Election called for Saturday 8 February

Plumbthedepths

Calhoun wrote: »

Will be interesting to see how SF numbers do after this one, the didn't do as well in the locals as they are no longer the protest vote.

The rarely rise to their polling, should be interesting to see if they buck it this time.

Millionaire only not

ChikiChiki wrote: »

Simon Harris is a such a weasel. Absolutely abhorrent at his job.

Laying into Stephen Donnelly who has worked professionally fixing health systems across the world for Accenture.

I think Stephen is clearly better placed to work through Slaintecare.

I wouldn’t let Donnelly wash a car ! All talk and doesn’t even need Lyons tea bags

Millionaire only not

retalivity wrote: »

A failed journalism student, running the dept of health at 30.
The mind boggles.

Didn’t he do well for himself !

James Brown

I think the poll is a positive. We need FG and FF to get a spanking.
Imagine if this poll was even close to the election result? Be great to see the public finally say they've had enough of the cancers FF/FG.
I think keeping SF out of the debate might work for them. People are sick of the FG bluster and well FF...
Maybe FG will be SF's junior

James Brown

Millionaire only not wrote: »

Didn’t he do well for himself !

Didn't work out great for the country. FG obviously going for the young bright lights. What wasters Leo, Simon and Eoghan turned out to be although no surprise there Leo wise.

So we can expect SF to go into hiding...you know because they don't want to get elected. What went so wrong?

markodaly

People are deluded if they think SF are going to get anywhere near 20% come election time.

christy c

markodaly wrote: »

People are deluded if they think SF are going to get anywhere near 20% come election time.

I certainly hope you're right, particularly hope their idiotic idea regarding retirement age doesn't have anything to do with their rise in tonights pole.

markodaly

Two weeks before the last GE, SF polled 20% in a Red C poll, but they ended up with 13%.
They will be doing well, if the remain as they are IMO.

However, the election appears to be all about give aways and the general Irish public being rather stupid in that respect may like what they hear.
Of course, in government, it will be a very different prospect. FF and SF in government would be ineteresting and would give FG free reign at both. It would also destroy SF electorially, like Labour before them.

Billcarson

christy c wrote: »

I certainly hope you're right, particularly hope their idiotic idea regarding retirement age doesn't have anything to do with their rise in tonights pole.

Or perhaps plenty of people have had enough of ff and fg. Is it that difficult to understand?

christy c

Billcarson wrote: »

Or perhaps plenty of people have had enough of ff and fg. Is it that difficult to understand?

What are you waffling about? I said I hope the rise in support does not have anything to do with the pension nonsense. How do you know what it is related to?

Billcarson

christy c wrote: »

What are you waffling about? I said I hope the rise in support does not have anything to do with the pension nonsense. How do you know what it is related to?

Getting tetchy eh? Htf do I know? I'm just saying it could well be that. I said 'perhaps '.
Personally speaking I'm sick of ff and fg ,that's why I will vote for sf.

christy c

Billcarson wrote: »

Getting tetchy eh? Htf do I know,I'm just saying it could well be that.
Personally speaking I'm sick of ff and fg ,that's why I will vote for sf.

Tetchy? No, just was a response to a stupid question.

I'm sick of FG and FF too, but best of a bad lot for me. Each to their own

Billcarson

christy c wrote: »

Tetchy? No, just was a response to a stupid question.

I'm sick of FG and FF too, but best of a bad lot for me. Each to their own

Dont see how the hell it was stupid question. Anyway it will be interesting to see what happens.
Regards.

Calhoun

I think if anything its anyones to play for right now, FG opened fairly badly because the removal literally of a homeless man by a bulldozer highlighted how bad things have gotten.

Who knows what else will come out of the wood work before the end, say what you want about the horse trading and promises . The public are watching to see who they will do better with.

cosybeach

Does it matter when the high rate of tax is below the average industrial wage and none of the parties are not talking about this more focus on the welfare state that where the votes are

Millionaire only not

I think the pension issue is raising its head and rightly so
Just as a middle aged person is seeing retirement in the headlights , there pushing Oap out because the country can’t afford it !
But there introducing or considering free meals and book for schools , guess what his kids are gone from school ! That same generation lived through austerity, hit with the house tax could be in the negative equity category etc !
Anyway the point being there’s a portion of society at an age it’s going to hit ! And retaliation by them might not help Leo see he’s next term !
I’m getting nauseous at idea of greens and labour back !
I can live with independents there opportunist- and fair play to them !

Wanderer78

cosybeach wrote:

Does it matter when the high rate of tax is below the average industrial wage and none of the parties are not talking about this more focus on the welfare state that where the votes are

Again, we don't live in a welfare state, we have a plain vanilla free market economy

Yurt2

cosybeach wrote: »

Does it matter when the high rate of tax is below the average industrial wage and none of the parties are not talking about this more focus on the welfare state that where the votes are

I think a third tax bracket in between the higher and lower rate might ease the burden on those on the middle-income strata. people on 30-40k (or even as far as 50k) shouldn't be on the highest rate of PAYE.

These are the people struggling to put together a deposit, trying to pay exorbitant rents, or if they own a property; just about keeping their heads above water servicing a mortgage. As well as paying for health insurance, car insurance, childcare etc and getting stung with a pretty high tax bill.

ThunbergsAreGo

ChikiChiki wrote: »

Simon Harris is a such a weasel. Absolutely abhorrent at his job.

Laying into Stephen Donnelly who has worked professionally fixing health systems across the world for Accenture.

I think Stephen is clearly better placed to work through Slaintecare.

Working for Accenture should disqualify you from office and is in no way a sign that he is competent

ThunbergsAreGo

Matt Barrett wrote: »

I think the poll is a positive. We need FG and FF to get a spanking.
Imagine if this poll was even close to the election result? Be great to see the public finally say they've had enough of the cancers FF/FG.
I think keeping SF out of the debate might work for them. People are sick of the FG bluster and well FF...
Maybe FG will be SF's junior

Yeah enough of FG and FF, while being the two largest parties. If that the case what just the public view of the greens be

Yurt2

ThunbergsAreGo wrote: »

Working for Accenture should disqualify you from office and is in no way a sign that he is competent

It was actually McKinsey he was a consultant for. Which, in fairness, is a top-tier global consultancy firm. A world away from implementing a new IT system for a Musgraves with Accenture.


He's also a graduate of the Harvard School of Government. Like him or don't like him, but he's not an idiot at all.


*Undecided voter

smurgen

ThunbergsAreGo wrote: »

Working for Accenture should disqualify you from office and is in no way a sign that he is competent

Why? FG seem to outsource most of their decision making process to the big 4 anyway at a great cost to the taxpayer.we might as well have then in government at this stage.

ThunbergsAreGo

smurgen wrote: »

Why? FG seem to outsource most of their decision making process to the big 4 anyway at a great cost to the taxpayer.we might as well have then in government at this stage.

Not entirely a serious comment but having worked there, experience with Accenture is in no way a guarantee of competence.....

.... Anyways, wrong firm.

Mad_maxx

Idbatterim wrote: »

Ff looking to buy off society’s most comfortable again? Heard that rat from limerick on the radio earlier, the one always trying to buy the pensioners off. Wants to lower retirement age. We have a pension timebomb ticking and ff as usual want to pour more fuel on the flames. I started a thread on how poor fg had been. I’m banned from the politics forum for one too many attacks on varadkar. I had even contemplated voting ff as fg were so poor , over the last few days , it is clear to me , that decision would have been insanity. Ff just talking about spend spend spend again , taxpayers money and giving it to everyone but the taxpayers. As **** as fg are , the last few days have made them a hell of a lot more palatable to me than ff. If you vote ff , I’ll be here to remind you , when the entire **** comes crashing down again. They’ll get out with their big pensions etc and it will be the private sector workers done Again , as usual !

FF have always been the party of giveaways

Phoebas

Wherever he worked before, he wasn't working last night; he was rounded on by all the other panelists.

FF are reported this morning as promising to 'defer' the rise in the pension age. That's a real shame because it's a nettle that needs to be grasped. If FG are now the last party standing by the age change, I doubt they'll be able to hold the line.
Strange because today the various parties are outlining their green policies, which is largely about making painful changes now to prevent worse pain down the road.

suicide_circus

as someone in my 30s who was working part time from the age of 15, i've known for a long time that i wouldnt be getting a sniff of pension until i was at least 70 and probably older. It's the trade off for living longer.

smurgen

suicide_circus wrote: »

as someone in my 30s who was working part time from the age of 15, i've known for a long time that i wouldnt be getting a sniff of pension until i was at least 70 and probably older. It's the trade off for living longer.

Here's hoping we have functional health systems when we hit pension age. Also would love to see the pension age for politicians be brought in line with the public.

Plumbthedepths

Phoebas wrote: »

Wherever he worked before, he wasn't working last night; he was rounded on by all the other panelists.

FF are reported this morning as promising to 'defer' the rise in the pension age. That's a real shame because it's a nettle that needs to be grasped. If FG are now the last party standing by the age change, I doubt they'll be able to hold the line.
Strange because today the various parties are outlining their green policies, which is largely about making painful changes now to prevent worse pain down the road.

FG are already softening on the pension age. They thought it wasn't an issue, yet on the doorstep it is.

Plumbthedepths

FF/FG making it up as they go along....


https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/election-2020/scramble-for-grey-vote-with-pension-age-row-38880849.html

is_that_so

Yurt! wrote: »

I think a third tax bracket in between the higher and lower rate might ease the burden on those on the middle-income strata. people on 30-40k (or even as far as 50k) shouldn't be on the highest rate of PAYE.

These are the people struggling to put together a deposit, trying to pay exorbitant rents, or if they own a property; just about keeping their heads above water servicing a mortgage. As well as paying for health insurance, car insurance, childcare etc and getting stung with a pretty high tax bill.

They won't be struggling as much if they vote for FF! Money for everyone in the audience!