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Brendan O'Carroll Photocall Ireland

Brendan O’Carroll: ‘I will serve in Dáil Eireann’

The comedian and writer has ruled out a late presidential bid but is interested in running for election to the Dáil if and when the opportunity arises.

COMEDIAN BRENDAN O’CARROLL has said he intends to run for election to Dáil Eireann at some point in his life, outlining the radical plans he would want to implement if he were elected.

Speaking to TheJournal.ie the Mrs Brown’s Boys writer also revealed the reasons behind his recent payment of €7,000 to a man who told RTÉ’s Liveline he had been threatened by loan sharks over money he owed.

O’Carroll had been listening to the Joe Duffy phone-in programme in Florida, where he spends six months of every year, and said he felt implored to offer the man some help.

He explained: “I couldn’t in all conscience sit there knowing I have seven thousand in the bank and that for that man, it would change his life.”

O’Carroll revealed that he later found out the man had borrowed the money at 600 per cent interest to bury his 20-month old son. “In the big picture, you can’t listen to that and not do something about that,” he added.

On his political ambitions the 55-year-old, whose mother Maureen was a Labour TD in the 1950s, said that he believes he owes this country because he was not forced to emigrate like many of his friends were in the 1970s and 80s.

“It’s a horrible thing”, he said of emigration. “I am one of the lucky ones. I was always able to manage with work here and I didn’t have to leave home to make a living. So I owe this country.

If I can do that in the service of the country in Dáil Eireann, I’d be delighted to do that.

Prior to the last general election, O’Carroll formulated plans for a political party that he planned to call the Social Justice Party. He revealed that he had spoken with 12 “like minded people” who he believed would have been elected in areas where they were already popular.

O’Carroll had hoped that the party could hold the balance of power in the way the Progressive Democrats did but the idea was shelved when he concluded that the outcome of the election was likely to mean a Fine Gael-Labour coalition, meaning his party would have little influence.

But he did not rule out running for the Dáil in the future:

I can tell you now, before the end of my life I will serve in Dáil Eireann. I will serve the people of Ireland in some shape or form, hopefully to better their lives.

O’Carroll outlined his own ideas for simulating the economy, saying he would abolish all tax-free allowances and set a flat rate tax of 20 per cent for anyone earning €300 or over.

He said he would abolish VAT and impose a flat transaction tax of 7-10 per cent on every transaction in the country. He said:

These things I’m talking about, they are radical, but people will get behind it if you give them leadership.

The situation we’re in right now, the politicians have very little impact. We’re stuck with what we’re stuck with. We don’t lack politicians, we lack leadership.

O’Carroll ruled out any possible late bid for the presidency saying that he didn’t want to be popular but instead get things done.

He added: “There’s no way we’re going to change the current situation with lollipops.”

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26 Comments
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    Mute James McGill
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    Dec 22nd 2015, 8:10 PM

    #YouAintNoGingerBruv

    119
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    Mute Beachmaster
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    Dec 22nd 2015, 7:57 PM

    Cue the ginger apologists!

    48
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    Mute Codology
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    Dec 22nd 2015, 8:01 PM

    Any ginger jokes are like to get red-thumbed. Why? Because it’s Christmas week and every other normal non-ginger is out getting laid and having fun,.

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    Mute SCO Electrical
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    Dec 22nd 2015, 8:43 PM

    Orange IS the new black

    43
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    Mute Jessie Paden
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    Dec 22nd 2015, 7:58 PM

    harry doesn’t have lineage to the throne O_O

    37
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    Mute Brian Farrell
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    Dec 22nd 2015, 8:08 PM

    He does.

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    Mute Jessie Paden
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    Dec 22nd 2015, 8:13 PM
    18
    See 8 more replies ▾
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    Mute Brian Farrell
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    Dec 22nd 2015, 8:18 PM

    Read it again. You numpty.

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    Mute Beachmaster
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    Dec 22nd 2015, 8:35 PM

    @Jessie Prince Henry is Harry. The fifth in line.

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    Mute Suzie Sunshine
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    Dec 22nd 2015, 8:42 PM

    Am I missing some here ? Why is so many agreeing with Jessie ?

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    Mute Suzie Sunshine
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    Dec 22nd 2015, 8:52 PM

    *something*

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    Mute Mark Malone
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    Dec 22nd 2015, 10:11 PM

    Suzie, it could be that he’s officially known as Henry and not Harry.

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    Mute Suzie Sunshine
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    Dec 22nd 2015, 10:17 PM

    But Mark what difference does that make ?

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    Mute Mark Malone
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    Dec 22nd 2015, 10:37 PM

    Original poster was being a little tongue in cheek as in there is no one named Harry on the succession list.

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    Mute Suzie Sunshine
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    Dec 22nd 2015, 10:40 PM

    Lol that’s the bit I missed !

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    Mute Garwig
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    Dec 22nd 2015, 8:12 PM

    I’m sure Major James Hewitt is RAGING his son missed the chance to be king.

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    Mute Rasputin
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    Dec 22nd 2015, 9:00 PM

    Who said he’s missed it.. “Accidents” do seem to happen a lot in that family …

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    Mute Garwig
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    Dec 22nd 2015, 9:12 PM

    True

    7
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    Mute Bronwen Lang
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    Dec 22nd 2015, 8:32 PM

    Well it has already been suggested that demonising groups of people leads to radicalisation and more extremists. Everyone was happy to ginger-bash a la South Park or Harry Hill as it was the last bastion that political correctness had not reached. Surprised that something like this hasn’t happened sooner. Think the only thing saving you all is that gingers are usually solitary and have to avoid hot sun so less opportunity to organise! (I am one, before anyone thinks I’m serious)

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    Mute Katie Wrest
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    Dec 22nd 2015, 8:06 PM

    I read this out to my uncle and he thought I was talking about a film on the telly!!! Fact stranger than fiction!!!

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    Mute Michael
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    Dec 22nd 2015, 10:43 PM

    Poor lad, ironic thing is it was the coppers who foiled his devious plan in the end

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    Mute Big T
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    Dec 22nd 2015, 8:04 PM

    Gingers don’t have souls!

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    Mute Rasputin
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    Dec 22nd 2015, 8:56 PM

    That’s not true. For every soul a ginger steals they get a freckle…..

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    Mute Elma Phudd
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    Dec 22nd 2015, 7:59 PM

    I was wondering what all the Neil Lennon fuss was about

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    Mute Kevin Ryan
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    Dec 22nd 2015, 8:10 PM

    That fella should have moved to somewhere in the world where there’s little history of discrimination against gingers.

    Like China or central Africa.

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    Mute John J Kelly
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    Dec 22nd 2015, 8:45 PM

    Ginger Akbar

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    Mute Liam Clyne
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    Dec 22nd 2015, 7:56 PM

    Duke of Edinburgh men at it again..

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    Mute Ronan McDermott
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    Dec 22nd 2015, 9:50 PM

    Thought this was Waterford whispers for a second

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    Mute captain ireland
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    Dec 23rd 2015, 12:49 PM

    Is it true gingers have no souls ?

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    Mute captain ireland
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    Dec 23rd 2015, 12:48 PM

    Is this a joke ??

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    Mute Pat Gorman
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    Dec 23rd 2015, 1:52 PM

    A very similar thing happened during the reign of George the third.
    A guy who believed that he himself was Jesus Christ tried to kill the English king.
    When the madman was asked why he did it he announced that Jesus must die for the sins of the world but he knew that suicide was a mortal sin.
    He wanted the king to execute him.
    .
    The king did not oblige.
    The king locked him up in the “Bedlam” madhouse and threw away the key.

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    Mute Pat Gorman
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    Dec 23rd 2015, 2:10 PM

    P.S.
    As for King George…it took one to know one.

    1
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