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

Here's one of mine; Ireland would be better off outside of the EU going on a somewhat solo run like Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. The UK and US are our large trading partners as well as being the most similar culturally than the rest of Europe - both of which are not in the EU. Ireland is a nice, friendly country where many people want to live; stable politically and with its weather; offering fantastic fishing and agricultural resources as well as a highly-developed and educated services ecosystem. It is not some backwater from the 50s/60s which saw EU membership as some sort of economic and social life raft; often it is fear-mongering which is used to shut down any debate on Ireland's EU membership rather than having a sensible discussion. I say this as someone born in the late 80s and growing up during very prosperous years in the country, but also experiencing the horrors post-08 right up until today where things have clearly not resolved and the country is struggling massively.

At the very least, questions need to be asked about the EU and what it represents today for Irish people. The direction of travel for the EU is not something that the citizens get an ongoing vote on, but it is clear that no one is really in charge of when enough harmonisation and integration across the EU is enough, in fact it doesn't seem like anyone is even asking that question. The EU is just growing larger and risks becoming (if not already someway there) an enormous bureaucratic blob that has taken too much power from individual countries without any overarching democratic lever which can be pulled to stop the whole thing. It is assumed to necessarily be a good thing in whatever form it finds itself.

This country is falling apart on every metric. The only thing good at the moment is the weather. People are paying huge rent on rental prices or trying to buy a house. It is so crazy., The stories of people having to move because landlord is selling or people not being able to find anywhere to live. Shame!

There also was a smaller population and supply and demand were more in line.

Owner occupier rate was 80% in 1991 it's now down to the mid 60's and decreasing and for the under 40's that's at around 33%.

The younger generation has made far ore of an effort with improving their lives through education etc and yet they don;t get the benefits of home ownership like their parents did.

Government policy should ahve been trying to keep the home ownership rate at 80% like it was at it's peak or even higher if possible but of course they didn't do that.

Perhaps they are. The polling suggests labour would likely benefit most from the 16-17 year olds. Greens and Reform behind them. The problem is nobody has ever canvassed or aimed election messages at people aged 16 and 17, so well have to wait and see who they actually vote for after the next election.

Is the suggestion that Labour shouldn't extend the vote to those people becausethey migtt benefit from it? Because of Labour don't do it, nobody else ever will.

But so what? They're only 2.5% of the population and unlikely to have any major impact. The younger people are the less likely they are to vote. About 50% of the youngest people turn out at elections. But it's absolutely correct that they have the right to vote.

Ireland doesn't need a president, its just a waste of money and attracts people in it for the salary and cushy life.

The fact that she groomed him when she was 39 and he was 15 is a much bigger problem than her hypothetical cock.

So I think that however Macron's relationship started with his wife is questionable but this is frankly stupidity. The US right's obsession with claiming people are transgender if they don't like them is just frankly weird though. The exact same conspiracy theory was spread about Michelle Obama. This just resembles the same stupid **** being repeated.

Did you watch Owen's series?

ideological collapse, and a government that will never accept so, it ll probably eventually cause an existential crisis in the parties that have truly embraced such, particularly if they fail to realise so, and fail to pivot, which they seem to be so…

…and we ll keep electing the same government, over and over….