Varadkar: "It's not the state's responsibility (to provide a home and an education)"

It IS the state's responsibility to look after its citizens. That's one of the basic points of a state in the first place.

But nobody who's been following politics in this country should be remotely surprised at a Fine Gael politician coming out with such a viewpoint. It's simply one of their members coming out with their usual neo-liberal trash which basically says to hell with people.

...i actually disagree with this, they clearly do, but they have a significant inability to step back from their fundamental ideological beliefs, explained by yourself above, and accept, its a monumental failure....

He doesn't think it's the state's responsibility to look after HIS parents is my reading of that.

...these are not solution's in any country that is attempting to create a democratic one, so, go again!

...yea i actually think they do, i was lucky to catch pascal at a public talk a few months ago, he does actually come across as being very empathic towards those in trouble, but very disturbingly so unwilling to accept their failures, and what they have proposed, simply wont work, so yes, i do think they actually do care, but.....

...again, i do completely agree with you in regards the fundamental of their ideologies, and its failures, but it is extremely disturbing to see how intelligent folks such as pascal simply dont see it or get it, and never will....

The state can and does force kids to go to school.

The state never gave free housing and it never bid against its own citizens for limited supply of private housing.

The state has made a balls of it in so many ways, following Thatcherite policy.

1. removing state builds (what a monumental screw up that was)
2. selling existing state stock
3. allowing apartments to be built in "commuter" areas, instead of city centre
4. purchasing, on the open market, entire developments

It all comes back to selling existing social stock while, at the same time, not replenishing that with state builds.

The state WAS involved and absolutely made a balls of it, they should not be able to wash their hands of a mess they made.

Comments like yours would be their excuse for pulling Sláintecare, not building more hospitals (very much needed given population increase), or removing SUSI and hiking existing fees.

Society should not be just for the wealthy and I want my taxes to actually benefit that society.

Also, simply put, providing social housing relieves pressure on the private rental and purchase market. That pressure is impacting public and private workforce availability. If they do not invest in housing, we will pay for it in 10-20 years and it will be a lot more expensive to fix.

If you actually listen to about 4 mins of the actual interview, the thread title and the op are completely out of context as to what was actually said.

So how would you enforce that rule ?

Judging on your comments by immiserating parent and child.

We tried that and it doesn't work.

I have a house, not MY problem.

Government **** up housing is OUR problem. It's absolutely crippling our society.

I pay taxes for the benefit of society yet all I see is neo lib economics which helps no one but the already wealthy/connected

It is not the state's responsibility to hand out housing but in the interests of proper governance, the conditions allowing citizens to rent or buy a home should be a priority. And while there is no right to housing in Ireland, lack of it impinges upon other rights particularly in relation to childcare, privacy and dignity.

Education is another thing altogether. It IS the state's duty under law to provide education until children reach 16 years of age.

No they don't have to provide free school buses, but then again if they have entered into a contract with you (with you paying) to provide a bus service they should fooking make sure they deliver.

No they don't have to provide a house for everyone, no more than they have to provide education or healthcare.

But there is a social contract in most enlightened democratic well to do countries that the state provides some services to it's population particularly those less fortunate.

Part of this is healthcare, education and social housing.

The government have abjectly failed in the third using it as means to enrich private entities/individuals and are doing their utmost to fail at the first and second.

They have in fact made it very difficult for anyone to provide housing.

They have a complete balls of the housing market with their ineptitude and meddling.

Even worse they are now on crusade to house non Irish people ahead of their own people which to me is treachery.

And speaking of education and healthcare they are pathetic at providing new infrastructure as highlighted by kids in prefabs for 3 or more years and the shocking disaster that is the new childrens hospital.

If you lived in a state where we paid fook all taxes, direct and indirect, then fair enough argue that they owe us nothing.

But we do damn well pay enough to get some semblance of decent services.

To drag another government failure into this, look at the value for money the citizens gets for their TV license fee.

Thousands of them go into the pocket of a connected party member FFS.

That is all you need to know about Varadker and his party.

Will he be remembered as the worst leader for Ireland in history, has he any media communication advisor?