You Had Nine Years

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From top: *Sam, a five-year-old homeless boy who was photographed eating from a piece of cardboard in Dublin last October; outreach worker caring for an elderly homeless woman last week; managing director of RTÉ News Jon Williams greeting Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at RTÉ yesterday; Mr Varadkar giving an interview on RTÉ’s This Week yesterday

Yesterday.

RTÉ’s  David McCullagh interviewed Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on RTÉ Radio One’s This Week.

During the interview, Mr Varadkar said he has decided on a date for the general election but didn’t disclose the date.

They went on to discuss problems in the health service and homelessness.

The Taoiseach, several times, said that problems in both sectors are driving or spurring him on to be better.

He also said that Fine Gael have only had two years to invest in public infrastructure, despite being in Government for the past nine years.

From the interview…

David McCullagh: “Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, what are you thinking now about the election?”

Leo Varadkar: “Well, first of all, good morning and good afternoon, and thanks very much for having me. As you know, it is the responsibility and the duty of the Taoiseach, or it is the prerogative rather of the Taoiseach to request dissolution of the Dáil and that’s a duty I take very seriously.

“I’ve always said that it should only happen when it’s the right time for the country and it’s been my view for a long time now that the right time would be the summer of 2020.

“But I have to acknowledge that circumstances have changed. We have a deal on Brexit. And in many ways that was the big job of this government, our magnus opus, to secure a deal on Brexit.

“We have the institutions up and running in Northern Ireland which the Tánaiste [Simon Coveney] and I have put a huge amount of work into, particularly the Tánaiste and also the arithmetic in the Dáil has changed and that’s the reality of that.

“So I have made a decision but there is some unfinished business to do which I want to get done and also there is some respect and protocol around this and I would like to speak to the Cabinet, to the views of the Opposition.

“So as things stand, the Cabinet will meet on Tuesday [tomorrow] and the Dáil will reconvene on Wednesday.”

McCullagh: “Ok, you have made the decision but you’re not going to tell us?”

Varadkar: “That’s correct.”

McCullagh: “Ok, the Dáil arithmetic, I mean there is a confidence motion down in [Health Minister] Simon Harris for February 15th, February the 5th I should say. Do you accept now that you’re not going to be in a position to win that vote?”

Varadkar: “I haven’t really run the numbers yet? We’ve…”

McCullagh: “Well I have, thankfully. You had the majority of three in the confidence vote on [Housing Minister] Eoghan Murphy. Dara Murphy’s gone, that’s down to two.”

Varadkar: “Uh-huh.”

McCullagh: “Thomas Pringle wasn’t at that vote, he presumably will be at the next vote, that’s down to one. John McGuinness now says, of Fianna Fáil, he’s going to vote against you. That’s down to an even number. And it appears from the newspapers that Noel Grealish is going to at least abstain. That means that you lose that vote unless something changes.”

Varadkar: “Yeah well there is, as you know, division within Fianna Fáil and that obviously is a factor that I’ve to take into account as well. The leader of Fianna Fáil has always said to me that they’ve honoured the confidence and supply agreement to date but it does appear that the division within their own party may make it impossible for them to do that. That’s for them to answer, not for me.”

McCullagh: “When you met Micheál Martin, did you ask him, as you did in the letter you sent him before Christmas, for members of Fianna Fáil to positively vote for the Government in a confidence motion?”

Varadkar: “You know, I didn’t actually, because  he made his views on that very clear publicly before we met so I didn’t feel the need to go through the ritual of it but…”

McCullagh: “Did you ask him for assurances about John McGuinness?”

Varadkar: “I did ask him for an assurance that he would be able to lead and deliver his own party and it seems from the news today that he wouldn’t. Or, at least, if John McGuinness is to be believed, that he wouldn’t be able to do that.”

McCullagh: “Ok.”

Varadkar: “Which is unfortunate because any Taoiseach and any party leader needs to be able to have their own party behind them.”

McCullagh: “Well, indeed. We’ll perhaps discuss that with Micheál Martin next week. But do you accept that if you lose a motion of confidence in one of your ministers, that’s the end of the Government?”

Varadkar: “Legally and constitutionally, that’s actually not the case. The motion would be in the minister and not the Government. But a Taoiseach that can’t appoint their own Cabinet, is a Taoiseach in name only.”

Later

McCullagh: “On the trolley figures, 2019 was the worst year since figures began and the first couple of weeks of this year have been even worse. 760 on trolleys. [Former Health Minister and Progressive Democrats TD] Mary Harney declared a national emergency some years ago when it hit 500.

“And you said in September 2015, if the situation didn’t improve, heads would have to roll. Simon Harris said in January 2017 that under-performing managers would be replaced.

“Voters might form their own opinion of whose heads should roll.”

Varadkar: “I think they will form their opinion but hopefully they will give what we’ve to say some consideration. And I’m acknowledging that what we’ve done in health isn’t enough. We have made some good progress around affordability for example, cutting prescription charges for people, medical cards, for people who don’t, free GP care for kids under six.

“And people over 70, carers, those with profound disabilities, we have a plan to extend that further to all children and other groups too. And also reducing waiting times both for operations and, in fact, waiting times to see a specialist have now been falling for four months in a row.

“But, you know, what we’ve found with health is, it’s not something you can turn around quickly. It’s actually going to take years.”

McCullagh: “Well you’ve been in office for nine years.”

Varadkar: “Yeah, that is true but we haven’t had nine years to invest in health and housing and education. We’ve only had about two years to do that. And that’s because we had to get the economy fixed first. We had to get people back to work, we had to get our public finances in order.

“It’s only in the last two years that we’ve eliminated the budget deficit and I think most fair-minded people will acknowledge that. That there was a job to do first, around getting our economy back on track. We shouldn’t take that for granted. That can be undermined.

“And we can go backwards if we go back to the people who created the mess in the first place. And it’s only in the past two years that we’ve been able to invest in public infrastructure and public services and I’m determined to drive that on over the next five years, if I’m given the opportunity to do so.”

McCullagh: “Before Christmas you were asked if you were ashamed of your record on housing and you said you weren’t. Now people looking at that photo before Christmas of a homeless five-year-old boy eating his dinner off a piece of cardboard on the street, or hearing that an 81-year-old woman was found this week homeless on the streets of Dublin. They might think shame is the only reaction?”

Varadkar: “Well certainly I was very, very concerned to hear that story in the last couple of days about the 80-year-old woman. I did check into it by the way. And the facts were not as they were reported. And in fairness RTÉ has acknowledged that.

She was in her early 60s, has some mental health issues and was discharged to a social care worker with a housing plan. So I’m afraid that was one of those examples where an individual case was put about in the media that actually turned out not to be the case.

“There is a housing plan in place for her and I think that’s the most important thing, that she is being looked after.

“And I want to say to the staff in St James’s Hospital, who felt very hurt by the story, because the implication was that they had somehow allowed an 80-year-old woman out on the streets, that, that you know, that shouldn’t have happened to them, they did their job and did it well.”

McCullagh: “What about the homeless five-year-old boy eating his dinner off a piece of cardboard?

Varadkar:That was shocking, shocking photograph and one that I found very upsetting too. I remember, at the time, we tried to find out who that child was, because we wanted to make sure that he was looked after, that perhaps he could be moved into a family hub or perhaps we could make sure there were no child protection issues.

We still haven’t been able to find that child unfortunately. So, individually, that’s the situation with that particular case.

“But they are very sad stories and they’re stories that drive me on because they remind me of how much more we need to do.”

“And also the positive stories remind me as well. Bear in mind, since I’ve become Taoiseach, the number of new houses built in Ireland has trebled from about 7,000 a year to 20,000 a year…”

McCullagh: “Which is still 14,000 below what the Central Bank says we need every year.”

Varadkar: “Well I actually think we need to get to 40,000 a year, so I think we need more than the Central Bank thinks.”

McCullagh: “When can we hit that?”

Varadkar: “Well having trebled it in the past two-and-a-half years, I think I can double it in the next two-and-a-half years, if I’m given the chance to do so. We haven’t done enough on housing, we can do more. And some of that is working, by the way.

“The fact we built more houses last year than any year, for a decade, is the reason why houses prices are levelling off. And that really matters, particularly when it comes to people who want to buy their first home for the first time.

“And one thing that I always remember, and I’ll never forget it,  is the experience of turning the key in my own door, going into my own apartment,  sitting on my own couch and turning on my own TV.

“And I want home ownership to be a reality for everyone in this country. We’ve made some good progress, both with the Help to Buy scheme and the Rebuilding Ireland home loan and I want to build on that.”

McCullagh: “And yet Taoiseach, with respect, people are listening to this and they’ll know the figures. There are still 10,500 homeless people, there are still 3,752 children without that roof over their head, without that sofa, without that TV that you’re speaking of. And they’re simply saying that this government is not moving fast enough to deal with that problem.”

Varadkar: “And, you know, I share that frustration. A lot of people are frustrated at the pace of progress and I am too. And when I see those figures, and I see them every month, I’m reminded by the work we still have to do and it’s the kind of thing that spurs me on….”

Listen back in full here

‘How did I do?’ Relaxed Taoiseach gives little away, except a broad smile (Jennifer Bray, The Irish Times)

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76 thoughts on “You Had Nine Years

  1. Louis Lefronde

    When the economy is doing well, and there’s full employment, the only thing the opposition (particularly the left) can talk about is housing and healthcare. Naturally, these are issues in nearly every country. A change of government will make no difference.

    1. Qwerty123

      Nonsense, they can build social housing, FG stated policy is to mix housing and let the private market house social tenants, as we see with fund build to rent developments and schemes like HAP etc.

      The x Billions they are holding for Apple, losing money, would go a long way to resolve issues in healthcare and housing. FG decided to fight the ruling.

      All government policy. A change would make a difference.

    2. Dr.Fart

      Louis, the fact that you said that, means you know very very little on the matter. Which is a problem when people go to vote, a lot of them, like you, have an idea in their head of what the situation is, they don’t do any research and keep that idea in their heads, and then go off to vote. That vote, based on whims and theory, and not based in fact at all, then throws the likes of Fine Gael upon everyone. They’re allowed to continue do an appaling job, because of so many ill-informed votes like yours puts them there, for everyone to endure. When people say “we get what we vote for” theyre talking about you. Your the type who puts these in power. They can always count on you.

    3. Portroegirl

      We have ongoing National emergencies in homelessness,housing and health which are not being adequately tackled!The Government own Advisory Body said the housing crisis is a threat to the economy & the Government had to deny a claim by UN last year that housing is ‘unaffordable’ in Ireland.Theres 1m people on hospital waiting lists according to the Irish Hospitals Consultants Association last September& unprecedented hospital overcrowding leading to increased mortality rates every year.Each of these 1m people must have at least 1 family member concerned about them!
      Homeless families with children has increased by shocking 605% since 2011& homeless children in family units has increased by shocking 677.7% since 2011(up to Sept’19).What’s worrying also is Ireland only uses 3 Catergories of ETHOS typology & excludes 10 Catergories for ‘official’ figures!
      Yes,there’s almost full employment but Revenue data stated 1.7m workers earning €30,000& under so affordable housing, affordable rents are important issues.Even people on higher wages can’t afford what Government say are affordable houses!Rents are a shocking 39% higher than boom!
      Now most intelligent people would realise how vital it is to urgently address these important emergencies affecting large sections of society,it should be one of the main priorities of a functioning economy!

      1. Caroline. No.

        What’s unacceptable about it?
        The weather is mild here relatively
        There are plenty of empty houses in Cavan and Leitrim

        1. millie vanilly strikes again

          Yes, because it boils down to something as simplistic as that. Let’s ship all the homeless out to the old ghost estates where there are no services or amenities to support such an influx of people. Brilliant idea, Caroline. Wonder why no one has suggested it before.

  2. V

    There’s a quare few in FF not wanting an election until after Paddys Day
    And that includes Michael Martin
    And some not at all

    They’ll take a fair bitta flack for the Confidence & Supply themselves

    They’re scared ____less of having to catch up with Brexit and the Homeless and Accommodation Emergency

    Health in fairness – has as much blame in their hands as any other crowd

    Anyway there’s a good cohort on the opposition benches that would prefer to stay there

    1. Spaghetti Hoop

      Heard that from a reliable source also.
      FF split on the election.
      A lot to do with TD pensions.

    2. Louis Lefronde

      No Government can wave a magic wand and make homelessness disappear, let’s get real. Also, let’s not forget there are those particularly on the left who have made this their main propaganda plank in advance of the forthcoming election, and yet they provide no tangible solutions other than “get rid of Fine Gael!”

      Homelessness and the causes of homelessness are complex and multi-faceted. It is not just down to a shortage of public housing, although greater supply will reduce some of the problem. Greater provision of public housing will not assist those with problematic addiction, mental health issues and a variety of other underlying causes.

      1. Cian

        I agree that some homelessness is due to “addiction, mental health issues and a variety of other underlying causes”. But the vast majority of the people affected in the current crisis is due to the shortage of housing – especially in the cities.

        The financial crash put a halt to almost all residential building (aside from self-builds) for five years (2009-2013), and then a lack of credit seriously reduced the number for the next six years. Add to this a 10% increase in population and you have a serious demand issue – huge rent increases for all. This created most pressure on the working poor.

        Add to this the lack of local authority builds and you have the councils renting private property for social housing – again squeezing the poorest.

        We need to concentrate on building more residential housing in the cities for sale to owner-occupiers, and;
        We need to concentrate on building more residential housing (in the cities) for social housing.

        1. Nomad

          There’d be people out there unfortunately who would argue against other people getting a free house in Dublin City or close by when you have hard working people commuting long distances to pay for their mortgages, working long hours, decent responsible people. Why should these homeless get a house for free.

        2. GiggidyGoo

          Central government finances the local authority builds. Little finance = little number builds.

      2. Portroegirl

        Tangible solutions:
        :Rent Freeze(Fair Rent)Bill 2019-passed in Dail
        :Planning and Development (Ministerial Power Repeal)Bill 2019-1st stage
        : Social Housing (Real Social Housing) Bill-at 2nd stage
        : Residential Tenancies (Prevention of Family homelessness)Bill 2018-defeated by a vote at 2nd stage
        : Emergency Homeless Accommodation and Direct Provision Independent Inspection Blog 2018-at 2nd stage
        :Homeless Prevention Bill 2018- at 2nd stage
        :Secure Rents and Tenancies Bill 2016- defeated by a vote at 2nd stage
        : Planning and Development (Amendment (No 2) Bill 2016-at 2nd stage
        :Rent Certainty Bill 2016- defeated at 2nd stage
        : Thirty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution (Right to a home)Bill 2016- defeated at 1st stage.
        These are just a few Bills put forward by SF!

        1. Rob_G

          I think that you are being somewhat generous by calling some of these measures ‘tangible solutions’ – some of them (ex. adding a ‘Right to a home’ to the Constitution) were completely unworkable. Which SF no doubt knew well, and were just playing to the gallery when they proposed them.

          1. Portroegirl

            ITs article in 2018:’UN backs calls to make housing a constitutional right in Ireland’.
            Irish Examiner article in 2017:’Housing is a right,and Ireland must recognise this in law’
            Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights includes the right to housing!
            If other countries can have that right in legislation,there’s no excuse for Ireland!

    1. Rob_G

      The fact that there are still 6,615 homeless people in Finland 10 years after they started implementing this policy suggests that homelessness is quite a tough nut to crack.

      1. Portroegirl

        “The majority of these ,more than 70%,are living temporarily living with friends or relatives” as stated in The Guardian article :’ It’s a miracle: Helsinki’s radical solution to homelessness’. Unlike Ireland Finland uses more than 3 Catergories of ETHOS typology.

    2. Mickey Minaj

      no we cant we abandoned public housing to the private sector in the 40s never a coherant policy on this.
      the only arms of the state that function reasonably well are revenue and dept social welfare

  3. Mickey Minaj

    Jesus, will we ever hear the end of homeless people, maybe some people are too mental to live in a house, is this the only issue up for discussion during the forthcoming election campaign. I not some right wing extremist but christ almighty can we have a return to discuss issue that affect the majority of people in the country such as childcare costs, grants for energy improvements to existing housing stock, infrastructure, actual issues not this constant “what about the homeless” for people who pretend to live in their cars

    1. Louis Lefronde

      Hard-leftists will ensure that you will not hear the end of the “Homeless Crisis” ….. They are very good at propaganda!!!

        1. Mickey Minaj

          homelessness is a function of people preferring to live in cars than houses and preferring a free hotel room with a trouser press than paying rent.

          Ignore the above noise im going to guess that over 98% of people that use broadsheet are not homeless so therefore should be discussing how the government will afford the grants to upgrade our houses to A rated to conserve energy to stop the environmental catastrophe that is global warming buying more sleeping bags and leaving your coats on bridges is only confounding the issue of waste and consumption

  4. frank

    The only thing and I mean ONLY thing you can do if you want things to change is to vote Sinn Fein.
    There is no alternative.

    1. Cian

      All change isn’t good change.

      I reckon, at best they would continue their tradition as MEPs, MP, and MLAs and either not show up, or show up and do nothing. At worst Sinn Fein would destroy the country if they got into power – they would ‘solve’ the housing crisis by crashing the economy and creating a wave of emigration – this would cause a massive drop in demand and prices would plummet. Housing problem solved. As a knock-on the traffic problems would also be ‘fixed’.

      1. Boj

        How would they ‘destroy the country’ or “crash the economy”…how how how? C’mon tell us please?

        Alternatively, we have how many years of ACTUAL EVIDENCE that FFFG are useless and are, what seems to me, actively working AGAINST the citizen!
        You’re a logical guy right?

        1. Pat jones

          We all know what ff fg Labour did and will do again, if we keep electing them,give Sinn Fein a chance and if they mess up get them out.but it suits to knock Sinn Fein to keep ff fg in power.come the election both parties will concentrate on keeping Sinn Fein and the Ira too the forefront

      2. GiggidyGoo

        Jeez Cian. You’re foretelling that SF would crash the economy and create a wave of emigration. Based on what exactly?

        Here’s two facts that are ‘actual’ and not airy fairy bullpoo.

        FF crashed the economy.
        FFG created and maintained a wave of emigration.

      1. bisted

        …I dunno…the shinners come out with some quite profound stuff from time to time…one of the most profound things they say consistently is that it’s not in anyone’s gift to decide who shall form a government other than the electorate…

          1. Caroline. No.

            no a Rhode scholar
            A person who is learned to a high level on the small village in Co Offaly which produced a plethora of great Gaelic football players over the years

    2. Qwerty123

      @Frank, i would never have said it but I kind of agree. FF/FG have proven to be completely incompetent at government over the last 20 years.

      @ Cian, could they be worse? Worse than FF? Dont think so. I’m no shinner, but no other viable alternative.

    3. Rob_G

      @ Frank – Dublin’s homelessness crisis developed during the 5 years that SF controlled Dublin City Council, which has responsibility for housing and homeless services in Dublin. Also, if you think the crisis here is bad, take a look at rates of homelessness and social deprivation in Northern Ireland, another place where SF have been in power (well, sort of).

      1. Portroegirl

        SF doesn’t make Government policies re housing,etc & LAs need Ministerial approval for capital expenditure over €1m!
        Northern Ireland used all 13 Catergories of ETHOS typology re homelessness in last Report, Ireland only uses 3Cathergories!

        1. Rob_G

          It would have been helpful if DCC (not just SF in fairness, FG & FF as well) hadn’t voted twice to defund themselves by reducing LPT by the highest possible amount.

    4. V

      The Shinners will lose seats – unfortunately

      And they can only blame themselves, Sinn Fein Councillors made a hames of Dublin – the one location that could support a fully loaded LPT charge, yet they voted to reduce it
      They had a whole five years of opportunity to build and enhance DCC’s social housing stock, and they didn’t

      And that’s before we get to the matter of the “Security” payments that got approved on their watch

      The Shinners biggest enemy is actually themselves

      1. Boj

        Haha,…just some questions for you on this.
        What have FF & FG done while in power? Who can we blame for Health/Housing?
        Who are FF & FG’s biggest enemy?

        PS LPT is a hot poker in the hoohoo of a management fee down the neck of general taxation with a kick in the VAT. Total value for money eh?

        I’m not a SF lover but I’m an ‘anything but’ man now. The kids haven’t a hope here if this continues.

        1. V

          I’m not disagreeing with you
          I had hoped they’d make the breakthrough in 2016
          Even wrote about a coalition with FF

          However the electorate will stick with main stream
          And the General may well reflect the same %s as last year’s local

          Having Independents in Government has been a disaster
          And the Voter will respond likewise

          1. Boj

            Ah tis Vanessa…didn’t see that! The commentor name changes can get confusing/messy.

            I simply don’t like your predictions. ;-) Predictions actually sway people y’know. Last election there were similar desperate sentiments about who to vote for and…(as Ron would say) the daw jaws swallow those predictions up as ‘the right way to vote’ as if they win something for voting ‘correctly’. And the disaster of indys…??? WTF? How much power did they have? Who has been running the country?? If an indy takes a seat from FFG then happy days. So I kindly ask you to cease and desist infecting the daw jaws with your RTE-esque mind bullets! :-)

          2. V

            How very dare you
            My RTE-esque mind bullets!
            I’ve never been more insulted … and around here alone, that’s saying something .·´¯`(>▂<)´¯`·

            Oh, and I think you're giving me and my predictions far too much clout there Boj

  5. Dr.Fart

    i can’t believe how many people are saying they’ll vote for this failing, lying charlatan, with his failures and lies very clearly laid out for all to see. The country is spiralling down the toilet and they’re like “can’t risk change” as they hurtle down the U bend.

    1. Louis Lefronde

      Note to Dr Fart…. they’re all lying charlatans who live in fear of being found out…. but if full employment and a growing economy isn’t your thing, vote for the fringe looneys on the left and see how that works out for you?

      1. Dr.Fart

        it’s been FF or FG for eternity, and one managed to destroy the nation, and the other sold off what was left of it and then completely wasted an economic boom. I can’t see either of them being viable options. Nothing would make me vote for parties who have had a go and done terribly. I’ll be voting for Sinn Fein. They have real politicians with real ideas and a desire to actually run the country for its citizens. I don’t know why the hell you’d keep the current lot in, they’ve proven to be awful.

        1. frank

          That’s it in a nutshell doctor.
          If you want change vote Sinn Fein.
          If you’re happy the way things are vote for the confidence and supply party or whatever FG FF call themselves.

          1. Rob_G

            Again, SF have been in charge of the provision of social housing and homeless services in Dublin for 5 years. What great changes did they institute in that time?

          2. Dr.Fart

            very light on fact there, rob_g. the FG tactics which seem to be in full swing on the run up to this election. taking cue from ur party leader, just flat out lie. even when offered the facts, lie in their face.

            you actually dont need to. FG will stay in anyway. An irish person could visit their granny on a hospital trolley where she’s been for 2 weeks., get home and open a letter saying his rent has been increased to way beyond what he can afford. then walk to the bus because he can’t afford car insurance anymore, wait on a very late privatised dublin bus, and be late for his zero hour contract job. and then walk into a polling station and still vote FG. so save your spin. people are dumb creatures of habit and will keep your lot in.

          3. Rob_G

            Well I did provide one fact; one fact, and timeline. I notice you haven’t really provided any facts.

          4. Boj

            @Rob_FG
            How can you support FF or FG after everything we’ve been through together? ;-p
            Were you not affected in any way by their policies? Do you like the way their representatives openly show disregard if not distain for you and me? Da proof is in all of da papers which are posted here on a daily basis.

          5. Rob_G

            @ Boj

            Ireland has been the fastest-growing economy in the eurozone for the past 5 years. Our healthcare system is ranked 11th in the world in terms of outcomes.

            On the negative side, FG could have done more to tackle the housing crisis, and definitely, definitely could have done more to tackle climate change.

            I suppose the question I would ask you is which party do you think would be able to do better in the above areas.

            “Do you like the way their representatives openly show disregard if not disdain for you and me?”
            – really? How so? Anyway, I actually wouldn’t care if we were governed by colourless technocrats, so long as they got results.

            I’ll be giving another party my #1, but will definitely give FG a preference.

  6. Dr.Fart

    it’s been FF or FG for eternity, and one managed to destroy the nation, and the other sold off what was left of it and then completely wasted an economic boom. I can’t see either of them being viable options. Nothing would make me vote for parties who have had a go and done terribly. I’ll be voting for Sinn Fein. They have real politicians with real ideas and a desire to actually run the country for its citizens. I don’t know why the hell you’d keep the current lot in, they’ve proven to be awful. Worst records in almost every sector, and in times of strong economy. That’s highly incompetent. But thats what you want??

  7. garrett

    Health Care
    Taxation
    Cost of property rental
    Mortgage Interest Rates
    Corruption among TDs

    Alan Farrell (he of the fake compensation claim) has claimed for roaming costs even though there are no roaming costs

    Lisa Chambers (who lied about voting ) also claimed roaming costs

    Others who fraudulently claimed this include:
    Michael Healy-Rae
    Eamon Ryan
    Senator Frances Black
    Senator Michelle Mulherin
    Senators Catherine Noone
    Frank Feighan

    1. Cian

      Don’t forget:
      Aengus Ó Snodaigh SF
      Brendan Smith FF
      Catherine Connolly Ind
      Catherine Noone FG
      Darragh O’Brien FF
      Declan Breathnach FF
      Eamon Ryan Green
      Fiona O’Loughlin FF
      Frank Feighan FG
      Joe Carey FG
      Joe O’Reilly FG
      John O’Mahony FG
      Lisa Chambers FF
      Martin Conway FG
      Maura Hopkins FG
      Michelle Mulherin FG
      Pat Deering FG
      Robert Troy FF
      Ronan Mullen Ind
      Terry Leyden FF

  8. ReproBertie

    Every time I see people saying voting SF would be a disaster I’m reminded of when FF destroyed the economy, sold us to the IMF and in the lead in to the election we were warned not to vote FG because they had no experience and would be a disaster and we’d be better off sticking with FF who knew the score.

    We know FFG don’t care about anything beyond their pay and pensions. We know they don’t care about the public. We know they don’t care about the environment. We know that FG went in to stop the wastage in the public sector and then spent €2million on a printer and still don’t know how much a children’s hospital in the wrong location will eventually cost. We know FG promised to reduce the trolley times and things are worse than ever. We know FG have massaged the figures while more and more children are born into homelessness. We know FF have stood by them and supported them through it all.

    We know these things so why would we vote for either of the coalition partners?

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