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Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland

Revised bill would allow people to legally change their gender at age 16 or 17

However, a court order will be required, as well as certification from a doctor that the applicant is mature enough.

A REVISED BILL approved by Cabinet today includes a change to the proposed minimum age of 18 for applications for a gender recognition certificate.

However, a court order will be required.

The bill would allow for transgender people to have legal recognition of their gender in all dealings with the State, as well as public bodies, and civil and commercial society.

This would then allow successful applicants to “marry a person of the opposite gender or enter a civil partnership with a person of the same gender”.

Those applying must sign a self-declaration that they intend to permanently live as their gender, and for a doctor to confirm that they have transitioned or are transitioning to their acquired gender.

The bill retains a requirement that the applicant be single, however this is pending the outcome of the referendum on same-sex marriage.

Consultation

These changes in the Bill follows consultation with the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection.

A “key recommendation” was that the minimum age someone could apply for a gender recognition certificate be dropped dropped from 18 to 16.

The new revised General Scheme of the Gender Recognition Bill recognised this, and includes two important changes.

  • A person aged 16 or 17 years may, with parent/guardian consent, apply for a Court order exempting them from that requirement
  • The application by that 16 or 17 year old will be accompanied by confirmation from the treating physician and an independent physician that the person is sufficiently mature to make the application.

“The whole process enhanced our understanding of the complex issues that are being addressed in this legislation,” Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton said in a statement this evening.

“I also want to again welcome the support of my Cabinet colleagues on these hugely important proposals,” she added.

The Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI) have previously said that the lack of recognition in Ireland right now creates major problems for its members.

“When there are discrepancies in our legal documents, we are outed against our will and left vulnerable to discrimination, harassment and even violence,” noted Ben Power from the organisation.

Read: Dáil debates gender recognition law for first time in history >

Column: Lowering the legal age for gender recognition is vital >

More: The experiences of transgender people in Ireland >

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126 Comments
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    Mute Davy Boy
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    Jan 26th 2017, 10:56 AM

    The journal are going to get some mileage out off Donald

    226
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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Jan 26th 2017, 11:02 AM

    @Davy Boy:

    I wonder, would we have seen a blow-by-blow daily report on what Hillary Clinton was up to had she won the election? I doubt that very much.

    137
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    Mute John Molloy
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    Jan 26th 2017, 11:04 AM

    5th news item today re:Donald.

    71
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    Mute LITTLEONE
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    Jan 26th 2017, 11:15 AM

    @Davy Boy: we are shortly going to know his bathroom times, whether he leaves the toilet seat up. What he had for breakfast, Because nothing else happening in the world it seems..

    63
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    Mute Alan O'Nolan
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    Jan 26th 2017, 11:38 AM

    @Davy Boy: They are making a fortune off President Trump and yet their journalists and headline writers don’t seem to know how to give the man his proper title now that he is President.

    52
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    Mute Pádraig Ó Raghaill
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    Jan 26th 2017, 11:39 AM

    <<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>

    8
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    Mute Tony Canning
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    Jan 26th 2017, 11:42 AM

    Trump has courted controversy all through his campaign and made significant promises. He hasn’t held elected office before either and has made some pretty big claims. In that context it’s hardly surprising that people would be watching. You’d have to wonder at the motivations of people who would want you to look away.

    27
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    Mute Pádraig Ó Raghaill
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    Jan 26th 2017, 12:03 PM

    @Tony Canning:

    Really..

    AD NAUSEUM

    That is what it is ……

    There has been quite a bit of real news going on while all this boring, bollox, is writ large for the consumption of the masses.

    Yes sir yes sir three bags full….

    18
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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Jan 26th 2017, 12:09 PM

    Pádraig, nobody is forcing anybody to read them though. People choose to read them then complain that they exist

    29
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    Mute Pádraig Ó Raghaill
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    Jan 26th 2017, 1:11 PM

    @Dave O Keeffe:

    I don’t read them, hardly ever read a Journal article, maybe some of the opinion pieces. It is just the headline and number washing out any useful commentary worth engaging.

    How’s that understanding of basic English coming along?

    9
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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Jan 26th 2017, 1:27 PM

    How’s the being respectful thing going for you? Your English may need a bit of a Polish, can you find for me please where I said you read it? Or even said anything specifically about you. It was a general comment about people complaining bout the existence of an article that they chose to read

    6
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    Mute Pádraig Ó Raghaill
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    Jan 26th 2017, 2:51 PM

    @Dave O Keeffe:

    Earned not given -

    4
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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Jan 26th 2017, 7:46 PM

    So you mean to say you don’t show respect to people you meet in everyday life? Since you don’t know them how could they possibly have earned it?

    1
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    Mute Redcaff
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    Jan 26th 2017, 10:57 AM

    When is he building the MonoRail?

    86
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    Mute An Observer
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    Jan 26th 2017, 11:10 AM

    I hear those things are awful loud…

    40
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    Mute Brendan Hughes
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    Jan 26th 2017, 11:26 AM

    Only in one ear though.

    18
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    Mute Maykla Clarke
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    Jan 26th 2017, 11:46 AM

    Were you sent here by the devil?

    9
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    Mute An Observer
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    Jan 26th 2017, 12:33 PM

    No good ma’am,I’m on the level…

    15
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    Mute Maykla Clarke
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    Jan 26th 2017, 1:28 PM

    The ring came off my pudding can

    6
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    Mute Cosmo Kramer
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    Jan 26th 2017, 11:00 AM

    I think The Journal and the rest of the Irish media are using Trump to deflect away from the shower of useless fools we have in our own Government..

    83
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    Mute Aidan Clarke
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    Jan 26th 2017, 11:44 AM

    @Cosmo Kramer: I think we’re all well aware of the aforementioned shower of fools. Maybe ‘the media’, whatever people seem to think that is, are enjoying the change?

    And plus, Trump is the unfortunate gift that keeps on giving. Like herpes or something else god-awful along those lines.

    11
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    Mute Cosmo Kramer
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    Jan 26th 2017, 12:24 PM

    “Unfortunate gift that keeps on giving” Surly you’re talking about Enda Kenny.. Trump got elected fair and square.. He went out on the campaign trail and campaigned his ass off.. Remember Enda the first election, he refused point blankly to go on any debates, he was hidden away by FG.. Even today he won’t go out in public without a script or an earpiece.. As soon as he got into office he went back on every single promise he got elected on.. As soon as Trump got into office he has started to act on the very things he campaigned on.. If you ask me I’d rather have Trump running my Country than Enda Kenny any day of the week..

    29
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    Mute Mr Snuffleupagus
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    Jan 26th 2017, 11:01 AM

    Quite extraordinary how quickly he’s moving. I don’t recall ever seeing any leader act so unilaterally and so quickly on so many issues. As a bystander unaffected by his actions, it’s impressive.

    82
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    Mute Mr Snuffleupagus
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    Jan 26th 2017, 11:07 AM

    And I think he’s right to pull the funding of sanctuary cities if they are refusing to do what they are told.

    65
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    Mute Tony Canning
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    Jan 26th 2017, 11:45 AM

    I’m not sure we’ll be unaffected. Theresa May will be meeting with him to float low corporate tax rates for inward investment to the UK. That will affect Ireland’s prospects of foreign investment.

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    Mute Mr Snuffleupagus
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    Jan 26th 2017, 12:13 PM

    @Tony Canning: I think the US would have to keep Trump’s proposed 15-20% tax rate for a good many years before companies would repatriate or move home. Don;t think they’ll move to the US on the basis one one presidential cycle.

    18
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    Mute Tony Canning
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    Jan 26th 2017, 12:33 PM

    @Snuff. Reread my post. I’m talking about UK corporate tax rates.

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    Mute Mr Snuffleupagus
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    Jan 26th 2017, 2:07 PM

    @Tony Canning: My error.

    3
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    Mute Superfiends
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    Jan 26th 2017, 11:02 AM

    A politician who actually lives up to his mandate. A liberal’s worst nightmare

    60
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    Mute Ross Stewart
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    Jan 26th 2017, 11:49 AM

    If you stub your toe on the coffee table, do you blame “the ‘liberals’”? Ffs

    13
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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Jan 26th 2017, 11:58 AM

    Signed pieces of paper, if the Senate don’t want to do any of it or won’t happen

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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Jan 26th 2017, 12:09 PM

    *it

    1
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    Mute Alan O'Nolan
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    Jan 26th 2017, 12:16 PM

    @Dave O Keeffe: Executive orders have the full force of the law behind them.

    18
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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Jan 26th 2017, 12:30 PM

    Unless the Senate decides not to fund them.

    5
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    Mute Francis Mc Carthy
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    Jan 26th 2017, 12:30 PM

    @Alan O’Nolan: Only laws passed through the formal legislative process have full force of law. Executive orders do not meet this requirement.

    You’re welcome!

    7
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    Mute Neil Mcdonough
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    Jan 26th 2017, 12:42 PM

    @Superfiends: His mandate has only started. Maybe it will make sense one day. For good or bad, but for the moment it’s bordering on surreal that we have a telly-reality star as the president of a country that likes to give everyone else lessons on values. Educated and intelligent people are uncomfortable with that for reasons far too serious for a site like this. What does it say about our culture and the direction it has taken? It’s perfectly reasonable to sincerely question where this is leading. But yes, the nature of the times ensures the sensationalist angle will always prevail. The public gets what the public wants etc, etc . . . Since the telly and so many who succeed on it have been in a race to the bottom for some time now, is there any real need to elaborate further this point? You’ll have changed moniker multiple times in the intervening period no doubt, flitting here and there, throwing out such ill informed comment as the above one, blissfully ignorant of how your fears and emotions are being played.

    6
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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Jan 26th 2017, 12:52 PM

    Neil, spot on except for the word mandate.

    2
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    Mute Stephen Duffy
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    Jan 26th 2017, 11:02 AM

    Goodness… few people like him but you have to say he means business.. That cut in federal funding is letting opponents that he’s not for turning…. At this rate I hope he takes some days off…

    42
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    Mute Ross Stewart
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    Jan 26th 2017, 12:15 PM

    Yeah all those signatures will have him exhausted..

    9
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    Mute Daniel O'Connor
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    Jan 26th 2017, 10:58 AM

    Are we still in Ireland? Did he replace Michael D or something?

    42
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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Jan 26th 2017, 11:04 AM

    @Daniel O’Connor:

    To be fair, I think Trump has enacted more policies in the last few days than the Dail manages to get through in a month. The only thing really worth talking about is the constant playground bickering between Kenny, Martin and Adams.

    51
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    Mute Tony Canning
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    Jan 26th 2017, 11:47 AM

    Because he’s using executive powers Jason. That’s very different from going through the dail.

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    Mute artur filip
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    Jan 26th 2017, 12:20 PM

    @Jason Culligan If you love Trump so much why don’t you move there unless you’re Mexican or Muslim so forget it

    16
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    Mute The Viking
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    Jan 26th 2017, 10:57 AM

    Why would you build a wall anyway. Whats the point when the Mexican drug cartels and people smugglers dig tunnels.

    36
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    Mute Mark Gethings
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    Jan 26th 2017, 11:01 AM

    @The Viking: The wall will be tremendously high and bigly deep, let me tell ya!

    33
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    Mute Mr Snuffleupagus
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    Jan 26th 2017, 11:04 AM

    @The Viking: To get people back to work. Little to do with immigration (though that’s a good election platform), and more to do with construction I’m guessing. He promised he’d create 25 million jobs. He won’t get re-elected for a second term if he doesn’t put a serious dent in that figure, as many would have voted for him as they see him as a jobs creator.

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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Jan 26th 2017, 11:06 AM

    @The Viking:

    He clarified during the election campaign that he doesn’t intend to build a 2,000km long concrete structure. The ‘wall’ will include fences, hard obstacles and increased patrols depending on the location and what fits the area best.

    Kind of like how the Iron Curtain wasn’t actually a curtain.

    37
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    Mute Mark Gethings
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    Jan 26th 2017, 8:59 PM

    Well why would he constantly call it a wall then? I thought trump was great at construction? Or did his vocabulary go bankrupt too?

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    Mute Tbones
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    Jan 26th 2017, 11:32 AM

    All makes perfect sense. Well done to him.

    35
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    Mute Cian
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    Jan 26th 2017, 11:00 AM

    The temporary muslim ban is harsh but necessary. The vetting system has failed across the west. We need to come up with an ideological vetting process for muslim immigration. We should continue to take in the minorities within muslim majority countries ie the secular, gay and ex muslims.

    32
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    Mute John003
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    Jan 26th 2017, 11:08 AM

    Also the Christian refugees from the middle east which have no hope of going back there……They should be taken in would find it easier to integrate into western countries

    38
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    Mute Cian
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    Jan 26th 2017, 11:10 AM

    Yee exactly same. They should be made a priority along with the yazidis. They are being persecuted by their fellow refugees

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    Mute Alan O'Nolan
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    Jan 26th 2017, 11:40 AM

    @Cian: It is not a muslim ban it is a ban targeted at terrorist hotspots.

    19
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    Mute Cian
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    Jan 26th 2017, 11:45 AM

    Yee your right. I should of specified. I think he needs to add pakistan and saudia arabia to the list

    14
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    Mute saoirse janneau
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    Jan 26th 2017, 2:51 PM

    @Cian: this is a draft of the latest executive order. He is banning muslims with green cards for 30 days from reentering the US Jurisdiction. Surely these people have been vetted already and now this level of discrimination? pretty alarming.
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/read-draft-text-trump-executive-order-muslim-entry_us_5888fe00e4b0024605fd591d

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    Mute BERTIE
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    Jan 26th 2017, 12:03 PM

    I’ve never seen so much mob mentality when it comes to bashing trump, I’m actually starting to like him just for that alone, he’s really shown people up to be the bigots they accuse everybody else of being

    30
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    Mute LITTLEONE
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    Jan 26th 2017, 11:01 AM

    He is going to consult with enda Kenny and the government about getting people to pay for something they are not responsible for.. in his case Mexico Because they are not building it … Here it was banking debt that wasn’t ours…

    28
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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Jan 26th 2017, 12:11 PM

    No it’s OK, Americans will pay for it if the Senate allow it. Then Mexico will be charged $15-25 billion afterwards. What if they don’t think Trump’s boys did a good enough job? Some people have gotten away without paying for that reason in the past.

    4
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    Mute LITTLEONE
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    Jan 26th 2017, 12:24 PM

    Ah I am sure Dave trump is not expecting it in cash…. From Mexico .. other ways of making people pay for something.. just look here , we are paying for the banking debt with taxes left , right and centre. Always a way….

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    Mute LITTLEONE
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    Jan 26th 2017, 12:27 PM

    What did you think Dave .. that the Mexicans would inspect the wall and if they were happy . Throw suitcases of cash over it .. if they were not keep their suitcases..

    15
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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Jan 26th 2017, 12:36 PM

    That’s a government putting a tax on their own people LITTLEONE, a bit different when you want to charge a different country for work you commissioned and have already paid for.

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    Mute Michael Clinton
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    Jan 26th 2017, 11:25 AM

    Enough about Donald Duck , how about reporting on our own shower of incompents . Why no do a fact check on kenny’s promises.

    15
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    Mute Shea Fitzgerald
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    Jan 26th 2017, 11:21 AM

    Will someone please take the pen away from that f*cker to stop him signing executive orders so he has to start at least playing president? Please!

    14
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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Jan 26th 2017, 11:41 AM

    Obama bombed Libya through the use of an executive order, so they do have power and influence.

    26
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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Jan 26th 2017, 12:13 PM

    Only if the Senate allows them to. The senate can defund any executive order. Looks to me as if he’s going this way to give the Senate plausible deniability in the Midterms

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    Mute Mr Snuffleupagus
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    Jan 26th 2017, 12:14 PM

    @Jason Culligan: H Clinton was the real driver behind US involvement. and Libya was known as the stop cork of Africa as it stopped migrants heading for the Med. Gaddaffi warned if Libya fell, immigration would be uncontrollable. As so it has happened.

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    Mute Shea Fitzgerald
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    Jan 26th 2017, 2:28 PM

    While he is an unsavoury character, he was voted in by the people through their system so I am on the side of not mindlessly bashing him and giving him a chance. However, by signing so many executive orders, he’s behaving more like a dictator. Surely he should be going through the houses and lobbying them, not issuing dictats.

    3
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    Mute John Madden
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    Jan 26th 2017, 11:09 AM

    When you have selfish ignorant citizens, then you will have selfish ignorant leaders… Same goes for Ireland.

    11
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    Mute Seán O'Fearain
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    Jan 26th 2017, 12:10 PM

    How the hell have such a large majority of humans regressed to this point again? I’m no Einstein, but there appears to be an epidemic of severe ‘thickness’ spreading across the world that appears to have originated in the US some years ago.

    11
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    Mute Emma O'Neill
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    Jan 26th 2017, 12:33 PM

    @Seán O’Fearain: What examples of thickness are you referring to?

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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Jan 26th 2017, 12:38 PM

    Shia LeWhatever and the guy that claimed Hitler did nothing wrong

    4
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    Mute Robert Hughes
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    Jan 26th 2017, 1:47 PM

    Has the media not got any other news I’m sick of you all slagging him off. What would you do if you were President of USA? At least he is doing something different . So you just want America to stay the same. All journalist have hung him before he even got in to power. Why not weird about the CIA or what Homeland Security is up to around the world. Stop repeating the same thing over and over again. I’m sick of it. Bye bye the Journal.

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    Mute Charliegrl80
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    Jan 26th 2017, 12:44 PM

    One word “PLONKER”

    3
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