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LAST UPDATE | 30 Nov 2019
FIANNA FÁIL LEADER Micheál Martin will be more than satisfied this evening after his party claimed two by-election wins, holding onto the seat vacated by Billy Kelleher in Cork in May and claiming the one vacated by Mick Wallace in Wexford.
The Greens too will be happy with their win in Dublin Fingal, which increases their Dáil representation to three and provides a campaign boost heading into the general election.
Mary Lou McDonald is likely relieved that Sinn Féin got a result on the board in Dublin Mid-West, after the party’s poor showing in May’s local and European elections.
Here’s how events played out today:
Good morning, Rónán Duffy here for the early part of our coverage.
I say early because although we may get some results in the afternoon, counting isn’t expected to be completed until tomorrow morning.
We’ve put together some more details about timings here:
So far though we’re only working by a few early tally indidations.
In Dublin Fingal, Councillor Joe O’Brien appears to be doing quite well according to RTÉ’s Mícheál Lehane.
The constituency is largely made up of the former Dublin North constituency that used to be the home of former Green Party leader Trevor Sargent.
To actually get elected a candidate will need to reach the quota of 50% of the vote plus one, that is unlikely to happen after the first count in any constituencies so we’ll then start seeing some eliminations.
This is probably a good time to point you towards our four constituency profiles. They’ll give you an idea about who could be sitting in the Dáil next week:
We’ve heard about one former fertile green area in Dublin Fingal, but how about another in the shape of former Green Party TD Paul Gogarty.
Gogarty is currently an independent councillor but has been running on his green credentials and it looks like he’s been doing well early on. As well as picking up a lot of number ones, he also appears to be very transfer friendly.
Current tallies put hm behin Sinn Féin councillor Mark Ward but that could change.
Agriculture Minister Michael Creed has been speaking to RTÉ and was asked why turnabout was so bad. He says it could be down to electoral fatigue or that fact that we have a general election coming in the near future.
I think it’s probably a combination of the fact that the elections are taking place in November. I think if you look at what’s happening across the water, all the feedback is that it’s very difficult to get engagement in the UK on this 12 December election which they’re facing.
“And I think it’s also probably influenced by the fact that most of the electorate know that they’re facing a further electoral contest sometime in 2020. And perhaps they feel that they will withhold their judgement until then.”
The Green Party’s chairman Roderic O’Gorman has been speaking to RTÉ about Joe O’Brien’s performance in Dublin Fingal:
We’re very happy with the tallies we’re seeing not just in Skerries in the north county but across all parts of Fingal. Joe is doing very well and Malahide,doing very well in Portmarnock, I’ve seen him top top boxes in both of those areas. And in Swords, he’s holding his own very much. He’s in second or third in most of the boxes there.
Verona Murphy’s campaign in Wexford has been the most controversial talking point over the past number of weeks and remains so today.
The night before yesterday’s vote, Murphy shared a video on her Facebook page which said she was the victim of “character assassination in the media”.
The video features shots of newspaper headlines about Murphy and is set to the Survivor song Eye of the Tiger, made famous as the theme tune to Rocky.
Fine Gael ministers have been reacting to it this morning, with Murphy seeking to join the Fine Gael ranks in the Dáil.
Charlie Flanagan, an image of whom features in the video, said it was “not an official Fine Gael video” while Michael Creed said he had not seen it.
Fine Gael Senator Neale Richmond with what looks like a full tally in Dublin Mid-West.
It confirms what we’ve seen earlier that Sinn Féin’s Mark Ward appears to be leading. Fine Gael’s Emer Higgins polling strongly too with Paul Gogarty behind her again.
It’s setting up an intriguing contest for the seat that could run and run.
We have no clear details yet on turnout after yesterday it was described as ‘diabolically low’ – but if this from RTÉ’s Cian McCormack is anything to go by it’s not good.
Counters opened a box in Bishopstown in Cork to find (*grimacing emoji*) no votes.
Of the votes that were cast in Corth North-Central, here’s how the tallies look with two-thirds of the boxes open.
Anne-Marie McNally of the Social Democrats isn’t giving much away about her chances in Dublin Mid-West.
Her party co-leader Catherine Murphy has said that they will targeting the seat next year if they don’t win it today.
We certainly do have hopes, we run a very strong campaign and obviously a by-election is very different election to a general election but we would be very hopeful with Anne-Marie McNally when it comes to the general election. Obviously the turnout is a very low turnout, which is a story in itself. And this is really kind of, if you like, an end of term set of by-elections, as opposed to mid-term elections, and I think that’s important because I think the relevance of electing people for a small number of weeks or months, wasn’t lost on people.
“But the kinds of issues that were raised on the doorstep will obviously frame the general election because a lot of them were national issues.”
Aidan Delaney of South East Radio has a tally from Wexford.
Fianna Fáil’s Malcolm Byrne is looking very good for a seat ahead of Verona Murphy.
Labour leader Brendan Howlin is in his constituency of Wexford to support his party’s candidate George Lawlor.
He’s been speaking about the contest in the constituency and the comments by Verona Murphy:
I think most of us were very uncomfortable with the entire tone of those remarks. I said well before the election campaign, that there is responsibility on political leaders to ensure that we don’t change the discourse in Ireland to follow some of the populist campaigns of Eastern Europe and other parts of Europe that we have avoided, thankfully, because of, I think, very clear leadership.
“We want to have an inclusive debate. We want to have a debate based on facts and I think there is a responsibility on our political leaders to ensure that happens.”
The poor turnout appears to be helping some candidates more than others.
Tallies are showing Sinn Fein’s Mark Ward as leading in Dublin Mid-West, suggesting he has got his vote out strongly in the areas he’s popular in .
Here’s the full tally in Cork North Central from Green Party candidate Oliver Moran.
He’s happy with how he party performed but all but admits he won’t be getting near enough votes to contend. He says he’s targeting the general election.
Alan Healy, the deputy news editor of the Echo in Cork, told us a few weeks ago that Cork North Central is viewed as “Jack Lynch territory”.
Fianna Fáil looking good to hold the seat that was vacated by Billy Kelleher.
Some images from the count centre in Wexford.
We’re approaching our first counts in a couple of areas.
The first count in Cork North Central is expected at 1.30 pm, in Dublin Fingal at 2 pm and in Dublin Mid-West shortly too.
WE HAVE OUR FIRST RESULT!
It’s in Dublin Mid-West and shows Sinn Féin’s Mark Ward polling very strongly. Here are the numbers.
The bottom four candidates have now been eliminated.
ANOTHER RESULT INCOMING!
This time in Cork North Central where, as the tallies were indicating, Fianna Fáil’s Padraig O’Sullivan leads the pack.
Some reaction to that Cork North Central result.
Fianna Fáil TD Thomas Byrne prompts howls of laughter in the Saturday RTÉ studio after saying that Padraig O’Sullivan “looks reliable”.
“He’s a good candidate, I mean I don’t actually know him but one thing that struck me looking at photographs of him, he looks trustworthy, he looks reliable, he just has that look about him,” Byrne says.
Judge for yourselves….
Byrne was also asked about Verona Murphy’s campaign for Fine Gael and the latest campaign video we reported on earlier.
Byrne says that Fianna Fáil believes there has been “a deliberate testing of the waters on immigration by Fine Gael in Wexford”.
“And you know you mentioned the comments from my candidate in Fingal, which were eight years ago before she was in politics,” he says.
But then obviously the Taoiseach campaigned, the Taoiseach mentioned Georgians and Albanians in another incident. Then Michael Ring, who was featured in that last video, was talking about a national conversation on immigration when nine or 13 women were proposed to move to Achill. It seems to us there was a deliberate testing of the waters.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin looks happy in Cork.
And why wouldn’t he be? His party candidate has topped the poll and he’s holding A SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL GUIDE DOG PUPPY.
COUNT 2 FROM DUBLIN MID-WEST.
Mark Ward extends his lead and Anne-Marie McNally will now be eliminated.
Dominic McGrath taking over the liveblog here. And we’ve got another update for you.
COUNT 3 FROM CORK NORTH-CENTRAL
We’re racing through counts down in Cork, with things still looking like a Fianna Fáil victory as Padraig O’Sullivan sits safely enough at the top of the poll.
While we’re on the subject of Cork, a brief bit of information on that Bishopstown ballot box, which contained a sum total of zero votes.
A few people have been expressing shock on Twitter – and it is certainly rare to find a ballot box without a single vote.
But Cork North-Central is a sprawling geographical area and as election expert Jennifer Kavanagh noted on Twitter earlier, it’s as much the fault of people who drew the boundaries of the constituency.
For anyone not familiar with the geography of Cork, I think residents of Bishopstown -which is in south Cork city – would question being dubbed “north-central”.
COUNT 3 FROM DUBLIN MID-WEST
The votes from Anne-Marie McNally of the Social Democrats have been re-distributed.
It seems, perhaps unsurprisingly, that Solidarity-People Before Profit, the Greens and Independent Paul Gogarty have all benefited the most.
COUNT 4 FROM CORK NORTH-CENTRAL
Here are the latest results from Cork North-Central.
Padraig O’Sullivan still has a pretty comfortable lead over Fine Gael’s Colm Burke.
Over in Dublin Fingal, the Green Party is in a cheery mood.
It’s not all quite as sewn up as it was for Ciarán Cuffe in the European elections back in May, but Joe O’Brien remains in serious contention to win his party’s first-ever by-election after promising-looking early tallies.
COUNT 1 FROM WEXFORD
The first result is in from Wexford and Fianna Fáil’s Malcom Byrne, who contested the European election for the party, has topped the poll with the largest share of first-preference votes.
Byrne is around 3,000 votes ahead of Verona Murphy, who received around 9,500 first preference votes despite something of a controversial campaign.
COUNT 4 FROM DUBLIN MID-WEST
The elimination of Solidarity-People Before Profit candidate Kellie Sweeney has added to the lead of Mark Ward of Sinn Féin.
As things stand, it looks like that lead might be enough to survive a challenge from Fine Gael’s Emer Higgins.
The next count in Dublin Mid-West should be particularly interesting transfer-wise.
The next person to be eliminated is the Green Party’s Peter Kavanagh – we might expect his votes to go to Paul Gogarty, a former Green TD.
That could give Gogarty a significant boost, bringing him closer to Higgins and Ward.
COUNT 5 IN CORK NORTH-CENTRAL
Here’s the latest from Cork – counts are coming in thick and fast now.
COUNT 1 FROM DUBLIN FINGAL
We have our first count in Fingal and the Green Party’s Joe O’Brien is in the lead, with nearly 23% of the vote.
Down in Cork, Micheál Martin has been chatting to the media.
Martin said whatever the result today, he was still working towards a springtime election.
“This doesn’t change the trajectory of when an election will happen, I’m still looking at the springtime,” he told Cork’s 96FM.
He said that if the Tories won the UK election as expected the current Brexit deal would likely go through at the end of January.
At that point Fianna Fáil will have lived up to its commitment of ensuring stability throughout the fraught Brexit negotiation process, Martin said, and the Dáil could begin winding down.
“The 12th of April is a natural cut-off point for the parliamentary session,” he said.
COUNT 6 IN CORK NORTH CENTRAL
We’re getting closer (relatively speaking) to a result in Cork. It does seem as if we’re heading towards a reasonably comfortable Fianna Fáil win.
COUNT 2 IN DUBLIN FINGAL
Joe O’Brien remains ahead of Lorraine Clifford-Lee by over 1,000 votes after the second count in Dublin Fingal.
COUNT 5 IN DUBLIN MID-WEST
We’re still far away from the quota, but Sinn Féin’s Mark Ward remains well ahead of Emer Higgins in Dublin Mid-West.
Here was the scene as Labour’s Joanna Tuffy, who was the TD in Dublin Mid-West until 2016, was eliminated from the race.
The constituency is really shaping up to be one of the most exciting contests of the four by-elections.
Back to Micheál Martin, who is understandably in a somewhat buoyant mood as his candidate looks set to win in Cork North-Central
Speaking to 96FM at the count centre earlier, Martin said the likely result was a welcome one for the party.
Martin said the grassroots effort in the area had been a major factor in the win.
“Padraig wouldn’t have been as well known in the city side of the constituency starting out here but by the time was over they knew who he was and that’s down to the strength of the campaign on the ground.
“He described it as part of the recovery and “journey of renewal” of Fianna Fáil in recent years, after the party’s vote collapsed in 2011 in the wake of the economic crash.
While it looks like it will be a solid victory, Martin can’t be too surprised that Padraig O’Sullivan is on course to win. As one local reporter told me several weeks ago, Cork North-Central is basically “Jack Lynch territory”.
To lose a seat held by Billy Kelleher for the party since 1997 would have been a major shock.
In Dublin Fingal, Joe O’Brien has been basking in something of a miniature ‘green wave’.
No one really thought the Green Party could win the race to take the seat vacated by Independents 4 Change TD Clare Daly when she was elected to the European Parliament.
COUNT 6 IN DUBLIN MID-WEST
After Labour’s Joanna Tuffy’s votes were redistributed, Paul Gogarty has narrowed the gap on Fine Gael’s Emer Higgins.
COUNT 2 IN WEXFORD
Malcom Byrne of Fianna Fáil remains ahead of Fine Gael’s Verona Murphy in Wexford.
COUNT 7 IN CORK NORTH-CENTRAL
The Green Party’s Oliver Moran has been eliminated. Fianna Fáil remains in a comfortable position in the constituency.
Notably, Fine Gael’s Colm Burke has been pushed into third by Sinn Féin’s Thomas Gould.
COUNT 3 IN DUBLIN FINGAL
After the third count in Dublin Fingal, Gemma O’Doherty has been eliminated. Her 1,149 votes will be re-distributed, as the Green Party remains ahead.
We still have a long way to go before we have a result, but the Green Party’s reputation for being transfer-friendly is holding strong so far.
Charlie Flanagan has been speaking to the media about Fine Gael TD Dara Murphy, who is set to leave the Dáil to take up a new role in the EU.
Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan has said it is “incumbent” that fellow Fine Gael TD Dara Murphy answers questions about his Dáil attendance record over the past two years.
It has emerged over the past week that Murphy has been largely absent from the Dáil as a result of a Brussels-based job with the European People’s Party, an EU political grouping of which Fine Gael is aligned with.
The Irish Examiner reported earlier this week that the former junior minister was expected to announce his departure from the Dáil to take up a new EU role.
You can read the full piece from TheJournal.ie’s Hayley Halpin here.
COUNT 7 IN DUBLIN MID-WEST
Mark Ward is pulling away it seems, with a large and growing gap between him and Fine Gael’s Emer Higgins.
Leo Varadkar is in the count centre and will probably be feeling less chirpy than Micheál Martin.
Here’s how Dublin Mid-West looks now:
So how are things looking for Fine Gael? Put simply, not good.
In Dublin Mid-West, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has been putting on a brave face. “We’re not conceding defeat,” he says.
While he might remain hopeful that Emer Higgins can close the gap with Mark Ward, down in Wexford Verona Murphy seems to be accepting that she is unlikely to catch Malcolm Byrne.
“I’m most impressed about the support I received from Fine Gael members,” she said.
On her controversial comments, Murphy was keeping quiet: “I have apologised for those comments and that’s all I have to say on that.”
But she is adamant that she intends to run again in the general election.
“This is a learning curve,” she said.
COUNT 4 IN DUBLIN FINGAL
Here’s the latest from the constituency.
COUNT 8 IN DUBLIN MID-WEST
Disappointment for Paul Gogarty as we enter the final stretch in the constituency.
COUNT 9 IN CORK NORTH-CENTRAL
Padraig O’Sullivan is on course for victory, while Sinn Féin have also put in a strong performance.
Sinn Féin’s Mark Ward is ahead by 1,400 votes, with Paul Gogarty’s votes to be re-distributed.
This is really not what anyone was predicting in Dublin Mid-West, perhaps least of all Sinn Féin.
Speaking to our reporter Rónán Duffy and other journalists, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has been answering questions on the by-election and recent controversies.
Varadkar also commented on Lisa Smith’s imminent return:
He also took questions on the scrutiny on Fine Gael’s Dara Murphy:
You can read more about that here.
COUNT 3 IN WEXFORD
No change, with Malcolm Byrne still ahead. Karin Dubsky and Johnny Mythen have been eliminated.
Mary Lou McDonald is also in a good mood it seems. She’s arrived in the Dublin Mid-West count centre, where her party is causing something of an upset.
She’s a fast learner, apparently. “I have learned a million lessons since the summer,” she says.
Things weren’t looking too rosy for her party, which suffered significant losses in the local and European elections in May.
Today, her party looks set to take a seat in Dublin and has performed well in Cork North-Central.
Standing alongside local TD and housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin, McDonald sounded like she had more reasons to be optimistic.
Sinn Féin’s Mark Ward has won in Dublin Mid-West – the first victory in the by-elections.
The win for the party is something of a surprise result.
The seat was previously held by Fine Gael’s Frances Fitzgerald, who was elected to the European Parliament in May.
Here’s how things looked after that final count.
From the very first tallies, Dublin Mid-West looked like it was set to be a nail biter. What was pitched as a relatively predictable Fine Gael victory on home turf – this being Frances Fitzgerald’s old seat – instead became a closely run battle.
It raises questions about what Fine Gael does next and whether Emer Higgins will be a candidate in the constituency come next year.
As for Sinn Féin’s Mark Ward, he has said his victory is a rejection of austerity. “No one gave us a chance,” he says.
And the result is a genuine surprise. The win is without a doubt a major boost for Mary Lou McDonald after those disappointing results back in May.
COUNT 5 IN DUBLIN FINGAL
And following immediately on from that drama in Dublin Mid-West, I can confirm that… no one has yet been elected in Dublin Fingal.
Dean Mulligan of Independents 4 Change has been eliminated, with Joe O’Brien of the Green Party still looking odds on to take the seat.
COUNT 9 IN CORK NORTH-CENTRAL
We’re close to a result in Cork North-Central after Fine Gael’s Colm Burke was eliminated.
Burke had been expected to challenge for the seat but was instead beaten into third place by Sinn Féin.
While we await the results from other constituencies, here’s a quick summary of how things stand:
Dublin-Mid-West: Mark Ward has been elected. It was a surprise victory for Sinn Féin, who snatched the seat from Fine Gael.
Dublin Fingal: Joe O’Brien is at the top of the poll and appears on course to secure a major win for the Green Party.
Cork-North Central: Fianna Fáil is practically guaranteed a seat in the constituency. It means Pádraig O’Sullivan will replace Billy Kelleher as a TD.
Wexford: Fianna Fáil’s Malcolm Byrne is currently in the lead and seems likely to remain there. Fine Gael’s Verona Murphy, who received serious criticism for comments made throughout the campaign, has all but conceded – but she says she wants to run again for the party.
Fine Gael’s James Reilly – a former health minister – is looking likely to be eliminated soon in Dublin Fingal.
“It’s a disappointing outcome,” Reilly told reporters.
He said he didn’t regret running. “I still have a lot of energy and I’m interested in the future,” he said.
It remains to be seen if he’ll still be on the ticket come the general election next year.
Finance minister Paschal Donohoe has been on RTÉ News discussing the results from the by-elections.
On Dublin Mid-West candidate Emer Higgins, Donohoe was positive. He said he was “hopeful for her prospects in the future”.
On Verona Murphy, he was more circumspect. Asked about her desire to stand again for the party in Wexford, he was non-committal.
“Every candidate is over the view that they should be the candidate,” he said.
He said Murphy had many “qualities” and praised the “vigour” of her campaign
But he said the party would review the status of every candidate.
“Her status is no different to any other,” he said. “It is up to the party.”
The drama is far from over – there’s talk over a possible re-count in Wexford.
It seems Labour and Fine Gael are fighting over who will end up coming second in the constituency.
COUNT 4 IN WEXFORD
Verona Murphy has been eliminated in the constituency.
Labour’s Geroge Lawlor has pushed Fine Gael into third – an impressive result for the party in leader Brendan Howlin’s home constituency.
There is only a difference of 71 votes between Lawlor and Murphy, hence suggestions that there might be a recount.
Fianna Fáil’s Padraig O’Sullivan has been elected in Cork North-Central.
This has been something of a certainty for a while. The constituency is something of a bastion for Fianna Fáil and it would have been a major shock if O’Sullivan had failed to succeed Billy Kelleher.
COUNT 6 IN DUBLIN FINGAL
No one has yet been elected in Dublin Fingal, but as expected Fine Gael’s James Reilly has been eliminated.
With three candidates left, it’ll be interesting to see where his transfers go.
As a reminder, Joe O’Brien of the Green Party is currently set to be elected, with Fianna Fáil Lorraine Clifford Lee in second and Labour’s Duncan Smith in third.
The election of Padraig O’Sullivan is the first of a possible two victories for Fianna Fáil before the night is out.
However, a victory for Malcolm Byrne in Wexford all depends on where Verona Murphy’s transfers go – which is somewhat difficult to predict.
This means that success for former European election candidate Byrne isn’t the certainty it was only an hour ago.
No word of a recount yet, in case you were wondering.
While we wait on more results from Dublin Fingal and Wexford, a quick word on turnout.
The figures were a record-low and it’s hard to properly assess why. Some have been quick to blame disenchantment with politics, while others have pointed to everything from the weather to the timing of the Late Late Toy Show.
University College Cork’s Theresa Reidy says we shouldn’t necessarily blame voters, in a Twitter thread that’s worth reading.
As questions continue over Fine Gael TD Dara Murphy’s Dáil attendance record over the past two years, he’s just released a statement:
“Following recent media and political commentary, I wish to state that at all times I have been compliant with rules for attendance at Leinster House,” he says.
“I will continue to provide any evidence required to the appropriate authorities. I attended the required 120 days at Leinster House in 2018 and should achieve the requisite number for 2019 and will make the statutory return when due,” the statement continues.
Murphy insists it’s simply another occupation. “Many of my colleagues in Dáil Éireann do so – some colleagues have legal, medical, business, farming etc interests,” he states.
Malcolm Byrne has been elected for Fianna Fáil in Wexford.
This isn’t a huge shock, but it’s a boost for Fianna Fáil and another embarrassing result for Fine Gael after Verona Murphy was pushed into third place.
COUNT 7 IN DUBLIN FINGAL
No one has been elected in Dublin Fingal, with Duncan Smith eliminated. As has been clear for most of the day, the Green Party’s Joe O’Brien seems likely now to be elected.
O’Brien is on 9,183 votes, while Fianna Fáil’s Lorraine Clifford Lee is on 6,547.
Now, count centre staff will transfer Smith’s 6,300 votes.
This does mean that a result is imminent – the final seat to be filled in the by-election.
Here’s how things stand in Dublin Fingal:
Speaking after his election, Fianna Fáil’s Malcolm Byrne said:
Racism and the language of division and hate has no place in Wexford politics. Wexford is better than that and Ireland is better than that.
In her speech following her defeat, Verona Murphy seemed determined to run again in the constituency.
If she does so under a Fine Gale banner remains to be seen.
It’s been something of a strange by-election count day.
Incredibly low turnout, a surprise Sinn Féin resurgence and a ‘green wave’ largely confined to the Dublin Fingal constituency.
Every major opposition party can take positives from today’s results, especially Labour. Having taken second place in Wexford is a significant achievement, while Duncan Smith received 15% of first preference votes in Dublin Fingal.
While not directly comparable, for reference Labour only received 10% in the same constituency in 2016.
As we await confirmation of the result in Dublin Fingal, the Green Party is in a celebratory mood.
Joe O’Brien looks set to be joining Catherine Martin and Eamon Ryan in the Dáil.
If Sinn Féin is taking lessons from the by-election, they might want to look at Dublin Fingal.
In 2016, incumbent TD Louise O’Reilly only received 8.7% of first preference votes, just getting the fifth seat.
In this by-election, Ann Graves only received 5.3% of first preferences.
Once again, general elections and by-elections are not really comparable – but it still could prove a difficult constituency for the party next year.
FINAL COUNT IN DUBLIN FINGAL
The Green Party’s Joe O’Brien has been elected as a TD. This is the first-ever by-election victory for the party.
This result has been nearly a foregone conclusion all day, but it still comes as something of a surprise with no one predicting such a clear Green win.
It means that all four by-election seats have now been filled.
And for anyone celebrating the election of Joe O’Brien, here’s the campaign leaflet from the first-ever by-election contested by the Green Party in 1983.
So with Dublin Fingal filled, counting is now over in each of the four by-election constituencies.
Fine Gael won’t have long to lick their wounds, as there’s the small matter of a confidence vote in housing minister Eoghan Murphy to contend with in just three days’ time.
Despite today’s result, the government is expected to survive that vote and, all going to plan as far as FG and FF are concerned, we should all be back here next spring for the general election.
On that cheery note, we’re going to say goodbye – but keep an eye on TheJournal.ie for the rest of the night and the weekend for reaction to today’s results.
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Noonan and co buying votes today, still won’t get them back into power come election time…People don’t forget!!
so when ff, sf and all the other parties release there version of the budget are they Buying votes?
Ah so you’re voting for FF then? Good man…
Nope.
People don’t forget the opposition have plenty of hot air to buy your votes
I look forward to laughing at the same shinner response as always, very light on tangibles but hilarious all the same
“The major cuts in USC will be combined with the announcement that the deeply hated tax will be axed entirely by the end of 2020.”
Just in time for the next election.
Ive my bet on at work that Mary Louper will say ‘Shame on you’ eight times. Come on Mary Louper dont let me down
this country is a joke end of….
@Thomas Clarke:- Jaysus Dane you are out in force on this thread today. How many laptop’s do you own. Hopefully the economy will recover enough for you to actually give a driving lesson one of these days!!
The excitement is palpable. well done Enda today is your day :)
The ‘excrement’ -you’re welcome!
Bursting with pride as our finance minister reads out the budget. This is a great day for FG
Yes it is,Thomas-as most of them are landlords
Wow I never knew our national debt would be below the European average by the end of next year. Trojan work from FG
“Norway may have to tap its $856 billion sovereign wealth fund more than planned next year to cope with a rising number of people seeking asylum.”
How much will our lot claw back from us when the meeja are not watching?
its nearly “shame on you’ time from the shinners :D
What is this to cover up the past four years more people have left Ireland than in the 80′s and them putting up minimum wage to 9.15 is a joke wen everything else is going up the Irish people should make a stand
Thomas – I totally agree with you Trojan work from FG & Enda Kenny’s superb leardership in particular. He truly is a man for all seasons, and once he doesn’t lose the head, we can look forward to further sterling work in the near future.
Can’t wait to get my extra €5 per week knowing it’s only going to turn into €10 to be taken off me on increased excise duties!
Reduce motor tax and Carbon tax.
No pleasing some people.
If you got an extra €50 per week in a giveaway budget you’d be screaming that it’s a bribe.
An extra €5 per week is criticised for not being enough.
Stick your budget bribes where the sun don’t shine give us a general election instead
The Christmas bonus bugs me, I have to work all through Christmas and pay more than half my pay in tax to give a Christmas bonus to those who don’t work, while I get no bonus and pay yet more bills
I’d say this fg lb government have set a new record on the road closures around Leinster house. they obviously know they are hated they will have to buy a lot of votes today to stay in government
Barry giving you back your own money is not a ‘giveaway’.
Chris I understand your opinion but disabled, sick, elderly, carers are most deserving of this as there circumstances does not allow them the previlige of employment you and I have. I hope these most deserving people have a good Christmas this year.
The government should implement the policies of Syriza who were so strongly supported here by Sinn Fein and the left. No medicines, no money in the ATMs, chaos.
Nira they implemented the policies of FF/troika for the last 4 years, so they have form in using the policies of others. ; )
NIRA I’d say most people here would love to have been able to withdraw €60 a day as the where able to in Greece.
Dane Tyghe disappears and 2 new clowns posting the same bs appear.Shocking coincidence.
All politicians are a joke. The opposition saying it is an attempt to buy votes (which it is) and in the same breath the opposition will tell you how you’d be paying less tax under them…………………….and that’s not buying votes ??????????????
Anyone else concerned that this isn’t even a proper giveaway budget. FF actually had the money, FG are using borrowed money. Economy increased by apx 1.5bn and they are giving away 3bn.
its a great day to be irish :)
Colm, thanks for your party political broadcast on behalf of Sinn Fein.
Norman, change the record.
Tom take advice off a clown? I’ll pass. ; )
Tom Kelly get stuffed and troll somewhere elce
Norman, maybe you should take my advice. If you did maybe you wouldn’t be so negative and bitter.
Thats right colm if you don’t agree with someone insult and attack them.
That sounds just like sinn fein.
adams comments would make you want to vomit.
Tom Kelly when it comes to insults your right up there with the worst of them here. As for your SF comments I’ve never voted for them in my life and if for some reason I was ever to vote for them I won’t be seeking your approval have a nice day
Tom, again take the advice of a proven clown?I’ll pass. ; )
Cigs the only tax increase. Its party time folks :)
What about the pensioners getting 3 euros per week? Try paying rent, buying food, clothes, utilities, fuel, on 240 euros per week, one would want to stay home for the first 3 to 4 days every week to try & save a few euros, This shower of clowns haven’t got a clue, I think I speak for most of the pensioners & we definitely wont be voting for these gangsters again
That was a election budget nothing more nothing less. Not buying it for one minute. Time to get theses idiots out now.
Won’t hold my breath. Health needs sorting and money alone won’t fix it. This government haven’t the b,lls to sort it. Disabilities services is another one. Since they cut the same amount they gave away in the water bribe. It’s another one way down the priority list.
go on, do us a favor………..hold your breath :)
Shinners all flat out peddling doom and gloom its absolutely hilarious :D
Thomas you deluded fool. Where you think the support fg enjoyed when they took the last election went? That’s right people like me. So you keep throwing out your childish insults bit like tom above. My guess is its same person.
seriously cant stop laughing at you guys today. its absolutely hilarious watching you squirm :D
Comments from these FG-heads represent perfectly FGs attitude to the general voting population – smug, arrogant, and condescending. And with each one I read, the less likely it is that I will ever put a number beside a FG candidate for the rest of my life. I’m sure I’m not the only one.
So keep it up, Thomas, you’re doing the opposition a huge favour.
You’re sad thomas, its more than obvious this is another account, nearly in double figures at this stage.
Thanks Chris for your support. The journal comment section is where prospective SF transfer go to die. Reading any of the comments by the shinnerbots and its hard see why. Read any of their vile attacks on posters and its easy to see. It really is magical just handing them rope as they busily hang themselves. Middle ireland is always watching :D
Oh, I forgot to add “deluded” to that list…
you must be livid to see the irish people delighted with this budget :D
‘you must be livid to see the irish people delighted with this budget’ Dane I know you’re a deluded moron but you only speak for yourself not the Irish people. ; )
Its a great budget inst it norman :)
A thief returning your possessions is to be praised?
I see Kenneth/Mr Gilhooley/Billy Wiggle has returned as Thomas Clarke this time. Another sad little man.
Just remember folks, the best chance of holding onto the crumbs that are thrown at us today is to remove these sleveens from power before they get the chance to take it back in the next budget.
Ahaha, Shinners are overly worried today.
Shinners are going to cut tax, abolish water charges, etc etc etc but they are not buying votes, no they have pearse working it all out & Gerry who can’t even do basic maths
the shinners are terrified and they are right to be. How much are you set to benefit FC thanks to FG policies?
Thomas you mean the policies of FF/troika. ; )
USC 7% rate cut to 5.5%, lower rates down by 0.5% each. Entry thresholds increase
Tax credit for the self-employed worth around €500 next year
Home carers credit up from €800 to €1,000
Free GP care scheme to be extended to children under-12
Inheritance tax threshold increases to €280,000
Capital gains tax for self employed drops from 33% to 20%
Old Age Pension up €3 per week
Fuel Allowance up €2.50 per week
75% of Christmas bonus to be restored
Child benefit up by €5 per week
Pack of cigarettes up 50c
And No agreement on Rent controls or even how to proceed in the first place.
Child benefit up by €5 a week?
according to the IT Norman. I can;t link it for some reason but it’s front page.
Sgt so €20+ extra a month child benefit, even the times can be wrong.
I copied and pasted it directly as is, so it’s likely wrong on their behalf alright.
The big story is the lack of any agreement on housing or rent though. The Indo are running with that one.
Sgt read that story about rent, vested interests always win.
Capital gains is a big reduction. Lots of people will sell up and avail of that I’d say.
The Child Benefit goin up €5 is tat not the monthly children’s allowance so it’s €5 a month from €135 ton €140 an not on the lone parents of €220 a week? Or has tat increased too also by €5??
give with one hand, take away with the other.
What’s been taken exactly?
Please sir.
Can I have some more.
The great electorate purchase attempt begins.
What about increasing tax on these big international companies that have their headquarters in Ireland? Or have we all come to the realisation that they are only here for the tax haven status and lose corporation laws….
you mean the ones that would leave when you do that ?
They forget we are also an English speaking country in the eurozone, something the rest of Europe don’t have. But the scaremongering is , but they will leave.
if you think multi nationals set up in a country based on it’s language then I suppose you do fit well into SF
Tom time to learn and read. Obviously something your not too good at. I ssaid speaking English in the eurozone is also something we have. Nothing about coming here just for the language.
little one your stupidity is actually amusing
Thomas anyone ever tell you writing style is exactly the same as ‘james connelly ‘ ?.Funny that.
Like James Connelly the 1916 dude? They really were revolutionaries if they had computers and internet access in 1916 :D
No, lower case ‘james connelly ‘ one of the clowns Dane Tyghe ‘s multiple accounts.Just like the one you are now using Dane. How’s the driving school business? busy?
Same old trolls out and about today. Must of had there old accounts band yesterday. Dane /James.
No Thomas Clarke, stupidity is when you reply from a different account. Now that’s real up there in the stupidity ranks
The USA and UK are under growing pressure to stop companies funneling money through Ireland, this pressure is now on ireland. Ireland has already committed to closing the ‘double Irish’ loophole by 2021.
Facebook paid just over £4000 in corp. tax in the UK last year by using Irish tax avoidance techniques, all it takes is a uk government to introduce legislation to prevent this from happening – something a Corbyn gov would be happy to do. The power is not in Ireland, its wherever the facebook/google type companies make the most money.
And to the ‘We speak English’ argument, the Netherlands and neighboring countries have upwards of 85-90% fluent english speaking populations these days.
Duckface tax!!
A giveaway propaganda budget using borrowed money. Brave stuff from our visionary government. Did they learn nothing?
It’s like Christmas morning waiting to see what goodies we all get! Actually looking forward to a positive budget at last after all our hard work and sacrifices.
you wont have to worry about spending it with the stealth taxes sneaking in to counter any direct tax cuts.
on the €10+ euro a week rises you will see after the budget, bus fares, energy costs, etc, etc etc.
@Ceannaire:- Ah Dane, it doesn’t matter how many new profiles you make, you peddle the same tired, desperate message each and every time. People see through it for what it is, puerile progoganda!!
“It’s like Christmas morning waiting to see what goodies we all get!”
I don’t know what sort of p!ss poor Christmases you had. Actually Dane that would explain quiet a lot.
if you worked David , you would get more
Wonder how many times Noonan utters “certainty and clarity”..let the brainwashing begin
What a vulgar little political system we have. It should be illegal to make budgets before elections.
I’m just happy they’ve Drumm arrested
one extra bag of chips per year for me, a giveaway budget indeed!
So tax breaks for developers and multinationals while the poor, homeless and women can fcuck right off, you’re getting none of the goodies. Not surprised in the slightest
Ceannaire….if you’re the leader as you name suggests……does that make your other fake accounts, patjoejoe, james connolly, Diarmuid, Dane, billy wiggle, Thomas Clarke etc……your followers?
It must be sad to mentally remove your own posts talking to yourself and realise you’re in the minority as multiple personality disorders don’t count.
This budget will be like borrowing money from Peter to pay Paul. People spending money they didn’t have on things they couldn’t afford caused the crash in the first place. Now the lemmings in Merrion Square want to go down the same road.
#Herewegoagain
But Ireland offers special tax concessions to multinationals, these could be brought into line with Europe and taxed at European rates instead of being the tax haven of Europe.
Gov are in self preservation mode, I wouldn’t expect them to do anything on Corporation especially if changing it might lead to job cuts.
The live blogs are annoying to read since the start is at the bottom you have to scroll all the way down and read up backwards?
Cutting the universal social charge wow!! They need too scrap it,wasn’t it only meant too be a temporey tax,and they need too stop robbing the property tax too
The surchage of 3% on individuals earning above €100,000 should be increased, not lowered.
Absolutely, we should tax them all to make absolutely sure they leave.
you obviously didn’t read the OECD reports on how low high income tax rates are when compared to other European countries.
These people don’t respect you, don’t fear you, don’t serve you. But they are trampling all over you, your children and our future. They need to go.
“Who speaks of Syriza now?”
Last time I checked, they were still part of the Greek government.
What’s he on about? Most of the first part of Noonan’s speech seemed to be financial forecasts for a quarter past two and one minute later!!!
If they had enshrined Irish water belongs to the people in the constitution they would be home and dry….. too bad.
Why are they laughing for, bloody gangsters the lot of them…
My goodness! SF/IRA and AAA hate good news – even before its announced!
https://www.rt.com/shows/keiser-report/318576-episode-max-keiser-822/
“They look at the cartels at the heart of each and every so-called “free trade” deal being forced upon previously sovereign nations in the global economy. In the second half, Max interviews Irish MEP Luke “Ming” Flanagan, about TTIP, TiSA, Brexit, the Troika, the Anglo-Irish bailout and a shillelagh stick.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade_in_Services_Agreement
Bye bye HSE, An Post, Trains, Airports, Buses, etc etc…
“”The agreement covers about 70% of the global services economy. Its aim is privatizing the worldwide trade of services such as banking, healthcare and transport.”
€1400 a year better off, thanks government!
very happy , about time the working man got a few quid extra
3 Euros a week for pensioners… They put carbon tax of 2 euro on a bag of coal and 50 cents on briquettes last year.. Expect pensioners to burn down Dail after that insult !! More realistically FG and LAB have torpedoed the grey vote.. very clever. No real intellect with these boys antagonising the people who always vote in numbers..
Irish people have a huge sense of entitlement thats one reason I left 8 years ago. In other countries you get a lot less.
child benefit is your weekly money thats gone up 5€ not lone parents is that not enough do u need more? im on disabillity and i didnt get 1c count yourself lucky
Is Noonan telling Howlin to pull his finger???
We won’t be fooled by the gangsters and their lies. Kenny your time is up call the election now.
have your say