“Kenny the tosses” is an understatement. Fg as a party are almost finished, thanks to Enda, he has single handedly destroyed any confidences its supporters had in fg. Backbenchers should take note.

I was told the same thing that people always had less money when FG were in power, strange that it seems to be the case Unfortunately.

FG are a party for the rich.

FG are & always were the party for the west brits,
the gombeen men,
& those of influence in business & the peofessions.

What rubbish. Short memories here. Do you think the economic mess FG inherited might have something to do with us all having less money in our pockets? Do you think the crushing debt and annual deficit that they inherited might be a contributory factor. I wish I was as wise as all of ye- clearly you know of some magic wand that would make these problems disappear?

” Do you think the economic mess FG inherited might have something to do with us all having less money in our pockets”

No, but the billions FG handed to unguaranteed bondholders this year certainly is.

@ Vincent Dolan
wrong Vincent
some of us have long memories – so long in fact thay we remember previous FG/Lab governments.
FG/Lab were lucky to loose the 2007 GE
if they won it, they would have been even worse than FF.
they have done nothing of substance, that FF would not have done since gaining power,
except make & break promises.
Reilly, Hogan, Gilmore & co are comparable with the worse of FF
Kenny is every bit as embarassing as Bertie.

#werejammin- the real tragedy of the mess this Government was left is that it’s so bad that we lost self determination. Paying the bondholders isn’t a Government call. We’re dependant on foreign money and that’s dependant on us toeing the line. Thank your local FF rep for that.

#Michael- I didn’t realise you are clairvoyant and can tell what a FG Government WOULD have done. You don’t have to like Enda Kenny. You don’t have to think he’s competent. But he’s an honest man and that puts him head and shoulders above Ahern.

You’ll get over it vincent, go over there and lick your wounds! The party are slipping, because people see them for what they are and you’ll just have to get those blinkers removed!

#Coco /Stephen- thank you so much for those words of encouragement. It means so much coming from a political visionary such as your good self.

Vincent. Paying the UNGUARANTEED bondholders is definitely the governments call. The clues in the word ‘unguaranteed’. They made their bets AFTER the banking guarantee and as such there is no obligation on this government to pay them. They bet on fine gaels spinelessness, and are quids in.

@Stephen whats the point of trying to convince someone whos only tactic is childish name calling?, the facts are in vincent, even though there is no one else to vote for, support for these political class crooks is slipping

#werejammin..if you’re going to comment, you need to get your facts right. It’s a condition of our bailout. Nothing to do with the Bank Guarantee. If we want the Troika’s cash to keep paying for luxuries like, y’know- hospitals, Gardai and schools we have to pay it. They’re worried that our burning them would precipitate another Credit Crunch among the financial institutions. I mean why would politicians want to send money out of Ireland- it’s good for votes you think? As I say, you’d really need to get your facts right.

#Stephen / Krusty/ Peasant- pretty sure FG are still the biggest party in the country by some distance, no? And as I said, I’ll judge them at the end of their term on tangible metrics. I’ll not be voting out of inherent bias or a naive “if wishing made it so” outlook on the world like you two.

@vincent dolan i am clairvoyant and this is my prediction, it is the same one i made before the last election when i realised labour were going to destroy the party by going into government with fg, this government will not make it past autumn 2013, labour will implode by then, p.s. you do realise that Stephen Murphy shows himself to have infinite more class than you simply by ignoring your moronic jibes?

“werejammin..if you’re going to comment, you need to get your facts right.”

Facts right, eh??

Vincent, show me where in the bailout conditions it states that we have to pay bondholders who are not covered by the guarantee i.e. unguaraanteed

Take your time. I can save you some by telling you that its not there. But we both know that.

#revolting- I actually think this Government will go full term. Where Labour are in the polls it’s not worth their while going to the people. If they do, who makes up the next Government? They can’t get into bed with FF. Their best electoral hope is promoting this Government instead of griping from the sidelines. The next election will deliver another FG -Labour coalition. Because at the end of their term, Ireland will be better off than when they took over. And that’s the message they should be putting out there.

#Werejammin- Well Angela Mekel admitted it. Add that to the fact that even our heroic soldiers of destiny Fianna Fáil admit it, I’m comfortable in believing both Michael Noonan and Brendan Howlin when they say its a deal breaker with the Europeans. Again I’ll ask you- why else would our Government want to pay the bondholders? You think they like announcing viciously harsh budgets? Exercise some common sense.

Do us a favour Vincent will you, and run back up “KFC” Kenny’s a*se there, like a good man.
And NO, I’m not a FF or SF supporter – before you start that kind of childish s*it slinging you’ve been doing in other comments.

do you really think the labour back benchers are interested in the polls? labour tds all over the country are getting it in the the neck from their own grass roots on a daily basis, there will be a straw point for them and if this budget doesnt do it the october budget 2013 will, why do you think these labour tds joined the party? definitely not to support the type of behaviour the labour cabinet members have been indulging in since they gained office, i stand by the prediction as i have since 2011, this government will not survive another 12 months

@revolting. I hope ur right. Hard to see Labour face the abyss that awaits them but they have history pulling out. The Spring Tide that saw Labour get 33 seats was followed by 17 seats in the next election. If there was an election in the next 12 months if they got 10 I’d be surprised. Going the way of the Greens

#Endacurtain- of course not Enda. You come across as an articulate, thoughtful, bipartisan observer.

#revolting- I think there are realists in the Labour Party too. And patriots. I think there are enough of them in there to understand that they have a responsibility to provide a stable Government at this most extraordinary of times. Their best bet is to promote the Governments achievements and their role in it. At the next election, they should do what the PD’s did- urge voters to vote for them tactically to balance the right wing tendencies of FG. Any other road leads to electoral Armageddon. There’s just no point trying to go to the left of Sinn Fein.

enough of them? are you sure? think about labours support base, a very large number of traditional labour supporters have been the hardest hit of all in these tough times, the reality for someone having to wait 3-4 days every week to buy food is not conducive to clear thinking patterns, labour tds are having to deal with streams of these people every week, the revolt by the back bench has already started, they are under intense pressure, any careerists in the party will surely be thinking they should jump ship pretty soon, and any that have genuine labour ideals must be struggling mightily to support government policy, 12 months vincent, you heard it here

p.s. left of sf? so you mean centre right then? the only republican socialist party in the world? hilarious

Simple, to the point and accurate. Well said.

By “a responsibility to provide a stable Government at this most extraordinary of times”, you mean “a responsibility to prop up the blueshirts”, I take it?

Finally handed in my Labour membership card last week, should’ve done it the minute they did the deal with your shower – a betrayal, there’s no other word for it.

#voodoo- I’m sure you will be sorely missed. Give my regards to Gerry & Martin.

See, that there is the kind of smugness that, along with many other reasons, means that your blueshirts are unlikely to get a majority next time out, even with FF and Labour shooting themselves in the foot.

#Voodoo- it’s ok, of course for you to fire a volley at my “crowd”, of course. You see what you did- leaving your party in a strop? That’s why Labour & really any left wing party will never be trusted to run the country. ill-disciplined and falling apart at the seams the only thing ye can be relied on to do when you get into power is divide into competing factions and implode. It would be comical if we weren’t in such serious times requiring serious people.

Simple fact, Vincenzo, people don’t vote Labour to get Blueshirt policies. My apologies if they aren’t your “crowd”, but you seem to spend a lot of time defending them.

As for “serious times requiring serious people” … what, intellectual heavyweights like Reilly, Kenny, Varadkar, Cretin, Charlie Flanagan, etc, etc?

Get it straight, kiddo, FG are in power by default, and it seems that it’s gone to theirs and their supporters’ heads. Just out of their depths. As for Labour, the pity is that they can’t even be called a left wing party any more.

Voodoo- I can assure you, Fine Gael voters didn’t go to the polls so that we could hear Joan Burton pontificating on a Ministerial pension. Nor did we particularly want “Gilmore for Taoiseach” as Tanaiste, nor the unions carrying such weight at the cabinet table- but that’s Democracy for you, isn’t it? Compromise is inevitable. And you swallow that which you don’t want to swallow for the good of the country. Labour, remember got half the seats FG got. The people decreed that FG would be leading the Government- what did you think would happen?

That we’d go into opposition and fight your looney right, Thatcherite, Reganomic, rob the poor to feed the rich agenda every step of the way.

No coincidence that the blueshirts have never gotten into power twice in a row….

#Voodoo, FG never got into power twice in a row because our role has always been to go in, fix the mess FF left behind and incur the wrath of the electorate next time round. Your comments on opposition are telling. Left wingers are so much happier sitting on the sidelines, slinging mud rather than being involved making the tough decisions. It’s your natural place. Sitting on the opposition benches with intellectual colossus’ like Ming and Mick Wallace and Claire Daly.

I seriously think its the smugness that gets to people, more than the incompetence.

Vincent Dolan/Dillon Costigan and what ever other names you are using these days
Enda Kenny has been proven to be a lying toerag, he has lied to the people of Roscommon . He has lied to the people of Ireland and He has lied to Europe and the rest of the world. He is a coward and he is disloyal. Tell him I said so the next time you are licking his ****.

#Eileen- well aren’t you classy? This must be an important week for you with the budget. You must get very confused about how to dodge any new taxes like you do the household charge. It’s nearly a full time job making sure others carry your weight. You’d nearly be better off paying your way and contributing to society rather than idly commenting on it. I know. That’s crazy talk, isn’t it?!?

Vincent Dolan
Of course this is an important week … People are devestated already . They are making thicks of us all and No I will not pay the Household Charge . I will not pay any property tax either . I am paying a mortgage, like hundreds of thousands of others, and its usual taxes , I pay USC, income levy, PAYE, PRSI, bin charges , tv license, GP fees, hospital charges,school contributionsand fund raisers , 23% on goods and on and on. I REFUSE TO BE BULLIED ANY MORE. RESIST RESIST RESIST…
http://paper.li/CAPTADublinWest/1353357554?utm_source=subscription&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=paper_sub

#Eileen- I’d wish you luck as by all accounts it will be collected at source from PAYE, but I think those of us who pay our way would just prefer if you paid towards rebuilding the country like the rest of us.

Vincent Dillon ,
I am paying my way and always have done . I am an ordinary citizen who is broke and tired and fearful , but I refuse to be bullied any further. I am NOT going to pay this unjust tax BUT if it is going to be taken from source then I will continue to Resist and will continue to refuse to be bullied . BUT that’s the thing ….. HOW are they going to collect this tax , they could not get the hhc ,….
We shall have to see how many more mistakes this government will make in assessing the mood of the nation . Me and people like me are only the tip of the iceberg.

#Eileen, you know I keep coming on here most days because of you and people like you. And every day in disappointed. Because every time I’m on you’re suggesting that the Government listen to the people and change course. And every day I get all excited, presuming that ye are about to reveal the miracle solution to all our problems. And yet ye never share this wonderful revelation. It’s nearly Christmas. People are suffering. Please, by all means reveal your miraculous cure all. I ask because all this sacrifice in the name of stabilising the country is a real bummer with Santa on his way…

Vincent dillon dolan Costigan.
That is the problem ,you come on hear with so many identities ,with your lies and deceit just like your dear leader….You can not be trusted. Are you an economist ? I am not , I have never pretended to be ,so what is your point ?

Increase jobs . Stop emigration. Tax the wealthy. BURN THE BOND HOLDERS.

simples

#Eileen…I stand corrected. There was I thinking you would come back with something vague and aspirational and instead you come back with concrete suggestions like Increase jobs and End emigration. It’s so simple you have to wonder why that thought has never crossed the mind of the Government?

, the issue here is election promises , kenny it a puppet for Germany , a yes man , he is not cut out for the job , I have been embarrassed by his antics over the past few weeks, on all fronts, I know they took on a bag of shit but i have seen no change since they got in

They took a bag a bag of shit, had a few in it themselves and set it on fire outside our doors!

Did I hear they gave themselves a slight pay increase in the last week or two? so I doubt he’ll be taking any cut or “sharing the burden”

Which is exactly why we are paying back debt to unsecured bondholders that does not belong to us and have no hope of ever getting a deal never mind a write down of this debt. This is the biggest reason FG have got to go!!

What you have to understand, Peter, is that at the end of the day FF and FG are essentially the one entity. They may look different on paper but that’s about as far as it goes. Every five years they just take turns at playing good cop/bad cop. Once the day’s ‘business’ is finished in the Dail they cosy up in the Dail bar for a drink and a laugh. The majority of the electorate can’t seem to get that round their heads.
The rot with Labour has gradually set in over the past thirty years or so and they’ve essentially become part of that exclusive ‘family’.
Wake up folks, we’re all just being played at the end of the day.

As I said a couple of days ago, Ang; I learnt that in all aspects of life, there is ALWAYS a solution. All you have to do is find it:

http://directdemocracyireland.ie/

If you catch a burglar in your house do yo wait for him to finish and ask him to leave..

unfortunately

Apologies John – I misread the 2011 figures and was working on 14, which was obviously the number of seats and not the percentage of the vote. Amended now.

No problem, thanks Gavan

Whatever people do, don’t vote for SF/FF/FG/Labour and Socialists. They are out of date, out of touch and a shower of gombeen men/women!

who would u suggest then Stephen, and more importantly, why?

Stephen, FG/FF are an empty suit. They were hired for their talent. Their talent to make their worshipers see whatever they want in them. Their record are the the likes of George Soros who live to destroy a country and make truckload of money in the process. FG/FF lost the “fiscal conservative” argument when they agreed to it in the first place. The hype about it is so the media can blame the left for the recession we are already in. The truth is we went over the edge in 2008. This last election will insure that we never come back.

My next vote will be towards anyone standing for one of the new parties, we need change, and this is the only way its going to come about. Having FF screw us to only go vote FG and then reverse when FG screw is beyond stupid. We need to look beyond these outdated parties and all those that follow them and their “policy” need to be put to the history books of lessons, slowly and painfully learnt.
Sadly its seems impossible to reach out to the entire electorate asking them to take a new direction in political attitude with the auld Irish mentality. We are paying for failures not of our doing and taking it. We are lied and hoodwinked at every day of the week with twisted logic, spin and populist distractions.
There are a few upcoming parties who wish to make a difference and move on from the gombeen state of affairs we have been used to for the last 60 years. We should encourage and help mould this idea.
I would ask people to consider them in the next elections. Many are still forming their stance/policy’s as they are new but they will be open to suggestions and more democratic than the shower we are currently left to vote for.

Mark, try something new for a change. if we all did that, then we could make a difference. Think of it this way, What changes when I or you vote for any of these parties I mentioned? Nothing, so try new people or parties and get rid of the old ones. You can’t get any worse than FG or Labour, so try something new for a change!

I agree there is obviously an unholy economic mess that FG/Lab can hardly fix in 2 years nor likely in the life-time of this government, however, this is not the point nor in my opinion the reason for recent poll results. The POINT is that the leadership decision making needed for ALL of Ireland’s citizens in healthcare, Europe, taxation, education and social welfare etc….are simply not being made by this government. The share of the tax burden is not being fairly distributed, nor are the cuts needed being fairly distributed in public services. It takes extremely strong LEADERSHIP to fairly increase the tax take from the wealthy who can more afford the burden than the lower and middle earners, and also to make the painful decisions needed to reform our public sector pay and spending FROM THE TOP and not through picking the easy, low hanging fruit (pensioners, lower earners, household taxes, low paid public servants etc…)

My opinion is that this FG led government do not have the strength in leadership to make the honest, difficult and correct decisions for the all Irish citizens because they will lose the vote of their middle-upper class voters at the next election. I believe that whoever is in Government has the responsibility of decision making for EVERY single citizen, and not just those who vote for them! FG are making decisions for their own voters/ self-interest and not for Ireland as a whole nor all of its citizens. This simply explains how we see no real difference between FF and FG in leadership, as FFs mandate was simply passed through voters to FG! Mitt Romney’s “48%” comment rings a bell and if this is how FG are thinking, they are on a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure in the next elections as more middle class earners start to struggle!

A social approach to government is more important during a recession for the reasons mentioned above since it’s the people at the bottom of the social ladder and the front line services are those at most risk and needing protection and as a democratic state we should be looking after all it’s citizens. If FG (or any other party/ individual) do not possess the leadership qualities needed for this social approach during tough times then they need to step aside with the assistance of the voters.

For an insightful read in support of this, please check out this article in the Irish Times by Vincent Browne citing an Icelandic academics’ research on the reduction (/ increase) of earnings since the crash for each 10th percentile of earners in both Ireland and Iceland:

“It showed that the poorest tenth of earners in Iceland suffered a drop of 9 per cent, whereas in Ireland the drop was 26 per cent (the data for Ireland was for the period 2008-2009 and for Iceland 2008-2010).

For the second-poorest 10 per cent of earners, the drop in Ireland was 14 per cent, in Iceland, 9 per cent. For the second-richest tenth in Iceland the drop was 17 per cent, in Ireland it was just 2 per cent. But, the most revealing figure of all, for the richest 10 per cent in both countries, in Iceland the richest had a drop in earnings of 38 per cent, in Ireland the top 10 per cent showed an increase of 8 per cent.”
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2012/1010/1224325095342.html

These revelations are probably not very surprising for we have been a small nation divided since it’s beginnings; based on politics and social class- Ever hear of ‘divide and conquer’? Perhaps, 2016 might be a good target for us all to begin building a fairer and more equal society? Perhaps, a high turn out of politically aware and ACTIVE citizens will bring us together in strength in the next elections? If ever there was a chance to rebuild and rebuild an more equal and fairer society as a nation of active citizens, it’s right now, while we are on our knees and god knows we need change!

I agree there is obviously an unholy economic mess that FG/Lab can hardly fix in 2 years nor likely in the life-time of this government, however, this is not the point nor in my opinion the reason for recent poll results. The POINT is that the leadership decision making needed for ALL of Ireland’s citizens in healthcare, Europe, taxation, education and social welfare etc….are simply not being made by this government. The share of the tax burden is not being fairly distributed, nor are the cuts needed being fairly distributed in public services. It takes extremely strong LEADERSHIP to fairly increase the tax take from the wealthy who can more afford the burden than the lower and middle earners, and also to make the painful decisions needed to reform our public sector pay and spending FROM THE TOP and not through picking the easy, low hanging fruit (pensioners, lower earners, household taxes, low paid public servants etc…)

My opinion is that this FG led government do not have the strength in leadership to make the honest, difficult and correct decisions for the all Irish citizens because they will lose the vote of their middle-upper class voters at the next election. I believe that whoever is in Government has the responsibility of decision making for EVERY single citizen, and not just those who vote for them! FG are making decisions for their own voters/ self-interest and not for Ireland as a whole nor all of its citizens. This simply explains how we see no real difference between FF and FG in leadership, as FFs mandate was simply passed through voters to FG! Mitt Romney’s “48%” comment rings a bell and if this is how FG are thinking, they are on a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure in the next elections as more middle class earners start to struggle!

A social approach to government is more important during a recession for the reasons mentioned above since it’s the people at the bottom of the social ladder and the front line services are those at most risk and needing protection and as a democratic state we should be looking after all it’s citizens. If FG (or any other party/ individual) do not possess the leadership qualities needed for this social approach during tough times then they need to step aside with the assistance of the voters.

For an insightful read in support of this, please check out this article in the Irish Times by Vincent Browne citing an Icelandic academics’ research on the reduction (/ increase) of earnings since the crash for each 10th percentile of earners in both Ireland and Iceland:

“It showed that the poorest tenth of earners in Iceland suffered a drop of 9 per cent, whereas in Ireland the drop was 26 per cent (the data for Ireland was for the period 2008-2009 and for Iceland 2008-2010).For the second-poorest 10 per cent of earners, the drop in Ireland was 14 per cent, in Iceland, 9 per cent. For the second-richest tenth in Iceland the drop was 17 per cent, in Ireland it was just 2 per cent. But, the most revealing figure of all, for the richest 10 per cent in both countries, in Iceland the richest had a drop in earnings of 38 per cent, in Ireland the top 10 per cent showed an increase of 8 per cent.”
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2012/1010/1224325095342.html

These revelations are probably not very surprising for we have been a small nation divided since it’s beginnings; based on politics and social class- Ever hear of ‘divide and conquer’? Perhaps, 2016 might be a good target for us all to begin building a fairer and more equal society? Perhaps, a high turn out of politically aware and ACTIVE citizens will bring us together in strength in the next elections? If ever there was a chance to rebuild and rebuild an more equal and fairer society as a nation of active citizens, it’s right now, while we are on our knees and god knows we need change!

I agree there is obviously an unholy economic mess that FG/Lab can hardly fix in 2 years nor likely in the life-time of this government, however, this is not the point nor in my opinion the reason for recent poll results. The POINT is that the leadership decision making needed for ALL of Ireland’s citizens in healthcare, Europe, taxation, education and social welfare etc….are simply not being made by this government. The share of the tax burden is not being fairly distributed, nor are the cuts needed being fairly distributed in public services. It takes extremely strong LEADERSHIP to fairly increase the tax take from the wealthy who can more afford the burden than the lower and middle earners, and also to make the painful decisions needed to reform our public sector pay and spending FROM THE TOP and not through picking the easy, low hanging fruit (pensioners, lower earners, household taxes, low paid public servants etc…)

My opinion is that this FG led government do not have the strength in leadership to make the honest, difficult and correct decisions for the all Irish citizens because they will lose the vote of their middle-upper class voters at the next election. I believe that whoever is in Government has the responsibility of decision making for EVERY single citizen, and not just those who vote for them! This simply explains how we see no real difference between FF and FG in leadership, as FFs mandate was simply passed through voters on to FG.

A social approach to government is more important during a recession for the reasons mentioned above, since it’s the people at the bottom of the social ladder and the front line services that are most at risk and needing protection- and as a democratic state we should be looking after all it’s citizens and state services as best as we can and not picking and choosing to suit political party criteria-! If FG (or any other party/ individual) do not possess the leadership qualities needed for a fair and equal approach during tough times then they need to step aside, with the assistance of the voters. It is time for change!

For an insightful read in support of this, please check out this article in the Irish Times by Vincent Browne citing an Icelandic academics’ research on the reduction (/ increase) of earnings since the crash for each 10th percentile of earners in both Ireland and Iceland: “It showed that the poorest tenth of earners in Iceland suffered a drop of 9 per cent, whereas in Ireland the drop was 26 per cent (the data for Ireland was for the period 2008-2009 and for Iceland 2008-2010). For the second-poorest 10 per cent of earners, the drop in Ireland was 14 per cent, in Iceland, 9 per cent. For the second-richest tenth in Iceland the drop was 17 per cent, in Ireland it was just 2 per cent. But, the most revealing figure of all, for the richest 10 per cent in both countries, in Iceland the richest had a drop in earnings of 38 per cent, in Ireland the top 10 per cent showed an increase of 8 per cent.”
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2012/1010/1224325095342.html

Apologies for the repeated posts- iPad kept telling me there was an error!

i agree with you Stephen, however you didn’t actually answer the question.who would you vote for and why. you’ve eliminated the vast majority in your statement, I’m genuinely interested seriously, cause the fools who got my votes last time don’t deserve it and won’t get it next. I would be open to a viable alternative. who is your suggestion?

I’m pretty sure Sanita was a singer in the 1980’s. I didn’t realise the Taoiseach had spoken about her, though.

That was sinita, and your comment was nothing more than crass, arrogant and shameful.

#Mark- thanks for that. I was staying up waiting for your take on that. I can sleep now.

and that right there is why fg will never get the support for an overall majority. No matter how many good things they boast about doing, they can’t resist the snide little remark even when they know they’re wrong and should apologise. It’s the arrogance more than stupidity or opposition that keep them out of power

#Mark- Kept out of power?I’m pretty sure they’re the biggest party in the Dail and Enda Kenny is Taoiseach? Let me just check…..yes, I just had a quick look at Wikipedia and they seem to think that Fine Gael are the larger of two coalition parties in Government at the moment. But you know Wikipedia, it can be manipulated so if a hardened student of Irish politics like your good self Mark believes they’re in opposition I’ll have to believe you.

SINGS

Slip sliding awayyyyyy

You know what they did..Now compare that with handing over billions every 4 months cutting health education social services failing to deliver on x case whilst voting down along with Labour a SF motion to cut Ministers TD’S allowances and pensions and actively endorsing pay rises for SA’s and Bankers ..I aint buying something myself and that is the total hypocrisy of your truely laughable comparisons along with anything that comes out of the mouth of FG/L and their happy supporters.

I think Pearse Doherty will make a great leader..it’s time to give him a chance..

D you know Pearse Doherty submitted a motion through the Dail cutting Ministerial and TD’s salarys and pensions along with allowances he tweeted afterwards that not only did FG/L vote it down but they were looking at him like he was mad .

Pearse Doherty isn’t some economic genius you know.

it’s time to bring Stephen donnelly front and center.

Ned:
if you think that FG/Labour are “fit to run the country”
“I’m worried about you”

@Ned;
Doesn’t it strike you as more than a coincidence that not only are FG acting just like FF did in the last Dail term – but that FF are acting just like FG did in the last Dail term!
Strange, eh?!

It’s just like I said earlier; there’s no difference between the two WHAT…SO…EVER

You think that the Irish people cannot see the lies spun out by this government week after week? The croynism that is still flourishing with the likes of O’Reilly? The spineless, cowardly way we are being represented in Europe by a government unfit fr purpose? The fact that children are in schools that are cold, leaking and broke because FG will not invest in a capital funding? You honetly think Vincent that Irish people are basing their responses to this poll on just the tragic events in Galway…time you and FG woke up and realise the game is up. The Irish have woken up to the political system in this country and FG decent will continue until they put the people first.

Dream on Dolan cause their laughing at you….

Vincent
Member of FG by any chance? Same ol rhetoric we inherited a mess, yes the government were elected at a difficult time but at some point they must realise its nearly 2yrs in power… Not a whole lot achieved. If our politicians cannot come up with a credible plan then we do not need these people with their hands in the till. Adopt an Italian style parliament for the time being. We have potentially a massive resources industry and nothing been done once again….

#Emmet- the damage done by the last Government won’t be undone in a generation, never mind two years. I’ll judge this Government at the next election on four things; did they restore meaningful growth, did they get our interest rate down, did they secure a bank deal, did they get the troika out of my country and restore sovereignty. I’ll hold back judgement until then. Expectations need to be realistic. Despite what SF will tell you there’s no miracle cure all.

Vincent would be letting us all know, How great FG were If the Poll said the opposite. Vincent go bury your head in Enda’s behind! You’re a sad and blinkered man, wake up would you!

In Ireland, 6% can easily mean the difference between government or opposition.

No doubt. But if the margin of error is 3 or 4 percent – I don’t know what it is, the article doesn’t specify – then it’s really not much of a story.

The drop is a lot worse, what’s being quoted now is the minimum and FG are in trouble after Wednesday!