General Irish politics discussion thread

I think the difference between us is that you seem to believe we can have a decent health service if only we spend enough. In reality, contrary to your earlier post, we are spending vastly more on health with little effect. We don't need an Einstein to tell us not to expect a different outcome from even more spending.

The political tragedy is that not a single elected representative wants to see any limit on spending by the HSE. In fact, every party will campaign in this election on promises of even more health spending sorry, improved health services. It would be electoral suicidal to say otherwise. Many politicians will grouse about some health costs e.g. about the National Children's Hospital but they all have shopping lists of additional health services. The Dáil is the only national Parliament in the world which has members elected for the sole purpose of protecting local hospital services - we even had a Government Minister resign over the status of his local hospital.

We all blame the developers and the banks for the last crash but there was another side to the story - the massive increase in public expenditure on the back of the taxes from the construction boom. Not a single politician objected to that - the 2007 election was a blizzard of spending promises. Fine Gael were very lucky on that occasion that the Irish people preferred to stick with Bertie - a year later the whole thing blew up in our faces and FG have got 13 unbroken years in government and three Taoisigh.

Of course, the recent Budget had nothing to do with the election which was not, absolutely not, going to be held until next year. But then….well… something happened…and .. oh God, look at that Shinner messaging a 17 16 year old. We need an election now!

What’s the thinking here, is the Occupied Territories Bill being allowed to die on thevine and effectively blocked?

I saw that labour were looking to have the dail sit next week instead of taking a midterm to get the occupied territories bill through, but isn't happening. So looks like it'll fall and have to be reintroduced in the next dail.

Isn't Jobseekers Benefit the one for people who specifically aren't long term unemployed?

To be honest, of all the benefits to hit, the one that goes to the people who are only recently out of work is f*cking repulsive.

If I went through a brief period of unemployment, I'd be absolutely disgusted at the idea of having the absolutely scant few quid I was getting reduced because I wouldn't go to interview for a minimum wage job that wouldn't cover the absolute basic living expenses while some other fella is cruising along having not worked in twenty years getting the gaffe paid for him.

If I'm misinterpreting, I'd really appreciate someone correcting me, but this looks like the absolute lowest of the low as far as trying to bully the easy targets who have busted their balls paying tax to increase the overall numbers instead of tackling the actually long term unemployed.

If there were more staff available, all medical best practice would be to put them in to UHL.

There isn't any path where reopening Nenagh and Ennis makes sense; but that won't stop politicians pretending there is.

There is also the well pointed out factor that SF's taxation plans will make it less attractive for consultants and senior NCHDs to work in Ireland, so could reduce the number of doctors staying or coming here.

Medical best practice is not exactly a FFG policy so not sure who you're trying to appeal to there.

Up until about 2009 Nenagh and Ennis had fully capable A&E departments but maybe you are right. Perhaps you could explain better though?

So you are saying we should vote for the party that will drop taxes the most on the high earners so to save our hospital? What party would that be?

SF have signed up to continue to implement the exact same slaintecare plan that FF,FG and the Greens are using. So I never can understand these claims from SF and its supporters that they will radically fix the HSE which would mean breaking the slaintecare agreements which is exactly the reason our healthcare is in such disarray as every new government for decades kept coming in and scrapping the current plans and starting a new thing. Slaintecare was designed to stop the constant chopping and changing and have a consistent long term health strategy agreed upon by everyone,