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Dr Rory Hearne The Government does not want you to be able to afford to buy a home

The housing expert says the investor takeover of homes is no accident – it’s Government policy.

LAST UPDATE | 5 May 2021

THE PUBLIC IS right to be enraged and worried about global investment funds buying up entire estates and apartment blocks. These homes are going to be rented out at inflated rents forever and will lock out those seeking to buy a home.

The Government has been called on to do something to stop this. Even Fianna Fáil politicians have come out crying crocodile tears of outrage. But the truth is the investor purchase of housing in Ireland on a major scale is actually Government policy and has been for the last decade.

The Government does not actually want you to be able to buy or rent an affordable home. They have created an unaffordable housing system that is focused on delivering housing as an investment asset, not a home.

I have been warning for years about this impending disaster that is embedding a permanent unaffordability into our housing system and will cause unprecedented inequality.

Continuous bad policy

This current crisis has been brewing for a long time. It goes back to the Celtic Tiger days of the late 1990s and early 2000s when the Fianna Fáil-PD Governments encouraged the shift from housing to be treated as a home, to people buying it up as an investment asset.

They told people to speculate in the property market and gave tax breaks for landlords to buy a second, or third, home to rent out. These became the ‘buy-to-let’ investors. The banks lent out massively which added fuel to the fire of rising housing prices, and the inevitable crash happened in 2008 and 2009.

As their response to the disaster they had created, Fianna Fáil turned to global ‘vulture’ funds to buy up the bad loans and failed housing projects. They set up the ‘bad bank’ NAMA, which went on, under the Fine Gael Government from 2011 to the current day, to sell off (at a discount) huge land banks and billions of euro worth of properties to vulture and real estate investment funds.

In 2013, house prices had crashed, and rents were half of what they are today. Our housing system at that point was actually relatively affordable. For example, the average priced home in 2013 in Dublin City was €185,265, in Kildare, it was €177,040, in Galway, it was €159,000, in Wicklow was €225,674. But what happened over the following years was Government policy made these homes completely unaffordable.

As the economy began to recover, and rents and house prices started rising, the Government was called on to implement rent controls and to build social and affordable homes. But it refused over and over to do this. This is why we have the crisis.

This is why you can’t afford to rent or buy a home. Because, for the last decade, Government has done everything possible to inflate house prices and rents, in order to attract in the global property investment funds and to recover the profitability and balance sheets of the banks.

The Government should be honest about this and stop pretending otherwise. For over a decade it has prioritised the interests of property, finance, developer, investor, landlords over those who are looking to get an affordable home.

Their policies over the last decade have doubled the price of a home in Dublin City, meaning you have to pay an additional €178,000 over what you would have paid in 2013. In Kildare, you have to pay an additional €114,960 for a home over what you would have paid in 2013. In South County Dublin, house prices have risen from €344,988 to €625,000.

The winners? Banks and investors

Rising prices benefit existing homeowners – but only if they are selling their home, and most of those same homeowners who think they are winning from the huge rise in house prices, have children stuck as adults living at home because they cannot afford to get a home.

So in actual fact, inflated house prices do not benefit many homeowners either.
But when it comes to rent we really see how the Government has made housing unaffordable.

The average national monthly rent was €825 in 2013, while the average rent in Dublin was €1,148 per month. The rents were much more affordable. Now the monthly rent is €1,414 and in Dublin 1,948.

The aim of policy was not to provide affordable housing – but to facilitate and support rising housing prices and rents, so that property would be an attractive investment to global investors, and to provide rising values for banks balance sheets, and recoup more value when they repossess and sell homes in mortgage arrears.

So Government policy, rather than a failure, has been a success in raising house prices and rents, and selling off our homes to global investors and making banks profitable again.

Housing policy was used as a tool to achieve this. Making house prices and rents more unaffordable has been an accepted consequence of Irish economic and housing policy over the last decade. The evictions of families and children into homelessness has been an accepted consequence of Government economic and housing policy.

While they express their disappointment at evictions and say they are tackling homelessness, and while they say they are committed to homeownership, their policy is doing is the opposite. Their policy is creating homelessness. Their policy is making home ownership unaffordable.

Irish Governments have created an investor paradise for vulture and cuckoo funds through our housing and economic policy. It introduced the Real Estate Investor Tax (REIT) break in 2012. This is still in place. This means the funds and REITs buying up homes pay little if any tax on profits made.

In 2012 the new Fine Gael Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan, said that the REIT framework was intended to “facilitate the attraction of foreign investment capital to the Irish property market”.

He further argued that “the acquisition and management of properties by professional REITs is part of a more sustainable, long-term property rental market for both investors and property tenants”.

Fine Gael lead Governments from 2011 up to today’s coalition with Fianna Fáil, allowed rents to increase year after year. When the opposition proposed measures for rent controls and rent freezes, Government ignored it until eventually, it put in place a 4% annual cap.

But why did it not freeze rents, or link it to inflation, meaning a 1% annual increase? It is because 4% is the rate of return investment funds seek. Our rents are set to ensure investor funds make the profits they want.

When homeless NGOs called for stronger protections for tenants from evictions and give them lifetime leases, the Government said, it wouldn’t do it as it might affect the interest of investors in buying up property here. The easy eviction of tenants is an attractive feature of Irish property investment, as it means they can get in higher-paying tenants, or cash in their investment through a sale if needed.

Devastating change to housing model

It gets even worse. From 2014 onwards the Government also changed from building social housing to getting social housing through paying the rent to landlords (like the HAP scheme), or long term leasing. These schemes create an attractive guaranteed income stream for investors.

The Real Estate funds know if they buy up property in Ireland, and even if they can’t find private renters who can afford their rent, the state will pay to rent it out or lease it. Another way housing policy entices these investors.

The investor buy-up of homes shows the folly of David McWilliams’ idea of first-time buyers going on strike. They are stuck renting, stuck living in parents’ homes, they need a secure affordable home. If they do not buy a home – the investors will just buy up more and more.

Just look at how much they have invested already. Private residential investors have invested more than €6.6 billion in the Irish residential market since 2011. Investors doubled their purchase of property over the lifetime of the Government’s Rebuilding Ireland plan, from 6,266 a year in 2016 to 12,378 in 2020, where investors bought a third of all homes purchased.

One investment fund laid it bare when it said, “We also like the private rented sector because of the increased propensity to rent and the unaffordability of housing markets generally.”

There are solutions

The investors have to be pushed back out of our housing system. This will make housing much more affordable. There are many ways to do this immediately.
Government could and should remove the Real Estate Investment Trust tax break, introduce a foreign property purchase tax, implement a vacant homes tax, introduce a property speculation tax in areas of high housing need and require new homes being offered for sale to be sold to home buyers first.

It could set an allocation, e.g. 70% of new developments to be sold to home buyers. It should also immediately remove the ability of landlords to evict on sale of property, or ‘no-fault’ evictions – this would make housing less attractive to speculative investors.

It should also set out to hold the referendum to insert the Right to Housing in the Constitution. There is a possibility, that investor landlords could claim such measures would interfere with their ‘right to property’ set out in the Constitution. Inserting the Right to Housing will send out a clear signal to global investors that we are reforming our housing system to ensure housing provides a secure affordable home as its primary function.

Government is arguing that these investors are necessary to provide a supply and if we do these things it will reduce the supply of housing which these investors are providing either through build-to-rent from developers, co-living, or leasing for social housing. But this is a flawed approach.

What is the point of a supply of expensive rental homes that nobody can afford to live in, that will be left vacant, that will push renters into poverty and convert a Generation into wealth generators for global wealth funds? Why are we making our housing system unaffordable for our people in order to make it profitable for vulture and cuckoo investors and property speculators?

Another demonstration of the state’s reluctance to provide affordable housing is shown in how it still refuses to direct NAMA to build social and affordable homes. NAMA has completely paid off all its associated debt, is now 100% state owned and yet is still focused on flogging property and building high end unaffordable units to maximise a commercial return to the state.

Tomorrow, the Government could direct NAMA to deliver 70,000 completely affordable units on its land – providing the entire housing supply needed for the country for the next three years. NAMA has 7000 units construction-ready, 8600 in planning, and 10000 in pre-planning. That’s an entire year’s supply of the country’s housing need. It still owns 747 hectares of residential development land – enough for 75,000 dwellings.

Yet what is it doing? It is drip-feeding housing for sale at expensive unaffordable prices. Why on earth is it still pursuing a model of speculative development?

The current trajectory of housing will mean inequality will worsen dramatically – between those on extremely high incomes who can get a deposit off the bank of mum and dad to buy a home, and the majority stuck in the private rental market transferring their income into wealth for investors, or living in overcrowded housing, resulting in delayed adulthood and independence as they’re unable to leave their parents’ home.

And there is a ticking time bomb of a social crisis as those in Generation Rent hit retirement and can no longer afford the rent, facing a future tsunami of homelessness.

Courage and creativity are needed

The reality is that the interests of real estate investors and banking dominate housing policy and thinking. There is a reluctance on the part of Government to do anything significant that would disturb or disrupt the market and make house prices and rents actually affordable.

This is because they have hitched their wagon of housing supply to the REITs, and ultimately the state ideologically still does not want to take responsibility for housing provision – which it should – it wants to leave it with the market and investors. The underlying reason for their failure to provide affordable homes is their ideological opposition to social and affordable housing and their capture by investor interests.

The government must accept that its policy approach of promoting the private speculative market and global investors to supply housing is an utter failure. It does not provide affordable homes.

The Government has created an artificial scarcity of homes, which keeps prices and rents high, by not providing a large supply of state-funded and building of public and affordable homes.

The Government did not build one affordable home in the last decade.

The state must take responsibility for ensuring everyone in this country has an affordable, secure, decent standard home. It should use its huge state land bank and access to low-cost finance and build actually affordable homes on a major scale.

The not-for-profit affordable home builders Ó Cualann show it can be done. The current planned affordable and cost rental homes are drops in the ocean in comparison to the scale of what is required.

Let’s have a real honest conversation about all this. It is time to treat housing as a home and a human right not an investment asset for the global wealthy.

Dr Rory Hearne is Assistant Professor at Maynooth University and author of Housing Shock: The Irish Housing Crisis and How to Solve it (Policy Press, 2020).

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    Mute Leonard Annett
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 2:55 PM

    As much as I’d love for it to happen, I don’t expect a United Ireland to come out of this referendum. I suppose it’d be good to see exactly where we are at though.

    194
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    Mute Adrian Martyn
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    Jun 29th 2013, 3:58 PM

    Last time I checked, a significant portion of the population of Ireland (Ulster Unionists) did not want to be part of a united Ireland. Till someone persuades them ALL otherwise, it will remain a day dream.

    1
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    Mute #Tag
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 2:53 PM

    Yep hold a border poll, it is part of the Good Friday agreement after all.

    157
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    Mute Limerick Boy
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 2:52 PM

    The Genocide and Partition, without doubt were the gravest evils ever perpetrated on Irish people, both these evils were perpetrated by monsters.

    Partition has held ireland back for nearly 100 years.

    Time for unity, time for prosperity, time for the brits to admit what they did to ireland and our people.

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    Mute Bruce
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 2:53 PM

    Give it a rest….

    126
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    Mute Limerick Boy
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 3:00 PM

    “Give it a rest”

    what a typical free state mentality.

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    Mute Bruce
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 3:43 PM

    If people are going to gone on about the past then at least have the balls to balance their statements and mention the genocide carried out by the IRA aka Sinn Fein.

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    Mute Limerick Boy
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 3:57 PM

    ” the genocide carried out by the IRA aka Sinn Fein”

    omfg…………….

    The ira killed 800 civilians in 30 years. The brits killed 1600 (ruc, uda, uvf, brit army)

    The brits murdered millions in 6 years and forced millions more to emigrate.

    People like you make irish people sick.

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    Mute Limerick Boy
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 3:59 PM

    over 60 fine gael/gardai/mi5 think that the genocide and partition of ireland was a good thing.

    i mean isn’t it time for finegael/mi5/gardai to cut the bull and fly the union jack over there offices.

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    Mute Bruce
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 4:27 PM

    You poor blinkered idiot.

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    Mute Dave
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 6:42 PM

    What a load of nonsense Limerick Boy, living in a past that never happened.

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    Mute Limerick Boy
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 6:47 PM

    “you blinkered idiot”

    is that it?

    I destroy your stupid argeument with logic, truth and fact and all you can say is;

    “you blinkered idiot”

    What a guy, you must be either a gard or fine gael or both.

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    Mute Limerick Boy
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 6:49 PM

    Dave

    ” living in a past that never happened”

    yesterdays injustice is the cause of today’s injustice.

    We must heal yesterday in order to heal today.

    27
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    Mute Eric De Red
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 6:54 PM

    The British did not partition Ireland, the Irish did. Two sectarian states.

    43
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    Mute Limerick Boy
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 6:57 PM

    lmao

    bruce and dave sound suspiciously like vincent dolan or paddy lyons.

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    Mute Limerick Boy
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 6:58 PM

    eric

    that’s gotta be the most pig ignorant comment i’ve ever heard, even vincent dolan wouldn’t agree with that one.

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    Mute Eric De Red
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 8:13 PM

    How so? Sectarianism in the north, sectarianism in the south. A protestant country for a protestant people in the north and a catholic country for a catholic people in the south. Who built these but the bigots themselves?

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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 9:28 PM

    What’s the genocide you are talking about?

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    Mute verbal kint
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    Jun 3rd 2013, 1:12 AM

    ‘Free state mentality’

    Pull your head out of your 19th century arse will you !

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    Mute Conal
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 2:59 PM

    Good. No problem with finally debating and discussing it.

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    Mute Barry
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 6:45 PM

    And if the vote doesn’t go the way SF want, will they finally shut up?

    At the end of the day you can’t force this issue and SF must realise this,

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    Mute Seán Ó Briain
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 9:24 PM

    SF isn’t the only party pursuing an end to partition. The SDLP also seek reunification, as do Fianna Fáil. They are simply a voice for the nationalist community.

    And why do you frame it as “Will they finally shut up?” – Seeking an end to partition is a perfectly legitimate aspiration. Why would they have to shut up about it?

    And Sinn Féin isn’t trying to “force” the issue – They are calling for a border poll, which was a key part of the Good Friday Agreement. I’m not sure exactly how calling for a vote on an issue is forcing it.

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    Mute marcus de paor
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 2:53 PM

    Why the point of wasting time and resources in strapped times ?….. as much as most of us in certain sectors of the irish public would like the Island reunited is not going to happen anytime soon what with both the UK and irish economies in crisis… and the southern taxpayer unwilling and unable to take on any more costs

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    Mute Seamus Clarke
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 3:01 PM

    Surely at a time of recession and austerity, a new republic makes sense? This would give us an opportunity to eliminate the costs of duplication that come about as a result of partition.

    And since when did you speak on behalf of all Irish taxpayesr? An Irish Times poll in November 2012 showed that people wouldn’t mind paying more in taxes to facilitate reunification. Of course this may not even be necessary with the potential savings unity would bring.

    http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Boost-for-a-united-Ireland-support-in-new-poll-figures-from-Irish-Times-180974381.html

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    Mute marcus de paor
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 3:06 PM

    Who’s speaking of behalf of all irish taxpayers ?…. just pointing out common sense and logic not a wish list based on emotion. … do you speak for all irish people ?…..I don’t think so. …. this is a project that needs to be well thought out and include all people of the Island and from my understanding of geography the border area is small and does not represent all the Island and all the traditions here. … in saying all that as nationalist there is nothing more I would like to see than unity

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    Mute seamus mcdermott
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 3:10 PM

    Yes, what’s the point of asking the people what they want? We’ll just ask Marcus what he wants. That would spare a lot of resources.

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    Mute Limerick Boy
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 3:10 PM

    marcus,

    britain give 12 billion every year to the 6 counties, excluding the cost of the military and police.

    Do you think that the six munster counties get 12 billion from dublin? Dream on if you do.

    It’s lazy bullshit propaganda to say that we can’t afford it. We can.

    Cost shouldn’t prevent anyone from wanting his country united.

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    Mute Seamus Clarke
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 3:13 PM

    Common sense is an island the size of Ireland NOT having two different health systems, education system, tax systems and currency.

    You’re right though, it is important that all traditions have their say on this, as Gerry Adams said,

    “The Protestant, Unionist and Loyalist people are not going away. And Sinn Féin doesn’t want them to go away. They are part of what we are and we have to get to know each other better, to listen and take heed of what is being said.”

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    Mute Eamonn Bolger
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 3:23 PM

    Seamus, I’d love to see a United Ireland – I really would. But our Government and senior Civil servants do no understand the definition of cost savings or duplication.

    For example, here in Waterford Hogan – for some inane reason – wants to “merge” the City and County Councils for “cost savings”.

    While keeping the e siting two administrative centres – with ALL their duplication – open.

    It’s straight out of Kilnascully.

    51
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    Mute Eamonn Bolger
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 3:23 PM

    E sitting = existing

    14
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    Mute marcus de paor
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 3:33 PM

    Lol. .. dream on Limerick boy and good luck paying 80 % taxes towards that end

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    Mute marcus de paor
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 3:34 PM

    Ah seamus give it a rest and ask the people. .. I’m only one person not the entire Islands

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    Mute Paul Nolan
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 2:51 PM

    All Gerry does is complain about how bad the government are in Ireland why would he want northern Ireland to have to put up with them to?

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    Mute ThomasFrancisMeagher
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    Jun 3rd 2013, 10:08 AM

    Could we vote to hand over another one or two counties to the Brits? Louth, Monaghan? Cavan?

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    Mute John O'Neill
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    Jun 4th 2013, 11:01 AM

    Please… No border poll. I can’t stand northern accents…

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    Mute John Quill
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 4:01 PM

    Our ‘leaders’ can’t handle 26 counties, what makes it plausible that they can lead a 32 county republic?

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    Mute Seán Ó Briain
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 5:09 PM

    What makes you so sure they would be our leaders in a 32 county state? Besides, if unification ever came about in our lifetime – I’d envisage some sort of two parliament system with devolution for the north and south – with national concerns being only addressed by the national parliament.

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    Mute Waffler Towers
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 3:40 PM

    Do we really want a million orange nuts as part of our nation? No thanks

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    Mute tuba hg
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 3:30 PM

    Why don’t the Shinners ask the people of the south whether we want a thirty two county Ireland or not. The may not get the answer they expected
    THE REPUBLIC SAY’S NO !!!

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    Mute Alan Grouse
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 5:30 PM

    You might say no but for me, to one day see a united Ireland would be a wonderful thing

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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 9:31 PM

    Why so wonderful Alan?

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    Mute O'Reilly
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 3:54 PM

    Hold the poll, let people have their say. Then do one in the south to see who wants to take on the North…

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    Mute mcbab
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 4:46 PM

    Exactly O’Reilly. More relevant to have a poll here in the south and let’s see how many are bothered even voting. Well down on the list of priorities.

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    Mute Bruce
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 2:51 PM

    What a load of bull from spinners.

    Imagine if the poll was successful we would have to adopt the same austerity in the south that the shinners have inflicted on the people of the north.

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    Mute Seamus Clarke
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 3:06 PM

    Is that why the unemployment rate is 8% in the north and 14% in the south?

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    Mute Bruce
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 3:40 PM

    I guess historically the UK taxpayer who has propped the NI economy for decades. .

    Reading between the lines you approve the austerity enforced by SF in the north.
    Too bad SF can’t be honest about it.

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    Mute Vincent Dolan
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 3:48 PM

    £9b a year pumped into the North by the UK exchequer.

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    Mute Seamus Clarke
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 3:52 PM

    Honest about what? The northern Executive has a block grant delivered from London. The Tories gave the Executive a smaller block grant. Reading between the lines you seem to think that is Sinn Féin’s fault.

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    Mute Stephen Downey
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 4:18 PM

    The GFA contains a provision for a border poll. If you voted in favour of the GFA then you voted in favour of a border poll.

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    Mute Croiteir
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    Jun 3rd 2013, 12:53 AM

    At the top of the thread it was 12bn – has the Brits pulled out 3bn in the last hour? Looks like an economic withdrawal is happening faster than we thought – stuff the border poll – the Brits will be gone by the morning.

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    Mute Alan Nolan
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 2:59 PM

    God give it a rest Gerry…

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    Mute Declan
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 4:38 PM

    Easiest way through all the assertions made above is to have the poll both sides. Then we are dealing in facts not extreme views on either side.

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    Mute Louis OConnell
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 3:01 PM

    Won’t happen in our lifetime- a load of mullarkey

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    Mute Eamonn Bolger
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 3:31 PM

    People said the same about the Berlin Wall…..

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    Mute Richard Keogh
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 3:55 PM

    Very different situations. The overwhelming majority of East Germans wanted unification. The overwhelming majority of people in Northern Ireland have no wish to leave the United Kingdom.

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    Mute Steve Hardy
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 4:31 PM

    “The overwhelming majority of East Germans wanted unification”, ah no they just didn’t want their Stalinist country any more. Unification was the cheapest option.

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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 5:13 PM

    Richard, how do you know this as a fact? The border poll would offer a clear and indisputable figure as to how many support or oppose reunification.

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    Mute Conor Walsh
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 3:05 PM

    The shinners showing once again that they are completely out of touch with the rest of the world. The only thing that can be achieved from this is a pile of stirred shit!

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    Mute Ruaghain
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 3:27 PM

    Did anyone notice the #flegs protests? NO chance this will happen any time soon. There’s a lot more work that needs to be done in the north, before this ever happens.

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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 4:58 PM

    It’s a poll, nothing more. You don’t need anything to ask a simple question.

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    Mute Ruaghain
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 5:35 PM

    You’re absolutely right Jason. However, I’d question the timing and point of it, given the recent protests. I get the impression that it’s political posturing only.

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    Mute Vincent Dolan
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 3:14 PM

    Strange, strange timing. Be careful what you wish for, Gerry. Can’t think of a worse time to put such a proposition to the people of the North. Could take the issue off the table for a generation.

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    Mute Feargal Garvin
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 3:47 PM

    There’s one way we could find out. Some sort of poll perhaps.

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    Mute Vincent Dolan
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 4:14 PM

    Yes. But you need to be sure you can win a referendum before calling it. Otherwise you have no leverage in calling another one when the electorate might be more disposed towards the cause. I can’t help but think that the Scottish referendum has put Gerry under pressure. If they lose this by the margin the BBC poll suggests, nationalism will be set back, not bolstered.

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    Mute Doc
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 10:36 PM

    First of all, this issue is not about ‘Gerry’ or any other individual.
    Second and crucially – where is your integrity? I live in the North, my mum was born in 1921, my father was born in 1917- in a country called Ireland- a very impoverished land for most citizens- but the overwhelming majority of those citizens supported a unified Ireland where divisions between all on these shores would be healed.
    I have a Lithuanian friend whose grandfather was sent to the saltmines by the Russians because he wanted a free Lithuania – she actively admonishes those in her ‘home’ country who bemoan that the price of ‘freedom’ has meant a change in economic circumstances for some – saying ‘How dare anyone equate national freedom and unity with ‘the number of sausages in their fridges….’…….. touché
    The Irish men and women most of us are descended from would shun the pathetic selfishness of many on this site.
    My local town has a 20% population from ‘newcomer’ people – they are more Irish in outlook than many of you. Very obviously if the economy was so impossible to flourish in, then how come so many are coming to our shores and managing to build a good life for themselves and their families. Nothing worthwhile is ever easy, have some courage.

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    Mute Eamonn Bolger
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 10:52 PM

    Very well put Doc.

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    Mute mark420
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 4:30 PM

    Have to agree if they wait say another 10 years the argument of the 6 county’s joining a shit economy should be gone and the catholic population will have grown that little bit more up north

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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 5:00 PM

    A poll is supposed to be held every seven years after the first one is held. You can ask now and again in 7 years to see how much economic issues influence public opinion on reunion.

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    Mute Croiteir
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    Jun 3rd 2013, 12:42 AM

    Just to point out that is not so – in actual fact the GFA says that is cannot be held until 7 years have passed. Different thing entirely.

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    Mute DesBod
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 4:20 PM

    Let them have their poll. Vast majority in North and South are opposed to it anyway

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    Mute John Keane
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 8:16 PM

    Where did you get that ‘statistic’?

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    Mute Limerick Boy
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 3:01 PM

    Fine gael/mi5/unionisty party and there cohorts will be aghast.

    They only want a united ireland under british rule.

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    Mute Dave
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 6:44 PM

    Enda Kenny is a spy?

    Does that mean Barack Obama is a lizard?

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    Mute Rick MacRory
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 3:46 PM

    A plebiscite will be held “where sufficient demand for one exists”. Since we already know that a very substantial majority in the North are I favour of retaining the Union why does Gerry think that his demands are likely to be met. I think this is Mr Adams attempt to remain relevant among a population that have moved on and regard his ilk as throwbacks. The man is desperate to hold on to his Leadership of Sinn Fein as we approach the centenary of the ’16 Rising. It should be recalled that our Northern “comrades” did nothing to advance the interests of Irish Independence all those years ago and simply latched on to the title to give themselves a cloak of respectability for the murder and mayhem they caused. They have little to show for it as there are more today in favour of the Union then before they started the Slaughter.

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    Mute Jason Culligan
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 5:11 PM

    Firstly I would read a history book if I were you. The Troubles began due to the social issues caused by Protestant suppression of the basic human rights of Catholics. The IRA could exist because nobody gave a damn about Catholics in the North.

    Secondly, the poll is merely to get a clear and indisputable indication of how many support and oppose reunification. Both the UK and the Republic want a unified Ireland but only when it is the will of the majority north and south. SF want this poll so they can work on convincing people that a United Ireland is a good thing peacefully.

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    Mute Rick MacRory
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 5:57 PM

    Jason
    Thanks for the history lesson. Now let me give you one. Sinn Fein today have no claim of a legal or moral nature to the Organisation that bore that name during the Easter Rising in 1916. You might as well call yourselves the Tea Party for all I care . Our Nations founding Leaders would turn in their graves at the idea that the PIRA/Sinn Fein claimed to be inheritors of their political and military movement. Sinn Fein visited slaughter on easy targets with remote controlled bombs and sniper rifles. They killed civilians up close and carried out genocide along the border to further their aims. As a result of their behaviour they have created the circumstances in which a substantial majority North of the Border want nothing to do with a United Ireland. It doesn’t actually matter what the people of the Republic say in any plebiscite. Ut their wont be a referendum because the terms of the Good Friday Agreement have not been met.

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    Mute Limerick Boy
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 3:03 PM

    Bear in mind that the journal is young fine gael/mi5′s playground, the comments from these people are not indicative of irish people as a whole.

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    Mute Dave
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 6:44 PM

    Your comments just get more and more delusional. What next?

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    Mute Limerick Boy
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 6:53 PM

    anyone with an ounce of sense knows that the majority of commentators on here are fine gael, guards or both.

    Seems you missed the common sense bus.

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    Mute david watson
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    Jun 3rd 2013, 9:54 AM

    And how do people know that exactly

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    Mute Bluemist
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 4:38 PM

    A united ireland ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

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    Mute Steve Hardy
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 4:29 PM

    Any chance the UK might like Donegal as well? The seven counties has a nice ring to it.

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    Mute Conor McLaughlin
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 5:30 PM

    Piss off!!

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    Mute Steve Hardy
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 6:10 PM

    No thanks

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    Mute Malachy Quinn
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 8:14 PM

    To all Free Staters out there, it does not make economic sense to have 2 separate economies on such a small land mass, What is all the Free State Parties afraid of…oh ye the fact that they collectively abandoned the north to the pogroms of the union!
    Tiocfaidh at la!

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    Mute Adrian Martyn
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    Jun 29th 2013, 4:02 PM

    Keep calling us Free Staters and no one will like you or your poll.

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    Mute Kevin Cooney
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 4:28 PM

    Just imagine the situation we would be discussing if Henry VIII had just accepted the normal family values of the time.

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    Mute richardmccarthy
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 8:11 PM

    I would have no problem with a border poll if there was even a remote possibility of a possitive outcome,but all indications sugest that it would be defeated,it would be far better if both parts of Ireland cooperated on economic matters first before attempting to unitfy the country.

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    Mute John Donovan
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 4:59 PM

    Of course we are all assuming that that its Gerry’s flavour of a united Ireland we are talking about. What would happen I’d we voted for a united Ireland within the UK.

    Want a vote? Let’s have some real options but first, is Gerry and his fellow travellers undertaking to abide by the democratic decision of the people if the decision goes the wrong way, or will we be having this over and over again until Gery ans his friends are happy.

    Leave it out Gerry!

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    Mute Steve Hardy
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 4:34 PM

    I miss Patrick Lyons

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    Mute Mark Duffy
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 9:31 PM

    We couldn’t afford to take on the north we are broke

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    Mute verbal kint
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    Jun 3rd 2013, 1:46 AM

    Just wait till the good folks in the north figure out that it will cost them 60 quid for a doctor to look at them for 30 seconds !, see what they think will be best for them and their families then !

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    Mute Chris Mansfield
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    Jun 3rd 2013, 12:39 AM

    This is why I could never vote Sinn Fein. There are huge issues to be dealt with on both sides of the border, but they concentrate on a referendum that is doomed to failure.

    How exactly are they planning to campaign. If I was a Northern nationalist, I might baulk at saying Yes if it meant losing the NHS.

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    Mute Colm M
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 6:49 PM

    bring it on! gerry wont like the resilt!!

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    Mute Popeye
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    Jun 8th 2013, 1:39 PM

    Oh look, it’s a Garda speaking out against the possibility of a United Ireland.
    There’s a surprise…….

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    Mute James Kelly
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 6:02 PM

    Excuse my ignorance, but does a border poll amount to a referendum like the one in Scotland?

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    Mute Jamie McCormack
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 6:28 PM

    Yes very much the same thing, I think the results would be interesting..

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    Mute Gavin Okeeffe
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    Jun 3rd 2013, 12:51 AM

    Yea we could use johny evans at the back

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    Mute Paul Hoesy
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 9:24 PM

    Why wouldn’t they because 4 out of 5 are British ?

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    Mute roy mcsweeney
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    Jun 2nd 2013, 9:21 PM

    Why don’t they just stay neutral there own identify Northern Ireland leave Britain and forget this 32 county cause it will never happen,if it was going to happen the Irish government would push for it but they don’t want the extra burden,and get a new flag green white and blue sorted

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