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Richard Bruton Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland

Bruton: 'There's always going to be difficulties over the last few hundred million'

The Jobs Minister has said that the “vast majority” of department’s budgets for next year have been confirmed but there is still work to be done to finalise measures.

JOBS MINISTER RICHARD Bruton has said that the “vast majority” of government departments’ budgets for next year have been agreed ahead of the Budget 2014 announcement next week.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Bruton said that the final elements of the Budget have still to be determined as he prepares for today’s Cabinet meeting and another on Sunday before Tuesday’s announcement.

He said: “I think every Budget that I’ve participated in there’s always going to be difficulties over the last few hundred million. That’s the nature of these things, that there’s always difficult issues to be teased out.”

The Fine Gael TD said that this year was no different to any other year and said the objective was to make the Budget as fair as possible.

He continued: “The vast majority of budgets are confirmed but clearly the final elements of a budget, both in terms of what discretionary opportunities there are for government to introduce new initiatives that could support employment, that’s still in place and we obviously have ideas that we’re talking to the key ministers about.”

Bruton was on the programme to discuss a new law he plans to introduce in the coming months to provide a fast-track examinership process for small businesses.

Earlier, Taoiseach Enda Kenny told reporters on his way into government buildings for this morning’s meeting that “we’ve a lot of things to do”.

He said that ministers would strive to make the the measures the “fairest and most equitable budget that we can” but warned that there are “some very tough decisions to be made”.

Read: It’s the final countdown: Ministers meet for more Budget talks today

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61 Comments
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    Mute Ian O'Rourke
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    May 14th 2019, 6:27 PM

    And they’ll do nothing about it .

    159
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    Mute Honeybee
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    May 14th 2019, 7:04 PM

    @Ian O’Rourke: About what exactly?

    34
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    Mute Renton Burke
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    May 14th 2019, 7:12 PM

    @Honeybee: well never know, because 99% of complaints disappear in the gsoc system with no follow up possible. What is the percentage of non gardai related complaints that are referred to the DPP?

    62
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    Mute Alan Scott
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    May 14th 2019, 7:24 PM

    Not defending the Gardai here but some of these complaints could be nothing more than to get back at a member of the Garda for doing their job.

    114
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    Mute Mazza86
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    May 14th 2019, 7:53 PM

    @Alan Scott: Agreed, I suspect the majority of them are

    76
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    Mute Daithi Ó Raghallaigh
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    May 14th 2019, 6:51 PM

    About 2 years ago I found teens in a car doing doughnuts in the mountains . I photographed them the ran left the car running with keys in ignition. I Brought keys and memory card to police station . Two weeks later a girl died in the same area by teens in a borrowed car. I’ve heard nothing two years later despite sending a email . Don’t think they take investigation seriously.

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    Mute John Kelly
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    May 14th 2019, 6:54 PM

    @Daithi Ó Raghallaigh: and your point is what

    53
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    Mute Daithi Ó Raghallaigh
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    May 14th 2019, 7:00 PM

    @John Kelly: not doing the job and investigating a crime is misconduct.

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    Mute Tony Donoghue
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    May 14th 2019, 7:04 PM

    @Daithi Ó Raghallaigh: how clear were the photographs, did you get a clear shot of someone driving?

    17
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    Mute Renton Burke
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    May 14th 2019, 7:17 PM

    @Tony Donoghue: it doesn’t matter. It’s unknown whether gardai will even open up a case on it, and if they do they will claim that the actual evidence of criminal activity isn’t evidence. Follow gardai traffic on this with anyone publishing pictures of people commuting crimes are requested to take them down to protect their good name – no investigation ever occurs.

    17
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    Mute Mairtin Antaine O Conaill
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    May 14th 2019, 7:24 PM

    @Daithi Ó Raghallaigh: unless the car was stolen then it wasn’t a crime, at the most dangerous driving, which is road traffic (not a crime). Was there a complainant? I.e a victim who was willing to make a statement. Genuine question.

    23
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    Mute Mazza86
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    May 14th 2019, 7:26 PM

    @Daithi Ó Raghallaigh: it’s very simple, telephone or call in to your local Garda station and find out if there was an outcome instead of assuming no investigation was done at all…

    30
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    Mute Tony Donoghue
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    May 14th 2019, 7:58 PM

    @Mazza86: in fairness he did enquire

    17
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    Mute Eamonn Ó Maoldomhnaigh
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    May 14th 2019, 8:11 PM

    @Daithi Ó Raghallaigh: I’m assuming you dont know if it was the same set of teens who were involved in the incident where the girl died?
    Sounds like you witnessed a dangerous driving incident, I’m sure there are hundreds if not thousands of those every day of the week.

    22
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    Mute Anthony
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    May 14th 2019, 10:13 PM

    @Daithi Ó Raghallaigh: hang on a second…are u alleging that the gardai did not investigate the fatality of a teenage girl??? Let’s get real here, that is not the case. The guards are bound by the data protection act which means they cannot release information regarding the investigation of that girls death to u. Just because of what u saw there 2 weeks before doesn’t mean they are responsible. Perhaps the reason there is no more about it is because they have found that there was no connection between both incidents during their investigation

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    Mute Pat O Brien
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    May 14th 2019, 10:15 PM

    @Daithi Ó Raghallaigh: so you actually stole keys from a car and your upset because it wasn’t followed up……

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    Mute James Stephens
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    May 15th 2019, 12:19 AM

    @Renton Burke: correct. Because you moaning on social media is not an official complaint and people are innocent until proven guilty.

    Walk into a station and make a complaint instead of taking to Twitter!

    4
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    Mute Mazza86
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    May 14th 2019, 7:49 PM

    This is the kind of stuff that make the criminals the victims and have the Gardaí walking on eggshells around them and then we wonder why we don’t receive justice. I also wonder how many of the statistics were found to be erroneous and vindictive complaints… The reality is if this culture of vilifying and attacking the Gardaí at media level, Government level and upper organisational level continues in this current trend you’ll make the Gardaís job undoable to the point of non function and in that event guess who suffers again, the public…

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    Mute KingCrisp
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    May 14th 2019, 9:40 PM
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    Mute John Kelly
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    May 14th 2019, 6:27 PM

    God almighty from.people breaking the law astounding …

    74
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    Mute Tony Donoghue
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    May 14th 2019, 6:52 PM

    @John Kelly: perhaps they complained because they were not actually breaking any law

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    Mute John Kelly
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    May 14th 2019, 6:54 PM

    @Tony Donoghue: doubt it .. I have a healthy degree of scepticism on this one .. I have never had an issue with the garda … and guess what I dont break the law

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    Mute Tony Donoghue
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    May 14th 2019, 6:59 PM

    @John Kelly: that doesn’t prove anything, Garda make mistakes just like every other profession

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    Mute Honeybee
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    May 14th 2019, 7:03 PM

    @John Kelly: Your scepticism is borne out by GSOC’s own data for 2018

    https://www.gardaombudsman.ie/publications/statistics/outcomes-of-cases/

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    Mute Doubtchya Boy!
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    May 14th 2019, 7:47 PM
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    Mute Honeybee
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    May 14th 2019, 8:09 PM

    @Doubtchya Boy!: The article you quote is from 2007,twelve years ago,I think if you check figures for the past five years , the GSOC figures show an analysis leading on from the new oversight bodies.

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    Mute KingCrisp
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    May 14th 2019, 9:24 PM

    @John Kelly: Mind boggling that you are defending a very corrupt Gardai that are synonymous with breaking the law continuously. The new Garda commissioner is appalled at the amount of corruption and is going to set up a new anti corruption unit, that probably will not work and be stone walled. Not all Gardai are corrupt, but there is a lot of them who break the law and you openly appear to be saying say that complaints are not to be listened to and the complainants are criminals(this is nearly word for word from corrupt Garda representatives at their conference a few years ago). They have been deliberately blocking inquiries into them. Last year RTE ran a documentary on part of 200 very serious cases of Garda malpractice that the Gardai are trying to block and not cooperate with GSOC etc.

    https://www.limerickleader.ie/news/home/371623/limerick-gardai-facing-corruption-inquiry.html
    https://www.thejournal.ie/garda-anti-corruption-4625209-May2019/

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    Mute KingCrisp
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    May 14th 2019, 9:33 PM

    @Honeybee: The Gardai are still not cooperating properly with GSOC and GSOC was deliberately designed to be toothless to protect corruption and Gardai who break the law

    https://www.thejournal.ie/gsoc-taser-discharges-48-hours-4531197-Mar2019/
    https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/gsoc-has-failed-and-is-not-fit-for-purpose-1.3585708

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    Mute James Stephens
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    May 15th 2019, 12:22 AM

    @KingCrisp: rubbish. Gsoc have the same powerd against Gardai that Gardai have against you and even more. So how is that toothless?

    Gsoc investigate every single complaint, the fact is that the case cast majority of those complaints are found to be rubbish.

    9
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    Mute KingCrisp
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    May 15th 2019, 12:44 AM

    @James Stephens: They are underfunded and understaffed and can’t compel the Gardai to cooperate just to name a few of their toothless failings. I’ve already furnised a link showing some of their failings. Cases fail due to GSOC been toothless and extreme Garda resistance and corruption toward GSOC and any investigations, ergo cases not been able to be resolved, ergo it negates your statement “the fact is that the case cast majority of those complaints are found to be rubbish.”. They are not rubbish. Corrupt Gardai and GSOC’s failings stops Gardai been prosecuted. I’m not saying all cases are guilty, but they are stopping investigation and breaking the law again, Corruptus in extremis
    Unfortunately the corrupt Gardai and the Garda representatives and all who are involved in protecting corrupt Gardai, are sullying all of the good hard working honest Gardai and by protecting corruption they are de facto anti-Gardai
    https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/gsoc-has-failed-and-is-not-fit-for-purpose-1.3585708
    https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/gsoc-has-more-than-1-000-investigations-ongoing-1.3448541

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    Mute James Stephens
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    May 15th 2019, 8:30 PM

    @KingCrisp: rubbish. Gsoc can attest and detain a Garda in the exact same way a Garda can arrest and detain you.

    They can also compel Gardai to report on an event that occurred while on duty.

    Saying gsoc can’t compel Gardai to assist is like saying Gardai can’t compel a witness to assist with a case but yet the Gardai still solve many many crimes.

    Or did you think criminals always hand themselves in and admit everything?

    As for being underfunded and understaffed. Oh please. Do some maths. Gsoc have a bigger budget and manpower to person they’re tasked with investigating than the actual Gardai do to perform their duties. Do you even know the staff strength and budget for gsoc?

    1
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    Mute Coco86
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    May 14th 2019, 6:58 PM

    I’d question how many complaints were genuinely warranted, IMO there’s far more unwarranted.

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    Mute Anthony
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    May 14th 2019, 10:08 PM

    Sure every sc&mbag in the country can make a complaint out of pure badness. Complaint made doesn’t mean it actually happened although u wouldn’t think that with some of the comments here…..

    27
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    Mute Craig Clancy
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    May 14th 2019, 7:02 PM

    And what will be done….zilch…nadda…zip…feel free to add more if ye like (“,)

    22
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    Mute Tony Donoghue
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    May 14th 2019, 7:07 PM

    @Craig Clancy: nil, nowt, zero, sweet fanny adams

    16
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    Mute Pat Clapham
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    May 14th 2019, 7:03 PM

    All police are corrupted

    24
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    Mute Tony Donoghue
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    May 14th 2019, 7:10 PM

    @Pat Clapham: eh hello, this one is about Garda Siochana

    23
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    Mute Joey Navinski
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    May 14th 2019, 7:19 PM

    @Pat Clapham: are you including Maurice McCabe in your ignorant exaggeration?

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    Mute Grace McLoughlin
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    May 14th 2019, 7:43 PM

    @Pat Clapham: maybe proof read your comments before posting them!

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    Mute bmul
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    May 14th 2019, 7:45 PM

    @Tony Donoghue: who are the police .

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    Mute Tony Donoghue
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    May 14th 2019, 8:00 PM

    @bmul: Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers

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    Mute Shay Leonard
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    May 15th 2019, 2:23 AM

    @Pat Clapham: and all morons cant spell

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    Mute Tom Tom
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    May 14th 2019, 11:42 PM

    Arra everybody complains about everything these days. It doesn’t mean they were all legit.

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    Mute TheTrustedChalice
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    May 14th 2019, 11:44 PM

    @Tom Tom: arra. I didn’t need to read the rest of your comment.

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    Mute Diarmaid O'Riordáin
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    May 15th 2019, 4:22 AM

    I was driving down the M1 to Dublin one day last year and a car flew down the wrong side of the motorway in the overtaking lane.
    I had dash cam footage so I dropped it into the Guards.
    They guard thanked me and I left.

    10 minutes later his superior called me and I kid you not he said “I’m not sure what you want me to do with this, do you want to make a complaint?”

    I politely said, I’m not sure I’m not a Garda.

    Someone has to die or be seriously injured for these muppets to do some work.
    That person could be suicidal or maybe the car was stolen, could clearly see a face and the number plate on the video.

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    Mute Mazza86
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    May 15th 2019, 9:01 AM

    @Diarmaid O’Riordáin: Legally speaking, you must make a formal statement of complaint for an investigation to be launched before the Gardaí would have the power to make a well grounded arrest and leading from that a successful prosecution in a court of law… You merely handing the dash cam footage in to the station would possibly identify the vehicle, driver etc and would be excellent corroborating evidence if used in conjunction with a witness statement… If you think the footage should be enough for a successful prosecution then your anger and frustration should be directed to our legal system not the Gardaí… They merely work within the confines of this system

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    Mute Diarmaid O'Riordáin
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    May 15th 2019, 4:12 AM

    Not surprised I was one of them.
    They’ll never change.

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    Mute Conor Thorne
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    May 15th 2019, 8:30 AM

    It’s 5000 the others 3000 fell into the bin

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    Mute Harry Price
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    May 14th 2019, 9:59 PM

    1 in 6 have been at it apart from the criminal con and dishonest and wrong and uncaring ones of the12000 there are in this police force the time has come Drew

    4
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    Mute James Stephens
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    May 15th 2019, 12:23 AM

    @Harry Price: ah yeah, and you don’t have any reason to hate the Gardai

    3
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    Mute Front Line (Retd)
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    May 16th 2019, 9:19 AM

    How many were frivolous, vexatious or downright lies were made and told? Overall 74 sanctions out of 2000 complaints of a total of 13,500 Garda members. Please keep it in perspective. GSOC has their own agenda.

    1
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