'Solidarity Visa' whitepaper - Bobby O'Reilly - March 26 - DOWNLOAD HERE, PDF attached 👇 Notes form the interview with Bobby (for the Portugal Resident podcast). Our guest today is Bobby O'Reilly, the straight-talking Irish investor-developer behind projects in Lisbon and the 'Margem Sul', who saw Ireland's Celtic Tiger boom and bust first-hand and is now sounding the alarm — and offering a practical solution — for Portugal's growing housing crisis. Bobby brings his hard-earned, Irish experience to Portugal, where he says the successful Golden Visa programme helped rebirth Lisbon and supercharge tourism, but also left a dangerous divide: those already on the property ladder versus a younger generation and working families priced out forever by rising costs, stagnant wages, high taxation, and chronic undersupply of affordable homes. Now deeply invested in Portugal's future, Bobby warns that the country risks widening inequality, accelerating the brain drain of its well-educated youth, and creating greater state dependency if nothing changes. He argues that Portugal must act “a little bit selfishly” and fast — before other European nations steal the market — because Europe has become the world’s most desirable safe haven amid global uncertainty. Foreign direct investment should not just enrich the top end, he asserts. It must be channelled to fix the very problems earlier policies helped create. In the conversation with Carl, Bobby lays out a detailed, 'fiscally responsible', “win-win” plan built around affordable housing schemes. It includes slashing construction taxes, offering income tax credits to first-time local buyers, and reducing social security contributions on both sides to put more money in workers’ pockets and encourage employers to raise wages. The idea is that developers also keep their normal margins, while dramatically increasing supply, which should help stabilise or correct overheated prices.

We are off to Setúbal this week, where signs of communism can strike fear into the hearts of some visitors! Câmara Municipal de Setúbal Visit Portugal listing Wikipedia

The first autonomous para-pharmacy in Europe openned in Lisbon. It's called Pharma&Go, it's located in Parque das Nações (Lisboa) and is open 24/7. The concept is simple: go in, pick what you need, and leave. https://sapo.pt/artigo/a-primeira-parafarmacia-autonoma-da-europa-abriu-em-lisboa-e-funciona-24-horas-693bfa64511a3ab092bfe4f7

Having a superb time here in Portugal's academic heart with @Ben Austin @Bobby OReilly @Filomena Pascoal @Amy Noble @Andy Cline and lots of lovely new friends and businesses who've made us so welcome 🙏

I found a video discussing some tragic Portuguese history. It's about a collapse of a bridge over the Douro River in 2001. You might find it interesting. https://youtu.be/4-crzKYjSXY?si=0DtsccSFjYkef0l3