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ENVIRONMENT MINISTER ALAN Kelly was compared to the character of Nelson Muntz from The Simpsons as the Dáil once again debated water charges today.
Both Sinn Féin’s Gerry Adams and the Socialist TD Paul Murphy raised the water issue at Leaders Questions amid indications that those who do not pay will have water charges taken from their income.
Murphy accused the government of threatening and intimidating those who refuse to comply with the controversial charges.
“Minister Kelly is swaggering around the place like Nelson from The Simpsons, threatening to rob people’s lunch money,” he told TDs.
https://vine.co/v/O3OYPHMQB6e
Today FM’s political correspondent (formerly of this parish) was quick to point that the outspoken Murphy wasn’t quite accurate with his pop culture reference:
It wasn’t the only criticism Kelly faced today, Adams described him as “the minister for making it up as he goes along”.
Mounting a typically strong defence the charges, Taoiseach Enda Kenny insisted:
It’s about time that people face up to the reality that water has to be paid for.
He insisted that the charges are “a modest contribution to make” for quality water.
Earlier, facing calls for a general election from Adams, Kenny said he would not be calling one until “it’s appropriate to do so”.
That’s a slight departure from his previously stated position that the general election will not place until spring 2016.
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Getting a custodial sentence but no mention of any type of program to put this guy on. No wonder he keeps reoffending. Stupid system.
If he was a pimp he would have avoided a jail sentence and the sex offenders list ….. the choices some people make eh ?
#bringbackcareerguidanceteachers
There needs to be a complete overhaul of the way sentences are handed down. It seems all you need these days is a decent x factor type hardship story or an expensive solicitor to get off. Pun completely intended.
18 months for a fetish!?
Surely a man like this should be sent for psychiatric care rather than prison? Absolutely no consistency whatsoever in the Irish judicial/legal system.
“Hopkins, who has 16 previous convictions, claimed he was sexually assaulted as a child by a now-deceased neighbour and that female underwear formed part of the abuse he suffered.
Defence counsel, Kevin McGrave BL, said the reason for his offending was rooted in acts committed on him as a child.”
Standard defence by sex offenders these days with no proof or record of conviction needed and of course the person he accuses of abusing him is conveniently dead.
al ca think about it. why would anyone in their right mind go around stealing woman’s nickers.Really to send him to jail without some form of counselling is counterproductive.
I’m not saying he should be sent to jail without some form of counselling…not the point I’m making at all.
Simply pointing out that part of every sex offenders defence to excuse their behavior is to claim that they were abused as children and they don’t have to prove it and Judges take it as Gospel and use it to give lesser sentences.
I’m no expert in this kind of stuff either from the perspective of being an actual knicker thief or a psychologist but it’s got to be some reason why he’d do this, it’s either nature or nurture, not every person who’s abused as a child goes on to steal knickers that’s true, but maybe somewhere in his psyche this individual manifested his experience through the mediem of stealing knickers. I don’t know how you’d prove it, could anyone?
He should move to Tokyo, you can buy used ladies underwear in vending machines. I didn’t buy any, I swear.
God love his new neighbours when he’s out in 7 months and back living in Rathmines
“you’re knicked mate” is what the arresting officer said
Another dangerous man I say well done to the Judge for locking him up.
A Snatch and sniff merchant .
Sick and twisted doesn’t describe him
Abused does.
Some nicked my new boxers off the line last week. Now really happy about it, beggars even took the five pegs.
could he not just go and buy some women’s underwear ? or is it more the scent of a woman ? either way he needs intense treatment .
Generally is is considered to be a combination of the sexual thrill combined with ‘possession’ – the thief knows he will never have the individual so he takes something intimate which gives a sense of possessing her.
What a pervert.
So the judge thought the incidents in isolation weren’t that serious. I wonder would he think the same if it was his wife or daughter. If he’d done that to someone close to me I don’t think I could stop myself from doing him serious harm.
But you go home after being found guilty of running brothels …
Knickers mean more than women in the world of judges it would seem …
18 months laughable. There is always an excuse for these people
What have Pavee point to say about this
Jeez.
Some weird people around nowadays.
have your say