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In our audit of the Ireland South European election candidates, we asked each candidate to answer questions on nine of the most pressing issues facing Ireland and Europe in the coming years.
Colleen Worthington
Brexit is a decision for the British people and British democracy. We need a thoughtful, negotiated response that works for all parties and minimises the impact on Irish industry and Irish farmers.
Grace O’Sullivan
The Greens here in Ireland really feel a sense of loss because our closest neighbour, the UK, is pulling away from Europe. So we would really wish that Brexit wouldn’t happen.
We also have to look at it from our own perspective as well as an island nation on the western seaboard. So in that sense, we have to look at how we’re going to manage our own services and goods and movement of people and all around Brexit.
Ireland has to recognise itself as part of the union of Europe and I think we really have to use our alliances with European countries to make sure that we get the best for the Republic should Brexit happen. But, also we have to recognise that, even though I said England is our closest neighbour, Northern Ireland is our real neighbour. We’re all part of the same lifeblood system. In that sense, we have to ensure that the people in the North of Ireland are protected as part of the union of Ireland and I think that’s what we need to be working towards.
A combination of peace, justice and decarbonisation in Ireland but also in the North of Ireland because we must remember that our energy system is connected and so we work off the same system. So particularly in terms of decarbonisation, we look to the island of Ireland for that.
Liam Minehan
No, in a perfect world it would not but I believe it is going to happen and I think we should organise a good future for both communities.
Deirdre Clune
I do not want Brexit to happen and I don’t think that Ireland should make any concessions on the backstop.
Breda Gardner
No, I don’t want Brexit to happen. And No, Ireland should not make concessions on the backstop. Peace in Northern was hard won and is still fragile, and we should not do anything that might bring back the dark days of the past. One of the best things about Ireland and the UK both being members of the EU was that de facto it reduced many of the tensions between the two countries.
Peter O’Loughlin
Yes. The European Union is on its last legs. We and our allies in Europe including the Lega party of Matteo Salvini understand this. The future of Europe is a new Europe of co-operative Nation states.
This is what we are focusing on.
Our allies are already preparing for this. The Alliance signed recently between Matteo Salvini and Victor Orban is a front line example of this.
Diarmuid O’Flynn
No, even if I happen to win the fifth seat in Ireland South and it means I would never get to sit in the European Parliament, no, I don’t want it to happen. But I think it will.
On the backstop, absolutely not. We’re an island and the thoughts of going back to any kind of border after all that bloodshed? Unthinkable.
Mick Wallace
No and no.
Jan Van De Ven
If the people democratically said YES to Brexit then it should happen with a Deal or WTO No Deal. Even if the EU demands it, the Taoiseach should say NO to the border. Absolutely no border and he should not compromise on this point.
The Irish Government and/or the EU commission both have the obligation to find the money to stabilise the economic sectors severely affected by Brexit.
Liadh Ní Riada
There is no such thing as a good Brexit.
The backstop is the least worst of bad options for Ireland. What I would like to see now, as a result of the disastrous Tory Brexit Strategy, is a border poll on the Reunification of Ireland.
Partition has been disastrous for Ireland and has held us back in terms of reaching our full potential.
I believe that an external EU border on the Island of Ireland would be detrimental to Ireland and we cannot permit the EU, London or indeed anyone else put one up, hard or soft.
Seán Kelly
No, of course I don’t want Brexit to happen. And no, the backstop is non-negotiable.
Sheila Nunan
Labour’s members and politicians campaigned in Britain on the side of Remain, and our party leader has spoken at successive UK Labour Conferences in favour of the UK remaining in the EU.
We would love to see another people’s vote now that so much new information has been made available to British people about how Brexit will damage their livelihoods. Labour will insist on an open border and full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. We won’t compromise on that.
Andrew Doyle
I don’t think anyone here would have wanted Brexit to happen, but it’s not something that we in Ireland have brought about.
However, we must respect the vote of the United Kingdom’s people and their decision to leave.
Consequently, this decision impacts on us particularly, as the UK’s nearest neighbour.
The Withdrawal Agreement, including the backstop, cannot be re-negotiated, but MEPs must work to ensure an orderly withdrawal happens – so that people in key sectors in Ireland and Northern Ireland are protected.
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The world is actually gone nuts .
Ireland is gone nuts, and is continuing to spiral out of control with no real legal system
We are to blame also, being quiet and not voting! Sends wrong message, to politicians!
Not voting, what difference does your vote make?
I’m assuming you wouldn’t vote for the same bunch that always get elected, so your vote and more like you would make a huge difference, if you actually went and voted, even if it was only a protest vote. More importantly RIP to that poor girl.
Can you explain how a legal system could have stopped this from happening?
Firstly Irish politics is a ll a charade. There is no opposition in Irish politics, peel away the PR, spin and soundbites and their policies are the exact same. The reason being is that they are all controlled by the same senior civil servants who decide Irish legislation and they in turn are advised by English consultants. The typical Irish politician is under educated, unqualified, has no political science degree and is a publican, teacher, shopkeeper, lawyer or dr. Whoever you vote for the end result is the same, different soundbites, but always the same end result because that’s how it works. I have seen first hand the contempt politicians hold for the Irish electorate. My friends dad is a prominent politician, I have seen him laugh out loud at the spin and soundbites he had to learn before a TV debate, the questions of which he had already. The other well known politician he was debating with is a very good friend of the family, they were all laughing at the ‘act’ or “circus” as they refer to it a few weeks at a very lavish family bbq, paid by you. Irish politicians know they are in for 5 years, then they become the bad guys and their friends are in for 5 years, then they are back in again. During their time in governmnent they network and make as many friends as possible to get places on boards and committees etc, similar to a certain ex Taoiseach recently getting a seat ion the board of Topaz, owned by Denis O’Brien. They all share the same PR firm in Blackrock where they go regularly and learn how to handle the media, lie and feign emotion in debates and concern for the cameras. So, you see, who you vote for makes absolutely no difference in Ireland because its swings and roundabouts. They are laughing at us (literally) and genuinely believe us to be very, very, very backward and thick.
Absolutely true for you. The only hope we have is to completely disregard the mainstream parties and to vote in the minority parties who have a particular agenda in favour of the ordinary person and/ or the Independents. Maybe then the politicians would actually realise that WE are their employers.
How did that work for you with the current crop of United Left Alliance/Technical Group ?
Nothing but controversy has followed them.
Wasted votes.
We as a town are devastated. I worked in a shop beside the girl in question. A sweet caring girl always with a genuine smile on her face. May she rest in peace with her angels xxx
RIP.
She was closing up Holland and Barrett apparently. Terrible thing to happen. Strength to her family and friends.
A group of people whose loved ones have been murdered have been campaigning for some time to have a life sentence actually mean life in prison.
If we have, rightly I believe, removed State execution of murderers from our laws, the most serious consequence for murder should mean life.
There is far too much emphasis on rehabilitation and leniency for the murderer to the detriment of the victim’s rights and the family left behind.
Perhaps the new Justice Minister could look at revamping penalties for the most serious of crimes in favour of the victim and the public?
Sorry, but politicians do not care about us and it’s time we demanded justice for all! Life in prison, hard labour and no more pampering of these guys that commit these horrible crimes!
It’s Ireland, nobody cares, the most indifferent people in the world with the worst legal system in the western world.
No way will sentences be increased, the reason they are becoming more inadequate is because Judges are in a cartel with the free-legal-aid folk… churn the criminals back out as quick as possible to re-offend means more gravy for all aboard that train.
That’s so tragic and barbaric!!!!
Condolences to the woman’s family!
So sad rip. People cant even go and do a days work any more
Holy crap!! That is shocking! Was it random or did she know him?
I think she knew him.
RIP poor lass and family
Sadly it’s unlikely to be a random attack. What a horrific loss for young woman’s family. The horror for witnesses in a busy shopping area too….
RIP
There is absolutely no deterrent for any crime in this country!!! We need to get harsher on these thugs.
All talk and puff and wind on the internet, that’s as far as Irish anger goes.
He’ll probably only get 3 years with 2 suspended. That is an absolute disgrace. What type of person can stick a knife into someone else.
Backstabbers
The world is gone nuts…in the last few weeks quite a few young men up in courts involved in murders of mostly women
Is the mental health system adequate at all?
R.I.P
Where exactly does it mention anything about mental health in this article?
Fukced up. Just back from a lovely weekend there with my family.
This country is getting worse by the day.
RIP…. Thoughts are with this young ladies family.
I know people mean well but I think its time to suspend comments on this site It’s a tragedy and this family deserve time to grieve
RIP
Should this article have a comment section?
Yes hopefully someone from the judicial system reads them. People are sick of this violence.
Someone’s life has been taken and there is a free for all open comments section. While that may be ok on some level and I realize there is a moderator, I see a pitfall to the whole concept.
Recent example from UK ~
Video: Social media users asked not to prejudice Ann Maguire murder trial ~
You’ve commented on this article twice!
Dopes.
Aine everyone has an opinion, not just you.
As a relative of Mairéad can i just ask that nothing (and nothing has so far)is said on here that might harm or predjudice any investigation that is on going.
And thanks for all the support and wishes.
Stomach turning stuff. RIP
This country knows that bad crimes don’t get punished, so of course the bad and the mad of us out there are going to do this sort of thing, safe in the knowledge that the penalties wont be harsh.
Mandatory 5 years for any individual found with a concealed knife
What’s wrong with ten?
So so sad R.I P
What the hell is wrong with people ?
Everyone has their own problems.
We won’t here a damn thing from the government on this and they will do even less.Time to change the laws before the next person is killed.
God rest her and help her family
Politicians and government can only do so much regarding violence on the street and violence in general. If a man wakes up today and decides I’m going to kill Mary down the road, how can the Gardai and government stop that? Exactly, they can’t !! People decide to kill people. people decide to rape, people decide to rob, the Gardai are not Mystic Meg.
That man might, just might think twice if he knew he was going to spend the rest of his life in prison for killing Mary, and not just a few years. A thug who breaks into an old persons house might think twice before killing them, he might also think twice before raping them. If degenerates know there is no consequences in a country without a functioning legal system, they will do what they want, which is why Ireland is now one of the most dangerous countries in Europe.
Helena in the USA people get full life sentences and in some states they even get the death penalty, it does not stop crime, murder and rape in the USA, people still do it regardless of what awaits them.
If you honestly think that prison sentences enter a killer or rapists mind when commiting said crime then you’re a fool. That being said the Irish legal system is too lenient on these types.
R.I.P
RIP. This should not have happened to you. X
Twice aine
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