S,

Many thanks for contacting me this morning by telephone at (name of location edited out for security reasons).

As I mentioned to you this morning, the discussions I had with various people late yesterday afternoon have left me feeling that it might take some time for me to succeed in getting the old-age pension business fully sorted out. This is in no small way (I believe) connected with the fact that a) I was self-employed (in the electronics industry) for 30 years or so and that I have lived and worked in several different places, and in a number of different countries during the period in question, and, b) that I am a citizen of the Republic of Ireland (and not the UK).

It is also the case that the Republic of Ireland Government has blocked my old age pension and disability payments since March 2011 -- for no good reason whatsoever that I know of -- and that my only source of income since 2011 has come in the form of monthly loans regularly paid into my bank account by my brother (Gerald Finnerty) and my half-sister (Marjorie Dolan), who both live in the Republic of Ireland. Although I do not have the exact figure (to hand) for the money I already owe my brother and half sister, as a result of the monthly loans in question, I believe it to be somewhere in the region of 60,000 to 70,000 EUROS at the present time.

The information in the copy of the email at the address just below, should (I believe) help to provide you and your colleagues with more general information regarding my present situation:
http://www.humanrightsireland.com/GuardianNewspaperEditorAlanRusbridge/14July2015/Email.htm

In case there might be any doubt about it, I would like to repeat what I said to you this morning on the telephone regarding the information at the above www address: which is that I do not expect -- nor am I requesting from you or any of your colleagues -- any help from the Simon Community regarding anything other than the provision of a "roof over my head".

Also, as we discussed this morning, it would help me greatly (and my brother and half-sister of course) if the Simon Community could provide me with "paid accommodation" while I'm waiting for my old age pension issues to be fully processed, and which I understand would be much less expensive than the £315 per week I am at present paying at (name of location edited out for security reasons). It is my understanding that your charges would be in the region of £85 or so per week, and I wish you and your colleagues to know that I am in a position to pay weekly in advance (and in cash, if required).

Ideally, I would like to be housed in (name of location edited out for security reasons), and this is mostly because I was yesterday very kindly offered "counselling" type help and support for the Complex-Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) condition I suffer from, by (name of organisation edited out for security reasons). That said though, I would be very happy to seriously consider any accommodation you might be able to provide me with just now, anywhere in Northern Ireland, in the hope that when (and if) "Simon Community" type accommodation becomes available in (name of location edited out for security reasons) in the weeks/months ahead, that I could then transfer back to (name of location edited out for security reasons).

I will, as arranged, telephone your office around 1 pm today.

Best wishes,

William Finnerty.

 

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