Irish Politics

Renua Ireland are a joke already. From a brief read of their 'policies' they state that "home ownership is not a right" as well as stating "This party will create a more inclusive society that celebrates diversity and gives priority to the most vulnerable."

Their position of water charges in non existent. They state that they agree with water charges but also don't. "We are in favour of investment in our water infrastructure. It has been allowed to decay for generations. Access to safe, clean water is a basic necessity of life. We fundamentally disagree with how water charges have been introduced and will continue to do so until Irish Water has been radically reformed, and public waste eliminated."

One of their blurbs is that politics isn't for everyone, yet they believe that "RENUA must inspire these people to re-engage with politics, with a new kind of politics that is fit for our times."

They advocate for a policy of "zero tolerance in the streets and the courts" which is authoritarian at best, and fascist at worst.

Their policies on the environment, education, and health are non existent in the sense they use buzz words and say that they will "change" things, without saying how, or even why. They also manage to get a dig at trade unions, stating that "Citizens rather than trade unions must decide the future of our country." without realizing that Trade Unions are their to protect citizens from the likes of them.

On Northern Ireland they claim that they will "continue" to work with those invested in the peace process, even though they have done absolutely nothing for it.

Jesus wept.
 
They're right about the unions. Public sector unions in this country are a fecking disgrace.

Overall they seem to be all skirt and no knickers though, didn't think Lucinda was the sort!
 
Trade unions might be there to protect citizens against the government but they've been doing a pretty shitty job of it for a while now.
Home ownership is not a right is a weird one considering the pitiful state of the rental market in this country.
Would love the see more details on that if you could link it?
 
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Jesus. H. Christ.
 
It's a risky career being an indpendent TD in Ireland!

I also sometimes get confused about the Shinners being accused of being populist, their lefty bleating has been pretty consistent for about 30 years. They are a party built along marxist origins. Their social message has rarely changed, it has softened, but every lefty party in Europe has. Their website is awash with their policies, in detail, and they publish alternative budgets and are the only ones who acknowledge that fisheries is a key area of potential industrial growth. They are not shy to lay their cards on the table either, never shying from saying what they don't like, for example the two tiered educational system. All of these things are consistent with their origins and past.

Their lefty origins are long established, I agree. It's their proposed solutions to the hole we're in that are populist nonsense. Crapping on how we need to burn bond-holders and start a programme of massive investment in our infrastructure, as though the two aren't mutually exclusive. It sounds great to people who haven't a clue about economics but where's the money going to come from for all this investment? Thin air?

At least your meditteranean man crush has a properly thought through manifesto to address his countries current woes - his "modest proposal" - however flawed that might be. I could actually see myself getting behind a lefie Irish party with some intelligent and visionary leaders at the helm. But the sinner's motley crew of blow-hards and ex cons can get fecked. They'd be an absolute disaster.
 
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Their lefty origins are long established, I agree. It's their proposed solutions to the hole we're in that are populist nonsense. Crapping on how we need to burn bond-holders and start a programme of massive investment in our infrastructure, as though the two aren't mutually exclusive. It sounds great to people who haven't a clue about economics but where's the money going to come from for all this investment? Thin air?

At least your meditteranean man crush has a properly thought through manifesto to address his countries current woes - his "modest proposal" - however flawed that might be. I could actually see myself getting behind a lefie Irish party with some intelligent and visionary leaders at the helm. But the sinner's motley crew of blow-hards and ex cons can get fecked. They'd be an absolute disaster.

The threat to burn the bondholders is the least our elected representatives should be up for. The bondholders in their wildest dreams didn’t expect the compliance we as a nation have shown. To the point of disgrace, and this is not some lefty ideal, this is the zeitgeist here at the moment. That and the IMF agree.

“Ajai Chopra, the former head of the IMF mission to Ireland, said "it is unfair to impose the burden of supporting banks primarily on domestic taxpayers while senior unguaranteed bank bond holders get paid out.” He goes on to say “the practice of "burning" senior bank bondholders is “now becoming more accepted”. However, he said that this is no longer an option for Ireland, which had “paid off these creditors at great cost”.

There is No way Anglo and Irish Nationwide shouldn’t have been shafted. The Shinners are with the IMF on this one. The idea that any action of this kind would be the end of foreign investment is not true, we are a viable marketplace and would be without almost zero corporation tax and a lack of any spine on the international stage.

You know yourself from knowledge of the Health Service that is more poor administration than lack of funds which is the issue and I see rural infrastructure as the same, we lack the will more than the money, and any investment they have spoken of that I've heard is less 'massive' and more logical. We don't have proper phone signals here half the week. Rural Ireland is being crippled by disinterest. Sinn Fein, for all their woes have a strong faith in community and their rural regeneration is admirable and very tuned in in my opinion, they get the nub of the issue, which to be honest is not rocket science, but they have the will.

On the ex con thing, yep I get that, and have no words to change that feeling for you, but for me it’s 10 years now that they have put the guns down and around the world, many places depend on co-operation with former bad uns. We have a violent revolutionary past, there is no escaping that. I despised the IRA growing up, and my inclination towards lefty politics meant I met with many people who didn’t hate them, most of my conversations pre 1995 were far from sympathetic. I acknowledge the need for armed struggle but it’s hard to argue that it was necessary here after 1923.
 
This lad is up today at the banking enquiry, I wonder if he'll be any more humble than McCreevy, who did nothing wrong apparently.

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The threat to burn the bondholders is the least our elected representatives should be up for. The bondholders in their wildest dreams didn’t expect the compliance we as a nation have shown. To the point of disgrace, and this is not some lefty ideal, this is the zeitgeist here at the moment. That and the IMF agree.

“Ajai Chopra, the former head of the IMF mission to Ireland, said "it is unfair to impose the burden of supporting banks primarily on domestic taxpayers while senior unguaranteed bank bond holders get paid out.” He goes on to say “the practice of "burning" senior bank bondholders is “now becoming more accepted”. However, he said that this is no longer an option for Ireland, which had “paid off these creditors at great cost”.

There is No way Anglo and Irish Nationwide shouldn’t have been shafted. The Shinners are with the IMF on this one. The idea that any action of this kind would be the end of foreign investment is not true, we are a viable marketplace and would be without almost zero corporation tax and a lack of any spine on the international stage.

But that's my point. I agree, with hindsight, a lot of mistakes were made and the government at the time missed a trick by insisting the Irish nation would stand over all the debts incurred by our banks. We are where we are, though. We now need to find the best way forward. Which is why all the rhetoric about burning bond-holders rings very hollow. We may well be a viable marketplace but credit has a habit of drying up when it doesn't get paid back. Take away cheap credit and we're in deep do do.

You know yourself from knowledge of the Health Service that is more poor administration than lack of funds which is the issue and I see rural infrastructure as the same, we lack the will more than the money, and any investment they have spoken of that I've heard is less 'massive' and more logical. We don't have proper phone signals here half the week. Rural Ireland is being crippled by disinterest. Sinn Fein, for all their woes have a strong faith in community and their rural regeneration is admirable and very tuned in in my opinion, they get the nub of the issue, which to be honest is not rocket science, but they have the will.

I know next to nothing about the rural infrastructure but you're spot on about the HSE. This crappy administration is in the hands of a suffocating blanked of very well paid middle management, with jobs for life. Getting rid of a hefty chunk of these admindroids would make the health service leaner, more efficient and start getting people off their trollies in A&E. Unfortunately, there's zero chance of that happening under Sinn Fein. We're a lot like Greece in that we've a woefully inefficient and well paid public sector that is a burden on the exchequer. Sorting that out would be a big step forward but , unfortunately, we'd be relying on a right wing government to get the ball rolling in this regard and I hate those cnuts even more than the sinners.

I'm just massively disenchanted with politics in general, right now. It would be great if there was someone to vote for who had logical, well thought through rationale to get us out of the shit we're in without feeling the need to pander to votes or be bound by the political principles of the right or left wing. That's just a pipe dream, though. So I don't see solutions at either end of the political spectrum. I'm less and less convinced by the naive, lefty ideals of my youth and I'm more and more repulsed by the greed and cronyism of the right. What's left? Feck knows.

On the ex con thing, yep I get that, and have no words to change that feeling for you, but for me it’s 10 years now that they have put the guns down and around the world, many places depend on co-operation with former bad uns. We have a violent revolutionary past, there is no escaping that. I despised the IRA growing up, and my inclination towards lefty politics meant I met with many people who didn’t hate them, most of my conversations pre 1995 were far from sympathetic. I acknowledge the need for armed struggle but it’s hard to argue that it was necessary here after 1923.

I wouldn't mind so much but the way they've closed ranks over the more recent scandals makes it even harder to forgive their violent past.

EDIT: Apologies for taking the thread miles off topic. I do like a good 'aul debate though. It's been fun. I'll shut up now.
 
But that's my point. I agree, with hindsight, a lot of mistakes were made and the government at the time missed a trick by insisting the Irish nation would stand over all the debts incurred by our banks. We are where we are, though. We now need to find the best way forward. Which is why all the rhetoric about burning bond-holders rings very hollow. We may well be a viable marketplace but credit has a habit of drying up when it doesn't get paid back. Take away cheap credit and we're in deep do do.

It's not hindsight on their part when they and others were saying it at the time. So credit where it's due, it's unfair to dismiss someone at the time and then accuse them of hindsight six years later. Cheap credit will always find it's way to a willing borrower. It's inexplicable to me, but it does.

The disenchantment is understandable, but I don't get why the reaction isn't a change of tack. And when it is, like Greece did, the sins of the previous are levelled against the new regime, and the scrutiny is increased. Centre right governments come and go with barely a word, but Syriza have been under the microscope since it looked even possible they might get power. Why is someone like the Greek finace minister scrutinised so closely when his peers are McCreevy, Cowan and Noonan. In my opinion he is a comparative God and it's immediately recognisable. I think the word for it is conservatism?
 
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It's not hindsight on their when they and others were saying it at the time. So credit where it's due, it's unfair to dismiss someone at the time and then accuse them of hindsight six years later. Cheap credit will always find it's way to a willing borrower. It's inexplicable to me, but it does.

The disenchantment is understandable, but I don't get why the reaction isn't a change of tack. And when it is, like Greece did, the sins of the previous are levelled against the new regime, and the scrutiny is increased. Centre right governments come and go with barely a word, but Syriza have been under the microscope since it looked even possible they might get power. Why is someone like the Greek finace minister scrutinised so closely when his peers are McCreevy, Cowan and Noonan. In my opinion he is a comparative God and it's immediately recognisable. I think the word for it is conservatism?

Yeah, something like that. And fear of being shown up by an upstart who is far better qualified than you to do the job you're doing.

Like I said, for all that I'm not entirely won over by his arguments, I would love it if we had someone of his ilk in Ireland. I don't see it, though. Certainly not in the Irish parties at the same end of the political spectrum.
 
Renua Ireland are a joke already. From a brief read of their 'policies' they state that "home ownership is not a right" as well as stating "This party will create a more inclusive society that celebrates diversity and gives priority to the most vulnerable."

Their position of water charges in non existent. They state that they agree with water charges but also don't. "We are in favour of investment in our water infrastructure. It has been allowed to decay for generations. Access to safe, clean water is a basic necessity of life. We fundamentally disagree with how water charges have been introduced and will continue to do so until Irish Water has been radically reformed, and public waste eliminated."

One of their blurbs is that politics isn't for everyone, yet they believe that "RENUA must inspire these people to re-engage with politics, with a new kind of politics that is fit for our times."

They advocate for a policy of "zero tolerance in the streets and the courts" which is authoritarian at best, and fascist at worst.

Their policies on the environment, education, and health are non existent in the sense they use buzz words and say that they will "change" things, without saying how, or even why. They also manage to get a dig at trade unions, stating that "Citizens rather than trade unions must decide the future of our country." without realizing that Trade Unions are their to protect citizens from the likes of them.

On Northern Ireland they claim that they will "continue" to work with those invested in the peace process, even though they have done absolutely nothing for it.

Jesus wept.
The only specific thing I saw about 'government transparency' from them was about publishing the minutes of cabinet meetings within a certain timeframe, but not really much else.

Their policies seem to be pretty threadbare, and they seemingly only bother to fill in the blanks where they know it would earn them votes by going farther to the right than even Fine Gael are willing to go. Their stance on the civil service (openly saying they need further redundancies) is probably unique among all of our parties, probably because they know who their base likely to be.
 
So, Enda didn't sack the Garda commissioner, but the senior civil servant who visited his home at 11pm the night before a cabinet meeting to tell him that Enda had no confidence in him turns out to have been the catalyst for his 'resignation'... wow.. who say that one coming? Thank god we had a year long enquiry and 300 page report costing millions to tell us that!
 
Not exactly politics, but what the hell is wrong with our justice system?

Crèche fined €1,000 after exposé, but "no fault" applies to owner
A Dublin crèche where infant children were secretly filmed being shouted at and "rough handled" by staff has been fined €1,000.

The company and its director had a total of 24 charges brought against them after being accused of breaking the Childcare Act and pre-school services regulations in 2013.

However, the court heard that all charges against Ms Kelly were being dropped, as well as 12 of the charges against the company.


http://www.independent.ie/irish-new...s-but-no-fault-applies-to-owner-31504179.html

Gardaí downgrade sword 'murder' probe after post-mortem
Mr Holmes was attacked with weapons and punched and kicked numerous times during the assault. Up to 10 men were involved in the savage assault and some are said to be closely associated with a notorious Real IRA figure.

Detectives last night downgraded an investigation into the death of the man in Dublin after a post-mortem revealed he had a heart condition.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-new...d-murder-probe-after-postmortem-31504183.html

A Dublin man who savagely killed his daughter's dog by swinging it over his head on its lead and smashing it off the path in a park up to 30 times, has said he is shamed by has actions and blamed his behaviour on drugs.

Judge Martin Nolan said he intends to impose 200 hours of community service on Dowling in lieu of a two-year prison term.

The judge said he would not impose a ban on Dowling keeping an animal because he didn't want his daughter to be deprived of the chance of having a pet. :wenger:

http://www.independent.ie/irish-new...og-i-have-no-memory-of-that-day-31423035.html

Out of touch much?

 
I'd vote for the rights of women to choose whether they have abortions but I think the McDrive Thru variation of abortion should be regulated heavily. Definitely were there are grounds on medical reasons.
 
Nice to see the RTE feck up coming back to bite them.
Add in the pension age and black and tans it means SF couldnt ask for a better run up to the big day.
The surge is real.
 
Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Sinn Fein. Like choosing between different strains of cock rot.
 
Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Sinn Fein. Like choosing between different strains of cock rot.
There's other parties. None of them are going to get a majority, they'll all need a coalition. Ideally vote for the candidate not the party. There's a few good politicians in most parties.
 
Nice to see the RTE feck up coming back to bite them.
Add in the pension age and black and tans it means SF couldnt ask for a better run up to the big day.
The surge is real.
Latest poll has it very close between the big 3. Don’t understand how anyone with a heart or a brain could vote FF or FG. An utter disgrace also that RTE have refused to allow Mary Lou on in the leaders debate. Not sure how much of a debate can be had either since both parties were in power together this last few years...
 
Any thoughts on the Social Democrats? I quite like what I’ve heard over the years from Roisin Shorthall who is their candidate in my area. But would be interested to hear a reason not to vote for her.
 
Any thoughts on the Social Democrats? I quite like what I’ve heard over the years from Roisin Shorthall who is their candidate in my area. But would be interested to hear a reason not to vote for her.
I dont really see the point of the party tbh. Feels like FF part 3. She's a decent candidate from the little i know of her though.
 
There's other parties. None of them are going to get a majority, they'll all need a coalition. Ideally vote for the candidate not the party. There's a few good politicians in most parties.

Oh I know there are people to vote for, I just meant in terms of leading the government.
 
Oh I know there are people to vote for, I just meant in terms of leading the government.
Fianna Fail will be leading the next government. It would take an epic feck up on their part to let Fine Gael back in. Sinn Fein won't get enough first preference votes and wont get any transfer votes to lead and no one willl go in coalition with them, they're an irrelevance.
 
Fianna Fail will be leading the next government. It would take an epic feck up on their part to let Fine Gael back in. Sinn Fein won't get enough first preference votes and wont get any transfer votes to lead and no one willl go in coalition with them, they're an irrelevance.
Theyre getting stronger every election. Its a bona fide oppostion now and will only pick up votes when the FF and FG coalition piss off the country even more.
Theres nothing irrelevent about them.
 
Sinn Fein are going to do badly this election and hopefully that will be the end of Mary Lou
 
Theyre getting stronger every election. Its a bona fide oppostion now and will only pick up votes when the FF and FG coalition piss off the country even more.
Theres nothing irrelevent about them.


Seems it is Fianna Fail's to lose if those numbers are anywhere near correct but even being the main opposition party would be a big win for SF. I don't expect it to happen though as the poll was taken in the midst of the RIC controversy.

They're finishing behind FG in a poll taken on the week FG are campaigning for the black and tans. Maybe if FG hold an Oliver Cromwell parade the week before the election they might finish ahead of them. Or more likely FG will recover a bit, pick up a hell of a lot more votes on transfers and finish the election with more influence in a dail they're not pariah's in.
Meanwhile the party that bankrupted the country a decade ago after years of corruption scandals and was meant to be finished and replaced by Sinn Fein is 13 points ahead of them.
For every person who will vote for Sinn Fein theres probably 5 that will vote against them in a system that punishes you for being deeply unpopular with a sizable proportion of the population. Theres a glass ceiling for Sinn Fein, which they've more or less hit imo. We'll see.
 

Why limit the scope of "law and order" to criminal law? What about all the other areas of law?


In the past week:
17 year old drug dealer kidnapped, tortured, murdered, dismembered and had his body parts thrown around Coolock.

20 year old student stabbed to death in Cork.

Aggravated burgl