Compiling a list of FG poor performance

McMurphy

mattser wrote: »

Gang crime began with this government ? Go for a walk in the fresh air will you.

They didn't say it started with FG, they said they are out of their depth and it could be said that they've lost control.

It's right there in the text that you quoted.

markodaly

Asitis2019 wrote: »

Varadkar has been a disappointment, and I predict that FG will lose the election. Anyone who knew Varadkar in his student days or before were in awe - he had such vision, and was single-minded in his pursuit of his career objectives. Since becoming Taoiseach, he has shown no vision and no leadership - and his performance has been poor. He has also showed a naivety and immaturity in developing relationships - in the North, in England, and throughout the world. Although Brexit has worked out well so far, I attribute 90%+ of that success to Simon Coveney and Helene McEntee

Varadkar being Taoiseach and Varadkar post Taoiseach are two different people. I personally think that his handlers have neutered him too much. He was better off being himself, rather than some creation.

Saying that, the campaign will be interesting. A good campaign will win him back power and last time out, Enda did a terrible campaign.

markodaly

People going on about crime, but is crime actually up?

What are the figures?

The Gardai certainly need reforming, and I believe that is happening already, but to the disappointment of some FF and Independant TD's, but lets not kid ourselves that this was an issue that came to being overnight. The Gardai needed a kick up the hole and reform for the guts of 40 years, but for legacy issues were left alone.

mattser

McMurphy wrote: »

They didn't say it started with FG, they said they are out of their depth and it could be said that they've lost control.

It's right there in the text that you quoted.

Fair point. But successive governments have been in place since gang crime started to fester.

Ulysses Gaze

markodaly wrote: »

How?

By offering lots of tax breaks to their builder buddies.

And we know where that lead to before....

markodaly

Ulysses Gaze wrote: »

By offering lots of tax breaks to their builder buddies.

And we know where that lead to before....

One thing we should caution in voting for FF is that house prices WILL rise.
They are sure to put alot of pressure on the Central Bank to 'review' the lending rules which will mean, the average house buyer will be able to get bigger mortgages which will result in higher house prices.

Be careful what you wish for.

_Kaiser_

markodaly wrote: »

One thing we should caution in voting for FF is that house prices WILL rise.
They are sure to put alot of pressure on the Central Bank to 'review' the lending rules which will mean, the average house buyer will be able to get bigger mortgages which will result in higher house prices.

Be careful what you wish for.

To be honest, while you're right, the way I look at it is this..

I tried to be sensible during the Tiger years and refused the half a mil pre-approved mortgage I was regularly offered (despite being on about 25-30k). I figured what was the point to be living a county or two away and what if I couldn't ever make the payments?

Instead I ended up renting and having to move every few years, and paying for others mistakes anyway in the recession years with nothing to show for it - even losing my own job for a year. All while others claimed they were duped or screamed poverty and could stay in their home without making the mortgage payments.

Now I'm on a lot more money but still stuck renting and commuting an hour each way because saving for a deposit is very tough when you're doing that and have a child to support - even though my mortgage for the place I'm renting would be about 2-300 less each month.

So if FF push for more help for people like me, or that rent payments can be taken as ability to repay, then absolutely will I support it. I get feck all else but have to pay for everything in addition to the high taxes.

Ha Long Bay

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

To be honest, while you're right, the way I look at it is this..

I tried to be sensible during the Tiger years and refused the half a mil pre-approved mortgage I was regularly offered (despite being on about 25-30k). I figured what was the point to be living a county or two away and what if I couldn't ever make the payments?

Instead I ended up renting and having to move every few years, and paying for others mistakes anyway in the recession years with nothing to show for it - even losing my own job for a year. All while others claimed they were duped or screamed poverty and could stay in their home without making the mortgage payments.

Now I'm on a lot more money but still stuck renting and commuting an hour each way because saving for a deposit is very tough when you're doing that and have a child to support - even though my mortgage for the place I'm renting would be about 2-300 less each month.

So if FF push for more help for people like me, or that rent payments can be taken as ability to repay, then absolutely will I support it. I get feck all else but have to pay for everything in addition to the high taxes.

Can I ask how you were regularly offered a pre-approved mortgage of 20 times your salary?

Idbatterim

markodaly wrote: »

One thing we should caution in voting for FF is that house prices WILL rise.
They are sure to put alot of pressure on the Central Bank to 'review' the lending rules which will mean, the average house buyer will be able to get bigger mortgages which will result in higher house prices.

Be careful what you wish for.

Regulator should tell them to do one! They are independent, that’s the point of them. Reduce construction related taxes.

_Kaiser_

john4321 wrote: »

Can I ask how you were regularly offered a pre-approved mortgage of 20 times your salary?

Beats me it was 15+ years ago now so my numbers may be a bit off but it was ridiculous amounts all the same. Even when I said no the next offer was for changing the car, or home improvement or a holiday.

My point is that trying to do the right thing in this country (when it comes to property and finance) seems to only make fools of people whereas those who fudged the numbers to qualify (pretty common in those days by adding in bonuses etc) or didn't think too much about it got their houses regardless.

Not again. It won't happen anyway because the EU won't allow it (regardless of what FF or FG or any of the others want), but there should have been mass repossessions and there weren't - partly why we are where we are now.

Ha Long Bay

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

Beats me it was 15+ years ago now so my numbers may be a bit off but it was ridiculous amounts all the same. Even when I said no the next offer was for changing the car, or home improvement or a holiday.

My point is that trying to do the right thing in this country (when it comes to property and finance) seems to only make fools of people whereas those who fudged the numbers to qualify (pretty common in those days by adding in bonuses etc) or didn't think too much about it got their houses regardless.

Not again. It won't happen anyway because the EU won't allow it (regardless of what FF or FG or any of the others want), but there should have been mass repossessions and there weren't - partly why we are where we are now.

What I meant was how did they offer this to you and what bank was it? Did you get a letter saying congratulations you have been pre-approved for a mortgage of 500k would you like to draw this down?

_Kaiser_

john4321 wrote: »

What I meant was how did they offer this to you and what bank was it? Did you get a letter saying congratulations you have been pre-approved for a mortgage of 500k would you like to draw this down?

AIB. At one point the calls were pretty much fortnightly. I guess because I was working in IT for one of the big US multinationals, I was considered to be a good bet.

The lesson for me was that I should have taken every cent they offered as I ended up paying for it anyway.

Idbatterim

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

Beats me it was 15+ years ago now so my numbers may be a bit off but it was ridiculous amounts all the same. Even when I said no the next offer was for changing the car, or home improvement or a holiday.

My point is that trying to do the right thing in this country (when it comes to property and finance) seems to only make fools of people whereas those who fudged the numbers to qualify (pretty common in those days by adding in bonuses etc) or didn't think too much about it got their houses regardless.

Not again. It won't happen anyway because the EU won't allow it (regardless of what FF or FG or any of the others want), but there should have been mass repossessions and there weren't - partly why we are where we are now.

It’s also the reason we have Europe’s highest interest rates. It’s also why it’s a scandal , that they price homes out of reach now for many. While they give them away to others! And allow others to choose whether or not they want to repay their mortgage. Banana republic. Of course the prudent here , got or get screwed

Ha Long Bay

Idbatterim wrote: »

It’s also the reason we have Europe’s highest interest rates. It’s also why it’s a scandal , that they price homes out of reach now for many. While they give them away to others! And allow others to choose whether or not they want to repay their mortgage. Banana republic. Of course the prudent here , got or get screwed

We don't though so why say make up facts that are not true?

Ha Long Bay

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

AIB. At one point the calls were pretty much fortnightly. I guess because I was working in IT for one of the big US multinationals, I was considered to be a good bet.

The lesson for me was that I should have taken every cent they offered as I ended up paying for it anyway.

So what you are saying is AIB rang you every 2 weeks offering you a mortgage of 500k when you were earning 20k per year even thought they would not have a clue who you were working for at the time?

twowheelsonly

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Once Fine Gael were convinced by others that special status for NI was the only game in town and moved away from dismissing it as Kenny had been doing, Simon Coveney did well along with Helen McEntee.

Coveney is another silver spooned bluffer IMO. He attended the recent talks in NI that brought back the Assembly but I wouldn't be giving him any great credit for being the instigator or even facilitator of that. The Nordies knew they had to get their house in order quickly with the whole Brexit shambles looming.

The only other thing I can remember him doing was introducing a tenant purchase scheme as Housing Minister. Some people might not agree with that scheme but I do as long as it works as it's supposed to - get rid of 20/30/40 year old stock and build new stock. The only trouble was that the small print precluded disabled people (in modified homes) from buying their properties which effectively was discrimination against that group.

Coveney looks well and talks a good talk, and he's actually a nice fella, but he really hasn't delivered a whole lot for a man that's been a TD for 22 years. He's had at least three ministerial posts AFAIR and prior to that a number of 'Spokesperson' posts but I honestly can't remember him doing anything of note at any stage.

twowheelsonly

twowheelsonly wrote: »

Coveney is another silver spooned bluffer IMO. He attended the recent talks in NI that brought back the Assembly but I wouldn't be giving him any great credit for being the instigator or even facilitator of that. The Nordies knew they had to get their house in order quickly with the whole Brexit shambles looming.

The only other thing I can remember him doing was introducing a tenant purchase scheme as Housing Minister. Some people might not agree with that scheme but I do as long as it works as it's supposed to - get rid of 20/30/40 year old stock and build new stock. The only trouble was that the small print precluded disabled people (in modified homes) from buying their properties which effectively was discrimination against that group.

Coveney looks well and talks a good talk, and he's actually a nice fella, but he really hasn't delivered a whole lot for a man that's been a TD for 22 years. He's had at least three ministerial posts AFAIR and prior to that a number of 'Spokesperson' posts but I honestly can't remember him doing anything of note at any stage.

Just two points on that; firstly, it excluded houses that had been adapted for disabled people, as the Council would have been the ones who paid for the work, and it'd be unfair for them to have a disabled person die, and their house be tied up by able-bodied family, whilst the council have to house someone else in (for argument sake) a wheelchair (ie; either having to carry out the same works again, or not having a suitable house for the disabled person due to budgetary issues).


So I can fully understand why they wouldn't want to sell that housing stock.


Secondly, the scheme has been around for about 20+ years and gets knocked off and turned on again every decade or so with a different set of rules. It wasn't his idea. It was just due to be run again.

FrancieBrady

twowheelsonly wrote: »

Coveney is another silver spooned bluffer IMO. He attended the recent talks in NI that brought back the Assembly but I wouldn't be giving him any great credit for being the instigator or even facilitator of that. The Nordies knew they had to get their house in order quickly with the whole Brexit shambles looming.

The only other thing I can remember him doing was introducing a tenant purchase scheme as Housing Minister. Some people might not agree with that scheme but I do as long as it works as it's supposed to - get rid of 20/30/40 year old stock and build new stock. The only trouble was that the small print precluded disabled people (in modified homes) from buying their properties which effectively was discrimination against that group.

Coveney looks well and talks a good talk, and he's actually a nice fella, but he really hasn't delivered a whole lot for a man that's been a TD for 22 years. He's had at least three ministerial posts AFAIR and prior to that a number of 'Spokesperson' posts but I honestly can't remember him doing anything of note at any stage.

There is a certain amount of self serving unawareness in this ^ post.
Firstly on the observance of what was actually happening in 'Nordie' land.
Republicans agreed a deal almost two years ago which the Unionist side walked away from. They were able to stay away from Stormont because of their sordid and anti the spirit of the GFA sweetheart deal with the Tories.

The reason a deal got done this week is simply because the Tories have finished with the need for DUP votes. Nothing else. The DUP had no cards to play really.

I wasn't praising Coveney for that anyway, I praised Coveney for his handling of the Brexit talks and position FG eventually took on it. Which, incidentally can be credited to some of those 'Nordies' too. If you read the Dail debates you will see Northern republicans vociferously calling for FG to seek special status for northern Ireland. Something Enda and Leo were not convinced of 3 years ago.

Idbatterim

john4321 wrote: »

We don't though so why say make up facts that are not true?

https://m.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/property-mortgages/new-buyers-pay-2000-a-year-more-than-rest-of-eurozone-38852318.html

Ha Long Bay

Idbatterim wrote: »

https://m.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/property-mortgages/new-buyers-pay-2000-a-year-more-than-rest-of-eurozone-38852318.html

That link does not back up your previous statement. Can you show me where we pay the highest mortgage rates in Europe or withdraw the previous statement?

jcon1913

171170 wrote: »

Correct.

Mad Dog McDowell was really enjoying being Tanaiste and Minister for Justice so, when the minor issue of Bertie's dodgy dig-outs cropped up, he completely copped out. Talked big, but when the opportunity came for him to show the Irish electorate that the Pee Dees genuinely stood for a different sort of politics, he was found lacking. I was delighted by his hissy fit when he lost his seat in the subsequent election!

A few reasons the PDs failed:
1. Most if not all PD TDs had alternatives lined up once they finished in politics - michel McDowell was back in the Four Courts within days, and was on the evening news with about 3 weeks for some case he was acting in. Tom Parlon was made head of the Construction Industry Federation - and so on. Contrast that to most FF TDs who had little or nothing to turn to when they were chucked out in the hammering they took a few elections back.

2. There was no leadership in the PDs once Mary Harney left - this was all part of the dynamic she built up in the PDs. To quote Michale Mc Dowell Mary Harney and Bertie ran the country from a ''handbag and a hip pocket''. That was before he was appointed as Minister for Justice of course.

3. Bertie Aherne gave the PDs everything they asked for - just like he did with every other sectoral interest. He wasn't a leader - he was an appeaser. That said Michael McDowell totally flunked when confronted with the hard decision on Bertie. Contrast that to Dessie O'Malley who took plenty and dished out plenty too at the Beef Tribunal, but who stood up to Albert Reynolds at the time IIRC.

4. We are living in a socialist country - the government collects and spends more than 50% of the income generated in this country if you ignore the transfers in to and out of the economy by multinationals who want to park profits here to get low tax, or who ship them on to stateless companies in other countries e.g. Bermuda.
5. This is all propped up by people who are paid from the public purse - teachers, nurses and other health workers, civil servants and the like. The salaries they are on created a middle class in this country which will always vote for this system. In the UK for example a guard or nurse is, by dint of income level, working class. In Ireland those workers are middle class due the fact that their earnings ( incl pensions etc ) are 120% of the equivalent workers in the private sector. Remember when the PDs mistakenly threatened to cut 25,000? The scramble by the other parties to condemn the cuts was very telling.

McMurphy

Michael Martin coming on to Newstalk now for anyone interested.


Edit after ten AM.

Snow Garden

twowheelsonly wrote: »

Coveney is another silver spooned bluffer IMO. He attended the recent talks in NI that brought back the Assembly but I wouldn't be giving him any great credit for being the instigator or even facilitator of that. The Nordies knew they had to get their house in order quickly with the whole Brexit shambles looming.

The only other thing I can remember him doing was introducing a tenant purchase scheme as Housing Minister. Some people might not agree with that scheme but I do as long as it works as it's supposed to - get rid of 20/30/40 year old stock and build new stock. The only trouble was that the small print precluded disabled people (in modified homes) from buying their properties which effectively was discrimination against that group.

Coveney looks well and talks a good talk, and he's actually a nice fella, but he really hasn't delivered a whole lot for a man that's been a TD for 22 years. He's had at least three ministerial posts AFAIR and prior to that a number of 'Spokesperson' posts but I honestly can't remember him doing anything of note at any stage.

Totally agree. I would give Coveney zero credit for NI or Brexit.
He is a bluffer. He falls flat in all probing interviews about tricky topics.
Even though Leo has been very poor in recent years, he is much more capable than Coveney.
FG made the right choice for Taoiseach and anyone was better than Enda.

Geuze

markodaly wrote: »

People going on about crime, but is crime actually up?

What are the figures?

https://www.cso.ie/en/statistics/crimeandjustice/

Idbatterim

Deleted User wrote: »

Just two points on that; firstly, it excluded houses that had been adapted for disabled people, as the Council would have been the ones who paid for the work, and it'd be unfair for them to have a disabled person die, and their house be tied up by able-bodied family, whilst the council have to house someone else in (for argument sake) a wheelchair (ie; either having to carry out the same works again, or not having a suitable house for the disabled person due to budgetary issues).


So I can fully understand why they wouldn't want to sell that housing stock.


Secondly, the scheme has been around for about 20+ years and gets knocked off and turned on again every decade or so with a different set of rules. It wasn't his idea. It was just due to be run again.

absolutely ridiculous idea, they shouldnt be sold off in the first place ! and certainly not for the giveaway prices they are!

markodaly

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

To be honest, while you're right, the way I look at it is this..

I tried to be sensible during the Tiger years and refused the half a mil pre-approved mortgage I was regularly offered (despite being on about 25-30k). I figured what was the point to be living a county or two away and what if I couldn't ever make the payments?

Instead I ended up renting and having to move every few years, and paying for others mistakes anyway in the recession years with nothing to show for it - even losing my own job for a year. All while others claimed they were duped or screamed poverty and could stay in their home without making the mortgage payments.

Now I'm on a lot more money but still stuck renting and commuting an hour each way because saving for a deposit is very tough when you're doing that and have a child to support - even though my mortgage for the place I'm renting would be about 2-300 less each month.

So if FF push for more help for people like me, or that rent payments can be taken as ability to repay, then absolutely will I support it. I get feck all else but have to pay for everything in addition to the high taxes.

From a personal point of view that is all well and good. But we have seen what FF style, 'one for everyone in the audience' type policies does for the country over the long term. Crash and burn. As I said, be careful for what you wish for.

Idbatterim

such a rock and hard place! I see saw between who are the less ****, FF or FG. The boom bust here, creates multiple problems. I would trust FG to keep things more in check. If FF get in and housing starts escalating in price, that just makes things worse. I really know what they propose with affordable housing etc, if its just more waffle. Ill probably begrudgingly vote FG. Or I might give FG candidates my higher preference and FF lower ones. The best case scenario is giving FFG a strong mandate in my opinion. The independents and other smaller parties are a total waste of time!

blanch152

FrancieBrady wrote: »

There is a certain amount of self serving unawareness in this ^ post.
Firstly on the observance of what was actually happening in 'Nordie' land.
Republicans agreed a deal almost two years ago which the Unionist side walked away from. They were able to stay away from Stormont because of their sordid and anti the spirit of the GFA sweetheart deal with the Tories.

The reason a deal got done this week is simply because the Tories have finished with the need for DUP votes. Nothing else. The DUP had no cards to play really.

I wasn't praising Coveney for that anyway, I praised Coveney for his handling of the Brexit talks and position FG eventually took on it. Which, incidentally can be credited to some of those 'Nordies' too. If you read the Dail debates you will see Northern republicans vociferously calling for FG to seek special status for northern Ireland. Something Enda and Leo were not convinced of 3 years ago.

Revisionism writ large.

Three years ago, getting the whole of the UK into the SM and CU was still a reasonable target and objective and a much better outcome for both North and South.

Irish voters do need to be reminded of that SF position, because what it amounted to was sell the economy in the South down the river because we want a united Ireland at all costs.

_Kaiser_

So Saturday 8th is the big day per the IT.

That doesn't leave much/any? time though if people need to update their registry entry.

McMurphy

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

So Saturday 8th is the big day per the IT.

That doesn't leave much/any? time though if people need to update their registry entry.

I wonder why they opted for a Saturday vote, I don't remember ever voting on a Saturday before.