What’s your most controversial opinion? **Read OP** **Mod Note in Post #3372**

Anaki r2d2

Rockall is Irish and under utilised.

It should be an unlimited capacity open prison.

Multiple repeat offenders get homed here.

talla10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120233301#Comment_120233301

I disagree with you there. There are hundreds of people walking around with hundreds of convictions all prosecuted by AGS.

Courts are completely over run with criminal prosecutions it not literally takes years for small cases to be finalised and trials taking even longer (although Covid has been a factor)

Prisons are overrun with criminals and every prisoner is released on TR before completing their sentences. GSOC claim to have a huge workload and only find 3%-5% of complaints in breach of anything. Everyday media outlets announce countless drugs detections, serious charges being preferred in investigations and court reports of convictions for serious crime.

The issue with AGS is lack of prison space to house prisoners, lack of support from Courts to clamp down on any aspect of crime but especially assaults on Gardai, recruitment and retention are chaotic the last few years, lack of investment from Government ie depleted fleet, still using 1970s technology for calls, no tasers/body cams etc. To get the level work done that they do with the lack of investment, support or training is good especially when compared to internationally to other police forces with much better funding/training/equipment/resources

lmk123

There should be no such thing as handing out cash to people that are on the dole for years, the dole should be loaded onto a card, if any of the money is spent on drink, fags or gambling the same amount should be deducted going forward as they’re clearly getting paid too much, that would be the first of many changes I’d like to make

Anaki r2d2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120281594#Comment_120281594

My controversial opinion? You did not go far enough! Garda should be able to police without the paperwork. Batons and kickings prior to arrest and prosecution should be the norm. There is no fear of consequence of behaviour.

kneemos

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120281569#Comment_120281569

It's barely big enough to stand on though.

Anaki r2d2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120281893#Comment_120281893

Think this though a little bit longer, think of the delightful fresh Atlantic swell

Mad_maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120281641#Comment_120281641

Stop “ punching down “

just saving our WOKE brethren the job of pointing this out

kneemos

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120281641#Comment_120281641

Would you include pensioners?

Mad_maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120282403#Comment_120282403

some pensioners spent their lives on the dole so why not ?

maninasia

Women in Ireland are very fortunate on a worldwide level and actually have it easier than men in many industries and professions. If they get paid less across the whole population it is probably because of the jobs they chose to do because of the lifestyle that goes with it e.g. teaching, civil service. Not always, but often. Most women don't want to do heavy manual work, outdoor jobs. Most don't want to do computer science or engineering. Now I get it they also habve child bearing and childcare but they do get good maternity leave too.

Men got almost nothing until recently !

Young men and older mens needs are vastly ignored...nobody cares when a man is not promoted or underpaid. It's just seen as normal.

Irish men are often criticized in the media in a generalist way, but women basically never. A male reporter couldn't write the same thing about women.

You get a lot of news about ovarian cancer (rightly) but not about prostate cancer or other cancers (wrongly).

Men are also heavily discriminated against in the divorce courts but it is normalised.

Women got a women's holiday , men get no holiday to celebrate them.

There's strong quotas for womens representation in many public and private organisations including TDs and ministerial posts. But there aren't quotas for ethnicities, age groups, disadvantaged men etc.

So Ireland is getting very feminist in reality. But if you say it people give you a lot of **** . I'm not anti woman at all, there are some genuine issues that needed addressing, just want to point out some odd things I noticed.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120282363#Comment_120282363

Have you considered getting a technician to have a look at your keyboard for you. The letters W O K and E appear to be stuck in caps lock.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120282403#Comment_120282403

Child benefit recipients too.

Mad_maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120282881#Comment_120282881

Ah now Andrew , we both know you can’t get a tradesman ( or woman) for love nor money these days

kneemos

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120282922#Comment_120282922

Tradesthem I believe is the correct term.

Mad_maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120282945#Comment_120282945

Thanks Sam Smith

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120282654#Comment_120282654

I don't disagree with a lot of that but what women's holiday? If it's St. Brigid, that's no more a holiday celebrating women than St. Patrick's day is a holiday celebrating men. It's a saint's feast day.

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120271017#Comment_120271017

'Banshees of Inisherin' It isn't an 'Oirish dose' it is an actual funny story on the face of it a black comedy, well written almost like a theatrical play. But underneath it is an allegorical discussion on the Irish civil war.

I suppose my controversial opinion would be that people who say things like 'I have no seen it but... ' and jump to conclusions forming biased opinions should instead wait until those judgements are cast. At least see the flipping thing or talk to a few who did before you make up your mind.

kneemos

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120283567#Comment_120283567

Not sure what people are expecting. It's a hundred years ago off the west coast. It was as feckin oirish as it gets.

lmk123

not if they worked and paid taxes, yes if they drew the dole

kneemos

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120284581#Comment_120284581

If they spend it on gambling,drink and tobacco quite a high percentage of it is going back to the Exchequer.

In theory those that spent their dole only on essentials could cost the Government more.

talla10

I have very little sympathy for people who were working from home the last 3 years and now are being "forced" to actually go to a place of work. I'm sure working from home had wonderful personal benefits and savings but productivity must have taken a nose dive from even the most dedicated employee.

Employers aren't "forcing" people back to the office they simply want a greater return from their employees and to be assured people are actually doing what they are supposed to

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120209193#Comment_120209193

I'm a bit late to this Amethyst. Doctors can be a mixed bag when it comes to our mental health. When you say mental health team who do you mean?

Tell me, are you talking with anyone? A therapist? There are low cost options put there which I think also provide online therapy. I can't speak for those services personally but I do know they exist.

You are young. This may seem condescending, dismissive even but that's not my intention. You are on the path of healing Amethyst and you have a whole life to do it in.

Always be wary of small towns and built-up areas.

pgj2015

women get lazy when they have kids, they take a year off after giving birth and most want longer than that and never want to go back to work.

pgj2015

Dubs and Northies are the most racist of Irish people with a fear of other races.

cuttingtimber22

Firstly, I voted yes to gay marriage. No issues whatsoever with a man choosing to marry a man or a women’s choosing to marry a woman. No problem at all with straight couples deciding they want or do not want to have children. Completely open in respect to adoption by couples of all persuasion recognising that a happy gay male or female couple can be better parents than unhappy or addict straight couples.

But I really question the entitlement in respect to surrogacy - which I think can be akin to modern slavery.

https://m.independent.ie/life/family/parenting/weve-spent-200000-trying-to-start-a-family-irish-restrictions-on-surrogacy-make-it-difficult-for-gay-men-42356259.html

Am i being unreasonable?

Jequ0n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120286074#Comment_120286074

I don’t see an issue with surrogacy tbh. But it’s something that people should fund themselves and not the responsibility of the state.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120285901#Comment_120285901

Mental health team being those that the GP refers you to. Psychology, psychiatry etc.

At the moment, an occupational therapist, and a cognitive behavioural therapist. Will be seeing one of the psychologists for a 3 month check up on the 7th though.

You're not wrong, and I mean you no harm when I say this, but the reason I intensely dislike hearing that is because it's not immediately helpful. Again, nothing against you, but when you hear that from medical professionals time and again, you want to paint the walls with your brains.

Thank you for the kind words.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120286074#Comment_120286074

There’s something strangely hypocritical about the Irish government saying that we won’t allow women to be surrogates here, but we will recognise babies born using surrogates cia financial arrangements in other countries.

cuttingtimber22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120286283#Comment_120286283

I suggest reading some of the issues in respect to surrogacy in countries such as Ukraine and also in Africa. The treatment of the women especially if they miscarry or have other medical complications, the surrogate parents refusing to pay if there are medical complications affecting the women, the rejection by surrogate parents of disabled children, some of the types of people seeking surrogate children (not to be normal parents) and so forth. It’s disturbing. A well regulated industry maybe but why don’t we allow this in Ireland?

slither12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120281641#Comment_120281641

Australia was planning on introducing a system very much like that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38w1wL8WF3Y