Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
LAST UPDATE | 4 Mar 2020
THERE ARE NOW 13 confirmed cases of the Covid-19 virus in the Republic of Ireland.
There has been public concern in Ireland about the spread of the virus, particularly after cases were confirmed in both the Republic and Northern Ireland.
We’ve been asking readers for their questions about Covid-19 and Ireland’s response to it. We’ve done the research – here are the answers to your questions:
Several readers asked us questions about how the virus can spread/how this can be prevented:
Covid-19 can spread from person to person, usually after close contact with a person infected with the virus, for example in a household, healthcare facility or workplace. The virus can be spread either:
Directly, through contact with an infected person’s body fluids (eg. droplets from coughing). It is believed that the virus can spread if these fluids are passed onto another person through their eyes, mouth or nose, after an infected person coughed beside them, for example.
or
Indirectly, through contact with surfaces that an infected person has coughed or sneezed on which are, therefore, contaminated with the virus. It is still not known how long the virus survives on surfaces. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), similar viruses such as Sars an Mers can withstand more than 48 hours at average room temperature on different surfaces.
Scientists have said a person needs to be within two metres of an infected person for fifteen minutes or more to risk catching the virus directly.
It can not get into a person’s system through their skin, so even after touching a surface contaminated with the virus, a person would have to touch their mouth, nose or eyes to be at risk.
Cleaning: When it comes to cleaning surfaces, people who have confirmed Covid-19 and who are at home, rather than in hospital, are recommended to:
The ECDC has said common disinfectants should be enough, but there is a lack of specific evidence for their effectiveness against Covid-19.
Washing clothes: The US Centre for Disease and Control Prevention (CDC) recommends washing laundry thoroughly if there is an infected person in the home. Use disposable gloves while handling items that may have body fluids on them.
The CDC says normal washing detergent can be used and the items can be washed according to the instructions on the labels. It is recommended that they are then dried using the warmest temperatures recommended on the clothing label.
It does not specify temperatures for washing dishes, but suggests they should be washed thoroughly with soap and water.
Here, health officials have been stressing the importance of hand washing – it is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of the virus.
It’s important to note that the above advice in relation to cleaning surfaces, throwing used tissues in the bin and washing clothes/dishes relates to people who are suspected or confirmed cases, and those who are living with them.
There are 13confirmed cases of coronavirus in Ireland – this is not a spread of the virus. Health officials have said there is no need to implement strict precautions among the general population.
Supermarkets: To address the final questions about grocery shopping, in order for someone to catch the virus from an item in an Irish supermarket, one of the 13 confirmed cases in Ireland would have had to visit this store while sick and coughed on an item, or touched the item after coughing on their hand.
The chances of catching the virus from an item in a supermarket in Ireland are extremely low. Health officials have advised people to regularly wash their hands – this should be done before preparing food/before eating, to help stop the spread of all illnesses.
Banknotes: Similar to the advice about items in supermarkets, it is likely that someone could catch the virus from a banknote. However the WHO has said it is possible, as money changes hands frequently.
A WHO spokesperson told The Telegraph that people are advised to wash their hands after handling bank notes and avoid touching their faces.
The first confirmed case of the virus was a student at a school in Glasnevin. This school will be closed for two weeks and all pupils and teachers have been asked to restrict their movements until the end of the incubation period.
Two schools in the west of Ireland have also closed because of a connection to the four cases there.
A number of other Irish schools have taken precautions recently after students returned from ski trips in Italy.
Both parents and teachers contacted us with their questions:
The schools that have taken precautions took advice from the HSE on how to proceed and if a school suspects a student may be infected, this is the best course of action.
Public health officials will be able to assess the specific circumstances of these situations as they arise.
Dr Tony Holohan also issued this advice for parents whose children have travelled from affected regions.
The most important advice for children is to encourage them to wash their hands thoroughly after toilet use, before they eat and if they have been in contact with someone who is sick.
The Department of Education and Skills has updated its information for schools, preschools and third level institutions. It has also provided two posters – one for primary schools and one for post-primary schools – to tell children to cover their coughs and sneezes, throw away their tissues and wash their hands.
A child’s risk: Few infections of Covid-19 have been reported in children or infants. A study published in Jama identified all infected infants (aged under one year) in China from 8 December to 6 February. It found there were only nine infected infants, aged from one month to 11 months – at the time this study was published, there were more than 31,000 confirmed cases in China.
Families of all nine infants had at least one infected family member and they had all become infected after this family member. None of the infected infants required intensive care or had any severe complications.
Speaking to your child about it: Because this issue is now dominating both the news agenda and public conversation in general, this is filtering down to children.
Some are talking to their friends or teachers in school about it, while others are asking questions of their parents.
We spoke to some experts about advice for parents on how to reassure their children if they are anxious about it. You can read the article in full here, but the main takeaways are:
One of the most common questions about the spread of the virus is in relation to working arrangements for those who have been asked to self-isolate and for those who catch the virus.
While health officials here are expecting have been expecting confirmed cases of the virus in Ireland, they are not expecting it to spread rapidly through a town or city, infecting every person in it.
According to preliminary research by the World Health Organisation, in Shenzhen City in China, just 2.8% of 2,842 close contacts of infected persons were found to be infected.
In Sichuan Province, among 25,493 close contacts, 0.9% were found to be infected. In Guangdong Province, among 9,939 close contacts, 4.8% were found to be infected. Close contact means either:
There have been reports of some employers asking staff to work from home for a period of time as a precautionary measure, in cases where one of their employees has been to a country or area with confirmed cases.
Recruitment firm Indeed recently told staff to work from home after concerns about an employee whose family members had visited a facility where patients with the virus were being cared for.
This employee tested negative for the virus and all workers were told they could return to work.
This week Google told staff to work from home after an employee reported flu-like symptoms, but the company said it wanted to test its operational readiness should employees have to work from home for an extended period.
Without a confirmed case in a workplace, it is unlikely that advice from public health professionals would be for all workers in that company to self-isolate for two weeks.
If there is a suspected case in a workplace, right now test results can be given within 24 hours, which means any request for a worker or multiple workers to self-isolate would be short-term.
That is the situation as things stand now, with just 13 confirmed cases in the Republic of Ireland. However, there is has been a lack of clarity about how things would play out for workers if there was an increase in cases.
Not all employees are entitled to sick leave if they have to self-isolate for the two-week period recommended by the HSE. While office workers may be able to work from home during a self-isolation period (if they are not sick with the virus, of course), others such as bus drivers or retail workers, for example, would not have that option.
In the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said anyone in self-isolation will receive statutory sick pay from the first day off work. This will be included in emergency coronavirus legislation.
Health Minister Simon Harris told reporters that the Irish government is “looking at this as we speak”.
He said the first meeting of the Cabinet sub-committee n Covid-19 will meet on Monday. He pointed out that statutory sick pay is already in place, but if there is a need to make amendments to support people, the government will look at how best to do that.
The Department of Social Protection has issued advice for workers who are diagnosed with the virus, as well as those who need to self-isolate as a precautionary measure.
Anyone who is not advised to self-isolate in accordance with the HSE guidelines, but who has been asked by their employer to stay home as a precaution, can apply for income support (jobseeker payment or supplementary welfare allowance) if their employer cannot continue to pay wages.
However in cases where self-isolation is done at the request of the employer, the employer should continue paying workers.
The department pointed out that an employee is entitled to paid leave known as ‘force majeure leave’ where they are urgently required to attend to the needs of a person affected by an illness or injury, including an actual or probable case of Covid-19.
The person they are providing care to must be in a relationship with them or of domestic dependency – so parents staying home with children who have the virus should be covered by this.
Richard Grogan, employment law specialist, told TheJournal.ie that there has been no specific advice issued to employers and it is not clear whether there will be government support for firms if they are hit by an outbreak.
“There really needs to be something there to assist employers being good employers, and there’s got to be financial stress on many companies, and those companies now will need assistance to be able to pay people who are out sick, and that really is going to have to be looked at very carefully.”
It is unlikely that an employer would refuse to pay someone who has been advised by the HSE to self-isolate, as this person may decide to keep coming to work rather than lose out on wages. And this could put other employees at risk.
Employers in that situation really would be looking at the other workers because if they insist upon the worker coming into work in that situation, and other workers get ill, could they be held liable for the fact of bringing Covid-19 into their workplace when they knew there was a risk? There is a health and safety issue there for employers that they have to balance.
Self-employed workers: There is currently no policy in place to provide financial support for self-employed workers, who would not be entitled to welfare payments.
A taxi driver who drove the woman from Northern Ireland who was the first diagnosed case on the island of Ireland, told RTÉ’s Sean O’Rourke that he had to self-isolate, even after he tested negative.
During this time, he said he would not be able to work – he was not offered financial support from the State.
Health officials in Ireland have said more than 100 suspected cases have been tested for the virus. Readers wanted to know how the test works, where it can be done and how long they would have to wait for a result.
If a persons suspects they may have the virus they are advised to contact their GP or local Emergency Department by phone.
Public health doctors will ask a number of questions about country/cities of travel, dates of travel, arrival in Ireland, contact with confirmed or suspected cases and visits to markets. They’ll also ask about the date of the onset of symptoms.
People only need to be tested if they have symptoms and have in the last 14 days:
If a doctor suspects a patient may have the virus, they will tell them where the swab will be taken- this could be in a hospital, or in their own home.
The HSE has said all acute hospitals have identified isolation facilities specific to Covid-19. If a hospital has the ability to create an isolated area, it should be able to facilitate taking a swab from a suspected case.
A respiratory sample will be taken from the patient – this is a swab taken from the nose or throat. At the UCD National Virus Reference Laboratory, a molecular diagnostics method is used to detect small amounts of the genetic material of the virus.
All swabs are sent to this lab for testing – no testing of swabs takes place in the hospital setting. Healthcare staff at the hospital are responsible for taking the swabs that are sent to the lab and providing any necessary treatment to the patient.
The estimated turnaround time for results of 12 to 24 hours has not changed, despite the increase in numbers being tested here after the outbreak in Italy.
False negatives: Readers may have read some reports about patients initially testing negative and later testing positive for the virus.
Dr Li Wenliang, the whistleblower doctor in China who died of the virus, had several negative tests before he was finally confirmed on 30 January as one of the thousands of Covid-19 patients in the country.
In a study published in the journal Radiology found five patients out of 167 who were experiencing symptoms initially tested negative. After isolation for presumed Covid-19 pneumonia, all patients were eventually confirmed with virus infection by repeated swab tests.
The study suggested a combination of repeated swab tests and CT scanning may be helpful where doctors believe a patient is infected but tests have come back negative.
Speaking to the BBC, Dr Nathalie MacDermott of King’s College in London said in these cases, the patients may not have been infected when they were first tested.
Another option, she said, is that patients did have the virus, but it was at such an early stage there was not enough to detect.
There could also be a problem with the way the swabs are being taken.
“Is it a dangle or a good rub? she asked.
She said it is not possible to say exactly why these false negatives are coming back, but said it flags that health officials should test people again if they continue to have symptoms.
Joe Ryan, National Director of National Services for the HSE, in response to a question from TheJournal.ie in recent weeks, said there have been “a small number of retests” among suspected Irish cases.
There have also been reports globally of a small number of patients who were released from hospital after recovering from the virus, only to test positive shortly after their release.
Experts have said tie most likely reason for this is that patients still harboured low levels of the virus when they were discharged and tests failed to pick this up.
Readers were also curious about treatment for patients who have the virus:
There is no specific treatment for the coronavirus, but many of the symptoms can be treated.
The HSE has said supportive treatments like oxygen therapy can be given while your own body fights the virus. Life support can also be used in extreme cases.
If you get the virus, healthcare professionals will advise on the best treatment for the symptoms you have.
Antibiotics do not work against any viruses and so would not be effective against Covid-19.
Work is ongoing now on a vaccine for the virus, but this is expected to take months as it has to go through a number of trials before it can be made widely available.
Several readers had questions about how self-isolation should work and why only those showing symptoms are being advised to self-isolate, even if they had been to one of the affected areas.
There have been some criticisms of the approach by health officials and the government here, who are advising only those who have symptoms (or who have had direct contact with a confirmed case) to self-isolate until they are cleared by a test.
They have explained these decisions in recent weeks, but first let’s go over the symptoms:
There have been a small number of examples of confirmed cases across the globe who do not have symptoms, but who have the virus.
However experts do not believe that the virus is likely to be passed on by someone who is not symptomatic. Dr Sarah Doyle, HSE Consultant in Public Health Medicine, in response to a question from TheJournal.ie, explained:
The evidence so far is that the likelihood of transmission is far greater from those with symptoms, there’s no clear cut evidence of transmission from those without symptoms although I know there are anecdotal reports.
So our advice to those who have returned from affected areas and have no symptoms is that they may go about their usual activities. However if they do develop symptoms, we’re asking them to immediately self isolate and to phone their doctor for advice.
As the numbers of cases across the world increase, the numbers of suspected cases is going to increase – this increases the pressure on health services.
Before the outbreak of cases in Italy, any suspected cases here would have been taken to hospital for testing in an ambulance.
Now, people are being asked to make their own way to the hospital (following advice from health experts on the best way to do this) or they can be tested in their own homes.
If the numbers of people being tested increases significantly – for example, if Ireland started testing every person who came in on a flight from Italy – this could result in much longer waiting times for results from the lab and could delay a diagnosis of a confirmed case.
The HSE is advising people to self-isolate if they have symptoms, and have, in the last 14 days, been:
For those who are being told to self-isolate, the advice is to:
If you are living with a person who has been told to self-isolate:
The Irish government has not released any public advice in relation to food or supplies for those in self-isolation, but the British government has said: “It is fine for friends, family or delivery drivers to drop off food for you.”
However they should leaves the items they deliver outside your home or in the porch.
During the flu season, Irish hospital were under serious pressure, with severe overcrowding reported in some. There are concerns about whether hospitals will have the resources needed to deal with a spread of the virus.
Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan told reporters this week that the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) is “very aware” that Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is “well used right now”.
So from our point of view, as we plan and as the situation develops, we will ensure our national crisis management team look at capacity and surge and various requirements around search, not just for isolation but for overall capacity both in the hospital and community.
Speaking to RTÉ News, Sam McConkey, associate professor and head of the Department of International Health and Tropical Medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), said there is “a fixed capacity” to do respiratory ventilation and intensive care in Ireland.
“There are things that we could do to expand that – for example, probably in the face of extensive coronavirus infections, a lot of elective surgery would actually stop. No one’s going to want to go to hospital to have your hip done electively when you can wait a few months in the middle of this coronavirus outbreak.
So the ventilators in the operating rooms could be used to supplement our ability to ventilate people who need it for coronavirus. Similarly, private hospitals might be asked to help.
Without knowing ahead of time the numbers of confirmed cases Ireland may have to deal with in the coming weeks and months, it is not possible to say whether or not there are enough ventilators or oxygen. However, it is worth noting here that not all patients who have the virus will need to be hospitalised.
In fact, according to the most extensive study done so far, the novel coronavirus was benign in 80.9% of cases, “serious” in 13.8% and “critical” in 4.7%.
Personal protective equipment for hospital staff: The ECDC has issued guidance for the wearing and removing of personal protective equipment (PPE) in healthcare settings for the care of patients with suspected or confirmed Covid-19.
According to this guidance, the suggested minimum PPE set protects from contact, droplet and airborne transmission. This set is composed of:
The HSE has advice for healthcare professionals in relation to personal protection equipment. This HSE video demonstrates how to use an FFP2 respirator:
If there is a shortage of respirators, the use of surgical face masks is recommended. The ECDC recommends that when this type of PPE is used, the limitations and risks connected to its use should be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
The HSE has said the winter flu season is officially over, with numbers of new cases falling below baseline levels.
One reader wanted to know:
The quick answer to this question is that no one knows whether this will be the case.
The common cold and flu tend to be most prevalent during the winter. But Covid-19 is a new virus and health experts are still learning about it.
Time has done a helpful report on this topic, quoting Dr Nancy Messionnier of the CDC who said it is “premature” to assume that the number of cases will slow as the weather warms.
“We haven’t been through even a single year with this pathogen,” she said.
Elizabeth McGraw, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics at Pennsylvania State University, told Time that there will likely be many factors that determine when and how the outbreak ends.
“Rate of virus spread, effectiveness of infection control practices, weather and human immunity will likely all play a role in determining its future,” she said.
She explained that the droplets that carry viruses do not stay suspended in human air as long as in cold, dry air, so warmer temperatures can lead to a more rapid degradation of viruses like this.
However, it is not summer all across the globe at the same time.
We also got a lot of questions from readers about travel – restricting travel to Ireland, their own planned holidays and concern about the travel plans of people around them.
Screening: Some European countries have taken extra precautions following the Covid-19 spread in Italy.
Here, the government is advising citizens to avoid all non essential travel to China or to four regions in northern Italy - Lombardy, Veneto, Piedmont and Emilia-Romagna – but is not placing any restrictions on those travelling from affected areas.
Health officials have also said temperature-checking will not be happening at entry points. Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan told reporters that this is because “it doesn’t work”.
“With an infectious disease, maybe only a certain percentage of people will have fever. It’s also possible for people who don’t wish to be screened to take medication like paracetamol to reduce a fever,” he said.
It’s also possible that a person who comes back from that region will have been exposed and will develop infection but the screening might be negative on the basis that the symptoms haven’t developed – they develop symptoms after they come through the airport. So you’re getting false reassurance that you’re picking cases up.
A high percentage of people who might go on to develop infection having come through the airport could be negative at the point at which they travel through the airport. And it would be a significant waste of resources.
He said that contact tracing involves public health expertise and that staff in this area could be tied up with “an ineffective method of control” if they were doing this kind of screening.
The evidence is pretty clear on border control measures that screening of this nature doesn’t really impact.
Instead, the HSE is asking people who believe they are showing symptoms and who have returned from these areas to self-isolate and to contact their GP or Emergency Department by phone to seek advice.
Restricting travel: Today, Health Minister Simon Harris said restricting flights arriving from northern Italy “wouldn’t be effective”.
He said stopping all flights from Italy will not stop people from Italy from coming to Ireland. We would have to stop all entry into the country, including by Irish citizens, until the outbreak is contained it is unclear how long that could take.
France: As of 3 March, there were 212 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in France in 12 regions. This includes the region Paris is in, Ile-de-France, which has had 37 confirmed cases.
Four deaths have been reported in the country – these patients were aged between 60 and 91 and two of these deaths were in Paris.
However, France is not listed as a place where there is a spread of coronavirus – these are the countries/regions people need to be concerned about travelling to. The places where there is a spread of the virus are:
The Department of Foreign Affairs’ travel advice in relation to France notes there have been a number of cases of Covid-19 in the country. It does not advise against travelling to France.
Citizens should be alert to signs of infection in themselves and seek medical advice if they experience any.
London: The Irish government does not advise against travelling to England, or the UK in general.
There have been 51 confirmed cases – some of those are in London – but only two cases were transmitted in the community, the others had returned from an area where there is a spread of the virus.
Germany: The Department of Foreign Affairs here has updated its advice on the country to include a mention of the confirmed cases of Covid-19. However, the government here is not advising citizens to avoid travel to Germany, where there have been 240 confirmed cases.
The town mentioned by our reader is a more than three hour drive to the area that has the highest number of cases. Hamburg train station is also more than a five hour drive away (and there are just two confirmed cases in Hamburg).
In Berlin, there have been 13 confirmed cases and a small number of schools are closed as a precaution (in one case, a teacher who had been on a skiing holiday in northern Italy had tested positive).
The German health ministry has said the risk to public health in the country is moderate.
In general, you can reduce your risk level while travelling by:
Tenerife: The HSE has updated its own advice to include Tenerife, which has a case of Covid-19 at one hotel. However, there is no widespread transmission on the island.
If you have travelled from Tenerife and did not stay in the affected hotel, you are advised to continue your normal routine. Our reader’s colleague was staying a ten-minute drive away from the area that the affected hotel was in and is unlikely to have had contact with the infected person.
If this colleague becomes unwell, they would be advised to phone their doctor for advice.
And if they were to be confirmed as having the virus – note that this is unlikely considering they were not in close contact with the infected person – then they would be advised to stay away from older people, those with long-term medical conditions or pregnant women.
Some readers expressed concern that their pre-existing conditions could make them more vulnerable to the virus/to severe symptoms if they do catch it.
The ECDC has said infections of humans with common coronaviruses are mostly mild and asymptomatic, but severe and fatal infections have also been observed.
Occasionally, these viruses are able to cause lower respiratory tract infections and pneumonia in humans, although this is more likely in immunocompromised individuals, people with underlying cardiopulmonary conditions, the elderly and young children. Only very rarely do the human viruses cause severe disease.
The HSE has said it is likely you are at more risk if you catch the virus and:
In relation to asthma in particular, The Asthma Society of Ireland said it is in contact with the HSE on the matter, but the HSE has not provided any additional advice or information on Covid-19 specific to people with asthma.
People who have asthma are not believed to be more likely to catch the Covid-19 virus, but if a person did catch it, the Asthma UK charity says respiratory infections can set off asthma symptoms. Their advice is:
Anyone who is in the vulnerable categories above is advised to follow all of the usual prevention advice – especially washing hands and not touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
However health officials are not recommending that people in the vulnerable category restrict their movements, as was referenced in the final question above. There are only 13 confirmed cases in Ireland at the moment – both in the east of the country.
Both of these patients are now in isolation and those who were in contact with them have been asked to restrict their movements.
And people who have symptoms of the virus and who have been to an affected area are being advised by public health officials to stay away from older people, those with long-term medical conditions and pregnant women.
If you’re concerned or curious about something in relation to Covid-19, please feel free to continue to send your question to answers@thejournal.ie and we’ll do our best to find out the answer for you.
- With reporting from Grainne Ní Aodha, Nicky Ryan and Conor McCrave.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
All I want to know is did the IRA move sex offenders beside my house beside my children. It’s a simple question to ask. Mary Lou are you going to answer this?
But….. But…… But…. But….. Water charges…… But….. Tax……
Why are people making a link between possible child abuse in Sinn Fein and the water charges? I would have thought they are completely separate issues are they not? Unless maybe one was trying to make honest protesters feel guilty for joining an upcoming protest perhaps?…
But but but tuam mother and child home. ..but but but symphisiotomy survivors being left to die before renumeration. But but but Bruton sitting on the Ansbacher file. ..but but but
Where is that Maria? Right beside your brand new twitter account?
Yeah I’d like to know that too @thetruth. I’d like to know why almost *every time* FG have been pushed by SF on matters concerning water charges they use victims if sexual abuse as shields to deflect questions they don’t want to answer. It’s on both sides
Maria the FG shill. Welcome (again) to twitter.
Excatly maria, Sinn Fein have behaved as they always have, low life thugs!
All i want to know is when did “expelling people” suddenly become “moving people to”?
For a while I lived next door to drug dealers who were expelled from the north by the provos. At no stage was I under the impression that the IRA had somehow procured the house next door and then moved drug dealers into it
Maybe that’s because I’m not thick or disingenuous. Which one are you Maria?
Sorry @niall
Convenient isn’t it. The last bastion of a scoundrel
Spot on Maria, Mary is up her deflection tactics again. S F have no respect for your opinion or democracy.
Ignore the SF bullies & keyboard warriors on this site they just love listening to themselves. They are slowly turning the floating voter away from SF
Sally song another fake account
Maria
You poor misfortune !! All that worry that you are carrying!!
Statistics would tell you that you should worry more about family .. I’ll light a candle for you #sosorryforyoumyheartisbleedingforyou
Everything that gets slung at sf is boosting them in the polls. People are not stupid anymore
Why not ask the same of joan burton? How many offical ira nembers are now in her ranks? After all isnt 1 of labour jnr ministers married to a convicted ira killer?
Fake account? Explain!
No one is saying that the North doesn’t have trouble or didn’t have trouble with the IRA but here in the ROI there has been more cover ups about abuse and rape then anywhere else. Leave the north to deal with there problems and the ROI need to deal with our problems. The north shouldn’t even be spoken about in the Dail. It has nothing to do with us
Apart from the trolls when did you lot start to believe the department of justice in this country.
Maybe that’s why Lady Justice wears a blindfold?
Sabrina,only when it can be used to try dirty sf who majority of sitting TDs weren’t even out of nappies then. But when Irish people up north called for help from our government chicken shits sat back and let them fend for themselves. The Irish in north could sue fg ff etc.. for abandoning them. Imagine if Irish government had balls then probably would never have gotten so far as it did with the deaths that occurred. Just a thought.
That’s right whistler, if there was clear evidence of guilt, in any crime, it was either – GET OUT – or get shot – they weren’t “sent” anywhere. That’s they way it was in the community I lived in.
This is in no way an attempt to deflect from the arrest of NI’s Sinn Féin Chairman earlier today. Just sayin’.
Who is deflecting here. You are. Just cause you can’t comment on the case on journal. If he is guilty let it be proven and let him be charged etc.. if not guilty then will people leave it alone. Doubt likes of you will. Mary Lou asked a question. This has nothing to do with chairman of sf up north. Back in your box
Amazing all the fake accounts here recently,
Like good little Fine Gael drones they must obey Herr Kenny!! Who in turn obeys Angela!
When are we getting our new party and a leader who will take no crap from Germany!
One more scandal and this anti-Irish coalition will be brought down,defending corruption after scandal when in fact they should be running the country like we elected them to do.
fUVE That’s so true but I cant work out why Joan, Enda and Mary Lou keeps on bringing up the abuse in the Dail. It has nothing to do with the Dail. They sit there and think of ways to get people on their side. I was never one for all this politics didn’t understand it and didn’t want to. But the last 2 years hell I know about it all now. There is not one TD in this that would offer you help with anything. I may just have to come clean to a reporter about my abuse and blow the whole Dail apart even tho I signed a contract that I wouldn’t make it public and the money I got for keep quiet I still have never spent a penny of it. Tell ya watch this space
I am not a FG member and I voted independents in the last election it is a simple question I just want to know where these people went. Is that too much to ask from any political party? A straight answer???
Yer “just sayin”….. because yer an orange bigot
No one was “sent” anywhere!!!
Maria I’m a Sinn Fein member so don’t worry about who you voted for. Q the red thumbs. Like No party can be any worse then what we have now
Dave – Dr Goebbels Propaganda Agency , has been retained by Fine Gael’s Headquarters to buy into every available Fake Twitter Accounts , using fake Republican names and Photos .
The Blueshirt Fascists are seriously under pressure .
They will probably be burning down bookshops and certain free speaking “uncontrolled” publications next !!!!
Sabrina. A FF/FG government would be worse than we have now.A lot worse.
Maria, I’ll say it again – no one was SENT anywhere.
If someone was found to be responsible for abuse, or any other crime, they were told to get out – and don’t come back – if yer seen here again you’ll be shot – and that was the end of it.
That post was to SOB
Your not a million miles off there Kerry,we may as well have just voted in Merkel and be done with it.We won’t have much longer to wait though!The single most despised party in my living memory will eat themselves soon when they realise we’ve nothing left to feed them.
That post was to SOB
And when people were put out – found guilty by a kangaroo court – im quite sure the ruc/psni were aware of it, as were the gardai if those found guilty made their way to the south. @Maria. Is your neighbour from the north? Did he arrive unexpectedly and in suspicious circumstances? Has he been behaving inappropriately around children? If so, get in contact with the gardai.
Sorry to everyone, for my double posts, and also in the wrong position, not sure what happened.
Why is it every time a SF member gets asked hard questions SF provoke the suspension of the Dáil?
So you were happy that the drug dealers were moved to the mother ship?
They were sent out.
SF have a particular skill for propaganda. They learned well from Dr Goebbels
Fuve
More like just the truth
Bobby Story was 16 in 1972
The lads who beat up the mcconville kid were the same age as him.
In case you missed it, Thomas – SF were the ones asking the hard questions.
Thomas
I think you’re closer to the mothership then anybody else here enjoy your trip
Hey Sabrina sorry to hear that. Horrible horrible thing to carry and hide. Friend of mine was raped by her uncle for years.She told me when I was fifteen. And don’t know if she ever did anything about it. Blow it all wide open girl. If you are ready and feel you need to. All abusers should be brought to justice and named. I would say for Mary Lou it is probably a bit of point scoring but also anger and upset being a mother herself. I know I would if I suspected the government ( justice department may have ignored) while on other foot fg lab accusing sf of knowing stuff. And had some power to speak up. The fg Labs ff accusing sf. Is so obviously only complete point scoring because when sink fein weren’t a threat there wasn’t a murmur about them.
Thomas the only way the Dail goes wrong is when Barret is sitting in his baby highchair and when he cant get his own way he throws his toys out of the pram. He really needs to be sent to the nursing home. He has always had a thing about any Sinn Fein member and he cant stand Mary Lou. He doesn’t have a problem with Joan and lets her run her mouth every single time even when her time is up. He is too old to be there.
Fuve
If I was to talk about it I would go to Mary Lou and let her use it against Enda no one wants this out in the public. I would say by tomorrow all my comments will be removed. I hope that your friend found some peace and is able to get on with her life. There is no justice in Ireland.
We all saw them girl even if removed I wont forget you. She seems to be happier now. I know whole family blanked him. Couldn’t say if they took any further. I hope you fin or found peace and live long happy life full of love and good people for the rest of your days : ) hugs x I reckon Mary Lou would be good kind person to bring it to. Oiche mhaith :)
Mary Lou McDonald shoots herself in the Foot yet again…..
Its a very bad habit she has….
It’s amazing how if you go back three months a lot of people outside of her party were saying she should be running SF…wouldn’t trust her now, she’s down herself to be too irrational when crossed. Probably fell on the sword so Gerry can stick around
Isn’t astonishing that Government is trying yet another cover up ?
After Shatter was “resigned” , we were promised “Transparency” from the New Justice Minister Fitzgerald and Taoiseach Enda !
But what do we get ? Just the same old cover-ups , innuendo and downright porkies !
This Government are on the point of collapse – one could see it in the shattered faces of An Tanaiste and the always inept Ceann Comhairle today .
We are very close to the inevitable General Election having to be called , in utter disgrace !
This will probably come to a head post Right2Water March, on Dec. 10th , to Dáil Éireann !
Another scandal now Kerry will speed up the impending doom
Ciarrioch,
Why in God’s name would FG/Labour call an election now?
Allowing for the fact that they are not the brightest bulbs in the lampshade, it would be suicide.
No, as the old saying goe,s they will hang together or hang seperately.
But they will hang
SInn Féin members have never shot anyone in the foot.
Ah will you quit the stupid dopey comments – yer not in the least bit funny.
Padraic – he is very funny, but the funniest things are those closest to the truth.
With the tension levels , Justin , at their present “High” , rumour has it that An Tanaiste is already readying to pull the plug on FG , by virtue of the abuse level that their Public Representatives are getting !
One only has to go on to the Labour Facebook Page to see the level of arranging the deckchairs on The Titanic is going on , where there is a continuous string of abuse being fired at The Party , by now Ex Labour Party Voters !
PSOB – Your other FG Troll Twitter Account was obviously blocked – so now you must be running out of options in Blueshirt Fascist FINE GAEL !!!!!!!
PSOB is only provisionally amusing.
Shock horror – Ex FF voter who has account blocked attacks amusing commentator for using a resurrection account from his own rrssurectrd account and best form of abuse available is to refer to the colour of his shirt.
An Ciarraioch, I have never met Official Shinnerbot, nor have I ever been a member of his organisation. I do know he had a comrade: Fear Ciarraioch.. any relation?
Not sure,she might have a smoking gun here ..
Kenny “hoist with his own petard”.?
Mary Lou : Tanaiste, I have a constituent asking me can I help her with the progress of an allegation I made, could you answer a question please?
Tanaiste : well firstly I would like to thank all the previous protestors for protesting, no sorry, the ones that didn’t protest, but stood beside the actual protestors, but understand why we need to bring this woeful tax,, no sorry , necessary charge to fix to fix the water infrastructure……..
Mary Lou : Tanaiste please answer the question
Tanaiste : well firstly I would like to thank……the bond holders, they were really lovely and nice and gracious people to lend this money…and we should pay them back because that’s what you do when people loose bets…and I’d like to thank chauffeurs
Mary Lou: Ceann Comhairle, can you please ask the Tanaiste to answer the question
Ceann Comhairle : let me look at the situation again, because I didn’t hear it while it was transpiring in front of me, let’s have a tea break.
Ceann Comhairle : my final answer is I can’t decide… So let’s resume ( as SF TD suggested ) … And SF can bring it to CPP (oh tg I will stay out of papers now)
How come Mary Lou suddenly has compassion for victims of abuse having rejected other victims because their harrowing experience was managed away from justice by her shadowy handlers?
Did she smell some votes?
She is starting to strain the thin thread of sincerity that her furrowed brow portrays at every camera opportunity.
Dear FG / PSOB – Still FAKE TROLLING for The Blueshirts – pretending to be someone else ???????
Who do you troll for Ciara? Your prolific output for Sinn Fein is verging on diarrhoea.
Has Mary met with Maria Cahill yet or other survivors of republican justice, or is she filtering her inbox for other more convenient victims, unconnected with her dirty legacy?
John… How many victims of sexual abuse did the Tanaiste or Taoiseach meet? Of the hundreds, how many?
Is meeting victims the new soul cleanser? Is that how Sinn Fein wash their hands these days?
Simple disgusting Fact… There used to be a certain thinking that it was ok to abuse children, not only in this country but in most modern countries. Up until fairly recently, it was brushed under the carpet.. . Now it has been realised, and everybody realises the extent this horrific abuse occurred. And we all agree it will not be tolerated evermore.
I’m all for bringing justice against child sex a users, and the type of justice that would make h-ll look like a holiday camp.
But I have to say…. Holding current members of society/groups responsible for actions carried out by evil yokes, years ago is a step to far for me. And that goes for anyone in the religious/political/civilian
Soul cleanser you ask…. I don’t know…ask Enda…does his soul feel cleansed after meeting A abuse victim? Your own question even belittles the plight these people went through.
Anyone who red thumbs me for objecting to child sex abuse needs to be seen to.
You seem to be contradicting yiurself Jenni. So do we hold to account those who were in positions of responsibility when the abuse happened or everyone who currently holds responsibility previously held by others who did not act?
Thomas, when, and I’m not saying if, abuse was carried out as much as it was, 30 ,40,50 years ago it should have been stopped then. Unfortunately it wasn’t, so although there was some revulsion against it, it didn’t really hit the headlines until 10-15 years ago. Now that is no excuse in my mind.. Any perp should be treated like dirt on the street. But now we all know about it, now we are a new generation.. We can punish the few b**tards that are still here.
I don’t see any point in making this a political agenda, all sections of society were doing it.. There is no right answer.
I would just like a political forum to be just that…
Signed
Jenni
Abused when I was 14
Jenni my sympathies and I hope you are getting all the support you need. I don’t think there was revulsion 50 years ago. I think there was ignorance and disbelief. And an inability to deal with it. I think it was only when Bishop Casey was exposed that people were empowered to speak out. But the people in power then were from that ignorant and disbelieving generation. It took them a long time, too long, to respond. But they did respond and everyone can moan and complain about the nature of the response, and without in any way trivialising the issue you only have to listen to Joe Duffy to hear how much people love to moan. The problem was so widespread and so enormous and is still being uncovered that the State (and this is not party political – no matter what party was in power the challenge would be the same) has struggled to manage. The Sinn Fein element of this is inevitable. They ran large parts of Northern Ireland with brute force and rough justice. Only now is it coming to light that they dealt with sexual crimes as well. The problem for them is that the man at the top then is still at the top and they cannot admit their role without condemning him. And when you think about their politicisation of the issue when they were attacking the government, it is inevitable that they will face a counter reaction. And they cannot deal with it. I agree with you, the individual cases should be private, but SF can make this all go away if they say Yes we did this and that.
This man was questioned by an Garda Siochana and admitted to molesting young boys in his care – a file was made and sent to the DPP and a government Minister.
How was it then possible for this file to be forgotten, overlooked, lost, or whatever the hell happened to it – how is that possible? Who made the decision to – do nothing?
It makes one wonder what else is lurking in the deep underbelly of this sad little state, ready to jump out an re-shock us all over again.
I shudder to think.
An Irish government accusing someone of been complicant in child abuse. Does anyone else get the irony?
Hopefully future BBC Spotlight programmes will reveal more from the underbelly of this sad little Free State,
Does anyone else think it’s unbelievable that a sex abuse victim would approach Mary Lou for help, of all people, given the way Mary Lou stonewalled Mairia Cahill?
Well Cahill went to Meehole Martin and Edna Kenny- funny considering their track record with historical sex abuse cases involving state complicity.
She went to them as a last resort because of the way SF treated her
Dermot,
Do you not think the reverse applies in this case?
I mean isn’t it just possible that the victim approached SF because of the way she was treated by the authorities here. The authorities… Interesting word… It used to mean agencies like the police, but thanks to Enda we have to get used to the idea of going to politicians before we waste police time.
Well said Eoin,Fine Gael are playing political football with these people and like the citizens of our country who voted them in will be discarded once they get their German appeasement train running on full steam again.
“it’s immoral and unjust to tax a persons home”. Spoofers!
“Labours way or Frankfurts way”.Spoofers!
THE D.P.P. …. That’s the term from this one The D.P.P. ….ANSBACHER ANYONE ?
The offical denial from the DoJ happened way too fast.They didn’t even have time to properly investigate the claims.This will come back to bite them as usual.
Agreed Paddy. The old saying ‘nothings true until its been officially denied’ has held true with this government, and the speed of this denial certainly does cock an eyebrow. Lest we forget the whistleblowers report that hung around the DOJ, or the aansbacher report that did the same in richard brutons office.
We may well see another public servant be blamed.
Agreed. Sinn Féin takes slightly longer to deny things.
DoJ denials: Clearly they’re lying!
SF denials: This is a media/government conspiracy!! They’re completely innocent and will be vindicated!!
You’re all hypocrites.
The DOJ should follow SF’s example of transparency, accountability and truth telling.
Lol
Use your real name psob,you do sound like a little Fine Gael coward hiding behind the fake account.
PSOB – Are the FG Trolls like YOU , still working this late at night ?
Hope that you are getting DOUBLE TIME from DR GOEBBELS Fascist Agency ?
Check the twitter a/c name. Its shinnerbot after getting himself/herself banned again and using another fake account.
Silent majority is also on this list of shinnerbot tweets
Dave
What about Mr Kerryman a former SF Councillor and then WereJammin and all of the other Shinners who use electronically generated names or hide behind nom de plumes?
There is genuine fear among people that writing anything critical of Sinn Fein might get your legs broken or worse and even a Fine Gael TD stated as much. She announced in the Dail that she would give the Gardai a list of Republican paedophiles living in the State rather than name them as she was too afraid to do so.
In these circumstances I wonder what Shinners have to be afraid of other than their exposure as Shinners?
Hugh,
Go asleep,the threads finished,just like your Fine Gael party.night and God bless.
Comrades WereJammin, Ciarraioch, Murphy and Cullen, I am not, nor have I even been, a member of Official Shinnerbot’s twitter account. There is no proof, just don’t ask the dogs on the street.
Curry can Coca Cola Gerry! Bet you’ll wish you were back up with us racist b;)€&s instead of wasting away with the incompetent brown envelope brigade in the Dail.
Hugh there isn’t a genuine fear among people if you write anything against Sinn Fein – you are in trouble …what there is in the pensioners minds of this State is that the State is to be feared – because when our pensioners were children their friends disappeared to letterfrack and other places and some never returned and those that did were never the same -
Wait she actually lied and couldn’t substantiate her claims well I never a TD wouldn’t do that especially Mary Lou
It’s only a matter of time until Mary Lou’s game will be up. You see, in a socialist state like small ireland, you cannot make outlandish promises to the have not’s and then still balance the books. Nobody likes Enda, but he will be reducing the marginal rates of tax over the next few years. The tax that hard-working people of this county pay….
This maria girl should seriously wade out of the political arena and media circus and take her allegations of abuse to psni and the yards. If the abusers rapists are even still in Ireland. Since no sf TD is accuse d of rape or had anything to do with moving rapist or abusers anywhere then she should stop making slanderous statements. The stupid tit for tat in dail is ridiculous. How ever since Mary Lou was actually stating a case that us in our jurisdiction and fg are actually in charge then hers are valid questions. When fg ff lab ask questions about alleged rapists or abusers in ira it is not valid as not our jurisdiction and sf do not run psni( then ruc) up north. Also should not be allowed to accuse sf members of knowing of it or of helping any get away or hide. Now shut up and let police up north garda investigate.
Mary Lou was right. Fg TDs etc.. wrong. Maria time to start just trying to get justice if that’s what you want. Stop going to media and having a go at sf. Cause you are damaging your case and looking less like victim and more like you have a different agenda.
What you must be talking about another story this is about Mary Lou making allegations and being found out save your rant for another story
Nope had my comments correct. No ranting here. Mary Lou is right to ask the question.
P.s I had this linked to different comments above. Unfortunately attached to those comments.
This is nothing to do with Mairia Cahill.
James, it has everything to do with Maria Cahill – because its fast becoming clears that this government is only interested in supporting rape victims that are from the six counties, even a dissident republican as Maria is/was….. but any other poor victim is just plain outta luck or even threatened to go away and shut up or “we’ll fight you”.
Worried about how the SF house of cards is looking Fuve?
What is a dissident republican o braonain? One who has a different opinion to thecetetnal leader if the spotless past?
No Thomas, YOU and your party are worried about the 10th of December – and it shows.
What are you on about Thomas? Maria is, or was or still is, a dissident republican e.g. one that is against the peace process basically.
btw I have some understanding for their point of view considering the disgusting behavior of the Dublin government.
Instead of assisting in the peace process, Dublin is selfishly battling with those that are trying desperately to hold the whole thing together.
I don’t have a party, just a couple of drinks in the pub and an opinion.
oíche mhaith.
He will fu*k.!
Only for high earners.
I think you will find Sir that many so called dissidents are in favour of the peace process but disagree with the official SF account of it and the pretense that goes with it and their names are blackened by SF in an effort to silence them.
No quite happy with sf and their house. If proven otherwise which I highly doubt then guilty should be kicked out of sf. I am very confident in my support for sf and Gerry Adams.
So you approve of tye way he shielded a rapist who has since been convicted?
this all perfectly proves SF/IRA cannot be trusted, their evil ways are clear for all to see
Fuve, your command of the English language is appalling.and by the way Jerry Adams TD has every thing to do with moving rapist and abusers and peados to the south, just ask his brother.
This debacle in the Dail nearly every week is costing us taxpayers money. my proposal is if the Dail is adjourned then all TDs of the party that cause the adjournment will lose a day’s pay and expenses.
PP are you pushing the socialist party.. or whoever?
Like FG/Lab are you also desperate to stop the rise of Sinn Féin?
Why are you one here trying your best to split the opposition parties?
PP…..Don’t do a Joan on me…answer the questions!
Denise
What’s the point in having leaders questions if the questions are not being answered, maybe this will point it in the right direction. And take the CC out of the equation, in relation to this pro government stance, and put more emphasis on the government to answer the questions from the opposition side of the house.
PP is trying to split all party’s he is a Paul Murphy follower and is standing himself under the same banner at the next general election. Analysis pp does not care about the water charges, child abuse,or anything else this is just a means to an end for him.
Denise the pay and expenses are only the cover …. they have to be high so that they don’t look poor – there’s way more money involved in the whole thing than that ……. I do like your suggestion though , although in fairness to the Dail in its attempt to copy the former colonial masters they have turned the notion of achieving anything other than an ego-trip for the better actors to be beyond a system that is really only a pantomime for the bewildered !
Some days it’s like you’re back in mass again and the drone of the reader is softly lulling you into a comatose …which is perhaps its desired result.
If they don’t answer the questions that are asked then what is the point in SF addressing them? As for FF they are just useless – they don’t seem to ask any questions of the government. Why don’t they just join FG now and be done with it. They’ve abandoned their republican heritage too recently.
We are well used to scandal after this present government.
Dame edna us twice the drama queen mary lou ever was…quote 1 meaningful contribution he has made in the dail that didnt involve mud slinging at sinn fein
Have to say it was quite an achievement today, Joan Burton actually managed to use accusations of an abuser who has nothing to do with SF whatsoever to score tawdry political points against them in the Dail. There must be victims of abuse and their families the length and breadth of this country who viewed her display today with disgust.
Ah the apologist-in-chief flickers meekly on the dark. Your princess told lies. Address that and save your spin.
WJ,
Burton never mentioned SF by name, she spoke about “republicans”. I don’t know what Mary Lou & the others were getting so het up about.
Granted the government are tearing the arse out of turning every issue into a dig but when they are presented with so many easy to hit targets you can hardly blame them
Justin she said “you party and the republican movement”
Have to say I agree with Were Jammin. Sinn Féin are the real victims once again.
PSOB do you actually think you are funny?
Don’t do a Joan on me…answer the questions!
He’s funnier than a dour, brainwashed fanatic like you could ever hope to be, Padraic.
cult is getting kicked around the Dail, Shinners are just going to have to learn some manners :D
She asked a question based on a query from a constituent,it’s a normal activity in the Dail as far as I know
Great name !
Maryloo throwing diversionary porkies pies around? who’d a thunk it?
I sincerely hope these peoples queries are satisfied. They deserve nothing less than some small degree of closure.
Shame maryloo made a haims of it.
marys new motto ‘if in doubt, get kicked out’
What about all the abuse and rape that happened here? Does Joan not care about that. What is it, if you don’t see it with your own eyes it hasn’t happened. Ashamed of the government, Ashamed to be Irish. Oh and don’t forget that the government paid those of us that went through the redress board and had to sign away our rights to go public about the abuse, so throw money at us and it will go away.
Sabrina. If this was the other way around, i can guarantee Barrett would not have suspended the Dáil
Of course he wouldn’t. Did you see how long he let Joan talk even where her time was up Bias or what. Sick of the whole thing.
Exactly. I think the position should be independent
Amazes me how the same fg schill voices come out as soon as there is an anti sf article. Government media office doing a great job. Shame every mud slinging operation seems to be boosting s.f. instead of damaging them.
I don’t see why the government engages in this type of thing. It would be better if they did their jobs and used their obvious skill in communicating scandals to the people to communicate policy. But instead their lack of skill in coherent communication to the people ends up in large scale anger and protests.
Fine Gael and Labour are a toxic brand anyway so nobody believes a word they say and we’d nearly all do the opposite of what they say because people have no faith in them. RIP FG/LAB party at the election in Spring 2015.
http://www.labour.ie/press/2014/11/26/fresh-questions-for-sinn-fein-over-ni-expenses-sc/
Like this for example.. Why is a Labour TD putting up stories about Sinn Féin on the party’s official website?
Couple of quotes there too one of which:
““Only a few weeks ago we were subjected to the gross hypocrisy of seeing Pearse Doherty and Gerry Adams fly off to a $500 a plate fundraiser in New York, missing important Dáil business in the process. That has now been compiled with highly questionable financial activities by the party in the North.”
I am trying to be impartial but how many expensive functions have FG and LAB had in the past couple of months that cost more than e350 a plate? How many Mercs have this government bought since they took office which broke their promise to economize transport costs and take buses? He makes it seem like gov TDs and Senators sit every single day. Wasn’t there a Labour politician absent the day Enda needed a member of government to get his majority on the Banking Inquiry?
Why is a Sinn Féin TD putting up stories about Fine Gael and Labour on the Sinn Féin website, Pól? http://www.sinnfein.ie/contents/32410
When I clicked that link I really thought I was going to see something that was at lease comparable.
http://www.sinnfein.ie/contents/32410
Click it again Fiachra and read.
Then look at the article on the Labour website. Objectively look at the differences between what I provided and what you provided….you may even see my original point.
Looking through the Sinn Féin website (something I admit to have never done before) I see a lot of questioning of the government’s policy. The article you provided Fiachra was about the same information that a member of the public questioned on Twitter and was called a “Moron” by an elected Fine Gael TD only a day or so ago.
Can you please provide me a link to where Sinn Féin have put up:
“Fine Gael TD calls punter moron over disagreement on government Unemployment figures?”
No wait….its only Labour and Fine Gael that partake in gutter propaganda isn’t it?
Another meltdown for the department of Minister for Justice, where’s whistle-blower when you need one. “or that any such report has been sitting on her/his desk”, when did I hear that before I think the guy’s name was Alan. Anyway if anyone is going to get to the bottom of it , its Mary Lou .
Do you believe everything you hear, or just everything Mary Lou says?
So basically Mary Lou brought an allegation of child abuse that was covered up by successive governments i.e FG/LAB/FF that implicates the current Minister for Justice is continuing to coverup the past?
Sounds like the Maria Cahill carnival that was paraded around the Dáil for weeks by the government. Makes you wonder whether FG/LAB are any better than Sinn Féin to be honest?
Ah, Domhnall Ó Lubhlaí, founder of Coláiste na bhFiann. Good memories of twice daily ‘parades’ which consisted of singing Amhrán na bhFiann, whilst admiring the tricolour with a military-like stance.
Mary Lou trying to cover up once more the Shinners culpability on sex abuse.
Which interests you a Fine Gael supporter more:
1. Abuse by members of the IRA?
2. Abuse of children in state care that has been covered up for decades by FF/FG/LAB?
Its all the same. It should be treated equally and stamped out. Not paraded around the media for gain. Heaven forbid if the government and opposition dealt with things within their remit like the economy or child poverty?
Good on you ,Mary lou.
Where are the activists that were out in Trinity the other night ? Why aren’t they protesting outside Sinn Fein offices throughout the country ? Do they care about abuse victims ? I don’t think so ! #itssadthatthevictimsarebeingusedandabusedagain
They SF did not want to talk about the 700,000 pounds sterling for there research unit in Belfast
http://www.labour.ie/press/2014/11/26/fresh-questions-for-sinn-fein-over-ni-expenses-sc/
Michael McCarthy Labour TD wants to know too. On the Labour offical website I might add.
700,000 over 10 years for 36 MLAs. A bargain at less than 40 quid a week for research. Maybe Irish Wasters should have signed up this company and saved 80,000,000 in the last tear alone.
The average cost of a water meter is e35
The average cost of installing a water meter is e300.
I agree M Bowe. Something doesn’t add up to be honest…..in ten years time we’ll probably find out that this money ended up in a number of Cayman Islands accounts. But no FG/LAB want us to focus in on the £700k SF figure. silly me..
What research? But it’s okay it’s only 8.6 M of the queens shillings appropriated for the use of the party seeing as how robbing banks and killing cops would see you called a dissident by the Archpriest St Gerry and his sacred consort Maria Loser.
Ever hear of the links between the Labour party and the republican movement Tom?
McCarthy is a gob shite
It’s not SF’s fault it paid 700k over a decade for research it never got.
Was that what was being researched?
Instead of all the drama, why couldn’t Joan have made these statements in her response, like she’s supposed to?
The Dail squabbles. Punch and Judy knock socks off each other. The suffering of the disadvantaged is ignored while the egotists in all political partiesbash each other. Tragic. These are our representatives. Drowning them would be a small mercy. Tales of hijacking and silly overstatement. Truly the people don’t deserve this. For the squabblers, this is a substitute for actually doing anthing real.
Good night people ..Stay safe !
So who did receive this Garda internal review. What is the point of these reviews if no one outside Garda reads them or is aware of what they contain. Now after Sinn Fein raising it in Dail the minister has ordered her department “to contact Garda authorities to indentify any information that might properly be put into the public domain and which might be shared with victims and their families”.
But sure it only a government agent review and this government only reacts to BBC spotlight “reports”!!!!
Let me state first that I am not a w ofSinn Fein. I was watching leaders questions today on the T V . Mary Lou asked a legitimate question of Joan Burton today and she gave the reason why she was asking the question. Burton did the usual huffed and puffed and didn’t answer the question. In the course of her answer she said she knew nothing about the case. As time went on in the tooing
and froing between herself and Mary Lou she was able to quote a lot about the case and made what
I thought was an unwarranted attack on Mary Lou.
Are they ever goin leave shinners alone getting beyond a joke now
Between Adams, and McDonald, Sinn Fein are being now seen for what they are, we should be greatful to them. Talk about the height of hypocracy in the wake of revelations that they flooded us with perverts themselves.
A Shinner telling untruths about child abuse, I’m shocked!
And how honest were you being stephen, when that taxpayer footed the bill for that ridiculous amount you charged for basic web services for your FF colleague?
i also noticed you taking part in that student protest in trinity during the week. You kinda stood out as the middle aged bloke protesting with the the 8 kids. What are you studying there?
Remind me not to cross you if I ever do Were ….. very impressive put-down !
God Thomas Aquinas what a statement so take you do approve of women and children being used for politican gain what more can I say to someone so vile that does approve it if you read comment properly I said it should be addressed but in private but obvious u think tds should jeer heckle smirk on a matter so serious sad person
I think Sinn Fein should be held to the same account as they have held others. But SF dont like being held to account. Not one bit.
Why can’t all tds just respect the victims of abuse and deal with like adults not kids in a playground disgraceful antics all around any one trying defend this and score political points and fling accusations back and forth need to look hard at themselves if a td has an issue discuss it in private with who ever and stop using victims who are probably at home watching dail seeing tds jeer heckle smirk at each other just for political gain shame on all
Don’t forget red thumb means you disagree with my comment so if you want to red thumb I will take it you think victims should be used for political gain….
Oh we had better not red thumb you then because ehatevercwe do we must avoid addressing the abuse of women and children for political gain.
More lies from mary lou, does she ever stop telling lies?
This is totally unacceptable from both sides to use survivors of sexual abuse to their own political gain. Joan Burton nearly made me sick today making a play of the question she was asked but Mary Lou is no shining light either. The brass neck of her to speak in behalf of those affected by state responsibility after refusing to answer to those affected by perverts within the republican movement. Why I wonder did she not use the normal route as a public representative and write to the DOJ first seeking clarification. She is also guilty of game playing. I hope she realizes that her chances of being the next leader are dissipating rapidly!! It’s no wonder End a the fool hasn’t made another stupid statement yet!!
even the Government themselves have produced a report that the D.O.J. is highly secretive , stonewalling etc. The civil service and its true loyalty and notion of duty of care is probably why Marylou went to the Dail with the question…….
That or the whole thing is just to keep people talking about anything except Irish Water and Bondholder’s Plan Eire
Note to Enda’s Advisers ..(sorry couldn’t be bothered converting to latin or german)
When you open a can of worms in Ireland you loose control !
Would have told ye sooner but, hey – you’re the smart ones aren’t ye ?
Off ye go now and see what brought down Albert’s Government and then go and see what a republican party promising to abolish an odious charge like rates etc. does for an election…
Wat has tat got to do with dail debates
have your say