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More than 700,000 people watched the Mrs Brown's Boys Christmas Special this year

RTÉ’s news programmes also performed well over the festive period.

FOR THE FOURTH year running, Mrs Brown’s Boys Christmas Special was the most watched show in Ireland on Christmas Day.

Some 703,100 people sat down with their families to watch this seemingly unstoppable Irish mammy on RTÉ One on Christmas Day. Figures from the national broadcaster show television still plays a central role in a typical Irish Christmas as the average person watched 4 hours and 39 minutes of television on Christmas Day alone.

  • Coronation Street on TV3 was the second most watched show on Irish television on Christmas Day and the channel recorded good ratings for Emmerdale too.
  • RTÉ One and RTE2 delivered 17 of the top 20 shows and RTÉ Jr was the number one children’s channel for 4 to 7 year olds.
  • The highest rating movie was Argo with 336,000 viewers on RTÉ One, followed by Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, with 304,000 viewers also on RTÉ One.

Meanwhile the Fair City one-hour special also proved hugely popular with 343,000 tuning into see Claudia Carroll return to Carrigstown and rekindle her romance with Paul.

On RTE2 Harry Potter and the Philosophers’ Stone was the most popular film of the day with over 200,000 viewers.

Here are the top 15 programmes on Christmas Day:

RTÉ RTÉ

Click here for larger version of this image

People were still focused on current affairs during the festive season with Six-One news proving the most watched programme on Christmas Eve with 387,000 viewers.

Comedy was also particularly popular on the day with RTÉ2’s Father Ted’s Christmas Special proving to be the third most watched show with 274,000 viewers while Mario Rosenstocks Christmas Special also performed well with 265,000 viewers.

On Stephen’s Day, the Six-One news and Nine-O’Clock news on RTE One both drew in over 389,000 viewers while Skyfall was the most popular movie of the day with 329,000 viewers on RTÉ One.

Over on TV3, The Snapper was the best performing movie over the Christmas period. It averaged 235,900 viewers and a 16.3% share and reached 714,300 individuals.

Read: Ms Brown got more Irish bums on cinema seats than any other film last year>

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35 Comments
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    Mute David Mac Shite
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    Nov 29th 2016, 7:49 AM

    Teachers get paid an annual salary for working less than 35 hours per week for less than 8 months of the year. This gives them an effectively hourly rate significantly higher than every other worker How about equal work for equal pay? The rest of society works 40+ hours per week with 21 days hols per year.

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    Mute Billy Mooney
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    Nov 29th 2016, 7:52 AM

    Stick in your C.V so and stop whinging. Solidarity with the teachers.

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    Mute Andrea
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    Nov 29th 2016, 8:09 AM

    Teachers, if of course they are lucky enough to get a full time job,might work less than 35 hours a week(classroom time)but it is spread out over the 52 weeks of the year. Maybe you should check your facts.

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    Mute Karl
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    Nov 29th 2016, 8:20 AM

    Your name matches the quality of your comment

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    Mute just readin
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    Nov 29th 2016, 8:56 AM

    @David Mac Shite: You are not allowed even discuss an alternative to what teachers want.

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    Mute Patrick O Dwyer
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    Nov 29th 2016, 9:10 AM

    Why didn’t you become a teacher ??

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    Mute Thomas McGilly
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    Nov 29th 2016, 9:25 AM

    Eh Mac Shite, where does it say equal pay for equal hours worked? If that’s the rationale behind pay should we not all work the same hours as junior doctors??

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    Mute David Mac Shite
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    Nov 29th 2016, 10:07 AM

    Is that not what I said? Work less than 35 hours per week (significantly less in some cases). Get paid 52 weeks per year and work between 30 to 35 weeks in that year. Compare this to nurses and Gardai then observe the difference in the effective hourly rate.

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    Mute Connachtabu
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    Nov 29th 2016, 10:32 AM

    @David Mac Shite: Oh God, would you just give it a break!

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    Mute Keith Gregg
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    Nov 29th 2016, 10:54 AM

    @David Mac Shite: Firstly, not all teachers get paid for their holidays, or time when schools are closed. Indeed, some of those same teachers do not get paid if their classes are not in, ie there is exams, or work experience. On top of that, there is a lot more to teaching than the up to 22 hours contact you may have with a group (some teachers are teaching on 3 hour contracts). There is also the planning, which is roughly an hour and a half for an hour of content, when starting off. There is also correcting and assessing work – which is dependent on sector – and of course there are meetings, planning time, upskilling and updating to keep on top of industry (well in FE there is).

    It’s quite easy to pontificate, saying they only do X. You are being too simplistic and not giving the full story. There is no one “easy job”. Every job has its benefits and challenges.

    On top of that, I’m going to just assume you are a troll by virtue of your username

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    Mute Thomas McGilly
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    Nov 29th 2016, 12:10 PM

    What teachers work less than 35 hours a week?

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    Mute Una Dunphy
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    Nov 29th 2016, 12:12 PM

    @David Mac Shite: Contact hours is what you refer to.

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    Mute Brendan Greene
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    Nov 29th 2016, 12:42 PM

    You are a well-named idiot, Son of Shite.

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    Mute Nick Allen
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    Nov 29th 2016, 12:50 PM

    @Billy Mooney:

    Don’t forget solidarity with the CityJet and Lufthansa pilots too. The exploitation of the worker must be stopped regardless of the cost or implications.

    Seriously though, why doesn’t the government just press some buttons, create new money and pay the teachers more money.

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    Mute Gerard McDermott
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    Nov 29th 2016, 12:55 PM

    @Nick Allen: “Seriously though, why doesn’t the government just press some buttons, create new money and pay the teachers more money.”

    That could be done in the USA, or GB where the government issue the national currency. The Irish government doesn’t have control of the Euro currency so can’t just print it off whenever they like.

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    Mute Billy Mooney
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    Nov 29th 2016, 1:25 PM

    @Gerard McDermott:

    Spot on. A more interesting questing for Nick to consider might be why did our establishment political class lead us into the monetary trap of the Euro which places a false and damaging budget constraint on the country?

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    Mute Billy Mooney
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    Nov 29th 2016, 1:25 PM

    more interesting question….

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    Mute Breda Jennings
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    Nov 29th 2016, 1:32 PM

    I’m a teacher. I don’t get paid for my holidays? And as work less than everyone else? I spend 22hours a week in a classroom. Then there’s many hours spent planning classes, corrections, extra curricular activities I could go on. @Dave mcShite what is your occupation?

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    Mute Nick Allen
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    Nov 29th 2016, 1:55 PM

    @Gerard McDermott:

    Are you joking or are you for real?

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    Mute Nick Allen
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    Nov 29th 2016, 1:57 PM

    @Billy Mooney:

    So when we had the punt as our currency why couldnt we just press buttons and pay lots of people money. Why did we ever have any strikes. Was it as simple as the fact that the government didnt realise they just had to press some buttons?

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    Mute Nick Allen
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    Nov 29th 2016, 2:19 PM

    @Breda Jennings:

    I am not a teacher but my personal opinion is that teachers should get paid a lot more money. I think too many highly capable are put off the profession simply because the money isn’t great. Yes the job security and time off is nice but it doesnt make up for cash in hand.

    However, I do have a couple of issues which I think the teachers should address if they want to get the public on their side. Firstly, there needs to be accountability. Just like in every industry there will be people that are not up to their job and these people are ultimately disciplined and replaced with better employees. This is not appear to happen with teachers.

    Also, the discourse that this is about ‘equal pay’ is a little disingenuous, it is about more money so it should be called as such

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    Mute Billy Mooney
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    Nov 29th 2016, 2:54 PM

    @Nick Allen:

    So many questions, so few answers. The answer is that historically the Irish state could always afford it’s public sector pay bill when it issued the Punt. The mistake we made was pegging the Punt to sterling and later the ERM. We should have allowed the Punt to float like most of the other currencies after the Gold standard was dropped in 1971.

    Floating currency issuing states e.g. Britain, New Zealand etc face precisely no financial constraint in the currency the issue. They can always afford to buy anything which is for sale in the domestic currency including the labour of their public sector workers.

    The Punt was never a floating currency. It was always pegged against other currencies. This was against sterling initially from independence until the late 70s and then within the European Exchange Rate Mechanism until we abandoned the Punt and adopted the Euro.

    Fixing the exchange rate and allowing free movement of capital means a government is prevented from pursuing an independent domestic economic policy under the well known “Trilemma” in macroeconomics.

    The Trilemma says that any one time, a government can only choose 2 of the 3 fundamental macroeconomic policy options.

    1. Free movement of capital
    2. Independent domestic policy (usually a controlled interest rate in capitalist economies)
    3. Fixed exchange rate

    Before the neoliberal era of the 1970s, independent domestic policy usually meant governments creating full employment which is entirely possible for a floating currency issuer. Now capital serving governments usually control interest rates and target inflation while deliberately keeping a portion of the workforce unemployed. The reserve army of unemployed is a used as a lever which capital and the governments it controls uses to drive down wages and working conditions to maximize the gains to capital at the expense of the working class.

    If Ireland adopted a floating Punt, we would have the option of creating full employment and would face no financial constraints in the domestic currency to implement social programs like healthcare, education and affordable housing. The only limitation would be the availability of real resources e.g. land, energy, skilled workers etc. A lack of Punts would never be an issue as we would issue the currency.

    The availability of real resources can be impacted by the exchange rate as a depreciated Punt would make imports more expensive. Though if foreign exporters are prepared to sell their products and receive payment in Punts, then then the state can always afford to buy those products and services and sell or pass them on for whatever price it chooses. The state faces no financial constraint within its own currency irrespective of the exchange rate.

    Imports are generally paid for in the currency of the importing nation. So if the Punt did depreciate significantly then this makes our exports much cheaper and so they increase in volume which ultimately manifests as increased foreign currency reserves held in Irish central bank which can also be used to purchase critical imports.

    Ultimately if we wanted to fix or manage our exchange rates against the currencies of major trading partners while simultaneously creating full employment then Ireland would be required to implement controls on the flow of capital.

    This might be the best option as even the staunchly neoliberal IMF is now being forced to admit the free movement of capital is a failed economic policy for the majority. The free flow of capital is a vehicle to enrich big capital via speculation at the expense of the working class.

    http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/economy/2016/06/breaking-consensus

    The bottom line is that at a macro government/central bank level a lack of money is never a constraint. The only limitation is the availability of real resources (e.g. energy, labour etc) and the only relevant question is how best to manage them to meet the needs of the population. Fundamentally, money is just a tool to measure and allocate those resources.

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    Mute Padraig Mac Aodha
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    Nov 29th 2016, 3:28 PM

    You haven’t a clue. Plenty of jobs have very large amounts of time off. Nurses for example usually work three days on four days off. Four days on three days off. This alone without holidays and state holidays has them off half the time for starters. But you wouldn’t bother looking into it would you.

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    Mute Keith Gregg
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    Nov 29th 2016, 4:49 PM

    Accountability. Yes that worked so well with the bankers who destroyed the country. How many have had their assets stripped and given custodial sentences?

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    Mute Alan Cooke
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    Nov 29th 2016, 6:01 PM

    @Billy Mooney:
    What a load of Shi*e.
    Explain why the punt was devalued by 10% in the late 80′s if it was tied to sterling as you claim?
    Sterling was not devalued at the time. The Irish Punt, that’s punt Wally not Pound, was under attack by the markets, mainly from the land you so hate.
    You do type the greatest load of drivel. If you wish to buy something in the UK you buy in sterling, not euros as you claim.

    Macro Sh**e, not economics. You haven’t a clue.
    Did you learn this crap from one of your communist country web sites?

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    Mute Richard Prendiville
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    Nov 29th 2016, 8:02 AM

    God only knows what’s going to come out of this! Still…we live in hope. Hopefully every aspect of the dispute has been tackled in the negotiations rather than a botched effort leading to more action down the tracks.

    77
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    Mute Upowthat Burke
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    Nov 29th 2016, 12:04 PM

    I wonder how many more homeless this increase in allready inflated public servents pay packet will create in our 2 tier society

    36
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    Mute Thomas McGilly
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    Nov 29th 2016, 2:40 PM

    Can you provide facts and figures which show that our teachers’ are overpaid?

    26
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    Mute Todd
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    Nov 29th 2016, 12:16 PM

    We owe 200B +, Where is the money coming from to pay for this?

    35
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    Mute Nick Allen
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    Nov 29th 2016, 12:48 PM

    @Todd:

    Simple. Reduce the pay of the more experienced teachers and they will all be on the same level. That should give them what they are looking for.

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    Mute Gerard McDermott
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    Nov 29th 2016, 1:00 PM

    @Nick Allen: “Simple. Reduce the pay of the more experienced teachers and they will all be on the same level. That should give them what they are looking for.”

    That is the second poorly thought out suggestion you have made in as many minutes.

    Do you really believe that experienced teachers are going to vote to accept a pay reduction? They wouldn’t vote for it and they won’t be asked to. Turkeys voting for Christmas springs to mind.

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    Mute Brendan Hughes
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    Nov 29th 2016, 1:44 PM

    It would test how much the really care about their younger colleagues now wouldn’t.

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    Mute Nick Allen
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    Nov 29th 2016, 2:02 PM

    @Gerard McDermott:

    I don’t think it would happen like that, but I positioned it that way to highlight the way the issue is being positioned. Its not about ‘equal pay’, it is about more money.

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    Mute Keith Gregg
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    Nov 29th 2016, 4:46 PM

    Ugh. Let’s take the money from bank ceos instead. I mean we own most of them yet still pay them excessively

    11
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    Mute Thomas McGilly
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    Nov 29th 2016, 6:37 PM

    Nick, The pay of experienced teachers has already been cut 3 times.

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    Mute Keith Gregg
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    Nov 29th 2016, 8:47 PM

    @Nick Allen: its about equity in terms of pay scales. also @Brendan tbh in the private sector there are jobs that have different pay scales with different people coming in, particularly in retail. The reduced pay scales were part of FEMPI legislation though, but then again I am pre-2011 – though having lost my teaching post due to cutbacks in 2008, I have had sporadic employment with varying levels of contact/payment in the intervening years. I am lucky to be where I am, though there are people teaching as long as I am on at least 5,000 pa more than me due to their increments rising and mine staying static. In fact one former colleague who I was more senior than, then is now on a much higher rate. Don’t get me wrong, I am happy to be in employment, and have had to do different jobs since 2008 to supplement my income. Not all teachers are lifers, or are permanent. You’re really whitewashing it.

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    Mute Patrick Gough
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    Nov 29th 2016, 11:42 AM

    Is billy money and wally the same person

    24
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    Mute Billy Mooney
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    Nov 29th 2016, 1:30 PM

    @Patrick Gough: No. I’m Wally’s more handsome and intelligent younger brother.

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    Mute Nick Allen
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    Nov 29th 2016, 2:00 PM

    @Billy Mooney:

    If you are more intelligent then I really do feel sorry for Billy.

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    Mute Billy Mooney
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    Nov 29th 2016, 3:04 PM

    @Nick Allen: Have a read below and see if you can grasp the macroeconomic concepts.

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    Mute Nick Allen
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    Nov 29th 2016, 4:26 PM

    @Billy Mooney:

    Billy, just because you say something it true doesn’t make it true. You talk utter nonsense and unfortunately you don’t have the ability to debate a point. I would be very happy to discuss or debate with you but you always just run off when it gets tricky and you try to deflect and change the subject.

    “Imports are generally paid for in the currency of the importing nation”
    Complete and utter rubbish!!!!!!!

    . So if the Punt did depreciate significantly then this makes our exports much cheaper and so they increase in volume which ultimately manifests as increased foreign currency reserves held in Irish central bank which can also be used to purchase critical imports.

    So you are saying we can significantly depreciate our currency and still have the buying power as before.

    You are more of an idiot that I had originally thought.

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    Mute Alan Cooke
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    Nov 29th 2016, 6:03 PM

    @Billy Mooney:
    No. I’m Wally’s more handsome and intelligent younger brother.

    God almighty there’s 2 gombeens out there!

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    Mute David
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    Nov 29th 2016, 11:55 AM

    They deserve to be paid, but the Gardai, Doctors and nurses deserve to get theirs first.

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    Mute Upowthat Burke
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    Nov 29th 2016, 1:39 PM

    Alot of teachers wouldent work on a life support machine

    6
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    Mute Alex Carroll
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    Nov 29th 2016, 5:24 PM

    Oligarch DOB was probably not involved in this dispute. He was too buy trying to undermine our democracy in court. A tribunal found he bribed a government ministers in order to get a licence.

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