Under 30? How do you feel about Ireland? Contribute to The Frontline on RTÉ

Darragh

RTÉ's The Frontline (Blog | twitter | Facebook) is doing a show on Monday (tomorrow) asking how people under 30 feel about Ireland post-boom.

They're inviting Boards.ie members to be involved, either by posting below or by joining them in the audience tomorrow night.

With unemployment figures showing that one in three men between the age of 20 and 24 is now unemployed we're asking how they, and their contemporaries feel about Ireland and where it's going.

Are they getting the supports they're entitled to? Do they feel let down or abandoned? Do they feel it's time to leave Ireland?

Or has the country served them well so far, maybe they feel this is simply a bump in the road?

We're looking for people who might be interested in attending the show as an audience member on Monday night, preferably, but not limited to, people under 30.

We're live on RTÉ One at 930 from the Donnybrook studios and it'd be great if people could email thefrontlineaudience@rte.ie for more details.

Feel free to have your say. Normal forum rules apply.

dunworth1

i feel as tough we need to get things straight in this country. i know times are hard but most of the problems could have been prevented. if people in high pistions just watched what the money was been spent on.

i do believe that we can get out of these hard times. but i think we need new leaders to do this we need fresh minds.

i am proud to be Irish but i'm not proud of the people running this country.

Brian Dunworth (17)

SolarNexus

I was a child when I moved here from the UK, as a 24 yr old male living in Ireland, this country is all I remember. When I graduate, I look forward to leaving the country I've known.

The education system has let me, and my friends down almost as a matter of institutional policy. Our college is woefully out of date and suffocating on its own bureaucracy.

As a student who hoped for an exciting career in IT, Ireland has little tangible prospect for us. Few if any of us are able to secure intern positions, and are often foisted out of possible jobs by people who are more senior than we, who are willing to work for below their worth. Few of those I've spoken to in our field feel anything but disenfranchisement with Ireland as a country to express yourself as a student of technology - we're all pretty much hoping for a job in Australia, US, anywhere that's not here.

We're inheriting a world that is burdened by terrorism, economic failures and a planet that's 6minutes from a global disaster and from my experience - the future is bleak.

RichTea

The general mood amongst the student population is that there is not a bountiful supply of opportunities available in Ireland once college is over. A lot of the people I know are resigned to emigration, whether it be to the UK, the US, Australia or elsewhere.
There is a general lack of trust in politicians on both sides of the political spectrum but most notably in the government. I'd say that most would regard FF/Greens as incompetent or clueless.
There just doesn't seem to be a lot of hope in finding jobs or getting established fiscally right now.

skelliser

There is no accountability in this country, its a sham!
For instance the Willie O Dea affair is another shining light in how little our elected representatives respect us and themselves. They are a law unto themselves. O Dea even had the cheek to say that changing a sworn affidavit was commonplace! What kind of fools do they think we are?!

I do believe tho that a change is sturring in my age group, fianna fail will be the first victims, the sooner nonsensical civil war party political rubbish dies out the better.

eager tortoise

The Ireland of today is disheartening but could be bearable - if we had some sort of idea that things might improve again. What frightens me more is the idea that things will get worse. I have no faith in the people in charge and feel that no proper action has or will be taken without some sort of major shake up. The scariest thing is that I think the government believe they're doing enough. However the system is a joke - cut backs in education in a time of recession?? I can't think of a single thing that has been implemented by the government in the past year that could be called A Good Idea.

DrumSteve

simply put people in this country do not believe in taking responsibility for their actions. As i man of 24 i feel completely disenfranchised with this government (both sides). O'dea is the latest example of this. kenny decides to get angry to show the real him? We can do without the shouting enda. Gilmore? He's just a populist poser. Gormley? I've seen more spine in a jellyfish. And cowen? Useless would be the nicest thing i could say about him. There is no leadership is this country that youth here respects because they give us no reason to respect them. But i am not goin to emigrate because that is the easy option. I want to stay and help ireland become the country i want it to be. I don't know how i'm goin to that but i will. This country deserves so much better than the leadership it has and Mediocrity has become acceptable because we've allowed it to be.

frag420

Yes I believe that the young of this country are being abandoned by those in power. THe greed that is being blatantly shown is nothing short of a disgrace. The fact that there is no shame or accountability by those in charge is disgusting.

I recently enquired about obtaining back to education allowance to do my masters in a vain attempt to better my prospects. I was told it is not available to anyone doing a masters unless your are studying for a position of teacher/lecturer. However there are very limited teaching/lecturing roles out there.

When I explained that by granting me the back to education allowance to pursue a masters degree the chances of me being on the dole after I finish my one yr of study would be greatly reduced where-bye If i could not return to study I am likely to remain on the dole for the next few yrs.

Now I am not looking for handouts but it makes more sense financially for the government to help those now to get an education so as to pre-empt any further terms of unemployment in the future which of course will cost so much more to the economy.

It seems the government are more interested in bailing out the banks that got us here in the first place, closing head shops to gain more votes from busy body scaremongers( tobacco and publican lobbies).................anything but address the issue that it is the young of today that will be the leaders of tommorow.

It sickens me that its who you know and not what you know that gets you into positions of importance(notice I did not say positions of power because it is power that is corrupting these people). If you want to be minister for finance then you must have a financial background(not be old school friend of the current leaders), if you want to be minister for enterprise then you must have a background in job creation and enterprise. If the Ceo of any big company were to appoint his best friend as head of company finances with no formal training or experience the shareholders would not be long venting there anger and said CEO wojuld soon find himself without a job!!

You will have to excuse a somewhat long and mixed rant but the anger boiling up inside me as I sit here with no job, soon to have no roof over my head and no obvious prospects despite breaking my back looking for one causes such a rant.

frAg

Overheal

Do I have to be Irish?

The Tiger died and you let her furs go to waste. You had your fun and you forgot to setup for the long run. The little things, like 'Free' water supply? That worked well, now didn't it? Sprinting when you needed a Marathon.

In the 10 years I lived there the short-sightedness was unbelievable. There was so much focus on developing Dublin and winning Elections that the rest of the country was left to rot and in the long run you failed to make the investments needed for the foreign jobs that Ireland so desperately hinges on. Now they're gone and your young, vibrant, and Well-Educated workforce is emigrating to chase after them.

If nothing is done all you will be left with is a Tourist Trap made up of the disenchanted and the elderly.

Villain

The country's economy has been built on building boom that was never sustainable, we only have 4.5 million people in this state very few of whom want to work for minimum wage. We have raised our standard of living to a level that simply isn't sustainable and we have more personal debt that at any stage of the nations history.

The government led the people to believe that they had developed an economy that was better for us all when in fact it was only better for them and their developer friends, the rest of the nation were living a life on borrowed money with mortgages that will cripple for generations. We don't have a smart economy we have a low corporation tax and that is the only reason we have seen the foreign direct investments over the years. We have don't have an indigenous economy which can sustain the standard of living we have enjoyed during the Celtic Tiger.

We have students in schools that don't have even have the option to do any computer science subjects until 3rd level, yet spend hours every week learning Irish whether they want to or not. We don't have a smart economy now and we won't ever have one unless we change the education system, we may have high levels of literacy but that won't create a smart economy.

I work in I.T. and for 10 years in school in the 90's I never even saw a computer, todays students use them every evening for twitter, facebook bebo etc but that won't create a smart economy, learning the basics of software development or systems managment at 2nd level is something that seems light years away at the moment.

Our problem is the political system is based on terms of 5 years, no government is willing to invest in something they may not be around to enjoy the praise of. A smart economy is something we can talk about but we are decades away.

Meanwhile the debt mounts, unemployments rises and the political system shouts across the Dail at each other laughing at us all, pretending to understand the people who have entrusted them to solve the crisis while toasting each other in the Dail bar complaining they might have to vouch for their expenses.

Sherifu

Feel pretty good...

...since I left the country.

Otherwise the idiots in charge would still be making my blood boil. It's bad enough watching what has happened from afar.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

changes

We're in a real quagmire.

The total income from Social welfare and benefits is too close to the total income you would get for a min wage job.

The economy was mis managed on a grand scale by bertie ahern. Too many houses built, credit to easily available, pay agreements awarded far too easily, the wrong taxes collected, tax breaks awarded recklessly.

Now we have the hangover from that, massive personal debt among the under 40's.

Alot of the wealth has been transfered to my parents generation.

The pain is now being felt by the younger generation and we will struggle for a decade i'd guess.

Poly

Politics in Ireland is corrupted by nepotism. I learnt today that Shay Brennan is back in the running for his fathers seat. A former Anglo Irish employee for God’s sake!!!!
Why would anyone in their right mind think that a former employee of the one of the main causes in our downfall would stand a chance in a local election?
Then again, RTE is corrupted by nepotism also, read that out Pat!

P.S. I do like the show

Poly

Darragh,
There was speculation on another thread that Pat Kenny is a boardsie, did he PM you or have one of his researchers contact you?

I'm Just curious as the boards seem to be gathering alot of media attention of late.

Darragh

Poly wrote: »

Darragh,
There was speculation on another thread that Pat Kenny is a boardsie, did he PM you or have one of his researchers contact you?

I'm Just curious as the boards seem to be gathering alot of media attention of late.

Heya, I don't know if Pat is a Boards.ie member but at least one of his researchers is - that's who I was in contact with. He's also a pal and I follow their twitter account. They like interacting with people.

Boards.ie is getting a lot of media attention alright - I'll post about that tomorrow, but it's a mixture of more people in the media hearing about the site (twitter has been great for that) and what's on it, the site handling itself and situations better and the increased traffic...

I think people are slowly seeing the value in a service like Boards.ie is all

changes

Darragh,

You could also ask this question in after hours you'd reach much more under 30's.
You'd prob get 60 or 70% of the answers taking the piss but still be able to pick out the better posts and get a truer idea of what young people think of ireland.

unreggd

Darragh, do you have to ask questions if you're in the audience?

wes

I don't know how things will go. I am not to confident with the current government, with turning things around. Maybe, with a change with the next election, we will get someone who can turn things around.

Having said the above, things could be so much worse. We still have better lives than the majority of the planet. So I don't think we should be to down about things.

Nightwish

unreggd wrote: »

Darragh, do you have to ask questions if you're in the audience?

No you dont. I was in the audience for last weeks show and I am going to be in the audience tomorrow too. There are enough people there trying to get their 2c in, so there isnt even time to get to everyone involved in the debate.

banshee_bones

I feel disheartened.

To escape the dole queue I went back to college. Luckily I am doing a masters in something I really like and am interested in but I have zero confidence in employment come October when my thesis is submitted and I am finished my course.
I feel my only opportunity to stay in the country is to do a P.h.D unless i want to scour the country looking for a minimum wage job or rejoin the dole queue.
Even doing a P.h.D will rely on funding, something that is also very thin on the ground at the moment.

I also feel like people under 30 just arent taken seriously in this country, is it just me? Does anyone else feel that the powers that be in any scenario just feign interest with a smile and a nod in a patronising manner?

rightwingdub

I'm 29 myself 30 this year still in full time employment but I don't know for how long with the company that I work for due to announce more redundancies in the next month or two, hopefully they'll be voluntary but I doubt it somehow.

johnnyskeleton

Comments for the frontline?

How about less of these symposia where people complain aimlessly about their lot in life and more actual reporting for our licence fee.

Look at the Mary Coughlan interview on Hard Talk on the BBC. That's an obscure BBC worldwide late night show, and yet they have an interviewer able to expose her for the incompetent that she is. Politicians in the UK have been broken under the questioning of Jeremy Paxman, John Snow etc.

So how about instead of this "I hate dem politicians, where's my bailout pat?" can we have some actual journalism please?

bleg

Graduated last May, have a good job with increasing job prospects on the horizon in Ireland.

johnnyskeleton

donegalfella wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

That's not true at all, but I accept that the types they will have on the frontline will be those few among the under 30s demongraphic whose attitudes and expectations are as you describe. Because that's what makes a good show, right?

The_Minister

How many spaces are there in the audience of Frontline?

I noticed the other day that there seemed to be gaps of empty seats, and I seem to recall that there were often gaps in the audience for Questions and Answers.

Just curious.

The_Minister

I fall into the category they are looking for (early 20s), but tbh I think the hardest hit group are the over 50s.
No-one looking to fill a high-level job wants to hire someone and train them when they will retire within the decade. Most over 50s who have lost their jobs will have to take jobs at far lower levels of pay, severely affecting their retirement prospects, should they still have any. Many of them have lost everything, and don't have the time or energy to rebuild.

They are the real group who will never recover from this, and emigration really isn't an option for them.

WalterMitty

The_Minister wrote: »

I fall into the category they are looking for (early 20s), but tbh I think the hardest hit group are the over 50s.
No-one looking to fill a high-level job wants to hire someone and train them when they will retire within the decade. Most over 50s who have lost their jobs will have to take jobs at far lower levels of pay, severely affecting their retirement prospects, should they still have any. Many of them have lost everything, and don't have the time or energy to rebuild.

They are the real group who will never recover from this, and emigration really isn't an option for them.

Yeah but they prob dont have mega mortgages and have some savings. Those in 25-35 age group with mega mortgages are worst effected. Most over 50s are fine with little debt even if they lose employment or work part time. IS there any stats on emplyment in the over 50s ? People (except public servants) should expect to work into their 70s in future.

foxyboxer

The celtic tiger years enriched our Parent's generation and pauperised the under 30 generation.

Borrowed money will always need to be repaid, but people lost the run of themselves and over-borrowed.

Credit Crunch + Housing/Construction collapse + High Personal Debt = Loss of jobs, Repossesion of homes and years of high taxes.

onemorechance

The post boom bust will be good in the long run.

It will make people more aware of the actual value of things and not waste money on things which are either unnecessary or over-priced.

It will make people aware of how nothing in life can be taken for granted, such as your job security and / or standard of living. The importance of saving rather than borrowing should become more apparent, although I see people shifting to credit unions for such purposes. Can the banks be trusted or do we want to support organisations that won't help us when we need them, e.g. mortage arrears, loan refusals etc. Especially when we have been "forced" to support them with Government assurances and NAMA, i.e. taxpayer risk.

ei.sdraob

Pat and Co take a look at this

http://www.ronanlyons.com/2010/02/09/more-than-half-of-all-jobs-for-young-men-have-disappeared/


Percentage of the male under-25 workforce signing on the Live Register, by county, 2007q1 and 2010q1


...

jank

I left Ireland in September 2008 just before the $hit really hit the fan. It wasn't intended, although I felt it in the air that there would be a downturn in the fortunes of the economy I never thought it would be that bad. My biggest gripe is the way the government has handled the affair. The saying "Deer in Headlights" springs to mind. Short term buys instead of long term prosperity

My biggest fear in all this is that I will never be able to go home to live my life. I fear that I will not be able to work in Ireland again in my profession, I fear that I will not be able to send my children to the local school where I attended, I fear that I will not be able to enjoy a pint in the local on a friday night with my life long friends, I fear that trips to Croker for an all Ireland final or to Thurles for a Munster Hurling final were things that I did but don't do any more.

I never thought of myself as an emigrant, I still don't, maybe holding onto something..what it is I don't know.

The government has failed us, not just those young people with little or no prospects but all generations of Irish people. We have gone back what we do best and did for over 150 years, export our youth from these shores to seek a new life...at least we are good at that.

Teferi

I had a fairly big post here but I deleted it. I can sum up my feelings by simply saying that I cannot wait to finish college and get the hell out of here.

gandalf

Ok I am outside the demographic for this as I am 40. But I remember before the so-called Celtic Tiger and it pains me and fills me full of anger that our future is being exported again to other countries because of the inability of our so called politicians to lead this country.

I will be a father for the first time in June of this year and I really do not want my child to grow up in a country like this so myself, my wife and my family will more than likely be leaving these shores as well.

All our politicians should hang their heads in collective shame they have let down society, they have let down their citizens and worst of all they have let down our future the young people who should be starting on their own path in their own country.

There should be a special place of shame is reserved for Bertie Ahern the chief architect of the pit we find ourself in.

97i9y3941

comment for prog-i think they should get rid of the fas courses,back to education allowance etc,the fas courses do not hold the same sort of appeal for a job compare to someone coming out of college with their degree,the back education allowance is sometimes abused as an drinking money for those sitting on welfare long enough to party in college and the only reason they brought the back to education allowance/fas in the first place so people are technically off the dole.

Red_Marauder

Well I am twenty three and in my first year after graduation from university.

I was 11 years old when FF came to power in 1997. Redundancies, dole queues and businesses shutting up shop does not feature in my past perception of Ireland at all. The country I grew up in was prosperous, educated and quite liberal in its values.

With the recent exposure of child abuse scandals and the woes of an economic recession, I feel that we are awakening in our 'national psyche' an Ireland that we had either left behind, or never knew to begin with. This is a somewhat disconcerting prospect for all of us, but it still does not diminish how far we have come.

I have spent the last year since coming out of university either in full time employment or travelling. I earn about the same pay as I would have had if I had qualified three years ago. The difference for me is that the cost of living has gone down, and I can afford to move out of my family home because rents have fallen.
While I do have friends who are unemployed, I have no immediate or close friends who are without some level of education beyond the leaving certificate. We have a lot to offer

We are a highly skilled, highly educated, energetic youth force in this country, with no serious hang ups about depressions or unemployment. I think we tend to have a positive outlook on employment and our future.

The recession is not ours as much as it belongs to our older countrymen and women in that they have lost pensions, savings, property security or equity, or they have lost their jobs and see no prospect of re-employment with their skills base.
But for most of us in our 20s, we still have a lot of potential and we tend not to have lost out as much. Sure, the next few years aren't going to be easy; but when you're coming from baked beans and cold toast in university halls, and are used to wearing extra jumpers instead of turning on the heating, well living on 25k a year with no responsibilities just has all of the ingrediants for a great time. Many of us see emiration as an opportunity, moving to the ends of the earth doesn't have to mean the end of the world.

By the way, I am not a FF voter.

blackiebest

Poly wrote: »

Darragh,
There was speculation on another thread that Pat Kenny is a boardsie, did he PM you or have one of his researchers contact you?

I'm Just curious as the boards seem to be gathering alot of media attention of late.

I hope he is.

Please if somone could hilight the attitude of conor Lenihan, see here http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055835301 as an example of the gob****es that are running the place.

It should be a very interesting show, good luck to those attending.

Ostrom

Next time perhaps probe your panelists on their experiences of low-income living.

My partner lost her job four months ago, and I can only assume your researchers count the approximate 80% spam and 15% specific language requirement postings on job sites such as monster.ie/jobs.ie as vacant situations. There is nothing, not even voluntary work - and every possible vacancy has been applied for.

Our local office ruled her ineligible for rent allowance, I take in just over minimum wage (on a contract due to expire this September) - I can promise that none of your supposedly representative discussants have any idea how demoralising it is to live like this.

The fact that anyone declined to point out our pre-recession full employment statistics suggests you are happy to assume the country spontaneously bred a few hundred thousand career scroungers within two years.

Short answer to your question - My pay has been cut, there are zero opportunities of a career-track position for me thanks to our unions efforts at shoring up outside input (from which, as a 'pink slip' contract worker, I am excluded).

Our solution has been a range of public spending, educational and welfare 'rationalizations' that seem set to create a cycle of accumulated inequality whilst those of us with higher degrees jump ship before recovery.

HankScorpio

After working in the private sector for 3 years post college, I decided to invest in my own education and decided to return to college and complete a further Masters degree. Now at the age of 28, I am a highly qualified and experienced graduate who has been unemployed since August 2008.

I feel utterly abandoned and let down by the current Irish state. As many other young people I have been forced to sign on for the 1st time in my life but even this funding support has run out. The future is bleak but the day to day present is bleaker. It has become apparent that young Irish people are on their own-the employment and enterprise measures & policies of the State are fundamentally flawed, rigid and unable to adapt to our current economic climate. I have absolutley NO FAITH whatsoever in the current government to generate employment. As such, there is no alternative but to leave Irish shores for the foreseebale future. And whatsmore.... I will do it gladly. I never believed I would hold such an opinion but it has ultimatley come to this.

The stench of corruption in recent days regarding former Minister O'Dea is a prime example of how the unemployed feel abandoned. At the same time of 300 jobs being offered by Ryanair, the Dail bickered and shouted and clammered for Willie O'Dea's resignation. For the whole week, no positive work on economic policy or job stimulous was mentioned. It was passed over in favour of personal agendas and egos of the TD's and ministers who are in no way personally effected by our current crisis. I hope Leinster House feels vindicated in their week's work whereby not one job was created. Should O'Dea have resigned? Of course so,no question....but how will this help 483,000 people to secure jobs!!

The lack of integration between the Social Welfare office and that of FAS is a typical example of the unco-ordinated and wastelful nature of this government. Clearly another example of how the young people of Ireland are on their own in comparison to the welfare and job services offered by the UK.
I was always of the opinion that you get out of life what you put in, if you work hard you will reap the rewards. This is no longer the case in this crippled and visionless country. This country that I have inherited is definitely a shadow of its former self. Governed by those who are so helplessly disconnected and far removed from the pulse of the unemployed and the young that they think they are making ground and actually represent them.The Irish government does not represent me anymore-they will speak, but it is no longer my voice they represent.
I have served and contributed to this country and it has not only turned its back on me but kicked me while I'm on the ground. No matter what spoofer you have on the programme tonight defending the government-it's all but empty words which will be forgotten by the morning when I get up and go through my daily ritual of door stepping businesses and looking for work to no avail.

I grew up hearing about how Irish graduates were the lifeblood of the country. Even now you still hear politicians saying things like "how are highly educated graduates will become our best resource in these troubled times". It has gotten to the stage that if I was offered the same job here or abroad, I would grab the job offer abroad with both hands as I no longer feel that Ireland deserves my work and effort. The current Irish government I see sickens me-full of corruption, waste, lacking accountability and without the morals to get the job done and pull us out this recession. I for one will soon be leaving these shores for the likes of Canada, Australia, the US & UK. And when I'm asked do I miss Ireland, I can whole heartedly say that when I needed help and support the most, the current Ireland never gave me the time of day- so why should I miss it in the least.

dan_d

27 year old qualified engineer.......likely to be unemployed in the next few months.....emigration looks to be my only option.

I've no faith in ANY of our current administration - across the board, all parties. They are delusional. I never want to hear the phrase "smart economy" again - it's not going to happen under this crowd.

I will leave because I spent 4 years in college, working my ass off to get a good degree. I refuse to spend an indefinite period of time on the dole because a load of ignorant, back slapping, corrupt beyond description fat cats and politicians screwed up our economy. And I cannot bear to hang around and watch them congratulate themselves on how they got away with it while everyone else pays the price and listens to bulls$%t about how it's great to be Irish and aren't we turning things around. No we are not.

I want to live in a country that works. This one doesn't. And there is absolutely no come-back argument that will convince me otherwise.

the_syco

Late 20's, employed in a large multinational. Boom years meant that I could get a part-time job easy enough, and in the current job for the last 2 years, the current sector for the last 3 or 4 years.

Voted FF, as FG never seemed to have a plan, "better the divil you know", as it were, for no-one else seemed to have a clue, other than saying "we had a better plan" after FF f**ked up.

Every single politician is corrupt. They voted amongst themselves for a pay increase several times during the boom. Why? Because they could.

During the boom, the unions were c**ts, and now they're unwanted c**ts. I know a few PS workers, and they dislike the unions, as they have their plan, and don't seem to represent the workers. They do, however, have nice salaries, which they seem eager to hold onto.

The entire country seems to be employed by a multinational. If they go, we're f**ked, and we won't be able to undervalue to pound to get them in this time round.

johngalway

How are we supposed to drag this economy back from the brink again when the maintainance grant for mature university students has been withdrawn. What kind of message does that send to people in despair about their future? Those who've worked damn hard to get back into University now are faced with artifical hurdles put in place by Government policy. It's time to change policy in this country to a pro education stance, not treating it as a series of hollow soundbites to the media and only paying lip service to it once the spotlight and cameras are taken away.

SeaFields

I am another graduate, yet to find myself employed. After 7 years of university, including two masters degrees, the frustration and despair grows daily. It is looking increasingly likely that I will have to look abroad for employment.

The jobs are simply not there, and of those that are, even an acknowledgment of an application is unlikely, never-mind an interview. The only solution put forward so far by this government is an unpaid work placement scheme through FAS.

As long as I live I will never, ever, vote for a Fianna Fail candidate.

Mr. A

I feel tonight's subject matter is particularly aimed at the likes of myself. I am 23, a recent college graduate, and been applying for nine months for even unpaid experience and getting nowhere. Not having the means to leave the country, I have little opinions and dispairing at what I'm going to do. I never would have dared guess five years ago I would be in the position I am in now. (My course was in filmmaking).

Mostly, I feel absoloute loathing and disgust at our political system. Our political leaders, including our oppisition, have completely failed us. Fianna Fail's only solution to our problems is to do their utmost to restore the same way of doing business as much as possible - by propping up the banks' activities at the cost to the most vulnerable in our society. (And finding the most random of scapegoats, such as ordinary civil servant workers). Brian Cowen has cowardly refused to engage the elecorate in a national address, and has consistently demonstrated poor leadership qualities at the worst possible time in our country's history, merely create the image of himself as Fianna Fail's 'hatchet man'. His recent address to the Fianna Fail grassroots in which he listed loyalty to his party first before anything else, is very telling of his character and poor judgement.

The Green Party, along with all our oppisition parties, have done nothing to rally the country behind them; merely pushing forward their own self-important policies and ideas in the hopes they will be awarded come election time. The Green Party is a particularly sorry sight, unless they do the right thing and realise their coalition has failed and pull out of government. Not that I have confidence 'the next shower' will be even better, but we need a national debate on the current state of Irish politics. With the gleam of George Lee's celebrity at Fine Gael now no more, people can now more likely see how little difference there is between our two main parties.

Make no mistake, our "cultural malaise" - to invoke Jimmy Carter's infamous phrase - is the ultimate result of the domination of Civil War politics in our political consciousness and having opposing parties determinedly persuing similiar idealogies and policies; along with a small grouping of left-wing parties willing to prop either FF or FG up just to be in government. Not that other left-wing parties get off the hook either, such as the Socialist Worker's Party, Worker's Party, Communist Party of Ireland, etc. opting to not take the political process seriously in the least, hide behind slogans and demonstrations and usually get lost in trade union bureaucracy instead of presenting a united, left-wing alternative; or even worse, if you're of the dissident republican vein, such as Republican Sinn Fein, and instead turn the vast majority of the electorate off by appealing to the notion of armed struggle\thuggery, absenteeism or Britain's place in Six Counties being the source of our ills.

Once the influence of both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael on both sides of the political coin are removed, whether that takes two years or twenty; then and only then will we will see dynamic, and fresh changes to the country. God willing, it'd be by the cenetary of the Easter Rising.

... but yeah. Newly graduated from filmmaking. Can't get a job. Sucks. lol

The_Minister

Mr. A wrote: »

... but yeah. Newly graduated from filmmaking. Can't get a job. Sucks. lol

In fairness, even during the Boom....:p

Pride Fighter

I'm a graduate as well, as most of the people here seem to be. I am studying a masters as I do not want to be on the dole, which was the only other option. Fianna Fail have screwed this country up. I may have to leave to find work after my studies in a few months.

I will have to leave cause FF have failed this generation. The sad fact is, people like myself who hate the corrupt-laden party will not be here to vote the buggers out. The people who will stay, will vote them back in as they owe their jobs to a FF family connection or are just plain stupid.

Like generations before the Irish are leaving their home to build and develop other nations at the expense of our homeland.

fontanalis

Pride Fighter wrote: »

I'm a graduate as well, as most of the people here seem to be. I am studying a masters as I do not want to be on the dole, which was the only other option. Fianna Fail have screwed this country up. I may have to leave to find work after my studies in a few months.

I will have to leave cause FF have failed this generation. The sad fact is, people like myself who hate the corrupt-laden party will not be here to vote the buggers out. The people who will stay, will vote them back in as they owe their jobs to a FF family connection or are just plain stupid.

Like generations before the Irish are leaving their home to build and develop other nations at the expense of our homeland.

You know what's even sadder, hearing people boast about how Ireland is a great country because irish people are all over the world.
For too long young people have always been complained about, hopefully a well spoken young person can appear and say flat out this young generation inherited a political system and culture that's rotten to the core from the older generation.

changes

From what i have read over the last four pages most people are holding Fianna Fail responsible for the mess we find the country in.

Frustratingly FF themselves have been denying (in the time honoured tradition of chief bertie) that they have been the main cause of our woes.

I know we need to look to the future but they really have messed up on a grand scale.

I have voted Fianna Fail everytime i went to a polling booth since i was 18. But not for another 20 years will i vote for them again.

Its going to be a slow road back to prosperity but we need to insist on good governance in this country if we are to have any hope going forward.

Also, B Lenihan's backtracking on the 600 top civil servants paycuts was really more of the same old crony rubbish that FF have engaged in for the last 20 years.... so so so dissapointing.

Setanta123

I am starting out on my degree but when I finish my degree I can't see a future for myself or for any of my friends, Already we are making plans to study or live abroad because of the mess Ireland has gotten it self into.

For young people to have faith in the system we need to be respected and our government don't respect us, last week the issue that our leader harbored a perjurer showed us that they don't understand what is right and wrong so how can they preach to us about the rights and wrongs in what they are doing in trying to save us, Our government has become so out of touch with what is going on that now our future is now looking like it will be in tatters. There is no jobs or no hope for young people.

Pearse

slickmcvic

...some show!!
...Where'dyis get the audience from!...crowd of hippies!!...Bill Cullen fairley put it to them!....I Blame the gubbermint!

Mezcita

Bill Cullen in sensible statement shocker!