Cork Candidates Election 2007

Kazbah

Who are you voting for and why? Also do you vote people or parties?

I'm in South Central and I'm thinking

1) Senator John Minihan (PDs) - Party vote would like the PDs to be in power.

2) Dan Boyle – (Green) He supports Arts & Drama in Cork - A selfish vote rather than for the greater social good. Hopefully he will improve the rubbish recycling facilities in Cork City Centre, plus I couldn't care less if he increases the proce of petrol.

3) Ted NEVILLE – (Independent) Immigration Control

4) Michael Martin – (FF) Don't want to vote FF but I think MM gets stuff done especially wrt Education/Health

I don't know anything about these guys Maurice Fitzgerald (Ind /YFG) and
Gerard Linehan (Ind). I googled them briefly but didn't find much. Possibly would give them a vote depending on policies.

Maybes (further down the list)
Micheal McGrath (FF)
Ciaran Lynch (Labour)
Jerry Buttimer – (FG) Community/Roads

Definate no votes:
0 – Deirdre Clune
0 – Simon Coveney
0 – Henry Cremin
0 – John Dennehy
0 – Morgan Stack (Ind)

Raskolnikov

Cork South Central too. I'm thinking . . .

1. Michael McGrath (FF) - Good with local issues and very hard working.
2. Dan Boyle (GP) - Intelligent Dáil speaker, would like to see a promotion of public transport/recycling in Cork.
3. Deirdre Clune (FG) - One of the few candidates who has come to my door and disagreed with something I said. Fair play.
4. Michéal Martin (FF) - One of the more competent government ministers.

I wouldn't vote for anyone else due to ideological/personal/policy issues.

Heisenberg.

This post has been deleted.

Kazbah

I would haved to give Deirdre Clune a vote as the only female however having seen her give various speeches through City of Culture and her Lord Mayor term there is no way. She came across badly to me. I think she's a poor public speaker which is never the hallmark of a successful politican. She seems to have no charisma. I emailed/left voicemail her re a few issues last year and she never responded. I think she's a 'yes women' with a monied background. I think she's in politics for the prestige not the policies.

Tell me about Michael McGrath? He's so young, first elected at 22!

ETA:
Micheal Martin 20%
Simon Coveney 14%
Dan Boyle 14%
John Dennehy 11%
Michael McGrath 11%
Ciaran Lynch 9%
Jerry Buttimer 7%
Henry Cremin 6%
Deirdre Clune 6%
John Minihan 2%

Wow John Minihan seems really unlikely as the only PD candidate I thought he's have more support, I think the PDs are outperforming FF.

I presume Morgan Stack is a joke candidate? His policy is 9/11 investigation and on mycandiate.ie it says he's on the dole?

Bodhidharma

I had Morgan Stack as a lecturer in UCC last year. What a joke of a man. We had his class on a friday at 10 o clock and he rarely showed up. When he did he just rambled rubbish, drank a can of coke and didnt even wear a belt. I heard he got "let go" and i couldn't think of a more deserving indiviual. I wouldn't let him mind a stuffed animal, not to mention vote him into government.

Oh yeah, i'm Cork South Central too.

1. Michael Martin
2. Dan Boyle
3. Ciarain Lynch

Owen

Well, as my girlfriend is Polish, Ted Neville and his idiotic arguments will never get my vote, nor my partner who is living in Ireland for 4 years, with an Irish car for 3, and paying taxes for 4 years in a good, high paying job. The Stormfront "Irish White Nationalist Community" are promoting his virulent racist manifesto :

http://www.stormfront.org/forum/showthread.php/icp-candidate-running-cork-384575.html?

Simon Coveney will get my vote, because when my motorbike Insurance Company went into liquidation in 2001, Simon listened to everything I said on many many occasions, and brought my arguments to Dáil Eireann, and I finally recouped most of the 2700 Euro I stood to loose. He's also spoken up for me when the Gardaí wanted to introduce the unenforcable concept of no-tolerance speeding fines.

Kazbah

ned78 wrote:

Well, as my girlfriend is Polish, Ted Neville and his idiotic arguments will never get my vote, nor my partner who is living in Ireland for 4 years, with an Irish car for 3, and paying taxes for 4 years in a good, high paying job.

I think Neville could have a lot of votes if he did some advertising.
Only Irish citizens are entitled to vote in General Elections.

Since You Last Voted...

> €1.5 Billion has been spent on the asylum support
process! - an extraordinary sum when one considers that
90% of applicants are found to be illegal. The free legal-aid
system is used to fight appeals at great cost "up to the
steps of the air-plane", as one Government official put it.


> The Government told us that 10,000 workers max. would
come from the new EU accession states, but the real figure
is 200,000, a huge distorting figure in a small economy .


> The Government's failure to 'ring-fence' its child-support
payment scheme, means that €90 Million goes annually
to children actually resident in those accession states.


> While our primary school-children put up with overcrowded
class-rooms, 800 recently-sanctioned new teachers have
to be allocated to teaching English to newcomers-children
with no improvement in the ratio.

> The English language teaching schools have been used
as a loophole through which students dissappear into the
black economy during or after their courses .


> The demographic make-up of our capital city has altered
dramatically - and predictions have been made of areas
where the native population might soon be a minority
itself !


> 20% of prison committals are from the foreign national
community - hardly the trend we would have expected.


> There are huge expanding populations in the third-world
countries, many of whom now see Ireland as an favoured
destination - we can't cope with this and must send a
signal that it's not sustainable. Immigration Control
Platform policy favours using the vast sums of asylum
support expenditure as overseas-aid where it can really
help a greater number of these people.

Heisenberg.

This post has been deleted.

Raskolnikov

Wasn't Ted Neville's house in Douglas vandalised a few months back?

dahamsta

Dan Boyle got booted off my ballot card when he spammed this very forum. He's very much an opposition politician anyway, he hasn't a single policy of his own.

Why anyone would vote FF or PD after the lies and deceit of the current lot is beyond me.

adam

Raskolnikov

Bodhidharma wrote:

When he did he just rambled rubbish, drank a can of coke and didnt even wear a belt.

Does he not realise? The true conspiracy is a secret plot by the government of the United States of America to promote and encourage the consumption of Coca-Cola through brainwashing and mind control!

Kazbah

dahamsta wrote:

Why anyone would vote FF or PD after the lies and deceit of the current lot is beyond me.

adam

I can't understand how FF are predicted to pick up three seats leaving the PD the least likely party candidate.

Raskolnikov

dahamsta wrote:

Why anyone would vote FF or PD after the lies and deceit of the current lot is beyond me.

Not everyone in FF/PD's are bad.

Raskolnikov

Kazbah wrote:

I can't understand how FF are predicted to pick up three seats leaving the PD the least likely party candidate.

John Minihan is a blatant populist who's making promises that are the complete antithesis to the party line. Luas for Cork, more doctors/nurses/police, no debt for Cork Airport, etc. I'd vote for him if he actually challenged the above issues.

Kazbah

Raskolnikov wrote:

John Minihan is a blatant populist

By that do you mean he tells people what he thinks they want to hear?
Couldn't you say the same of all politicians?

Owen

Kazbah wrote:

I think Neville could have a lot of votes if he did some advertising.

I think the "Irish White Nationalist Community" or, as they should be called "The racist, let's get everyone out of Ireland now Community" are doing enough advertising for the likes of him. His policies appeal to the uneducated, and ill-informed, people like him are not needed in this country.

Kazbah

ned78 wrote:

His policies appeal to the uneducated, and ill-informed, people like him are not needed in this country.

Well that's a bit of a sweeping generalisation I have two postgraduate qualifications, one of which was a scholarship. Have First Class in both plus my undergraduate degree and I spent the afternoon taking the time to research all the candidates in my constituency.

Personal attacks are not neccessary for political debate.
Maybe that's why one should never talk about politics.

BTW Dennehy is apparently the most expensive TD and has only visited the Dail 4 times since his 2004!

Owen

Here's some of the manifesto published by Kazbah from Ted Neville's site :

Ted Neville wrote:

Since You Last Voted...
€1.5 Billion has been spent on the asylum support
process! - an extraordinary sum when one considers that
90% of applicants are found to be illegal. The free legal-aid
system is used to fight appeals at great cost "up to the
steps of the air-plane", as one Government official put it.

90%? Hardly. Show me the statistics Ted, and your 'source' too if you wouldn't mind.

Ted Neville wrote:

The Government told us that 10,000 workers max. would come from the new EU accession states, but the real figure
is 200,000, a huge distorting figure in a small economy .

The Government didn't promise anything of the sort. As an EU member, Ireland has no say on how many other EU workers wish to come here. That's called the Open Border Policy.

Ted Neville wrote:

The Government's failure to 'ring-fence' its child-support payment scheme, means that €90 Million goes annually
to children actually resident in those accession states.

Children, who's Parents actually pay taxes while working here ... so they're actually entitled to the child-support scheme :rolleyes:

Ted Neville wrote:

While our primary school-children put up with overcrowded class-rooms, 800 recently-sanctioned new teachers have
to be allocated to teaching English to newcomers-children with no improvement in the ratio.

Again, more stats pulled from Ted's arse.

Ted Neville wrote:

The English language teaching schools have been used
as a loophole through which students dissappear into the black economy during or after their courses .

No idea what the man is on about here, but it sounds like the usual scaremongering you'll find on a badly xerox'd flier pasted to an ESB box on the Grand Parade. He's saying a lot, but actually saying nothing.

Ted Neville wrote:

The demographic make-up of our capital city has altered dramatically - and predictions have been made of areas where the native population might soon be a minority itself !

So, what's the solution there Genius? Leave the EU? Close our Borders? It's called the 21st century, where people live side by side from different cultures, with different languages, in other words diversity. Long may it continue. And even though you place it on your agenda, there's bugger all you could even do about it if you were elected anyway ... thankfully!

Ted Neville wrote:

20% of prison committals are from the foreign national
community - hardly the trend we would have expected.

Source?

Ted Neville wrote:

There are huge expanding populations in the third-world
countries, many of whom now see Ireland as an favoured destination - we can't cope with this and must send a signal that it's not sustainable. Immigration Control Platform policy favours using the vast sums of asylum support expenditure as overseas-aid where it can really help a greater number of these people.

The stupidity of this statement beggars belief. So, in Ted's expert opinion, we should no longer have an asylum seeking system here, but rather, send the money abroad in the hopes third world countries will say "Oh look, Ireland sent us money, let's not go there"?

dahamsta

You should have said "or ill-informed" ned78.

E92

Well no prizes for guessing who I will be voting for, as per my sig. I've been deciding, because its very difficult, very very difficult, who to vote for in terms of 1,2 and 3. I can never make up my mind which order I will vote for Jerry Buttimer, Deirdre Clune or Simon Coveney. I was tempted to put Simon at number 1, but I reckon that a lot of people who want to vote FG will vote for him, so I think I'll put either Jerry Buttimer or Deirdre Clune first, and the other one second. My reason for this is because of PR system of voting. It would be very bad for say Simon to get 30% of the vote and Fine Gael only getting 1 seat, which is what would happen if everyone supporting FG only voted for him. If people transfer properly 30% will get a party 2 seats. Simon will probably get my third preference for this reason.
Ciarán Lynch(Labour) will be fourth, and Dan Boyle(Green) will be fifth, and that will be it.

Minihan is only interested in Minihan. Not in to the whole party loyalty thing at all. Cremin, well he is a Shinner, need I say more?
I hope people like Ted Neville get the 1 vote a candidate is guaranteed(their own). I hate political correctness, like you cant have a chairman anymore, it has to be a chairperson ffs. Or a black coffee? nope its a coffee without milk these days. But I hate muppets like that who choose to blame foreigners for all our woes even more so. I think that that is morally wrong.

Michael Mc Grath is Feel and Fail at its worst. He also has the solutions to all the problems that FF+PDs failed to solve in the past 10 years. That would explain why hes been able to sent no less than 3 leaflets about what he would do if elected.

Raskolnikov

E92 wrote:

snip

That's a lie, and a slanderous lie at that.

D-Generate

Doesn't really matter who you vote. Improvements only really happen if your local TD manages to be given a ministerial position. Nyeh Mr Tayto is probably the vote for the dissatisfied.

E92

Have edited my original post re same. I apologise unreservedly for the comment.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

dulpit

I don't know the order yet, but i will be giving my top 4:

Coveney (FG)
Clune (FG)
Boyle (Green)
Lynch (Lab)

Would have voted for Buttimer but my brother said he was a right old bastard to him cos he found out his friends who were with him were only 17 so he just ignored them and walked off (despite my brother being 18 and wanting to talk to him)

Won't be giving the wacko independents a vote, nor the sinners... Might give the Fianna Fáilers a sympathy vote but probably won't touch PD man either...

Kazbah

If I had to pick one of the FG I'd take Buttimer over Clune. Even on the FG website all they can say about her is her family history. She's poor Councillor material not a TD.

Cmon Ned 78, Back up the truck a little as george hook would say, If someone wants to speak up for immigration control, then they have a right to with out you making it out that maybe its racist to do so. Let's not go all politically correct just because you have gone a bit exotic and got a foreign girlfriend

Owen

Sorry Marcc, but it's got nothing to do with being OTT. Ted Neville is about closing borders completely, and going against everything the EU stands for, not about immigration control.

Judes

I've been doing a lot of canvassing for FG - and I may add "very proudly" for Deirdre Clune. So please look at her website - www.deirdreclune.com - you will see how active she has been in the past and continues to be when it comes to local/national issues - and please take note of the press releases. J

smackbunnybaby

daveirl wrote:

This post has been deleted.

my dad said exactly the same....
i saw him over my road the other day in a nice flash car driving into his nice house.

Kazbah

Judes wrote:

I've been doing a lot of canvassing for FG - and I may add "very proudly" for Deirdre Clune. So please look at her website - www.deirdreclune.com - you will see how active she has been in the past and continues to be when it comes to local/national issues - and please take note of the press releases. J

Absolutely not, I'd vote for Morgan Stack first!

damien

Kazbah wrote:

Tell me about Michael McGrath? He's so young, first elected at 22! His policy is 9/11 investigation and on mycandiate.ie it says he's on the dole?

What as, class rep?

damien

FG won't get my vote as I don't think two millionaires who have never truly worked should get my vote. Buttimer won't get it because he's never been around these parts and FG in general are a complete shambles.

FF definitely won't get it.

The PDs can kindly go rot.

I'm like Dave in that it is the lesser of evils but from the other side of that invisible left/right line. But what a choice:

Were the Greens in Govt with FF they'd be a better watchdog than Labour, but having stupid views on fluoride, the measles shot and a few other hippy gems, can they be taken seriously? On the plus, in Dublin, their people were the only ones to send back cheques to the developers, all other parties accepted them.

Labour are losing some of their liberal roots but still have some fine policies too such as state funding for parties based on the number of women in your party. Their policy on communications is the best of a bad lot and they seem to be finally getting to realise that people don't like paying high taxes to fund wasteful services. I just wish they were a bit more pro-business and more into reforming the civil service.

Judes

QUOTE FROM DAMIEN - "FG won't get my vote as I don't think two millionaires who have never truly worked should get my vote".

Don't you think that's a totally ridiculous statement - you are referring to two extremely hard working politicians. If you sat in either of their offices for a couple of days and saw/heard what they do - you would retract that statement.

Really people - the slagging must stop - by all means promote a politician you believe in - but don't tarnish the others, when you don't know what they do.

A healthy debate on a subject is always welcome - but we're talking about the future of this country - and we can't be blasé about it!

deRanged

Judes wrote:

Don't you think that's a totally ridiculous statement

No - it's a well crafted statement reflecting choice in a democracy.

Personally I've no idea who to vote for. The only politician I've seen around is Michael Ahern - who chatted to me personally last week, then wrote to me saying that he'd bring my concerns up at the relevant levels.
I'd rather not vote FF though.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

Ned 78, Maybe Ted's view is extreme but he has a point of view that is resonating with people who feel that a 10% increase in our population due to NON - national immigration in 3 or so yrs is a bit much. Ireland benefits from immigration in so many ways but there is a need to let people get used to the different cultures. You would advocate a laissez faire approach to open borders, which brings other problems such as the exporting of organised crime. Our borders need to be secure, at the moment they are not and maybe ted will focus peoples minds on our own security. Why I raise this is I hate the "jump on" attitude of people when immigration is mentioned. We need a debate on immigration but it won't happen when people like you shout down the other point of view. It is a legitimate right of any nation to have control over our borders.

Kazbah

damien.m wrote:

What as, class rep?

Passage West Council I believe

Owen

Marcc wrote:

Ned 78, Maybe Ted's view is extreme but he has a point of view that is resonating with people who feel that a 10% increase in our population due to NON - national immigration in 3 or so yrs is a bit much.

It happens in most developed worlds. Just because Agnus and Seamus can't get used to all 'dem foreigners' doesn't mean it's a bad thing.

Marcc wrote:

Ireland benefits from immigration in so many ways but there is a need to let people get used to the different cultures.

How do we do that then? Do we sent out a letter to every house in the country asking "Are you used to all the foreigners yet? Tick a for yes, b for no", and as soon as 1 negative comes in, we close the doors again? That's an oversimplistic solution to the simple fact that a tiny majority of Irish people can't get used to seeing other creeds and nations sharing our streets and houses.

Marcc wrote:

You would advocate a laissez faire approach to open borders, which brings other problems such as the exporting of organised crime. Our borders need to be secure, at the moment they are not and maybe ted will focus peoples minds on our own security.

My attitude towards open borders is steadfast in the case of European people come here, to work in our European country. Ted, nor you, nor anyone else has the right to tell an EU citzen to go home. Nor do you have the statistics, or proof to link a rise in overseas EU citzens relocating here to organised crime.

Marcc wrote:

Why I raise this is I hate the "jump on" attitude of people when immigration is mentioned. We need a debate on immigration but it won't happen when people like you shout down the other point of view.

We need debate on non-EU immigrants. People 'like me' are pro EU, which is a situation that has given our country economic prosperity, cultural diversity, and a new found sense of self worth.

Marcc wrote:

It is a legitimate right of any nation to have control over our borders.

In a European Union, with European citizens coming to our country, no it isn't our right. It is however our right to travel to other EU countries and work there. Or would you have the UK close it's border to Irish people too, because there's too many of us there taking all the jobs?

jank

I think some people are forgeting a few things.

One is that no Party is compatible with one person. Unless you are a reall die hard you will find faults with our their policies and general outlooks. What one must do is findout what the prorities you have in personally be it crime ,health etc. Then you find out what party you think will actually do something about it.

True in this election almost all the policies are the same but we had 10 years od FF/PD and 6 FF in the north and south central areas yet cork was being safted left right and centre.

My prority is for the country to look out side the east coast and try and develop the rest of the country so that this will attract private outside investment especially R&D. All the money is going to the greater dublin region, while some of it is needed most of it is just there to try and patch up some of the **** ups of the past. If jobs were created equally around the country then the dubs wouldnt be complaining of such cronic traffic problems.... catch 22.

My vote is going Labour/FG. I think its time we had a Taoiseach from outside Leinster. Actually when was the last time we had a Taoiseach from outside Lenister?? Im thinking Jack Lynch!? If thats true then a west of Ireland Taoiseach would be more then welcome!

1)Lynch
2)Buttimer
3)Boyle

My No1 would go the coveney but he wont need my vote. Clune seems a bit fake to me so not going to vote for her unless she really really needs it. Im trying to look at the big picture.

Oh and I really really really hope that the good people of cork Retire John Dennehy. He has THE highest expenses of all the TDs yet only attended the Dail 4 times since 2004. What the **** is he doing!?!? Robing the tax payer.....

Ned Ned Ned, Please don't make me be condescending to you but you are doing it again.... and proving my point about some zealots who support open immigration policy ramming their point of view down the ordinary agnes and seamus's throat. You seem to dismiss their legitimate point of view. People who don't like to be served by a surly latvian in their local spar can put up and shut up is your point of view. I'm confident in my nationality and my culture and my country to know that EU citizens arriving to work and contribute in our society is a good thing and will not diminish my Irishness so I don't have very strong views on EU immigration but I can question if a policy is right or wrong. Your replies make me want to stand up and give an opposite view because you seem to think you have the right point of view. Grow up there are many shades of opinion in this country and if they want to question people's support for immigration let them. GROW up. That the end of this discusssion. Because I see that you won't accept anyone else's opinion. That's a dangerous character flaw. C U

Owen

Marcc wrote:

Ned Ned Ned, Please don't make me be condescending to you but you are doing it again

Unfortunately, I'm not doing anything. I'm pointing out weak points in your arguments, and doing so impersonally. You however, are determined to make it personal, which is against the Charter.

Marcc wrote:

.... and proving my point about some zealots who support open immigration policy ramming their point of view down the ordinary agnes and seamus's throat.

Of course I support it. It's the law, and it's also EU Law. No one is ramming it down anyone's throat either by the way, we've been EU members for a long long time now.

Marcc wrote:

You seem to dismiss their legitimate point of view.

Because it's not legitimate.

Marcc wrote:

People who don't like to be served by a surly latvian in their local spar can put up and shut up is your point of view.

Well, if an EU member of staff is working in the local Spar, and people get in a huff because they're not Irish, is that not a form of racism? My point of view is the same as I keep having to repeat - an EU citizen is entitled to live and work here.

Marcc wrote:

I'm confident in my nationality and my culture and my country to know that EU citizens arriving to work and contribute in our society is a good thing and will not diminish my Irishness so I don't have very strong views on EU immigration

So why are you arguing the point? You're obviously an intelligent person, and you can recognise the benefits, yet you support the illegal manifesto being proposed by Ted Neville? It's either black or white, no in between.

Marcc wrote:

but I can question if a policy is right or wrong. Your replies make me want to stand up and give an opposite view because you seem to think you have the right point of view.

Well, when the law is on my side, I guess I'm right.

Marcc wrote:

Grow up there are many shades of opinion in this country and if they want to question people's support for immigration let them. GROW up. That the end of this discusssion. Because I see that you won't accept anyone else's opinion. That's a dangerous character flaw. C U

First of all, this is an open debate Forum, so it's not for you to tell me when the discussion is over. It's also not for you to tell me to 'Grow up' and I've reported your post as a result of your inability to keep the debate on topic, without resorting to personal insults. I will accept anyone's opinion as long as it has a valid grounding, I have a very open mind. I'll also thank you not to assume I have psychological defects - it's a very immature stance to take, and proves you have nothing worthwhile to contribute to this thread.

Raskolnikov

Judes wrote:

I've been doing a lot of canvassing for FG - and I may add "very proudly" for Deirdre Clune. So please look at her website - www.deirdreclune.com - you will see how active she has been in the past and continues to be when it comes to local/national issues - and please take note of the press releases. J

I agree. People are far too eager to hop on to the anti-Clune bandwagon simply because she has a rich father.

Jerry Buttimer's campaign smacks of oppurtunism and false promises.

Owen

Deidre Clune has done a lot of very positive work around my area of Blackrock, she sends regular newsletters with details of new traffic lights, speed calming measures, and listens to residents about parking, etc. She actually gets up off her posterior and works for a living, despite what people say. She still won't get my #1 though, but only due to personal reasons.

damien

Judes wrote:

Don't you think that's a totally ridiculous statement - you are referring to two extremely hard working politicians. If you sat in either of their offices for a couple of days and saw/heard what they do - you would retract that statement.

I'm sure there's a lot of activity in every election candidate's office at the moment. There's an election on I hear. Everyone can work hard at times. Do they spend a lot of time working hard in their offices or is it their people? If they spend a lot of time in their offices all the time, do they spend any time in their constituencies meeting the people they represent? I'm sure photo ops and charity balls are quite taxing.

Really people - the slagging must stop - by all means promote a politician you believe in - but don't tarnish the others, when you don't know what they do.

Free speech is a bit of a fcker isn't it? How about stopping the blind idealism and inability to realise that people have rational reasons for not liking someone you are obsessed with? How about respecting the fact that people can pick who they want to represent them and pick who they don't want to represent them? Oh and you assume that I don't know what they do. Why do you assume that, because I have a different view of them than you do?

A healthy debate on a subject is always welcome - but we're talking about the future of this country - and we can't be blasé about it!

But apparently hyperbole and dramatics are allowed. Should we think about the children next?

It's like this. I think most people in this thread realise how democracy works and if people are of the opinion that they think a candidate is a spoilt rich kid taking their family's "rightful place" in the Dáil, then let them have that opinion. I think it is quite insulting to people who vote if you declare they are being blasé about democracy. Cut the hysterics.

nesf

Anyone on the north side like to run me through the candidates? Am registered in North Central this time around and I'm looking around me at a sea of left wing candidates and feeling very very lost.

Judes

Damien - there are 52 weeks in the year and for several "years" I've been in/out of various candidates offices, as any member of the public can, if making an appointment to discuss an issue - and believe me they do work hard!!! So it very unfair to say they only work hard when it's election time. I'll say no more than that.

Stark

nesf wrote:

Anyone on the north side like to run me through the candidates? Am registered in North Central this time around and I'm looking around me at a sea of left wing candidates and feeling very very lost.

Well if you're voting Fianna Fáil, I would definitely vote Billy Kelleher over Noel O'Flynn. Kelleher is quite a good TD (for a FFer anyway ). He's certainly very responsive to any communication. Noel O'Flynn is a master of the controversy vote. He jumped to the top of the polls last election by calling asylum seekers "spongers and freeloaders" just before the election. I hear he's expected to lose his seat this time round.

The two FG candidates are decent enough as well I think. I'd certainly have more confidence voting for them than the Dublin FG candidates(who won't be getting my votes).

Stephen Saleh's a "wtf?" character in my book.

Ted Tynan's a neighbour of mine and a nice chap but is unlikely to ever garner more than the sympathy vote.

Looks like a different Green Party candidate this time round, this one looks old enough to drink I think he's fairly OK, he's a sitting councillor atm.

Kathleen Lynch is the sitting TD for Labour, don't remember much about her. mycandidate.ie lists her main priorities as the price of concert tickets and hidden charges on airline tickets, which probably says it all

Owen

Stark wrote:

Stephen Saleh's a "wtf?" character in my book.

I think his tactic is "Vote for me, your local skinhead".

douglasman

Kazbah wrote:

Only Irish citizens are entitled to vote in General Elections.

Not so ! There is a reciprocal agreement with Britain so that the Irish over there can vote and stand for elections, so British people living here get to do the same.

Who is eligible to vote in elections and referenda?
Irish citizens can vote in every election and referendum
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Kazbah

ned78 wrote:

Deidre Clune has done a lot of very positive work around my area of Blackrock, she sends regular newsletters with details of new traffic lights, speed calming measures, and listens to residents about parking, etc. She actually gets up off her posterior and works for a living, despite what people say. She still won't get my #1 though, but only due to personal reasons.

I tried to contact Deirdre Clune directly around September several times regarding City Council issues and couldn't get through. I left her detailed messages and she never returned my call. She lost my vote and that of my family. I had been supporting her but that coupled with my exposure to her as Lord Mayor changed my mind pronto!