Referendum!

[springbrigid]

Anyone inclined to give an opinion? I am leaning towards a yes/no vote, the yes to remove what I see as sexist language in the constitution, the no because the government are so appalling in terms of providing services and rights to disabled citizens and I feel the clause is paternalistic and pushes care on families yet again

Absolutely. If this has gone through the normal channels maybe they'd have come up with something solid and sensible. Many many people are happy in principle with the idea of changing these articles, but not with the proposed amendments which are frankly piss poor (or to quote springbrigid "a pig in a poke, a mess, a manipulation, a travesty and a pile of poo").

It annoys me that SF say they don't like it, but still advocate for a yes/yes. Similarly Labour - Bacik's nonsensical "Yes, Yes - And". That's not an option being given to us and with her legal background she really should know better. For all the sniping at each other in the Dail there's not much thirst for assertive confrontation, it is all a bit mushily collegial - even across the opposition. Bizarre times we live in.

I don't think they fully understand their own proposals. So how the hell can the electorate? It's all really dodgy but I can't see what benefit it brings to them, other than the abdication of caring responsibilities to families.

@DanielGault did you see Varadkers speech on morning tv re care this week. He said the onus is not on the state. I'll find it. I'm sure it's somewhere I this thread already.

No! Nothing surprises me with that prick though. If they needed a picture to accompany the definition of 'self serving' in the dictionary.....

I posted the link to that clip of his interview a few pages back, shocking stuff.

https://gript.ie/the-two-faces-of-the-government-on-disability-funding/?fbclid=IwAR1s90SdmUrvOR6B0nBMlOh9M5x3dDqHSNADrMABlOzEGtGYfqx-PnQ24s4

@DanielGault the video from morning TV is at the top of the Gript link attached.
It was all over social media this week funnily enough the mainstream media failed to cover it! Watch & stew!

I'll go back and look. Thanks.

Thanks for this but I absolutely refuse to engage with Gript. I'll dig it out from somewhere else.

It was on Virgin media - One I think.

Maybe the President would intervene??
I think he's still in hospital?

@JaneJeffer Michael D. returned to an Áras thís afternoon. Delighted he's OK.

@DanielGault sorry. I'll get it for you from another source.

I saw it reported that he got out today but if he was hospitalised for a week with a TIA (which is how I interpret "a weakness") then he really won't have been keeping on top of things or be up to much.

I'll probably get eaten for being ageist (ironic given my age!) but at times like this I wish we had someone younger, sharper and more on top of things. I think he has been off during this term, wandering into territory a president shouldn't in ways that make me wonder does he understand the brief.

He's out now as of today. And he has no right to intervene in anything until a bill is being signed into law. (Afaik!)

I think he's 100 times sharper than half the plonkers in the dail tbh. Age is not always a negative. And as for the straying from the brief, I'm convinced he knew exactly what he was doing . Rightly or wrongly. But there's no denying he's an intelligent man.

Age is not always a negative. Of course it isn't. But I think he has reached the point where it is. And his body would seem to be saying the same thing.

I get that that is probably not a popular opinion.

https://twitter.com/culladgh/status/1764450387837210929

@DanielGault This is the clip of Leo's awful comments from earlier this week, I hope it works 🤞

MDH certainly has emotional intelligence that's for sure. I'm seeing a lot of Yes/No recommendations on my social media. From impeccably left liberal and even TRA people.

It did, thank you. He is some cold fish.

https://twitter.com/FineGael/status/1765776827950280805?t=RuEF6XqKdGRZqH7yRZzOeA&s=19
I have visions of parents waking their children on Saturday morning to break the news that they are not recognised in the Constitution.
What a load of nonsense.

@DanielGault this post sums it up in a nutshell. There is no comeback for the Yes campaign after all their admissions this week.

He hasn't been hugely incapacitated up til now though? No more than himself across the water (and the young and spritely Kate) he's had to take a bit of time off. That can happen to anyone. Bit of a tangent, sorry, but I wouldn't be writing him off just yet! (I'm a fan 😂)

That's pathetic and the big VOTE NO poster in the middle of it then 😂

A further tangent, but it has been a real pleasure to have such a civilised discussion where nobody is made to feel bad/stupid despite disagreement 🙂

I think most of the posters here are leaning towards a no no?
Apart from @VoteNONO who seems a bit undecided.

The Ditch just published more stuff from advice from the Attorney General to ROG this time on durable relationships. They published it like 10 minutes ago in spite of the press blackout being in place since 2pm, wonder if they'll get in trouble?

https://www.ontheditch.com/attorney-general-referendum/