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PUBLIC EXPENDITURE AND Reform Minister Brendan Howlin stopped by for a High Table Interview today.
You can watch some of our wide-ranging interview below.
Here’s what we learned, aside from the fact he’s got moves:
The minister is “really proud” of Labour and what they have achieved in office – recently launching 5 Days 5 Ways to highlight the party’s “record on reform”.
Howlin told us ultra-left parties and politicians are “professional agitators” who “thrive in chaos”.
He knows they’re becoming more popular – due in part to the public being angry at the government after years of austerity – but thinks people “are rational when they come to vote” and won’t necessarily support these groups on election day.
Watch Howlin describe why he feels Labour is a better option than Sinn Féin, and if he thinks Gerry Adams could be Taoiseach:
The Irish Times reported this morning that public servants are in for an €800 windfall after years of cutbacks, ahead of next week’s talks on pay restoration.
Is this figure in the right ball park?
We also asked Howlin about the controversial remarks made by Finance Minister Michael Noonan, who said some unemployed people are “allergic to work”.
Does he agree?
Finally, watch Howlin discuss why he’s nervous about the upcoming same-sex marriage referendum:
He said he’ll likely be voting No in the presidential age referendum, by the way – as he has “real doubts” about a 21-year-old running for president.
There’ll be more from our interview with Howlin over the coming days.
All videos: Paul Hosford/Órla Ryan
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We can’t talk about Palestine, but we can talk about the rain.
@Dan Breen: It’s raining bombs in Palestine
@Dan Breen: meant to be free speech in this country, but they don’t want us to speak up for Palestine
@Dan Breen: would telling strangers you opinion be something important to you?
@Murro: ah yeah…hamas. The great freedom fighters. Just like the IRA. They blew up innocent women and children too.
@Alison Hughes: that’s how they get their dopamine
@Alison Hughes: but hamas isn’t Palestine just like IRA isn’t Ireland
@Joe Doe: never said they were! They are, however, the ones firing rockets from hospitals, from behind ambulances and taking civilian hostages….you know, the stuff real hero’s do!
@Alison Hughes: No comparison with the 2 groups,as per usual ridiculous statement to wind people up,do you ever get out ?
@Alison Hughes: which the Israelis have been doing for years. Two wrongs don’t make a right.
@Alison Hughes: That does not justify what Israel is doing to the people of Gaza. It’s monstrous, and if you can’t see that you are wilfully blind.
@Murro: there’s a big difference between free speech and the verbal diarrhoea the usual suspects spout in the comment section. Ruins it for everyone.
@Dan Breen: why can’t we talk about the two women attacked by XLBULLY in Waterford.
@Dan Breen: The article ‘Humanitarian crisis deepens etc” in the last paragraph quotes the UN as saying that more than 100 Palestinians have been killed since 7 Oct. This is extremely disingenuous.
Why is the journal publishing that obvious falsehood? (I note that it does quote the health ministry in Gaza, “7,703 people, more than 3,000 of them children”, which is much more plausible.
Many thousands of Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing bombings, far more than died in the 7 Oct attacks.
Israel is behaving like a terrorist state, in response to the original Hamas attacks, (which were also very wrong).
@Dan Breen: Genocide needs to be manufactured in the the media and made acceptable in people minds before it’s manufactured in reality – we had punch magazine in the 1840′s we have western media today. Portray Palestinians as animals, inflame people with propaganda against them, shut down dissent, target journalists, create mass confusion and then release the hounds. The hounds are officially released now, this not a war on Hamas – it’s a good old fashioned settler colonial genocide. We need to accurately identify, then break the ‘propaganda machine’ to stop these wars
@Alison Hughes: time to call a halt to brutality in the holy land
@Dan Breen: we are a little wet rock on the edge of Europe, we have no say, the sooner Irish people wake up and grow up, the better
@kerrill thornhill: still never answered my question to you earlier, where do you stand on the Russian invasion of Ukraine?
@Alison Hughes: Did u ever stop to think why this is happening ? Why Hamas are even there Go get your facts before u put texts up
@Joe x: I’ve been asked this question on many threads Joe. The occupations in Palestine & Ukraine needs to end with an immediate ceasefire and negotiated settlement. We gave Ukraine $150bn in weapons & print their propoagand unfiltered, we give Israel billions to bomb caged Palestinians and print their propaganda unfiltered. Ireland housed 70,000 Ukranian refugees, but no Palestinians, while our media cover up Israeli war crimes killing 3000 kids already: Go ahead take a look at the names, real flesh and blood. The utter white supremacy of EU/US treating these kids like meat https://twitter.com/jvplive/status/1718287003769614735?t=iZPhll18Q0bwYIX3Gyd19Q&s=19
@kerrill thornhill: “We” did not send money for arms anywhere near the middle east. What we did send were troops on peacekeeping duties in the area, several of whom never came home
.
In terms of Ukraine, yes, we did send non-lethal aid and give refuge, and while you claim support in the first sentence of your reply, the rest of your reply seems to begrudge the Ukrainians that aid. As to giving Palestinians refuge, they never needed it until Hamas kicked off the current round of troubles
@kerrill thornhill: Now, I am going to ask a very simple question. How much do you know of the full history over there?
And just do you know, I support niether side. As far as I am concerned, they are both as bad as each other and, quite frankly, our troops should be brought home, along with all peacekeeping troops in the area and let them fight it out.
@Dan Breen: yes. Why are comments closed on anything but the weather?
Varadkars comments about having to double down on our assistance to the Ukraine both financially and militarily do not represent the wishes of the electorate.
Why are no FFG ministers calling for peace . Why are they warmongering
@BL Music: If Russia took its troops out of Ukraine the fighting would stop – it’s not that complicated.
@BL Music: Don’t let that troll Alison Hughes have you say a bad word on the worse Irish government to have been ever in power
@Kilkenny Proud: Yes: supporting Ukraine’s self-defence is not ‘warmongering’ no matter how many times that lie is repeated.
@BL Music: You do NOT speak for me !
@BL Music: the guys committing the war crimes hold the purse strings and the levers of power in the West.
@BL Music: Russia chose not to attend the ongoing UN peace talks, because they are not interested in peace.
@BL Music: Slava Hamas and Hezbollah!
Going to be flooding because the rivers are half full and the ground is saturated.
@P. V. Aglue: Looks like it. Glad to see flood works going on, hope they’re completed before the weather gets worse in December & January.
A lot of people have concreted over front gardens, maybe we should be doing more to drain water off?
In the meantime ban all pit bulls. Who needs such wretched dogs, get a golden retriever or similar …
@JP: Agreed $cummy dogs with scrotey owners.
Ban those bloody dogs already!
We lucky it only rain the poor people of Palestine being mder by the thousands. While the west dose nothing. And any one whom supports the pal people is labelled a hamas supporter. Israel have played this very well they scarified a few of their own. To be allowed take control when they finished with Palestine they wont leave the will stay there probably with the UN labelled under some peace treaty and time like the rest of the region become is rale. Thats why they keep saying Gaza cause most will presume it a city in israel.
@J M: what?
israel needs to be stopped
@Joe Doyle: And Hamas too?
@Hugh De Payans: no just israel
Thought so. You think those Israeli babies deserved to be beheaded?
Never mind the rain as the world sits back as those poor people in their Palestinian homeland are terrorised by an illegal occupier of their land
Something to do with Leo
@Mary Toilet: homophobes unite: blame Leo for everything, even the rain
Norma Foley is a tranny.
Mary loves her far-right rim-jobs!
That Eileen Gleeson is a lovely bit of skirt
@Mary Toilet: Scissor ze quimbers!
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