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MARY LOU MCDONALD and a selection of younger Sinn Féin election candidates gathered in Temple Bar this morning to let people know what they intended to do for the young voters of Ireland, and fielded some questions about Thomas ‘Slab’ Murphy while they were at it.
McDonald gathered with Cork South Central councillor and Dáil hopeful Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire and Clare candidate Noeleen Moran outside the Irish Rock ‘n’ Roll Museum Experience and outlined the Sinn Féin policies that would benefit the younger adults of Ireland.
After the trio laid out their plans should they be elected to government, McDonald faced questions on anti-austerity as well as Thomas ‘Slab’ Murphy.
Thomas Murphy was convicted of tax-fraud in December, he is due to be sentenced in two weeks’ time. Previously, Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has called Murphy a ‘good Republican’.
When questioned on whether she hoped that Thomas ‘Slab’ Murphy would have the chance to vote in Louth on 26 February, McDonald had this to say:
“I think in the long litany of really stupid questions that is now the prize winner.”
“Whoever [someone] votes for is entirely a matter to themselves.
It’s 11 o’clock on a Saturday morning… whoever anybody votes for is their own business, obviously I want the maximum number of people to vote for Sinn Féin.
Following this, McDonald was asked whether she thought an anti-austerity platform had failed in other European countries, such as Greece and Portugal, and whether Sinn Féin’s plans might fail in Ireland.
“The anti-austerity thing has to work out for us. We live here and it’s our job firstly… to protect the living standards and the service levels that our citizens enjoy,” said McDonald.
We could have a very long discussion here around not just the anti-austerity position, but the imposition of austerity certainly did not work, and I don’t think you’d argue that.”
Plans for the youth
Cuts to USC, the dismantling of the JobBridge programme, supplying a living wage and investing in infrastructure were all touted as policies and plans to provide more opportunities for ‘young people’ in Ireland.
https://vine.co/v/inDU6plu3BQ
“The number of people who have been forced to leave Ireland to seek work and opportunities and to make their futures and have their families elsewhere is glaringly apparent and it has really wounded communities and families,” McDonald told reporters.
People had no option and had to go, there was no choice for people.
Elements included in Sinn Féin’s manifesto that the party says will help the youth are:
When questioned over why the party isn’t abolishing the Universal Social Charge (USC) entirely, McDonald said that it wasn’t a viable option as proper investment in public services was needed.
Some young Sinn Féin membersSource: TheJournal.ie
"Our taxation proposals are balanced in such a way as they will give immediate relief to families," she said.
It would be better had the USC never been introduced, and I wish that we were in a position to say that we were going to abolish it entirely.
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire said that younger people had borne the brunt of the recession and that investment was needed to bring people back to Ireland.
"I probably know more people in Perth in western Australia than in most Irish counties," he said.
"What we need to do is create the type of Ireland that young people want to return home to."
Noeleen Moran said that half of her family had emigrated and that there weren't enough opportunities for people in Ireland.
"We need to abolish JobBridge. We need proper employment schemes to support decent jobs in our counties and in our towns and villages across the country," she said.
McDonald faces tough competition in her Dublin Central constituency, with four sitting TDs and only three seats, however she is expected to retain her seat.
Ó Laoghaire has a very tough battle to get a foothold in Cork South Central, where five TDs are already battling it out for four seats - including the leader of Fianna Fáil Micheál Martin and Agriculture minister Simon Coveney.
Meanwhile, Noeleen Moran faces stiff competition in Clare, with popular Labour TD Michael McNamara and Fine Gael's Pat Breen both having strong bases there.
The yellow box is there for a reason. Lot of people don’t know how to use it.
@Yorkie1892: for parking, right?
@Yorkie1892: Commercial vehicle drivers should know. That is such an idiotic driving.
@eddie horgan: why should they know. Minimum wage job driving a light commercial possibly an agency driver with no English who doesn’t understand the rules in Ireland because the vehicle owner just wants a bum on the seat. The industry is in turmoil because of constantly chasing low costs at any price & this individual with get blamed lose his job & be replaced by another low cost agency worker. It’s only not funny because someone is going to be killed.
@Yorkie1892: Hijacking to air a pet peeve. What’s with the “Keep Clear” boxes? I don’t notice them the way I noticed yellow boxes. Keep it consistent!
@Allora: I’d accept your point about minimum wage etc, but isn’t that the same as every other country? The barriers are the same all over the world, there’s nothing unique about them. It’s just down to stupidity, nothing more
@Yorkie1892: A high percentage of drivers don’t have the patience to wait at the barriers and don’t have a clue how to drive within a city area.
@Yorkie1892: people know what a yellow box is for, they just care
@Yorkie1892: I would be more concerned with the gate coming down than the yellow box.
@DReynolds: stupidity is a possibility or an unfamiliar environment like driving on the wrong side of the road & different signage & rules. Also maybe poorly educated drivers who accept low pay jobs.
It’s going to be a very black Friday for that driver. #unemployed
@Peter Cavey: why should he get sacked we all make mistakes.
He should be sacked because he’s clearly incompetent at following the basic requirements of the job. We can’t just chalk this down as a ‘we all make mistakes’ and let him do it again.
@: Not at a rail crossing and especially not where the driver is expected to be professional. Compounded by forcing his way through the barrier.
@: I think hitting a bridge or other infrastructure like railway crossing is an offence. No business owner can afford to tolerate breaking a law.
@Conor King: Pretty sure this is the one person that will never do this again…
@Cynical There are consequences for stupidity. That’s just the way it is. He should have his licence taken off him as well as his job.
But cyclists are the most dangerous things on the road
@Craic_a_tower: The truck driver – typical cyclist – is wearing neither helmet nor hi-viz.
@Craic_a_tower: we see what you’re doing and we’re not taking the bait. #tool
@Craic_a_tower: if only these road users were trained and had a licence and insurance…oh wait!
@Conoroconnor: and what about tax….don’t forget the tax :-)
@Craic_a_tower: most dangerous thing to themselves
@Thomas Maher: obviously not given this year 2 motorists who weren’t looking at the road ran over a cyclist each. Completely guilty and at fault and didn’t spend a day in prison. Motorists are found to be at fault. If you want you can post up a case in the last year where a cyclist was found at fault for their death by being knocked down.
@Thomas Maher: that’s provably untrue, do some research before you spout your poisonous and dangerous cliches
@Craic_a_tower: you’re a moron
@Craic_a_tower: It wasn’t a cyclist who damaged the gates at a level crossing
Expect to see Shane Ross giving updates from the plinth shortly
What an @sshat. These drivers should be fined heavily and get penalty points for doing this and driving into bridges. The amount of disruption they cause is huge.
No point to talk who is guilty. Train services shouldn’t be suspended. An emergency signals should be there. EOT
I blame Trump!
Same thing just happened to the level crossing in Killarney .. strange.
Sure he was wearing hivis so he is ok.
@Joe Dobias: if only the barrier was wearing a hi viz vest!!! Bloody barriers, asking for trouble.
People should lose their licenses for their incidents like this
At least the second time this year that that has happened, if I’m right
@Ewan O’Doherty: at the very least, because it has happened twice today alone.
He was parked forward of the barrier, so it stopped coming down, then it and the barrier on the far side started to rise again (I assume so the truck could get off the crossing), he couldn’t see the barrier he was under and just drove on…
This is because there is a right turn into Serpintine Court just after the level crossing and the traffic moves but then gets stopped when someone takes a right turn so you get stuck in the yellow box.
have your say