” Moran, then still a councillor, was a co-signatory.
The Irish Presidency is a constitutional safeguard. 🇮🇪
Under Article 26, the President can refer a bill to the Supreme Court. It’s happened just 15 times.
Here are the 6 times a President stood up for the Constitution, and won ! 🏆 🧵
Planning and Development Bill, 2000
President: Mary McAleese
Concerned land use, zoning, and environmental regulations.
The Court found parts of the bill were unconstitutionally vague and failed to provide sufficient procedural safeguards for affected individuals and property owners.
Employment Equality Bill, 1997
President: Mary Robinson
Sought to expand anti-discrimination laws to cover religious-run institutions like schools and hospitals.
The Supreme Court found sections of the bill infringed the right of religious bodies to protect their ethos, protected under Article 44.2.5.
Remember the Govt’s White Paper to end Direct Provision? It promised asylum seekers their own front door.
The reality is that millions have been paid to an Isle of Man🇮🇲controlled company to buy up portfolios of houses for itself & lease them back to the State...🧵
Background
In 2021 Roderic O'Gorman launched a new strategy to end direct provision whereby asylum seekers would be given with their own houses....
One company saw a major opportunity - "Dídean Dochas Eireann Teoranta"
They launched a lobbying campaign of top Ministers, TDs & Senior Civil Servants to set out their plan..
They even had a one on one with An Taoiseach Micheál Martin👀