Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
DONALD TRUMP IS a divisive character, even among members of his Republican Party.
The newly-inaugurated US President led arguably the party’s most fractured campaign in living memory.
Tom Plank stepped down as chair of Republicans Abroad Ireland – the organisation that represents members of the party living here – when Trump secured the presidential nomination last year.
Plank, an international tax lawyer now based in Switzerland, recently spoke to TheJournal.ie about why he left the role – and his current thoughts on his new president.
“How best to describe it, what so many people have already described? I didn’t think he’d be the best nominee,” he begins.
I think it was his complete unwillingness to moderate every thought that seemed to pop into his head, and the way he dealt with other candidates.
Plank says he was surprised by Trump’s victory in November.
When asked earlier in the campaign – when Trump saw off Ted Cruz in Indiana – if he thought the businessman could go all the way to the White House, Plank said Trump had a shot at taking Pennsylvania and some other key states.
But, he says this belief didn’t last for the whole campaign, recalling: “I lost my nerve.” Indeed, most polls made it seem as though Hillary Clinton was home and dry.
“I did not stay up [to watch the election results]. I woke up in the morning and my wife told me. She thought he was going to win the entire time.”
‘Hillary was a bad candidate’
When asked about how Trump pulled off such a huge upset, Plank notes: “He didn’t run in a vacuum, he ran against Hillary. I always said she was a bad candidate. I’m a Republican and the Democrats didn’t want my advice, but that’s what allowed him to win. Can you imagine him beating anyone else?”
What if Bernie Sanders got the nod? “I don’t know if Sanders could have pulled it off…maybe.”
So, why does he think Clinton was such a bad choice?
“She has such a long track record getting away with things, and personal enrichment. The Democrats rigged the whole game against Bernie.
“Everything she touches always seems to smell bad afterwards. She didn’t have that natural charisma that could have made up for for that.” Although, Plank adds, with a laugh: “Donald Trump doesn’t exactly have that either.”
The idea that most Trump voters are racist and sexist because he has said many racist and sexist things is incorrect, Plank notes.
Can you imagine more of a protest vote than voting for Trump?
Many people who voted for him were tired of the status quo and sick of not being listened to, he adds.
Anyone who disagrees with [liberal] policy is beaten over the head with the racist and sexist moniker to the point that it has lost any meaning.
Clinton got 2.86 million more popular votes in the election, but Trump romped home in terms of Electoral College votes – getting 306 to Clinton’s 232.
Some commentators believe certain Republicans argue against getting rid of the college because it has seen some of their candidates being elected president despite not winning the popular vote – namely George W Bush against Al Gore in 2000 and, of course, Trump.
“Some fair weather pundits might say to get rid of the electoral college,” Plank says. He thinks the current system helps prevent corruption and scrapping it would ”definitely” be the wrong move.
“In general, Republicans wouldn’t want to go messing around with constitution.”
Plank says he would feel the same way if the shoe was on the other foot and a Republican candidate won the popular vote but lost the EC and therefore the election.
Cabinet picks
Plank isn’t Trump’s biggest fan, but he has more praise for some of his Cabinet picks.
He described James Mattis, a retired Marine general who led troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, as a “solid pick” for Secretary of Defense, adding that his inclusion in the line-up was a “huge relief”.
There are some freak show people in there I suppose, but if he had a lot more freak show people I’d have been digging a very deep hole in my backyard, despite the fact I now live in Switzerland.
Plank also has praise for Betsy DeVos, the Education Secretary nominee, and Jeff Sessions, seen by many as a controversial choice for the role of Attorney General.
The Alabama senator is a former attorney and state attorney general. In 1986, Ronald Reagan put Sessions forward for a federal judgeship, but the nomination was derailed when former colleagues testified at his confirmation hearing that he used the n-word and joked that he thought the Ku Klux Klan were ‘OK until I found out they smoked pot’.
Plank believes Sessions has been “smeared” by the media in a “ really unfair” way.
“The joke about the Ku Klux Klan smoking pot was obviously gallows humour,” Planks says.
He says the n-word allegations were “dubious” and were made at a time when Sessions was prosecuting Klan members and “really breaking their backs in Alabama”.
What about Stephen Bannon being a chief strategist for Trump? He’s the former executive chair of far-right website Breitbart, which has been accused of publishing racist, sexist and anti-Semitic material.
Plank tells us he doesn’t read Breitbart but thinks “the anti-semitism angle is overblown”, adding: “It was one of the few outlets to highlight anti-Semitism on [college] campuses.”
“Hopefully [Bannon’s] role is vastly overshadowed by Mattis and others in Cabinet.”
Plank says “racist assholes have always existed” but now have more of a platform as they can use social media to spread their views, adding: “I don’t know to what extent the alt-right is even a thing.”
The Russian factor
Planks notes that US relations with a number of other countries are very tense.
“I don’t know if US relations with other parts of the world have ever been as bad as they are now, even after George W Bush and what Obama has left behind him – Libya, Syria. How much further do we have to fall? I guess we’ll find out,” he says.
In terms of Russia hacking the election in favour of Trump, a theory backed by top-level US intelligence agencies, but something Trump has been reluctant to admit, Plank says: “I assume Russia is trying to put their finger on any scale that they can.”
He adds that the outcome of the election is “quite advantageous” to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“[Trump] does walk up to the line of being much too friendly with Putin, every US administration has done that.”
They all think they can manage Putin, but they all get outplayed. It’s only a matter of time before he makes a fool of Trump.
Earlier this month, a dossier containing unverified details about controversial information Russia reportedly has about Trump was published by Buzzfeed News.
The report claimed that Russian spies had obtained compromising sexual material involving Trump that was allegedly collected while the President-elect was in Moscow for the 2013 Miss Universe beauty pageant.
Trump has branded the report “phony” and “fake news” and labelled Buzzfeed a “failing pile of garbage” for publishing it.
Plank says Russia probably has some sensitive information about Trump, but we don’t know what.
“He doesn’t pay his taxes? I don’t think people would care if that came out.” He has already refused to release his tax returns, after all.
If there are videos of him in compromising situations, it would be embarrassing, Plank says, “but I don’t know [how much people would care]“.
So, given the numerous gaffes Trump has already made, and continues to make in the eyes of many, what would it take to change the opinion of loyal backers?
Plank says “a video of him strangling someone in an alley” might be the only thing.
Division in America
Trump’s comments about inappropriately touching women without their consent, building a wall along the Mexican border and establishing a Muslim registry have heightened divisions in many parts of the US.
He was also recently criticised for calling civil rights activist and Democratic Congressman John Lewis, who marched alongside Martin Luther King, “all talk” and “no action” after he said Trump was an “illegitimate” president.
Plank admits Lewis is an American hero, telling us: “That’s an overused phrase, but it’s true in his case.”
However, Plank says this doesn’t mean Lewis is “above reproach”, adding: “Lewis is so blatantly partisan…he has used up a lot of his political credibility.”
‘That drives me up the wall’
Attacking and criticising people on Twitter is something now synonymous with Trump, especially when Alec Baldwin appears on Saturday Night Live.
When asked what he makes of this side of Trump, Planks tells us: “That’s the weirdest thing, that drives me up the wall. That comment about Cruz’s wife really drove me over the edge,” he says, referring to Trump retweeting an unflattering photo of Cruz’s wife Heidi, comparing her to his own wife Melania, during the campaign.
Plank adds: “And the fact that he would criticise Arnold Schwarzenegger over the ratings his version of the Celebrity Apprentice got, that blows my mind, I can’t explain it. It reminds me of why no I’m no longer the chair of Republicans Abroad Ireland.”
Nepotism
The fact that Trump is set to make his son-his-law Jared Kushner, a real estate magnate and publishing executive who is married to Ivanka, a senior advisor has been criticised as blatant nepotism by many.
“I don’t know anything about the guy, no one knows him or what he will bring to the table,” Plank says.
In terms of other potential conflicts of interest, Planks says Trump’s sons running his businesses in a blind trust is a “cop-out”.
“I don’t know what he can do about that. A blind trust doesn’t really work … but if you were going to discredit anyone who has business interests from being president that wouldn’t work.
“I don’t think he’s a billionaire, he needs to release his tax returns. I don’t think he makes as much as he says he does. That’s probably the biggest insult I could pay to him, I could be down in Guantanamo pretty quickly.”
Four more years?
Does Plank think Trump will make it to 2020?
“That’s a good question. A lot of Republicans would be quite happy if he didn’t last four years. As long as there is no serious issue, he might … He’d have to actually do something rather than just say he will do something.
I would not be very upset [if he didn’t last the four years].
“I like Mike Pence. I’m not an evangelical myself and I know people on the left get very uncomfortable [about him] … but the government is too big and too bloated for one person to make a huge difference.”
The presidential campaign was very divisive for Republicans, so what’s next for the party?
Plank thinks “the division will continue” under Trump, but “won’t be strong enough to end the Republican party”, which was founded in the 1850s.
“It’s much bigger and more enduring than one particular person,” Plank notes.
And so is the US? “Exactly.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
We must stop the practice of other EU immigrants claiming child benefit here while their children live back home.
Even the Labour party in Britain has adopted this as a policy target after UKIP’s surge last week.
Ireland now has 135 euros per child per month.
Poland pays no child benefit. It never has.
More than 120,000 Poles live here, while 87 (correct) Irish live in Poland.
We have no military aircraft, very little Army hardware and a few gun boats.
Poland has well over 100 fighter aircraft, submarines, 1,000s of tanks and armed fighter vehicles and so on.
It’s madness.
agh the KKK and Irish UKIP is in early today….if a 120,000 Polish people live here are you suggesting they all have children in Poland ? Remember they are all EU citizens
What has the military capability of Poland got to do with anything? Are you saying we should keep the Poles children’s allowance and buy a submarine?
Well said Brian…. perhaps he wants to forcibly bring the 87 Irish citizens living in Poland to come home
@ Barry.
Military hardware costs billions.
take your time…
Voice do the 120,000 Polish people all have children in Poland
Caoihim, do you resent the fact that you are Irish & born here? Do you secretly long to change your DNA profile? Sounds like you have a bad case of white guilt. Don’t let your rush to find prejudice where no exists get in the way of proven facts. & yes, we know we have more than enough of the ‘home grown’ scammers too but that’s not an answer, it’s a retort.
I have nothing to be guilty of should I have ?
Why are you presuming I am white and of one DNA profile above another ? Interesting presumption on your part
What are the proven facts ? mind not the urban myths
Do you oppose legal immigration ?
Call it an educated guess, however your reply is a poor attempt at deflection. I do not oppose legal immigration. I oppose fraud of taxpayers money in any way shape or form.
As do I ,Where are the facts I am supposed to be rebutting
Poland’s military spend, and Poland’s child benefit policy are completely irrelevant. If I am Polish and decide to leave my children in Poland while I’m working in Ireland, that means I am
(a) paying tax in Ireland, not in Poland
(b) relying on the Polish government where I am not paying tax, to educate my children, and provide them with healthcare
Seems to me it’s a lot cheaper for Ireland to pay a small amount of money for my children to stay in Poland, then to pay the same amount of money in child benefit if they came here, PLUS pay for schooling, PLUS pay for healthcare etc for them.
If anything it’s unfair on Poland!
Matt it isn’t fraud if they are working here. They are legally entitled to it. That’s the problem. I do agree that any payment should be made solely to children residing within the state. But then all payments should be means tested. Why, as Michael O’Leary loves to point out, should millionaires get m*cky money every week just for having kids?!
As for the military thing that’s just ridiculous. If people are entitled to claim it as they are working here what has the size of Poland’s military got to do with anything? Lots of countries don’t give a children’s allowance, that’s not the point, people are allowed to claim it and send it abroad. The military thing only matters when you see the like of India and Pakistan launching Mars missions and building nukes and looking for aid for their population.
Do you seriously expect people to believe that you have never read a newspaper & read about this type of fraud being perpetrated by people who’s children reside in another EU state? Many Polish people I know send their children to live with extended family eg grandparents in Poland but continue to claim children’s allowance, Western Union at one point was transferring millions to the former eastern bloc on the 1st Wednesday of every month. Ryanair didn’t start offering dirt cheap flights to Poland for no reason! Why do you seem to have a problem with people wanting reform of the children’s allowance scheme in order to prevent this fraud from continuing?
Matt no facts yet I see….more urban myths…..and if some Polish people send their children abroad to extended family and I have yet to meet one who has as any I know would not separate from their children,,,,,they are not committing fraud as it is perfectly legal ( you may not agree with the law on this ) for them to do so
remember the immigration supporters try to shut you up by calling you names like KKK, racist, bigot, nazi, they have no other argument than to try to make you feel guilty, while they foist an imposed policy on you. Are you forcing anything on people from outside this country? no. While we still send millions in foreign aid, the thanks you get is to be called racist.
it is your human right to have your own country that your own ancestors fought for to pass on to you, not to the descendants of foreign ancestors.
The announcement came as Department figures showed the state spent €15.4m last year on child benefit for children who don’t live in Ireland – because 7,814 children overseas have parents living in the Irish state.
http://www.thejournal.ie/should-ireland-pay-child-benefit-for-children-living-abroad-107801-Mar2011/
THE Polish finance minister has expressed concern to Michael Noonan about Government plans to cut child benefit payments to Polish parents living here, but whose children are living in their home country.
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/child-benefit-proposals-cause-alarm-in-poland-26770579.html
I’m Italian, I live here with wife and kids. We’re entitled to the child benefit and we’re happy with that. Obviously I don’t get any social benefit from my country.
What are you saying is a fraud, it’s a crime. If anyone get money off child benefit for kids that don’t live here commit a crime. Regardless the nationality.
Simple as that, where’s the point?
IT’S NOT A CRIME! They are allowed to do it! That’s the problem. Didn’t the E.U also say we have to continue allowing it as it is a right afforded to people living in Ireland with children whether the children live here or not, to disallow it would be to discriminate against those children. I think it’s a ridiculous outdated payment tbh, a left over from good Catholic Ireland where every sperm was sacred and men couldn’t be trusted not to spend every penny down the pub. The money would be better spent on education and services for kids rather than handed over as cash. At least then it would definitely be staying in the country.
You must stop the practice of paying child benefit to Irish living in Australia. Any particular reason you left them out of your great speech ?
87 Irish people living in Poland? Where did you get that figure from? I’m in no way contradicting or opposing your point. I tend to agree with most of what you said here, I’m just surprised if it’s only 87 people!
Natalie, copy all those posts, the same person threatens others with the courts, maybe its time the little weasel got some of his own. I wonder why he did not change his name to Diarmuid MacMurrough ?
But Caoimhin, compared to you they are saints.
Yes Reilly u said i supported laws that promote paedophilia please substaniate you looper
And now stop the millions of euro being paid out over seas for this payment,
Derek , I fully agree , that money should only be given if the child resides in this country , at least the money would be going back into the country again instead of outside .
Derek and Joan – clearly that view is racist and hateful and not at all a level-headed comment on the skewed and unfair policy currently in practice in the EU.
You’ll be whisked off to Azkaban before the night is out.
eu law cant.
racist no hateful and stupid yes.
well said Paul
@Paul
racist yes, bcoz it’s expressing a preference for one people over another.
hateful and stupid, no.
fact, yes.
‘A chink of hope’ lol sorry. they said it not me, but it offers them hope i’m sure, more hope than having just one.
EU law can and should, but at destination rate. if you claim in another country you get paid their rates, its simply unreal children living here get our rates when they’re not living here. why aren’t they living here? are the parents ‘really’ still together? they might also want to look into those claiming SW here while renting out their properties back home. rampant that one.
It should be means tested AND limited to the children and parent (s) living in ireland..
@Elaine
that is actually racist bcoz you are expressing a preference for one people over another.
Too bureaucratic and expensive to administer. It already costs loads to administer means testing of other payments.
Well lets be honest about this , child allowance used to be 140 per month, so she is just giving back half of what it used to be. Also totally agree that the child/children should be residents of this country, it leaves it open wide for fraudulent cases!
It’s a universal payment.
No it’s not. Its a universal tax. I have no kids, but my taxes pay for others’ babogs.
To an extent I don’t mind that, but when children’s allowance pays for an Audi instead of a BMW……
BMW????? I mean
Why is it not means tested.
Someone on over 100 grand a year should not be paid to have children
Because Joan tell us it cannot be done
Someone who never worked a day in their lives should not be paid to have children, the guy on 100k taxes well cover his children’s allowance and the allowances of Johny freeloader
So you think it’s okay to give ” Johny freeloader” the dole for sitting on his ar*e all day but bad to give his misses a few quid to buy some food for the kids?
Or do you want an end to the welfare state?
Oh ye Brendan Howlin, the guy with the easiest job in government. Turns up once a year, makes an announcement and then fecks off for another 11 months. Minister for expenditure and reform, what has that useless little f*ck done since taking his job? Nothing has been reformed, everything still operates exactly as it ever did. We’re still wasting money left right and centre especially on that useless little f*cker’s wages!
he still had traces of polystyrene chips on his suit after they took him out of his storage box for the occasion.
Tell us how you really feel Barry
He’s a scrote thetruth, he does nothing. Arguably the most important position in cabinet and the most important position for the state of the country, the economy and for restoring people’s faith that any irish government can affect change, a position that could have been used for real innovation and to really change how Ireland as an organisation is run and he has disappeared into his little hideyhole only to be seen on budget day or to stick his oar in over a labour party dispute and look scared when negotiating with unions. Gilmore got the blame for the labour collapse in support but I think labour should be blaming him. He could have covered the party in glory with meaningful change and reform of how everything operates but he just went and hid for 4yrs. It was a master stroke for Dame Edna. Give labour that position and watch them fail cos they won’t take on the unions over allowances and work practices (not pay, everyone has been cut enough on pay, fat still needs to be trimmed though and efficiencies made) and won’t want to rock the boat when the numbers start to slide against them. They created the position for him and he’s done nothing.
Why does the government incentivise high birth rates? It seems nuts to me. Overpopulation is a ticking time tomb and yet the Government subsidies people who decide to have kids. I’m sure there would be a lot less if the subsidy was abolished.
Bomb*
Ireland is not overpopulated. Ireland’s birthrate (the highest in Europe) is only enough to replace the current Irish population (fertility rate of 2.1).
I don’t see why I should have no kids just because someone in Niger has 6.
I would be sympathetic to that view if it wasn’t wrong.
The average carbon emmisions per capita in Ireland is 9.8 metric tons of Carbon per year. In Niger it is 0.1. By my count, that would mean that Niger would need a population of 449,000,000 people to have an equivalent carbon output per capita. The population is currently 17,000,000. At present population increase rates and assuming that carbon emmision is static (it’s not) it would take over 600 years for Niger to even have a total output of Carbon that is the same as ours. This doesn’t even take into account that Irish people have a much longer life expectancy and so would emit more carbon still.
It’s a ridiculous argument that they should stop having kids. If you don’t believe in climate change, I’m not going to convince you here. But the rate at which natural resources such as base metals, REEs, platinum group elements and other vital commodities are consumed are at similar levels. It is us in the West that are the problem. And nobody should deny the ability of the developing world to achieve a similar quality of life that we enjoy. It’s up to every country on the planet to reduce their fertility rate for the good of everyone, but it needs to start with the people in the West who have already brought the planet to it’s knees. Our natural resource demand is expected to triple by 2050 which is incredible considering that we have already passed the Earth’s human carrier capacity.
Oh I can’t wait to spend my extra €5 a month, that’ll make such a difference…I totally agree with child benefit and think it shouldn’t be means tested (even though it wouldn’t affect me if it was) because why shouldn’t the government pay something towards its own citizens. I hate when people say “they decided to have children, they shouldn’t get paid”. People should get paid to stay home and look after their children if they want, at least one parent, or both part time. We should have a right to be with our children. It’s the same as if someone was caring for some who’s disabled or elderly. And what about if parents are well off and one parent works but is abusive and won’t give the other parent enough money for food and things for the children, then they might rely on the child benefit money. Anyway the child is not the same person as the parent, they are their own person and deserve the money. It’s not like it’s much really.
You’re right Ciara.
Some people seem to forget that children are not dogs.
They are as much citizens of this country as themselves.
That increase is an insult to all parents in this country!
You don’t have a child just to claim child benefits do you? Or are you one of those people??
On the contrary it is an insult to people who don’t have children.
Non means tested children’s allowance is nothing short of outrageous.
what a judgmental comment
Alan who is in power for nearly four years now and why can they not introduce means testing ? Oh wait it must be Sinn Fein’s fault’……
@ Munster2014
What’s your point Caomhin?
You’re the one who thinks I’m in FG or something. You do realise it is possible to agree with some policies and not others.
Or has the Ein Reich, Ein Volk, Ein Fuhrer nature of SF deadened your analytical capabilities?
No it’s not. I still can’t believe I get given money to have sex
You spend your days attacking Sinn Fein and giving the FFFG party line…you are a political troll and funny thing is your denials but Alan if you waddle like a duck and quack like then chances are you are a duck……
You will see that when I comment against racism and xenophobia I am not by any stretch of the imagination trying to be populist…If you took off your anit Sinn Fein blinkers and looked at the totality of what I post you would see who has or has not analyitical capabilities
Whatever. It’s like debating a petulant child who can’t handle the fact that adults can agree on some things and not on others.
Have a nice day.
More efficient to tax it than means test it… If it is to exist at all… Personally I would abolish it as right now too many pubs benefit from it with their children’s allowance payment nights.
Alan, you use the child allowance to have seex?
To go to hookers you mean?
You know you’re meant to spend it on your children.
you claim to be AN ADULT lol and then lead of with “whatever” thanks for the laugh
Ahippo that last statement in one sums up why the government you support is so unpopular
No to both lad
it should be means tested and paid only to kids living here at full rate, kids abroad? paid at their rate.
” in favour of eliminating laws to protect children from sexual predators ”
where did you get that one from ?
Patrick by telling libellous lies about me will not frighten me away you know but will rather show your desperation yo silence me
Caoimhin, If there is no record of it in your posts you can go to court ! I don’t fancy your chances, you have libelled so many people on these pages you would be left pennyless if you did.
Try English Reilly…or is it Chris
..there is a record of what you have posted and I note you have not denied it….please produce where I am opposed to laws that protect children from paedophilies
as said not bullied by the like of you and yes I as you know well I did not say that….just that others know this is because I posted in favour of Senator David Norris and Patrick does not approve of gays
There you go again O’Halpin, how do you knowifr I approve of gays or not ? I don’t spare a moments thought for such things, like most people. It was interesting though that Mr. Norris was linked to an affair with a minor, yes, you did post in favour of Mr. Norris, you also posted in favour of opposition to laws in Russia to stop people grooming minors for sex.
You appear to condone unaccountability if someone is gay or of a different nationality, this is more than racism on your part.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/10947561/More-than-10-politicians-on-list-held-by-police-investigating-Westminster-paedophile-ring.html
Caoimh, if I were to make a request to The Journal.ie under the F.O.I. , would I find that you had requested that they deny people posting the rifht to free speech, did you ever make complaints against people posting here ?
You spend much time trying to claim you are a paragon of free speech, I despise any group of politically motivated people that wish to subvert democracy.
Patrick / Chris I see you are clarifying what you think I said .
” you also posted in favour of opposition to laws in Russia to stop people grooming minors for sex.”..
.the laws in Russia are homophobic laws and have nothing to do with stopping people grooming minors for sex.(that is your skewed interpretation perhaps )
..Any fair minded person can see that…and yes I do oppose homophobic laws everywhere.
I will respond to any accusation of been against laws to protect children and your earlier suggestions that I may be in favour of paedophilia.
In regard to Senator Norris you have made a very serious allegation
Kevin, your paranoia about the KKK and UKIP supporters ganging up on you is only your excuse to avoid reality, there is no KKK or UKIP in Ireland, you are just creating an illusion to justify your hate, a reason to be a despot. It is strange that someone that claims to be an activist is supporting a one world government, a sameness of all nations in the image of the colonial masters. Your not James Bond, people don’t change their name to annoy you, its just your paranoia and desire to avoid reality.
Patrick it is very strange that the self same comments you made which were libelous I may add were made by a differently named account a week ago….despite what you think I hate no person , I am not in favour of a one world government ….where did that come from ? I am alll in favour of diversity
Kevin, you have tried to smear so many here I’m surprised you can remember them all. I cons all that you have assulted to be friends, I have no respect for people that that play the player and not the ball, you do a great job of villifing yourself and your cause.
Kev, It was all said in the papers and on TV years ago, the simple fact is there is nothing can be done about it. You should get a copy of the Russian law and have it translated, it does not use the word homosexual even once, it is solely concerned with the protection of children, paedophilia will not disappear if you ignore it or overturn laws to protect children from it.
Russian children have been adopted, abused and died, that is why they have such laws and laws against gay adoption.
http://www.theage.com.au/national/couple-offered-son-to-paedophiles-20130630-2p5eg.html
It is shameful that the west and LGBT are more interested in supporting this multi billion $ trade than protecting children, everything has been done to supress the truth of what happened.
The said same comments and links you post were made by an account with a different name..I do not agree with you concerning the Russian laws or their purpose nor with the comments you make above. Children have been abused and murdered even in this society in a traditional male female marriage…so should we stop hetrosexuall people having children then ?
Face it the Russian laws are against Gay people not against pedophilia…
I have slandered nobody online here…
That was one horrible case of two evil people….This does not mean all Gay people are like that as you appear to imply
Caoimhin, don’t jump to conclusions, nobody is suggesting gay people are like that, unfortunately there is a business side to everything and that law was needed in Russia. Did you see the RT piece about Chelsea Manning, a gay American journalists offered to talk about it on RT and then disrupted it by distracting people away from the issue, this LGBT thing is not what it appears to be, it is a political movement run for other ends. Pt. Manning is a transsexual !
There are at least two aspects to every issue, a book well worth a read about this is ” The new thought police by Tammy Bruce ”
There was a time when being gay was not a big deal, now its like the migrant issue, a tool to distract the masses.
The off licences will be happy with this increase.
and the mortgage lenders ; )
Water charges 250-300euro and they give us back a fiver..wow,scraps from the table
Children’s allowance should be abolished or means tested .Bitch Burton didn’t give the pensioners much she’s trying to buy the young people’s vote
A victory for Joan.well done the Journal.ie..hmmmmm €5 per month that is €60 per year and €1.08 per week
Wouldn’t keep your child in cereal for a week.
An increase is better than a decrease .
ya Thomas i spose we should be grateful for the crumbs….
would keep your child in cereal for 2 months if they lived abroad.
Slightly amused by the idea of bring ‘subsidised’ by the government to have kids. This is one of the most expensive countries in Europe to raise a family. For the most part, the personal and financial sacrifice is shouldered by parents. Child benefit is a very small pot of money to help with the costs of raising kids and as an aside working parents pay taxes so they are contributing to this pot.
Confetti for everyone!!!!!!
Ya and that €5 will go towards water charges, thanks for nothing.
I suppose that €5 increase is the Burton bounce the Journal.ie have been promoting
I watched the speeches Mattie McGrath is an anoying little hoor.
Means tested systems are bureaucratic and actually act as a disincentive to work. Ask anyone who was unfortunate enough to lose their job; the bureaucracy when getting their jobseekers payment is unbelievable since 2011. A universal system for all social welfare payments would be cheaper and better.
Nearly covers 3 days childcare in the year
*being
I don’t get the idea of means tessting child benefit. If its for children then all children should be treated equally and receive the same amount. Also, it would unfairly “encourage” those who can’t really afford kids to have more due to the level of benefits attached (along with rent allowance, low income family allowance, lone parent allowance etc etc), whilst punishing someone who is earning …. and therefore just as entitled to the benefit to contribute towards childminding costs. Overall however if it was scrapped and general tax credits increased it would be fairer, as those without kids wouldn’t have to pay as high of taxes to fund those with kids!
have your say