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Sinn Féin amnesty for tv licence dodgers ??

  • 13-02-2024 11:09AM
    #1
    Posts: 61 ✭✭ Santana Fat Peanut


    In the news today Sinn Féin calling for an amnesty for "TV licence Dodgers" similar to the amnesty that was given for the highly illegal water charges that led to the downfall of a fully privatised Irish Water leading to full refunds for everyone that had stupidly paid and those that were denied a tax clearance if they hadn't. Not to mention the elderly who frightened into paying it through the scaremongering by msm.

    Screenshot_20240213_095345_Chrome.jpg

    Firstly - Irish water was a private company Limited by shares with 11 directors knighted into it by their government buddy's. It was an illegal action by government from day 1 with gardai charging people under section 8 as usual for protecting themselves from the illegal actions by IW workers bullying people outside their homes. They never had as a legal as a private company to force you into contract. But yet the Irish Water bill passed all stages in both houses and was signed off by president Higgins coming full circle in its illegality until the people copped on what was going on and when the proof of its illegality was proved to senior ranking gardai that's when Irish water refunded everyone. Then of course the govt stepped in again and semi stated it to preserve it for later use knighting further useless gombeens with bonuses for failure.

    The point being just because this government makes something a law , like paying a decades long failure like rte who abused their own public funding to the extent of a national revolt doesn't make it legal. The tv licence should be challenged in the supreme Court as realistically its been operated as a private company for far too long now and Kevin Buckhurst isn't gonna save it.

    As for SF asking for an amnesty like the water charges - shows just how much out of touch they are with the electorate and this public statement should cost them another point at least in the polls.

    What you think ?

    Post edited by Spear on


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Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,447 ✭✭✭Allinall


    I don’t think water charges were illegal.

    Im also curious as to how one can be knighted into a directorship.

    Other than that, your post is an incoherent rant.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,199 ✭✭✭JVince


    As I said in another post, sinn fein are proposing that the government of the day (might eb sf at some stage in the future) will have absolute control of funding for the broadcast media.

    Think of that!

    This is coming from sinn fein. the party that abuses the legal system to take frivolous cases against RTE and other media in order to silence their questioning of sinn fein. Now they want the situation that if they are in government they would hold absolute power over the broadcast media both through their slapps style legal proceeding and holding them to ransom on funding


    someone in sinn fein did not think this one through and I hope they get hammered in the debate



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 22,433 ✭✭✭✭Ash.J.Williams


    Knighted is a pretty good analogy for how some appointments are handed out



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,199 ✭✭✭JVince


    Irish water was set up as a private company and their shares owned 100% by Bord Gais which is owned by the Irish Government. the reason it was set up as a private company was to enable it to raise funding on international markets as it 2013 the Irish economy was on its knees and the government had little room for extra borrowing.

    some people will search for alternate reasons and take barstool proclaimers at their word (same fools believe the earth is flat, covid did not exist, wind farms cause cancer, 5G will kill you, vaccines are the work of the devil etc etc etc)

    Post edited by Boards.ie: Mike on


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    Post edited by Unknown User on


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,395 ✭✭✭✭Furze99


    Go away with your Irish Water comparison - it was one of the very few charges that actually made sense and would improve peoples services.

    As for SF and their kite flying - pure hot air & opportunism.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,732 ✭✭✭paddyisreal


    Nah the whole idea of Irish water was for the fine gaelers getting their buddy Dinny to plunder a national asset and ride the public. Just look how privatisation of the UK water system worked out. Rte is a basket case and needs a massive clear out. All this will be kicked down the road until after the next election



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,088 ✭✭✭Clo-Clo


    Sinn Fein are tanking in the polls so expect all sort of crazy stuff to come out to try win back some votes.

    It's just noise from Sinn fein. Populist noise



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,732 ✭✭✭paddyisreal


    Any idea on how the present government is going to deal with this mess ? The numbers in court is going through the roof and there is going to have been some sort of amnesty. Let's be honest they will do what they do best and not address the issue and wait till after the next election but each party is going to have to tell the electorate how they are going to deal with it .



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,446 ✭✭✭AlanG


    Aside for the incoherance of ther OP this policy by SF is bound to fail. Introducing an amnesty without refunds will isolate many people and reenforce the perception that SF cannot be trusted with finances. This is an open goal for the government parties.


    There is a strong arguement for changing the licence model and given that it is already nearly 50% directly funded by gov based on bailouts and the socual welfare / pensions free licence payments there is also some arguement that Gov already have control over the funding.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,732 ✭✭✭paddyisreal


    That's bollocks, go and have a look at the UK and how privatisation of their water worked out. It was a failed ready up by Denis o Brien and the gaelers. They just got caught....



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,088 ✭✭✭Clo-Clo


    They will ignore till after the election. It's another disaster of a topic because of the carry on in RTE.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,088 ✭✭✭Clo-Clo


    It's populist nonsense to get some votes. It's similar to the LPT which if we remove will be a disaster but plenty of numpties in Ireland will think it's great to get rid of LPT/

    Ignoring that LPT is just a massive tax break for the rich



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,732 ✭✭✭paddyisreal


    Over 120,000 people didn't pay their license fee in 2023 who did in 2022. There is only 600,000 court cases heard every year in Ireland so this is a massive issue that has to be addressed. Imagine what that 120,000 additional cases would do to the court system , enforcements etc . Is there any other solution but scrapping the fee and refunding payments from 2023 ? I can't see any other way around it



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 8,199 ✭✭✭MrMusician18


    The present government is going to stall and stall on this until after the election (which is expected at the end of this year). It's radioactive politically.

    This is a populist play by SF to try to win back some support after the bad few months they've had. SF have been caught out between two stools on migration and are losing support from both sides on the issue - especially the right.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,395 ✭✭✭✭Furze99


    A few days/ weeks with little or no water in due course and you'll change your tune rapid. When something is free, don't expect much.

    You'll survive well enough without a TV or RTE for a few weeks/ months/ years.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,732 ✭✭✭paddyisreal


    Free ?? Your having a laugh. We all pay for water through our taxes already. Motor tax was increased to pay for it in the 70s... You think dinnie o Brien would run it better 🤣



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,395 ✭✭✭✭Furze99


    Ah feck off that old trope. And if you did pay for it in the 70s, then expect services of the 70s. Zero sympathy for ye when yous can't flush yer jacks in due course.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,088 ✭✭✭Clo-Clo


    Honestly the spin from people during the water issue is hilarious.

    Pay for it in the 70's :-(



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,774 ✭✭✭Kaisr Sose


    GardaÍ were probably told to request IW to leave in order to protect the peace.

    It is highly unlikely to nil that any Garda on site cared to read the memorandums you refer to. For a start, intreprating intricacies of company law is not their speciality or remit.

    An Garda Síochana have a good reputation for preserving the peace...it's in their DNA and title.

    Post edited by Boards.ie: Mike on


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,732 ✭✭✭paddyisreal


    what old trope, its a bloody fact ! its being going on for the last 40 years ffs. maybe do a bit of research the next time. Domestic rates were abolished in 1977 and funding of services was done through vat, motor tax, income tax etc so we are all paying for it. the privatisation of water in the uk has been a unmitigated disaster but sure as along as dinny and co can make a few more million for the gaelers who cares !



  • Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 14,292 Mod ✭✭✭✭pc7


    I paid my water bill when it came (then got a refund), I haven't paid for my tv license for over a year now and at present I've no intention of. The shower in RTE have wasted millions on all sort of sh1te (and presenters), when they get their house in order I might pay. I don't care what SF say I'll never vote for them.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,263 ✭✭✭Iscreamkone


    We don’t ALL pay for water through our taxes. The people who don’t pay taxes certainly do not.

    SF know this and would be delighted for these non contributors to get away with even more. SF look at this bunch as a key element of their core vote.



  • Moderators, Politics Moderators, Paid Member Posts: 43,701 Mod ✭✭✭✭Seth Brundle


    Pretty much everyone who pays for stuff pays tax.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,732 ✭✭✭paddyisreal


    Everyone pays tax even those on social... vat, excise all goes towards running the country . The license fee is a dead duck now and funding for state broadcasting will have to come through this also.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,732 ✭✭✭paddyisreal


    i always paid my tv license but the same as yourself im holding off until there is some sort of accountability or a massive reform. the issue is politically toxic but all other parties are going to have to address the issue during the next election.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 17,487 ✭✭✭✭elperello


    The licence is a dead duck anyway and something needs to be done.

    Some version of a transition to the new funding system will be needed.

    You can't be making people pay the full licence up to midnight one night and say from the next day it's gone.

    The SF plan seems to be rushed and poorly thought out.

    It most likely will cause a lot of noise for a few days and get voted down.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,395 ✭✭✭✭Furze99


    Dream on, as I said zero sympathy for you when yous can't flush yer jacks in due course and are digging holes in your back garden.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,732 ✭✭✭paddyisreal


    odd response but any way im on my own well and septic tank Pal so no digging holes ...



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