General Election and Government Formation Megathread (see post #1)

sid waddell · 30-01-2020 03:11PM

beggars_bush wrote: »

Is it not a tax refund?

And that's a handout. To developers, not ordinary people. It's a measure which will just push the prices of houses ever higher. But sure that's been the overarching goal of all government policy since 2009, to raise house prices, to prop up further the banks that were given €64billion by the economic "experts", as the ideology of the same economic "experts" hands massive tranches of public money to private landlords and private hospitals.

blanch152 · 30-01-2020 07:29PM

sid waddell wrote: »

And that's a handout. To developers, not ordinary people. It's a measure which will just push the prices of houses ever higher. But sure that's been the overarching goal of all government policy since 2009, to raise house prices, to prop up further the banks that were given €64billion by the economic "experts", as the ideology of the same economic "experts" hands massive tranches of public money to private landlords and private hospitals.

It's actually quite a clever idea. It doesn't force people to save like Fianna Fail's SSIA idea which takes money out of the economy and only people who are very rich can afford. It doesn't rely on the fantasy of houses being built for 65k like Sinn Fein's unicorn and rainbows plan.

L1011 · 30-01-2020 10:35PM

That is an EXTREMELY odd music choice for the intro on for the TV3 debate. Not Muse, the cover version before it.

L1011 · 30-01-2020 10:36PM

Subs bench in use for the Soc Dems, or did they agree it in advance I wonder? Shortall was not good last time but she wasn't getting much time either.

Westernyelp · 30-01-2020 10:37PM

L1011 wrote: »

That is an EXTREMELY odd music choice for the intro on for the TV3 debate. Not Muse, the cover version before it.

The music the shouty intro and Ivans faux combat style. the tone is all very wrong. almost Tabloid

L1011 · 30-01-2020 10:38PM

Westernyelp wrote: »

The music the shouty intro and Ivans faux combat style. the tone is all very wrong. almost Tabloid

Its TV3, what did you expect? :pac:

Expecting this to be VERY adversarial.

charlie14 · 30-01-2020 10:52PM

Has Ivan Yates a party running in this election.:(

L1011 · 30-01-2020 11:00PM

Murphy is absolutely appalling tonight and Mick Barrys shouting/screaming could undo some of RBB's efforts from last week.

blackwhite · 30-01-2020 11:50PM

I’m no fan of RBB - but he’s a million miles ahead of Barry as a speaker. What lunatic in PBP thought it was a good idea to send him out instead of Boyd-Barrett

L1011 · 31-01-2020 12:04AM

blackwhite wrote: »

I’m no fan of RBB - but he’s a million miles ahead of Barry as a speaker. What lunatic in PBP thought it was a good idea to send him out instead of Boyd-Barrett

Put RBB in Barry's suit and they'd be looking at keeping all 6 TDs. (and I'm saying that as someone that works in a 100% casual attire environment!)

beggars_bush · 31-01-2020 12:29AM

I actually enjoyed that debate.

Larbre34 · 31-01-2020 12:30AM

charlie14 wrote: »

Has Ivan Yates a party running in this election.:(

Yes, the biggest party of all, the Yates Ego party.

There he is now on VMTV3 defending his own shyte approach.

31-01-2020 11:16AM

If you do, justify your explanation.

I don't. I'm a voter since 1992.

Fine Gael have said on the past in their notices that they have had the responsibility of cleaning up mess made by Fianna fail. On inflation / health

Pretty pot and kettle of FG though.

What do you think?

L1011 · 31-01-2020 11:20AM

Rainbow 94-97. Economy in a decent condition, significant improvements in service provision and rights achieved during office. Dumped out by voters who wanted tax cuts.

The Nal · 31-01-2020 11:22AM

L1011 wrote: »

Rainbow 94-97. Economy in a decent condition, significant improvements in service provision and rights achieved during office. Dumped out by voters who wanted tax cuts.

May have been the only decent government we've ever had.

blanch152 · 31-01-2020 11:23AM

Deleted User wrote: »

If you do, justify your explanation.

I don't. I'm a voter since 1992.

Fine Gael have said on the past in their notices that they have had the responsibility of cleaning up mess made by Fianna fail. On inflation / health

Pretty pot and kettle of FG though.

What do you think?

There are always things that can be improved.

The question when considering how a government has performed is whether the country is in a better place than when it took office?

In the case of the current government, the answer has to be yes.

Employment up, Budget surplus in place, Incomes up, Standard of living up, etc.

Yes, it hasn't succeeded in other areas but improvements have been made.

A doubling of house-building isn't enough but it is better than 2016. All-party agreement on Slaintecare is the first step in improving the health service. Detailed plans are in place for public transport improvements (real risk of going backwards if others are elected).

There are other governments about whom you can say the same thing. The Albert Reynolds government fell on a scandal but it was actually doing a good job, laying the foundations for the later peace process.

The 1973-77 coalition government brought us through the oil crisis, and created the favourable economic and financial conditions which were wasted by election the Lynch and Haughey governments to then collapse the economy recklessly.

If you want a government to be perfect, as some clearly do, then you will always be disappointed.

Fritzbox · 31-01-2020 11:26AM

Deleted User wrote: »

If you do, justify your explanation.

I don't. I'm a voter since 1992.

Fine Gael have said on the past in their notices that they have had the responsibility of cleaning up mess made by Fianna fail. On inflation / health

Pretty pot and kettle of FG though.

What do you think?

What mess are you suggesting FG are leaving behind? Ireland's economy grew by 5.6% last year - do you have any idea how well that compares with the rest of Europe? Hell, even the Chinese economy "only" grew by 6.1% last year.

The European Commission has increased Ireland's growth forecast for this year.

In its autumn 2019 Economic Forecast, it predicts that Irish gross domestic product (GDP) will grow by 5.6% for 2019.

That is up from a predicted rise of 4% in its summer forecast, and the highest in the European Union for 2019.

This compares to a predicted EU average growth rate of 1.4% for this year and for 2020 and 2021.

It says GDP growth in Ireland is expected to moderate to 3.5% in 2020 and to 3.2% in 2021, on the back of increasing capacity constraints and an expected slowdown in Government expenditure.

https://www.newstalk.com/news/irish-economy-see-highest-growth-eu-2019-922452

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/17/china-gdp-for-full-year-and-q4-2019.html

Bannasidhe · 31-01-2020 11:28AM

L1011 wrote: »

Rainbow 94-97. Economy in a decent condition, significant improvements in service provision and rights achieved during office. Dumped out by voters who wanted tax cuts.

Ruairi Quinn even balanced the books as I recall - or perhaps I'm looking back through rosy tinted glasses.

But yes, that one government where we had a good balance between rightish and leftish (FG 47, LP 32, DL 6) turned out to be the best one we ever had.

jm08 · 31-01-2020 11:31AM

I don't remember exactly which Government/term it was (sometime in the '90s), but Ruairi Quinn as Minister for Finance in a FG/Labour coalition did a big clean up on the country's finances which they inherited from Fianna Fail (Bertie had been Min. for Finance). It sticks in my mind as everyone was surprised as to how good Quinn was despite his socialist leanings. Charlie McCreevy inherited the benefits of his fiscal management!

Edit: there seems to be a bit of consensus on this particular Government being very good!

31-01-2020 11:35AM

Fritzbox wrote: »

What mess are you suggesting FG are leaving behind? Ireland's economy grew by 5.6% last year - do you have any idea how well that compares with the rest of Europe?

You points appear to lean more on laurels than pillars tbh.
"Look over here" comes to mind

raspberrypi67 · 31-01-2020 11:39AM

I'm so cynical about politics these days, I'm in my 50's and all I've heard for the last 2 decades is promises and promises...

I wont go on as we all know the hospital mess were in and no one can seem to sort it...

The huge cost of the new childerens hospital really is mind boggling ...If this was a private company with the same situation
the CEO would be well gone.....
Who are the muppets that price the contracts out????? Its not F***ing rocket science...
I mean if were need to price a job in our own house for instance we get several quotes on jobs, stick to a figure
and tell the chancers that qutoe huge amounts where to go....Its that simple...or is it??

Theres been so many f ups regarding this Govenment , its unreal....I still cant get over the FAI saga......Not to mention the 18 million or so the Govenment is now going to give the FAI...all hush hush......Same old BOYS CLUB....
The public are treated with utter contempt...we need to do more marching on the street......
Bail out after Bail out because the governments are so incompetant ....

raspberrypi67 · 31-01-2020 11:42AM

jm08 wrote: »

I don't remember exactly which Government/term it was (sometime in the '90s), but Ruairi Quinn as Minister for Finance in a FG/Labour coalition did a big clean up on the country's finances which they inherited from Fianna Fail (Bertie had been Min. for Finance). It sticks in my mind as everyone was surprised as to how good Quinn was despite his socialist leanings. Charlie McCreevy inherited the benefits of his fiscal management!

Edit: there seems to be a bit of consensus on this particular Government being very good!

RUAIRI QUINN needs to be hung up....He's responsible for the mess the education system is in at the minute......
He copied a UK system which was known to fail but he still went ahead with it and the place is now a mess. I pity school leavers at the minute and to come....

FrancieBrady · 31-01-2020 11:43AM

Fritzbox wrote: »

What mess are you suggesting FG are leaving behind? Ireland's economy grew by 5.6% last year - do you have any idea how well that compares with the rest of Europe? Hell, even the Chinese economy "only" grew by 6.1% last year.

Anyone can balance the books and make a profit if you are cut throat enough. It is how you balance the books and make a profit that matters when it comes to government. Who was made to suffer and who was made to make sacrifices.

And FG and the raft of partners and their enablers in FF are being held to account for how they achieved what we have today.

jm08 · 31-01-2020 11:56AM

raspberrypi67 wrote: »

RUAIRI QUINN needs to be hung up....He's responsible for the mess the education system is in at the minute......
He copied a UK system which was known to fail but he still went ahead with it and the place is now a mess. I pity school leavers at the minute and to come....

So, Quinn was a better Minister for Finance than Minister for Education? That does not take from the fact that the Government he was in during the 90s was one of the best Governments we had in recent memory.

raspberrypi67 · 31-01-2020 01:01PM

jm08 wrote: »

So, Quinn was a better Minister for Finance than Minister for Education? That does not take from the fact that the Government he was in during the 90s was one of the best Governments we had in recent memory.

Never implied he was better at Finance....perhaps he was....

odyssey06 · 31-01-2020 01:06PM

Is it a 90s thing? I don't remember the outgoing FF-PD government in 1992 leaving a mess economically, though there were tribunals.

The Rainbow Coalition did leave us with this beauty thanks to Michael Lowry:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moriarty_Tribunal

KevRossi · 31-01-2020 04:10PM

No idea if this is true or not, but it feels fairly accurate.

https://twitter.com/_FeachNews/status/1223018846510026757

NIMAN · 31-01-2020 04:20PM

I think that is true in terms of truth on the internet i.e. not true at all.

Knowall1 · 31-01-2020 04:21PM

Got to agree with blanch152. This government has left the country in a much better state than it found it.
In fact most of the current problems are caused by economic success.
One achievement that doesn't get enough airing is the ending of emigration which has been a blight on the country since the founding of the state.

NSAman · 31-01-2020 04:25PM

Knowall1 wrote: »

Got to agree with blanch152. This government has left the country in a much better state than it found it.
In fact most of the current problems are caused by economic success.
One achievement that doesn't get enough airing is the ending of emigration which has been a blight on the country since the founding of the state.

Sure about that?

http://https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/abroad/more-irish-emigrants-leaving-the-country-than-returning-again-1.3998770

General Election and Government Formation Megathread (see post #1)

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