The Official (State of the nation, enda kenny speech thread)

RobitTV

Enda kenny is due to give his speech in the next few mins, opinions after.

desaparecidos

EU flag not necessary.

Nalz

desaparecidos wrote: »

EU flag not necessary.

Does it really matter?

Deminiman

'You are not responsible for this crisis"

Were we ever blaming ourselves Enda?

I think not!

desaparecidos

Trilla wrote: »

Does it really matter?

Everything in frame is there for a reason. I don't see the need for it.

RobitTV

Ahh yes, our new leaders are there. the EU

no wonder the flag is there

kev9100

desaparecidos wrote: »

EU flag not necessary.

Actually, it kind of is.

kyote00

German flag missing

Nalz

desaparecidos wrote: »

Everything in frame is there for a reason. I don't see the need for it.

Like the glass and the press and the picture frame etc? Listen to the speech

JP Liz V1

"Jobs for our people" i.e. Ciaran Conlon

omerin

Spoof, spoof and a bit more spoof. Cuts to effect the ordinary (wo)man today, but cuts to effect the political elite some time in the future or never.

Never before has so few owed so much to so few

JonathanAnon

I bet the camera scrolls up at the end and reveals a picture of Adolf Hitler..

Seth Brundle

Key points:
* "You are not responsible"
* PS costs to reduce by 2.2bn
* require an additional 1.6bn in taxes, mainly through indirect taxation
* long way to go
* budget will be tough (it has to be tough)
* jobs creation will be focus of budget
* by 2015 - deficit under control & growth in jobs
* lending schemes for businesses
* will protect most vulnerable in society
* will invest in crucial programmes, e.g. NCH & schools
* phones & allowances of former Taoisigh gone
* referendum to abolish seanad next year
* Ireland supports Europe


All in all, a good State of the Nation speech. Something we've needed for a while.

irishh_bob

desaparecidos wrote: »

EU flag not necessary.

is it me or is the tri colour a bit lifeless looking while the EU one has a more shiney glow ?

omerin

I'm dosing off, he doesn't exactly inspire confidence. No verve, no spark..... nothing

Spudmonkey

Don't think he's doing too bad.

ongarite

Wasn't bad.
I would be well drunk if I had to have a sip of the drink everytime he said the word "jobs"

keysersoze0330

Bad and all as it is, at least he is addressing the nation. Cowen was a buffoon that couldn't even let us know what was going on.

kellogscoffey

omerin wrote: »

I'm dosing off, he doesn't exactly inspire confidence. No verve, no spark..... nothing

I suppose next year we'll ask him to crack out the juggling balls and spinning disks :pac:

MisterEpicurus

People need to be informed about the state of the nation and Kenny has delivered that tonight. He may not be the most inspiring orator, but he has laid out the past, present and future endeavours for the program for government. Brian Cowen slipped into the background as the crisis unfolded, and never addressed the nation. Kudo's to Kenny for doing it in the first place, and second, he didn't do too bad.

maddragon

Feel good now. If Enda can be Taoiseach, I see no reason why I can't be the intergalactic president.

Har0ld x9

To be honest, i think Enda spoke well and echoing the comments of any earlier poster at least we are now getting some communication from those in the know!

flutered

he is just after announcing a new bank note will be in circulation within 40 days ( or sooner if they can regig the printing presses ) it is to be named the merkosey .

omerin

Even if the government knows that the UK will be increasing their VAT rate in the very near future this decision is one of the worst made in recent years, and jesus we've had some clangers. More then likely they see the Euro callapsing in value compared to the £, but up to and including the working poor this will hit hard. Also the prospect of lost taxes to the North. Would like to see someone in power with a bit of common sense and vision to do something

Blair

I didn’t want to hear it but like most of us I had too. Thought he laid it out quite well.

Pride Fighter

Enda's not the worst, he's not the best either.

Very boring speech and nothing we dont already know. But at least he's facing up to reality and trying to ensure we'll follow, while at the same time trying to be positive to create a good market sentiment so people will invest in.

thebman

kbannon wrote: »

Key points:
* "You are not responsible"
* PS costs to reduce by 2.2bn
* require an additional 1.6bn in taxes, mainly through indirect taxation
* long way to go
* budget will be tough (it has to be tough)
* jobs creation will be focus of budget
* by 2015 - deficit under control & growth in jobs
* lending schemes for businesses
* will protect most vulnerable in society
* will invest in crucial programmes, e.g. NCH & schools
* phones & allowances of former Taoisigh gone
* referendum to abolish seanad next year
* Ireland supports Europe


All in all, a good State of the Nation speech. Something we've needed for a while.

Did you have this prepared in advance or something :P

Job creation is a bit of a joke, we can't create jobs in the current climate of tax cuts etc..

Job creation will only slow the rate of overall job losses IMO and theres, hence the growth in jobs by 2015 point.

Phones and allowance of former Taoisigh gone, how about all current sitting TD's? Only vouched expenses would be a nice start, progressing to all expenses capped at reasonable levels.

Thought it was a good speech overall but hollow words if the our political systems aren't actually reformed to ensure such morally corrupt governance and failed political systems are allowed to continue.

Abolishing the Seanad will achieve what like? It is not as if the Seanad caused the crisis. We need to get some proper political reforms.

Seth Brundle

Typing as he spoke.

I agree though that a lot more needs to be done.
Still pleased that we have a leader who will keep us informed rather than give a few crappy soundbytes whilst otherwise hiding away like Cowen.

K-9

Pretty uninspiring and pointless tbh. We'll hear it all again on budget day. PR campaign to give us some of the budget details considering half of Europe knows it already.

Silvio.Dante

Was that it..? We learned nothing. Jog on Enda FFS...

Eliot Rosewater

"Let me say this to you all: you are not responsible for the crisis."

Did Mr Kenny miss the part where the Irish population voted in Fianna Fail three times? Did he miss the part where the same population consistently demanded unsustainable increased spending and lower taxes from their representatives? Did he miss the part where FG and Labour, pandering to those demands, produced manifestos in 2007 offering many freebies (including laptops for kids) and less tax?

On another thread I criticised the unwillingness of Irish parties to stand up to the electorate. Here we have it again. Kenny tells a population that desired unsustainable economic policies and that now stubbornly resists all kind of spending rationalisation that they've no responsibility for the budget crisis at all.

Are we going to learn from our mistakes? If Kenny's opinion is widespread then the answer to that is a definite no.

Silvio.Dante

Eliot Rosewater wrote: »

"Let me say this to you all: you are not responsible for the crisis."

Did Mr Kenny miss the part where the Irish population voted in Fianna Fail three times?

Here we go again...:rolleyes:

hollingr

what I wanted to hear:

"Next week we will be introducing new legislation to tackle existing public service pension contracts, so that they may be revised downwards drastically. You will no longer be able to claim multiple public service pensions and some semblance of fairness will be restored between the public and private pension imbalance."

what actually happened:
"look how far I can get this EU flag pole up me arse"

thebouldwhacker

Hollow and empty of any meaningful content. I must admit I thought he would lay out a credible 4 year plan instead he delivered a party political broadcast akin to one before an election, how much time was spent talking about himself?
State of the nation should be neutral, about the country, about the specifics. it wasn't a state of the nation, it was an apology for the budget to come...
Waste of time imo.

steelcityblues

Summary: "if you are young and hard working, get out, because we can't really be arsed in standing up for the country."

laoch na mona

you are not responsible but your gona pay

Xenophile

flutered wrote: »

he is just after announcing a new bank note will be in circulation within 40 days ( or sooner if they can regig the printing presses ) it is to be named the merkosey .

I was relieved to see the European flag, as reading the papers today it would appear that many journalists and columnists want Kenny to declare war on France and Germany.


Please let's get friendy or intimate even with the new currency, lets call it the "Nican".

All and all a very good pre budget speech. Stating reality which showed he is in touch with the public perception as to how we really are as a nation.

bmaxi

Doesn't matter what he said, we can't believe a word anyway.

thebman

steelcityblues wrote: »

Summary: "if you are young and hard working, get out, because we can't really be arsed in standing up for the country."

I can't remember that part :P

But if you are young, hard working and have qualifications, looking elsewhere as opposed to starting a career in a country that isn't going to take about 60% if not more of everything you earn and spend might not be a bad idea presuming the opportunities are available elsewhere.

meglome

Deminiman wrote: »

'You are not responsible for this crisis"

Were we ever blaming ourselves Enda?

I think not!

I believe a lot of people were blaming the Germans for some reason. They seem to have forgotten we voted for the policies that led us into the mess repeatedly.

K-9

Eliot Rosewater wrote: »

Did Mr Kenny miss the part where the Irish population voted in Fianna Fail three times? Did he miss the part where the same population consistently demanded unsustainable increased spending and lower taxes from their representatives? Did he miss the part where FG and Labour, pandering to those demands, produced manifestos in 2007 offering many freebies (including laptops for kids) and less tax?

Well he can't also blame FG & Labour voters but what you are saying is pretty correct.

Silvio.Dante wrote: »

Here we go again...:rolleyes:

When 80% of the electorate vote for FF, FG and Labour as they did from 97-07, she's pretty correct.

Liam Byrne

Xenophile wrote: »

All and all a very good pre budget speech. Stating reality which showed he is in touch with the public perception as to how we really are as a nation.

Yeah - comparing what he's doing to what households do was really "in touch"; a household cuts spending and doesn't get to manufacture extra income by screwing people.

Plus the claims re reform were a joke considering the news of him breaching caps.

Make the cuts FIRST and THEN if there's still a deficit we'll consider contributing more.

rodento

Who got voted off the X factor:D

steelcityblues

rodento wrote: »

Who got voted off the X factor:D

Enda Kenny, yet again.

MadYaker

Jobs? Lol. You can't create jobs and take that much money out of the economy at the same time. Our economy is going to contract further next year and there is still the huge variable that is the euro crisis. No growth in economy = no new jobs.

Drumpot

Har0ld x9 wrote: »

To be honest, i think Enda spoke well and echoing the comments of any earlier poster at least we are now getting some communication from those in the know!

Maybe the 40% pay increase for his mate was worth it!

Xenophile

Eliot Rosewater wrote: »

"Let me say this to you all: you are not responsible for the crisis."

Did Mr Kenny miss the part where the Irish population voted in Fianna Fail three times? Did he miss the part where the same population consistently demanded unsustainable increased spending and lower taxes from their representatives? Did he miss the part where FG and Labour, pandering to those demands, produced manifestos in 2007 offering many freebies (including laptops for kids) and less tax?

On another thread I criticised the unwillingness of Irish parties to stand up to the electorate. Here we have it again. Kenny tells a population that desired unsustainable economic policies and that now stubbornly resists all kind of spending rationalisation that they've no responsibility for the budget crisis at all.

Are we going to learn from our mistakes? If Kenny's opinion is widespread then the answer to that is a definite no.

True,but at this time a little soft soaping is better for a people who are fragile and bruised.

Drumpot

Just watching the speech now on tv3.

It's gone over its allocated time so when I click on my sky button it says "the bone collector" as kenny speaks !

Sir Oxman

Absolutely nothing new and no inspiration given.
This was a waste of a national address and as others have said it smacks of a pre-budget apology, which is simply not good enough.

PRAF

Who'd be a politician right now, you are damned if you do and damned if you don't.

Trying to create jobs - not enough and not quickly enough
Trying to reform politics - not enough and not quickly enough
Trying to cut the excesses at the top of the public sector - not enough and not quickly enough
Trying to get a better deal for Ireland - not enough and not quickly enough
Trying to communicate to the people - don't believe you and don't like you

Ok, it wasn't a life changing speech but give the guy a break. What do people really expect? The unfortunate truth is that FF signed us up to a very austere multi year deal with the EU / ECB / IMF, there is very little wriggle room from that, and there is huge uncertainty around the future of the Euro.

Drumpot

When kenny said "the truth is our economy is broken" I honestly thought for a second that he was going to say "the truth is our economy is f##ked"