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Hospitals recorded hundreds each of violent incidents by patients in 2021 alone

Galway University Hospitals said that only serious incidents were recorded because incidents of abuse and harassment are so “frequent”.

A PATIENT WHO headbutted and tried to gouge a healthcare worker’s eye, another who threw toilet cleaner onto staff members, and a young patient who tried to bite during an “explosive outburst” were among the violent incidents logged at one hospital last year.

Cork University Hospital reported 103 separate instances of violence, harassment, and aggression towards staff members during 2021.

At another of the country’s busiest hospitals, there were 523 separate incidents last year including eight cases of sexual assault and another nineteen of sexual harassment.

The Mater Hospital said of the 500 plus cases of violence and aggression at their hospital in 2021, 45 of them – including 39 physical assaults – had been considered of “moderate” risk or danger.

University Hospital Limerick said they had 169 incidents last year with nine staff members suffering minor injuries because of direct physical assaults.

There was also one case of moderate injury suffered in a case of “intimidation/threat”, according to data they released under FOI.

In a sampling of major hospitals nationwide, Galway University Hospitals said that only serious incidents were recorded because incidents of abuse and harassment are so “frequent”.

They said they logged 98 such cases last year in relation to violence, aggression, and harassment of staff working at University Hospital Galway and Merlin Park University Hospital.

A detailed log of incidents from Cork University Hospital reveals there were five cases where the healthcare worker required medical treatment from an assault.

One incident from October was logged as: “Removing a tourniquet from a patient after taking blood, the patient flexed his arm and his knuckles hit staff’s mouth.

“Felt pain and saw blood. My colleague arrived and contacted line manager and [the] affected staff [member] went for treatment.”

In another case in August, a patient being attended to became violent while trying to get out of bed. He “twisted [the] right wrist” of the staff member who suffered pain and swelling as a result.

A healthcare worker suffered “great pain” after going to the aid of a patient who appeared to be falling in November of last year.

The incident log said: “Patient twisted her right thumb backwards causing great pain. Another staff member had been present also and security had been present earlier.”

There were dozens of other incidents of violence with one patient slapping out, biting, pulling hair, and aggressively hitting at the glasses of two healthcare workers.

Another incident from February was noted as:

“Patient became aggressive and slapped staff member in the face with a pair of slippers. Patient given sedation and security called. Staff member not injured.”

There was also an incident of “racist comments” against a staff member at the Cork hospital as well as multiple cases of abusive behaviour from family members on the phone or in person.

One case from the incident log in September said:

“Relative of patient was very aggressive using foul language on the phone, threatening, and calling team liars. Informed family member that this behaviour is not acceptable, stopped conversing and ended call.”

Other violent events logged included a patient spitting in a healthcare worker’s face and a case where a bin was kicked over and fell on a staff member’s leg.

There were also Covid-19 related incidents with one person becoming “verbally abusive” after a hair appointment was cancelled while they were in isolation, and multiple cases where family members or visitors arrived without wearing masks.

Dublin’s Mater Hospital said of the twenty “minor” cases they recorded last year, sixteen were of direct physical assault, one was of physical harassment, and three were cases of unintentional aggressiveness.

They also logged 45 “moderate” incidents, most of them direct physical assaults with a small number of other cases of intimidation, threats, or verbal assault.

The majority of the 523 events in their log were classified as “negligible” with fifteen cases of “discrimination/prejudice/racial [abuse]”, eight cases of sexual assault, and nineteen of sexual harassment.

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    Mute Joe Sixtwo
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    Sep 27th 2013, 1:52 PM

    Well do something about it Minister, stop telling everyone the same stupid repetitive crap that this government understands the problem, you obviously don’t and your policies are not working.

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    Mute Getard Lanslanger
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    Sep 27th 2013, 5:28 PM

    But sure if only the thickos are left then we’ll all be bamboozled by his …………ah isn’t that a lovely tie he’s wearing

    46
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    Mute Simon Connolly
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    Sep 27th 2013, 10:15 PM

    What policies??!! They don’t have any RE employment or stimulus….just cut, cut & tax, tax….& when the Troika comes along it’s all “yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir”! Useless…..that’s the only way of describing them

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    Mute Mel Finn
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    Sep 27th 2013, 2:01 PM

    secretly his position on emigration is it keeps the live register down and cuts down the social welfare bill, then you add jobsbridge and fas (slave labour) .there will be no need for state pension in 40/50 years as there will be no-one to claim it, a generation lost to greedy bastards. irelands loss

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    Mute Scrap Croke Park1
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    Sep 27th 2013, 2:13 PM

    Originally this may have been true. But today only 23% emigrating are unemployed. Half are leaving jobs, in some cases highly paid jobs. There’s an income tax time bomb waiting to go off. If 120 taxpayers a day are leaving, eventually the ones left will have to pay even more than 52%. That will drive them abroad even faster

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    Mute Donal O Neil
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    Sep 27th 2013, 2:24 PM

    So ….. We have the billions of dept we now owe and our children will owe , hundreds of existing tax payers leaving our shores weekly , tax receipts not meeting spending and a dwindling number of people paying tax for an increasing number of people who either start to retire or are going on benefits .plus the retirement age is creeping up every budget to 68 sure by 2036 it will be 100 and you’ll be taxed up to age 99 .. No oil or gas revenues to speak of and our dear ministers says sure we doing grand sure there’s no panic .. Well unfortunately it’s not minister ,, you’ll be fine and won’t have to worry if your pension gets paid or that you’ll meet hospital bills .. It’s us the local everyday chap … And lassie who will suffer In long run . Take care everyone

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    Mute Ben Gunn
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    Sep 27th 2013, 3:46 PM

    They may be leaving but the jobs ( and the income tax ) stays here.

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    Mute Scrap Croke Park1
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    Sep 27th 2013, 3:51 PM

    Ben I can only speak for the IT industry but as we ship one highly paid IT person abroad he is replaced with a European import who is paid less and tends to send money home. I’m looking at three of them as I type. I’ve no issue with anyone coming to work here. Simply stating the facts

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    Mute Iam D Best
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    Sep 27th 2013, 8:29 PM

    you’re spot on Scrap, not just the IT area, security, everywhere really and who’s benefiting? yep Richards buddies in business and to attract more investment here for tax reasons but also ‘cheap labour’. its simple really, outsourcing without having to up ship and move business abroad, just take the labour here. We have all copped on to this.

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    Mute Dáithí Ó Murchú
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    Sep 28th 2013, 11:23 AM

    Absolutely on the button

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    Mute Scrap Croke Park1
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    Sep 27th 2013, 1:53 PM

    You could also try not taxing a single person 52% on everything they earn over 32k. How can we afford that? Close 1,000 Quangos and let the staff go

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    Mute Reg
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    Sep 27th 2013, 2:33 PM

    Totally agree, it would be nice if they could lift that 32k threshold a little. It used to be about 36k only a few years ago. Not that it would make a whole lot of difference to me at the moment though!

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    Mute Scrap Croke Park1
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    Sep 27th 2013, 2:42 PM

    Nor me. But it would stop some of the taxpayers emigrating and provide a stimulus for spending. They should be bold about it and move both the single and married bands by 10k. This would put an extra 2k pa in those people’s pockets, or €40 a week. They’d claim a lot of it back directly through vat and more than that through increased job creation. People would also be more amenable to overtime which creates more money

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    Mute Vincent Hegarty
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    Sep 27th 2013, 3:27 PM

    I was actually going to post a similar comment until I saw yours. Professional people are mobile in this global economy and paying 52% tax on earnings over €32K per year will drive more and more taxpayers out of this economy. Compare us to the UK where, although they have 3 rates of income tax, you don’t hit the top rate until you have earnings in excess of the sterling equivalent of € 183K.

    35
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    Mute Scrap Croke Park1
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    Sep 27th 2013, 3:34 PM

    Bruton is very much in favour of this approach. Unsqueezing the squeezed middle but he’s not getting any support

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    Mute Philip
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    Sep 27th 2013, 4:43 PM

    That would take ensuring that the highest paid have their tax avoidance measures reduced

    Plus the likes of Pat Kenny who set themselves up as companies to ensure they don’t pay income tax but are instead pay corporation tax

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    Mute Reg
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    Sep 27th 2013, 5:34 PM

    Philip, if the owner of a company takes money from that company then they have to pay income tax, PRSI, USC just like everyone else. If the company makes a profit the company has to pay corporation tax on those profits. A company and their owners are separate entities in the eyes of the law. You may pay no corporation tax if there is no profit but you sure have to pay the other taxes for any money you pay yourself.

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    Mute Scrap Croke Park1
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    Sep 27th 2013, 7:43 PM

    Philip for the first part of your comment, revenue have in place a “high net worth” team who target the top 400 wealthiest people in the country. They have doubled the tax take from these people in the last three years. How? USC. Which is a flat tax. Exactly the direction we need to go. Eliminate the marginal rates. 20% first. Keep moving the 41% out significantly but it too should go. 15% flat tax on all income with generous tax credits would solve our problems, within a year

    As to your second part, Reg has answered it

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    Mute Scrap Croke Park1
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    Sep 27th 2013, 7:51 PM

    Imagine we had a 15% flat tax. We could have 82,000 people present in Croke Park to welcome our newest arrivals. 50 German billionaires. We could all sing Das Lied der Deutschen together.

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    Mute Scrap Croke Park1
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    Sep 27th 2013, 7:54 PM

    And with feeling. Thumps chest. Wipes tear from eye.

    Trinksprüche

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    Mute Sean Foley
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    Sep 27th 2013, 1:52 PM

    Yet people who emigrate for more that 2 years are treated as non European citizens when the return.

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    Mute Paul Moore
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    Sep 27th 2013, 1:55 PM

    True, the habitual residency rule is a joke.

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    Mute RiobairdOMaingain
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    Sep 27th 2013, 1:55 PM

    I think they are classing working holiday visa holders as ‘emigrants’ which is simply wrong.

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    Mute Joan Featherstone
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    Sep 27th 2013, 2:02 PM

    Sean what does that mean exactly? Family member in UK for last 18 months so genuine question.

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    Mute Mark Larson
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    Sep 27th 2013, 2:08 PM

    I have friends that moved back home to Ireland after 7 years in Australia. They had no problems claiming social welfare until they got a job.

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    Mute RiobairdOMaingain
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    Sep 27th 2013, 2:32 PM

    If you leave the common travel area (britian and ireland)for more than 2 years your entitled to next to nothing if your unlucky enough to end up back in Ireland

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    Mute Mark Larson
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    Sep 27th 2013, 3:05 PM

    They both got full JSA when they returned from Oz. And they are very happy to be back. if I wasn’t happy to be in a country Riobaird I would leave.

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    Mute censored
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    Sep 27th 2013, 3:19 PM

    That is no longer the case Mark. You could also try avoiding the gratuitous “if you don’t like it then leave” insult.

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    Mute Matt
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    Sep 27th 2013, 4:06 PM

    They came back 3 months ago. Has it changed since. Ireland has enough negative people. As i said if you don’t like it leave.

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    Mute Jason Maguire
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    Sep 28th 2013, 9:19 AM

    Lucky you then

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    Mute censored
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    Sep 29th 2013, 3:30 AM

    You first Matt, I’d like to stick around and try to help build a country where corrupt sleveens don’t get to rule.

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    Mute Angela Kelly
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    Sep 27th 2013, 1:50 PM

    Emigration is government policy. As is blaming Ireland’s economic woes on the people, and more recently the unemployed.

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    Mute TalkingSence
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    Sep 27th 2013, 2:13 PM

    Where in the policy does it say that? Facts now…no bull

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    Mute censored
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    Sep 27th 2013, 3:20 PM

    Yes teacher.

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    Mute Paul Moore
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    Sep 27th 2013, 1:54 PM

    In some countries our government ministers would be imprisoned. They have betrayed their people for fat pensions and comfortable positions in Europe. Lie after lie after lie, repeating the same rehearsed soundbites over and over again that have been put together by some overpaid civil servant. I’m sick to the teeth of them all, traitors.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edfNeMIm2Jk

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    Mute Sean ORegan
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    Sep 27th 2013, 3:57 PM

    In which countries Paul? Genuine Q.

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    Mute Paul Moore
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    Sep 27th 2013, 7:21 PM

    Iceland for one

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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Sep 27th 2013, 8:32 PM

    I’m wondering how Michael Lowry would fare in China…

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    Mute Sean ORegan
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    Sep 27th 2013, 9:31 PM

    You would be referring then to the previous government here?

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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Sep 28th 2013, 2:21 PM

    The previous FG Government, yes.

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    Mute Patricia Mc Cann
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    Sep 27th 2013, 2:25 PM

    I lost my job in February I have been desperately seeking employment since. I have a mortgage and two young children so I need a job that will pay a wage that is sustainable. Checking on the Fas web site the vast majority of positions are either community employment schemes or job bridge. As child care alone would cost me €200 per week both are out of the question. I love Ireland I thought I had done my time abroad, but I am seriously now considering leaving. If I don’t get a job soon I will have no option.

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    Mute shane
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    Sep 27th 2013, 9:31 PM

    I have sympathy, seriously I do. However, its the reality of the situation. Go where you can get work :)

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    Mute Janet Coyle
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    Sep 27th 2013, 2:15 PM

    Makes my blood boil all talk and no intentions of doing anything about it
    That shower in Government don’t give a damn out of sight out of mind

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    Mute TalkingSence
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    Sep 27th 2013, 2:20 PM

    What are you doing about it? Create any jobs recently?

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    Mute Felix Causidy
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    Sep 27th 2013, 2:36 PM

    Its not Janets job to do so.

    It IS the governments job.

    Fool.

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    Mute Paul Moore
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    Sep 27th 2013, 2:45 PM

    Yeah, fool

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    Mute TalkingSence
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    Sep 27th 2013, 2:47 PM

    always someone else’s job..never ur owns… do you realise how helpless ye are sounding? Get up off yer back sides and go out and better yerseleves!

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    Mute Conor
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    Sep 27th 2013, 3:15 PM

    The government doesn’t create jobs, (bar the civil service). They can put in the conditions to allow jobs to be able to be created.

    We have low corporation taxes, a relatively cheap higher education system and the government will pay for people to retrain, including a free third level education with grants for fees and the BTEA payable weekly.

    What else do you really expect the government to be able to do?

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    Mute censored
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    Sep 27th 2013, 3:22 PM

    The Government doesn’t create jobs, but we are all paying them plenty to pretend that they do. Anybody in productive employment with a private sector pension is paying a levy for a mythical job creation program. So just can the BS about how we’re not doing anything about it. We’re all doing plenty. You, Mr Nonsense, and your fellow FG-heads are squandering the efforts of entire generations of Irish people.

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    Mute Ben Gunn
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    Sep 27th 2013, 3:35 PM

    Governments do not create jobs. The best they can do is create an environment for business to create jobs.

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    Mute Sean ORegan
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    Sep 27th 2013, 4:01 PM

    Why exactly is it the Governments job to create jobs? Surely it is for the government to provide the framework for capitalists to create jobs? Unless you are talking about a high tax low personal responsibility socialist utopia?

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    Mute Janet Coyle
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    Sep 27th 2013, 4:25 PM

    What a stupid reply I have Nephews and Nieces who have had to Emigrate nothing here for them fully Qualified
    How would u suggest I create all these jobs ??????

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    Mute Leslie Alan Rock
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    Sep 27th 2013, 4:30 PM

    Change your name to talking b****x

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    Mute Conor
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    Sep 27th 2013, 6:18 PM

    Janet is it rude to ask what are they fully qualified as?

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    Mute Alan O'connor
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    Sep 27th 2013, 2:28 PM

    An absolutely appalling article. Why have you not actually listed the statistics? Half of those who left HAD FULL TIME EMPLOYMENT here. Another 12% had part time employment and only 23%, less than one in four, left because they were unemployed. Maybe if you posted these stats you wouldn’t have the usual intellectual pygmies on here raving on about emigration being government policy etc. etc.

    It is a simple fact that, since the Famine Ireland, bar a few years in the 60′s and during the fake boom from 97 to 07, has had more people migrate out of the country each year than migrate in. That is a simple historical fact and has nothing to do with ANY government. Based on the resources we have the country is over populated and always has been. The fake boom merely made it seem that this country could cope with a population of five million. It can’t. It has the resources to provide for maybe half that. So no matter what the government does there will always be people leaving Ireland, sometimes for work, sometimes just because they want to. Time to face facts and quit moaning. But then there’s a lot of people on here for whom facts just get in the way of their lunatic ravings or don’t suit their deeply suspect anti government, anti bank, anti EU arguments. DeValera types who would isolate us again and have us dancing at the crossroads.

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    Mute Jacqueline Mckenna
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    Sep 27th 2013, 2:43 PM

    its not what we want to hear Alan,,,but its the truth

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    Mute Kerry Blake
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    Sep 27th 2013, 2:50 PM

    I wonder why so many in full time employment emigrated? Low wages or see no future here I doubt all wanted to see new horizons only.

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    Mute Alan O'connor
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    Sep 27th 2013, 2:59 PM

    Of course you do. It suits your argument. People up and leaving full time positions for the uncertainty of a life in a different country where they may not get a job at all? Do you think all Irish migrants walk into well paid full time jobs in Canada, U.S., Australia? I have two brothers whose skills are globally transferable. One has worked abroad and one continues to do so, mainly through choice.

    But then that doesn’t suit the argument, does it?

    As stated already Ireland can provide a comfortable living for about 3 million people. We have no natural resources bar the soil and are hugely dependent on incoming investment. There simply isn’t enough of that to sustain 4.5 million people and bar during the fake boom there never has been. Simple facts. Hard to accept but they have to be accepted. Does it suck for those who have to leave? Absolutely. And I do feel sorry for them. But the notion that this or any other government can suddenly change something that has been an issue for 160 years (and indeed probably for more than that) is both laughable and lunacy of the highest order.

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    Mute Patrick
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    Sep 27th 2013, 3:18 PM

    Anybody I know emigrated because of unemployment. Where are your facts from ,some dubious government agency no doubt.

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    Mute censored
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    Sep 27th 2013, 3:26 PM

    This is complete rubbish. Ireland overpopulated? Our problem is the exact opposite. Even a cursory examination of global facts would reveal this is utter tripe. Another sign of the brain drain.

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    Mute Alan O'connor
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    Sep 27th 2013, 3:43 PM

    So a country that has an almost permanent problem providing about 10% on average of its population over the last 200 years with sustainable employment is under populated? Would you care to explain that?

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    Mute Alan O'connor
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    Sep 27th 2013, 3:45 PM

    The facts come from the very study, by UCC, that this article purports to be about. But sure all the gang at UCC are probably a dubious government agency according to your skewed logic.

    Never let the facts get in the way of what you believe. Terribly inconvenient I know.

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    Mute Kerry Blake
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    Sep 27th 2013, 3:59 PM

    Out of the population of 4.5 million how many are pensioners and how many are school going kids? Not everybody in Ireland is or can work. Think it’s wishful thinking to suggest that government policies are not having a direct effect on immigration of Irish citizens.

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    Mute Alan O'connor
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    Sep 27th 2013, 4:17 PM

    Missing the point completely. The 3 million figure includes children and pensioners. Look at the history of the country. Maybe 15 years out of 200 where we had net inward migration higher than net outward migration and only in the Lemass era, which lasted all of about five years, were we able to truly call ourselves prosperous and that was when the population was about 2.9 million people. The 97=07 boom was fake.. Once again I make the point that no government, including the Brits, could solve the problem of our lack of resources. If you have a solution then by all means let’s hear it. But please do not waffle on about banks/debt/Germany etc. This has been a problem since the time of the Famine and even before.

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    Mute Sean ORegan
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    Sep 27th 2013, 4:21 PM

    Alan Ireland has the natural resources to sustain a population of 20 to 25 million. Emigration from Ireland is not a symptom of lack of resources but is a very complex social phenomenon. The path beaten by people escaping famine makes it all the more easy for others to follow and modern communications makes it easier to come back. People left to escape the oppression of the church, difficult family situations, to see the world, to follow dreams and the freedom offered in places where people did not judge you by your accent, School, address, father was very attractive And it still is. We need a greatr mass of population to make certain parts of the internal economy work better and that is what the problem is. As well as which all our entrepreneurs and doers leave because of the negativity they encounter here.

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    Mute Alan O'connor
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    Sep 27th 2013, 4:43 PM

    Maybe you’re right Sean. I don’t personally see it but maybe you are. Having said that the complexities you describe are not easily solved and no government has been able to solve them. The present and future governments probably won’t be able to either.

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    Mute fergus lynch
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    Sep 27th 2013, 4:50 PM

    Are you one of the Lenihans?

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    Mute Jim Flavin
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    Sep 27th 2013, 5:10 PM

    There simply isn’t enough of that to sustain 4.5 million people and bar during the fake boom there never has been”
    Don’t tell that to the Dutch – they have a population of about 14 million in a country less than half the size of Ireland – and would be less if they had not pushed back the sea .
    We have a good climate for many agric . crops – - like high value crops – and have wind for wind farms and water to sell – most years .

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    Sep 28th 2013, 4:01 AM

    The obvious question Alan is why do you think Ireland is uniquely ill equipped to support its population? We do not have a particularly high population density compared to many other countries, and there are plenty of examples of successful small nations out there.

    This overpopulation myth is simply rubbish, an excuse trotted out by our “rulers” to explain away their failures. Please don’t fall for that.

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    Mute John Meade
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    Sep 27th 2013, 3:35 PM

    Hears an idea Bruton, try this, STOP TAXING THE ARSE OFF PEOPLE, Then they might not emigrate, have you thought of that ?

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    Mute shane
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    Sep 27th 2013, 9:36 PM

    We could probably do with more tax.

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    Mute Iam D Best
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    Sep 28th 2013, 3:04 PM

    right, so they’re emigrating now because the tax is so high? i thought it was unemployment, they can’t get jobs that have 400 applicants in for it cos it goes to the lowest bidder, the one they ‘think’ they can exploit. but sure hey.

    As for IT skills, the min. is €30k they’re offering for incoming migrants, if thats the min. offered, there is not a computer developer here in ireland that would work for that but €40-50k average then up. €30k though on the other hand is a lot to one who wouldn’t even earn close to that in their home country. They’re happy and their employers are happy. They get cheap labour, the employee gets to save while sharing a house with up to 10 others and send some home where its worth triple – the incentive, but Paddy emigrates.

    Thats happening a lot.

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    Mute Donal O Neil
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    Sep 28th 2013, 5:28 PM

    Anyone for another mass perhaps !

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    Mute Anthony Agusta
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    Sep 27th 2013, 1:52 PM

    But Brian Cowan said ……..

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    Mute Jim Lenihan
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    Sep 27th 2013, 11:01 PM

    That enda said

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    Mute W.j.d.
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    Sep 27th 2013, 2:06 PM

    Foreign governments offer jobs, minister, unlike you and yours, all bucking mouth …..

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    Mute Martin Hurley
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    Sep 27th 2013, 2:15 PM

    What countries would that be!

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    Mute TalkingSence
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    Sep 27th 2013, 2:15 PM

    We do not need more jobs offered by the government…they cost you and me you clown. We need to weed out the unproductive “workers” and improve process… Simples..

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    Mute Paul Moore
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    Sep 27th 2013, 2:26 PM

    You are the biggest clown here today, are you drunk? You can’t even spell…’sense’

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    Mute TalkingSence
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    Sep 27th 2013, 2:29 PM

    Yes I can my man…the name has been used so I had to use a play on spelling…u know adapt…pity other people can’t around here…they just spoof instead of bettering themselves…

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    Mute Jacqueline Mckenna
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    Sep 27th 2013, 2:40 PM

    agree TalkingSence,,,,,these back to work courses are fruitless and expensive,,,,they rarely secure employment on completion

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    Mute Paul Moore
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    Sep 27th 2013, 2:45 PM

    Fair enough

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    Mute W.j.d.
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    Sep 27th 2013, 3:07 PM

    If I have to tell you that… You deserve to be unemployed… Or dim the light in the cave that you reside…

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    Sep 27th 2013, 3:23 PM

    TalkingSence is just a spoofer. Even a stopped clock tells the correct time twice a day.

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    Mute TalkingSence
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    Sep 27th 2013, 3:38 PM

    Give me an example of when I spoofed man? Facts no bull please..

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    Mute TalkingSence
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    Sep 27th 2013, 9:40 PM

    That would be negative my man..

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    Mute censored
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    Sep 28th 2013, 3:58 AM

    ^^^^^^^^

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    Mute stephen kavanagh
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    Sep 27th 2013, 1:57 PM

    Yes, and you’ve had over two wasted years in which to implement that ‘strong employment policy’

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    Mute Simon McGrath
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    Sep 27th 2013, 1:55 PM

    Such waffle

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    Mute Juan Carr
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    Sep 27th 2013, 3:20 PM

    He should be worried.
    From Switzerland.
    a taste of how a country should work, who’d go back.

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    Mute Richard Barrett
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    Sep 27th 2013, 11:02 PM

    Well said Julian, why would anyone want to return when there’s a bunch of fascists in power squeezing people again and again with their own snouts in the trough.There is no stimulous or incentive whatsoever, wages and standard of living dropping. skilled people can make a better life elsewhere.

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    Mute Patrick
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    Sep 27th 2013, 3:19 PM

    If Bruton only had a brain.

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    Mute TalkingSence
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    Sep 27th 2013, 3:49 PM

    He does, everybody does…no bull please..if you want to show ur intelligence…don’t be saying stupid things like that…

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    Mute Kevin McCarthy
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    Sep 27th 2013, 3:53 PM

    Start putting the Irish citizen first and putting us first. Instead of driving the economy into the ground for the good of the E.U. Austerity plans. Punish the white collar criminals who left the country in a mess. Start by doing that.

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    Mute susanna smyth
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    Sep 27th 2013, 3:56 PM

    Well said!

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    Mute Alan O'connor
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    Sep 27th 2013, 4:20 PM

    Punishing white collar “criminals” (what laws did they break?)! Start with that!!! And how exactly will that help the economy. Enough with the populist, rabble rousing bullschite. It’s not worth a damn. Again let’s have some ideas. Real ideas. Ones the government haven’t thought of. And no more crap about banks.

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    Mute shane
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    Sep 27th 2013, 9:37 PM

    Well.said, Alan.

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    Mute Johnny Downes
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    Sep 27th 2013, 2:40 PM

    Bruton is suffering from” brain drain”, and amnesia like his FG/Lab collaborators. His fronting of the Yes vote campaign is a mistake. I hope it’s a Majority to abolish, and people vote to rid us of this elitist sinecure, and not waste their vote just giving the Government a well deserved kicking.
    They can say No to the second referendum , which seeks to create another potentially wasteful ,expensive, and unnecessary ” Court of Appeal”. More jobs for the Boys!

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    Mute Jacqueline Mckenna
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    Sep 27th 2013, 2:44 PM

    Every Criminal in the country will be out to vote Yes to that one !!

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    Mute Johnny Downes
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    Sep 27th 2013, 3:31 PM

    Jaqueline. I would suggest you acquaint yourself with the opinion of Seth Barrett Tillman of NUIM on this proposed new Court of Appeal.

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    Mute Marilyn Maroney
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    Sep 27th 2013, 2:49 PM

    Sounds like Ireland will be like Gilligans Island if it keeps up

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    Mute William Rowlands
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    Sep 27th 2013, 2:47 PM

    Abandon the ship before it sinks in some countries its the death penalty for the captain

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    Sep 27th 2013, 3:24 PM

    We are not talking of the captain here, but the galley slaves.

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    Mute Jim Flavin
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    Sep 27th 2013, 5:04 PM

    JOBS MINISTER RICHARD Bruton believes that the only policy that his government can implement to stop high emigration is a “strong employment policy”.”
    Would he care to put some details on that – ie ” the strong employment policy ” – its sound s like political waffle .

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    Mute Dave Byrne
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    Sep 27th 2013, 5:25 PM

    Anyone lucky to get a job here now or in the future will more than likely end up working on contracts,Be it directly with emoloyers or through an agency.
    This means employees will not get pensions or long term job security.

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    Mute Jerome Wholihane
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    Sep 27th 2013, 4:22 PM

    This ucc study points out that only 1 in 4 students who leave Ireland do so due to the economic conditions. The majority leave to experience new places and cultures with plans to return to Ireland. Yes this country has serious problems but the negativity of some people on here is shocking and I wonder how they think that their negativity is helping the country. Do something about these problems run in the next election set up a new party rather than commenting and not really making a difference.

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    Sep 28th 2013, 4:03 AM

    Many people leave Ireland with plans to return, but how many actually? You’re calling people negative for pointing out that the Emperor has no clothes? You could do with a spot of tourism yourself I think!

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    Mute Jason Maguire
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    Sep 28th 2013, 9:32 AM

    How about all the people who are working in Britain or Europe, and coming home every few weeks to their families? There’s thousands at it, go to any airport on a Friday night if u don’t believe me

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    Mute Carcu Sidub
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    Sep 27th 2013, 3:52 PM

    Meanwhile within the Ministers brain his inner voice is saying.

    “I am worried about all the money we are wasting educating these ungreatful bunch who just feck off “

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    Mute John Dinneen
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    Sep 27th 2013, 4:37 PM

    Another plonker of a minister

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    Mute Shakka1244
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    Sep 27th 2013, 3:27 PM

    It’s Lehmans fault

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    Mute james r
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    Sep 28th 2013, 3:44 PM

    Sure he’s worried ! Worried there not leaving fast enough

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