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Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

Shoppers urged to 'buy Irish' this Christmas

Campaigns call for support for Irish goods and services in the run-up to Christmas.

AT LEAST TWO Irish organisations are preparing to launch their pre-Christmas campaign urging shoppers to buy Irish goods.

Guaranteed Irish is airing its ‘Shop For Ireland” ads from next week which say that spending €4 more a week on Irish products will create 6,000 jobs in Ireland.

GI says that recent research involving 1,000 people aged 16 or older in Ireland found that four in five people believe it is more important to buy Irish goods and services now than five years ago.

Meanwhile, the Craft Council of Ireland is also appealing to the public to direct some of their Christmas present expenditure towards Irish-produced crafts. The council is launching a new Irish-made jewellery exhibition at Dublin Airport’s Terminal 2 tomorrow.

The organisation says that research it commissioned from Millward-Browne Lansdowne has found that 83 per cent of Irish women believe that an Irish craft piece is the ideal gift, while a recent report by Deloitte found that jewellery is one of the top five most-wanted gifts at Christmas.

Brian McGee, head of market development at the Crafts Council of Ireland, said: “We appeal to consumers to think twice about making that purchase an Irish one when they are shopping this season.”

The CCI also said that nearly 120 retailers in Ireland are taking part in their Give Irish Craft campaign this Christmas.

Irish shoppers are expected to be the highest spenders in Europe again this Christmas. The annual Deloitte Christmas spending survey found that Irish households are expected to spend an average of €943 this festive season. In comparison, Dutch households are expected to spend an average of €260, while households in Luxembourg are expected to hit an average Christmas spend of €923.

Poll: Will you buy Irish this Christmas? >

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51 Comments
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    Mute Cormac
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    Nov 17th 2015, 1:05 PM

    Sentence is still too lenient. 4 times the legal limit, kills one person and paralysis for another.

    281
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    Mute Gillian Weir Scully
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    Nov 17th 2015, 1:53 PM

    I listened to the mother of Kate being interviewed on Newstalk and thought she was a lovely, brave woman going through a terrible time. She did not think it would serve any purpose a drunk driver going to prison. She asked that no one get into a car being driven by someone who had been drinking.

    We would all be safer if you drink but not drive.

    33
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    Mute Niall O Neill
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    Nov 17th 2015, 1:16 PM

    “Out of line with other decided cases” – which clearly must have been too lenient as well! So judges perpetuate their inadequate sentencing because of precedent.

    228
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    Mute Teddington
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    Nov 17th 2015, 2:17 PM

    It seems to be the very flawed system on which our entire legal system operates. Basically an original mistake gets extended forever.

    This again leaves a huge question mark over the severity of the sentence handed out yesterday to the ex fireman who had consensual sex with a 16 year old and got 7 years in prison. Murdering one person and paralysing another is only four years.

    109
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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    Nov 17th 2015, 2:38 PM

    You can’t have consensual sex with a minor. They cannot give consent. This, however, is a disgrace and no deterrent. Judges are totally out of touch with the real world.

    62
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    Mute Stephen murphy
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    Nov 17th 2015, 8:52 PM

    If I had too much to drink, killed someone with a weapon and claimed it was an accident? What sentence would I get, If any and the judicial system is a joke in this country.

    15
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    Mute Paul
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    Nov 17th 2015, 1:04 PM

    As I said yesterday completely incompetent Judges…..joke

    207
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    Mute Jon Mackey
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    Nov 17th 2015, 1:58 PM

    How the Fcuk is that allowed?

    64
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    Mute Stephen murphy
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    Nov 17th 2015, 8:54 PM

    Politicians allow it, they have a bar in their workplace and consume alcohol while working.

    3
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    Mute Ken O'Neill
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    Nov 17th 2015, 1:19 PM

    They should have doubled his sentence for having the neck to appeal. Outrageous decision.

    173
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    Mute brian o'leary
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    Nov 17th 2015, 1:54 PM

    This country and its judicial system are an absolute joke. What kind of an example does this give. 4 years for what he did. His first sentence was too lenient in my eyes.
    An embarrassment

    96
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    Mute Leon O Haodhagain
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    Nov 17th 2015, 2:23 PM

    Wonder if I paralysed a judges daughter would I just get the 1 year?

    94
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    Mute Babadook
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    Nov 17th 2015, 1:33 PM

    Hold on went from seven to four years. He should of been dragged out and shot.

    77
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    Mute Periguin
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    Nov 17th 2015, 1:59 PM

    Can this also set a precedent,for appeal, for that drink drivers sentence last week? On the basis of this, what sentence should have been imposed on the idiot in Donegal. The judiciary in this country is a shambles.

    61
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    Mute Rasputin
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    Nov 17th 2015, 2:50 PM

    The problem seems to be that there is no central authority issuing guidelines so you have each judge in their own little fiefdom sentencing people according to their own interpretation of the law. We really need minimum sentences and a system where if a judge feels that a particular case warrants a lesser sentence due to mitigating circumstances the case is referred to a higher court.

    27
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    Mute shelly
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    Nov 17th 2015, 2:18 PM

    There should be a mandatory minimum sentence for anyone who kills or maims another person by driving while drunk. Say 12 years and lifetime ban from driving with no chance of appeal, this would act as a good deterrent.

    55
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    Mute Ken Kelly
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    Nov 17th 2015, 2:21 PM

    €206877
    This is how much the state will save by this appeal. Its in the states interest to grant these appeals. This is why we have laughable sentencing laws. The state is far more interested in money than its citizens. We have seen this again and again. Money trumps life.
    http://www.iprt.ie/prison-facts-2

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    Mute Barney r
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    Nov 17th 2015, 8:41 PM

    How much will the paralysed women receive for care help?

    7
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    Mute Jon Mackey
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    Nov 17th 2015, 2:13 PM

    If only Dexter Morgan was real

    36
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    Mute Niall Dawson
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    Nov 17th 2015, 3:36 PM

    Is that judge off his nut? If anything the original sentence was too lenient!

    22
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    Mute Alan Scott
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    Nov 17th 2015, 4:38 PM

    It shows the courts are getting more comfortable with this type of crime hence the low sentence

    14
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    Mute Jimmy Murphy
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    Nov 17th 2015, 4:13 PM

    So they’re trying to extend the sentence in that Donegal case while reducing the sentence in this one? Does our legal system have any clue what it’s doing?

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    Mute Anne Shanahan
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    Nov 17th 2015, 4:57 PM

    Another nonsense sentence for causing such devestation due to being an idiot behind the wheel driving drunk. These judges are clearly blotto when they hand down these terms.

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    Mute Sallins Man
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    Nov 17th 2015, 1:13 PM

    Who cares what you said.

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    Mute Ken O'Neill
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    Nov 17th 2015, 1:20 PM

    F*ck off troll.

    67
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    Mute jack frost
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    Nov 17th 2015, 7:07 PM

    10 years . End of story

    3
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    Mute Ger Kelly
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    Nov 17th 2015, 11:26 PM

    Sentencing in this country especially for drink driving road accidents are a disgrace.

    2
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    Mute Randall Higgins
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    Nov 17th 2015, 7:57 PM

    A central tenet of democracy is that the branches of Government must be independent of each other. The executive enacts legislation and the judiciary interprets the wording of a given statute when it is tested by way of using it to prosecute a crime. The judges’ interpretation becomes a precedent for other cases of a similar nature into the future. This is called “common law” and is equally as binding as legislation, and is used throughout the land. Sentencing is limited by a variety of factors: legislation, “mandatory sentencing”, and the concept of “fairness.” This chap’s sentence has to be proportionate to those who previously did similar and with a similar outcome. The Victim Impact Statement serves no function other than to give the victims a voice (make them “feel better”.)

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    Mute Spiderman
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    Nov 17th 2015, 11:18 PM

    Excuse the language but that’s a FN joke. No justice here at all.

    1
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