*Gold-fish

I wouldn’t worry too much Gavin. These type of polls are as good as it will get for FF. The people of Ireland won’t forget what they did to the country anytime soon.

Its Ireland, Irish people are the most ridiculous people on Earth. First they give away all their sovereignty and independence, then they believe FG and their 5 Point plan lol Expect FF to storm through the next elections…My God, it gets even more ridiculous by the day.

@John I hope you are right but somehow I feel that civil war politics is alive and kicking.
Although I disagree somewhat with policies from the likes of Sinn Fein, ULA and the Socialist Party, I thought that the most recent election was one of the most successful for the advance of democracy and representation of the entire political spectrum. The thought that FF could theoretically take back the seats they lost from the likes of the above, I think would only harm the little amount of democracy that we still hold here in Ireland!

FG/Labours last attempt at a fiscal correction turned out to be a disaster for Ireland (1982). The economy contracted further, tax take fell dispite rate increases and unemployment continued to rise.
They consigned themselves to the wilderness and FF/PD’s succeeded in turning the economy around.
It would appear the current government have not learned the lessons of their own history.

Goldfish

Red C Poll probably run by a bunch of Fianna Fáil men. We do not forget to easily. Red C is propaganda at it’s worst.

Yeah green, white and Gold fish! Sadly it only shows what I have suspected for many years, there is a large section of Irish people who are so conditioned and so brainwashed by the gombeen culture that they are simply incapable of moving away from their overlords who tend to be local or rural FF nepotist families who have ‘ruled’ the area since independence and who have a kind of grip on these people which is not that dissimilar to that of a feudal landlord, likewise the catholic church many of the same people you will see voting FF are the same ones dutifully kneeling at the alter rails on a sunday obeying their Vatican master despite the awful behaviour of the Irish catholic church. It’s perverse, it’s the Irish ‘persecution’ mentality at it’s most extreme, like the battered wife who keeps going back to a violent husband because they know no better and hope he will change! It’s just insane, pure madness!

Mary Harney said years ago that the electorate have short memories.

The real problem is that isn’t much competetion

sorry ** isn’t much competition**

@Declan Carroll, Who’s Mary Harney?

18% of the electorate will sell out their country, pack their kids on to the boat or the plane for good, for a medical card or a bit of tar on the road. Which in most normal countries they would have anyway. Nearly 1 in 5 people it seems are traitors and crooked.

@OccupyForFairness While you have a point about competition we do have quite a few parties in this country, the problem is they’ve all proven to be useless. The main problem is the whip system, if say the Labour party tells its TD’s to vote a particular way then they must or risk being expelled form the party, they can’t safely vote with their conscience, which is crazy. Personally I will NEVER vote for FF again.

Funny you mention dick spring. Apparently he and garrett fitzgerald were the guys who signed off and the pension fiasco we have today. Isn’t socialism great especially when it pays SO MUCH

Labour was always the happy hooker in Irish politics

Well, one could argue that Monty Burns, although just as villainous, was quite successful at what he did. I’d see Mehole as more of a Smithers myself, although Smithers had no wife in whose account he could lodge the “party donations”.

He has one of those faces you just want to slap….as do all fianna failers.

@ Seamus…I have a feelng this is more about Labours impotence rather than FF’s improved performance…FF will remain under ground for many years to come..the only reason they’ll come back will be because FG will let them…and sure poor ole spineless Enda is like a rabbitt in the headlights when it comes to FF.

That’s all great but what did FG, Lab or SF do during those times. Did they even complain about it? Did the electorate endorse those policies?
Sorry to tell everyone that FF while not innocent of our economic whose at the moment are not 100% to blame either. We should analyse the reason we got here with a clear head not the propaganda court room we have now.
Not doing this lead history to repeat itself?

Graham look at your thumbs…. more or less the same ratio as the Red C poll………… The Haughey/Aherne/Cowen cabal have been removed so FF is ‘pure’ again…… this is the prevalent logic of that 18%…… What nutters….. No wonder the Europeans treat us like children; we’re an under-developed tribe (both sociologically AND psychologically) ……. we’ve absolutely no business running our own affairs! So I pity the sanity of those few remaining Irish with an ounce of common sense caught between the idiot class here and the condescension over there……..

Dispicable comment!

At least Cowens morbid obesity and alcohol consumption and that of Harney suggests that we may not have to pay their pensions for too long. As for Bertie, hopefully he’ll be thrown in gaol for treason or fraud or tax evasion. You can’t spend much of your pension in the ‘Joy.

Imagine, every other Taoiseach is receiving the same substantial pension also.

God is good Brian.

Its Ireland :D

It’s similar to shamrock rover leap up the European football rankings

Very good analogy Saffron Willetts.

Get more women into politics! The more I read these threads the more obvious it becomes.

Did Fianna Fáil also get Greece, Italy, Spain, Hungary etc etc “into this mess”?!
Fianna Fáil protected the vulnerable, insofar as was feasible, in its Budget last yr; we are obligated by the EU/ IMF to make certain cuts, yes, but from where those cuts come is entirely up to the Govt of the day.

we don,t give two fucks about italy ,spain ,greece ,portugal etc they got this nation into the mess and a if there was any suitable justice in the country most of them should locked up by now,preferably tied to a post in thortonhall without blankets

@Louise see http://www.fiannafail.ie/news/entry/7600 for precisely what would do

Also welfare as the biggest spend (2/3 of total income) department was always going to see reform, also under FF the basic dole rate was increased over THREE TIMES the cost of living increase 1997-2009, lest we forget actual facts

And that inflationary vote buying tactic (pushing up the spend, as well as the cost of purchasing a home, ergo building one) thus making everything more expensive, and our country more expensive, was a success, was it?

Do you crowd even realise what you did?

You can play with figures all you like, but the monetary supports available to unemployed people (an unsustainable situation YOUR party brought about, by the way), are now far worse than they would have been otherwise.

And now you have the cheek to try and get the out of work vote, instead of coming up with concrete solutions to right the wrongs, and help those people who now need help the most?

The same party who thought it perfectly fine to turn FAS into a €1Bn a year gravy train, in yet another FF mechanism to transfer exchequer funds to those “in the loop”, while retaining a bloated organisation that was not fit for purpose? And when FF thought it fine to put third level education and a diverse training policy on the back burner in favour of stoking the boom, and pushing our young people head first into a teetering and oversized construction sector?

Well done. Your party has learned nothing.

Paul Anthony Ward @ ”Fianna Fáil protected the vulnerable, insofar as was feasible, in its Budget last yr; ” Typical arrogance of a FFailure ….. It is the job of those in power to protect the vulnerable.FULL STOP .Not insofar as was feasible. That is such an ‘I’m alright Jack’ attitude .Typical FFailures.

Yes. It’s important to look on the bright side.

18+32 = 50% That does not equate to your statement that over 50% of the population would not vote FF or FG.

God help us if the alternative have the same adding ability as you.

Never , never again …

When were they fit to be trusted as ‘servants of the public ‘in the past? Quarantine isn’t the answer, extinction is!

ye seem to have dread of the shinners

IRA’s second defeat at Aras election clearly proves their support is fixed at hard core terrorist lovers and leftie loons

FF defeat at Aras election says much more I think

BYE! G’LUCK ON YOUR JOURNEY!! *Waves goodbye to as you board plane/ship*.

Gi’s ur job

Wasn’t it a red c poll that had uncle fester racing ahead for the aras ….. I couldn’t see it then and I don’t see it now in this poll…. Dare I say the word ? Ok so I will spell it — p-r-o-p-a-g-a-n-d-a !!!

If labour had any brains they would have not gone in to government, next election it wil be a repeat of 97

In fairness nobody with a brain would go in to government

Not a chance Martina, the party that nearly destroyed the country through greed, stupidity, corruption, incompetence, hypocrisy, not to mention a leader quite probably succumbing to a crippling drink habit attempting to lead a country at her worst hour while wreathed in alcohol fumes and hangovers… That party stays locked out for two electoral cycles minimum.

That party has to stay dead in the long grass for a decade, at which point hopefully the thick, greedy, chest puffing, corrupt incompetents that made up the majority of their dáil membership may have died off politically and the party might be fit to be considered for public office.

In ten years time.

they’ re bad enough eileen, but st patrick has to be the worst disaster to hit the country

No …Fianna Fail / Eamon De Valera and all who followed him are the ruination of our Nation , DeValera gave power to the church so that he would regain and retain power . With FFailures it is all to do with power, not the country.

ok, you could be right, i never doubt feminine instinct. but St patrick was not far behind, he was an agent of Rome and set off a series of events that destroyed our native culture, religion and even industry, the sile na gig sector was wiped out overnight

I will take your word for it Martin . I do not know much about ancient Irish history . I must check it out over the weekend.

St. Patrick and FF? The Saint and the swine!

the chinese would go mad for sile na gigs

well said eric …current gov are a shower of gobshites …nice to see FF support slowly coming back and yes i am a card carrying member of fianna fail and proud of it

Nothing is worse than fianna fail. NOTHING. Bent, clique ridden, in bar bullying useless gobshite of a bought property developer financed farting in the Galway tent laughing and destroying the country party of the few.

NEVER AGAIN.

That party stays electorally kneecapped for a decade minimum.

The arrogance of FFailures on this thread just beats all. Spare us please.The amazing thing is these supporters are suffering the austerity just as much as the rest of us , and still see Meehall Martin as their Knight in shining armor :) :)

isn’t business people that run the ones we have

Next Government will be Sinn Féin/Fianna Fáil coalition.

It has a bearing in that it involves honesty

Some Irish people are

it wil be all very well until somebody asks Martin Mc guinnes was Jean Mc Conville murdered

As well as asking a OBP or ULA candidate for a policy that wasn’t fantastical or ridiculous!

Business broadsheets *

*keely useless – meant to type “totally useless”
Just to restate it: eamon gilmore is totally useless. Please resign and go home and count the 500,000 ye got from the property speculation

This is not just 18% having short memories, it is pure greed and selfishness. It’s a rot that we need to remove from our country, if we are ever to have a chance at prosperity again.

This is Chris Christie speaking the facts we need to hear from Enda:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYNiVk3DosI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Blindfolded is an understatment, they have had their eyes gouged out by Fianna Fail, they are incapable of seeing anything

@Ciaran

As one who despises FF with every throb of my heart I nonetheless have to commend you on an excellent post.

And your right! FF’s grassroot ‘party machine’ is only equalled by the GAA in terms of logistical spread and that a ‘bog basic’ ability to stir up the troops will be their path to recovery. The pothole outside granny’s gate and the planning permission for the front porch will be the bread and butter of their return to glory.

Ciaran Bolger….FFailures Never put the country first . The stampeeded over each other in feb to leave the sinking ship that was the FFailure Government party.. Shame on them all. I will never trust any one who supports FF. How can you be so blinded? I mean you are entitled to your own opinion but How can you not see the harm and damage they did to us !

Every “Parish” in Ireland? I’ve heard enough already. This is a country, a Republic, not a fucking catholic fiefdom. That one sentence shows that FF and it’s supporters have learnt nothing about what the majority in Ireland now want this country to be.

Fianna Fail are not the only ones capable of running this small island. That is utter fantasy. We have never had a government without either centerist or right wing policies in this country and look at us now. We have never had the bottle to try a real alternative government. While Enda Kenny might not have been shouting at Fianna Fail to stop spending and to monitor the banks, there were advisors to the FF government and respected economists who did. And we know what Berties answer to them was. Something to do with an oven if my memory serves me correctly. Plus, the single biggest mistake of any government in the history of our state, was to guarantee the all the debts of all our banks. This saddled us with a debt that has proven to be a millstone around our necks. That was a FF decision too. I don’t blame FF for everything in this mess. However, their corruption, cronyism and ineptitude are perhaps the single biggest contributing factor to us being where we are today. They will leave us with a legacy akin to that which the British left us; colonised people whose children are forced to emmigrate. I can only hope that history repeats itself where the Irish people fight against that system and however hard the struggle, win back our independence.

Good post Ciaran. Agree, some people would have you believe that FF were in power in Greece, Portugal, Italy, Spain and were the cause of their problems too. Whilst the problems were rooted in the gamblers, speculators and big business in europe, there’s no hiding from the fact that FF mislead and lied to the people of Ireland. They lied about the IMF, coming in, they tried to cover up the cosy relationship with developers here, etc etc etc. As a result they lost the trust of they’re own core support along with that of the softer voter. Its the party that basis itself at community level (not parish), and understands the hardship, pain and suffering of those at the lower level and acts accordingly, that will gain the trust anns respect of people. Don’t, lie

Sorry, premature ending to my post. Should have finished with. Don’t lie and play politics with peoples lives and livelihoods, and stand up to those who would tell you to eat cake because you’ve no bread, and then you’ll get the respect you deserve.

A man who spent years working for FF.

Look at all the FF’ers on here that are so passionate and look at their CV’s. The motivation becomes very clear.

Having just re-read my post, I can see how I might be interpreted as advocating armed insurrection given our countrys traditional method of struggling for independence. This is not my hope. There are much better ways to get ourselves out of this economic colonisation. That was not what I was advocating, so I do apologise if anyone thought I was advocating violence.

That is a treacherous comment !

“a lot done, more to do”

FF percentage of the vote, February 2011: 17.45%

FF approval rating, December 4th 2011: 18%

God, you’re right, the people have spoken.

:) :) Lol.

So sad Paul clutching at straws, this nothing but a dead cat bounce.

They didn’t know the whole story, because your constitutional Republicans (I see Sinn Fein is the new enemy, now!), hid all the booby traps from the public, just as much as the opposition, especially during your fourteen years of unbroken undermining of democracy.

FF was only ever any good at two things, getting into power, and looking after their “own”. Their latest tactic in respect of the former goal is not only to undermine the government, instead of providing constructive opposition, but to try and attack their nearest rivals, Sinn Fein.

SF in the form of Pearse Doherty offering very credible opposition.

I think he’s a very capable guy, even though I would disagree with him on many things.

Stephen, what exactly did you do for Dick Roche, as State paid Special Advisor, what exactly do you do as Semi-State paid director of Wicklow Port. Was it State or Party funds that paid for your services to host his website, when u charged him 3250 euro’s.

P.s. – Any one want hosting leave me a message here, and i’ll sort it out for a hundred euro’s per annum.

Isn’t it gas that FF’ers are always the worst for sucking at the teat of the country. Stephen, will you not consider joining FG, now that FF are going to be out of power for a decade, what will you do having to stand on your own 2 feet for a change.

Owned! Nice work, Tim.

” a credible plan to recover the economy ” Meehall Martin was a minister in that government and should be done for treason alongside Biffo and Bertie . He is detestable .

Bounce mehole! 0.55% on Feb?
Martin didn’t run a candidate because there was no point splitting the vote of the de facto candidate (gallagher). As for a credible plan, don’t make me laugh.

Martin ran two candidates – ‘The Quango Queen’ and ‘Baldy Bertie’, and it was by pure luck that at least one of them didn’t get in!

And, as I’ve outlined above, it’s not so much a bounce as a splat on the concrete.

@Ryan Murphy I was admiring your posts on this site. So much so I clicked on your profile. You work for ESB…………..the biggest monopoly in the state…you mention ‘bloated organisations’ and pensions etc….sorry but you guys in ESB are the great example of all that is wrong in this country. You don’t pay any pension levy, pay continues to increase while the rest of use are kicked in the balls every week/month/year. Any expression of discontent results in the undercurrent of pulling the switch and putting us all into darkness!!! Electricity workers in Ireland are the highest paid in the world bar none!! Get off that high horse before you fall off and break your neck!!!

What a load of uninformed dribble! You obviously take all your cues from the Independent, and their editorial stance, which is patently biased, incorrect and hypocritical. And you obviously haven’t read about the pension reform, pay freezes, and ongoing cost cutting that has been happening in ESB since the beginning of the recession. Nor have you read of their inability to reduce energy prices for many years due to regulation, or the large amount that they return to the exchequer in the form of a dividend on profit every year. You don’t hear me whinging about it because I’m lucky to have a job, and like most workers there, would never in a million years attempt to pull the plug.

Is this the part where I’m supposed to apologise and shut the fuck up, because I have a job?

Maybe we’ll find the money we need in Micheal Martin’s wife’s bank account, isn’t that where donations ended up in the past. Pretty standard procedure for any party or org. I presume.

Typical tribal call …..:(

Seize Power? Sounds a bit dictatorial to me. Remember – the power rests with us. We just lend it to you.

I hate to break it to you but your party is corrupt to the core! I, like the majority of the people here on TheJournal.ie, do not want to see FF ” seize power again in this country”!

Fiachra, give us a list of who you’re keeping in then.
Less time consuming that way!

Hey, if you booted out ” the corrupt scum” Would their be enough members left to actually constitute a party??

As per usual FF man portrays his true loyalty – it’s all about De Party. Resurrect De Party…to the fuck the people & the country AGAIN!

Seize power? Get stuffed fiachra, you oglaigh FF whatever you are. FF isn’t seeing the inside of a cabinet room or anything past low twenties in seats for a decade – that’s a personal guarantee.

Bad luck: You picked the wrong party to lick up to in college.

Fiachra @ How can you be loyal to a party that you want disbanded ??? You lot do not make sense . You are loyal to a party but you still see the damage done to it by bertie and co… Change parties, set up a new one …

@Dave Finn. You forget that FF’ers do not believe that power comes from the people, it comes from who is paying them.

Tim@ You hit the nail right on its head there .

Jeez, Ireland is still rearing them.

Absolutely, it seems SF defination of bilingual is speaking out of both sides of their mouths, they implement the very same cuts in Govt in NI as they claim to oppose in the Republic

right, so basically FF and SF are the same thing, that might explain it.

Stephen… classic.

As if FF would do anything different in goverment…. Oh us of short memory!,,