The Election Issues

[cremeegg]

The issues I believe that people should consider in this election.

The Economy. Proper management of the economy. Without this everything else is just wishful thinking. FF made mistakes during the Celtic tiger, but houses roads and schools were built. FG stopped the economy going into the abyss after the crash, but they have failed to develop the infrastructure need since then. For the future I believe that infrastructure spending is what's needed and the FF have that in their genes in a way FG dont. It will probably be time to rein them at the next election, but FF would do more to develop the economy in the immediate future.

Crime. Body parts of a murdered teenager are being found around Dublin. There is open war in Louth, Longford, Dublin. The ATM gangs operate freely. Drugs are sold openly in central Dublin. Theft in rural areas has been accompanied with horrifying violence. I can't believe that crime isn't the big issue in the campaign. This has been some years in the making and the Gardaí seem unable to make an impact. The murder of Garda Adrian Donoghue in 2013 seems to have been forgotten, compare with the murder of Garda Jerry McCabe in 1996 which still features in the headlines. Political action is needed to reset this. Gardaí need to be empowered, drugs need to be legalised, poverty needs to be addressed, I dont know, but this needs to become a major issue. I am not sure either party will do much about this.

Long Term Planning. Health in other words, but government ministers announcing new beds is not the issue, nor is throwing many at it the answer, the health service needs to be restructured. Adequate management needs to be appointed and it needs to be politically supported.

Public Provision. Once upon a time the state was involved in the provision of hotels, airlines, telecommunications, housing, schools, hospitals, and many more. the public enthusiasm for supporting many of these things evaporated and private sector provision stepped in. This was a huge success in terms or Airlines and telecoms. Housing, schools and hospitals still have a mix of public and private provision.
The government needs to either get behind proper public provision and the hard choices that would entail, evict council tenants who dont pay their rent, set council rents at affordable rents rather that basically free as at present. Or the government could get out of the way and allow the private sector to provide these. Despite all the talk to the contrary I believe that the 1970s idea of social provision just has no support today. People moan about the housing crisis, but they don't want the government to do anything about it.

Education. Another one that doesn't get the attention it derives. A small unelected, unaccountable, cabal of civil servants is in the middle of transforming second level education in Ireland. personally I think they are moving in a bad direction, but even if their ideas are good, they are acting in a bubble without any democratic discussion and that in itself is bad.

 

[Purple]

The Economy. No party has ever damaged the economy like FF under Bertie. That said McSharry was probably the best Finance Minister we ever had. My worry with FF is that populism in their genes. They buy off the easily bought off; pensioners and State employees. The problem is that they buy them off with borrowed money. FG did well in this area and Pascal has been generally excellent.
Crime. Despite the headlines and fear mongers this is a very safe country with rural areas being safer than urban areas. It's an issue because it sells papers to those who want to read about sport and are too stupid to understand economics. If you aren't selling drugs and you get along with your spouse you are probably safe enough.
Long Term Planning. FG and FF deserve considerable credit for putting together a long term plan for the Public Health system. The next government needs to address the real cause of the problems in the health service; the people who work in it, their Unions and the structures within which they work. Just get people to do their jobs properly, from the bottom to the top, and we'd be half way there.
Public Provision. We've done an excellent job in addressing the housing and homelessness issues we face. That's based on international comparisons. The message here should be keep up the good work (and get rid of the hipster beard).
It would be good if the civil servants in the Department of the Environment didn't do everything they can to block the provision of housing using modern, efficient and much cheaper building methods which require much lower labour inputs because they would have to come up with new building regulations and that would require, you know, work. But again that would mean unionised employees doing their job so it probably won't happen.
Opening up schools for children from the age of 2 for free education from 8am to 5.30pm (like they do in France) would be an excellent use of public infrastructure. No more subsidies of private businesses, bribing them to provide a public service. No more high insurance costs and the single biggest thing causing the gender pay gap sorted.
Education. Major issues here alright, particularly at third level. We need to start charging people fees at third level, particularly if they are going to bugger off to another country after the people of this one invest a quarter to a third of a million in educating the ungrateful little darlings. I suggest a clawback if a graduate emigrates within 10 years of getting their degree. Why should poor people pay for the children of rich people to go to third level? We also need to look at a shorter school day and a longer school year at second level. That would be great for the kids but would interfere with the teachers holidays so it will probably never happen. It would be far more beneficial than tweaking the curriculum though.

 

[Delboy]

There is not a village or town in Ireland you can't buy hard drugs in.
The Gardai had the Army out with them on Sunday night in Limerick searching for a gang of criminals, one of whom was 16 years old. The Army had to be called out on to our streets and it barely made the news!
I doubt there were 10 extra prison places provided in the past 10 years. Habitual criminals are continuously let back on the streets as it keeps the Barristers/Solicitors in silks.

FG used to be know as the party of Law and Order

 

[odyssey06]

The Economy. No party has ever damaged the economy like FF under Bertie. That said McSharry was probably the best Finance Minister we ever had. My worry with FF is that populism in their genes. They buy off the easily bought off; pensioners and State employees. The problem is that they buy them off with borrowed money. FG did well in this area and Pascal has been generally excellent.
Crime. Despite the headlines and fear mongers this is a very safe country with rural areas being safer than urban areas. It's an issue because it sells papers to those who want to read about sport and are too stupid to understand economics. If you aren't selling drugs and you get along with your spouse you are probably safe enough.
Long Term Planning. FG and FF deserve considerable credit for putting together a long term plan for the Public Health system. The next government needs to address the real cause of the problems in the health service; the people who work in it, their Unions and the structures within which they work. Just get people to do their jobs properly, from the bottom to the top, and we'd be half way there.

Some great points but I have to disagree on crime. The Gardai and
courts just dont have a grip on the siuation - not just the gangland crime and ATMs but road offences, home and car breakins etc are out of control.
The crime stats we have are nonsense.

 

[Ceist Beag]

Have to agree on the views on crime - especially regarding drugs. We had (and to an extent still have) a blind spot in this country for alcohol but it's becoming increasingly a blind spot for drugs as well. I don't think we are near serious enough about dealing with the drug gangs or availability of drugs in this country.

 

[Ceist Beag]

We also need to look at a shorter school day and a longer school year at second level. That would be great for the kids but would interfere with the teachers holidays so it will probably never happen. It would be far more beneficial than tweaking the curriculum though.

Would agree with that Purple. The current day (when you take homework into account as well) is far too long and the number of holidays are also excessive. It's funny, our daughter actually mentioned a similar point earlier this week, referencing how it works in Germany which is much more along the lines you are suggesting Purple (8am to 2pm daily and 6 weeks of holidays in the summer compared to 12 weeks here).

 

[Leper]

The Economy:- The elephant in the room here is Dublin city and county. There are far too many people living there. People cannot afford to live in Dublin and have mortgaged and remortgaged their lives away. Dublin Airport has far too many flights even for its infrastructure. Real devolution must take place and the rest of the country needs government departments, more factories, more call centres etc. Gridlock is gridlock and there’s no point in adding to it. Cork, Shannon, Kerry, Mayo, Donegal, Waterford airports are way underutilised. So the recession is over; try telling that to people living in rural areas.

Crime:- The Gardaí are efficient in advising people whose lives are in danger. We’ve lost the fight against organised crime. I don’t shed too many tears when gangland starts culling itself. It’s time the Gardaí didn’t either. We don’t need to expand our prisons, but we’ve got to look at the way they operate. I’m not advocating the return of chain gangs, but extending community work to law breakers is an option.

Long Term Planning:- Our Health Service comes under scrutiny here. Much has been tried and nothing seems to work. If the service was a car we’d have dumped it years ago. Therefore, dismantling the service should be thought and then rebuilt from the bottom up for a change and not the other way round.

Public Provision:- Homelessness and poverty are the glaring inadequacies here. I have no obvious solution. Neither has successive governments.

Education:- Everybody wants to go to university even those who don’t need to go to university. My experience of putting children through 3rd Level was chastening where I could see grants being meted out willy nilly while we had to pay dearly through the nose. Solution:- Give the 3rd Level Grant to everybody. This would alleviate most of the need to police the grants freeing public servants to work elsewhere. There’s no point in trying to dish out loans which must be repaid because nobody will repay, except the likes of me.

Environment:- The greatest Paddy joke since Brian Boru cleaned our beaches of Vikings. I heard the leader of our Green party telling us to stop building roads and use public transport more. Great! - if you live in Dublin, but try getting a bus outside of the Pale at a time that suits even if there is a bus service. Ireland has the filthiest streets and is the largest dog-poo central facility of the EU.

Parish Pump Politics:- Favoured in Co Kerry. Guess what! – it works, just nobody told people living in Dublin.

 

[Leo]

home and car breakins etc are out of control

With an increasing population, there has been a 38% drop in recorded offences under the Burglaries and Related Offences category over the last 10 years, with a 12% drop in Theft & Related Offences.

The media want you to believe it's out of control because it's easy news for them to produce and scaring people is a great little earner for them. The alternative is that there is significant growth in the numbers choosing not to report these crimes for some reason, which doesn't make a lot of sense.

 

[odyssey06]

With an increasing population, there has been a 38% drop in recorded offences under the Burglaries and Related Offences category over the last 10 years, with a 12% drop in Theft & Related Offences.

The recorded offences cannot be relied upon. The CSO has several times suspended the publication of the statistics.

The problem with Irish crime statistics

Cultural change within An Garda Síochána is required to highlight the importance of robust data collection for crime statistics

www.rte.ie

New garda crime figures to prove grim reading

The CSO is set to recommence publishing garda crime figures next week, but with a major health warning. As our Crime Correspondent Paul Reynolds reports, they might not look as good as they did before.

www.rte.ie

 

[Leo]

The recorded offences cannot be relied upon.

I guess the question then really is have they been getting significantly worse at recording these crimes? There is nothing in those reports to suggest that actual burglaries are at many multiples of the numbers reported. So I still fail to see how that equates to 'out of control'.

 

[Leper]

I guess the question then really is have they been getting significantly worse at recording these crimes? There is nothing in those reports to suggest that actual burglaries are at many multiples of the numbers reported. So I still fail to see how that equates to 'out of control'.

When you are burgled you don't feel good and your opinion becomes exaggerated. If you were never burgled, you do not know how you would react. You don't know where the burglars went in your house. Most likely, you don't even know outside of the obvious what they have stolen. You don't know if they took keys and you fear the possibility of their return. You don't care about statistics; you care about your family and yourself.

 

[Leo]

When you are burgled you don't feel good and your opinion becomes exaggerated. If you were never burgled, you do not know how you would react.

Been there done that with little more than a Pulse number and badly photocopied list of victims support services to show for it, so I do know. I also know my personal experience isn't indicative of a national trend.

 

[Delboy]

Crime:- The Gardaí are efficient in advising people whose lives are in danger. We’ve lost the fight against organised crime. I don’t shed too many tears when gangland starts culling itself. It’s time the Gardaí didn’t either. We don’t need to expand our prisons, but we’ve got to look at the way they operate. I’m not advocating the return of chain gangs, but extending community work to law breakers is an option.

I have a major issue with community work and to me it's an Irish answer to an Irish problem. Has any review ever being undertaken of how Community Service functions in Ireland and whether it's properly managed ...the hours which the people involved show up for, how they are supervised, what they actually do?
I would say very little is know about this area and that it's a bit of a holiday camp with late starts and early finishes. Plenty of screen time involved.

But it's easy for a Judge to use this for sentencing. And it plays well with various Civil Liberties and Justice Reform NGO's, most of whom are packed with solicitors and barristers who have skin in the game.

 

[Purple]

I've lived in 6 houses in my adult life and I've been burgled in 5 of them (the one I didn't get burgled in was in North Dublin, the rest were on the South Side). On one occasion I confronted the burglar and he fled after a brief altercation. On another I disturbed them and they fled without taking anything. On no occasion did I feel I was in danger. I know it can be different for other people but I just don't have that much stuff to take (the keys of the helicopter are kept at the helipad and the Monet and Pollack are in a vault) and no damage was done so it wasn't a big deal.

 

[elacsaplau]

I've lived in 6 houses in my adult life and I've been burgled in 5 of them (the one I didn't get burgled in was in North Dublin, the rest were on the South Side).

My heart goes out to yee poor southsiders. Must be really tough living on the wrong side of the tracks.....

 

[Sunny]

I've lived in 6 houses in my adult life and I've been burgled in 5 of them (the one I didn't get burgled in was in North Dublin, the rest were on the South Side). On one occasion I confronted the burglar and he fled after a brief altercation. On another I disturbed them and they fled without taking anything. On no occasion did I feel I was in danger. I know it can be different for other people but I just don't have that much stuff to take (the keys of the helicopter are kept at the helipad and the Monet and Pollack are in a vault) and no damage was done so it wasn't a big deal.

As a northersider, that is because we don't pi** on our own doorstep. We simply cross the river and fill our boots.....

 

[Purple]

My heart goes out to yee poor southsiders. Must be really tough living on the wrong side of the tracks.....

Too many bridges over the Liffey, that's the problem. That and the 75 bus; Bus over, steal a car, load it up, back home, burn the car, sell the stuff, buy drugs. Other than bear-back horse riding sure there's nothing else to do over there!

 

[elacsaplau]

Too many bridges over the Liffey, that's the problem. That and the 75 bus; Bus over, steal a car, load it up, back home, burn the car, sell the stuff, buy drugs. Other than bear-back horse riding sure there's nothing else to do over there!

That's simply not ag cur fola true. For starters, we don't always need horses and for seconders, we don't always need to cross the river...….there's posh gaffs in Ben Aaderr as well....

 

[Leper]

We've been burgled twice.(i) In the days of video players first coming on stream they were expensive and television sets were not as cheap as they are today. We returned at 1.30am from a family function to find those lined up in our hall along with other items. I had a hurley under the stairs in the hall and I used this to defend our property and formed an opinion that attack was the best form of defence. So the burglar felt the boss of my hurley across various parts of his body. Mrs Lep rang the Gardaí who came along promptly and arrested the culprit. Two days later different Gardaí returned to our house advising that Mr Burglar had lodged a charge of my overuse of a hurley in the defence. I had quite a job convincing the Gardaí of my self defence.
(ii) The second occasion was different. We were sleeping upstairs and so were our kids. A team of burglars cleaned us out guided only by the light in the fridge. They left an unsavoury contribution on our kitchen floor too.

Do I fear a future burglary? You bet your rootin' tootin' bottom dollar I do. And if you think I'm overreacting have a look at Youtube on how to open locks. Furthermore, if your front door lock cost less than €200.00 you may wish to replace it fast. You heard it here first.

 

[TarfHead]

.. Other than bear-back horse riding ..

Sitting on the back of a bear who is sitting in a horse ? Fair dues !