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Snapshots: Here's what four years in government does to you...

It’s exactly four years since the last general election so how do some of our ministers look now compared to 2011?

IT’S EXACTLY FOUR years since the historic general election of 2011 saw the Fine Gael/Labour coalition swept into power.

A lot has happened in the last four years with the economy growing again, the Troika having left, several ministers resigning and a whole of host controversies and scandals impacting on public support for the government.

But how has four years in government affected our ministers health and well-being? It’s hard to tell definitively, but many of them often remark on how they’ve never worked harder in their lives.

So here’s a quick look at how some of them looked back then, and how they look now…

Enda Kenny

2011

General Elections Campaigns Sasko Lazarov / Photocall Ireland Sasko Lazarov / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

2015

Strategic Banking Corporation Meetings sam Boal / Photocall Ireland sam Boal / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

Joan Burton

2011

Start of the General Elections Campaigns Laura Hutton / Photocall Ireland Laura Hutton / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

2015

New Garda Recruits Mark Stedman / Photocall Ireland Mark Stedman / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

Michael Noonan

2011

General Elections Campaigns graph: Sasko Lazarov / Photocall Ireland graph: Sasko Lazarov / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

2015

Cabinet Meetings on Water Campaigns Sam Boal / Photocall Ireland Sam Boal / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

Frances Fitzgerald

2011

National Children's Strategy launch Mark Stedman / Photocall Ireland Mark Stedman / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

2015

Family Relationships Bills Sam Boal / Photocall Ireland Sam Boal / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

Brendan Howlin

2011

General Elections Campaigns Laura Hutton / Photocall Ireland Laura Hutton / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

2015

Strategic Banking Corporation of Irela sam Boal / Photocall Ireland sam Boal / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

Richard Bruton

2011

General Elections Campaigns Sasko Lazarov / Photocall Ireland Sasko Lazarov / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

2015

11/2/2015. Action Plans For Jobs Creations /Photocall Ireland /Photocall Ireland

Leo Varadkar

2011

General Elections Campaigns Sasko Lazarov / Photocall Ireland Sasko Lazarov / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

2015

Minister for Health Leo Varadkar arrives Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

Alan Kelly

2011

Labour broadband Infrastructure launch Sasko Lazarov / Photocall Ireland Sasko Lazarov / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

2015

Newly Refurbished Fr. Scully House Sam Boal / Photocall Ireland Sam Boal / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

State of the Nation: Is this going to the longest general election campaign in history?

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61 Comments
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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Feb 2nd 2015, 1:16 PM

    Handy for Luke to be able to tweet about it when others complain that he’s never there…

    61
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    Mute Alan Connell
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    Feb 2nd 2015, 1:28 PM

    The main EP buildings were not concerned. This morning, a man dressed in a fake army uniform was arrested. On searching his Slovakian registered car, weapons (I saw a chainsaw on the street beside the car, which might be counted as a weapon) and petrol were found.

    3 EP builings, housing the Communications, Personnel, and part of the IT departments were evacuated, as well as the EC’s DG Justice and many cafes and businesses on rue Montoyer.

    Bomb disposal robot brought was brought in to investigate further (apparently the police were still suspicious of something in the car), but it’s still parked on rue Montoyer outside the DG COMM building with a police guard.

    As for Ming being evacuated… maybe he was or maybe he wasn’t. His building (WIB) would be in the blast radius, so maybe as a precaution, that building was emptied too – but I don’t think so…

    50
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    Mute Ivon Itchie Saq
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    Feb 2nd 2015, 1:30 PM

    Alan your stealing the journals fire here

    56
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    Mute Alan Connell
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    Feb 2nd 2015, 1:41 PM

    It seems that Ming was evacuated from his building. Just received an e-mail from the deputy Secretary General of the EP which mentioned all of the buildings affected.

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    Mute Vaibhav Borse
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    Feb 2nd 2015, 1:46 PM

    i think he must be a guy from croatia, his debt was just above the cut of for the waiver!!

    16
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    Mute Ivon Itchie Saq
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    Feb 2nd 2015, 1:09 PM

    Was Ming actually there

    37
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    Mute Dermot Ryan
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    Feb 2nd 2015, 1:14 PM

    Should they get paid for the days they are off ?

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    Mute Ivon Itchie Saq
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    Feb 2nd 2015, 1:21 PM

    Do you get paid for your days off?

    35
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    Mute Dermot Ryan
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    Feb 3rd 2015, 9:58 AM

    I work every day

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    Mute Maire Ben
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    Feb 2nd 2015, 2:02 PM

    Hope that they left Phil the Hulk Hogan inside …… only a matter of time ….. tick toc ….

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    Mute johngahan
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    Feb 2nd 2015, 1:18 PM

    Bong alert?

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    Mute Bigus Diccus
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    Feb 2nd 2015, 1:22 PM

    I’m a bong disposal expert.

    39
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    Mute Paul Somers
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    Feb 2nd 2015, 1:12 PM

    Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan’s moment of glory ‘Bomb alert here’
    The End

    26
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    Mute Gerry with a J
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    Feb 2nd 2015, 1:16 PM

    Oh god no. I hope everybody’s ok……

    24
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    Mute UndercoverGarda
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    Feb 2nd 2015, 1:19 PM

    Let us just hope Phil Hogan makes it out O.K.

    43
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    Mute Mary Murphy
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    Feb 2nd 2015, 11:45 PM

    #Atundercovergarda was worried about three o’clock about Big Phil but I forgot all about the poor fecker. But as it’s Monday he was probably slumming in a five star hotel somewhere.

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    Mute Sheik Yahbouti
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    Feb 2nd 2015, 2:45 PM

    Folks, when I called for a referendum to fix ownership of irish water (not IW) in public ownership, many people on this forum said it was unnecessary. Indah, JobBridge Joan, Alan Kelly and other td said there was absolutely no plan to privatise water services, and they could not envisage any government privatising it. Now thanks to Rte (amazingly) we know that yet again the government have flat out lied about yet another solemn pledge. In 2013 this Government’s plan was to have councils compete with private operators to provide water services FROM 2017. Now because of all the problems and protest this deadline has been pushed out a few years, but the plan to privatise remains the same and we have again been deceived. This Government no longer has any mandate. Referendum now. Oh, BTW, I am very interested in a head case threatening the European Parliament. I may well head over there myself, shortly :-D

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    Mute Dungeon Master
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    Feb 2nd 2015, 1:41 PM

    A few of the usual Islamophobes have their draft comments ready just waiting to click on the submit button,hang tight fellas!

    11
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    Mute Dungeon Master
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    Feb 2nd 2015, 1:51 PM

    LOL!

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    Mute UndercoverGarda
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    Feb 2nd 2015, 2:13 PM
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    Mute trickytrixster
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    Feb 2nd 2015, 2:04 PM

    Dungeon master bator

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    Mute Dungeon Master
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    Feb 2nd 2015, 3:39 PM

    D-,must try harder

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    Mute Thierry Ratt
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    Feb 2nd 2015, 4:00 PM

    Korwin mikkes handy work

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