Dublin City Council has spent €455,000,000 in the first 9 months of 2025.
37% or €168,000,000 goes to private hotels/landlords for emergency accommodation. Thats almost 4 in every 10 euros.
Here are the top 10 paid companies.....🧵
Before we begin...
Important: This €168M spend for Q1, Q2 & Q3 is separate from IPAS spending. Same players but different game.
The most effected group here are Irish families receiving eviction notices. Singles leaving Direct Provision are second most.
Why Irish families?
New Govt rental rules have triggered a wave of small landlords exiting the market. Families are being driven into homelessness.
While funnelling hundreds of millions in taxpayer cash straight to big providers like Banty McEnaney & co
Here are top 10 companies making millions.....👇🏻
Company: Olenna Unlimited
DCC Paid: €9,003,333.40
Directors: Gary & John McEnaney
Asset: Mortgage on Ripley Court Hotel, Talbot Street
Fun Fact: This is a new Banty McEnaney family company. Their asylum empire is on its way to a €billion... all paid for by you.
Companies: Loux Ltd and Layla Investments Ltd
DCC Paid: €7,797,861.30 and €2,818,800.08
Director: Kieran Hayes controls both companies
Asset: FinnsCastle Hotel
Fun Fact: Neither of these companies have filed their most recent annual returns. So they do not have tax certificates.
Company: Country Manor Hotels Unlimited
DCC Paid: €6,153,900.00
Directors:Thomas Duignan(50) & Thomas Duignan(20)
Asset: Mortgage on Cellbridge Manor Hotel
FunFact: Jeffrey Leo (Dundrum House) is a former director of this co. It also has links back to the Coldec network of IPAS companies.
Company: K&T FORBAIRT DEVELOPMENT LTD
DCC Paid: €5,661,319.20
Directors: Kevin Farrell & Thomas McNicholas
Asset: Mortgages on 48/49 Gardiner Street
FunFact: These same directors also own two other companies in the top 10, Forbairt Ogra, and K&T Forbair Properties Limited each paid €4,071,099.46 and €5,274,590.03
So realistically this group tops the the chart at ~€14,000,000+ in the first 9 months alone. And thats not including the €5million they've been paid through IPAS
MAJOR players.
Company: Bluesbros Hospitality Limited
DCC Paid: €4,486,762.62
Directors: Christopher & Conor Mc Enaney,
Asset: Mortgage on the Maple Hotel Gardiner St,
FunFact: Yet again, another McEnaney family company! They are using govt contracts as leverage to buy more and more properties. Its the best business model in the world.
Company: FRAMEWELL LTD
DCC Paid: €4,480,740.00
Directors: Brian Nicholson, Shane Landy, Grellan Dunne, Kieran Banks
Asset: Mortgage on 56, 57 & 58 Gardiner Street
Company: PSALT RESIDENTIAL CARE LTD
DCC Paid: €4,243,747.06
Directors: Theresa Fitzsimons, Maurice O' Connor, Aoife O' Carolan
Asset: Mortgage on 63-66 Gardiner Street & others.
FunFact: Much of the same people own Absolute Accommodation Limited which has been paid €2,967,449.94.
Company: Taronead Unlimited Company
DCC Paid: €3,215,918.36
Directors: Thomas Duignan(50) & Thomas Duignan(20)
Asset: Mortgage Airport View & Spa Hotel
FunFact: This is second entry from these directors. The company is also part of the Coldec group.
Company: AMPBAY LIMITED
DCC Paid: €3,066,000.03
Directors: David Cullen
Asset: Paramount Hotel in Temple Bar
FunFact: Owner of Turk's Head
Company: Maison Builders Limited
DCC Paid: €2,800,462.50
Directors: Michael Monaghan
Asset: [???]
FunFact: This company hasn't filed accounts since 2022. Yet has been paid €2,800,462.50 in 2025 by Dublin City Council..... 😭
Company: Fernboro Limited
DCC Paid: €2,565,037.53
Directors: Gary & John McEnaney
Asset: 55 Parnell Square
FunFact: Banty McEnaneyonce again... this time at the same address as the Govt funded NGO, Migrants Rights Centre.... Is Banty is their landlord??? Surely not.
Opinion
The lists goes on and on....thousands of payments👇🏻
Dublin City Council is trapped in an upward spiral of spending. All it is doing is subsidising private profiteers while perpetuating the homeless crisis because actual house-building is caught up in red tape and objections.
This is totally unsustainable. Few realise the amount of leverage baked into the system: these properties are heavily mortgaged, using Govt contracts as collateral.
The Govt. must know that if they pull the plug, there will be a cascade of defaults. But if they don't, it lets providers borrow and buy more to inflate the bubble further.
This entire scheme is driving up rents, hotel prices and of property prices for everyone. But worst of all..... its driving up taxes to pay for it!!!
How many beds does Banty own?
I estimate the McEnaney family are paid at least €100million a year all in. That would mean somewhere north of 3000 beds.
To put that into perspective IRES REIT, Ireland's largest landlord, has about 5000 beds and is valued at €1.3billion....the only difference Banty doesn't need planning permission!
How are serious people standing by and watching this unfold?
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.
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.
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.