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Updated 2.12pm
MICHEÁL MARTIN HAS warned that the country cannot risk another five years of the same government as he launched the Fianna Fáil manifesto today.
The party leader claimed that the “core objective” of Fine Gael and Labour is to say that there is no alternative. He said the country “cannot risk letting them keep going”.
However, Martin repeatedly refused to rule out the possibility of his party supporting a Fine Gael minority government, only going as far as to say he is “not contemplating” Enda Kenny as Taoiseach in the next Dáil.
There has been this attempt made to say this is a shoo-in for Enda Kenny and Fine Gael… and I’ve resisted this.
However, he later said that Fianna Fáil will be putting his name forward as nominee for Taoiseach in the next Dáil.
In his opening remarks, Martin said the Irish people have a choice of either a Fianna Fáil-led government or a Fine Gael-led government in this election.
Launching the manifesto, Martin said Fianna Fáil’s message to the electorate is “a strong economy, a decent society – an Ireland which serves all people”.
Fianna Fáil says it will use €8.3 billion of the so-called fiscal space, which it describes as ‘fiscal headroom’ in its manifesto.
Outlining his party’s core commitments, Martin said Fianna Fáil in government would eliminate Universal Social Charge for low and middle income workers earning up to €80,000.
The party is also pledging to create 250,000 jobs and deliver 150,000 new homes by 2021, including 45,000 social housing units.
It will abolish Irish Water and water charges with Martin saying the party’s priority is to “fix the system” and then examine the introduction of charges in 2021.
The manifesto, entitled ‘An Ireland for all’, promises to increase child benefit by €10 a month, establish a €2,000 childcare support credit, lengthen maternity leave benefit to 30 weeks, allow for shared parental leave and reduce the pupil/teacher ratio to 23:1.
Other measures include increasing the state pension by €30 a week, scrapping prescription charges, and increasing garda numbers to 15,000.
On political reform, Fianna Fáil says it will consider directly elected mayors, holding a referendum on mixed list/PR-STV system for Dáil elections, and examine appointing non-politicians to cabinet.
Martin said that former Fianna Fáil ministers who are elected to the Dáil will be entitled to be considered for possible cabinet or frontbench positions.
On abortion, the manifesto does not make any commitments in relation to the Eighth Amendment, with Fianna Fáil saying it will allow a free vote on the issue.
Martin hit out at what he said are “election slogans” which call for changes to abortion laws, saying they are not an “appropriate mechanism” to deal with a divisive issue.
He described himself as pro-life but said he is open to having the issue of fatal foetal abnormalities examined.
“I am pro-life by instinct and by position,” the Cork South-Central TD said.
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Driving to work this morning, I noticed some Duffy’s Circus posters mixed among the election litter on the lampposts – and I thought to myself: “At last, a credible alternative”
‘Great Pretender’ Michael Martin would be the star attraction at any circus.
ff the party of corruption
I want the good times back .Vote FF !
@ watcher ..good one!
And i was stuck cause i didn’t know who to vote for. I know now!
Good one Fred. We can live like the drunk in a casino. Have a great laugh but in the morning and for the next week we’ll have some hangover
ff fg labour are not fit to govern us through whats coming down the road vote for change or regret it http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/02/10/the-return-of-crisis-everywhere-banks-are-in-deep-trouble/
I admire their self belief, Idiots.
Yes another crash on the way – so do we want a party who promises everything to all or a party/ parties that project some reality. There will be no 1 party government so better to vote fir your preferred 2.
If only they, along with all the rest of them, could be held accountable for their promises.
I agree we cannot risk another 5 years wait Fina Gael and Labour, on the other hand we had 14 years of you b##@ards, and look where you left us.
With…..
They are. Have you not heard there’s an election?
Forget promises. Held accountable for their actions is more important. Traitors and Con men. They should be locked up.
Hasn’t Mehole been telling us all that FG/lab have only been implementing the FF austerity package as laid down by to Brian Lenihan by the troika. But now at election time it’s ALL on fg’s back.
Please people get both these cap tipping neo liberal parties out of power, let them combine into the single party they actually are in opposition and elect a new truely republician socalist government who will put all people first not just cronies and big business interests.
M. Bowe, agree with most of your post, the problem is we actually dont have a genuine alternative, SF are spouting populist nonsense, the left are too disunified, all the others are too small and similar to the others to pose any threat to the right wing numpties.
Incorrect. The left have unified, almost in their entireity, under the right2change banner, the largest party therein are the guys who got their sums correct on the fiscal space calculation.
That would be SF.
Howard so what is your option, stay with these 2 failed parties and have more of same, or try an alternative untried and tested party in hope that they deliver.
We already know the outcome of 1st option, it hasnt worked for the majority of country for 94 years.
For the 2nd option is say there is little to fear but fear itself, the outcome CANNOT be any worse than what we have had to date and the possibility of real chance is well worth the chance. Otherwise we just stagnate lurching from one set of failures to another.
@ m bowe. “The outcome couldn’t be any worse” not sure which country you live in, perhaps Syria, Iraq, or South America, I live in Ireland. the outlook can get one hell of a lot worse, (doesnt meant it will!) so called “left ” Governments haven’t exactly covered themselves in glory anywhere the achieved powere!
Bill after your post could you please square that with the FACT that the majority of top ten happily content populations on Forbes list are socialist democratic governments????
@Howard, I assume you are either some kind of an aristocrat or else you do not know the meaning of the words you use when constructing your sentences. I refer to this portion of your post “SF are spouting populist nonsense”.
If you don’t know what populist means here is the definition – ‘a member or adherent of a political party seeking to represent the interests of ordinary people.’
If you know the meaning already are you claiming to not be an ordinary person? Or to simplify, are you extraordinary? If so how so?
@De Wit. I find it amusing that day after day the term “populist” is spat out as a pejorative term by all the FG/LAG trolls. I find it most instructive that they despise the thought of anyone trying to represent the interests of ‘ordinary people’.
The problem with populism is it inevitably means making promises that can’t be implemented, and then people get annoyed that they’re not implemented and feel like they were “lied” to.
“For the 2nd option is say there is little to fear but fear itself, the outcome CANNOT be any worse than what we have had to date and the possibility of real chance is well worth the chance. ”
This isn’t true. It’s quite obvious that had we followed the SF/AAA remedy for fixing the economy as implemented by Syriza, we would lying in tatters: with capital flight, economic devastation, no access to debt markets and our relations in pieces.
I don’t see anything in SF’s manifesto that makes me believe they would do a better job. Their plan is to narrow our tax base in the exact same way FF did.
@ Search Eagle “The problem with populism is it inevitably means making promises that can’t be implemented”…so policies that represent the interest of the ordinary citizen can’t be implemented eh? Tell me so, policy representing the interests of which group of people can be implemented.
As to Syriza, only the blind and stupid blame them for what has happened in Greece, the only thing they did different than anyone else would or could have done, was attempt to negotiate easier repayment terms for an utterly unsustainable debt, tell me Search Eagle, what measures could have changed things in Greece if Syriza had not been elected?
@De Wit I seems you’re taking your own literal meanings for arguments to in some way make yourself sound. I’m sure the “populist nonsense” referred to was that SF seem to form opinions based on where they as a party think they as a party can exploit the hopes and fears of the majority with careless regard to plausibility. It doesn’t appear at times that they have their own identity.
Also…are you saying De Wit that people will always agree with what is best for them?
Letting Fianna Fail back into power would be like re-arranging the deckchairs on the Titanic!
You got it ! And it would be 3 to a chair with FF
No better with FG
and FG would keep all the lifejackets for their “friends” only.
“Whats that……..You want a lifejacket………Well, answer me this……..WHATS IN IT FOR ME??”
More importantly they have just tweeted that they will abolish water charges and Irish water if elected.
If they were serious about abolishing water charges, they could have proved it by signing up to right2change.
If they say the same about TTIP, i might consider giving them a second preference.
Tweet Micheal Martin and ask him to sign up for it @For connolly ?
It does reek of election promises so it would be great to have a way to hold him to it.
Brian they have said that all along. But when you read their literature it says they will suspend them until about 2021 when the water system should be pulled out of the dark ages. Suspend is very different to abolish. Don’t forget they introduced the water charge.
Vote FG to sustain the recovery :)
If you don’t mind me asking Tommy how are FG going to effect the worldwide economy to ‘sustain the recovery’
Right2chage isnt that the dissidents?
Fear don’t feed the trolls.
He is a lier.. Most of them are!
Here is an interesting perspective on capitalism, by a capitalist. m.youtube.com/watch?v=CKCvf8E7V1g
No tommy, that’s Labour/Official IRA/RNU
We cant risk another 5 years of FF either.
Says the bloke who was front and center when FF drove our economy off a cliff (the second time his party has done so in my lifetime)
FF and FG is like watching opposite cheeks of the same sleveen backside arguing about which smells the worst.
hilerous
Sure we all know that martin. Cannot risk anymore years of fg, labour or ff. All as bad as each other.
I’ve heard that phrase before, micheal… Oh yeah, 5 years ago. About you.
I love that analogy. Perfectly apt and good enough for a bill board
Pot Kettle an all that..
They are in denial about their past mistakes and are already believing their own propaganda. God help us if these ff clowns get back into government. Tough on people who found themselves in negative equity or forced to emigrate as a result of past governments boom/bust politics.
Tough on people in negative equity is taxing the roof over their head at the same rate as somebody next door with no mortgage.
The president of the Acme Tent Co. was said to have been ‘delighted’ on hearing the news of Fianna Fails recent rise in the pre election polls.
The owner of the local brown envelope factory is cockahoop as well.
…even Bertie is coming out of the cupboard!
Except they are still at the 17% they got in 2011
As is Mercedes Benz looking to sell more cars to a fianna fail led government……
Don’t forget 4way debate on tv3 tonight..anyone care to hazard a guesstimate on the amount of times 5 point plan..long term plan..recovery..sacrifice..ira..iherited..will all be mentioned?
I bet Enda is cramming away to learn his prepared answers for tonight as we speak. Hopefully, he’ll get knocked off balance and make himself look even more stupid.
I reckon “Keep the recovery going….” will feature somewhat. Noonan was repeating it like a broken record the other night sa if he trying to convince even himself.
Can he look any?more stupid
That could be a drinking game. Youd want a cast iron stomach though
I will vote FG to sustain the recovery for everyone :)
Tommy, as much as i dislike FF and FG, if I had to choose between the two, leaving everyone else aside, I would pick FF, that will tell you how good a job you and the rest of YFG are doing and that is driving voters away. The most arrogant, cocky shower I have ever come across, but then again, I don’t have to worry about it too much as I will vote SF and left candidates.
Yes I’d have FF back over FG anyday
I think someone might get a punch in the fiscal space
700? 800? Frankly, I can’t bear to watch – bad for the blood pressure!
I’m sure we’ll get Mr Adams’ ‘expertise’ on the economy and have to listen to his pidgin Irish or butchery of our beautiful language.
As well as Mr Kenny’s lies, wooden demeanour and BS, Martins amnesia of his time during the celtic tiger and then the other one who is about as straight as a boomerang.
Irish politicians everyone – if you were running for election they’d vote for you.
First of all you’ll have to get FG to include everyone in this ‘recovery’!!!!
But that ain’t the neo liberal way
Their manifesto isn’t worth the cost of paper it’s written on.
And they probably got that free from the Oireachtas printer.
Same as all of the other parties
Does none have anything in their manifesto about reducing the absolutely gigantic national debt that is causing us to limit spending? It seemed all the rage 5 years ago, and it seems to have grown hugely since FG/Lab took power, despite being in both their manifestos.
I’m not even 50 and Fianna Fail have bankrupted the country too many times to give them another go. From 1997 to 2007 they doubled public spending with transactional taxes largely from a property ponzi scheme. In 1977 they bought the election with populist measures like getting rid of moror tax and domestic rates. By the early ’80s the standard rate of VAT was 35% as a result! Not a chance!
Every 20 years or so they do it and FG have to come in and clean it up. FG get under peoples skin, so in turn, they get kicked out and round and round we go. We decided over the years not to give either of them full control so instead we force them into coalitions. We then blame the coalition parties when in fact FG/FF cause more damage.
The fundamental fear of a FF/FG coalition will be a problem twice the size in every respect;.
Seldom agree with you Reg, but everything in that particular post is entirely correct.
Everyone – get your brown envelopes stocked up. FF want to come back to run the economy off the cliff again.
We can’t risk another 5 years of austerity and homelessness
Have to agree with Michael FG and labour have done their job Rescued the economy from FF Time now for FF to be back in power and crash it again Perhaps with SF to help this time
FF and SF are the same, a marriage made in republican heaven, one keeps coming back into Government and keep destroying this country, people never learn and the other party WILL destroy this country if they ever got into power.
PS. thanks Journal for removing a previous post, I mean really, SF HQ must have a hotline.
No FG, FF, Labour and Greens..They’ve all shown us who they really look after when in power. Hopefully we won’t have more parties added to that list!
Irish Political Parties just don’t seem to get it.
70% Don’t want Fine Gael – 30% (-1) in the poll
92% Don’t want Labour – 8% (-2) in the poll
72% Don’t want Fianna Fail – 18% (+1) in the poll
73% Don’t want Sinn Fein – 17% (-) in the poll
Ind and Others 25% (+2)
Irish Political Parties just don’t seem to get it.
Regressive Taxes are NOT acceptable in a modern Democracy.
Progressive Taxes only, are acceptable to fund public services.
Regressive Taxes (fail to allow for inability to pay)
- LPT on Family Homes … tax second homes which are wealth
(Italy scrapped their hated LPT last Dec)
- Car Tax … Those who can least afford it have to pay the high Car Tax. Wealthy subsidised by owners of older cars – Obscene. No Car Tax in France since 2001. UK MPS rightly refused to pass this obscene Car Tax law in 2004.
- Water Tax …… ?!? … 100,000 on the streets … listen!
- IT (Inheritance Tax). Sweden scrapped it.
FTT (tax on banks) – 11 EU countries passed this law including Germany and France …
Irish Political Parties … some thick chickens ..
Vat is the biggest regressive tax of them all. Should we just abolish all taxes?
Corrected some figues for you!
82% Don’t want Fianna Fail – 18% in the poll
83% Don’t want Sinn Fein – 17% in the poll
@Reg .. thanks Reg … could make one despair!
@Jason … VAT is not a compulsory tax imposed with no consideration for inability to pay … extensive range of exemptions and zero rated goods and services like : Food and drink, Children’s clothing and footwear (“ring a bell!”) …. and you dont have to buy that expensive item … your choice.
Irish voters abolished LPT on Family Homes 30 yrs ago …it was called Rates. Tax on family homes is unacceptable in and civilised society. FG/Labour and Fianna Fail reintroduction …. wrong answer.
I’m not a parent so just curious, how far does a €2,000 tax credit get you with annual child care costs?
Sean
A good guess would be 500 per month so around 4 months but prehaps many may get 5-5.
It’s incredible how expensive child care is. I’d love to see someone break down the economic cost of having to remove work place participants on account of the high cost of childcare. This shouldn’t be spun as social welfare, it’s an investment.
But 2,000 euro obviously doesn’t cut it.
I’d like to see research on how many choose to stay at home when the kids come along. We are not the US. We have a tradition here of one parent staying at home when kids come along and it’s a shame to see that go now that in the name of unaffordable house prices.
I have no problem with a parent staying home. But you have to equalise it. Remove the stigma of the stay-at-home Dad and introduce full paternity leave on par with maternity leave. That’ll go a long way. It’s a bit counterintuitive, but by empowering fathers you’re really empowering women.
There’s no stigma to the stay at home dad. I’m one myself. It won’t go a long way as there are only 10k stay at home fathers in Ireland and it’s not changing. Why? Because men choose not to do it and that’s the exact same no matter what country in the world you look at including those with childcare, equality, and those without. We do know, that even when childcare is available and subsidised, women still choose to leave the workforce in great numbers. These are lifestyle choices.
And, btw an interesting point is that even in Scandanavian countries where paternity is available and even enforced by law – the uptake is still abysmal.
Gender is deeply biological. men and women are driven in different ways.
I agree opening up paternity is right and proper in the name of equality and it’s a sign of just how backward we are here that even in sub-saharan Africa they’ve had it for decades. We were one of the only countries in the world not to have it. But it’ll make very little difference overall.
Nimchimpsky maybe we did have in the past but it’s not the norm any more, most women go back to work as soon as they can especially if they’re a mortgage holding couple, otherwise they’d never afford to pay their mortgage. The days of Mammy staying home are well and truly over unless the other partner is a very high earner.
true, Ally. But most mothers switch to part-time work. That hasn;t changed at all. They work while the kids are in school, and then are usually home in time to pick them up and make dinner etc.
Not where I’m working, and there are lots of women with young kids, they’re all at creches till 5.30.
I wouldn’t suggest for a moment that we’d have a fifty/fifty split. But it’s important that for those couples who do decide to have stay at home dads, they’re not penalised for doing so.
These guys are still in business……will we ever learn?
FF could at least pretend to be a different party tham the one thast wrecked the country a couple of time in my lifetime. They’re not even bothering their holes to pretend!!!
If FF win the election and Martin, McGrath and Kelleher get jobs in the cabinet, then Cork might as well declare independence!
We certainly cannot risk putting Fianna Fáil into government ! They are the reason we pay the usc and why we had to immigrate ! Fine Gael have given us hope and will continue to do so – abolishing the USC and bringing our people back where they belong, HOME, to Irish jobs. Vote FG No.1
Dave, your ”promise’ to abolish the USC was based on a calculation your party royally ballsed up. Abolishing it also favours high earners the most. Its morally epugnant to cut taxes while the number of children i persistent poverty has doubled and our healthcare system is collapsing.
You’re a good fit with the ‘Whats in it for me?’ party.
@Dave
How could anyone vote for a government that cut disability payments by 160 million?the same amount as the water grant(bribe)
FG are reducing taxes, SF want to increase them, that says it all
SF are not going to abolish the u.s.c you mean and so use it to improve public services which is the right thing to do for society.
FG of course put 30bn of Anglo debt onto the tax payer during the lifetime of this government. So whilst they may want to cut taxes they will need to bring it in using other taxes. There is a fine line where privatization of what should be public services needs to be very closely reviewed.
@TMD “FG are reducing taxes, SF want to increase them, that says it all”, is that the same FG that have repeatedly criticised FF for shrinking the tax base?
“Martin says that Fianna Fáil wants to create quality jobs so people can pay bills, mortgage, cloth children and cover a night out” Is this what politics in Ireland has come to. A 15 year old Transition year student could do better. Infact, I’d have more belief in a group of 15 year old transition year students than this shower of idiots.
“We want to create quality jobs.”
“we want you to be able to pay your bills and mortgage.”
“we want you to be able to cloth your children.”
“we want you to have a night out.”
Fianna Fail 2016 ladies and gentlemen.
We cant risk another 5 years off any off these parties as they all have had a hand in destroying the country.
FF/FG/Lab/The Greens and the independants that supported them like the gombeen Healy Raes.
We need a swiss style system and actual direct democracy…
Not one off our politicians are qualified to do the job and get highly paid for doing Sweet FA, they get paid more than professionals who have gone to college for many years like Doctors,Nurses etc
If I go to a job interview the employer will check my qualifications and experience to see if I am capable off the job, why not we in Ireland do the same…
We have brain dead boxers who were put up in the last election, football managers (GAA) and celebs and not one of them qualified….We need intelligent people and not parish pump muppets like we have….
He fixed the road…yeah but he helped ruin the country….
If people vote for any of the mainstream parties they deserve what they get….
Use your brains and wake up
We can’t risk giving Fianna Fáil another shot till all of there old school representatives are dead and buried especially Michael Martin.
F.G. real agenda is not recovery, it is doing what the Troika tells them and the Troikas real policy is austerity. A fact that many do not believe or want to believe. The problem with F.G. is its front bench, real leaders lead, they do not let themselves be used by others here or in the E.U. and I fear F.F. would be the same but I just don’t think they would be as tough on the poor like this government has been.
But the fact is the 3 main parties sing from the same E.U. Hymn book and they are selfish because of how their parties are made, to make it to the top of the party they have to be like slime and know how to kiss butts and when they make it to the top they start kissing lobbyist / party donators butts and then E.U. Plutocratic butts. With voters they just hold in detest and revulsion.
They live in Castles in the shy really because by the time they make it to the top they have a vile mindset due to those around them creating the atmosphere that blinds them to reality as can be seem by this present government with the homeless, flooded homes in the west, water charges, property tax, Corrib gas, Gardaí, HSE, Teachers, Unions, Immigration, Irish markets down billions within 7 weeks now, ECB Q.E. etc etc…
Then… They are that desperate that F.G. has… Enda promising a 25 euro boost for pensioners and his body language was the exact same as a school boy who told a big lie and didn’t believe it himself, head down, eyes down and voice got lower and slower as he said it? The FISCAL SPACE WILL NOT ALLOW THAT…
They do say anything now…
Couldn’t agree more
Question will people fall for the same old lies again???
Unfortunately yes
I’ve been in the dumps for the past 5 years or so years thanks to FG’s tax everything and charge everyone policy, I’d almost welcome FF back at this rate. 5 years of good times followed by another crash sounds alright to me!
Being fair, Micheal has done quite some job in making people, especially the media, forget the previous government record on the creation of a quite nasty economic crisis, there again, and I go back to what I said years ago, it was not Fianna Fail but their adherence to EC/EU which caused the difficulty, remember, deregulation of financial services/markets etc. feeding the wealthy and not the other 99%.
He was part of the, once Fianna Fáil elite however, whom else was there to take over who was not?
I once predicted Fianna Fáil would be lucky to take twenty five seats in a 2016 election, I doubt now they can take more than thirty but, the leadership of Micheal Martin has been imperative to their survival, a political party, once the ‘natural party of government’, then predicted to be nearing extinction, now, perhaps, coming back!
They’ll never, soon, get back to their lauded 40% but, in coalition with Sinn Fein, can, and they will do it, return to government in Ireland, when this happens, they better remember their promise to organise, politically, in the whole country, cos, otherwise, Sinn Féin will be the only all-nation party.
SF/FF could very well be the next government. They are a natural fit for one another. Very similar policies and similar roots.
Fact check: no alternative to either a Fine Gael led government or Fianna Fail. Did every other party / candidate resign in the past 24 hours? I’d wish party politicians would start pushing FOR democratic values instead of AGAINST. For the people of Ireland and all that. What happened to asking for your vote rather than telling you what to vote?
30e extra for state pension is a joke, way to much. Child benefit should be left as it is
Would sinn fein and ff be better?
Child benefit should be means tested. Its crazy giving it to millionaires.
Only if sf was the senior party Patrick but its highly unlikely that they would have the numbers to form a govt.
Its more crazy giving child benefit to people on the dole who don’t work. At least wealthy people are paying high taxes and what they get back in child benefit would only be a marginal amount of the tax they pay.
I logged on to facebook the other day to see a girl I was in school with put up photos of her FOURTH child’s christening, new hairdo, new outfit, three tier pink bakery made cake with the child’s name on it, prosecco glasses surrounding it and a meal out for all their family & friends. How can two people who have not worked and gotten a house from the council afford all of that!!!
Rather than removing it from wealthy people they should remove it for anyone who has more than two children. In this way the state supports you having two children so you can have a family regardless of your circumstances but not any more than that if you can’t fund those children yourself. I wouldn’t be able to afford that kind of lavish ceremony for any child of mine as I have a mortgage and don’t get hand outs from the state.
It would be fantastic if it were feasible but every time any politician starts talking about increasing anyone’s income, we are all left waiting for the sound of the other shoe dropping. We are a much more cynical nation now and all their promises are hollow.
Your not in need obviously
Anything is better then another five years of FG and Kenny. FG will sell everything the state has for a quick buck. For god sake they cant go out in public with out an armed escort and are creating a police state.
Are you out of your mind cabk?? Child benefit does not keep a child. Its a small part of the cost of having a child. Wishy washy stories about someone on the dole having expensive parties doesnt stack up either. Perhaps they have wealthy family. I can tell you as someone who was on the dole before and a father that it is not easy. Child benefit was a small help every month.
You don’t get tax relief for children that’s why child benefit was raised in the first place.
just scrap child benefit- simples :)
Why ?
No it is you who is deluded over this. Let’s look at their scenario shall we?
Parents: x2 social welfare payments a week €400 euro, €1600 a month (they are not married so treated as single people)
Children: x4 child benefit payments a month €140 a child so €560 euro a month.
Family income: €2,160.
Council house so no mortgage to pay, no childcare costs as they don’t work, medical card so no medical costs. Live in the town so no need for a car as no travelling to/from work – no tax and insurance.This is aside from extra income at Christmas due to extra payment or back to school allowances by the way.
My situation: Low earner €23,000. Salary after tax €1670, rent €600 a month, car insurance and tax (needed for work) €90 a month direct debit. Other household bills €100 roughly a month. Try and save €80. €800 left after all of that. If I need to go to the Doctor that’s €60 please before any prescription. Children? Well I can’t afford them right now as I can’t afford childcare of €1000 a month per child and if I gave up work my partner wouldn’t be able to afford the full rent bills etc on his own salary.
Its pretty clear why they are the ones having the lavish christenings.
The means testing costs more than savings
They need a police escort because of criminal activity.
And that is most young couples in this country, unless you have employment where you have to be available 7 days a week for 4 hour contracts, which is worse, present government thinks this is a success story !
You’ve just proved your full of sh!t there , your first comment says you have a morgage now all of a sudden you pay rent . Get lost ya spoofer !
CABK Jackanory are looking for a new storyteller !!!
Well spotted Nucky!
Mr Martin has just had another 5 years of pension payments to his teachers pension funded by a temp worker. So he can keep his place. Just like Enda. How could either of these two be trusted?
Does he really think we’re all that stupid, 17–18% is enough fools
In fairness Michael Martin seems the most competent of a very bad bunch, but i think they’re severely lacking talent in the party. Other than Martin and McGrath, who else is capable of inclusion in any cabinet, Timmy Dooley, Niall Collins, i don’t think so! Some independents that have only been in the dail the last 5 years seem a lot more capable of most of the FF politicians that are serving their 2nd, 3rd or longer, terms in the dail.
John McGuinness has proven himself very capable on the PAC, but he does like his gravy i.e. the foreign trip scandal.
Cos SF never go on foreign trips.. Or have health problems taken care of abroad
Not on the taxpayers coin, no.
Have you any evidence to the contrary Jason?
SF only fly business class, meanwhile child poverty is at an all time high in belfast. have the shinners any shame at all?
http://www.thejournal.ie/gerry-adams-new-york-economy-class-1680316-Sep2014/
“Adams is in New York tomorrow, Tuesday and Wednesday attending the annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative – a humanitarian organisation established by former US president Bill Clinton after he left office. Sinn Féin said he was invited by the Clintons and that he will fly out tomorrow – in economy class – before returning on Wednesday.”
Let me know if theres anything else you’d like to be proven wrong about ‘tommy’. Now, its nearly 2pm, so back into class with ye. Good lad.
FG and labour don’t have to go abroad. Its one set of rules for themselves and another set of rules for everybody else, ie: Noonans first class hospital treatment recently, and joans tendency to use garda resources for personal security while criminals freely roam the streets of Dublin, this despite the fact that our finance minister can’t add and everybody knows joan is a waste of taxpayers money at this stage, gonna lose her seat.
We cant run the risk of FF either, a fundamentally corrupt organisation, mehole was a minister in Berties governments, never forget it, he is as reprehensible as Bertie and Biffo, as a minister, apart from the smoking ban, what has this idiot done, you dont have to think too hard folks
Fianna failure gave us thousands of houses last time, also thousands of jobless, thousands of emigrants and yeah, billions of debt. Who’d want more of that, except the17-20% of die-hard amnesiac fools.
Its very insulting when politicians say they want to give us money “for a night out”, especially since its their horrendous very expensive mistakes and incompetence in their jobs that everybody else is paying dearly for. Joan said it before too. Who the feck do they think they are! Any politician who says that shouldn’t be in politics in the first place.
Yes, 14 years of ff happened till 2011… Why did we boot over 50 of them out?
No problem MeeHall, we’ll risk you for another 5 years so
Do they? How has it been going so far, since they were in power for the guts of thirteen years before the crash?
FF: We can’t risk more economic recovery, we had this country on the brink of destruction! We were nearly there! Vote us back in Fianna FAIL the utter chaos party
We never let them finish what they started. We could have had a civil war! We’ll never live the dream of complete economic and social collapse.
Just as bad! No tnx M.Martin!!
His bit on Irish water and charges is hilarious
Jobs for themselves!ah the auld FIANNA FAILUERS!!!
So will they state categorically they will abolish zero hour contracts?
Therein lies the test.
That’s all very well but companies are circumventing this by employing people through bogus contractor agencies.
Bogus ‘self employment’ contracts whilst stacking shelves in a supermarket.
Minimum wages don’t apply.
I can’t employ you as a painter and pay less than the minimum wage.
You could however, as a self employed person, offer to paint my house for €100.
You are ‘self employed’, you can set your own price.
I thought the FF Economic Terrorist Party hated people having jobs and nights out, didn’t they destroy as many jobs as the could when we were silly enough to keep voting for them last time.
Was it Dunphy who described Fianna Fáil as a cross between the Mafia and the Moonies ?
Dunphy is all things to all people. When he checks the weather he’s only interested in which way the wind is blowing.
A few weeks ago he was on the radio with Bertie with his tongue up Bertie’s xxx as he spoke lovingly about PJ Mara.
I’m still waiting for some party to promise free beer for all.
He has to be trolling, surely!
FG and Labour have been such an arrogant sham in government that I have recently begun to actually consider giving FF a 10th or 11th preference.
More like we won’t risk five years with the FF party in government as well lol
Governments can’t create jobs apart from expanding the public sector is that the FF plan ? Governments can only create the economic environment where enterprise can then create jobs
So when fg/lab claim they have created x amount of jobs they are lying again?
Fianna Fail, the other E.U. Unionist Party.
In other words…..”ok lads , stop rowing for 5 mins and give yerselves a pat on the back…then its battle speed, this economy is NOT gonna pay for itself” excerpt from Ben Hur
“On political reform, Fianna Fáil says it will consider directly elected mayors, holding a referendum on mixed list/PR-STV system for Dáil elections, and examine appointing non-politicians to cabinet.”
These are some genuinely interesting ideas and exactly the kind of political reforms the country is crying out for.
Which is exactly why FF will never implement them.
Promises chat shit get banged
Mehole martin on the news today, saying that he will suspend water charges for five years, does this fool not realise that he and his rotten party signed up for it and suggests that FF have learned their lesson, does this tool actually believe the garbage he says?
So enough to pay debt and get lashed. Thanks FF. We’d be living the dream
How will they do all those things??? Explain?
have your say