Irish Politics

Pogue Mahone

Swiftie Fan Club President
Joined
Feb 22, 2006
Messages
134,674
Location
"like a man in silk pyjamas shooting pigeons
Maybe, just maybe, it's because he's monumentally thick.
You could be onto something there…


If I saw ‘Up the ’Ra!’ I would have looked at that as something very innocent, and wouldn’t have even known there was an implication to it. “A lot of messages that I get are friends sending each other messages with their own little jokes or their own little words, which I have to judge – and of course I reject some if they are crude or offensive.”

Asked if he would have read the message out if he knew it was in support of the IRA, Farage told the Mail: “Are you joking? I had a face-to-face death threat from them.
 

Massive Spanner

The Football Grinch
Joined
Jul 2, 2014
Messages
28,586
Location
Tool shed
What do you guys make of the budget so far?
You mean the annual "feck over the middle class who pay all the taxes"-athon?

it's an election budget, they are spending above our means despite out ballooning debt that they should be reducing but don't care about because they won't be in power when it cocks us up.
 

sullydnl

Ross Kemp's caf ID
Joined
Sep 13, 2012
Messages
34,063
Free contraception for 17-25 year olds is a step in the right direction I suppose though still too limited.
 

Massive Spanner

The Football Grinch
Joined
Jul 2, 2014
Messages
28,586
Location
Tool shed
All the FFG politicians own a feck tonne of property so they'll never help renters.

Mind you, neither will SF, but it'll be funny to see the realisation when they're in power.
 

caid

Full Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2014
Messages
8,479
Location
Dublin
All the FFG politicians own a feck tonne of property so they'll never help renters.

Mind you, neither will SF, but it'll be funny to see the realisation when they're in power.
SF have their fair share of property too dont they? Any other links to property developers and whatnot or are you just skeptical because SF seem full of shit?
 

Massive Spanner

The Football Grinch
Joined
Jul 2, 2014
Messages
28,586
Location
Tool shed
SF have their fair share of property too dont they? Any other links to property developers and whatnot or are you just skeptical because SF seem full of shit?
There are a good few SF TD's on the rich list (based mostly on owned property) but not as much as FFG. Mary-Lou does fairly well from it herself. They are all well up on the property ladder so not a one of 'em will want to do anything to lower rents or de-value their property.

 

Withnail

Full Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2019
Messages
31,015
Location
The Arena of the Unwell
Mental. I wonder if that’s driven by prices outside Dublin catching up now that more and more people are working remotely?
I was speaking to an estate agent back in August about possibly selling and he told me we were in a bit of a bubble.

He said some of it was driven by the lack of supply and that there was also a bit of what he called Covid panic affecting things. He told me either sell now or wait 3-5 years for the prices to come back to this level.

He's convinced there'll be a bit of a crash as things open back up and new houses come onto the market. Certainly where I'm living there are houses being built all over the shop.
 

sullydnl

Ross Kemp's caf ID
Joined
Sep 13, 2012
Messages
34,063
Mental. I wonder if that’s driven by prices outside Dublin catching up now that more and more people are working remotely?
That seemed to be the trend reported earlier in the year anyway. WFH + lockdown savings had house prices in some rural areas rising at twice the rate of the capital.
 

2cents

Historiographer, and obtainer of rare antiquities
Scout
Joined
Mar 19, 2008
Messages
16,395
Rose massively due to panic following the post-Christmas lockdown. Between then and May people were going all out in bidding wars on houses they’d never set foot in due to Covid restrictions. We were in the market in north Dublin since around November last year, just lost out in a bidding war on a house right where we wanted in December. Then in February the house right next door went up for sale, exact same type of house but in worse condition, and ultimately sold for €40,000 more.

Thankfully we went back to the mortgage provider in April and got a higher loan based on new salaries, and managed to get somewhere over the summer. But it’s worse still - for example, a run of the mill three bed probate job in Santry we were looking at went up with an asking price of €395,000 and sold for €505,000. Fecking Santry!
 

Massive Spanner

The Football Grinch
Joined
Jul 2, 2014
Messages
28,586
Location
Tool shed
The mental thing is that apartment prices are actually rising faster than house prices in Dublin now purely because so many people have been priced out of houses because they cost so much.
 

sullydnl

Ross Kemp's caf ID
Joined
Sep 13, 2012
Messages
34,063
Hard to see the two government parties not being absolutely murdered by the housing crisis in the next election.
 

Massive Spanner

The Football Grinch
Joined
Jul 2, 2014
Messages
28,586
Location
Tool shed
Hard to see the two government parties not being absolutely murdered by the housing crisis in the next election.
There is no fix other than to build a shit tonne more houses and apartments really. It would also help if they got rid of the stupid skyline rule in Dublin city and built high-rise apartments there. It's mad to see massive housing estates still being built so central.
 

caid

Full Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2014
Messages
8,479
Location
Dublin
Hard to see the two government parties not being absolutely murdered by the housing crisis in the next election.
The majority of the population own a house. Those effected most by it are the kind who tend not to vote. It'll be an issue but it wont be the be all and end all unfortunately. I actually think they'll be back next election anyway. Sinn Fein seem to have topped out in the low 30% and its hard to see how FF and FG get any less popular but are still polling in the low 20's.
Sinn Feins current td's are embarrassingly bad its hard to see them having a pile of superstar politicians waiting in the wings for a chance - they'd probably just take seats from PBP etc if they did get more tds elected next time anyway.
 

sullydnl

Ross Kemp's caf ID
Joined
Sep 13, 2012
Messages
34,063
The majority of the population own a house. Those effected most by it are the kind who tend not to vote. It'll be an issue but it wont be the be all and end all unfortunately. I actually think they'll be back next election anyway. Sinn Fein seem to have topped out in the low 30% and its hard to see how FF and FG get any less popular but are still polling in the low 20's.
Sinn Feins current td's are embarrassingly bad its hard to see them having a pile of superstar politicians waiting in the wings for a chance - they'd probably just take seats from PBP etc if they did get more tds elected next time anyway.
And yet housing was already the second biggest issue in the last election, just behind health. And in terms of those effected by it, we're not talking about teens and those in their early 20s, it's a large swathe of those under the age of 40. You only need to lose so many of the swing voters to have a very bad election in terms of actual seats returned.
 

cyberman

Full Member
Joined
May 26, 2010
Messages
37,331
The majority of the population own a house. Those effected most by it are the kind who tend not to vote. It'll be an issue but it wont be the be all and end all unfortunately. I actually think they'll be back next election anyway. Sinn Fein seem to have topped out in the low 30% and its hard to see how FF and FG get any less popular but are still polling in the low 20's.
Sinn Feins current td's are embarrassingly bad its hard to see them having a pile of superstar politicians waiting in the wings for a chance - they'd probably just take seats from PBP etc if they did get more tds elected next time anyway.
I Don’t think SF have topped out at all. It was a record high of 31 in June then rose to 33 a few weeks ago.
Im not a SF man but the surge did happen last time around that was only halted due to lack of candidates. That didn’t happen because landlords turned over to them and the young didn’t vote.
Here’s the thing, that popularity has stayed with them during non election season and they are around 12 behind the coalition. Is it out of the realm of possibility that when the canvassing starts that SF can’t go up 3 points and FG and FF lose 3 each? FG were already down 5 in the last Times / Ipos opinion poll a few weeks ago.
That’ll get the cat amongst the pigeons
 

Withnail

Full Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2019
Messages
31,015
Location
The Arena of the Unwell
The majority of the population own a house. Those effected most by it are the kind who tend not to vote. It'll be an issue but it wont be the be all and end all unfortunately. I actually think they'll be back next election anyway. Sinn Fein seem to have topped out in the low 30% and its hard to see how FF and FG get any less popular but are still polling in the low 20's.
Sinn Feins current td's are embarrassingly bad its hard to see them having a pile of superstar politicians waiting in the wings for a chance - they'd probably just take seats from PBP etc if they did get more tds elected next time anyway.
There's a section of those home owners whose 20-35 year old kids are still living at home as they can't afford a mortgage and rent is ridiculous so owning a home doesn't mean you've no skin in the game.

Although as I said earlier I don't know what other areas are like but there's housing flying up all over Dublin 13. If that's replicated in other areas it should start easing soon.
 

caid

Full Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2014
Messages
8,479
Location
Dublin
And yet housing was already the second biggest issue in the last election, just behind health. And in terms of those effected by it, we're not talking about teens and those in their early 20s, it's a large swathe of those under the age of 40. You only need to lose so many of the swing voters to have a very bad election in terms of actual seats returned.
There's a section of those home owners whose 20-35 year old kids are still living at home as they can't afford a mortgage and rent is ridiculous so owning a home doesn't mean you've no skin in the game.

Although as I said earlier I don't know what other areas are like but there's housing flying up all over Dublin 13. If that's replicated in other areas it should start easing soon.
It'll be an issue. It wont be the sole, exclusive issue that it frankly should be.
It wont drive life long FF or FG voters elsewhere.

I Don’t think SF have topped out at all. It was a record high of 31 in June then rose to 33 a few weeks ago.
Im not a SF man but the surge did happen last time around that was only halted due to lack of candidates. That didn’t happen because landlords turned over to them and the young didn’t vote.
Here’s the thing, that popularity has stayed with them during non election season and they are around 12 behind the coalition. Is it out of the realm of possibility that when the canvassing starts that SF can’t go up 3 points and FG and FF lose 3 each? FG were already down 5 in the last Times / Ipos opinion poll a few weeks ago.
That’ll get the cat amongst the pigeons
Their lack of candidates and the dire quality of some of their candidates is an issue that isn't going away. They'll be taking votes from PBP and some of the very few parties which would willingly go into coalition with them if they get more candidates. Convincing Labour and the Social Democrats to go into coalition with them with their worst candidates in place will be a problem. I think we'll probably have similar numbers as last time and FFG will have to pull more parties into coalition and will because Labour and SD will find them easier to tolerate.
 

cyberman

Full Member
Joined
May 26, 2010
Messages
37,331
It'll be an issue. It wont be the sole, exclusive issue that it frankly should be.
It wont drive life long FF or FG voters elsewhere.


Their lack of candidates and the dire quality of some of their candidates is an issue that isn't going away. They'll be taking votes from PBP and some of the very few parties which would willingly go into coalition with them if they get more candidates. Convincing Labour and the Social Democrats to go into coalition with them with their worst candidates in place will be a problem. I think we'll probably have similar numbers as last time and FFG will have to pull more parties into coalition and will because Labour and SD will find them easier to tolerate.
SF candidates have come a long way from the last election simply by them doing anything fecking stupid. I honestly think the country will vote for the party anyway and not the candidates themselves.
Maybe when we get SF in power and it settles down we can analyse politics like this but, as an example, 11 percent of farmers who voted FG last year says they’ll vote for the opposition next time. That’s the problem with coalitions and parties believing it’s a get out of jail free card for them. They aren’t going to vote FF is it means FG gets in anyway. A vote for FG means a vote for FF. it’s inescapable.
Even more farmers will leave FFG due to them bringing in a rule that a farmer can’t sell farmland for a site or give them away to families to build n etc. That uproar is coming down the road for them
 

Eyepopper

Lowering the tone since 2006
Joined
Sep 1, 2006
Messages
67,019
Did a quick bit of research on my local representatives.
Deputy Howlin’s (a primary school teacher before he became a TD) total worth stands at €3,449,066. Of this €2,689,066 relates to the veteran TD and former Labour Party leader’s pensions, while €760,000 relates to property and land. This puts Deputy Howlin as the eighth wealthiest TD in the Dáil according to the list.

Wexford’s next highest political earner was Fine Gael TD and former Junior Minister Paul Kehoe whose reported worth is €2,117,253. Of this, €1,089,753 relates to the Enniscorthy TD's pensions, with €1,027,500 accounted for by property and land.
160 TDs, 68 of them are millionaires, I'd imagine this is a repeating pattern.
 

Gee Male

Full Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2009
Messages
4,342
You were expecting something different from FFG?
SF released their alternative budget last week and didn't include a cent for Mica. Didn't stop Mary Lou marching with them at the weekend.

The sooner the penny drops on those spoofers the better.
 

golden_blunder

Site admin. Manchester United fan
Staff
Joined
Jun 1, 2000
Messages
121,182
Location
Dublin, Ireland
There's a section of those home owners whose 20-35 year old kids are still living at home as they can't afford a mortgage and rent is ridiculous so owning a home doesn't mean you've no skin in the game.

Although as I said earlier I don't know what other areas are like but there's housing flying up all over Dublin 13. If that's replicated in other areas it should start easing soon.
Houses & apartments flying up around where I live in D15. Supposedly they’ve committed to building 1000 new houses around the Damastown road area. Feck knows where they think all those cars are gonna spill out onto, never mind schools and GP facilities
 

Withnail

Full Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2019
Messages
31,015
Location
The Arena of the Unwell
Houses & apartments flying up around where I live in D15. Supposedly they’ve committed to building 1000 new houses around the Damastown road area. Feck knows where they think all those cars are gonna spill out onto, never mind schools and GP facilities
Oh yeah the'yre fecking houses up but parking and facilities?

I actually forgot they're a bunch of shitehawks in me earlier post
 

sullydnl

Ross Kemp's caf ID
Joined
Sep 13, 2012
Messages
34,063
SF released their alternative budget last week and didn't include a cent for Mica. Didn't stop Mary Lou marching with them at the weekend.

The sooner the penny drops on those spoofers the better.
The lack of a palatable option is really depressing. Either the two-headed hydra of right-wing cuntishness that is FF/FG or Sinn Fein, a left wing party who inexplicably want to abolish property taxes and who both the Gardai and PSNI tell us are still under the influence of the PIRA.

Vote in the next election is basically going to amount to deciding who I hate the most and working backwards in preferences from there.
 

caid

Full Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2014
Messages
8,479
Location
Dublin
The lack of a palatable option is really depressing. Either the two-headed hydra of right-wing cuntishness that is FF/FG or Sinn Fein, a left wing party who inexplicably want to abolish property taxes and who both the Gardai and PSNI tell us are still under the influence of the PIRA.

Vote in the next election is basically going to amount to deciding who I hate the most and working backwards in preferences from there.
Same as every election so :)
Sinn Fein aren't left wing. I think their only genuine policy is a united ireland.
 

cyberman

Full Member
Joined
May 26, 2010
Messages
37,331
The lack of a palatable option is really depressing. Either the two-headed hydra of right-wing cuntishness that is FF/FG or Sinn Fein, a left wing party who inexplicably want to abolish property taxes and who both the Gardai and PSNI tell us are still under the influence of the PIRA.

Vote in the next election is basically going to amount to deciding who I hate the most and working backwards in preferences from there.
To be fair that was ex PSNI Drew Harris agreeing with the PSNI. He was out of order in making those comments at the time. He was politicising the Gardai when trying they were trying to form a government.
Everything in Irish politics are shady and self serving
 

spontaneus1

Hamster, damn!
Joined
Dec 19, 2012
Messages
3,359
Location
In Hiding
To be fair that was ex PSNI Drew Harris agreeing with the PSNI. He was out of order in making those comments at the time. He was politicising the Gardai when trying they were trying to form a government.
Everything in Irish politics are shady and self serving
If Drew Harris told me the sky was blue I'd ask him who in MI5 told him that.
 

sullydnl

Ross Kemp's caf ID
Joined
Sep 13, 2012
Messages
34,063
To be fair that was ex PSNI Drew Harris agreeing with the PSNI. He was out of order in making those comments at the time. He was politicising the Gardai when trying they were trying to form a government.
Everything in Irish politics are shady and self serving
It wasn't just his opinion though, he was expressing the view of Garda intelligence rather than a personal view. That doesn't suddenly change if someone else is heading the Gardai.
 

cyberman

Full Member
Joined
May 26, 2010
Messages
37,331
It wasn't just his opinion though, he was expressing the view of Garda intelligence rather than a personal view. That doesn't suddenly change if someone else is heading the Gardai.
He wasn’t meant to though. He made a passing comment at an unrelated event when asked about PSNIs report. There was no reason to bring up a rehashed statement of a 2015 report when SF were trying to form a government. The whole thing stank from high heaven.
 

caid

Full Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2014
Messages
8,479
Location
Dublin
He wasn’t meant to though. He made a passing comment at an unrelated event when asked about PSNIs report. There was no reason to bring up a rehashed statement of a 2015 report when SF were trying to form a government. The whole thing stank from high heaven.
They clearly, blatantly are under the influence of the IRA so i dont see what the issue is tbh
I'm totally ok with it being an obstacle to them being elected and being brought up every election it remains the case. That feels democratically healthy to me.
 
Last edited: