to be ashamed to be Irish when this is our representative in the Dáil (parliament)

[HaveIGotAClue]

www.broadsheet.ie/2014/10/02/for-the-love-of-god/

He can't even read FFS!

Skrewt - if I was at home I'd be going Independent or SF (God forgive me lol). FG/FF/Labour are a disgrace. For a country with so much going for us, they universally managed to fuck the whole thing up. Bit of fame went to their heads.

Takemeup - I think the problem is that people with not a clue about anything on a national level, let alone an international level, are more likely to vote. The rest are either disillusioned or have emigrated.

TakeMeUpTheNorthMountain please prove me wrong: who would you chose. Seriously. I am desperate open to suggestion and No, HaveI I could never, ever give SF a vote.

Do a bit of research Skrewt on your candidates. We have a very strong Labour candidate in our constituency (Willie Penrose - barrister), so he would always get my second preference, never my first as the wicked witch (Labour leader) ruined a generation (current graduates).
WRT SF? I don't particularly care for a united ireland, in fact, I'd prefer if we had nothing to do with northern ireland, but I do agree with their socialist policies.
The big parties are always going to end up ruling, but we need strong opposition.

I really like the independent candidates.

They always say you should never talk money, politics or religion but you have annoyed me now Skrewt. .prove you wrong? You want me to prove an entire nation is not stupid? You don't see the offense in that?

If you must know, I'll be voting for independent candidates in my area, I've researched them, the next step is to talk to them when they come canvassing. Which they don't seem to be doing, for fear of reaction at the door.

Because people are angry. They are angry at the bailout, the water charges, the property tax, the cuts in public spending.

So I think that will drive a larger turnout of coters (bearing in mind the large volume of new registered voters who would have voted in the Equality Referendum).

I think that will be the last we see of Labour- They will go the same way as the Greens and PD 'S.

I hope more people question their candidates about the 8th Amendment. It seems to be quiet on that front.

Even though people are angry - a lot of them tend to vote for 'the divil you know'.

Both of my parents will be voting SF. Not for any IRA reasons, but because of their other policies. Mary-Lou is a brilliant ambassador for the party, coming from an affluent Dublin upbringing. She is a strong public speaker and is prone to getting thrown out of the dáil. I like that about her.

Can't stand the current Ceann Comhairle. Montgomery Burns. He loves banning her.

I'm not as negative about the country as some pps but the quality of some of the elected representatives is shocking. Michael Lowry will top the poll in Tipperary, as he always does. Michael Healy-Rae will top it in Kerry (this guy looks too far-fetched even for Father Ted). Mick Wallace will get in in Wexford again.

Takemeup - I think your post is also what's wrong with Irish voters. They are angry about property tax, water charges and about cuts in spending. So they want both cuts to tax, and increases in spending. That doesn't even work! At least in other countries, the left is clear about higher taxes, higher spending, the right is for lower taxes and lower spending - in Ireland all the parties are promising lower taxes and higher spending! Hence why we're going to run ourselves into the ground again. In the UK, they have better services (NHS, properly free education) but they also have water charges, property tax (rates) and considerably higher taxes on low to middle earners.

If I was home, the repeal of the 8th would be an absolute red-line issue for me. I have zero time for anti-choicers in general and even less for the politicians who dither because they're afraid of losing a few grey votes when women are directly affected every single day. Still registered in Dublin South-West but I'm 5 days too pregnant to fly home for the GE.

8th amendment will never, ever, be repealed, you can forget about it. Even if there is a referendum, Irish voters will never vote for Irish kids being killed in the womb as a "lifestyle choice". Never gonna happen.

There will be a referendum, and it will be repealed (provided the campaign is carried out carefully - keep the full abortion to term extremists well away).

Irish kids being killed in the womb?

I can see your agenda...

Sorry Cat that you think my post is what's wrong with politics. You could not be further from the truth.

I really don't have time to explain my post further, though I want to. I just wanted to acknowledge it for now. Debate is always good!

Irish dad 79 your post at 8.02 am is spot on.
I despair at the short memories of the Irish voters.
Do they not remember the broken promises.
Do they not know election manifestos are a work of fiction.

There will be a referendum, and it will be repealed

I completely agree. Even my 70 something parents have decided they'd vote in favour of repealing, something they wouldn't have contemplated 20 years ago.

Ireland used to have a system of government where only educated, articulate, socially astute people were members of parliament. This year the centenary of an event that took place in Dublin is being celebrated. It's one small indication of the problems that arose from that attitude to government.

Ireland used to have a system of government where only educated, articulate, socially astute people were members of parliament.

Not sure that would describe all the members of the IPP!

AmyAmoeba

I'm sorry, you will have to clarify...

So pre - Rising, everyone was clever, post Rising, not so much?