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Very mild today with highest temperatures of 13 to 16 or 17 degrees Celsius, in moderate southwesterly breezes. Rather cloudy and locally damp to begin, but spells of spring sunshine will develop in many places.
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After a mild night, we’ll have similar conditions tomorrow, with temperatures of up to 16 degrees.
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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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 ?
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 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.
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!
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……
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?
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’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.
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 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
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.
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…
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.
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.
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.
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!
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