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Debate Room Has Budget 2018 moved towards solving the housing crisis?

Paschal Donohoe has delivered his first Budget. But has it been a Budget that tackles the housing crisis?

We asked commentators on both sides of the debate to tell us what they thought of Budget 2018 and its impact on Ireland’s housing crisis.

YES. The government’s announcement of a €750 million fund to be administered by the newly established Housebuilding Finance Ireland to drive house building is to be welcomed. The establishment of this agency and the €750 million ISIF fund might bridge the funding gap by providing funding at competitive levels where there is an established demand for housing but no lending from traditional sources available.

The additional €75 million for the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund will go a long way towards facilitating essential infrastructure to enable additional housebuilding. The €500 million announced to deliver new build social housing is very welcome and signifies that the government are again “building” social housing. Getting the funding model to enable this extraordinary increase in social housing builds will be critical.

The HTB scheme has meant that banks have begun to lend to builders for activity in this segment again. We also support the principle of a site value tax aimed at preventing land hoarding. However, the increase in the site levy of 7% must applied fairly and impartially so that genuine landowners/housebuilders’ experiencing viability issues are not unnecessarily penalised.

Tom Parlon is Director General of the Construction Industry Federation.

**********************************************************************************

NOT QUITE. The only mention of social housing provision directly from government is a pie in the sky promise about going further than the provisions of Rebuilding Ireland which have already been debunked as unachievable in their current format. We need to see real detail about how this can be achieved. The establishment of a new body the Homebuilding Finance Ireland agency is to rely on what the Minister calls the expertise of NAMA. I don’t think you would find many who would find confidence in hearing that NAMA will be a key player in addressing the housing emergency. The Social Democrats have consistently called for a Housing Delivery Agency which would have a coordinating role to coordinate local authorities, housing agencies and the private sector where economies of scale could help reduce costs. A key focus of all housing initiatives must be the establishment of sustainable and vibrant communities rather than just units.

Catherine Murphy is a TD and Social Democrats Co-Leader.

**********************************************************************************

YES. Ireland’s housing crisis originates from an imbalance between the number of people who need accommodation and the number of homes available. With our population likely to keep growing this can only be resolved by increased building.
For the first time in years I detect the emergence of a coherent, supply-focused housing policy. Relaxing height restrictions and car parking requirements will make development more viable for existing landowners. Those who still don’t intend to develop have been incentivised to cash-out by today’s reduction of the CGT holding period.
For remaining developers with viable sites, the prospect of a penal vacant site levy will focus minds and get construction going. I am optimistic.

John McCartney is Director of Research at Savills.

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NOT QUITE. What we needed was a game-changer on housing and investment in better services, but instead we got a series of small measures that will not address our high cost of living, which is already above the EU average. At a minimum we needed to see the government commit to an emergency programme of social housing provision with a target of 50,000 homes over five years, along with a series of measures to penalise land hoarding, in order to tackle the biggest single crisis facing our society.The change in the Vacant Site Levy is a step in the right direction, but of itself it will do little to solve this very serious problem. Overall, the measures in Budget 2018 will do little for those who are homeless and those who find it impossible to find an affordable home. Equally, it will not address the high cost of housing for tens of thousands of people.

Patricia King is General Secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. 

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YES. The government has been in the unenvious position of trying to find viable solutions to the housing crisis in this year’s budget. This presented a myriad of diverging interests from trying to urgently help the homeless, to supporting first time buyers and those in the rental market, whilst also trying to incentivise the construction industry to start building again.

Although Budget 2018 does commit substantive funds to these complex issues, long term vision and innovative strategies are blatantly lacking. It is most positive however that the Capital Gains Tax exemption has been reduced from 7 to 4 years, as I have championed for in my recent article on the topic, which will undoubtedly have a positive impact on lands becoming available for much needed development.

 Jason O’Sullivan is Solicitor and Public Affairs Consultant at J.O.S. Solicitors. 

**********************************************************************************

NOT QUITE. We welcome the Budget of €1.83 billion for housing in 2018 and the more active role that the government will play in building social housing. However, there are at least 90,000 households on the social housing waiting list. The extra 3,800 social housing homes provided next year will not be sufficient to meet demand. There was no mention of empty homes and particularly no mention of a vacant homes tax. The full Empty Homes Plan must be published urgently now that the Budget has been announced including any revisions in the Repair and Lease Scheme. We have been waiting for this since last May.The increase in funding of €149m for HAP is very welcome and must be accelerated. Preventing people from becoming homeless is absolutely key to ending this crisis. We welcome the commitment to increase funding towards HAP Placefinder as people urgently need assistance to find homes. We await more detail on this. Any expansion of HAP is dependent on supply in the Private Rented Sector. This budget does not address the issue of rent certainty and enhanced security of tenure which is urgently needed.

Niamh Randall is National Spokesperson for the Simon Communities.

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37 Comments
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    Mute pkunzip doom2.zip
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    Jun 8th 2018, 1:39 PM

    I’m sure they’ll be devastated

    374
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    Mute Martin Horan
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    Jun 8th 2018, 5:59 PM

    @pkunzip doom2.zip: “Don’t speak of your Protestant minister,
    Nor his church without meaning or faith,
    For the corner stone of his temple,
    Was the boll***s of Henry the eighth.”
    Brendan Behan

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    Mute Seán J. Troy
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    Jun 8th 2018, 2:22 PM

    Keep it up lads, drive the Northern Irish youth who don’t care about historical identities into our hands.

    A modern, liberal and secular Republic is what it’s all about. That’s how you win the debate.

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    Mute Sorcha Hendry instagram: @SorchaHendry86
    Favourite Sorcha Hendry instagram: @SorchaHendry86
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    Jun 8th 2018, 1:53 PM

    Isn’t religion ment to be about including people

    247
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    Mute Joey Navinski
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    Jun 8th 2018, 2:00 PM

    @Sorcha Hendry instagram: @SorchaHendry86: whatever gave you that idea?

    83
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    Mute Paul Fahey
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    Jun 8th 2018, 2:03 PM

    @Sorcha Hendry instagram: @SorchaHendry86: certainly not the biblical versions of Christianity, no.

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    Mute Daniel Donovan
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    Jun 8th 2018, 2:03 PM

    @Sorcha Hendry instagram: @SorchaHendry86: I’m sorry Sorcha but you would have to be very uneducated to have that view of religion.

    19
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    Mute Richard Lippy Collins
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    Jun 8th 2018, 4:34 PM

    @Sorcha Hendry instagram: @SorchaHendry86: don’t be so silly.

    3
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    Mute Monty Donotno
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    Jun 8th 2018, 4:42 PM

    @Sorcha Hendry instagram: @SorchaHendry86: originally but then came all the club rules

    11
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    Mute Paul Jennings
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    Jun 8th 2018, 9:01 PM

    @Sorcha Hendry instagram: @SorchaHendry86: ostensibly yes. But in reality it’s about controling the masses. (No pun intended.) It has squeezed the life out of this country…

    5
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    Mute Anthony Byrne
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    Jun 9th 2018, 7:57 AM

    @Sorcha Hendry instagram: @SorchaHendry86: no … It’s about dividing people. How can you not see that ?

    1
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    Mute Darren Sheridan
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    Jun 8th 2018, 1:40 PM

    Oh no, my heart is broken.

    176
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    Mute Passing through this life
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    Jun 8th 2018, 1:58 PM

    These people believe in a bearded fairy in the sky …… and this surprises people ???

    110
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    Mute Permo Dermo
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    Jun 8th 2018, 8:28 PM

    @Passing through this life: and meanwhile those who have no belief system or moral code feel it’s their right to murder, steal and cheat at will. #BringBackTheSkyFairy I say

    24
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    Mute Owen Murphy
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    Jun 8th 2018, 10:18 PM

    @Permo Dermo: so no one that believes in those fairy tales murder steal or cheat is that what you are saying

    6
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    Mute Niamh Cardboard
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    Jun 8th 2018, 1:47 PM

    Jesus never said anything about homosexuality.

    151
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    Mute Michael Crowley
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    Jun 8th 2018, 1:58 PM

    @Niamh Cardboard: Didn’t see any women at the last supper

    103
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    Mute Daniel Donovan
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    Jun 8th 2018, 2:03 PM

    @Niamh Cardboard: No but “God” did and in doing so he condemned homosexuals to hell.

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    Mute Tommy Potter
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    Jun 8th 2018, 2:11 PM

    @Michael Crowley: maybe they were all gay.

    43
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    Mute Michael Collins
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    Jun 8th 2018, 2:12 PM

    @Michael Crowley: lads night out

    33
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    Mute RJ.Fallon
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    Jun 8th 2018, 2:22 PM

    @Michael Crowley: Yes you did. The person on his left is Mary Magdalene. There we as many females travelling with the first disciples as males. Just weren’t mentioned by later written stories.

    56
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    Mute Niamh Cardboard
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    Jun 8th 2018, 2:23 PM

    @Daniel Donovan: god said a lot of things. including condoning slavery and plenty of stoning for minor crimes! I’ll never understand why the church love using the homosexual rule and not the stoning, slavery or other ridiculous rules of the old testiment. It’s bizarre.

    75
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    Mute Conor Heffernan
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    Jun 8th 2018, 2:31 PM

    @Niamh Cardboard: Jesus was camp as fu(k. A 33 year old man hanging around with 12 other lads. No interest in women…join the dots lads.

    53
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    Mute John McQuaid
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    Jun 8th 2018, 2:33 PM

    @RJ.Fallon: My favourite story is the one where Jesus turned water into funk.

    24
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    Mute wrong side
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    Jun 8th 2018, 2:39 PM

    @John McQuaid: You’re so hilarious…

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    Mute Daniel Donovan
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    Jun 8th 2018, 2:53 PM

    @Niamh Cardboard: It’s called cherry picking, most religious sheep cherry pick the convenient parts of the Bible/Qur’an and ignore the bile and obvious hatred.

    25
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    Mute Niamh Cardboard
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    Jun 8th 2018, 3:01 PM

    @Michael Crowley: that’s because the church were major patrons of arts.

    3
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    Mute paddy
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    Jun 8th 2018, 3:28 PM

    @RJ.Fallon: yeah allegedly

    2
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    Mute Shane McGettrick
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    Jun 8th 2018, 3:53 PM

    @RJ.Fallon: unless da Vinci was actually there, the last supper isn’t a historical record. Good reference mind you!

    28
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    Mute RJ.Fallon
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    Jun 8th 2018, 4:06 PM

    @John McQuaid: He didn’t,he watered down what was in the container,as was the custom back then. That was turned into a miracle by other people.

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    Mute Joey Navinski
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    Jun 8th 2018, 5:03 PM

    @RJ.Fallon: you sound you were there dude.

    6
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    Mute RJ.Fallon
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    Jun 8th 2018, 5:40 PM

    @Joey Navinski: A bit before my time.but there are many references to this practice in research papers. Wine was never drunk neat.

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    Mute Gerard Smith
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    Jun 8th 2018, 6:08 PM

    @Niamh Cardboard: jesus never said anything! It’s all a pack of fairytales!

    3
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    Mute David Grey
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    Jun 9th 2018, 12:00 AM

    Not correct he famously Get de behind me satin

    1
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    Mute Sean Ryan
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    Jun 8th 2018, 2:23 PM

    Good! Them’s the rules. Eventually there’ll be no one allowed in.

    49
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    Mute Ronan Bilbow
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    Jun 8th 2018, 2:47 PM

    The fact that this is still a discussion is the sad part.

    43
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    Mute Sean Leonard
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    Jun 8th 2018, 2:22 PM

    See half the comments have been removed…..so much for free speech

    40
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    Mute No One
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    Jun 8th 2018, 2:51 PM

    @Sean Leonard: You are talking about the Journal here. If it doesn’t fit in with their agenda,it doesn’t get printed!

    63
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    Mute Ían Ó Ceallaigh
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    Jun 9th 2018, 2:11 AM

    @Sean Leonard: you want free speech? Set up your own site.

    2
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    Mute Rob Cahill
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    Jun 8th 2018, 3:01 PM

    It’s as if people aren’t leaving organised religion at record speeds already.. Maybe they have a bet with the Catholics to see who goes under first.

    45
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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    Jun 8th 2018, 1:49 PM

    Go back to the Stone Age Neanderthals.

    105
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    Mute paul whelan
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    Jun 8th 2018, 5:00 PM

    We live in a free world,where people believe what they want to,and I’ll support their right,so snowflakes move on

    33
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    Mute TheoWolfe
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    Jun 8th 2018, 2:21 PM

    @Sean Leonard:

    What exactly is a bigot?

    It’s been my understanding that it is
    “a person who is intolerant towards those holding different opinions.”

    Would you say that might describe your attitude?

    49
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    Mute ted hagan
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    Jun 8th 2018, 4:31 PM

    I used to think the Presbyterian Church was slightly more enlightened.
    How wrong I was.

    35
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    Mute Player 1
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    Jun 8th 2018, 2:26 PM

    Fair enough on the gay couples if it is against there religion, but banning the kids seems a bit scaldy

    41
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    Mute Tommy Potter
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    Jun 8th 2018, 2:28 PM

    Let he has not sinned cast the first stone.?

    29
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    Mute Tom Purcell
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    Jun 8th 2018, 3:27 PM

    @Tommy Potter: Heha – that is part of the problem, those who vote for things like this usually consider themselves good Christians and don’t even know that that Mark’s story “Pericope adulterae” is not part of the original “approved” Bible, it was added sometime between the 5th -8th centuries.

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    Mute Tom Goss
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    Jun 9th 2018, 6:29 PM

    @Tom Purcell: And ’5th and 8th centuries’ equates to us altering a book written somewhere between 1300 and 1600…

    1
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    Mute Sean Beinead
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    Jun 8th 2018, 1:56 PM

    Somethings dont change !!

    28
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    Mute Gavin Lynch
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    Jun 8th 2018, 3:43 PM

    Jesus hung around for the most part with 12 men. Statistically 1.2 of these men were gay. Do not tell me he didn’t enjoy the occasional tug or two.

    18
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    Mute TheoWolfe
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    Jun 8th 2018, 3:56 PM

    @Gavin Lynch:

    Probably more like between 0.024 and 0.048 Don’t fall for the Voller propaganda or even Kinsey.

    20
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    Mute TheoWolfe
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    Jun 8th 2018, 4:04 PM

    @TheoWolfe:
    0.24 to 0.48

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    Mute Before its too late
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    Jun 8th 2018, 5:01 PM

    @Gavin Lynch: Statistically it’s about 1-30 .

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    Mute Tony Gordon
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    Jun 8th 2018, 1:59 PM

    Would like them to judge themselves too based on their own fictional book:

    Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

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    Mute Gargle29
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    Jun 8th 2018, 2:03 PM

    @Tony Gordon: we’re all doomed so

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    Mute Dotty Dunleary
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    Jun 8th 2018, 2:24 PM

    Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, . Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. . And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

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    Mute Damien Mooney
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    Jun 8th 2018, 2:45 PM

    @Dotty Dunleary: ‘were’ is the key word here. Such were…past tense..

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    Mute Patrick J. O'Rourke
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    Jun 8th 2018, 3:00 PM

    @Dotty Dunleary: That’s pretty inclusive then. Everyone is going to hell now.

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    Mute DJ François
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    Jun 8th 2018, 3:07 PM

    @Dotty Dunleary: Kinda covers everyone

    9
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    Mute Garreth Byrne
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    Jun 8th 2018, 5:00 PM

    @Dotty Dunleary: It’s uncompromising chapter and verse – but which Book, which chapter & which verse? It could be St. Paul somewhere, I’ll guess.

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    Mute Kevin Slater
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    Jun 8th 2018, 7:03 PM

    Even Protestants call those lads ‘black protestants’.

    16
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    Mute James Keogh
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    Jun 8th 2018, 5:52 PM

    Are Presbyterians Christian ? ? or just a group of self preserving non-sympathetic heathens without a Christian thought in their little heads.
    The ol’ Chimpanzees passed these guys out centuries ago.

    16
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    Mute John Rownano
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    Jun 8th 2018, 3:03 PM

    What to you expect from people irrational enough to believe in a God myth!

    13
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    Mute Dotty Dunleary
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    Jun 8th 2018, 2:23 PM

    Oh dear, these idiots are really taking the interpretation of the Corinthians to the letter of the bad Greek-English translation and creating there own little pocket of reality!

    I hope they loose thousands of Church members now!

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    Mute Matt Beaumont
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    Jun 8th 2018, 5:13 PM

    And I have the right to call them out for what they are:
    A bunch of backwards bigots full of shite!
    Hope their church of bigotry and delusion falls apart eventually!
    Nobody needs Christian Talibans!

    29
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    Mute TheoWolfe
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    Jun 8th 2018, 5:27 PM

    @Matt Beaumont:

    So much tolerance, true libertarianism.

    15
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    Mute Austin Rock
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    Jun 8th 2018, 5:28 PM

    Predestination is alive and well – still.

    4
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    Mute Jaune Fujisawa
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    Jun 9th 2018, 12:09 AM

    Nobody cares.

    4
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    Mute Marian Redmond
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    Jun 8th 2018, 10:30 PM

    Disgraceful, unchristian discrimination

    7
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    Mute Alan Currie
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    Jun 8th 2018, 10:50 PM

    Religions are just man made fantasies designed to control gullible and often vulnerable humans. Even just a basic dig into human history shows this.

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    Mute Dee Mc Carthy
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    Jun 9th 2018, 5:29 PM

    Speaks volumes

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    Mute Mark Doran
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    Jun 9th 2018, 9:29 PM

    Irish version of the westboro baptist church. Who doesn’t love a good cult.

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