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Migrants sit behind a fence at the Central Initial Reception Facility for Asylum Seekers in Brandenburg, Germany. 6 October 2021. DPA/PA Images

Helping or hurting? The reality and the politics of migration in the EU

The Good Information Project has looked at the global policy issue of migration through the lens of Ireland and the EU.

IN THE COURSE of a regular day, the average person in Ireland probably doesn’t spend much time thinking or talking about migration issues.

Apart from the odd flare up – when a political candidate in an election might dog-whistle about migrants during a TV debate, or when there is a heartbreaking story such as the 39 people who were found dead in a lorry in Essex in 2019 – it is not a topic that features frequently in Irish news and current affairs.

The most visible way Ireland has grappled with migration is through its Direct Provision centres – an archaic housing system for asylum seekers that has been sharply criticised, sparked protest movements, and is earmarked for replacement.

In the weeks that we have been covering migration as part of The Good Information Project, however, one of the recurring themes has been about the urgency of the problem and the need for solutions. It is hugely contentious politically for European states such as Germany and France – but for EU countries on the ‘frontline’ of irregular migration, it’s becoming critical, meaning Ireland will need to play its part.

Here’s a round-up of all we’ve covered over the past few weeks on one of the biggest issues of the day. 

The reality – not the politics – of migration

In our opening article on this topic, we raised the issue of the skewed perception of migration among citizens in six wealthy countries, and how that plays into politics. 

The figures on migration trends to the EU seem to have surprised some people when they see the proportion of migrants make up the EU’s population.

Such figures to hand to contextualise the numbers of migrants arriving in Europe:

  • On 1 January, there were 447.3 million inhabitants living in the EU. 5% of this total, or 23 million, were non-EU citizens. 8% were born outside the EU.
  • Out of the EU’s total population of 447 million people, as of 2019 its refugee population made up 0.6% of its total.
  • EU countries granted some sort of asylum to around 280,000 people last year. 

after-the-fire-in-the-refugee-camp-moria-on-lesbos A boy stands in the port of Lavrio near Athens. 29 September 2020. DPA / PA Images DPA / PA Images / PA Images

Moving away from the figures and looking at the more personal side of the story, a look at how Ireland’s Brazilian community developed – helped hugely by not requiring to have a visa before travelling here, and being able to work on a student visa – proves a migration policy success story.

“The reason that I fell in love with Ireland was the people – obviously not the weather,” Carolina Pessoa told The Journal as part of the series. “Once I was here, I knew I wasn’t going to go back. I didn’t want to say that for sure but I just felt it in my heart. In the first couple of months, I knew.”

The flip side of that coin is when you cut off migration in response to political whims – and you get a shortage of workers in certain sectors, a previously-highlighted post-Brexit problem that came to a head during the course of this series. 

“It’s just insolence to think that migrants are like a tap which you can open and close when needed,” is how a Glasgow-based Polish HGV driver put it. This is an issue that will only get worse with time, it seems with the UK’s care sector and food processing sector among the other industries that could be next to struggle. 

Now the politics: the EU’s Migration Pact

At the other end of the migration scale, is those who are fleeing persecution and death in politically unstable regions of Africa and the Middle East. This instability is sometimes exacerbated by climate change

Unlike Ireland, an island located on the north-west edge of Europe, Spain, Italy, Malta and Greece are struggling to cope with the numbers of asylum seekers who land on their shores unexpectedly, due partly to a lack of a unified EU migration system.

The EU’s draft plan to alleviate the pressure on these states is something called the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, which is planned to be the first unified approach to migration.

The European Commission has proposed the plan, which needs to be approved by the European Council – that’s the leaders of the 27 EU countries – and the European Parliament’s 750 parliamentarians.

It plans to ‘share responsibility’ between member states through obliging each EU country to do one of three things: house asylum seekers who arrive in Europe; offer funding to help other countries house those asylum seekers; or to be responsible for returning migrants who are unsuccessful in their application to their own country.

Despite a policy proposal being on the EU table for the first time, there are concerns that it doesn’t go far enough – and worse still, that it’s more of the same problematic policy. That policy being as long as migrants don’t land on the EU’s shores, that’s a successful migration policy, according to NGO’s interpretation of the draft plan.

germany-europe-must-act-rally-in-berlin A protest outside the German Reichstag Building against the New Pact on Migration and Asylum. SIPA USA / PA Images SIPA USA / PA Images / PA Images

Sub-standard EU camps for refugees

This is supported by comments from an EU Commissioner to Irish think-tank the IIEA. Margaritis Schinas said that the EU’s migration deal with Turkey “worked well”, which sees migrants that arrive on EU shores being resettled in Turkey in exchange for funds from the EU, and the possibility of Turkey joining the EU.

But migrants are kept in camps on Greek islands with sub-standard conditions for up to three years before they can move on to Turkey. There have also been questions about the conditions, opportunities and care for the 4 million Syrian refugees already living in Turkey.

This is coupled with another political migration crisis in the form of Poland’s approach to migrants arriving on its border with Belarus by erecting barbed wire fences along that border, which has been criticised by Irish MEPs.

This issue raises the concerns around getting consensus across Europe on how to house migrants humanely and with respect – especially between 27 governments that are constantly shifting.

kara-tepe-new-temporary-refugee-camp-in-mytilene-greece-28-jan-2021 The Greek Army - Hellenic Army is seen building the new refugee camp. Built by the Hellenic Army, UNHCR and the European Union. SIPA USA / PA Images SIPA USA / PA Images / PA Images

Search and rescue missions

There is also the question of how to respond to the hundreds of people travelling across the Mediterranean each year in leaky, unstable vessels towards Europe. 

An EU mission called Operation Sofia,was wound up in early 2019 after some argued that navy-ship rescues were aiding the smugglers by encouraging people to cross; others argued back that they can’t leave people to float adrift at sea and die.

In October 2019, when the European Parliament had the chance to put pressure on the European Commission to resume search and rescue missions through a non-binding motion on the issue, it was defeated by two votes. Four Irish MEPs voted against it.

This defeat prompted a public outrage that has lasted online until this day, including against those four politicians who voted against the resolution.

174-migrant-rescued-from-alboran-sea A migrant woman are seen holding a baby migrant on a rescue vessel as she waits to disembark after their arrival at the Port of Malaga. July 2019. Jesus Merida Jesus Merida

So – what is Ireland doing?

It is hard to tell how effective Ireland’s response to migration is – the suggestion is that it’s well-meaning, but on a very small scale.

After a fire destroyed a refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos, Ireland committed to resettle 50 people from those camps. Eleven families arrived in mid-September, and were welcomed by the Minister for Children and Equality Roderic O’Gorman. 

Ireland also scaled up the humanitarian-access visas it has offered to Afghanistan citizens since July – from 50 to 400 – meaning these people will be granted asylum if they arrive in Ireland.

Before this announcement, we published the results of an opinion poll that indicated that Irish people are happy to house more refugees than the State had then committed to: 34% of Irish people wanted to take in between 230-1,000 Afghan refugees; 27% said 230 is about the right number; 19% said we should take over 1,000 and the same proportion of respondents said we should take less than 230, or zero (8% each).

Interestingly, younger people, educated people and non-religious people were the most likely to want to take in more refugees than the State had already committed to.

Between that hint of support from the public, and while it occupies a seat on the UN Security Council, Ireland has a chance to make its voice heard in the EU on how to deal humanely and respectfully with migrants.

Those arriving on Italy’s and Greece’s shores are not fleeing to those countries, but to the EU as a whole, and Ireland shouldn’t lean into its geographic position to absolve itself of responsibility.

During the Brexit debate, Ireland made a point of differentiating itself from the political move the UK made which it based partly on anti-migration sentiments. Now Ireland has a chance to show exactly how different it is – as one contributor said during this series, that will require courageous political leadership.

That’s all from myself and Adam Daly on the topic of migration and the EU for The Good Information Project. My colleagues Orla Dwyer and Lauren Boland will be breaking down the topic of climate change for you in the next cycle, which begins on Monday 11 October. 

This work is co-funded by Journal Media and a grant programme from the European Parliament. Any opinions or conclusions expressed in this work is the author’s own. The European Parliament has no involvement in nor responsibility for the editorial content published by the project. For more information, see here.

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    Mute Rory Mcloughlin
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    Oct 21st 2012, 2:30 PM

    Tell this to all the obese ladies out there, it’s gone shocking lately..

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    Mute Maria Farrell
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    Oct 21st 2012, 3:05 PM

    Great idea Rory.
    The thing is, when all those girls have slimmed down to what you deem acceptable, you unfortunately will still be single on account of the fact that you’re an odious excuse for a man.

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    Mute Paddy Mac
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    Oct 21st 2012, 3:09 PM

    Unfortunately Rory is right, it’s a disgrace the amount of obesity in this country and its largely down to laziness, it’s so simple for them to get up of their behinds and go for a walk

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    Mute Maria Farrell
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    Oct 21st 2012, 3:12 PM

    Paddy, his comment was aimed specifically at “ladies”. He’s more concerned with aesthetics than the health of the general population.

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    Mute Rory Mcloughlin
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    Oct 21st 2012, 5:05 PM

    Maria, I’m afraid there is something slightly wrong with your comment, I have a bodyfat % of 8.5 and a girlfriend who works part time in Abercrombie whilst in college, obesity is down to laziness, you don’t wake up one
    morning and realise your massive it occurs through lack of excessive and excessive consumption of unhealthy foods.

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    Mute Maria Farrell
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    Oct 21st 2012, 5:22 PM

    Thank you Dr Rory for your professional assessment of the causes of obesity. And as nice as it must be for you to have a girlfriend who works in a clothes shop, I still don’t really see what that has to do with you attacking obese “ladies” specifically.

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    Mute Megan
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    Oct 21st 2012, 5:36 PM

    I don’t know why you aimed your comment at women Rory. Have you not seen all the men with beer bellies protruding over their belts? Obesity doesn’t affect women alone.

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    Mute Rory Mcloughlin
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    Oct 21st 2012, 5:49 PM

    Can’t we all just get along <3

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    Mute Maria Farrell
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    Oct 21st 2012, 5:57 PM

    We’ll get along when you stop being a misogynist.

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    Mute Stephen Hayden
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    Oct 21st 2012, 10:03 PM

    I checked with every other man in Ireland and we all agreed to vote Rory out.

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    Mute Niamh May
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    Oct 21st 2012, 3:14 PM

    Oh I must get off my lazy ass when im finished picking up after my children…. and my fella! Are men exempt from obesity???

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    Mute Maria Farrell
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    Oct 21st 2012, 3:22 PM

    It seems so, according to Dr. Rory up there. He has a PhD is misogyny, don’t you know.

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    Mute Dean McDonnell
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    Oct 22nd 2012, 10:50 AM

    Yes, as a man you don’t need to worry about weight, you just need to have a massive cock… ney accent… The girls go mad for it, something about the pronunciation I hear….

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    Mute Gillian Byrne
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    Oct 21st 2012, 5:17 PM

    Rest assured Rory I have plenty of self respect!!!! Yes I am overweight and yes I do have a gym membership which I use!!! Not everyone is obviously as motivated as you Rory!! Maybe getting up at 5.30am each morning,driving into Dublin City Centre to work in one of the busiest hospitals for hours then to drive home and care for a young family has adequate time to do what you obviously do???? Don’t tarnish obese people with the same brush!!!! Don’t be so narrow minded!!!!! One should wait until they have their own family and see how life changes!

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    Mute Rory Mcloughlin
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    Oct 21st 2012, 5:26 PM

    If you work as hard as you say you do then the problem is your diet, if you have self respect you’d make a lifestyle change in what your consuming and maybe you’ll avoid spending most your time in hospital when your older, and I’m not talking about you working in it.

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    Mute Paul Stewart
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    Oct 21st 2012, 5:34 PM

    Agree with you Rory, Irish people in general do not look after themselves! We eat and eat, pure crap and do nothing on a daily routine to keep ourselves in shape. It is so different when you go abroad and everyone is normal weight! Too many take aways and too many hot chicken rolls every day for lunch probably do not help! Btw, being over weight is unhealthy and just because you have kids cannot make u overweight :) Kids do not force you to eat crap!!!

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    Mute Rory Mcloughlin
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    Oct 21st 2012, 5:41 PM

    To be honest I started off earlier trolling for a few red thumbs off women, but on obesity in Ireland It’s a disgrace, takes 20 minutes of cardio a day to keep active. You need to have a calorie surplus of 3500 to gain one pound and that’s a lot of food. It’s beginning in the children in recent times and the excuse is they want to eat bad food. Stop feeding your kids shite and they won’t be puddings and be bullied for it.

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    Mute Gillian Byrne
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    Oct 21st 2012, 5:44 PM

    Thanks for the advise. One shall take note of your wonderful expertise!! As it seems you have an answer for everything!!!! As I sign off I’ll pass on some advise of my own. In my 10 years of nursing I can recall hundreds of healthy, fit & active people who have been hospitalised or many that have subsequently died despite their fitness or diet. Maybe we don’t have full control of what the future holds for us!?! I do however understand that it is important to keep fit and be healthy that was never my argument. It was simply that maybe you should refrain from such offensive comments. It’s very easy to pass comment or judgement but be prepared for it in return!

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    Mute Niamh May
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    Oct 21st 2012, 5:50 PM

    @rory and @Paul, I do agree we are getting more and more obese, however, rory, I’m sure you know its not just ” ladies ” men are obese too.

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    Mute William Grogan
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    Oct 22nd 2012, 3:48 PM

    Gillian, that’s an odd comment from a nurse! Obese people, like smokers, have a much worse health outlook. That’s not to say non smoking normal weight people won’t get ill, it’s just far less likely.

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    Mute Lj Traynor
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    Oct 21st 2012, 3:26 PM

    If he says we are obese girls then we obviously are! The mirrors have been lying to us all these years!

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    Mute Niall F
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    Oct 21st 2012, 10:15 PM

    ‘Ive a girlfriend who works in Abercrombie’. You clown. I think she needs to go to specsavers. Whilst shes there see if she can find you a pair of mens shades. Some people are ‘addicted’ to food, much like alcohol or cigarettes. They get a bit fat, feel down and go back to their addiction for comfort. It’s a wholesale change in education and attitude that will bring about change. 20 min cardio might work for some but it sure wont for others, there’s no quick fix for it.

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    Mute Oisin Mulchrone
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    Oct 22nd 2012, 3:26 AM

    @Rory For the record Abercrombie have yet to open their store in Ireland, just saying… is you’re girlfriend one of the burly builders…?

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    Mute Niall F
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    Oct 21st 2012, 10:21 PM

    ‘A calorie surplus of 3500 to gain a pound’ am laughing away to myself. I smell a ‘gym doctor’ here. You know them, all the answers and technobabble you need to get on the front cover of men’s health haha ‘if you pull this bar sideways it’ll actually make your guts spectre an enzyme that puts you off rashers which is why I look awesome’ haha

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    Mute Gillian Byrne
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    Oct 21st 2012, 4:33 PM

    What a lovely comment Rory!!! I take it you’re single with a comment like that!?!?!? And rightly so too!!! We may not all be as slim as catwalk models but here’s the thing maybe we’re happy in our own skin!!!! People like you make me sick, that you actually think ya have the right to pass comment on others!!! One could search the world looking for perfection but would return empty handed as it does not exist! Maybe think before you speak next time Rory rather than be perceived as a shallow human being!!!! Or is that what you want, attention!?! Get a life!!!!

    56
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    Mute Rory Mcloughlin
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    Oct 21st 2012, 5:07 PM

    No I’ve a wonderful girlfriend who has something many women in Ireland lack these days…….self respect. Get off your backsides and do a bit of exercise.

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    Mute Niamh May
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    Oct 21st 2012, 5:40 PM

    As the oul fella said…. I’m glad I’m perfect!

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    Mute poppysmith
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    Oct 22nd 2012, 12:24 PM

    Yes Rory, of course, weight loss is that simple – what about those people who are unable to exercise to their full capacity due to a long-term injury, what about people undergoing certain treatments in which they have to take massive amounts of steroids which causes massive weight gain, what about young women who’ve fought with bulimia for 20 years and as a result it has messed up their metabolism and their relationship towards food so much they wish it was as simple as a bit of exercise!

    The world isn’t black and white Rory and there’s more to life than image. I know skinny size 8 women with high cholesterol and who smoke 40 a day and drink regularly and never exercise yet society and people like you would view such women as healthier than a curvy size 14 women who exercises regularly and eats a balanced diet. Health over image is the key Rory and to tar anyone who’s overweight as lazy is just pure ignorant!

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    Mute fizi_water
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    Oct 21st 2012, 7:38 PM

    Strange observation Rory, I wanted to say something quite opposite.
    I see so many people around me walking, running, exercise etc. I feel bit ashamed I never do it regularly as I used to. I honestly don”t see that many obese people these days, maybe just bit overweight sometimes. But your rant about body fat level, eating, etc. does not work for everyone, as people have different metabolism levels and different gene pools. I know some people who have fried / fast food EVERY lunch and dinner, no exaggeration, and they’re skinny as rake. I need to watch what I eat all the time for a change as I get bigger right away, while I love many foods and can’t really help it :-) Only serious workout can balance this out for me.
    I bet you are the type who can eat pretty much anything and stays the same weight so it’s easy to slag people :)

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    Mute David Kennedy
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    Oct 21st 2012, 8:29 PM

    Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels

    25
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    Mute David Kennedy
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    Oct 21st 2012, 8:29 PM

    Sorry typo… should have read as ‘skinny fries,’

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    Mute Not Eric R
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    Oct 22nd 2012, 10:52 AM

    obese wimmins coming here, stealing all our food. It’s not right Joe

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    Mute fizi_water
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    Oct 21st 2012, 8:42 PM

    10. Reward Yourself



    Hmmm off to Burger King? :)

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    Mute aibhran
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    Oct 21st 2012, 4:18 PM

    why do I have felling Rory spend more time getting ready for night out than I do. ya PEOPLE are putting on pound but its the life style and ready maid foods Rory just been douch about it. good tips buy way its not easy at start two get in two.

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    Mute Andrew Dunne
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    Oct 21st 2012, 10:55 PM

    It’s a battle once u give up the cigs tho, so hard to keep the fab at bay

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    Mute Niall F
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    Oct 21st 2012, 10:22 PM

    ‘Secrete’. I hate auto-correct.

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    Mute William Grogan
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    Oct 22nd 2012, 3:57 PM

    I’m still in shock after reading there’s 600 calories in a portion of prawn crackers :((

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    Mute Niamh May
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    Oct 22nd 2012, 12:00 AM

    Our country is fecked. Cut child benefit, cut social welfare. Put a charge on water that you cannot drink. A charge on a home we’re never gonna be able to pay for.

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