Issues for GE2020

KWAG2019

Let's get a snapshot of the issues Boards.ie think will dominate the GE2020. I'm, going for rent, homelessness and the HSE. It will be interesting to see how close we are to the national picture later.

Salary Negotiator

Those and Brexit will be what fills the pages but mostly it’ll be who filled the potholes or got someone a medical card.

Insurance costs, housing and healthcare

KWAG2019

Let's get a snapshot of the issues Boards.ie think will dominate the GE2020. I'm, going for rent, homelessness and the HSE. It will be interesting to see how close we are to the national picture later.

I know my list isn't exhaustive but this is snapshot, not scientific.

PS It seems you can only pick one; if a mod can let me know if this can be amended...?

tom1ie

HSE trolley crisis, and what each party plans to do about it.
The transport strategy for the Dublin area and if each party thinks they can speed up the delivery by the nta.
The environmental plan for the country and if each party plan to raise taxes.
The gap in the state pension eligibility age and the actual retirement age of 65 in most workplaces.
That's just off the top of my head.

banie01

The National Issues are almost always on the back burner when it comes to our G.E's.

It will be the candidates that have the "best" local profile, along with their party being perceived as "least bad" that are returned, with the only likely shocks being FG losses.

FG have over the course of their tenure, but in particular with their performance over the last 8/9 months made a rod for the own back that will lead to a time in opposition.

Unfortunately despite the Irish penchant for coalition, we don't have viable opposition parties.
The 2 mains are quite centrist and the others are still quite fragmented apart from SF.
Which will lead to growth for FF and coalition.

Regarding homelessness, Ireland's drastic climb in homelessness both the real people affected and those peddled by the industry that developed.
Have their origins in the banning of the bedsit with shared facilities originally introduced by FF/Greens at a time of low rental demand and falling rates across the country.

How no-one in Government either at the time of drafting the legislation or its introduction didn't foresee how a glut of mainly middle and single people on low incomes, suddenly being unable to rent bedsits and now chasing the same studio and 1/2 bed starters as the young couples starting out wasn't going to lead to a huge supply crunch is frankly ludicrous.

That FG's "blue-sky" thinking to address those failings is allowing shared living is a symptom of this governments apathy.

Health is an abomination. There is much that can be said but suffice it to say that in my in my opinion when adding money to a system leads to a rise in managers, rather than resources dedicated to patients.
There is a fundamental leadership and strategic failing in the HSE and not just the Minister.

The swing-gate/Farrell insurance controversy and the current RIC debacle, where our Taoseaich will waffle on about Megxit rather than address and acknowledge the huge error FG made in trying to approach our Colonial/Occupied heritage is going to hugely impact FG.

That said, they survived Big Phil and IW.

Politics in Ireland at a National level has been deprived of vigour by our need to remain stable whilst Brexit was negotiated.

In any other time in our history, I honestly could not imagine an opposition not forcing at least the ouster of the Taoseaich, let alone a G.E for the myriad of competency failings over the last couple of years of FGs governance.

ChikiChiki

HsE and in particular scale backs of mental health funding. Suicide rates are far too high.

Lack of housing supply
Insurance premiums

There are a lot more and I'm going to document them in detail over the next week. Want to be prepared to read the riot act to the first FG TD that comes knocking.

banie01

ChikiChiki wrote: »

HsE and in particular scale backs of mental health funding.
Suicide rates are far too high.

Not only is the suicide rate too high, it is drastically under reported.

There is an onerous burden of evidence required for a death to be registered as a suicide, rather than as misadventure.

We need to get past the Catholic stigma surrounding suicide and address the numbers honestly and accurately.

tom1ie

banie01 wrote: »

Not only is the suicide rate too high, it is drastically under reported.

There is an onerous burden of evidence required for a death to be registered as a suicide, rather than as misadventure.

We need to get past the Catholic stigma surrounding suicide and address the numbers honestly and accurately.

Agreed, but one thing I think leads to high suicide rates is all the other issues, high rates, state of health etc etc.
All of these things need to be tackled.

Calhoun

Its going to be interesting, while i think some of the larger issues will be ever present i think there is a level of apathy towards them as in its another chapter of the same.

The larger issues that will come up will be, health, housing, and possibly the state of the insurance market. Depending on the geography of the country you could see questions being asked about the DP centers and the handling of them.

FG in particular will start being allot more vulnerable to how well off are people that are voting them in. We are far enough away from the last FF government where its evident that this is probably as good as it gets under them.

Personal item for me that ill be interested in is the special education support from a health and education perspective.

Eric Cartman

Ill be asking if any candidate plans to lower taxes or commercial rates , are they against hate speech laws and up for relaxing planning on one off houses again. Whoever can tick most of my boxes will get my vote.

Thelonious Monk

Eric Cartman wrote: »

Ill be asking if any candidate plans to lower taxes or commercial rates , are they against hate speech laws and up for relaxing planning on one off houses again. Whoever can tick most of my boxes will get my vote.

Why would you want more one off housing with all the issues they cause?

Salary Negotiator

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Why would you want more one off housing with all the issues they cause?

And coupled with lower taxes.

It’s like he wants a dilution of services.

MadYaker

One off housing is a huge problem and makes it really difficult and expensive to provide public services effectively. It should be discouraged not encouraged.

It'll be the usuals. HSE, housing and insurance costs being the main ones.

Calhoun

They need to make it so you shouldn't need or desire one off houses. Of all the problems we have one off housing while an issue would not be a major one.

Clarence Boddiker

Immigration, health, housing.

Clarence Boddiker

No room for immigration on the list?

Eoinbmw

World war 3?

franglan

Climate change and the environment could well make top 3 of some people's hot topics.

Sheeps

Housing/Homelessness and Rent are the biggest issues for me. Fine Gael have had an appalling record on a lot of stuff on that list, but I don't care anymore. I'll vote for the single party with the best solution for housing.

Snow Garden

HSE
- Cervical Check Scandal
- Trolley Crisis
- Children's Hospital delays and costs
- Waiting lists
- Public v Private
- Consultants

Insurance fraud and Expense fraud

Calhoun

Snow Garden wrote: »

HSE
- Cervical Check Scandal
- Trolley Crisis
- Children's Hospital delays and costs
- Waiting lists
- Public v Private
- Consultants

Insurance fraud and Expense fraud

There is so much crap that goes on you forget it all, could be quite bloody.

Beasty

2x threads with the same title (and started by the same user!) merged

markodaly

Snow Garden wrote: »

HSE
- Cervical Check Scandal
- Trolley Crisis
- Children's Hospital delays and costs
- Waiting lists
- Public v Private
- Consultants

Insurance fraud and Expense fraud

An interesting list.

Do you favor a Universal Health Service that is public only?
If so, are you prepared to pay an extra €3,000 worth of taxes per year?

FG advocated such a plan by the way, but when costs were revealed, the backed away. I see no party at the moment advocating these new taxes.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/universal-health-insurance-could-cost-up-to-3-000-for-adult-1.2265824

markodaly

banie01 wrote: »

The National Issues are almost always on the back burner when it comes to our G.E's.

It will be the candidates that have the "best" local profile, along with their party being perceived as "least bad" that are returned, with the only likely shocks being FG losses.

FG have over the course of their tenure, but in particular with their performance over the last 8/9 months made a rod for the own back that will lead to a time in opposition.

Unfortunately despite the Irish penchant for coalition, we don't have viable opposition parties.
The 2 mains are quite centrist and the others are still quite fragmented apart from SF.
Which will lead to growth for FF and coalition.

Regarding homelessness, Ireland's drastic climb in homelessness both the real people affected and those peddled by the industry that developed.
Have their origins in the banning of the bedsit with shared facilities originally introduced by FF/Greens at a time of low rental demand and falling rates across the country.

How no-one in Government either at the time of drafting the legislation or its introduction didn't foresee how a glut of mainly middle and single people on low incomes, suddenly being unable to rent bedsits and now chasing the same studio and 1/2 bed starters as the young couples starting out wasn't going to lead to a huge supply crunch is frankly ludicrous.

That FG's "blue-sky" thinking to address those failings is allowing shared living is a symptom of this governments apathy.

Health is an abomination. There is much that can be said but suffice it to say that in my in my opinion when adding money to a system leads to a rise in managers, rather than resources dedicated to patients.
There is a fundamental leadership and strategic failing in the HSE and not just the Minister.

The swing-gate/Farrell insurance controversy and the current RIC debacle, where our Taoseaich will waffle on about Megxit rather than address and acknowledge the huge error FG made in trying to approach our Colonial/Occupied heritage is going to hugely impact FG.

That said, they survived Big Phil and IW.

Politics in Ireland at a National level has been deprived of vigour by our need to remain stable whilst Brexit was negotiated.

In any other time in our history, I honestly could not imagine an opposition not forcing at least the ouster of the Taoseaich, let alone a G.E for the myriad of competency failings over the last couple of years of FGs governance.

Some great points.

The next government will either be a minority government or a coalition.

Since PR systems pretty much always throw up coalitions, we in Ireland need to get used to the idea of blocks and deals and IMO such deals should be made before elections.

I heard an interesting item on Pat Kenny on Friday when he was talking to Michael Taft, who was advocating a left alternative block, that is all the left-wing parties come together to form a block and go forward in GE 2020 on a common platform, which if then voted in, will form a government without FF or FG.

A very interesting idea, but given the Irish lefts inability to work together very unlikely, yet you will see the same people moan about FF and FG always being in power...

I may make another thread of it actually, as it warrants attention and scrutiny.

Sheeps

A left wing alliance in Ireland will never happen, because the far left are all insane anger merchants with no real program for government. Sinn Féin are the only viable option of anyone more left than Labour/Soc Dems, but nobody will vote for them because of their history and weak leadership.

I say this as someone who wont vote Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil.

Calhoun

Sheeps wrote: »

A left wing alliance in Ireland will never happen, because the far left are all insane anger merchants with no real program for government. Sinn Féin are the only viable option of anyone more left than Labour/Soc Dems, but nobody will vote for them because of their history and weak leadership.

I say this as someone who wont vote Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil.

You only have to look at the Soc Democrats and the local election debacle, outside of the two leaders it doesn't look like very stable ground.

Larbre34

For the vast majority of people it will be none of the above. It'll be property tax, planning for the kids houses on the land, inheritance tax, USC reform and créche fees. The problems of a fully employed electorate.

KWAG2019

Beasty wrote: »

2x threads with the same title (and started by the same user!) merged

Thank you! The poll bamboozled me!

suicide_circus

A party with a focus on the following will get my vote

1. Public transport - the lack of good quality reliable PT has a big knock-on effect and if you get it right i reckon a lot of other things will fall into place.

2. Child care costs - i dont have kids but the fact that having a child or two in daycare is the equivalent to a second mortgage is a slap in the face to young working couples.

3. Insurance - a hammer needs to be taken to the unholy trinity of the legal profession, insurance cartel and the claim happy public.



I dont even bother mentioning the health system because i dont believe there is a politician who can fix it.

banie01

Sheeps wrote: »

A left wing alliance in Ireland will never happen, because the far left are all insane anger merchants with no real program for government. Sinn Féin are the only viable option of anyone more left than Labour/Soc Dems, but nobody will vote for them because of their history and weak leadership.

I say this as someone who wont vote Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil.

Labour; I have the misfortune of knowing Alan Kelly and he is a perfect illustration of promotion beyond one's ability or competence. If he is amongst Labours "best" they really are in terminal decline.
They will however receive a vote from me for their candidate in my Constituency as she is quite a competent TD with a good team. Not a No.1 tho

FF; Again a vote for them in my Constituency is very much a vote for the local party apparatus.
Willie O'Dea has a team in Limerick that would put the Healy Rae's to shame.
James Collins if IIRC is second on the ticket here, no doubt Willie will likely be my no.1.

FG; Noonan is retiring, his replacement is FG creation and she has already been involved in claims of corrupt practice for issues that arise whilst she was in local government.

Apart from Sinn Fein who will see Quinlavan comfortably returned.
The rest of the parties in the Limerick Constituency are an incoherent mess.
Brian Leddin will likely run a strong campaign but won't make the cut.

The Soc Dems and various protest and independence candidates are really wasted votes.
There is no hope of a stable leftist coalition, the politics of many on this side of the spectrum quickly devolve to identity and idealogy rather than practical policy.

Unfortunately, the above choices highlight what I feel is a failing in the Irish voting system.
National policy and issues devolve upon locally selected and elected candidates.

We generally don't vote for National policy, we vote for the most efficient local apparatus.
Perhaps it's time for a party list system?

Remove the "local" aspect from GE's and vote for party and policy.