Say what you like about The Express, but they really know their demographic.
mildred st. meadowlark
I love them for it.
Diddles
FREE WISPA
Daisy Chainsaw
WISPA IS INNOCNENET!!!1!!
Termagant
It, the Racing Post and the Star are the only pages here that don’t indicate that we live in an appalling nightmare world
f_lawless
At the risk of sounding like a bore :P , that story in the Sunday Times of the Russian embassy builders denied visas has a whiff of propaganda to it – probably coming from the same untoward influence of the British intelligence services on Irish affairs that pressured the earlier expulsions of Russian diplomats.
Quote: “Security and Intelligence, the Garda agency responsible for protecting Ireland’s national security interests, has told the government that the activities of Russian and Chinese intelligence agencies on Irish soil are now the biggest threats facing the state and its critical infrastructure”.
And yet there was the Snowden release from recent times – verified documents revealing how GCHQ has been targeting Irish internet traffic for years. The Irish government’s public response? No comment. Pretend like its not happening. https://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/uk-spy-base-gchq-tapped-irish-internet-cables-1.2019492
Why should we give much credence to how balanced their statements are now given this track record? No public debate on Snowden’s revelations but we should rest assured that GCHQ are probably the good guys with our best interests at heart? Hmmm
A Russian friend
If I was Putin I’d use the Internet to divide Western States in two.
Y’know, places like Britain and the USA first, then the smaller ones… Play the long game… Let them fight amongst themselves…
just sayin’…
Ron
Article 6.1 of the Constitution which states: “All powers of government, legislative, executive and judicial, derive, under God, from the people, whose right it is to designate the rulers of the State and, in final appeal, to decide all questions of national policy, according to the requirements of the common good.”
However, the Irish people only get the opportunity to have the final say when the Government deems it necessary for them to do so using a referendum. As a result, the Irish Constitution does not provide an adequate mechanism for ongoing citizen participation in the legislative process with a view towards the shaping of national policy in accordance with the common good.
This belief and desire were clearly illustrated when eighty-three percent (83%) of delegates to the 2012 Constitutional Convention (Citizens’ Assembly) voted in favour of people-initiated referenda.
There should be a revolution in this country and the current shower in Dail Eireann need to be forcibly removed at this point.
Demand control of your constitution instead of the current situation where the Dail locks the people out of initiating changes to it.
Topsy
What date do you have planned for the ‘revolution’. I’m not available next week but I’m good for the first week in June.
italia'90
+1916
See you all at next weeks marches.
rotide
I’d rather have a Citizens Assembley recommend referenda that we actually need rather than lunatics like yourself demand them every 10 seconds as the whim takes you, thanks all the same.
Cian
Ron . What would you propose as the first 3 proposed changes to the constitution?
Ron
the constitutional right to housing
Cian
Any particular housing?
Or does it have to be near the mammys and close to the shops?
Yep
A more reasoned approach would be explaining how “shelter” is already included in our constitution.
Instead you go the entitlement route. During an agreed homeless/housing crisis. Stay classy Cian.
Cian
Yep. I was pointing out a possible flaw in a ‘right to housing’.
But I take your point. It was a bit tacky.
Yep
…and I jumped at the opportunity to scale my high horse. Let’s blame Sunday evening blues.
Nigel
1. Protect the Right To Walkies for every doggy in Ireland.
2. An Article enshrining the Right to call anyone a Right Article.
3. In formally calling to order a Citizen’ Assembly the Chair must stand on the table hold a fist to the sky and shout ‘CITIZENS ASSEMBLE! ‘
rotide
I’ve never wanted to be the Chair of something so badly.
Are tights supplied?
Nigel
Constitutionally guaranteed.
Cian
I love to add a clause to the constitution:
A. Voting is compulsory, with big fines if missed. And
B. All votes have an extra box “none of the above”. And if a certain percentage of the voters choose this option in an election. That constituency is spoilt and it must be rerun. But none of the original candidates can rerun. For referendum, a different wording must be asked).
I’d like compulsory turnout too, seems to work well enough in Australia.
None of the above is an interesting idea but it seems impractical.
Ron
At no point in my post did I specify the “how” mechanism that citizens would initiate change to the constitution.. I just merely pointed out that citizens currently can’t initiate change to the constitution. Not surprised that the usual trolls on here don’t get it. Not surprised that Rotide put 2 + 2 together and got 9 judging from his response.
jusayinlike
right wing contrarion rotide never ever criticises ffglab or rte..
quintessential establishment contrarion.
Tommo
When you look at the papers here it is amazing how few “real” Irish ones there are. Most are just British ones with a fraction of content changed e.g. Sunday Times, Irish Mail on Sunday, Star, People, etc. And it’s even more striking for the dailies e.g. Sun, Mirror, Mail, Times Ireland edition, etc All British owned and styled.
Lilly
Justine McCarthy writing about NDAs and how they allow individuals and organisations to continue to abuse. Pity Gemma O’Doherty allowed INM to gag her by signing one. Just say No!
Catherine costelloe
INM didn’t gag Gemma. They hauled her over the coals for having the audacity for verifying Martin Callinan had penalty points quashed and called her ‘a rogue reporter’ for doing her job. They then reconstructed her job and wanted to send her abroad as travel writer. She sued for defamation of character , unlawful dismissal and won both with grovelling apologies and costs. Pity Paul Williams didn’t check his ‘facts’ before he wrote a load of crap on Ms D and Maurice MC Cabe. I think he is a foul reporter.
Ron
well said Catherine. Many people here comment freely without knowing the facts of what they are talking about. it’s partly the reason why this country continues to be so dysfunctional.
Bull Duggan
The trouble with referenda in Ireland – as shown with the Lisbon Treaty -is that even a French midget is able to threaten the people to change their minds.
The Irish public is by and large malleable and easy to coerce by corrupt politicians.
The EU has known this for many years.
That’s why Ireland will spend much of this century paying back the money it was told to borrow by Brussels to bail out German banks.
But we do have the best football supporters in the world so that’s ok.
rotide
This again?
We didn’t change our minds. We rejected one deal and approved a better deal. We voted on two different agreements.
I say ‘we’, something tells me your in the ‘why bother voting’ camp.
Termagant
What were the concessions given in that better deal?
…one of the local revelations thanks to Edward Snowden was that head comrade Eamon Gilmore as Tainiste and Min of Foreign Affairs was giving regular briefings up at the US embassy and assured them that there would be another referendum until the Lisbon agreement was passed…no suprise really when labour had already betrayed their supporters at that stage…
rotide
I’m not sure what you find in any way surprising about this?
Everyone who wanted to stay in the EU would have felt there would be as many referendums as neccesary to pass the treaty. It’s either that or leave the EU.
Would you rather be like other member states and just have the original treaty ratified by government?
Janet, I ate my Avatar
That midgit wasn’t strictly french
Bob
The word is “referendums” ger outta here with yer fancy Greek!
SOQ
Torygraph: A dozen Cabinet ministers set to block Theresa May’s ‘customs partnership’ plan
I have never ever seen a British Government is such disarray before, they would fight with their shadow. It is being increasingly accepted that Britain will crash and burn and even Corbyn is coming under pressure to flip into some sort of remain stance.
GiggidyGoo
It’s actually a good measure of democracy that the MPs aren’t afraid to cross horns with their leaders.
SOQ
Brexiteers are democrats? Really? Lets cut the poo. Brexit is an unholy nationalistic mess that nobody has a clue how to get out of.
GiggidyGoo
My comment was on how democracy in the UKs parliament ensures that the ‘party’ doesn have control over MPs minds. Unlike here.
It’s of no consequence to me if the MPs are pro or anti Brexit.
The FG parliamentary party here couldn’t give an opinion for instance on their stance on the referendum until Liar Leo told them what to say. He chose the BBC mind you to release his opinion.
Some democracy here alright.
SOQ
And you know so much about UK democracy how? Because it is old? They still have May in ‘charge’ because the alternatives scare even the elders of the Conservative party.
GiggidyGoo
@SOQ. You’re all over the place now. Go have a rest and come back with the blinkers off.
SOQ
I am not a government throwing out conflicting messages on a daily basis sweetheart. A consistent policy for even one full week would be nice?
Bull Duggan
Britain will crash and burn you say ?
I reckon the 6th largest economy in the world,with the lowest unemployment rate in 43 years,more foreign inward investment than any other country in Europe,the financial capital of the world and with UK manufacturers recording their second-highest levels of profitability ever in the past year will probably be able to cope.
You’re talking out of your botty.
SOQ
So you think that Britain leaving the EU without a trade deal is a good thing then?
Nigel
Wow they really suferred appallingly while in the EU.
SOQ
Well immigration was probably the single biggest issue people voted on and now not a word about it. Even if a hard border in Ireland, unless they build a physical wall, people are still going to walk across.
Will Belfast become the new Calais? And how is it going to work at airports and ferries? Fresh food prices alone will sky rocket because their nearest suppliers will be cut off.
realPolithicks
If they are in as good shape as you say while being part of the EU, why on earth do they wan to leave?
shitferbrains
foreigners taking their jobs, dole and women.
realPolithicks
Do you mean foreigners like the windrush generation who’ve been there for seventy years?
mildred st. meadowlark
Yes. THEM durty foreigners.
(The Windrush scandal is particularly awful actually.)
Nigel
Xenophobia, nationalism, nostalgia for Empire?
realPolithicks
I think you’re right Nigel, particularly the first two. The english have always been very nationalistic but its remarkable that they seem to think they can turn themselves into a world power again.
realPolithicks
Do you mean foreigners like the windrush generation who’ve been there for seventy years?
SOQ
Yes but they weren’t WASP’s. Shock Horror. A royal with a questionable bloodline marries a woman with a dark tan :|: They are a bit sensitive to that sort of thing over there so shhh.
Say what you like about The Express, but they really know their demographic.
I love them for it.
FREE WISPA
WISPA IS INNOCNENET!!!1!!
It, the Racing Post and the Star are the only pages here that don’t indicate that we live in an appalling nightmare world
At the risk of sounding like a bore :P , that story in the Sunday Times of the Russian embassy builders denied visas has a whiff of propaganda to it – probably coming from the same untoward influence of the British intelligence services on Irish affairs that pressured the earlier expulsions of Russian diplomats.
Quote: “Security and Intelligence, the Garda agency responsible for protecting Ireland’s national security interests, has told the government that the activities of Russian and Chinese intelligence agencies on Irish soil are now the biggest threats facing the state and its critical infrastructure”.
And yet there was the Snowden release from recent times – verified documents revealing how GCHQ has been targeting Irish internet traffic for years. The Irish government’s public response? No comment. Pretend like its not happening.
https://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/uk-spy-base-gchq-tapped-irish-internet-cables-1.2019492
Why should we give much credence to how balanced their statements are now given this track record? No public debate on Snowden’s revelations but we should rest assured that GCHQ are probably the good guys with our best interests at heart? Hmmm
If I was Putin I’d use the Internet to divide Western States in two.
Y’know, places like Britain and the USA first, then the smaller ones… Play the long game… Let them fight amongst themselves…
just sayin’…
Article 6.1 of the Constitution which states: “All powers of government, legislative, executive and judicial, derive, under God, from the people, whose right it is to designate the rulers of the State and, in final appeal, to decide all questions of national policy, according to the requirements of the common good.”
However, the Irish people only get the opportunity to have the final say when the Government deems it necessary for them to do so using a referendum. As a result, the Irish Constitution does not provide an adequate mechanism for ongoing citizen participation in the legislative process with a view towards the shaping of national policy in accordance with the common good.
This belief and desire were clearly illustrated when eighty-three percent (83%) of delegates to the 2012 Constitutional Convention (Citizens’ Assembly) voted in favour of people-initiated referenda.
There should be a revolution in this country and the current shower in Dail Eireann need to be forcibly removed at this point.
Demand control of your constitution instead of the current situation where the Dail locks the people out of initiating changes to it.
What date do you have planned for the ‘revolution’. I’m not available next week but I’m good for the first week in June.
+1916
See you all at next weeks marches.
I’d rather have a Citizens Assembley recommend referenda that we actually need rather than lunatics like yourself demand them every 10 seconds as the whim takes you, thanks all the same.
Ron . What would you propose as the first 3 proposed changes to the constitution?
the constitutional right to housing
Any particular housing?
Or does it have to be near the mammys and close to the shops?
A more reasoned approach would be explaining how “shelter” is already included in our constitution.
Instead you go the entitlement route. During an agreed homeless/housing crisis. Stay classy Cian.
Yep. I was pointing out a possible flaw in a ‘right to housing’.
But I take your point. It was a bit tacky.
…and I jumped at the opportunity to scale my high horse. Let’s blame Sunday evening blues.
1. Protect the Right To Walkies for every doggy in Ireland.
2. An Article enshrining the Right to call anyone a Right Article.
3. In formally calling to order a Citizen’ Assembly the Chair must stand on the table hold a fist to the sky and shout ‘CITIZENS ASSEMBLE! ‘
I’ve never wanted to be the Chair of something so badly.
Are tights supplied?
Constitutionally guaranteed.
I love to add a clause to the constitution:
A. Voting is compulsory, with big fines if missed. And
B. All votes have an extra box “none of the above”. And if a certain percentage of the voters choose this option in an election. That constituency is spoilt and it must be rerun. But none of the original candidates can rerun. For referendum, a different wording must be asked).
https://youtu.be/W7KAAM1JohU
I’d like compulsory turnout too, seems to work well enough in Australia.
None of the above is an interesting idea but it seems impractical.
At no point in my post did I specify the “how” mechanism that citizens would initiate change to the constitution.. I just merely pointed out that citizens currently can’t initiate change to the constitution. Not surprised that the usual trolls on here don’t get it. Not surprised that Rotide put 2 + 2 together and got 9 judging from his response.
right wing contrarion rotide never ever criticises ffglab or rte..
quintessential establishment contrarion.
When you look at the papers here it is amazing how few “real” Irish ones there are. Most are just British ones with a fraction of content changed e.g. Sunday Times, Irish Mail on Sunday, Star, People, etc. And it’s even more striking for the dailies e.g. Sun, Mirror, Mail, Times Ireland edition, etc All British owned and styled.
Justine McCarthy writing about NDAs and how they allow individuals and organisations to continue to abuse. Pity Gemma O’Doherty allowed INM to gag her by signing one. Just say No!
INM didn’t gag Gemma. They hauled her over the coals for having the audacity for verifying Martin Callinan had penalty points quashed and called her ‘a rogue reporter’ for doing her job. They then reconstructed her job and wanted to send her abroad as travel writer. She sued for defamation of character , unlawful dismissal and won both with grovelling apologies and costs. Pity Paul Williams didn’t check his ‘facts’ before he wrote a load of crap on Ms D and Maurice MC Cabe. I think he is a foul reporter.
well said Catherine. Many people here comment freely without knowing the facts of what they are talking about. it’s partly the reason why this country continues to be so dysfunctional.
The trouble with referenda in Ireland – as shown with the Lisbon Treaty -is that even a French midget is able to threaten the people to change their minds.
The Irish public is by and large malleable and easy to coerce by corrupt politicians.
The EU has known this for many years.
That’s why Ireland will spend much of this century paying back the money it was told to borrow by Brussels to bail out German banks.
But we do have the best football supporters in the world so that’s ok.
This again?
We didn’t change our minds. We rejected one deal and approved a better deal. We voted on two different agreements.
I say ‘we’, something tells me your in the ‘why bother voting’ camp.
What were the concessions given in that better deal?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-eighth_Amendment_of_the_Constitution_of_Ireland#Changes_to_the_text
…one of the local revelations thanks to Edward Snowden was that head comrade Eamon Gilmore as Tainiste and Min of Foreign Affairs was giving regular briefings up at the US embassy and assured them that there would be another referendum until the Lisbon agreement was passed…no suprise really when labour had already betrayed their supporters at that stage…
I’m not sure what you find in any way surprising about this?
Everyone who wanted to stay in the EU would have felt there would be as many referendums as neccesary to pass the treaty. It’s either that or leave the EU.
Would you rather be like other member states and just have the original treaty ratified by government?
That midgit wasn’t strictly french
The word is “referendums” ger outta here with yer fancy Greek!
Torygraph: A dozen Cabinet ministers set to block Theresa May’s ‘customs partnership’ plan
I have never ever seen a British Government is such disarray before, they would fight with their shadow. It is being increasingly accepted that Britain will crash and burn and even Corbyn is coming under pressure to flip into some sort of remain stance.
It’s actually a good measure of democracy that the MPs aren’t afraid to cross horns with their leaders.
Brexiteers are democrats? Really? Lets cut the poo. Brexit is an unholy nationalistic mess that nobody has a clue how to get out of.
My comment was on how democracy in the UKs parliament ensures that the ‘party’ doesn have control over MPs minds. Unlike here.
It’s of no consequence to me if the MPs are pro or anti Brexit.
The FG parliamentary party here couldn’t give an opinion for instance on their stance on the referendum until Liar Leo told them what to say. He chose the BBC mind you to release his opinion.
Some democracy here alright.
And you know so much about UK democracy how? Because it is old? They still have May in ‘charge’ because the alternatives scare even the elders of the Conservative party.
@SOQ. You’re all over the place now. Go have a rest and come back with the blinkers off.
I am not a government throwing out conflicting messages on a daily basis sweetheart. A consistent policy for even one full week would be nice?
Britain will crash and burn you say ?
I reckon the 6th largest economy in the world,with the lowest unemployment rate in 43 years,more foreign inward investment than any other country in Europe,the financial capital of the world and with UK manufacturers recording their second-highest levels of profitability ever in the past year will probably be able to cope.
You’re talking out of your botty.
So you think that Britain leaving the EU without a trade deal is a good thing then?
Wow they really suferred appallingly while in the EU.
Well immigration was probably the single biggest issue people voted on and now not a word about it. Even if a hard border in Ireland, unless they build a physical wall, people are still going to walk across.
Will Belfast become the new Calais? And how is it going to work at airports and ferries? Fresh food prices alone will sky rocket because their nearest suppliers will be cut off.
If they are in as good shape as you say while being part of the EU, why on earth do they wan to leave?
foreigners taking their jobs, dole and women.
Do you mean foreigners like the windrush generation who’ve been there for seventy years?
Yes. THEM durty foreigners.
(The Windrush scandal is particularly awful actually.)
Xenophobia, nationalism, nostalgia for Empire?
I think you’re right Nigel, particularly the first two. The english have always been very nationalistic but its remarkable that they seem to think they can turn themselves into a world power again.
Do you mean foreigners like the windrush generation who’ve been there for seventy years?
Yes but they weren’t WASP’s. Shock Horror. A royal with a questionable bloodline marries a woman with a dark tan :|: They are a bit sensitive to that sort of thing over there so shhh.
‘Viagra left dangling by new jabs’
I was lost after that… :)
Welcome back from the honeymoon, Clamps :)
You can grow a bigger one too now?