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Updated at 10.10pm
LEO VARADKAR HAS defended his proposal to ban ‘essential’ public workers from going on strike, and elaborated on what he meant by the comments, which have inflamed some unions and workers.
The social protection minister and Fine Gael leadership candidate told RTÉ’s Six One News this afternoon that he thinks it’s ‘wrong’ to portray his proposal as a strike ban.
“It’s not that. If a dispute is long and protracted, and if it goes to the Labour Court – bear in mind that the union and employer have to agree that it goes to the Labour Court – that should be the end of it.
The unions and the employers should accept the outcome of the Labour Court.
He said that this outcome would solely be for the emergency services, and stressed that it’s not just the unions that would have to accept the proposals: “…it’s the employer and sometimes the government as well”.
He also clarified other controversial comments he made over the weekend, when he said that if elected Taoiseach he would represent ‘people who get up early in the morning’.
Unfortunately there are a group of people, very often supporters of the far left, that believe they shouldn’t pay anything and that Apple, bondholders, or billionaires should pay…
“Everyone who can, should pay into the system.”
He said that the group of people who have that political ideology are ”pretty small but they’re loud”.
“[They think there should be] free education, free healthcare, free housing, but shouldn’t have to contribute to it. I think that’s dishonest: you work hard and pay into the system.”
He said that what he meant by ‘people who get up early in the morning’ was people with long commutes, parents, and carers, and he committed to ensuring that those groups would pay less tax.
Earlier
At the launch of his manifesto today, Varadkar outlined his wish to introduce what he called a ban on “essential” public sector workers from going on strike, according to Leo Varadkar.
Speaking at his policy launch in the Smock Alley Theatre in Dublin, the Social Protection Minister (who is already being dubbed the next Taoiseach) told reporters that Labour Court recommendations should be binding on employers and unions.
His manifesto states the public should “no longer be inconvenienced by strike action in essential services”.
When pressed on what is the definition of essential services, Varadkar said the definition would be determined by the Oireachtas.
His comments have been criticised by the head of the National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) Dermot O’Leary, who accused Varadkar of having an “undemocratic ‘Tory’ style mantra”.
It seems to me that Leo, in his determination to appeal to certain business interests, has decided to set course on an anti-trade union, anti-worker policy. Whilst I’m not at all surprised with Leo ‘Thatcher’ Varadkar, I would be amazed and appalled if Fianna Fail, through its supply and confidence agreement, was to support such a draconian attack on workers in this country.
When asked for specific examples, Varadkar had said emergency service workers and also air traffic controllers.
He said he did not envisage the legislation extending to health workers “across the board”, but said it could “include emergency services where it is a matter of life and death”.
When asked if it would include the gardaí, he said he does not have a difficulty with the gardaí accessing the Labour Court, but stated that as it stands at the moment, gardaí are banned from striking.
TheJournal Politics / TwitterVaradkar on the possibility of phasing out the first time buyers scheme pic.twitter.com/9HlYnVAx2s
— TheJournal Politics (@TJ_Politics) May 22, 2017
Help-to-Buy Scheme
Another item in his manifesto is sure to raise the eyebrows of his opponent, Simon Coveney.
The First Time Buyers Scheme (which is Coveney’s baby) will be scrapped if a review finds that it is pushing up property prices, said Varadkar.
He said the scheme could be “phased out”, with any money saved used on the construction of housing for older people which he said will incentivise retired people to move out of large family homes.
The eleven-page policy document of big ideas is Varadkar’s pitch to become the next Taoiseach.
Varadkar promised that those who paid their water charges will be refunded this year.
Abortion referendum
He also committed to a referendum on abortion being held next year.
He said Fine Gael should be a ”warm house for those who hold traditional views as well as those who hold liberal ones”.
He denied that the Citizen’s Assembly was a time-wasting exercise, and said the Oireachtas will now try to form a question that will be put to the people next year.
He told the media today that his personal opinion on abortion should not inform government policy, and admitted his views have been evolving on the issue.
“I am somebody who has had an evolving view on this issue, I have changed my mind a few times. I find it difficult, I struggle with it. I certainly would be in favour of removing the Eighth Amendment. I think it should be deleted and I am in favour, in a personal view of abortion in certain circumstances (fatal foetal abnormalities, rape). I personally would not favour abortion on request,” said the minister.
TheJournal Politics / TwitterLeo Varadkar launching his policy doc at Smock Alley pic.twitter.com/6iLde8ZqNW
— TheJournal Politics (@TJ_Politics) May 22, 2017
Tax and pensions
He wants to reduce the marginal tax rates of income tax, stating that no one should have to pay more than 50c out of every euro they earn.
There should be tax equality for all workers, re-pitching his idea that self-employed people should be able to opt in to pay more PRSI so as to avail of all benefits.
In addition, the Universal Social Charge (USC) would be merged with PRSI to make a new system of social insurance.
He also wants pensions to be linked to inflation, but said something needs to be done to tackle the figure that 35% of workers in the private sector have no pension.
He wants to enrol workers under 60 to a personal pension savings scheme, whereby contributions will be made by employees and employers. The State will provide a bonus similar to that boom-time savings scheme known as the SSIA.
TheJournal Politics / Twitter@campaignforleo has quite a few policy ideas (1/2) pic.twitter.com/ieHkb4Ho5b
— TheJournal Politics (@TJ_Politics) May 22, 2017
What else?
In terms of Brexit, he said: “We will argue for Northern Ireland to remain in the Single Market, Common Agricultural Policy, Interreg, Erasmus and other programmes”.
However, he said he is opposed to a border poll at this time.
Varadkar wants to bring forward a new capital spending plan that will fast-track the likes of Dublin Metro and the M20.
He also wants to double government investment in the arts, culture and sport – something he says will cost €44 million per year, over seven years.
Varadkar disputed that such investments could be seen to be buying off his supporters, and said not one of the TDs that pledged their support for him have been promised jobs around the Cabinet table.
However, he did state that he had “listened to their ambitions” of leadership.
Speaking about Housing Minister Simon Coveney, Varadkar said he is an “honourable man” who is “very diligent”.
“I admire the fact he is staying in the race,” he added.
“This race is still on, it’s far from over,” said Varadkar.
- With reporting by Michelle Hennessy and Gráinne Ní Aodha
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” Mr Varadkar repeated his mantra that Irish society cannot be split into “one group of people who pay for everything and another who want everything for free and think others should pay for it”.”
God that sounds exactly like something i would say. I think i might like this Leo chap.
@Fred Jensen: Unlike Coveney who wants working folk to be role models for the children of the unemployed. http://www.newstalk.com/Simon-Coveney:-Integrated-communities-ensure-children-can-see-different-way-of-life
@Fred Jensen: maybe you “are” Leo. I think he had a fake Facebook account!
@Fred Jensen: Totally agree, Fred! Leo seems to talk common sense! With recent common sense leader elections throughout the rest of Europe, Leo will make a complementary addition.
Yes saw that Leo comment on RTE news surprised RTE broadcast it….Such a non progressive right wing thing to say…Leo did not mention abolition of the USC however…FF policy is to keep.it for spending on progressive things….
@Fred Jensen: But at the same time he’s happy to split society in an adversarial ‘us Vs them’ manner in any way that’ll get him a vote or make him more popular with anyone. Causing divisions in society, having people spy and report to the Social Welfare about their neighbours is disgusting and not creative. Attempting to cause further divisions by isolating a sector of the workforce as deserving of hatred is, frankly, beneath him. Or it should be.
Leo is speaking directly to middle ireland and they will reward him handsomly. Anyone who get though on welfare scroungers and the elite public service unions will be loved by the irish people as both are cancers on society
@booby sandwiches: Poor people and members of unions are cancers on society? Really?
Surprised Leo hasn’t published his plans for large camps with crematoriums on site to solve these problem once and for all. He’d have your vote no doubt!
@Phil Anthropy:
That’s just the sort of utopian cringe to be expected from Coveney. I certainly don’t want my childrean hanging around with the kids of the long term unemployed / welfare class. I’ve yet to hear a benefit for the private buyer from Coveneys plans to integrate social housing into private developments. Becasue there isn’t any.
@Fred Jensen: Sure go on Fred, throw your blue-shirt vote behind Leo the Liar.
He’s done nothing worthy of note in any department to make things better for the people of Ireland. He’s a spoofer, bit like yourself.
@Brent Weaver: welfare scroungers are a lot of things, poor is definitely not one of them. they are an absolute cancer
@booby sandwiches: Personally, I won’t allow myself to be used so easily as a cheap pawn to cause such division in our society when all the evidence is that these “welfare scroungers” don’t exist in the numbers Leo is claiming. I, and I’m certain, most others too, will not spy upon their neighbours and report them, you may be content to be a ‘Quisling’ but that’s your business.
As for the elite Public Service unions, yes, the high earning managers do well but the vast majority of them earn, and I do mean earn, an ordinary wage.
Ten years ago people like you demanded they take cuts, pay levies and work extra hours for no pay, they’ve done that, and the State signed a deal with them, now it’s time to honour the other side of that deal.
@Fred Jensen: Ever heard of VAT, Car Tax, taxes on Fuel, no body gets things for free in this country. In fact , the way we treat our marginalised, elderly and disabled citizens is nothing short of a disgrace. I’ve been a tax payer my whole life and attended every anti water charge protest going. Its the Bankers and Bondholders who are getting free rides in this country so the sooner people like you wake up to that fact the better. Varadkar is nothing more then Marine Le Pen but not in a dress.
@Maggie May: Absolutely Maggie. Those of us on group schemes will go on paying our county council or more like Irish Water who have taken it over now. Hopefully that money will help towards changing your lead pipes and fixing your malfunctioning septic tanks in future as well. And if it’s not enough our general taxation along with yours will at least go some of the way to protect the environment and your childrens health.
@booby sandwiches: I used to like tits, until you came up with that name.
its high time to clean up society from the riff raff, leo is the man for the job
That is exactly how a mantra works Fred. Does “repeat a lie often enough and it becomes true” sound familiar? That’s the biggest problem with this country. Plebs and his ilk continually voted in by the weak minded…
@Fred Jensen: you believe anything he says? Talk is cheap.
@George Hogan: zzzzz is it over yet? Zzzzzzzzz
@Brent Weaver: booby is a fully paid up FG troll, didnt you know? Thats why he hides behind his silly name here
@Fred Jensen: as if Doctors or Nurses would strike for the sake of it.
@Fred Jensen: as was said in black hawk down “gentlemen we just lost the initiative”
@Boyne Sharky: nothing is. Beneath his greed to “carve his name in history ” at the cost of the working poor .
@Phil Anthropy: too be fair that system has worked in other countries. Also failed in others so I guess it would be down to how its operated
@Fred Jensen: When did Apple end their tax scam, when did the bondholders give back the €66 billion they stole from the people of Ireland. Apple and the bondholders are definitely up early, but they begin their scamming and robbing when they are still asleep.
@booby sandwiches: Government ministers & their employees who waste taxpayers money are cancers on society. So are charity bosses who take home huge wages & have other perks all paid from the kindness of the public. So are over paid bankers. So are multi national corporations who don’t pay proper taxes.
@Brent Weaver: And what have you done Brent? Go on, what public service have you done? Fair play if you have but if not your just a populist shouting slogans.
@Cindy Crawford: Yeah all government and all public servants in government roles (technically their employees) are a cancer. Get a grip. So how does a country run without ministers and people like the department of the taoiseach, the cso etc etc? Maybe some people should be banned from comments.
Finally a bit of sense. Reducing the marginal rate of tax below 50% is not only fair it is also needed quickly to enable Ireland to compete for professional talent. I also like the commmitment to massively increase capital spending on infrastructure, schools, hospitals etc by aiming for a slightly higher amount of debt. The country needs investment.
@Fred Jensen: Keep the 50% rate but raise the amount that can be earned before a worker enters the top bracket.
Meanwhile SF/IRA want to increase income tax, they despise working people
@booby sandwiches: Metinks you are a bit of a cross breed. Would you have spawned from Cruise O’Brien, Dudley Edwards and Jim Cusack? Think you’re wasting your time on the SF/IRA references though – your mate Veruka has no interest in Irish politics, only in getting rich and looking for imaginery fraud to please yourself and the YFG fanbase
@booby sandwiches: I can’t take anyone’s argument seriously if they call Sinn Fein ‘SF/IRA’
@Niall Campbell: they are the exact same thing, get used to it
We need a top marginal tax rate well in excess of 50%… but not starting at 34k.
@booby sandwiches: zzzzzzzzzzzz
Can somebody please tell me what he has achieved as a minister in government?
Not sure I like his “get out of bed early no striking workers” mantra.
@gowfc@yahoo.com W: I don’t like his get out of bed mantra either. I get out of bed early & go to work 5 days a week but I’m taking home a crap wage because the government won’t set the minimum wage at a decent rate per hour.
@gowfc@yahoo.com W:
I aboslutely love his getting out of bed early and no striking mantra.
@gowfc@yahoo.com W: He’s showing his colours. It’s Blue, it’s fascist, divisive. He will keep on with the destruction of society.
He cares only for the “coping class” those who already have a home, a nice car, and a good income. Anyone below that line will be tortured and reviled by Veruka.
@gowfc@yahoo.com W: In Mein Kamp ,Hitler made the same reference to the German nation, as people who rose early to toil for the good of the Fatherland. Of course we know what happened to striking workers. Leo being true to his Blueshirt Fascist roots.
@Just Me: its interesting that the shinnerbots are making reference to hilter their idol
@Just Me: Arbeit Macht Frei
@Dave Doyle: And we know how that worked out.
@Fred Jensen: The unions should call an all out general strike now and see what little Leo will do.
Cindy, get yourself educated then.
@Cindy Crawford: you and thousands like you are taking home crap wages -that is the Fine Gael policy to have most of in the tax net for the benefit of their rich friends and big business associates.They want all of us like worker ants feeding the greedy queen bees at the top and Leo Veruka wants to take it to a new level.
@Bennythekid: It’s the generation of the autobot , just work , don’t complain , except everything as the status quo .
This from the Leo man who couldn’t stand with his own until he seen how the wind was blowing .
In the words of ”Groucho” Marx , ”These are my principles , and if you don’t like them , I have other ones.
@Larry Fitzwell: I am educated to Leaving Cert level. If everybody was educated to university level who would serve assh*les like you your Costa coffee, sell you your daily newspaper, clean your hotel room etc. I’m not looking for a massive wage ( I’m not greedy ) but I work hard & should bring home a liveable wage as I’m not being a burden on the state.
@booby sandwiches: can you not mention the shinners ? You are so predictable, Leo wont like you.
@Ken Hayden: Should have been ”accept”
@Cindy Crawford: I have a father in a nursing home , it’s probably only 10% of the staff are Irish , from what I have seen , the 10% have 20 times more empathy than the 90% .
The low wage is a reason why the majority are foreign , and it’s an easy out for the employers who say they can’t recruit in Ireland , because they can undermine the basic living standard of Irish people .
It makes me so angry when I hear someone say , get an education , when most people who have an education leave the country in search of better wages and standard of living .
@Larry Fitzwell: I think you need to get educated , are you so aloof that you don’t know how water arrives at your house , or your shit gets taken away .
I can live without a computer , can you live without your water and sewage being removed from your living space ?
Do you know what lies below the roads you travel to work ? a network that keeps you more alive than some faux degree .
And these are the people you look down your nose at ,
May I ask, what is considered a low wage and what is considered a good/fair wage? Constantly it is requested on here but the expectation is never clear.
@booby sandwiches: you’ve gone by various stupid names on this site for years & I for one applaud you for it. Obviously you don’t work given the time spent on the journal & if you are actually employed, you should be sacked for not working. I do however like the fact that you say the dumbest things and shine a spotlight on the type of useless, empty headed tool that thinks fine g are a great bunch of lads. Varadkar is a fascist – Fine Gael is the party of breaking laws & disorder. Kenny jumped ship knowing full well that there’s a pipeline full of shit coming for the next leader of the party – he was a useless man but not a fool. Leo is both. Good times ahead but not for you and your ilk thankfully.
@Cindy Crawford: and if they do they raise the stealth taxes and pack it in some more levies and some more empty taxes and this money you got up so early for is gone before you get to even look at it .
@Dave Doyle: they are not coping class they are his mates in the tennis club he cares for . There is no such thing as coping class there’s the rich for whom this government is for and the working poor and they cannot cope with jack S…t .
Then there is the destitute but they don’t count to the likes of Plastic Torys unless when they do some half ass scheme to charge the working poor for and pretend is going to actually benefit the destitute.
Instead the money is half squandered half way and the media bring in some other topic .. and is all forgotten . That is how it work ,innit ?
@Ken Hayden: I work in a nursing home & while there are non Irish nationals working in it there are a lot of Irish people working in it too. I have no problem with this as they’re all lovely & hardworking. If there was a decent minimum wage set in law by government it wouldn’t matter whether an employee was non Irish or not. Irish people have always gone to other countries to work so we can’t give out about people coming here to work. It’s the ones who come here to scam the social welfare system that I have a problem with.
@PedroB: Obviously everyone has their own idea of what a good/fair wage is but personally I think the minimum wage should be set at €12 per hour regardless of age. There should not be a separate minimum wage for 16 year olds.
@Larry Fitzwell: What a disgusting troll you are
Will he ban zero hour contracts?
The answer from his office is they don’t know.
Translated that means NO!
@Tom Burke: exactly. This is disgusting stuff, I’ve never claimed a day of benefit in my life and I hope I never will but Leo is driving a division right through the middle of society with this rubbish. Anyone on benefit pays the vast majority of their survival money on vat and taxes and goods which go straight back into the local economy. All your basic essentials have to bought in your local area which benefit from the custom.
@An_Beal_Bocht: agree with you there BUT AND THAT IS A BIG BUT no going back into no local nothing . All those strath taxes and empty taxes we pay for services that don’t exist and double charges created by them the money all of it goes into keep the farce of a recovery going , maybe be a few new jobs for the I.T crowd in Dublin a couple of factory in cork or some other place but do not be mistaken there is no recovery , this is taking from he working poor and pumping back into showing off to Europe . This of house values is a bubble created by Kenny all of the sudden , same as the rent rising , meanwhile all over the place you can hear the tumble weeds . Put it this way it is ALL hollow .
People should have recourse to industrial action as otherwise the government will undermine their pay & conditions.
It is already below 50% for most. My marginal rate is 49% at the moment. While I would like to see this reduced, the real problem is the relatively low income level it applies, € 34k.
@Reg: I think you’re being told that the priority will be removal of the 8% USC rate with 5% being the higher band. This will benefit those on a high income (i.e. 70k or up as classed by Noonan) the most.
Incidentally, this is also the group that saw the highest tax increases, though I’m sure that’ll be lost in the discourse
@Rónán O’Suilleabháin: I would agree with the reduction in the higher rate USC band. I don’t think anybody should pay more than 50% in marginal tax no matter how much they earn.
@Reg: Exactly! Our income tax is actually pretty fair except for that one major issue you point out. It’s supposed to be a tax on wealth. Someone earning €34k is not wealthy
@Rónán O’Suilleabháin: The USC is the fairest tax we have. The wealthy actually pay the most
The wealthy pay the most tax, full stop. We have quite a progressive system when it comes to tax on income. I agree with Reg, no-one should be paying over 50% in tax, on any chunk of their income.
No mention of the little issue of 13 billion that could actually be used to fund tax decreases and national infrastructure projects, not to mention a year of the HSE budget. Have we not heard these promises before, its the usual BS you hear before any election of any sort, no mention of Garda reform or a commissioner that actually is capable of doing the job..
If an employee’s position is untenable due to failures by their employer, they should have the right to to strike, every employee should. The emergency services are people we need, politicians who lie through their teeth while they smile for the media, aren’t. The “talk” of USC being abolished cause of this “recovery” we’ve heard about is now talk of “merging” it with PRSI, so “a new system of social insurance” means those who can’t afford to, will pay more. While the likely lads scuffle for the big money jobs, the crises of their era haven’t been competently dealt with & under Fine Gael, they never will.
@The Unknown Souldier: Does that include the Self-Employed? Should we expect to see a sole-trader march up and down outside his or her shop/van/office with a placard saying “Down with this sorta thing”..
Or should it be the guilded state and semi-state workers who only have this privilege?
@The Unknown Souldier: anyone who gets tough on the evil unions will be rewarded handsomely by the electorate
@booby sandwiches: The Blueshirts hero Adolf Hitler got tough on the unions, remind me again how that turned out.
@Just Me: im sure you idilised the shinner vermin who fought side by side with hitler. is it true that all shinner have a photo on the wall of their idol hitler? is that where ye learned about crimes against humanity?
@Dub_Right: I’d say the self-employed have every right to take action if they feel they’re treating themselves unfairly.
@booby sandwiches: I think you’re getting mixed up with FG headquarters where the little FGailers like yourself give the outstretched arm salute to the pictures on the wall of Htler, Mussolini, and Franco. And read up on fascist tactics.
@The Unknown Souldier: merging the USC into PRSI means it won’t be abolished. It may not be on a payslip but you’ll still be paying it indirectly.
This pr*ck is going to be the most right wing Taoiseach we’ve ever had. Banning strikes, criminalising the poor. This will not end well.
I think he will make a good Taoiseach.
@Fabio Dillon: I think he will make a shit taoiseach
I think he’ll make a really shit Taoiseach
Fabio Dillon. It will be a long long time before FG. The what’s in it for party will be in power again.
@Fabio Dillon: fianna fail will make sure he’s never taosaich
@Fablo Dillon: I think you’re delusional.
@Fabio Dillon: he has a tough act to follow in the legendary enda kenny but Leo is making the right noises and the irish people are delighted
@Cindy Crawford: each to their own pal.
@booby sandwiches: He sure is, grunt, grunt, as he nears the best section of the trough.
@Just Me: who is more popular Leo or your beloved terrorist adams?
@Fabio Dillon: but not in Ireland
@Fabio Dillon: Fabio , I also have to agree that he’ll make a shit Taoiseach .
How’s that poll going ?
Herr Varadkar also has plans to abolish General Elections and make himself supreme leader until 2050 (like his friend Erdogan). The fuhrer will also introduce conscription and sign Ireland up to NATO and Merkel’s European army. Meanwhile his Propaganda Minister Herr Donohue will make it compulsory for all citizens to carry ID cards at all times or face arrest and detention. The ID cards will carry information about each citizens political views and whether they paid or opposed water charges. The fuhrer will abolish social wefare payments and allow millionaire to live tax free
Surely Leo and Simon are looking to replace Enda under the existing agreement with FF? This sort of policy is next election discussion.
@lavbeer: More like what Trump would propose Leo the election looks closer than you think
@pat seery: I’d love to see FF pull the rug on government the evening of the FG leadership vote…
Leo will reduce income tax to 27% for everyone who works.
His logic is that if those who get up to go to work earn more than those who are not bothered working it will motivate them to get jobs.
Finally a man who puts the crushed middle above everyone else
Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Leooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
@John Tierney: What about the low income earners who go out to work 40 hrs a week for not much more than people on the dole but who are entitled to very little assistance.
There seems to be a huge rise in right wing facist type leaders gaining power. Varadker sees it and is following the footsteps of Trump and Teresa May, at the price of ordinary working people in Ireland. Have we not had enough of this type of politician in this country, who only look after the bankers, elite and those with plenty of money?
Leo can’t conceal his inner Maggie.
@Jack Cassady: great quote there!
No big ideas on removing politicians if they don’t perform, except at election time, which these same incompetent politicians seem to have too much control on when said elections can be held!
All his talk is just that, talk for the sake of it. FG are in government by one reason only, a deal with FF for a minority government. All his promises will have to have the approval of FF if he wants to step in as the new leader of the lame duck government.
@Just Me: remember how great SF/IRA were when in government? yea me neither PMSL
@booby sandwiches: are you taking your medication Facist ?
@Gus Sheridan: I can remember when the IRA had to step up to the plate , FF said one thing , FG said another , it was only the IRA who stood up .
I might be from a different generation , but I remember those days .
Ya better run all that by Mehole , the FF leader … Only a short run Leo until FF in charge … Isn’t that how it works …
God help the working class if this man becomes leader of the country he is extremely right wing privileged and knows nothing of the struggles of the working class. We need a general election soon and need independents more than ever
@Ann Hayden: Actually it’s the true working class Leo is supporting… they do “get up in the mornings” !
Do you mean the riff-raff who don’t/won’t work and expect everything for free… Its an insult to call them “working class” IMO.
Leo needs to remember Ireland is a Domocracy and not a dictatorship and every person working for an employer should be able to strike to improve their pay and conditions. Plus he also need to remember FG has NO mandate from the Irish Electorate to govern this Country they are propped up by FF and independants – Leo is a thatcherite
Well then he should ensure they are paid adequately for their service and not forced into a strike that they don’t bloody want
A shiny media type that will be fawned upon by many, a thoroughbred professional presenter of others agenda’s makes him 1/1F . Prone to wobbles in pressing times. Most known for whistle blowers are hero’s but not much evidence of change in HSE to support where they still fight brain damage children on compensation for decades.
This is trickle down theory on tax , give basically wealthy people less tax obligations and then suppress any vital workers rights to ensure they pay for it by suppressing their wages and then they can justify all wages in middle bracket being suppressed.
Ask how does he propose to compensate emergency workers for his IBEC sponsored denial of fundamental constitutional rights , but no one will….. he is shiny Leo, say positive meaningless things, did your HSE change under shiny Leo. Did whistle blowers excel and reform occur. No No No, it just got shiny.
@Albert Brennerman: Too right. Now look at his social protection department, where people are harassed and lied to as a matter of policy to reduce legitimate claims only for Leo to claim its not happening even when the letter is shown to him
IBEC the employers union wanted to bring in a strike clause for so called essential workers/services, If they got this in yoh can bet that nearly every industry would be classed as essential so no going on industrial action. The mad thing about this is Leo was the union rep in Connolly hospital for a while.The man is all mouth he was canvassing at my estate in 2011. When I asked him why he wanted to sell off the ESB group he just came out with some crap. I asked him did he know how many people they employ both in Ireland and abroad managing power stations etc. He could not answer the question, also I heard that the family have connections with private bus operator.
Regardless of how you feel about unions (and some union leaders), this kind of measure is extremely dangerous to democracy. Fine Gael, like the tories and the nazi party are all for big business. The nazi party became hugely popular in the Germany after an economic crisis where big businesses feared communism and workers looking for rights. It’s the first port of call for fascists – destroy the unions. You might find that you cheer on such a measure now but when it’s your own pay and livelihood that’s hit later, you might regret being a cheerleader for a fascist.
Im starting to like him more
How very appropriate that Master Varadker should wear his blue shirt when making his proposal on workers’ rights .
Leo is playing a blinder by keeping the commissioner off the tabloids and off Rte. What a smokescreen while enda an noonan slip off into the sunset
Well start paying them what their actually worth. Leo will be in office for maybe a year. As the vast majority of Irish people have stupidly short memory’s so the back breakers in FF will be back soon. Sheep the lot of ya. Ba Ba Ba Ba.
Politicians are of course not a vital public service.
We have no Taoiseach and nobody’s complaining.
Norn’Ireland have had no government for (not sure exactly) months, and would you miss it?
All this from the man of principles who waited to see how the wind was blowing before he came out of his closet .
This man would sell every man jack of you down the river if he thought he could get ahead .
Good old Leo Ex Public schoolboy with a nice smile and he honed his craft with the Washington Ireland Program which is a finishing school for future well connected high fliers in Politics and business. Well done USA another diamond like that De Valera fellow you gave us. Now the ex minister for gaffes dubbed by the very Left Wing Independent News @ Media’s Evening Herald (A terrible disgusting commie paper) who said Ireland would need a second bailout in 2011 causing jitters on the international markets nearly destabilising the broken down country, and even the great Enda Kenny rebuked him publicly. Further meteoric success followed in Health and the aptly named Dept of Social Protection. Now he wants to push towards privatisation at Dublin Bus as part of his wider strategy of undermining public transport in the name of profits. Now the poster boy Teflon Taoiseach for RTE and the fawning media types are showing you can gift wrap up a Tory Boy as much as you like but it’s cuts for the decent Bus Workers who do a very good job in the city and country generally and pick the low hanging fruit is all these type of Narcissistic Political Leader types engage in. So good luck to Ireland inc ,the public is no longer to be inconvenienced by strike action in essential services (Kim Jong-un would be proud of this diktat). Bad as Coveney is perhaps he is not quite as deluded as this man. Where oh where is our James Connolly.
@John Dillon: Good man , Where’s our James Connolly or our Jim Larkin .
We have these Fascists sell their own people out with no moral principle or scrupples .
This man stood up for no one , not even his own gay community , until he could see a way ahead for himself , he belittled Kenny , yet accepted a ministerial role , one in which he did nothing to the betterment of the country .
This man is a danger to democracy , and the values we hold dear .
See the lefties going mad just because he wants to look after the working class rather than the welfare class. Smug lefties in safe state jobs call him a Thatcherite because he wants to ban blackmail strikes, cut taxes for working people and make civil servants pay for their pensions !
@Dolly White: So its left wing working people that are opposed to strikes on union action but defend the non working because they hate workers?
Thats logic right there folks.
(FYI not that you will listen but civil servants DO PAY FOR THEIR PENSIONS, 7% of their GROSS salary every single week)
But hey, if he wants to ban Gardai, etc from striking because they are too important, I guess that makes them a special case when it comes to wage cuts right????
@Dolly White:
Leo’s a self professed admirer of Thatcherite economics. If he was British he’d be a Tory through and through.
Get rid of the divide altogether that is public/private. Everyone pay the same rate of tax and pays into the same pension pot… Public private and self employed then there can be no argument… Why should the public sector get any more privileges? Do your job get rewarded don’t get fired…simple as.
@Lydia McLoughlin: starts by calling for no divide, Finishes by insulting the other half.
Let me ask Lydia, do you pay more or less tax than a civil servant earning the same amount?
(Answer: no, you don’t. You pay 7% less tax. )
Next question, how much per week goes towards your private pension? I pay 7% which is what I paid before I joined the public sector because I had an employer group scheme then as well.
That all said, I would favour a Spanish style public pension scheme. More tax you pay = more pension you get. Very few private pension schemes unless your paying the maximum for the public system and want more
All pie in the sky and gets Leo into the media ,as Fine Gael have no majority and might not be in the next government all talk .how to make a strike more bitter.? jail striking union members .that would lead to more hard line actions with union members. .Companies and governments wanting to lower wages and conditions ,many companies making large profits but want to make even greater profits by reducing conditions
Leo is one big fraud.
What has he achieved in any department he has been in?
He’s promising everything and no detail how he will do it.
He’s all image and no substance.
He fudges any tough question.
How you going to pay for all this Leo?
Fianna Fail manifesto !
Just another FG lackey who rose to the top due to the questionable peers he served under who tend to keep their head down these days….all for himself with no real intention of making things better for the people of this country…his only interest is what he can get for himself..that is leadership of a party in this day and age…..
At long last a Taoiseach who says that with rights come responsibilities.
@Dolly White: When did Taoiseach Enda Kenny say that?
How does he stand on whistleblowers ? He’s happy enough to ask people to dob in social fraud , but what’s his stance on white collar fraud , or ingrained corruption in the Garda .
What’s his record in his portfolios , I honestly ask , has he done well ? or did he just pan his way through the jobs in the belief that one day he would be the king .
So let me see Leo. You say both sides, unions and employers have to both agree to go to the labour court.
It seems to me then Leo that all the unions have to do is not agree to go to the labour court then they can’t be prevented from striking.
How long did it take you to come up with that one?
As the Taoiseach for people who get up early, I think you Leo, need to get up a bit earlier to pull the wool over their eyes.
1 Unconstitutional. 2 the union will have to have a national strike, every union in every union. Should sort it out then.
He is a gay man with Indian blood. Indian men have a different viewpoint and values to Irish men. If he was living in India as a gay man would he be going for leader of the country?
@rockmast: so only those with 100% Irish blood can run?
@sup: 98% would be the bench mark . As none of us can be 100% .
As one of those who gets up early and gets home late I’m starting to like this guy .
I think we will have to take to the streets again soon if this guy gets his way.
I thought Kenny was bad but he just did what his advisors told him to do/say.
The elusive abortion referendum! In 2018 it will be put back to 2019 and so on. Wait and see!
FF would want to remove them soon or suffer for it.
Wow. To some of the comments on this. Cause yes the problem is other people just like you striking for better conditions and wages and isn’t just another politician focusing the blame on an easy target. The fact that he’s come out with comments like this so early in his leadership should be very worrying. Dont give me “but it would be great to show the world we have a openly gay prime minister!”. Yes it would. But don’t allow it
@Cathal Finnerty: but don’t allow it to cover up what could turn out to be a very dangerous right wing politician
@Cathal Finnerty: hear hear! Oh wait that’s me. I’m class. Claaaaassss
It made me laugh to hear Leo saying he doesn’t want the public to be inconvenienced by striking nurses & doctors. He doesn’t mind the public being inconvenienced by lying on trolleys in A&E departments & by waiting months/years for an appointment or surgery.
Leo the lioness….(will hunt and kill prey to provide for their party and not the people)
I despair!
Leo you were in health what did you achieve I am lost in finding anything you have done and I am up every morning at 6.30 lol
He will be Taoiseach,and leader of the Fine Gael Party governing with the consent of Michael Martin .
If he achieves all his aims ,as he did when Minister of Health ,then the Unions will have nothing to fear ,
He is just firing blanks
Is his timing always this good?
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