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Doherty: Norris comments gave Seanad abolition campaign a boost

The Fine Gael TD was referring to Norris saying she was “talking through her fanny” while in the Seanad yesterday.

DAVID NORRIS’S OUTBURST directed at Deputy Regina Doherty yesterday gave the campaign to abolish the Seanad a boost, the TD at the focus of his ire said.

Yesterday, Senator Norris caused a stir when he hit out at Fine Gael Deputy Regina Doherty, saying she was “speaking out of her fanny” during a discussion on the government’s plans to abolish the Seanad.

Speaking on TV3 programme Tonight With Vincent Browne last night, Doherty said that Norris’ comments “brought the Seanad into disrepute” and also gave the start of the  campaign to abolish the Seanad “a very large boost”.

(Hugh O’Connell/YouTube)

Norris told the chamber yesterday: “The idea that someone who has been a member of this house… has to listen to ‘The Regina Monologues’ from somebody who’s not a wet week in this house, talking through her fanny, I object on the strongest possible basis.”

Last night, Deputy Doherty said that his comments “certainly drew attention to the Seanad today to people up and down the country that most likely wouldn’t have known what was going on today, and maybe that was his intention”.

She said that she:

was upset by his comments and even if I wasn’t, they are absolutely not acceptable in a professional workplace, which is what apparently he is  pertaining to advocate for in the retention of the Seanad in the upcoming campaign.

Making reference to ‘lapgate’ last week, when a Fine Gael TD pulled a female colleague onto his lap during a Dáil debate, Doherty added that Norris “shone a light” on the “ongoings and proceedings”, which gave the start of the abolition campaign a very large boost.

Fine Gael announced the details of their campaign for the abolition of the Seanad yesterday, leading to much criticism in the chamber yesterday afternoon. One Senator, Fianna Fáil’s Mary White, described the FG press release as “like propaganda from Hitler or something”.

In today’s poll, we’re asking if Norris should apologise to Doherty over the comments.

Read: Doherty to complain over Norris after ‘sexist and deeply inappropriate language’>

Poll: Should David Norris apologise to Regina Doherty?>

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49 Comments
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    Mute Shane McGrath
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    Nov 30th 2022, 1:00 AM

    Digital money loses value on each transaction. The banks and government chip away at the value until they have total and utter control over your currency. That is not democracy. The Irish government’s agenda is to regulate and account for all money in circulation. This legislation is a peacemeal gesture to trick Joe public into believing governments want to give people a choice. I’ll let you in on a secret, they don’t. The Irish government don’t now, and never will, work towards a better society. They don’t care about you. If they cared, they’d fix education, health care, housing and the cost of living. They can. They just won’t. The reason for this is the same as it has been since the

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    Mute Shane McGrath
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    Nov 30th 2022, 1:03 AM

    @Shane McGrath: …..foundation of the Republic. Votes. Irish politicians, save a small few genuine patriots, join the public service so the public can service them. They join as an end in itself, not to fix anything. And all they care about is staying on that salary, staying in government and getting through to pension time. Irish politics is a smarmy, vulgar and distasteful world.

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    Mute Paul Gorry
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    Nov 30th 2022, 1:03 AM

    @Shane McGrath: Absolutely well said Shane.

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    Mute Realist
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    Nov 30th 2022, 7:29 AM

    @Shane McGrath: I’m not saying the government is perfect, far from it but you can’t just wave a magic wand and fix all those things. It doesn’t work like that. As a country we are massively exposed to global events, we have too much red tape at a local level – on housing specifically. Healthcare is a spiralling mess that will never be fixed. We have one of the fairest societies in the world when it comes to gap between rich and poor, with a very generous welfare model. That said it’s the middle that get squeezed.

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    Mute Eric Foley
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    Dec 1st 2022, 9:03 AM

    @Shane McGrath: so who are these ‘patriots’ you mentioned?

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    Mute Paul Gorry
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    Nov 30th 2022, 12:13 AM

    Cash is king imo. I’d rather but it under me bed than pay a bank to mind it for me.

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    Mute The Boss
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    Nov 30th 2022, 12:23 AM

    @Paul Gorry: what’s your address Paul?

    86
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    Mute Paul Gorry
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    Nov 30th 2022, 12:31 AM

    @The Boss: 221B Baker street London.

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    Mute Grant Masterson
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    Nov 30th 2022, 5:42 AM

    All businesses in all sectors should be made accept cash.

    207
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    Mute Gert McNulty
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    Nov 30th 2022, 5:52 AM

    @Grant Masterson: legal tender as far as I remember is everything except cheques. Businesses had to acept in tge past . Got an A in junior cert business rofl

    35
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    Mute David Mc Cabe
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    Nov 30th 2022, 6:40 AM

    In a cashless society if the Internet goes down due to cyber attack, under sea cables being cut everything would stop. Nobody could buy anything, no fuel for your car, no food could be bought, no purchases of any kind.

    146
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    Mute Sean
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    Nov 30th 2022, 8:23 AM

    @David Mc Cabe: yeah well cash would run out shortly after that since most people get it from ATMs and don’t have that much out at one go so we’d be down to bartering hens!

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    Mute Declan Edward
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    Nov 30th 2022, 6:54 AM

    I have refused to give my custom to any business that refused cash during covid and any that refuses it now. If my money is not good enough for you, you won’t be getting any of it

    141
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    Mute Liam Russell
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    Nov 30th 2022, 12:47 AM

    I find it the opposite here in the West, takeaways doctors and pubs ask for cash.

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    Mute Earth Traveller
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    Nov 30th 2022, 8:49 AM

    @Liam Russell: I usually find that the ones asking for cash don’t like to give receipts either. I wonder why.

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    Mute Peter Peterski
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    Nov 30th 2022, 8:59 AM

    @Liam Russell: what’s a takeaways doctor?

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    Mute John Barry
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    Nov 30th 2022, 8:13 AM

    I walked out of IKEA a few months ago. Left 2 trolleys full of stuff with nearly €800 because they refused cash. The manager was an absolute kn*b. Speaking down to me cos I wouldn’t use my card. So I walked out.

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    Mute John Moylan
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    Nov 30th 2022, 8:23 AM

    @John Barry: from IKEA’s own webpage:
    “What payment methods do you accept?
    At IKEA stores, we accept bank cards (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX, Discover and Diners Club), IKEA Gift Cards, CASH and certified cheques and bank cheques.”

    Did you lodge a complaint with corporate over it ?

    40
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    Mute Sean
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    Nov 30th 2022, 8:25 AM

    @John Barry: why wouldn’t you use your card though? What was the back story?

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    Mute John Barry
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    Nov 30th 2022, 9:00 AM

    @John Moylan: Yes I looked at the site when I went home & sent an email which I got a reply saying “thank you for your email, we’ll be in touch within 3 days” Still nothing back.

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    Mute John Barry
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    Nov 30th 2022, 9:01 AM

    @Sean: Back story?? No back story. I just didn’t want to use my card out of principal. As a consumer, I should have a choice of what course of payment I can use.

    51
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    Mute Mark
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    Nov 30th 2022, 10:02 AM

    @John Barry: a store is under no obligation to take cash as a form of payment for a debt. They can refuse cash if they want. Why didn’t you just pay by card

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    Mute Paddy Kennedy
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    Nov 30th 2022, 10:17 AM

    @Mark: No they can’t. I don’t know where you got your info but that is wrong. Cash is legal tender and they’re legally obliged to accept it.

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    Mute Kevin Collins
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    Nov 30th 2022, 10:23 AM

    @John Barry: So you spent hours navigating your way around and queuing up in IKEA only to walk away empty handed out of “principal”? Boy, you really showed them up, Karen.

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    Mute Mark
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    Nov 30th 2022, 11:28 AM
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    Mute John Barry
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    Nov 30th 2022, 2:30 PM

    @Kevin Collins: Haha I was in there for less than 30 minutes cos I knew what I wanted & where it was. One person in front of me in the que. So wasn’t a waste of time Bridie

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    Mute John Barry
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    Nov 30th 2022, 2:32 PM

    @Mark: I guess you didn’t check the citizens information. Cash is legal tender & is therefore able to be used in any transaction for goods in any business.

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    Mute Mark
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    Nov 30th 2022, 2:49 PM

    @John Barry: again I don’t think you understand legal tender. The term means they can be used for debt repayment, it does not mean they have to be accepted. The 1c coin can’t be used to pay off a mortgage, or your rent.

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    Mute Derek Lyster
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    Nov 30th 2022, 7:38 AM

    Banks cant make much money off cash so you can be sure they’ll do all the can to get rid of it

    45
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    Mute David Daly
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    Nov 30th 2022, 9:09 AM

    I was always under the impression that Cash was Legal Tender and shops etc were oblidged by law to accept. I’m flabergasted.

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    Mute Mark
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    Nov 30th 2022, 12:26 PM

    @David Daly: Legal Tender only means it can be accepted as a form of debt repayment. But it can be refused, for instance a €0.01 coin is legal tender but cannot be used to pay for large debts, like a new car. There is no law requiring a business to accept cash. They generally allow card payment as the alternative payment method

    4
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    Mute Steve Martyn
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    Nov 30th 2022, 1:53 PM

    Absolutely all businesses should take cash

    16
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    Mute ChadChaderson
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    Nov 30th 2022, 6:33 AM

    Cafe near me don’t accept cash.

    15
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    Mute Paddy Kennedy
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    Nov 30th 2022, 7:24 AM

    @ChadChaderson: It’s legally obliged to take cash. Put in a big order then tell them you don’t have anything except cash and see how quickly they change their approach.

    55
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    Mute Sean
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    Nov 30th 2022, 8:24 AM

    @Paddy Kennedy: it just said in the article they are not legally obliged to accept cash if they have notices up.

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    Mute Paddy Kennedy
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    Nov 30th 2022, 10:19 AM

    @Sean: Why don’t you check the legislation? That has the same effect as car parks saying they accept no responsibility for damage or injury caused on the premises and guess what happens when someone has an accident there? The sign is produced and the owners are told that it’s not legally enforceable.

    Exact same, putting up a sign doesn’t usurp legislation because it’s written down in a window.

    16
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