What’s your most controversial opinion? **Read OP** **Mod Note in Post #3372**

You go to school to learn , not to find yourself or express yourself. You've got the remainder of the day and the weekend for all that.I'd imagine most sensible parents would prefer schools focus on academics .Seems like some people love the idea of outsourcing the parenting of children to schools rather than having the parents do it themselves.

Youths seem to be getting gayer with each generation, must be something in the water

I couldn't really care less about what other people do. No skin of my nose, or yours. You don't have to go to either school so what's your major malfunction?

They can identify as toasters or badgers for all I care.

It's a trend, nothing more.... 99% of these "Trans" kids will grow up to get married and live a nice suburban hetrosexual family life and cringe when reminded of their younger life choices.

I’m from there and the road is straight - weather not great but they were 30 metres from a junction. It’s not a black spot, I’m here 30 years and never seen an accident there.

The media is driving me nuts over this - its like when Aisling Murphy died, the whole country took it over and the poor families couldn’t grieve in peace. The town talks of nothing else, its awful.

Coldplay peaked with 'Yellow' and should have quit music right after.

Then they'd have been an intriguing one-hit wonder band.

I don't know, to me every Coldplay song sounds the same.

Still fill Croker in 2.9 seconds flat.

The thing about young people is they think they'll live forever, it'll never happen to me, death is for old people, stupid people, drunk drivers, whatever.

I don't think 'calling it out' will necessarily work, especially with young male drivers, who think they're the next Stig on Top Gear.

Agreed - good singles band.

I made a singles compilation of them for my iTunes. 3 CDs worth - it's very solid. One of the most high profile artists not to release a Greatest Hits / Best Of.

There always seems to be an angle of victimhood in women's sports, especially the sports that are not self sustaining it seems. Even though in the case above I think they're not wrong to be annoyed, it's just so off putting. The media organisations that put the money behind these loss making sports are always very eager to highlight these non-sporting issues too.

1) Taxes on imported food should be based on the distance from the source. The further away you import your food from, the more it should cost you.

2) If we're to tackle climate change, then the car tax should be split in two. The first half should be based on the engine size, with a sliding scale whereby the bigger the engine, it increases the cost of the tax (for example, a 1ltr engine costing €100 for the year, a 1.2ltr costing €120, 1.4 costing €240, 1.6 costing €400, 1.8 costing €1200, 2.0 costing €2800, 2.2 costing €5600 and so on) to encourage people to get smaller cars, particularly those in cities as there's no need for a 2 ltr SUV to drive 5 miles to drop little Tommy to school while living in the suburbs (this part wouldn't apply to vehicles used for business either, just personal vehicles). The other half of car tax should be gathered through use of fuel (the more you use, the more you pay). And remove the carbon tax as it wouldn't be needed.

3) All citizens when interacting with Gardaí should by law have to provide their PPS number as it is the most reliable form of unique identification we have.

4) Following on from 3). The Adult Caution scheme should be overhauled and greater powers should be given to Guards to deal with them as they're petty crime. For a first offence, a normal Adult Caution. Second offence within 3 years of the 1st, Adult Caution and fine of €100. Third offence within 3 years of the 2nd, fine of €200. Fourth offence within 3 years of the 3rd is €300. All other offences after that are €300, unless you have a 5 year period with no offences in which case your "counter" resets to a second offence status. Failure to pay said fine within 3 months and it's taken out of your social welfare/tax at a rate of €50 per week. Fines can accumulate to a max of €3000, after which things then proceed to court. No point bringing repeat offenders to court for petty offences (usually theft or public order) when a Chief Superintendent can be used to authorise the fine, and a Sergeant can administer it.

5) Following on from 4). The age of eligibility for the Adult Caution scheme to be reduced to 16. In terms of the fines for U-18's, they can either be paid in the usual manner, but any fines not paid will be lodged with Revenue/Social Welfare and will come from you first pay check/social welfare payment at a rate of €50 a week upon turning 18.

6) Anybody found carrying a knife, screwdriver or other instrument of such a nature for no good reason should be charged with attempted GBH and fined €2000 of receive a 4 year suspended sentence, as the purpose of carrying such an item is purely to inflict harm/kill. Any U-18 found with such an item is to also have a curfew between 9pm and 7am (unless previously approved at their local Garda station for situations like work, weddings, funerals).

7) Irish soccer will never fix it's problems. It has no vision, no will to make serious changes, even less competence.

8) Fouling, both personal and technical, has become so ingrained accepted in the thinking and so utterly central to the way it's played that going by it's own rule-book, hurling is now a game more for the cheat than the sportsman. There's literally not a team in the sport that doesn't commit less than 50 offences that should be frees in a game at any adult level. It's a sport that has disappeared up it's own arse.

The Government or Guards should have a secret force who take out serious criminals.