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File image of Junior Certificate (now Junior Cycle) English exams being handed out to students at Dominican College Sion Hill in Blackrock in Dublin. Alamy Stock Photo

Changes made to Junior Cycle grade bands to be applied to upcoming exams

The top four grade bands will now be evenly distributed in bands of fifteen percentage points, resulting in a change to grades.

CHANGES TO THE Junior Cycle grade bands are to come into effect for the upcoming Junior Cycle exams, the Minister for Education Helen McEntee has announced.

The top four grade bands will now be evenly distributed in bands of fifteen percentage points, resulting in a change to grades. 

The changed bands are as follows:

  • Distinction:  ≥ 90 to 100 changed to ≥ 85 to 100 
  • Higher Merit:  ≥ 75 and < 90 changed to ≥ 70 and < 85
  • Merit: ≥ 55 and < 75 changed to ≥ 55 and < 70

The remaining bands, Achieved (≥ 40 and < 55), Partially Achieved (≥ 20 and < 40), and Not Graded (≥ 0 and < 20) remain unchanged. 

McEntee said that it is expected that the even distribution will result in a higher number of students achieving Distinction and Higher Merit grades.

She said she was “delighted” to confirm the amendment, and said, “these changes will apply to the more than 73,000 students due to sit their examinations in the coming weeks”.

The change to the four grade bands will ensure that the grades received by Junior Cycle students “are more reflective of their work and effort, as well as the work of our teachers”, she added.

Junior Cycle exams will take place from Wednesday 4 June to Monday 16 June. 

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    Mute Gerry McAuliffe
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    Dec 30th 2018, 8:12 AM

    Will robots replace politicians & if so how SOON

    606
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    Mute RJ.Fallon
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    Dec 30th 2018, 11:55 AM

    @Gerry McAuliffe: just trying to imagine C3PO standing up in Dail Eireann waffling on about how great our country is doing.

    77
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    Mute Thomas Maher
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    Dec 30th 2018, 3:20 PM

    @Gerry McAuliffe: i would be happy to have any intelligence in the Dail. Even artificial intelligence would be an improvement

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    Mute lar keogh
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    Dec 30th 2018, 6:25 PM

    @Gerry McAuliffe: Fair play Gerry, was thinking the same myself.

    5
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    Mute Suzanne Bell
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    Dec 30th 2018, 8:12 AM

    Wonder would that affect his job

    261
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    Mute The Irish Bull
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    Dec 30th 2018, 9:45 AM

    @Suzanne Bell: A clown could do his job!

    241
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    Mute Fear Uisce
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    Dec 30th 2018, 9:48 AM

    @The Irish Bull: that’s insulting to clowns

    185
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    Mute Mairtin Cathbhar
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    Dec 30th 2018, 10:55 AM

    @Fear Uisce: he is dead right here. Name calling won’t help you.

    10
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    Mute Eric Davies
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    Dec 30th 2018, 10:56 AM

    @The Irish Bull: a clown already is !

    35
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    Mute Grainne Bracken-paul
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    Dec 30th 2018, 11:09 AM

    @The Irish Bull: a clown is doing his job!

    25
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    Mute Gasher
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    Dec 30th 2018, 11:10 AM

    @The Irish Bull: a clown is doing his job

    20
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    Mute Colo J
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    Dec 30th 2018, 11:48 AM

    @The Irish Bull: A clown is doing his job!

    13
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    Mute Neil Harvey
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    Dec 30th 2018, 8:28 AM

    Replacing TD’s and Ministers would be easy.
    All one needs to do is for the robot to learn how to shake hands at funerals and to learn how to lie!

    325
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    Mute Eric Davies
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    Dec 30th 2018, 10:57 AM

    @Neil Harvey: and collect large brown envelopes stuffed with cash !!

    103
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    Mute Willy Mc Caul
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    Dec 30th 2018, 8:35 AM

    Tax em Lieo.. That’s the FFG way ….

    196
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    Mute Mike Byrne
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    Dec 30th 2018, 8:14 AM

    Fair play to him stating this. We are on the cusp of a tech revolution where millions of jobs will be lost but opportunities will be created out of these technologies for trained people. Politicians around the world need to be honest regarding this as there’ll be severe disruption globally with an increased chance of anarchy. Honesty is the best policy

    162
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    Mute Martin Critten
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    Dec 30th 2018, 8:46 AM

    @Mike Byrne: this is merely a propaganda piece to deflect from the nonsense he’s dribbled out recently. As for honestly none of these clowns could lay straight in bed.

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    Mute Mike Byrne
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    Dec 30th 2018, 9:07 AM

    @Martin Critten: I don’t put too much credence into what politicians say however the point I’m trying to make is job disruption is happening and what we need is honesty regarding this from global elected officials as the change will be dramatic

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    Mute Martin Critten
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    Dec 30th 2018, 9:31 AM

    @Mike Byrne: fair enough, but wouldn’t put intelligence, honesty and Varadka in the same sentence. As for changing prospects for jobs AI will no doulbt be a quantum shift the fallout can only mean increased reliance on welfare for those left on the ever increasing margins.

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    Mute Jason Reynolds
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    Dec 30th 2018, 2:20 PM

    @Mike Byrne: All the major technocrats, Zuckerburg, Gates, Musk and even Branson have identified the threat to jobs that AI and Robotics will bring however, their solution is to implement a Universal Living Wage not tell the entire population to retrain! He’s basically saying that’ll be our own fault if we’re out of work when major change like this should be managed at a political level particularly through the Dept. Of Education and Skills.
    Can I ask what we’re supposed to retrain as if most jobs are being done by machine?

    13
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    Mute Mick paisley
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    Dec 30th 2018, 9:26 AM

    At least we are well prepared, our minister for eGovernment, Patrick O’Donovan, recently stated in a speech that he is a technophobe. The person in charge of driving forward the governments ICT services, doesn’t know anything about technology.

    122
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    Mute Adrian
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    Dec 30th 2018, 10:39 AM

    @Mick paisley: thats shocking, this guy is relatively young, he should have no excuses, another career politician with no worthwhile experience in anything.

    63
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    Mute Eric Davies
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    Dec 30th 2018, 11:01 AM

    @Mick paisley: most of them dont know ANYTHING about the ministries they are supposed to run – health ,housing ,education, welfare, environment – not one of them has a clue !! even when you put a qualified doctor in charge of health (varadkar,reilly ) -things get worse — useless pric*s the lot of them -

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    Mute Mick paisley
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    Dec 30th 2018, 11:22 AM

    @Adrian: I was there when he made the speech, and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I know very little about the man, but as you say he is relatively young, probably under 40 if I had to guess. He hadn’t a clue what he was talking about, the speech was opening up an ICT conference, but he spent most of the time talking about politics and the day he got the call to become a minister.

    21
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    Mute Damien Barton
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    Dec 30th 2018, 9:07 AM

    Leo would have as much intelligence as an Atari 2600

    111
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    Mute Derek Poutch
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    Dec 30th 2018, 2:45 PM

    @Damien Barton: He should be terminated.

    17
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    Mute Frank Brennan
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    Dec 30th 2018, 8:49 AM

    Get rid of the spin Machine so Leo and start thinking for yourself.

    123
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    Mute Jonnybannon
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    Dec 30th 2018, 9:44 AM

    Robots would make more humane decisions than Leo when he was health minister.

    87
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    Mute Gerry McAuliffe
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    Dec 30th 2018, 8:12 AM

    Will robots replace politicians

    68
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    Mute Eric Davies
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    Dec 30th 2018, 11:02 AM

    @Gerry McAuliffe: only if we remove any semblance of intelligence and replace it with greed !

    31
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    Mute Unitedpeople
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    Dec 30th 2018, 9:52 AM

    I know a lot of people that are more worried about what the hell he will be up to next!

    Irony. Isn’t he EU’s robot? He seems to follow orders whenever he gets them.

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    Mute the truth hurts
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    Dec 30th 2018, 10:26 AM

    ” Varadkar and his wealthy vulture funds pose risk to property owners” warn Robots…

    58
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    Mute Dominic Leleu
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    Dec 30th 2018, 9:18 AM

    An artificial intelligence would be more efficient and cost saving in the case of replacing Leo !

    51
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    Mute FartyTowels
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    Dec 30th 2018, 10:08 AM

    If companies invest in automation and ai and all the jobs are gone, who will buy their products / services? No job no money

    44
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    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
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    Dec 30th 2018, 6:47 PM

    @FartyTowels: It does seem an obvious drawback.

    5
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    Mute james cullen
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    Dec 30th 2018, 9:18 AM

    Can we vote for them??

    43
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    Mute Alan Scott
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    Dec 30th 2018, 8:14 AM

    Yes 100% he is right we are losing the run of our selves we will all be sitting at home because a lot of the work will be done by robots as it already is we need to put the brakes on these little fella’s

    46
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    Mute Chris OB
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    Dec 30th 2018, 9:15 AM

    Robots would make better politicians and no need to pay them.

    43
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    Mute Roy O'Rourke
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    Dec 30th 2018, 8:25 AM

    “You get accused of being robotic sometimes” said Leo before jumping the chasm betwixt two building roof tops in his shorts with a dove in his hand to watch Harrison Ford struggle for life

    46
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    Mute Robert Dowling
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    Dec 30th 2018, 10:22 AM

    Make it law that every robot is assigned to a citizen. They are your robot, the robot earns a wage which goes to the owner, the state can get tax from the robot, people get a wage.
    Put in measures for robot upgrades and solve any other issues that might arise.
    We all dreamed that robots would do the work, not that everyone would have to compete with robots for work.

    26
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    Mute Eric Davies
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    Dec 30th 2018, 11:05 AM

    @Robert Dowling: oh come on ! half the country can’t even get a decent mobile phone signal or broadband connection – there zero chance of any irish government being able to implement anything as complicated as what your suggesting !!

    19
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    Mute john doe
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    Dec 30th 2018, 12:32 PM

    @Robert Dowling: ill have one of those screens you order your food at in mcdonalds as my robot

    5
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    Mute Paul
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    Dec 30th 2018, 10:20 AM

    Did someone give him Isaac Asimov books and Terminator Movies for Christmas?

    27
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    Mute Paul O Connor
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    Dec 30th 2018, 9:15 AM

    I hope robots start replacing bus drivers because the humans ones on my route are rude, unfriendly, usually late and that’s if they turn up at all.

    30
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    Mute Brian Ó Dálaigh
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    Dec 30th 2018, 5:03 PM

    @Paul O Connor: Don’t worry. You’ll lose your job soon, too, to automation, so you won’t have any money to worry about who’s driving the bus.

    4
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    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
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    Dec 30th 2018, 6:49 PM

    Mist bus drivers are sound. Passengers, however…

    1
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    Mute Owen M
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    Dec 30th 2018, 12:56 PM

    If AI will take our jobs then the mass immigration that Leo has planned for Ireland will result in even larger levels of unemployment. Which means we need to close our borders.

    18
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    Mute Marianne
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    Dec 30th 2018, 8:20 AM

    Who would hv guessed

    17
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    Mute KJ
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    Dec 30th 2018, 10:22 AM

    Leo I thought you were a robot doing the job.

    16
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    Mute Patricia McKenna
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    Dec 30th 2018, 10:15 AM

    Unfortunately Leo, it will be too late! The damage done by time AI takes your job!

    17
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    Mute Rubber Head
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    Dec 30th 2018, 10:13 AM

    Here we go again, pay for people to go back to college or retrain. Such a welfare state we have when people are led around and spoon fed and mollycoddled. God forbid any adult could make their own assessment and take it upon themselves to ensure their own employment is future proofed. Why would you when you can sit back so nothing and get paid as much and quite often more for doing nothing.

    16
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    Mute Brian Jones
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    Dec 30th 2018, 1:17 PM

    There is thing called social responsibility which I think Leo has failed to take into account. Without doubt AI has the potential to take over many jobs, the question is whether you allow this to happen.

    11
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    Mute Sean Hyland
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    Dec 30th 2018, 11:54 AM

    Politicians, banks and Kildare street minions could also be replaced with Crypto. Check Dash, Bitcoin and IrishCoin. Blockchain can also replace the voting system.

    10
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    Mute Kevin Kirwan
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    Dec 30th 2018, 11:19 AM

    We could replace the Dail with a system of having every citizen vote remotely…….But they made sure the first system was so flawed e-voting will never be trusted.

    11
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    Mute Lobert Rester
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    Dec 30th 2018, 11:44 AM

    Quick tax it Leo.

    8
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    Mute James Carpenter
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    Dec 30th 2018, 11:46 AM

    We will not have to worry about that, any time soon. There will be no one left to replace, climate change will have wiped us all out.

    6
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    Mute E
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    Dec 30th 2018, 4:25 PM

    He is right, the next 30-50 years will usher in a paradigm shift. If it’s not managed (assuming it can be) properly then think yellow vest protests times a few thousand.

    5
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    Mute Fionnuala Hendrick
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    Dec 30th 2018, 6:38 PM

    What’s really scary about Leo’s sudden realisation is that a lot of people have been saying this for a very long time.

    5
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    Mute GerryCummins
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    Dec 30th 2018, 11:01 AM

    Dole robots, now that would be fun!

    5
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    Mute Anastasia
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    Dec 30th 2018, 1:08 PM

    Do we not have robot politicians already

    5
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    Mute Joe
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    Dec 30th 2018, 5:09 PM

    This guy is hilarious. After the election he should consider a career in Stand Up Comedy. Any Muppet could mismanaged a country, maybe a robot.

    7
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    Mute Charles Williams
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    Dec 30th 2018, 5:41 PM

    I fear the detached attitude of lovely Leo is a far bigger risk to people’s jobs and future.

    6
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    Mute Dave Barrett
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    Dec 30th 2018, 12:07 PM

    What about one for kerry. “” biggle de biggle we need to drive faster and leave pubs open longer”,

    5
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    Mute Michael Maher
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    Dec 30th 2018, 7:01 PM

    This man has no concept of the real world or ordinary decent working people families live or work in this indebted nation.
    This gobbledygook talk is just another distraction from the more recent claptrap we being hearing.

    6
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    Mute David Digan
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    Dec 30th 2018, 2:02 PM

    Scaremongering

    4
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    Mute TamuMassif2019
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    Dec 30th 2018, 11:59 PM

    @David Digan: I don’t know, all those sex robots will be taking the jobs off people and F.G. hasn’t legislated for that yet lol.

    1
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    Mute JeremiahMcDonagh
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    Dec 30th 2018, 4:36 PM

    Look at the robots who get up early in the morning. Why can’t Irish people be more like them and not expecting pay

    6
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    Mute Alan Curley
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    Dec 30th 2018, 7:33 PM

    Very disappointed with this comment. If he’s highlighting a risk to something as important as jobs, why does he not point out what he or his government is doing to mitigate against that risk.
    Automation may cost some jobs but opens up an opportunity for many others. We may lose some unskilled labour jobs in the process of automating but cost for services will drop. If we can support this with high skilled individuals and provide a support structure in this country for automated services, we’ll be more attractive as a market and a place to do business.
    What they should do is go back to subsidising education in Engineering and tech skills so that we can provide a support.
    Support Economics and business so we have the skilled people to direct industryand where investment needs to take place.

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    Mute IP.Man
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    Dec 30th 2018, 4:00 PM

    I had no idea how a culchie elected as teashot. It is time Leo “Vacant” get replaced from some with intelligence as some guys here says already.

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    Mute Brian Conway
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    Dec 30th 2018, 2:21 PM

    Is this corrupt leech a robot. He is certainly unelected

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    Mute TamuMassif2019
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    Dec 31st 2018, 12:00 AM

    So artificial intelligence pose risk to minister’s jobs???

    1
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    Mute saro
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    Feb 8th 2019, 9:49 AM

    Thanks you for sharing this unique useful information content with us. Really awesome work. keep on blogging.
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    1
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    Mute Shailendra
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    Jun 14th 2019, 10:51 AM

    Good Post. I like your blog. Thanks for Sharing
    Artificial Intelligence Course in Noida

    1
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    Mute saro
    Favourite saro
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    Feb 8th 2019, 9:49 AM

    Thanks you for sharing this unique useful information content with us. Really awesome work. keep on blogging.
    microsoft azure training in bangalore
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    1
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    Mute Alan Desmond
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    Dec 31st 2018, 12:43 AM

    “Automatisation”? Why is he speaking French? Why would “Automation” not have sufficed here? Not fancy enough for Leo?

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    Mute marg fitzgerald
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    Dec 31st 2018, 11:02 AM

    Simon Harris already uses Instagram and Twitter to run the Health Service

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