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Readers’ Panel Part One: What are you expecting from Budget 2015?

We spoke to some readers about their hopes and fears ahead of tomorrow’s budget. Here’s what they had to say, in their own words.

MINISTER FOR FINANCE Michael Noonan has predicted that the economy will grow by as much as 4.5% this year, encouraging the tentative hope that Budget 2015 may not be as harsh as in recent years.

However, despite the economic outlook, Noonan has warned that Ireland has not reached the end of austerity – underlining that there is still a huge debt burden that amounts to 123% of GDP.

But what are your own hopes and fears ahead of next week?

We asked. You told us.

In the first of two readers’ panels (Part Two will be published later this evening), we get the views of:

1. Owner of a small/medium business

2. A cohabiting person

3. A student

4. An unemployed person

5. A single lone

6. A public servant

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1. Alison McGinley lives in Dublin and runs a business, TaxAssist. She’s hoping for tax cuts to help stimulate consumer spending, complemented by increased lending to SMEs

My company TaxAssist was launched in 2009, right in the middle of the recession. We have 25 branches across Ireland offering tax and accountancy services. We work every day with small businesses and the self-employed and we know there are a number of things that are still causing real difficulties.

First and foremost it would be good to see a cut in taxes. The past few budgets have been quite negative so some good news that encourages people to spend is badly needed. When people feel they can justify that meal out or the occasional blow-dry, would-be entrepreneurs start new businesses and jobs are created.

Another thing I would really hope to see is some sort of improvement in lending to small businesses. The banks continue to say they are open for business but in reality very few of our clients are able to get even simple things like overdrafts these days – this is stopping them from expanding and makes the day-to-day running of a business very hard.

Lastly, it would be nice to see the gap, in terms of tax rates, between the self-employed and PAYE earners closed. Self-employed people continue to pay a higher rate of tax, sometimes an extra 3% USC, than people in the PAYE sector, this doesn’t seem to make much sense if we are trying to encourage people to start businesses.

eamonoconnor

2. Eamon O’Connor lives in Co Wexford with his partner. He works full-time and his partner works part-time; they are expecting their first child next month. He’s worried about potential adjustments in PRSI or USC.

Myself and partner live in Co Wexford, and we’re expecting our first child in November, I’m a full-time employee and also run my own web/graphic design business Rolling Toad Design for extra income to help pay the bills. My partner works part-time in a fashion retail chain.

If my take-home pay from my employed job stays the same as it is now, I guess we’ll get by just fine, however if there are significant adjustments to the likes or PRSI or USC, then it will have somewhat of an impact on our lives – and with our first child on the way this November, it won’t make things any easier come the new year.

That being said, the same applies to any increases in the VAT rates; the work I do privately at the moment wouldn’t exactly pay the bills, and with any increases in VAT, this might scare off any potential customers.

I feel the Government needs to let the reins loose a little and give us a break as there have been continuous years of austerity. Let us have a little left over so we can spend it on little luxuries – after all, if that luxury is in Ireland, sure they’ll only get the tax on that anyway.

niallos

3. Niall O’Sullivan is a third level student, living in Dublin. He’s hoping that the Government reduces the financial stress on those pursuing education, which he believes is contributing to mental health problems for many students.

As Budget 2015 nears, few will remember students in the midst of harsh cuts to those most in need. However I feel it would be unfair to forget us.

Student’s lives are often envied, seen as party-packed and alcohol-fuelled. But that’s not always reality. In last year’s budget, college fees were hiked up by €250. I had to pay close to €3,000 to register for my course in Trinity. Then comes the cost of books (one will set me back €75) and, of course, food. I’m lucky that I live at home but I still struggle to budget. I can’t get a part-time job as graduates trounce my CV with every position I apply for.

What do I want from Budget 2015? I want the Government to prove how much it values education. In Budget 2014, the threshold for those eligible for the maintenance grant was raised by 3%. This means that some students – seeking to further their education, like me – couldn’t attend third level because they simply couldn’t afford it. Along with every student across Ireland, I want this threshold reduced.

Many students suffer from stress, anxiety and depression. It seems 15 – 24 year olds is the age group most at risk of suicide. Niteline is run on a voluntary basis by Trinity students and I’m aware of the great work being done in other colleges. But this simply isn’t enough. I want a big emphasis on mental health services for young people in the Budget.

I await 14 October not with anticipation but with anxiety. I truly hope Kenny and co. don’t target students. We’ll find out soon enough.

4. Grainne O’Brien lives in Dublin and is unemployed. She’s hoping that her welfare payments will not be reduced, and that the price of petrol stays steady so that she can continue to attend interviews outside her home county. She preferred not to include a photo.

My fears are that there’ll be no real incentives for the unemployed. I’ve been on two Fás courses so far and starting my third, but in the Government’s eyes I’m employed. I sent out over a thousand CVs for the months I was waiting for the next Fás course and managed four interviews.

I was looking for work in other counties and the majority of the jobs advertised were JobBridge. I don’t want to be unemployed I’d like a decent wage. I hope they don’t cut the welfare, I’m on €144 a week as it is and I have bills to pay like everyone else.

I also hope the petrol doesn’t take a huge jump up. If I need to attend interviews out of the county I’ll need to drive as the services outside Dublin are non-existent.

Road tax another thing. I’m just about keeping my head above water but another austerity budget will see me sinking. Everything is staying the same price or getting higher while income is been severely reduced.

andreag

5. Andrea Galgey lives in Waterford. She is a lone parent, caring for her three children, and is hoping for greater childcare help for families so more parents can afford to pursue employment and education. 

I’m a lone parent of three boys, I live in Waterford and I work on a CE Scheme (which is finishing in December, so I’ll be unemployed then). I am also in college studying for a degree in Community Development (final year).

I am absolutely dreading this budget. Because of previous budgets, I cannot continue in my employment, (Waterford Council Arts Office), which I love. If you take into account previous budgets and cuts to Lone Parents plus Children’s Allowance, I am earning less now than five years ago – the funny thing is, I wasn’t working five years ago!

I would love it if Joan Burton brought in refundable Childcare Tax Credits to help families with the burden of childcare. Families have been hit the worst in this recession. The only thing that has stopped me from sinking financially is that I received a council house four years ago. This has allowed me to work, go to college and to raise my children.

I am a representative of the National One Parent Family Network which lobbies the Government for a reversal of the changes to the One Parent Family Payment in which over 40,000 Lone Parents will be going onto Jobseekers’ Allowance next July. We also try to highlight this in the media and to negate the stereotype and myths about lone parents through the use of statistics and just highlighting our stories.

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6. Niranjan Srinivasan is a public servant who has been working with the HSE as a Senior Paediatric Physiotherapist since 2003. He is married with a young child and has been hoping to buy a house for the last six years. 

Since the economic downturn in 2007-2008 I have had my pay reduced by about €900 a month. As the single income earner with one child things have been so difficult in the last six years; I have had to put my hands into savings many-a-time and this has meant that I have not been able to save money for buying a house.

Regarding my expectations for Budget 2015, hopefully they will reduce income tax; which will be welcome as it will mean I can take €100-150 extra take home pay. I also would like the USC to go – I think it’s just a waste of money and since they brought in I have had to give up my private health insurance.

Hopefully I will be able to add my wife’s tax credits to mine so as to ease the burden of tax I am paying. And I hope they reduce VAT, which will significantly reduce the amount we pay for daily household items like groceries.

Later tonight we will bring you the views of people from these categories:

1. A married homeowner

2. A person hoping to buy a house

3. A farmer

4. A young couple renting

5. A pensioner

Lower dole rate leaves Ireland’s young people ‘struggling to make ends meet’

Opinion: Human rights must be put at the heart of the budgetary process

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39 Comments
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    Mute John O'Brien
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    Dec 19th 2015, 8:26 AM

    The trouble is most reoffenders don’t fear prison. A hard labour regime with little comforts might help instil some fear.

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    Mute Martin Critten
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    Dec 19th 2015, 9:35 AM

    Looking at most prison programmes on TV, prison appears to suit a personality that looks as though they find it hard to cope on the outside, so they re-offend in the perverse desire for the routine, security and camaraderie not found in a regular lifestyle. In that lays a clue with regards re- education as the deterrent is certainly lost. But we have to remember we live in Ireland, think of how many job losses there would be if we had a proper judicial system fit for purpose.

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    Mute Josephine Sweeney
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    Dec 19th 2015, 9:44 AM

    hard labour is not necessary, just hard time rather than very short sentences

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    Mute Ladude
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    Dec 19th 2015, 9:50 AM

    Can yoi point me in the way of research you have done to back this up ?

    13
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    Mute Josephine Sweeney
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    Dec 19th 2015, 10:05 AM

    Governments all around the world have abolished penal servitude, hard labour and flogging, what research do you need to do?

    11
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    Mute Ladude
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    Dec 19th 2015, 10:07 AM

    Where you are getting your information from ? I would love to read what ever you are reading

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    Mute Josephine Sweeney
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    Dec 19th 2015, 10:08 AM

    google

    12
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    Mute Ladude
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    Dec 19th 2015, 10:14 AM

    Google , maybe you can Google the other side of the coin. Why hard time does not work ?

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    Mute Ladude
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    Dec 19th 2015, 10:15 AM

    Some people only look for the answers they want on Google you see.

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    Mute Josephine Sweeney
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    Dec 19th 2015, 10:15 AM

    send me what you are reading?

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    Mute Amy Ni Dhaltuin
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    Dec 19th 2015, 10:16 AM

    Ok ladude. What will work?

    9
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    Mute Josephine Sweeney
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    Dec 19th 2015, 10:16 AM

    bing?!

    9
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    Mute Ladude
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    Dec 19th 2015, 10:50 AM

    Your gas

    4
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    Mute Ladude
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    Dec 19th 2015, 10:58 AM

    I know what is not working, and it is punishment. Doing the same thing over and over is a sign of maddness. Prisoners will eventually come out of prison, they usually come out with some sort of mental illness , reoffend and go back to prison ! Norway’s prison model seems like it would be worth a go, there reoffending rate is 20% to see 50 percent. New ideas are needed and approaches.

    11
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    Mute Ladude
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    Dec 19th 2015, 11:03 AM

    To our 50%

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    Mute Josephine Sweeney
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    Dec 19th 2015, 12:47 PM

    im not sure what you are suggesting, prison in ireland is not punishment penal servitude, hard labour or flogging and that still doesnt work

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    Mute Jonny Baxter
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    Dec 20th 2015, 3:28 PM

    That doesn’t work. The opposite does. But you don’t like that so you don’t approve of it. Humans are great.

    http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/09/why-scandinavian-prisons-are-superior/279949/

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    Mute Sheila Bedford
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    Dec 19th 2015, 8:13 AM

    make prison life harder not softer they are better than home life for most prisoners in most cases its the victims of crime who suffer more than the criminals

    129
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    Mute Dave Murray
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    Dec 19th 2015, 8:27 AM

    Don’t you dare speak such sense in these parts.

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    Mute Paid_Shill
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    Dec 19th 2015, 8:33 AM

    That’s great Sheila, just one problem – it doesn’t work.

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    Mute Ladude
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    Dec 19th 2015, 9:48 AM

    Sheila do you know we used to lock people away who were mentally ill? Also people who had certain disablites ? Make prison life harder is not the answer a chanage of approach into why these reoffending crimnals are reoffending. There needs to be a serious change of thinking about prisions. I would truely love to see prisioners doing somthing to better than selfs in prison and come into society with more options !!

    18
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    Mute arnie
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    Dec 19th 2015, 10:26 AM

    Education and phycological programmes are ongoing in all prisons for prisoners to talk about these issues .this obviously isn’t working ,so what’s the answer if not hard time or making it so unbearable they won’t want to return

    35
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    Mute Ladude
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    Dec 19th 2015, 10:59 AM

    It’s not that black and white

    3
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    Mute Jimmy
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    Dec 19th 2015, 8:10 AM

    Mandatory manual labour in the bog. Problem solved!

    106
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    Mute Stephen Duggan
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    Dec 19th 2015, 8:08 AM

    We need a “3 strikes and out” system. Rank crimes in nature of seriousness, commit three of an “A” grade and you never see the light of day again. Murder, manslaughter, rape, sexual assault, burglary, car theft, armed robbery, assault and fraud are some examples I can think of.

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    Mute Paid_Shill
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    Dec 19th 2015, 8:32 AM

    They had that in the US. It doesn’t work. It just costs hundreds of millions to accommodate prisoners.
    Anyway, from what I remember, murder has a mandatory life sentence (I could be wrong).

    It’s hard to argue that we should pay 50,000€ a year to accommodate a non-violent offender like a car robber or burglar.

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    Mute Stephen Duggan
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    Dec 19th 2015, 8:38 AM

    In Ireland life is probably 12 years ffs!!

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    Mute Stephen Duggan
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    Dec 19th 2015, 8:40 AM

    So robbing a car or burglary is not a crime against a person? Maybe not physical, although in some cases it is. But mentally the toll is horrific.

    48
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    Mute Paul Fahey
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    Dec 19th 2015, 9:04 AM

    Paid – In terms of finances the cheapest thing to do with a persistent burglar is to keep them in prison with most of them costing more than €50k a year to the public whilst offending. The cost is not just the result of the theft, but all of the related costs such as drugs, fear, insurance etc….
    I believe that burglary is the one crime in Ireland that is terrorising the most citizens and the one they want dealt with as harshly as possible in sentencing terms.

    41
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    Mute Paid_Shill
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    Dec 19th 2015, 9:32 AM

    It’s relatively simple. We can look around the world at prison systems that work and that don’t work. The US system is a failure. The only thing we can learn from it is what not to do.

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    Mute Paul Fahey
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    Dec 19th 2015, 10:14 AM

    Paid – I agree the three strikes rule is not good and not something I would be in favour of. However, I do believe sentencing, bail and the justice systemic general is in need of a significant overhaul.

    14
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    Mute Le Lapin Noir
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    Dec 19th 2015, 10:32 AM

    “Three strikes and your out” is a disastrous policy. It has made crime worse wherever it’s been tried and to boot has massively increased the prison population with minor offenders and addicts. It would not work here simply because it hasn’t worked anywhere else either.

    4
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    Mute Kieran W
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    Dec 19th 2015, 11:04 AM

    Sterilise them. Wipe out the criminals at source.

    1
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    Mute Kieran W
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    Dec 19th 2015, 11:05 AM

    Sterilise them. Wipe them out at source.

    1
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    Mute Kieran W
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    Dec 19th 2015, 11:07 AM

    Sterilise them. Wipe out them out at source.

    1
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    Mute Chris Mcdonnell
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    Dec 19th 2015, 11:46 AM

    More cells less keys

    17
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    Mute Aidan
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    Dec 19th 2015, 8:34 AM

    Not everyone’s equal so if we stop trying to pretend they can be rehabilitated or they’re poor lost souls.
    They are toe rag scrotes. Lock them up throw away the key

    83
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    Mute Jumping girl
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    Dec 19th 2015, 9:19 AM

    Yes but WHY are they just “toe rag scrolls”??

    People who never had love, education, learnt limits, boundaries, who never has morals, beliefs or something to hope for….,no proper job, no future prospects, ………is more punishment going to fix them or make them harder, more bitter, more dangerous, more anti the rest of society ???? How would any one of us behave if that was our lives??

    The Norwegian system works : the carrot rather than the stick!

    31
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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Dec 19th 2015, 10:56 AM

    Jumping Girl. The Norwegian System works in Norway. What makes you think it can be successfully transplanted here? Our Society is different to that of the Scandinavian one. Each society has evolved a system that suits it’s needs. If one is going to import a system then why not the Japanese Prison System. Recidivism is even less than the Scandinavian one.

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Dec 19th 2015, 11:41 AM
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    Mute John O'Brien
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    Dec 19th 2015, 4:30 PM

    That’s exactly what’s required Mick. The majority of these scrotes have no discipline at home, they develop a resentment for the education system early and opt for the education of the street were they learn that crime pays. The older they get the harder it is to change them. That’s why early intervention is required. The young street thug of today is tomorrow’s armed robber.

    11
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    Mute Phillip Brady Brady
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    Dec 19th 2015, 9:58 PM

    It’s worth a go surly ???

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    Mute Brian Deane
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    Dec 19th 2015, 10:11 AM

    Most teachers of infant classes in disadvantaged areas will tell you that, aged 5, they have a pretty good idea which kids are going to end up in trouble and they’re usually right.
    Tough love preventative measures is the key. It’s the parents of these 5 year olds, the kids who eventually grow up to be criminals, drug dealers etc, who should be held responsible for their rearing. The state (you the tax payer) invests millions in Child Benefit every year and even if you’re the most wreckless and irresponsible parent the good-time Charlie do-gooders insist that you still get full Child Benefit. Stop wasting taxpayers money and start fining wreckless parents (e.g. 50% cut CB for 3 months) when their 12 year olds are caught drinking in public or engaging in anti-social behaviour. There must be a sanction for irresponsible parenting. Preventative measures are better than the fiasco of prison (a la Wallace) in this country.

    54
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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Dec 19th 2015, 11:01 AM

    Brian. Many of these kids parents are criminals themselves. You see it in visiting times in the Prison. You know that many of those kids are going to follow in Mammy and Daddy’s foot steps. And low and behold a few years later you unlock a cell and there they are standing in front of you.

    32
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    Mute Denise Friary
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    Dec 19th 2015, 8:08 AM

    Whip the violent ones everyday and let the victims watch..I bet the they won’t come back

    53
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    Mute Ladude
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    Dec 19th 2015, 9:56 AM

    All your comments on this have been ridiculous

    10
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    Mute Niallers
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    Dec 19th 2015, 8:44 AM

    Why don’t we have more tagging to keep track of them.The technology is there.

    46
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    Mute Ted Logan
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    Dec 19th 2015, 8:17 AM

    Reduce their/their family’s social welfare. If the reoffend for a third time take their children and place them with a foster family.

    42
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    Mute Derek Lyster
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    Dec 19th 2015, 9:32 AM

    Make prisons a place they never want to set foot in again for starters

    40
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    Mute sunshine
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    Dec 19th 2015, 8:24 AM

    Prison service, like most other public services in this country, is underfunded. Considering health system and education are in the queue for funds too, hard to see large scale investment in this area. In the interim perhaps stocks in the village square for minor offences might work! Could charge for taking shots with rotten tomatoes to fund system for reoffenders.

    39
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    Mute Ruth Colbert
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    Dec 19th 2015, 8:32 AM

    If it’s underfunded then the luxuries of TV, Gyms etc should be taken away. Keep prisons basic with basic food, it is punishment after all not a stay in the Ritz.

    88
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    Mute The Green Monkey
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    Dec 19th 2015, 8:15 AM

    Reeducation camps or kyo-hwa-so as the North Koreans call them………

    38
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    Mute Ger Buckley
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    Dec 19th 2015, 8:14 AM

    Beatings will continue until moral improves

    30
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    Mute Jarlath Costello
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    Dec 19th 2015, 10:35 AM

    Ha! Although I’m wondering how many are giving you green thumbs because they think that would work.

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Dec 19th 2015, 10:49 AM

    People keep referring to Scandinavian Prison Systems a the model for all systems. But the one thing they all seem to ignore or forget is the Scandinavian Societial model is different to our own. It’s like comparing apples and oranges. Yes they are both fruit but they are distinctly different kinds of fruit. If you are looking for a system to model from then I would suggest the Japanese model. It has an even lower rate of recidivism than the Norwegian system without the “Care Bear” attitude and the expense.

    21
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    Mute leartius
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    Dec 19th 2015, 11:40 AM

    It’s the “victims of crime” who are totally forgotten in this whole debate. Our justice system has so many vested interests involved that each crimmial creates more jobs than any other industry. We have the civil service unions who gain politicial power by using the gardai, the prison officers the entire staff of each court. We have the solicitors who make money whichever way their clients pleads but by pleading guilty they can process more cases making more lovely money. I don’t believe any figures from the CSO they can only work with the figures given to them by politicial controlled state bodies The chances of getting a crime reported and a quick response by gardai in D4 compared to ballyfermot or a rural address would explain these figures. Most people don’t even report crimes because the gardai don’t care. It’s too easy to rob the Morist than catch the thief.

    19
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    Mute Comexicity
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    Dec 19th 2015, 8:07 AM

    The jury is out on the effectiveness of the three-strikes law in the US where your third offense mandates a very harsh sentence. Some argue that it pushes offenders to commit far more violent crimes on their third offense as they fear getting caught. Maybe Ireland could meet the US system half way – a 100-strikes law.

    16
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    Mute Paid_Shill
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    Dec 19th 2015, 8:35 AM

    The jury isn’t out. It doesn’t work. Only now are both political parties in the US acknowledging this. Bill Clinton has been quoted as saying that this policy was one of his greatest mistakes while president.

    20
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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Dec 19th 2015, 1:34 PM

    Here is a question for those who favour the Scandinavian model. You say education and trying is the key to success. But success for whom? Prime example. Christy Kinihan. Allegedly one of Europe’s biggest drug dealers. Used the Prison education system to his advantage to educate himself to become a better business man. Took business and language courses while in Prison. And put those skills and education to work building a criminal empire.

    16
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    Mute Jim Kearney
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    Dec 19th 2015, 9:49 AM

    Hard Labour

    14
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    Mute Kieran W
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    Dec 19th 2015, 10:55 AM

    Sterilise them. Reduce the criminal population at source.

    1
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    Mute JibberIrish
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    Dec 19th 2015, 9:05 AM

    We don’t need harder tougher or more stringent laws. We don’t need “3 strike rules” or The MAN to sort it out. What we need is to build communities! Get to know your neighbours look out for one another. Little Jonny will be more hesitant right from the start, if you know his name and his parents names. If we don’t fix it, it will continue to get worse.

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    Mute Mindfulirish
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    Dec 19th 2015, 1:36 PM

    The legal lobby including the judges and their families seem to do very well as their customers keep coming back for more — very profitable business.
    If we locked away their customers they might go bust or worse they might have to turn to crime to pay for their lifestyles.

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    Mute Gisbert Bayertz
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    Dec 19th 2015, 8:24 AM

    Good man Aaron, I hope those in charge in government read this and take heed (I somehow doubt it though)

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    Mute Gary Keegan
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    Dec 19th 2015, 3:28 PM

    Try making them more like prisons. Remove TV’s, plays rations etc. Basic meals, water. Less comfort might get them thinking about reoffending.

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    Mute captain ireland
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    Dec 19th 2015, 11:29 AM

    Reduce sentences but make prison as hard as possible , no tv , hard labor etc , those doing life should only get privelages as they have no chance of getting out

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    Mute Martin Gallagher
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    Dec 19th 2015, 12:20 PM

    Simple solution would be to abolish time off and suspended sentencing for re-offenders. The same penalty with increased sentencing should apply to criminals who’s appeals against their original sentences are later rejected.

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    Mute eastsmer
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    Dec 19th 2015, 10:22 AM

    GPS Tagging,
    anyone near a crime is then a re-offender.

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    Mute Fiona deFreyne
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    Dec 19th 2015, 9:51 AM

    Aaron is the Trump of Irish Journalism.

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    Mute Fiona deFreyne
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    Dec 19th 2015, 9:49 AM

    Aaron MCKenna is the Trump of Irish Journalism.

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    Mute Pat Bowe
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    Dec 19th 2015, 9:44 AM

    Prison fails. Open treatment centres give them life skills and a trade and see how our eirld improves

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    Mute Ladude
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    Dec 19th 2015, 9:57 AM

    Agreed

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Dec 19th 2015, 11:18 AM

    Pat. What does one do that have no interest in learning new skills? What does one do with those that see crime as the easy way to earn money? I had a conversation with a young lad a few years ago. He had been in Prison a good few times. Here is how it went. I asked him if he has ever thought of going straight. He was young enough to turn things around and get his life together. He started laughing. And this was his reply. “Work!!! Why the fu@k would I want to work? I can earn more in a week selling drugs or doing a Robbery than you can in a year of slogging your guts out. You work all year to give half your wages back to the Government in tax. I don’t pay any tax, in fact they give me money in my dole and a council flat. I get up when I want to, sell some “Smack” in a couple of hours and do what I like for the rest of the week with more money in my pocket than you could hope to have.” I then asked him was Prison worth it? The constant looking over your shoulder. And his reply was. “Jail is no big thing. Half me mates are banged up. It’s just one of those risks you take.”

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    Mute Owen McDermott
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    Dec 19th 2015, 2:31 PM

    You could always put them to work building the much needed accommodation for our refugee guests who’ll be arriving any day now.

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    Mute Ger Kelly
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    Dec 19th 2015, 9:49 PM

    I’m with the yanks on this(for once), I just think the 3 strike rule is brilliant, you get a couple of chances and then the 3rd time boom regardless of the crime you are faced with a life sentence. Why should society put up with reoffenders, why should victims of crime have to see lenient sentences. Gardai and the courts know these by first name and they don’t care what time they get cause they are used to it and it’s cushy.

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    Mute Brian Henoll
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    Dec 20th 2015, 1:20 AM

    Cost of the 3 strike rule is insane.

    “The passage of “3 Strikes” laws will lead to a significant increase in the nation’s already swollen prison population, at enormous cost to taxpayers. Today, it costs about $20,000 per year to confine a young, physically fit offender. But “3 Strikes” laws would create a huge, geriatric prison population that would be far more expensive to care for. The estimated cost of maintaining an older prisoner is three times that required for a younger prisoner — about $60,000 per year. “

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    Mute Ger Kelly
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    Dec 20th 2015, 11:27 AM

    Well aware of costs Brian but if the threat of leaving prison in old age versus the constant waste of Garda/court resources which add up to a considerable amount then I’m willing to take that risk, what’s the alternative we have offenders with 100s of convictions and they are costing the taxpayer huge amounts of money so lock em up and throw away the key because they are not benefiting society and not respecting the laws of the land

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    Mute James Delaney
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    Dec 20th 2015, 3:45 AM

    HARD LABOUR is the answer.

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    Mute James Kelly
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    Dec 19th 2015, 3:01 PM

    It’s a complicated problem with no one size fixes all but you must begin by declaring that prison should be reserved for those offenders who present a clear and present danger to the law-abiding public and not for nickel and dime merchants , tv license Dodgers or low level criminals all of whom should be accommodated in useful community based disposals at little cost to the public but of maximum benefit to society as a whole. For those that do deserve a custodial sentence it must be relevant, fit the crime and vat as a meaningful deterrent . If not we are wasting our time. The US has it right as they can afford to keep bad people locked up. So for recidivists sentences should be lengthy, condine and obviously unpleasant . So three time losers especially in drug-related offences and those that present the most danger to the public should automatically face custodial sentences of day 10-15 years minimum !
    It’s a form of social engineering but apart from the odd total eejit most inmates will quickly get the message as will would be offenders . ECHR issues must be met head on but the key must be put away for a long time

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    Mute Joseph O'Regan
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    Dec 19th 2015, 10:42 AM

    Does it work in America with the three strike rule?, if you believe so why does the USA have the highest percentage of its population in Prison? Criminality is a reflection of society and as in all scenarios prevention is better than cure. Deterrents don’t work that is a fact. Countries with comparatively low inequality in their society tend to have less criminality. Deal with what creates criminal activity and this will help solve the problem, but there is no immediate profit in that so the Government will do nothing effective only increase penalties. I wonder is AK and his brother toying with the idea of “private prisons” yet?

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    Mute proctor
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    Dec 19th 2015, 10:36 PM

    Every time you go to jail you should be given a mandatory flogging for being a git

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    Mute Todd Hebert
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    Dec 19th 2015, 12:21 PM

    Education and vocational training + teaching things like having a work ethic. (Which can only come from parents during childhood)

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    Mute Owen McDermott
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    Dec 19th 2015, 2:30 PM

    Yep!

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    Mute Jonathan Irwin
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    Dec 21st 2015, 4:29 PM

    Look at Equitation Project in US open prisons.Those below Bell Line can’t relate to other humans but have close relations with animals.You don’t argue with a horse.Trained to become blacksmiths,Saddlers,grooms etc & learn respect.Into The West might suggest perfect for Ireland

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    Mute Adam
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    Dec 19th 2015, 11:41 AM

    This looks like someone saw mass incarceration in the US and thought it looked like a great system.

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    Mute Owen McDermott
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    Dec 19th 2015, 2:33 PM

    The church wouldn’t allow “mass” incarceration. Where would all our hypocrites go to feel good of a Sunday morning?

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    Mute Ciaran
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    Dec 21st 2015, 6:12 PM

    3 strikes = hard labour cam 15 years

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