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Public ethics watchdog SIPO could not probe undeclared donations to Paschal Donohoe last year

By the time the electoral statements had been amended, the statute of limitations had run out for the Commission.

THE PUBLIC ETHICS watchdog could not follow up on reports of undeclared donations received by Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe from the 2016 general election as too much time had passed.

Last year, Donohoe had to make amendments to his electoral statements – given to the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) after every election – after it was revealed he did not report a donation worth more than €1,000.

The donation was made in the form of postering work, carried out on behalf of local Dublin businessman Michael Stone.

Previously unreleased internal briefs have now revealed that Sipo could not commence prosecution proceedings under the Electoral Act as investigations or follow ups cannot take place more than five years after an offence was alleged to have happened.

An internal briefing said: “As such, several potential offences relating to the 2016 election are statute barred.”

It said however that similar undeclared donations from the 2020 general election – again relating to postering work by Stone – could be pursued.

The briefing said these could be “prosecuted on indictment” but would have to be brought through the courts and proven “beyond reasonable doubt.”

A second course of action was detailed where the undeclared donations would be dealt with by way of complaint to SIPO.

The briefing document said: “The Commission previously received legal advice that it could carry out a similar information-gathering exercise using implied powers to ensure constitutional procedural fairness.”

It also advised there were “more limited grounds” available where SIPO could decline to investigate a complaint. This included a scenario where the subject matter “is not, in the opinion of the Commission, of sufficient gravity to warrant investigation”.

Donohoe was later informed by SIPO no further action would be taken and that amendment of his election returns was consistent with their approach to compliance.

During the period in which the investigation took place, Donohoe had to recuse himself from ministerial duties relating to the Standards Commission. He also made statements and apologies to the Dáil.

The briefing documents were only released by SIPO under FOI laws following an appeal to the Information Commissioner.

However, they provide no significant clarity on how the decision was made not to go ahead with action over the undeclared donations.

The postering work came to light following a complaint by the journalist Liam Deegan.
It led to the disclosure by Donohoe that a commercial van was used during his election campaign in 2016.

This was provided along with the labour of six individuals and was later said by the minister to have a value of €1,057.

At the time, Donohoe said: “I always hold myself to the very highest of professional standards and I profoundly regret that this matter wasn’t dealt with correctly in 2016.

“In light of the information that’s now available to me, I’ve taken the steps to address the issue as comprehensively as I can.”

It also emerged that further undeclared work was carried out on behalf of Minister Donohoe during the 2020 general election.

A SIPO briefing said: “In a statement by [businessman] Michael Stone on 24 January 2023, he claims that he previously incorrectly informed the Minister that he had not provided any assistance regarding the 2020 general election. However, having re-examined the matter he realised this was incorrect.”

Another amended electoral statement was submitted by Minister Donohoe and Fine Gael to include €1,256.20 extra for the “erection of some posters.

Asked about the investigation and their refusal to release documents about it, SIPO said they had no comment

A spokesperson said: “It is the practice of the Standards in Public Office Commission not to comment on individual compliance matters.”

A statement from Donohoe and the Department of Public Expenditure said they had nothing further to add and that SIPO was “independent in the performance of its functions”.

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    Mute Marvin Dollery
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    Nov 25th 2024, 10:01 AM

    Good. China, India and Middle East are the ones who need to cut back. The green farcical movement is dead. Common sense is prevailing globally.

    458
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    Mute Brendan O'Brien
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    Nov 25th 2024, 10:07 AM

    @Marvin Dollery: Making large parts of the planet uninhabitable is not ‘common sense’. It is the height of short-sightedness and stupidity.

    233
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    Mute Marvin Dollery
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    Nov 25th 2024, 10:09 AM

    @Brendan O’Brien: €1.20 has been deposited to your account Brenda. Don’t forget, we only offer to pay a maximum of €5.00 per day, so make sure your toxic comments cause maximum damage.

    175
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    Mute Ciaran
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    Nov 25th 2024, 10:14 AM

    @Marvin Dollery: do you ever think why they have huge emissions ? Most of western products and equipment is made there. It’a not domestic production it’s the large amount of energy needed to create the products exported to us that are the issue . Our demand is the reason for the huge emissions in these countries which supports their economies. You probably type your comment on a phone made in China with a load of fossil files used to create it (plastics and energy) as well as child labour..

    77
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    Mute Elizabeth Doyle
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    Nov 25th 2024, 10:19 AM

    @Marvin Dollery: Exactly my sentiments!!!!!!!

    34
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    Mute Frank Mc Carthy
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    Nov 25th 2024, 10:26 AM

    @Marvin Dollery: oh,is that brenny account PAID?????mmmm, makes sense!!!

    24
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    Mute Marvin Dollery
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    Nov 25th 2024, 10:30 AM

    @Frank Mc Carthy: Brendan isn’t even its real name. It has been paid for for YEARS to sow doubt and dissent. The dogs on the street know that.

    42
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    Mute Frank Mc Carthy
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    Nov 25th 2024, 10:36 AM

    @Marvin Dollery: mmm….. as Jimmy cliff sang ‘ I can see clearly now’, lol…… I thought it was just like my wife & would try and argue with the wind. That makes so much sense that it’s paid, cheers

    19
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    Mute Paul M Doe
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    Nov 25th 2024, 11:09 AM

    Folks the story below on that man dealing with cancer could use a little love and consideration for a few supportive comments, there isn’t a family in Ireland that this has not been affected by cancer. A love pile on would be great for the author I reckon

    20
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    Mute Brendan O'Brien
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    Nov 25th 2024, 11:26 AM

    @Paul M Doe: The phoney tears of a troll: don’t you normally cry these in your ‘Frank’ profile?

    137
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    Mute Frank Mc Carthy
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    Nov 25th 2024, 11:35 AM

    @Brendan O’Brien: ahhhh, poor brenny got exposed BIG time & now nobody’ll engage with the paid shill!!! Looks like your good ‘run’ is over, lol

    32
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    Mute Paul M Doe
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    Nov 25th 2024, 11:38 AM

    @Brendan O’Brien: it’s cancer Brendan, don’t do this, you are better than that, did you even look at what I posted on what was a tumbleweed of a story (in comments terms). It will impact all of us. Call me all you want but give that story a little bit of love as I’m sure it would be appreciated by the author

    15
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    Mute David Jordan
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    Nov 25th 2024, 11:51 AM

    @Marvin Dollery: China only approved 10 coal fired power stations in the first half of 2024, a drop of 83% compared to the same time last year (I read only 4 more coal plants were approved in second half of 2024). China’s Solar power farms increased 78% in just one year, with enough new solar power plants installed to power all of Ireland more than 3 times over. They produce 97% of the world’s polysilicon solar panels and 60% of the world’s wind turbines. Their wind generation capacity generates enough electricity to power all of Japan, and they have more wind farms than all of Europe or the US. They also approved 21 new nuclear power plants since 2023. Renewables now generate c. 45% of China’s electricity needs.

    Their expansion of renewables is so fast that for the first time their coal use didn’t increase this year, their power generation increase was entirely met by the expansion of renewables.

    https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-chinas-emissions-set-to-fall-in-2024-after-record-growth-in-clean-energy/

    42
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    Mute Kevvy kerrr
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    Nov 25th 2024, 11:55 AM

    @Paul M Doe: hard to credit brenny reduced to mocking & deriding a cancer hero……time for it to hang up the ol’& trolling boots???

    16
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    Mute John Moylan
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    Nov 25th 2024, 11:57 AM

    @Brendan O’Brien: and if everyone in ireland went to shanks mare tomorrow and went off grid…….it wouldn’t change the outcome for those parts of the planet. The principle of taxing ourselves into oblivion is nothing short of a Con.

    48
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    Mute FlipBip
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    Nov 25th 2024, 12:09 PM

    @Marvin Dollery: Hey that’s my line! Lol. Btw he’s paid €1.25, not 1.20.

    8
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    Mute Me Me
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    Nov 25th 2024, 12:13 PM

    @David Jordan: Now, David, I’ve only been around here about 3 weeks but already I have realised that facts and reasonable argument are wasted on most posters. A post like yours just ruins their pre-concieved ideologies, so they ignore it and keep blustering onwards!

    21
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    Mute Marvin Dollery
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    Nov 25th 2024, 12:19 PM

    @Me Me: The Jordanite was left online for an hour or so. He only makes comments to massage his ego.

    51
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    Mute Thesaltyurchin
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    Nov 25th 2024, 12:34 PM

    @Marvin Dollery: China a green leader rn. Have to admire how the just get on with it, the opposite of the Irish

    16
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    Mute H Woo
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    Nov 25th 2024, 12:49 PM

    @Brendan O’Brien:
    The earth always had floods, famine, and drought in areas that was never suitable for humans.

    28
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    Mute HisMastersAlibi
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    Nov 25th 2024, 1:31 PM

    @Me Me: As you will have probably guessed also is that most of the comments are by one guy under different names. He is having a wild time today talking to himself. Its very funny stuff to watch.

    127
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    Mute Jonn
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    Nov 25th 2024, 2:25 PM

    @Brendan O’Brien:
    Go hide under the bed,Brendan,we’ll let you know when it’s safe to come out!

    19
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    Mute Pat Barry
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    Nov 25th 2024, 3:11 PM

    @HisMastersAlibi: The funny thing is, if the journal banned the IP address as opposed to email addresses, it would get rid of the multiple account problem

    62
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    Mute Marvin Dollery
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    Nov 25th 2024, 3:26 PM

    @Pat Barry: Hmm.. I see we have a censorship advocate in our midst. Dear lord you’re thick.

    8
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    Mute Brendan O'Brien
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    Nov 25th 2024, 3:40 PM

    @Marvin Dollery: Banning multiple accounts would not be censorship. Individuals would still be free to comment, on a level playing field.

    54
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    Mute Clare Power
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    Nov 25th 2024, 3:41 PM

    @Frank Mc Carthy: damage limitation is it frank…I was gone the weekend but I see several people referencing a boo boo u made….it was delicious I must say seeing you forget to switch back to your frank account from kevvy…

    70
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    Mute North Dub
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    Nov 25th 2024, 3:47 PM

    @Brendan O’Brien: €0.15 for that one Brendan. Must try harder.

    10
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    Mute Uí Braonáin
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    Nov 25th 2024, 3:54 PM

    @Marvin Dollery: We have a bigger carbon footprint per capita than India as do all ‘western’ countries. China is also well down the list. If these people really are serious about the planet they’d start to call out the biggest polluter body on the planet, a body that’s also exempt from all these carbon emission surveys – being of course the US military.

    15
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    Mute Ned
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    Nov 25th 2024, 4:12 PM

    @Brendan O’Brien: your opinion only and thankfully.

    5
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    Mute Pat Barry
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    Nov 25th 2024, 5:18 PM

    @Marvin Dollery: No Martin, not censorship advocate…a fairness advocate. Every individual is entitled to their opinion and has a right to express it. That is what is right, correct and fair. What is not fair is how there is are some individuals on here, using multiple avatars to make it look as if the opinions they are expressing are more valid. It is easy to create multiple email addresses from the various providers, Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook and so on, so the best way to stop the individuals doing the multiple accounts is to stop the IP addresses, unless they are paying for multiple Internet providers, and that would not be cheap, and if they do ban an IP address due to a proven multiple account user, then that was a rule break anyway and should be banned.

    52
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    Mute Pat Barry
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    Nov 25th 2024, 5:36 PM

    @Marvin Dollery: Oh by the way….as to being thick, you actually think you are getting away trying to convince the people reading your comments that your own multiple avatars are individual commentors? You do not need a degree in linguistics to see the one set of colloquialisms and mannerisms across your various avatars comments to see who is who….. and you have the cheek to call me thick. Thanks, I needed a laugh.

    54
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    Mute Marvin Dollery
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    Nov 25th 2024, 5:45 PM

    @Pat Barry: I only have one account Paudi. I can do enough damage to all the clowns on here sowing doubt and dissent with just the one alias. If you were any good at identifying “mannerisms” and specific “linguistic” styles you’d know that. Pathetic.

    6
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    Mute Daniel Roche
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    Nov 25th 2024, 6:09 PM

    @Clare Power: It was very funny.

    47
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    Mute Pat Barry
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    Nov 25th 2024, 7:04 PM

    @Marvin Dollery: ah now really, still making me laugh. You and your fellow avatars of the individual behind you, are/is really putting on a good comic show, but we can all see the reality.

    8
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    Mute Uí Braonáin
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    Nov 25th 2024, 8:08 PM

    @Marvin Dollery: You’ll be right, Merv. The whole world isn’t against you. Take a break from the aul keyboard though I’d say. Or find someone to talk to. In person of course.

    7
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    Mute John Reynolds
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    Nov 25th 2024, 9:59 PM

    @Brendan O’Brien: unless india China Russia and the USA cooperate then what we in ireland do means zero that unfortunately is the basic truth we and the rest of the world rely on them

    3
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    Mute Name
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    Nov 25th 2024, 10:33 PM

    @Marvin Dollery: Doubt and dissent from what exactly? You hate anyone disagreeing with you. Little bit fascist if you ask me

    4
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    Mute John Moylan
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    Nov 26th 2024, 9:21 AM

    @Brendan O’Brien: “large parts of the planet” does not, by definition, include Ireland.

    1
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    Mute Sean Stevenson
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    Nov 25th 2024, 10:30 AM

    If Ireland was to quite literally disappear from earth, it would make a 0.1% reduction in global emissions. That’s right, 0.1%. That is our measured output of global emissions. So all these cutbacks and climate measures which do nothing but make the average citizen poorer, will at most, have a less than 0.1% impact on global emissions. It is up for the larger countries with massive polluting industry based economies, such as China and India, to fix their emissions.

    316
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    Mute Brendan O'Brien
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    Nov 25th 2024, 11:06 AM

    @Sean Stevenson: It’s up to every country. Also, we are part of the EU, which can make a large difference.

    68
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    Mute Marvin Dollery
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    Nov 25th 2024, 11:16 AM

    @Brendan O’Brien: Are China India and The Middle East in Europe? Punishing Irish people with sick green taxes and greenwashing will make NOT ONE JOT of difference. Luckily, most people have common sense. The green disaster is dead.

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    Mute gregory pym
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    Nov 25th 2024, 11:18 AM

    @Brendan O’Brien: we exported our co2 to China who are still building coal power stations. If you read your metrological history we are only getting back to the temperature normally of the last 5000 years. There has been a 20% increase in crop yields and worldwide vegetation due to higher co2. You won’t get the greens telling you that.

    30
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    Mute Brendan O'Brien
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    Nov 25th 2024, 11:25 AM

    @gregory pym: CO2 is good for plants, but the increased greenhouse effect that it contributes to is disastrous in terms of climate change. ‘we are only getting back to the temperature normally of the last 5000 years’ makes no sense: the science is clear.

    https://www.bgs.ac.uk/discovering-geology/climate-change/how-does-the-greenhouse-effect-work/

    23
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    Mute David Jordan
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    Nov 25th 2024, 12:00 PM

    @gregory pym: China approved only 10 new coal fired power stations in the first half of 2024, a drop of 83% compared to the same time last year. There’s indications that China’s massive investment in renewable energy generation, for example solar power plants increased 83% in just one year, with enough new solar generation to power all of Ireland more than 3 times over, that renewable energy generation is meeting the increased energy demand and coal power plants don’t need to increase. Their renewable energy provides about 45% of their electricity generation needs.

    China in joined the Paris Agreement in February 2023, and it previously introduced a domestic carbon trading scheme in 2022, which adds a cost to CO2 emissions from power stations.

    20
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    Mute Darth O'Leary
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    Nov 25th 2024, 12:02 PM

    @Brendan O’Brien: Historically, Ireland never had an industrial revolution. As we’re reminded by our betters regularly, we were a third world country until the 60s. Surely it’s up to industrialised nations to bear the weight of this transition. Now multinational corporations are competing on the open market for renewables. We’re paying extortionate prices for fuel. I’m not buying that Ireland needs to do more internationally. We should be focusing our attention on our ecology and stop with this carbon obsession

    140
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    Mute Kieran Menon
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    Nov 25th 2024, 3:49 PM

    @Sean Stevenson: green tax is such a farce to a government so irresponsible with tax payer’s money…

    40
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    Mute Uí Braonáin
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    Nov 25th 2024, 3:56 PM

    @Sean Stevenson: If it gives us another month of being able to spread the butter on the bread without destroying the bread I’m all for it.

    3
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    Mute Marvin Dollery
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    Nov 25th 2024, 4:46 PM

    @Uí Braonáin: Hold on a second now.. So you’re saying – you want the ambient temperature of your kitchen to be high enough to melt the butter onto the bread as its spread. A temperature akin to a fine Irish Summers Day in the mid twenties. Yet, you’re one of these lads who catastrophises fine summer days and thinks we should pay tax to offset it, which does not work. In essence, you are calling for hotter days as opposed to colder days, yet spout global-warming-like nonsense to beat the band. Do you actually hear yourself? Change your name to Uí Braindead you headcase.

    5
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    Mute Chris Whelan
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    Nov 25th 2024, 4:58 PM

    @Sean Stevenson: .004 of 1% ridiculous we are carbon neutral with all our trees sucking up 25kg of co2 per tree

    11
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    Mute Tony Murphy
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    Nov 25th 2024, 5:10 PM

    @Sean Stevenson: very well said. The biggest con job ever pulled.

    10
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    Mute Uí Braonáin
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    Nov 25th 2024, 5:23 PM

    @Marvin Dollery: Stop arguing with yourself and come out from under that bed, a sheoinín. You’ll be grand. only want my bread buttered. Not a fan of the aul waffles.

    45
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    Mute Marvin Dollery
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    Nov 25th 2024, 5:47 PM

    @Uí Braonáin: I still don’t know what you’re talking about. Go back to bed clown.

    4
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    Mute Paul O'Mahoney
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    Nov 25th 2024, 6:19 PM

    @Sean Stevenson: an ignorance of a post, you would eliminate us so that you point is valid ?

    1
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    Mute Sean Stevenson
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    Nov 25th 2024, 10:08 PM

    @Paul O’Mahoney: Man your reading comprehension is so beyond poor that I ignore all your replies on my posts. What the actual hell are you implying here? In fact, I’m going to mute you. You come across as somebody who drinks way too much whiskey in retirement.

    7
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    Mute John Moylan
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    Dec 3rd 2024, 12:37 AM

    @Brendan O’Brien: nope. Green politics has just created formal fuel poverty. Taxation fixes nothing.

    1
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    Mute Cole Palmer
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    Nov 25th 2024, 10:58 AM

    People on here more concerned about generations 500 years away when they’re grand children will be minorities in their own country. They want to end up like London or Paris.

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    Mute sakk sa
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    Nov 25th 2024, 11:02 AM

    @Cole Palmer: Amsterdam

    24
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    Mute David Jordan
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    Nov 25th 2024, 11:38 AM

    @Cole Palmer: new paper just published in Nature says the warm current that keeps northen Europe mild, is in the process of weakening due to fresh water input from the melting of the Greenland ice sheet and arctic sea ice driven by global warming. The ocean current called AMOC has already substantially weakened since 1950 and if global warming continues, and it likely will, in only 10 years time, the warm ocean current will begin to weaken by 33% when global warming reaches 2 Celsius, leaving much of northern Europe and indeed Ireland uninhabitable this century.

    Pontes, G.M. and Menviel, L., 2024. Weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation driven by subarctic freshening since the mid-twentieth century. Nature Geoscience, pp.1-8.

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    Mute Thesaltyurchin
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    Nov 25th 2024, 1:53 PM

    @Cole Palmer: Will there still be “countries” OR minorities? Love London, Love Paris, great cities… if we were concerned about anything regardless of your ideological preference then building is required. We’re not even providing for 20 years time yet ffs

    6
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    Mute Paul O'Mahoney
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    Nov 25th 2024, 6:20 PM

    @David Jordan: great post

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    Mute John Reynolds
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    Nov 25th 2024, 10:07 PM

    @David Jordan: luckily this will cause a new ice age in north pole and northern Europe problem solved jus put in an offer on land near the equater instead of being bled dry here do something

    4
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    Mute Sam Walsh
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    Nov 25th 2024, 10:27 AM

    “Friends of the earth” sounds like the name of a mad cult. Oh wait- that’s because it is.

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    Mute Frank Mc Carthy
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    Nov 25th 2024, 10:31 AM

    @Sam Walsh: are they an NGO???

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    Mute David Jordan
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    Nov 25th 2024, 12:18 PM

    @Tommy: Just to point out that the report was not written by Friends of the Earth, though it was commissioned by them.

    The report was written an independent judging committee, who included:

    ● Dr. Cara Augustenborg, Assistant Professor in Environmental Policy at UCD

    Dr. Cara Augustenborg is an environmental scientist with a BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Washington and both an MSc in Environmental Health Sciences and a PhD in Environmental Science and Engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles. Her doctoral research, conducted at Teagasc in County Wexford, Ireland, focused on nitrogen recycling for the sustainability of Irish agriculture. She has held post-doctoral research positions at Trinity College Dublin’s School of Business and University College Dublin’s School of Agriculture. Currently, she serves as an Assistant Professor in Landscape Studies and Environmental Policy at University College Dublin.

    ● Prof. Hannah Daly, Professor in Sustainable Energy at University College Cork

    Professor Hannah E. Daly is a leading expert in sustainable energy and energy systems modelling. She earned her Ph.D. from University College Cork (UCC) in 2012, focusing on transport energy demand and climate policy scenarios for Ireland. Following her doctorate, she conducted postdoctoral research at the UCL Energy Institute, where she developed the UK TIMES Model (UKTM) and contributed to its adoption by the UK’s Department for Energy and Climate Change. From 2015 to 2019, she led energy access initiatives at the International Energy Agency, co-authoring the 2017 Energy Access Outlook report. In 2019, she joined UCC as a faculty member and was appointed Professor in Sustainable Energy in 2022. Her research encompasses energy access, climate change, and air pollution, and she actively engages with policymakers, civil society, and academia on these topics.

    ● Prof. Mary Murphy, Professor of Sociology at Maynooth University

    Professor Mary Murphy is a distinguished academic in the Department of Sociology at Maynooth University, where she has been a faculty member since 2007. She earned her PhD in Politics from Dublin City University in 2006. Prior to her academic career, Professor Murphy spent two decades as a campaigner and policy analyst in national social justice NGOs, contributing to various national policy forums, including the National Economic and Social Forum (NESF) and the National Economic and Social Council (NESC). Her research interests encompass eco-social policy, participation income, gender and social security, globalization and welfare states, and the dynamics of power and civil society. In 2020, she was appointed Professor, and in 2021, she became the Head of the Department of Sociology and the Centre for the Study of Politics at Maynooth University. An advocate for social justice and gender equality, Professor Murphy was appointed to the Council of State in 2019. She has also served as Chair of Oxfam Ireland’s Board, contributing to discussions on addressing global inequality. In May 2023, she published her book, “Creating an Ecosocial Welfare Future,” which explores transformative models of welfare change.

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    Mute Me Me
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    Nov 25th 2024, 7:05 PM

    @David Jordan: Ah, David, there you go again! Here’s you with a sensible comment when it seems some people have never heard of Friends of the Earth, even though it was founded over 50 years ago.

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    Mute Tommy
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    Nov 25th 2024, 11:04 AM

    Friends of the earth are a Dublin city ran organisation who don’t care about the rest of Ireland. All they care about is the Greedy Greens, they are just another Economic think tank to make sure we as taxpayers will never have money in the Rest of Ireland.

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    Mute SV3tN8M4
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    Nov 25th 2024, 7:02 PM

    @Tommy: The irony of the Friends of the Earth, giving all the Far Left parties an A grade. I listened to Oisin O Coughlan being interviewed on radio one night & he was insisting we all drove EV’s, when the interviewer asked him what he drove, he said a Diesel saloon, laughable. The do as I say, but not as I do NGO who insist on inflicting hardship on struggling working families. This group shouldn’t be getting any State funding, bunch of hypocrites.

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    Mute Me Me
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    Nov 25th 2024, 7:08 PM

    @Tommy: Friends of the Earth was founded in the US in about 1970.

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    Mute Njall
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    Nov 25th 2024, 11:58 AM

    Friends of the earth are NOT our friends. Utter woke posers!

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    Mute thomas molloy
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    Nov 25th 2024, 4:20 PM

    @Njall: At least they were generous with the far left parties that would create and more inactivity and unemployment poverty. Massive idleness and time to study Marxist ideology. For them full employment and prosperity is preventing electoral power and needs to change. Living in the jungle is their dream and they will impose it on non comrades whether the like it or not.

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    Mute Phillip Smyth
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    Nov 25th 2024, 11:34 AM

    This climate policy is a farce.

    170
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    Mute Darth O'Leary
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    Nov 25th 2024, 10:39 AM

    They could have retro fitted a lot of old people’s homes for the price of that bicycle shed. Total hypocrisy from our leaders. They can zoom all their meetings around the world from now on and put the money into retro fitting old houses. The greens have failed the Irish environment and our ecological breakdown is only accelerating. Bring back Seorse McHugh and the Just Transition crowd

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    Mute Brian D'Arcy
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    Nov 25th 2024, 11:43 AM

    We’e already going to miss our 2030 targets with the Greens in government and the bar was already set very low. Labour’s pledge in 2010 ‘Labour’s way or Franfurt’s way’, none of their pre-election promises can be trusted. The Carbon tax should be on the biggest polluters, the rich, not the ordinary person back the Greens were too spineless to do this, along with their government cohorts. Sinn Féin don’t oppose a carbon tax, the oppose a xarbon tax on the ordinary person. Remember Fine Gael let waste collection companies increase the price of recycling and they blame the ordinary person, just like the recession in 2008, also with the Greens in government.

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    Mute K O
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    Nov 25th 2024, 11:07 AM

    At last that’s something those three can be proud of.

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    Mute Michael Cooney
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    Nov 25th 2024, 12:03 PM

    Who asked them to evaluate our government. The NGOs think they should dictate government policy. Who gave them a mandate to do that. NGO sector has far too much power in this country.

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    Mute ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere
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    Nov 25th 2024, 10:07 PM

    @Michael Cooney: Ah!

    So you don’t believe in freedom of expression then.

    At least not when it might hurt your fee-fees.

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    Mute Sharon Coffey
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    Nov 25th 2024, 1:20 PM

    Friends of the earth my ass, shutting down valuable bogs for horticulture in Ireland. Now having to import peat, causing increased in costs and further pollution as peat has to be imported.
    Pushing EV cars on us with dangerous lithium batteries, what about the poor minors lives in other countries having to mine this deadly stuff. Also the danger of having to bury mountains of dangerous batteries when they are no longer usable lithium will be getting into the soil and water.
    Plastic containers now have to be brought to store for recycling using up valuable car fuel, when I have a perfectly good recycling bin at my front door. These so called friends of the earth is just another way of taxing the people. The Green party will never get a vote off me.

    168
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    Mute FlipBip
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    Nov 25th 2024, 12:16 PM

    Shady non profit: Check
    Globohomo art on their website: Check
    Pushing UN sustainable development goals: Check
    Published on the Journal: Check.
    Conclusion: It’s more propaganda. How tiresome.

    98
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    Mute John Brown
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    Nov 25th 2024, 4:05 PM

    Don’t forget…no votes for Greens on Friday … ZERO VOTES !!!

    92
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    Mute John Reynolds
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    Nov 25th 2024, 10:11 PM

    @John Brown: no transfers this is wat got them in last time vote independent anybody but those greens

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    Mute sakk sa
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    Nov 25th 2024, 10:29 AM

    China , India, Morocco and Ukraine ..above All Most Gulf Area
    Why ireland pay 3 billion ?
    Saudi and UAE must pay whole Bill
    3 billions can build hostels for homeless people, can buy LCD and heating solar panels for our schools ,can make better impact on smelly toilets at trains or broken toilets at terminal 1 Airport

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    Mute P. V. Aglue
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    Nov 25th 2024, 10:59 AM

    @sakk sa: we need that 3 billion for refugees social welfare

    106
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    Mute sakk sa
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    Nov 25th 2024, 11:11 AM

    @P. V. Aglue: social welfare not an option , Dutch system need it, work permit ,learn language, voluntary clean your 2 KM radar area you live at , or lose your tent and deportion!

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    Mute Ulick
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    Nov 25th 2024, 3:27 PM

    “Friend’s of the Earth” LOL..

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    Mute Brian D'Arcy
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    Nov 25th 2024, 12:16 PM

    Why save a world that you can’t afford to live in, you may believe that to be ridiculous but people are struggling by now and the carbon tax is adding to that. Make the biggest polluters pay

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    Mute Paul M Doe
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    Nov 25th 2024, 12:26 PM

    @Brian D’Arcy: suppose it would impact the diesel laundering of your lot….

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    Mute Jack
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    Nov 25th 2024, 4:00 PM

    Without monetarily penalising people (which has zero impact on climate) and blaming the bovine population (placating the veg only/non dairy brigade), we as a nation do and have done for decades a lot more than other nations in terms of being climate friendly, long before climate became a vehicle for taking money from our pockets. FG love any method that means less cash for the constantly flogged taxpayer!

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    Mute Ned
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    Nov 25th 2024, 4:14 PM

    Like who are friends of the earth? Never heard them,

    69
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    Mute ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere
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    Nov 25th 2024, 10:11 PM

    @Ned: As they have been around for half a century, that tells us a lot about you.

    Are you competing to be a low-intelligence, low-information American?

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    Mute H Woo
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    Nov 25th 2024, 12:47 PM

    Any time mother nature trys to sort things out.
    All the do gooders turn up with the emergency food and medicines.

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    Mute Paul M Doe
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    Nov 25th 2024, 10:03 AM

    Fantastic

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    Mute Kevin O Brien
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    Nov 25th 2024, 3:58 PM

    FFG allowing cargo plane load after cargo plane load of heavy duty Israeli Genocide weapons pass through our airports and air space daily add that in to the carbon footprint figures

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    Mute Paul M Doe
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    Nov 26th 2024, 12:05 AM

    @Kevin O Brien: wonderful that we are assisting in the war on terror :)

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    Mute Alex
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    Nov 25th 2024, 3:27 PM

    Friend of the leftist crazies.

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    Mute Frank O'Hara
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    Nov 25th 2024, 12:20 PM

    Whenever Friends of the Earth say something is bad, usually it means that it’s good. Nevertheless, there is still too much being done on this farcical issue of no importance. If the next government had any sense, they would abolish the carbon tax, scrap all the “Net Zero” targets, permit fracked gas to be imported into Ireland, repeal the fuel tax and reopen offshore gas exploration. We need an explicitly pro-fossil fuel party in the Dáil and one which believes that people have the right to drive whatever car they wish without government interference. Friends of the Earth is just another busybody NGO that should be kicked out of the country and ignored. It is nothing more than a modern day form of racketeering.

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    Mute Gerry Dornan
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    Nov 25th 2024, 5:32 PM

    The planet is grand, we are bunched…

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    Mute Brendan O'Brien
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    Nov 25th 2024, 10:11 AM

    A good reason to vote for Labour, Social Democrats, Greens and People Before Profit.

    29
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    Mute Marvin Dollery
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    Nov 25th 2024, 10:12 AM

    @Brendan O’Brien: It isn’t you paid little shill. As obvious as day. Sad clown.

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    Mute Paul M Doe
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    Nov 25th 2024, 10:16 AM

    @Brendan O’Brien: imagine that bunch of clowns trying to form a government, it would be like fawlty towers

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    Mute Elizabeth Doyle
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    Nov 25th 2024, 10:21 AM

    @Brendan O’Brien: Greens/ frauds no thanks ,expensive sheds for their bikes.!!!!!!

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    Mute K O
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    Nov 25th 2024, 11:10 AM

    @Brendan O’Brien: would you ever take a high jump

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    Mute Brian D'Arcy
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    Nov 25th 2024, 12:06 PM

    @Brendan O’Brien: You advocate a vote for the Greens and Labour, two parties that demand that tge ordinary person pays carbon taxes while PBP don’t, they demand that the biggest polluters pay tye carbon tax. No idea about the Social Democrats stand point on that. Most of them are on 5% so how would they form a government? Saoirse McHugh quite the Greens because of their socio-economic policies that are non-existent, no surprise that most of their candidates come from affluent areas because it’s nothing to them but everything to others. Confused at calling for a vote for the Greens and Labour because both will join Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael or both.

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    Mute Frank O'Hara
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    Nov 25th 2024, 5:05 PM

    @Brendan O’Brien: People like you are the problem with this country. Do you lack any semblance of common sense in that head of yours or do you enjoy paying more taxes because you are someone who has no clue how it actually impacts people other than yourself?

    54
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    Mute Frank O'Hara
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    Nov 25th 2024, 5:20 PM

    @Brian D’Arcy: Why should anyone have to pay a carbon tax and allow the government to steal more money? You are right that Labour and the Greens are left-wing taxpayer leeches, but PBP are even worse. They don’t think I have a right to private property, a right to make money and a right not to have the government steal even higher amounts of money from me through steeper taxation. They haven’t got a clue about basic economics and Rich Boy Barrett is the most out-of-touch elitist that I’ve ever come across. You’re right that the Greens are a shower of snobs, but so are PBP. Rich Boy and Paul Murphy both are private school products that haven’t worked a day in their lives and Mick Barry is a carpetbagger from Columbus, Ohio that grew up wealthy in Dublin. Don’t make me laugh!

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    Mute FoxyBoiiYT
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    Nov 25th 2024, 3:57 PM

    The amount of people here who simply don’t care about the future is depressing. Big oil has been insanely successful with telling people the climate change is a myth

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    Mute Marvin Dollery
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    Nov 25th 2024, 4:27 PM

    @FoxyBoiiYT: Cry harder you little clown.

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    Mute H Woo
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    Nov 25th 2024, 12:45 PM

    Judging by the photos released
    by the Gardia of the “Racist far right” protesters.
    Looks more like the Brixton riots from the boy and girls in the photos

    14
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    Mute Shimo F
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    Nov 25th 2024, 6:22 PM

    What’s left of humanity will look back at this period in history and say we were the first generation who could not save ourselves because it wasn’t cost effective

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    Mute John Moylan
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    Nov 25th 2024, 12:01 PM

    None of the top 4 on that chart will be in Govt, so it’s a pointless survey.

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    Mute Pork Hunt
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    Nov 26th 2024, 9:02 AM

    Any article on the immigration debate?

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    Mute Patrice Ahern
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    Nov 25th 2024, 6:20 PM

    It’s comforting to see the LITTLE thug in Dublin getting what he deserves. Good riddance…

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    Mute SV3tN8M4
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    Nov 25th 2024, 6:58 PM

    @Patrice Ahern: Yeah, great to see the white collar posh conman get sentenced.

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    Mute Nick Vasilakis
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    Nov 25th 2024, 5:54 PM

    Labour/Social Democrats might make an interesting government. Different, at least.

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    Mute SV3tN8M4
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    Nov 25th 2024, 10:17 PM

    In fairness, Nessa clearly likes her Pudding.

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