Irish General Election - Friday, November 29th *Read OP for Mod Warnings*

It's complicated and simple all at the same time -

If you approach this election with the view to installing a government to run the country for the next 5 years, then you have very little choice. This is due to SFs complete failure to read the room and their abysmal attempt at being in opposition.

If however you approach the election with a view to punishing the govt parties, it is a much less daunting prospect.

Why do they need to be punished I hear you ask.

Generally put - Gross incompetence across many issues.

Fiscal mismanagement on capital projects, NCH the obvious example

Law and order mismanagement - A justice minister that is obviously completely out of her depth and would struggle to lead a team of 6 in a SME. Then leaving said minister in position for what I can only imagine is a face saving exercise for FG.

McEntee should have been turfed out years ago and more recently when Harris got the power, but he was persuaded by mammy Fitzgerald to keep McEntee in place - How was that good for the country? It wasn't, it was good for FG only, which would be reminiscent of our Tory friends across the water whose motto looks to be 'Tories first, country second'.

Staying with L & O - Employing senior management personnel that have been institutionalised within police forces in other jurisdictions, and that know nothing about RoI policing - Even when the commissioner has lost the confidence of his own staff and decided to abandon ship once his pension was secured, FG still wanted him to stay (likely because finding a new one looked like a bit of work)

All of the above is down to FG as it was their brief

Immigration -

What a cluster****! - Uncle Fluffy and his band of merry idiots had FFGs balls in a vice after the 2020 GE. The programme for Govt that was agreed mid 2020 was driven by the Greens policies (or they would take the ball home) - O'Gorman's wanting to import the world kicked off within weeks - The FFG crew knew this wouldn't end well but allowed it to go ahead anyway - As expected, the chickens are heading back now for a bit of a roost.

RTEs version of Kitty Holland, Ailbhe Conneely, had an article a couple of days ago where she cited meeting a govt adviser that told her they expected 10k UKR refugees to arrive in Ireland. I presume this was before FFG GP decided at cabinet to pay full welfare etc - The rest is history as you know - You may also know we took 10s of thousands from other safe countries when we had zero obligation to do so.

All this talk of the NCH costing an outrageous €2bn+ is fair enough, but at least we have a big oval thing at the end of the day to look at and hopefully get your child sorted in - What is not getting much attention is the fact that this immigration/refugee/asylum seeking farce is costing the same as that for this year alone - 2,000 million euro in 2024 paid out with zero in return (except many, many new millionaires created in Ireland and abroad)

The FFG GP solution to all problems can be summed up with - Every issue and problem that arose was addressed with the first question at cabinet - 'Will we do some hard work, take tough decisions, do what's right for the country or will we fling a load of taxpayers money at it?' - they chose the latter every time

Which brings me nicely to RTE

Bailing out that shower of incompetent halfwits (arguably the most despised organisation in the state) to the tune of €725m over 3 years is a standalone sackable offence for any Govt IMO - Not hard to see why they did it in fairness, as RTE's 2.5 year gaslighting of the population over the immigration issues shows - I could go on but that will do on that one

So yeah, independents is the way to go - Send a message "We're not taking this sh!t anymore, shove your shiny election trinkets" and let's see if lessons are learned

It'll be a mess of course but don't worry, it will work itself out, it always does. The worst thing that can happen is another election and that may work out quite well as the shock of what the peasants have done sinks in

I should just add, choose your indi carefully - No hard left or far-right whackos - Somewhere around the centre with sensible proposals/ideas would do nicely - Also, this progressive lefty utopian grand plan is a crock - It hasn't worked, it won't work, it can't work - it is incompatible with human nature (so that should take the SocDems and Labour out of the equation)

Very true! Good to see different opinions and respectful debate.

Great post.

Just a point on FF and FG not being coalition together, they will be and they have to be given Michael Martins promise not to go into government with SF and his stance on Israel and war crimes. It would disintegrate his condemnation of Israel if he went i to governments with SF who are still governed by people who organised and committed war crimes

I have a great sympathy for SF nonetheless, losing your place in your own country and having family killed would drive anyone to reparations but during the troubles they took it too far, far too far beyond retribution to going in the attack, becoming famous, and taking over the country almost.

They now have a numerical parity with the unionists up north having massively expanded demographically. Therefore, I believe they have received their repayment and it must go no further. Completely dominating and taking over is not the way to a United ireland. Cooperation and agreement is.

Finally, my dislike of Eoghan OBroin is huge. A Blackrcok college past pupil thinking he is some working class Michael Davitt operating during the land wars is deeply misguided and comical. He was wrong on the eviction ban and he’s wrong on splitting land and building ownership in housing. How that would impact freehold and land law nobody knows but would cause major disruption to disputes in the future.

Harris: 'I let myself down' over Charlotte Fallon meeting

"I let myself down", more like "I let my mask slip down" while the cameras were rolling. If this wasn't caught on camera, there would be no apology. And it's not surprising this incident happened, you could see him when out and about canvassing being terse with other members of the public when he's quizzed on matters that are uncomfortable.

How can anybody say FG are strong on immigration?

Well, I suppose they are, if by "strong", you meaning letting anybody into the country with no checks.

Under the current Govt, the average time to process an asylum claim is 68 weeks.

The current Govt are thinking, thinking, considering, hiring an aircraft to remove failed AS.

Meanwhile, the majority of failed AS are allowed to remain here.

A Govt that was tough on illegal immigration would be:

(1) processing claims within a week at the port of entry

(2) arrival with no travel documents means immediate removal, the following day

(3) large scale detention centres at ports of entry, AS not allowed outside the port of entry

(4) removing failed AS within a week

(5) daily Aer Corps or charter flights removing 150 failed AS

(6) stop using hotels, etc. as DP accomm

(7) no AS to enter the labour market, as all claims processed before six months

yes

What was story Sky News / Today FM leaders debate, is that still happening?

It just exposed the sheer arrogance of Fine Gael in a simple moment and the complete disregard they have for many sectors of the electorate. Arrogance & disregard that has always been a part of that organisation.

As Fintan O'Toole once remarked, people in Fine Gael believe that they are "born to rule".

"I let myself down" indeed. Simon Harris showing everyone that he still hasn't grasped why his blase dismissal of Charlotte Fallon was appalling for many people.

Do you mean all those UK and EU citizens entering the country everyday?

Well, I suppose they are, if by "strong", you meaning letting anybody into the country with no checks.

He was in full handshake mode with a local candidate at the county final in Wexford a month ago. Knew full well the chances of being asked any political issue would be nil in the joy after the game.

Just seen that video of his demeanour with Charlotte Fallon though and the two-faceness on show is startling.

And like that oleyawn (can never spell it) of a MacEntee is an advocate of the 'be kind' brigade.

Doesn't even have the stature of a statesman, wouldn't inspire confidence. Then again, that's a shallow pool in itself

So no issues with UK & EU citizens we know nothing about, just non EU citizens.

We don't know anything about thousands of EU citizens here, nor UK citizens, who don't need travel documents to come here at all.

The upcoming Prime Time debate must be Simon Harris last chance to rescue his party have fumbling the ball recently.

He'll probably come out guns blazing