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One year on from Jonathan Corrie's death, we're still relying on short-term solutions

His death, on a cold November night, sparked nationwide outrage, but what has changed?

Updated 9pm

ON THIS DAY one year ago, the body of 43-year-old Jonathan Corrie was found in a Dublin doorway just a stone’s throw from the building in which this country’s government makes its most important decisions.

The father-of-two had struggled with drug and alcohol addiction for years and had been living in Dublin for eight years. His death, on a cold winter night, sparked nationwide outrage and demands for real and tangible action to be taken to tackle what has become a huge crisis.

It pushed Environment Minister Alan Kelly to convene an emergency summit on homelessness, bringing together all of the key parties in one place to come up with a solution. The immediate response was to make additional 220 emergency beds available in Dublin.

Local authorities in Dublin were directed to put 50% of all new housing allocations towards vulnerable groups, to provide accommodation for over 300 people.

Kelly told reporters that there would be no need for anyone to have to sleep rough in Dublin “unless they make that choice themselves”.  These were described by the government at the time as short-term responses.

‘They’re trapped’

One year later and homeless service providers say those short-term responses never developed into long-term solutions.

Niamh Randall of the Simon Communities told TheJournal.ie that homeless numbers have continued to grow and are continually met with emergency provisions.

The challenge now is that we don’t have the option of moving people on, they’re trapped in emergency accommodation.

“We need to move away from this emergency-led response and look at prevention and keeping people in their homes.”

The most significant change in Ireland’s homelessness problem has been the increase in the number of families losing their homes. An average of 70 to 80 families become homeless every month in Dublin alone and the key reason is the struggle to keep up with rent increases.

Randall said her organisation welcomed Kelly’s announcement of a two-year rent freeze but it was rent certainty that was needed and that has not been delivered.

“The second piece that hasn’t happened is rent supplement – it remains at the level that was set in June 2013, yet we know rents have increased by over 20% since then,” she said.

An analysis of rent markets by the charity in August this year revealed only 7% of properties fell within rent supplement parameters, and in some areas there were no homes at all.

Though she welcomed the government’s social housing strategy, she said things just are not moving fast enough with just 20 new houses being built in the first half of this year.

Department of the Environment Department of the Environment

‘Not good enough’

Sister Stanislaus Kennedy, the founder of Focus Ireland, has said despite government promises about homelessness being top of the agenda, the crisis has deepened.

“When most people think of homelessness, they think of a man in a sleeping bag in a shop doorway. This is the most visible and tragic manifestation of homelessness,” she said.

“People in this situation usually have complex needs such as mental health or addiction. Many grew up in state care and left at 18 without any support. People in these situations often need intensive supports. Offering them a bed for one night and out on the street in the morning to spend the day looking for a bed for the next night is simply not good enough.”

She too was critical of the failure to deliver rent certainty:

The two year rent freeze which he is introducing may slow the rent spiral, but thousands of families are still burdened with the massive rent rises of the last two years. If rent supplement is not increased to reflect the 30% rises that have already hit them, they will continue to lose their homes.

Winter 2015

Almost 2,500 adults without children are now homeless across the State, along with 1,571 children, and 980 parents.

The latest short-term response from the government has come in the form of a Dublin ‘cold weather action plan’ providing for an extra 174 emergency beds as well as accommodation for couples and families.

Last year’s provision of beds filled up rapidly, with figures for June this year showing 1,975 of the available 1,977 beds were occupied.

Latest tough sleeper figures indicate there are 105 people sleeping rough, though the Inner City Helping Homeless group says it interacted with 145 rough sleepers last Saturday night.

Government politicians have said the 175 new emergency beds should be sufficient to see people through the winter months. But the Simon Communities’ Niamh Randall says the fact that last year’s emergency beds were filled up so quickly shows there is a gap between rough sleeper figures and the reality.

In response to a query from TheJournal.ie, Alan Kelly’s department said that at the end of September, 739 ‘households’ (comprising individuals and family units) had exited homeless accommodation and moved into “verified and sustained tenancy arrangements”.

A spokesperson said the long-term solution to homelessness is to increase the supply of homes. The government plans to provide 35,000 new social housing units over a six-year period.

Other actions the department mentioned included:

  • Reforms to the private rental sector;
  • The 500 modular housing units to be provided in Dublin;
  • A 32% increase in homeless funding next year;
  • Returning derelict or unused social housing units to use, with the expectation that 2,500 will be returned this year;
  • Using former NAMA properties in south Dublin to provide 65 units for families.

While it looks like, in the short term, no one will be left without a bed this winter if they want one, we are still a long way off the government’s target of ending long-term homelessness by 2016.

“We’re just consistently looking at short-term emergency responses. We know that being homeless is extremely stressful, it’s actually very traumatic and the longer people remain in this temporary accommodation the greater the impact on their overall health and wellbeing,” Niamh Randall said.

We have a history of short-term solutions becoming long-term and people deserve much better than that.”

First published 8am

Read: In his own words: Jonathan Corrie on homelessness – and hoping for a chance>

Read: “Alan Kelly is the only minister who understands the homeless problem,” says Peter McVerry>

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59 Comments
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    Mute justasheedy
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    Nov 30th 2018, 1:53 PM

    Nob

    564
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    Mute Trevor Hayden
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    Nov 30th 2018, 1:53 PM

    Your loyalty is turning a blind eye when and where we tell you.

    570
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    Mute Brinster
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    Dec 1st 2018, 12:02 AM

    @Trevor Hayden:

    Wasn’t he the first in Government to turn on. Callinan?

    Rightly called him out for his “whistleblowers are disgusting” comment?

    Inconvenient I know for you.

    21
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    Mute Cormac Ó Braonáin
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    Dec 1st 2018, 2:05 AM

    @Brinster: ‘first in government’ – I presume what you meant to say is the first in Parliament. Either way you’d be very wrong either way.

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    Mute Brendan Coyne
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    Nov 30th 2018, 2:00 PM

    It would be great if he practiced what he is preaching

    504
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    Mute Skybloo
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    Nov 30th 2018, 3:37 PM

    @Brendan Coyne: That’s what I thought also … his blind loyalty to his mate, Frances Fitzgerald comes to mind

    221
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    Mute Tony O Neill
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    Nov 30th 2018, 9:33 PM

    @Skybloo: she was cleared of any wrong doing by the tribunal so he did right to stand by her

    17
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    Mute Donal Desmond
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    Dec 1st 2018, 2:13 AM

    Report cleared her? Scandal after Scandal dogged her and her predecessor, Like the report concerning Naughten nothing to see here move on… What happened to the investigation relating to the millions missing in the Templemore?.. What happened with the written off penalty points?.What happened to the missing mobile phones and laptops?. The deputy leader of the blueshirts Michael Martin very quite on these subjects.

    17
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    Mute mursim
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    Nov 30th 2018, 1:55 PM

    Will Socky be attending the National Housing Demonstration tomorrow?

    275
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    Mute Patrick Nolan
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    Nov 30th 2018, 2:30 PM

    @mursim:
    Will anyone be attending the national housing demonstration tomorrow?
    Jeremy Kyle is on

    126
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    Mute Gulliver Foyle
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    Nov 30th 2018, 3:05 PM

    @Patrick Nolan: I’ll be in the North West for the weekend, is there any regional events on, you know … where there is absolutely no problem with homelessness. Why call it “National” when it is a Dublin specific issue?

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    Mute Socky Varadkar
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    Nov 30th 2018, 3:20 PM

    @mursim: wait and see

    9
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    Mute restinginmyaccpaddy
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    Nov 30th 2018, 3:42 PM

    @Patrick Nolan: indeed.

    3
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    Mute European Bob
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    Nov 30th 2018, 4:37 PM

    @Gulliver Foyle: Gone on up for the Lundy burning?

    7
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    Mute Picture This
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    Nov 30th 2018, 2:00 PM

    That’s why nobody is being prosecuted for harassing a whistleblower almost to his death. Same for the garda in the pub with the rat effigy of MacCabe. No prosecutions ,and that ain’t out of loyalty to the state.

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    Mute Karen Wellington
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    Nov 30th 2018, 2:02 PM

    @Picture This: what would you charge the effigy guy with?

    56
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    Mute blackcoffee
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    Nov 30th 2018, 2:13 PM

    @Karen Wellington: super hero!

    19
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    Mute blackcoffee
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    Nov 30th 2018, 2:15 PM

    @Karen Wellington: Sorry Karen. That was meant to call Maurice McCabe a superhero

    48
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    Mute Picture This
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    Nov 30th 2018, 2:17 PM

    @Karen Wellington: the images were posted online so online harassment what else ?

    61
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    Mute Gulliver Foyle
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    Nov 30th 2018, 3:12 PM

    @Picture This: I don’t think online harassment is a crime, unless it is tied into a wider (non-online) harassment. Phoning an individual up repeatedly is harassment, while repeatedly posting malicious lies online isn’t (again, due to early precedence when judges didn’t get computers being their interpretation of offences against the person)

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    Mute Picture This
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    Nov 30th 2018, 4:04 PM

    @Gulliver Foyle: ask the blogger that was stopped at Dublin airport by detectives for writing negatively about Regina Doherty… by the way its alleged a commissioner sat in a politicians car in a shady car park meeting to tell him your man a kiddy fiddler and you in serious trouble, any excuses for a criminal investigation being initiated there… so regardless to what illegal or not it seems our politicians don’t have an appetite for justice.

    49
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    Mute marg fitzgerald
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    Nov 30th 2018, 6:35 PM

    @Karen Wellington: Personal injury

    3
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    Mute Micheal McGee
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    Nov 30th 2018, 2:14 PM

    Your loyalty is to the State…by becoming a revenue generator…

    188
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    Mute Joe Bloggs
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    Nov 30th 2018, 2:32 PM

    @Micheal McGee: how much revenue do you reckon the garda dragged down the road in Carrickmackross generated? Or the garda on the drugs squad in Store Street who had acid thrown at him?

    187
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    Mute Cathal
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    Nov 30th 2018, 2:37 PM

    @Joe Bloggs: What’s the story on Carrickmacross? Seems to be some confusion as to whether the guard was in the car or being dragged by the car.

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    Mute restinginmyaccpaddy
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    Nov 30th 2018, 3:31 PM

    @Micheal McGee: indeed.

    8
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    Mute Mary Garry
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    Nov 30th 2018, 9:42 PM

    @Cathal: It wasn’t Carrickmacross,it was Castleblaney

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    Mute Cathal
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    Nov 30th 2018, 10:38 PM

    @Mary Garry: Sorry ,just followed previous post. Didn’t notice it was wrong town.

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    Mute Colette Kearns
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    Nov 30th 2018, 2:44 PM

    Who’s Leo “ loyal “ to? It’s certainly not the people of this country!

    211
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    Mute Gulliver Foyle
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    Nov 30th 2018, 3:14 PM

    @Colette Kearns: Officially, the taoiseach is loyal to the people. The difference is it is to ALL people, and not just those that share opinion with you (or me, for that matter). Don’t confuse loyalty with treachery.

    35
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    Mute Patricia McCarthy
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    Nov 30th 2018, 3:17 PM

    Your loyalty is to the people of this country who pay your salary. Not to the suit or the person wearing it.

    108
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    Mute peterw
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    Nov 30th 2018, 3:26 PM

    @Patricia McCarthy: I hope you’re one of those people that shout that at guards while you collect your dole…

    43
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    Mute Dave Doyle
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    Nov 30th 2018, 3:39 PM

    @peterw: Why would you hope that?

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    Mute peterw
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    Nov 30th 2018, 3:53 PM

    @Dave Doyle: Because people who say “we pay your salary” to garda are absolute twits.
    You don’t say that to your nurse do you?
    The gardai are there to serve & protect and by in large do a decent job, they don’t need someone shouting nonsense at them.

    42
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    Mute Patricia McCarthy
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    Nov 30th 2018, 5:16 PM

    @ppayment, Exactly my point. The Garda do not need a twit in a suit, who collects the largest social welfare payment, in this country shouting at them. And I don’t need his lackeys attempting to bully me on this page. Get back in your box little man.

    33
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    Mute Adrian
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    Nov 30th 2018, 3:45 PM

    Its very hard to take leo at face value. Whatever he says, behind it, he’s probably thinking there’s one set of laws for himself and FG, and there are other laws for everybody else.

    85
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    Mute Patricia McCarthy
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    Nov 30th 2018, 4:59 PM

    @Adrian: He isn’t wrong in thinking that. Politicians and their lackeys get a free ride over everyone else. A lawless unaccountable breed.

    57
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    Mute Padraic O Sullivan
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    Nov 30th 2018, 2:34 PM

    One of the main reasons behind the falsified breath tests was a ‘lack of supervision’ . Ethical in all other aspects of the force of course.

    44
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    Mute Socky Varadkar
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    Nov 30th 2018, 3:20 PM

    I hope to inspire the Gardai, to work as hard as me, to be the shield that protects the taxpayers from the hostile elements of society. I am confident my brilliant wisdom bestowed on these brave people will be used.

    Thank you journal for showing these pictures, I am truly Ireland’s most charismatic, most trusted and inspiring leader.

    47
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    Mute David Corrigan
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    Nov 30th 2018, 3:46 PM

    @Socky Varadkar: Go on the Socky ya mad thing!!!

    44
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    Mute Maggie O'Sullivan
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    Nov 30th 2018, 5:18 PM

    Sh ut up Leo

    37
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    Mute John Declan
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    Nov 30th 2018, 3:09 PM

    Hitler said that first.

    43
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    Mute Patrick James Walsh
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    Nov 30th 2018, 5:04 PM

    so Leo is now popping up at the cops passing out parades to give inane motivational talks to new recruits, what next will he be turning up at teachers and nurses conferring ceremonies ?
    If he is serious about reform in AGS, then we need less platitudinous blather and more action in relation to the wrongs uncovered by the disclosures tribunal , destined to gather more dust on another shelf in the DOJ

    37
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    Mute Michael Kehoe
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    Nov 30th 2018, 4:49 PM

    What a tool, his loyalty is to himself and definitely not his position in Government. He makes Enda Kenny’s term as Taoiseach look reasonable. A dreadful leader of Government, caught up with spin and more spin and manipulation of the media. The men of 1916 must be turning in their graves. Country is soulless with the morons in Government and the tool from Cork is a disaster. A bumbling gobsh@te

    69
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    Mute Martin Brennan
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    Nov 30th 2018, 4:40 PM

    What a plonker he’s worse than Bertie he’d turn up at the picking of a. Snot if he get a photo op and at least Bertie never looked down his superior nose at you – off course the uniform didn’t safe Maurice McCabe as it was those in uniforms who pilloried him

    65
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    Mute Todd Hebert
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    Nov 30th 2018, 7:11 PM

    Their loyalty should be to the people of the republic of Ireland.

    18
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    Mute European Bob
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    Nov 30th 2018, 7:03 PM

    In fairness, Leo would know a lot about loyalism, seeing as he’s been spending so much time recently wearing orange and meeting with his new BFFs in the lodge.

    15
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    Mute European Bob
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    Nov 30th 2018, 7:04 PM

    @European Bob: *wearing orange socks ☺

    10
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    Mute Frank Brennan
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    Nov 30th 2018, 4:56 PM

    Your suit says nothing about you Mr.Socks .

    30
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    Mute Tony Kennedy
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    Nov 30th 2018, 6:12 PM

    FFS shut your trap Varadkar

    33
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    Mute Rob Ryan
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    Nov 30th 2018, 3:54 PM

    Hypocritical gimp!

    62
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    Mute Brian M
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    Dec 1st 2018, 12:12 AM

    Put TD pay increases aside and give the increases to the front line staff!

    11
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    Mute restinginmyaccpaddy
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    Nov 30th 2018, 3:33 PM

    indeed

    9
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    Mute Jake
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    Nov 30th 2018, 5:29 PM

    You tell them you unelected clown

    34
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    Mute Declan Daly
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    Nov 30th 2018, 2:58 PM

    Your loyalty is to the uniform and not the person wearing it…

    8
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    Mute Martello Mulligan
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    Nov 30th 2018, 8:00 PM

    Some lines from Shaw to stew on. Pick out your own gems but I like “not intelligent, only opinionated” and “not loyal… only servile” or, how about “not dutiful, only sheepish; not public spirited, only patriotic.”

    “Your friends are all the dullest dogs I know. They are not beautiful: they are only decorated. They are not clean: they are only shaved and starched. They are not dignified: they are only fashionably dressed. They are not educated: they are only college passmen. They are not religious: they are only pewrenters. They are not moral: they are only conventional. They are not virtuous: they are only cowardly. They are not even vicious: they are only “frail.” They are not artistic: they are only lascivious. They are not prosperous: they are only rich. They are not loyal, they are only servile; not dutiful, only sheepish; not public spirited, only patriotic; not courageous, only quarrelsome; not determined, only obstinate; not masterful, only domineering; not self-controlled, only obtuse; not self-respecting, only vain; not kind, only sentimental; not social, only gregarious; not considerate, only polite; not intelligent, only opinionated; not progressive, only factious; not imaginative, only superstitious; not just, only vindictive; not generous, only propitiatory; not disciplined, only cowed; and not truthful at all: liars every one of them, to the very backbone of their souls.”

    13
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    Mute John Blessing
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    Nov 30th 2018, 9:30 PM

    Sodamite speaks

    5
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    Mute Tony Byrne
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    Dec 1st 2018, 5:15 AM

    The gardi are a digrace to their uniform they should be disbanded as were the ruc
    Too much corupption for too many years,
    For people to have any respect for them they need a new name and a new begining
    And its the ones at the top of the force are poisoning the the ones at the bottom, terrible for a country not to have faith in their own police force, it demoralizes the whole country

    10
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    Mute John Scully
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    Nov 30th 2018, 10:24 PM

    Loyalty to the people should be shown for the past as well as the present. It seems that the past has been forgotten about as far as Leo and Drew is concerned. I’m sure they know what I mean.

    4
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    Mute Barry Foster
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    Dec 1st 2018, 10:22 AM

    It takes a lot of manpower to generate over 2 million fake breath tests and nobody lost their job over it. Appatently it was a crime too widespread to investigate !! No sacking over the Templemore financial wrongdoing . No sacking over the scrubbing of penalty points for Gardai and family members . GRA were quiet boys when Sgt McCabe was persecuted.
    A grossly overpaid bunch of whingers layabouts and incompetents.

    6
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    Mute Briain O'Dochartaigh
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    Nov 30th 2018, 5:58 PM
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    Mute Shane Bradley
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    Dec 2nd 2018, 3:36 PM

    that’s a laugh coming from a man who is not even irish running our country into the ground

    1
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