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LAST UPDATE | 18 Jun 2022
SIX PROTESTS IN cities and major towns across Ireland are taking currently place, organised by the Cost of Living Coalition.
Dublin, Belfast, Galway, Limerick, Cork and Sligo are holding protests at various public buildings and main streets.
Several other protests by decentralised local groups are also set to take place across Northern Ireland, including in Derry and Strabane.
#june18 #costoflivingdemo pic.twitter.com/0YVNjxXrMB
— Cost of living coalition (@COLCIreland) June 15, 2022
Dublin’s protest began at 1pm at the Gardens of Remembrance in Parnell Square.
Speakers at the Dublin protest include Fr Peter McVerry, Mary Lou Mc Donald, chief executive of the Senior Citizens Parliament Sue Shaw, Joan Collins, Beth O’Reilly from the Union of Students in Ireland and People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett.
Several hundred people were in attendance.
Huge crowd out in Dublin @COLCIreland pic.twitter.com/F3ORl5x473
— Mary Lou McDonald (@MaryLouMcDonald) June 18, 2022
The Government has so far resisted calls for a so-called “mini budget” ahead of the autumn to roll out further measures for families.
However, it has denied allegations that it has been slow to act on the issue, highlighting that the steps it has taken to tackle cost-of-living pressures since last October add up to €2.5 billion.
As the crowd arrived outside Leinster House, chants of “raise our incomes, raise our wages” and “rents are rising, so are we” could be heard.
Addressing the crowd from a platform on Kildare Street, Mary Lou McDonald said that if the government “continue to drag their heels and look the other way, if they continue to allow our people to suffer on,” then protests will continue each weekend.
"If this government is not willing to give people breathing space, let them make way for people who will," says opposition leader @MaryLouMcDonald, calling for an emergency budget.
— Deborah Naylor (@DebsNaylor) June 18, 2022
"We will not give up on change because, god knows, that is precisely what this country needs." pic.twitter.com/MZRvsam8VR
Boyd Barrett called for an increase in people’s wages and pensions to meet the “spiralling cost of living”.
“We will accept nothing less than that,” he told the crowd.
“The vast majority of us here believe it is long time overdue that we get rid of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. They have had 100 years.”
“We need a left government that stands up for workers, pensioners and students and ordinary people.
“Our critical message is to say we are not waiting for a general election, we are not waiting until the budget, we want action now.
He called on every person present to be “the organisers of a mass movement that is going to force this government to protect the rights to housing and protect people’s ability to live.”
Speaking about the protests on RTÉ Radio 1′s Saturday with Katie Hannon, Green Party TD and Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Ossian Smyth said that the government has been providing significant relief.
“It’s clearly a major crisis that’s affecting everybody and some people much more than others and it’s really concentrated on the cost of fuel. And then that’s feeding through now into the cost of food because you have to distribute food with fuel and you have to use fuel to make fertilizer.”
“We have been addressing it and there have been a billion euros of measures since the last budget.”
“The first thing is we cannot completely compensate for all of the increases in fuel.”
When asked further about additional measures on the cost-of-living, Smyth said that there are no plans for additional measures at the moment.
However, he said that if there is a “dramatic change in the situation”, the government’s current position may change.
Dublin march co-ordinator Eddie Conlon said: “Developments in the last two days show that the cost-of-living crisis is deepening, with nearly 30% of households experiencing energy poverty. This will get worse as prices continue to rise.
“The breakdown of the pay talks shows the Government is not prepared to protect incomes from rising inflation. It’s clear that it was not prepared to meet trade union demands that workers’ living standards be protected.
“Urgent action is needed. Next October will be too late for many households as they slide further and further into financial distress.
“The Government needs to get a clear message that urgent action is needed now and the public can deliver it … by turning out in their thousands.”
On Thursday, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said he has not ruled out bringing in additional measures to help cash-strapped households, but said there are no specific plans to do so before budget day.
A report published this week by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) found that the number of households in energy poverty in Ireland has risen to the highest rate ever recorded.
A person who spends more than a tenth of their net income to heat or power their home is defined as being in energy poverty, with 29% of households falling into this category.
At an event in Dublin on Wednesday to promote the protests, Mary Lou McDonald said that the government was too slow to act on the crisis by not holding a mini-budget.
“The idea that the Government would simply sit on their hands and ask people to wait until October is just unacceptable,” she said.
“If they wait until October, arguably a lot of the measures, whatever they might be, won’t take effect until the new year.”
Boyd Barrett, who is convenor of the Cost of Living Coalition, told the event that the Government needs to take “immediate, urgent and serious action” over cost-of-living pressures.
“People are suffering now and we’re urging them to come out on the streets this Saturday in Dublin and the other locations across the country to put as much pressure as we can on this Government to take urgent and serious measures to address the cost-of-living and the housing crisis, which are causing so much hardship and suffering for people in this country,” he said.
Sinn Féin, People Before Profit, the National Homeless and Housing Coalition, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, the Union of Students in Ireland and several other unions are affiliated with the Cost of Living Coalition.
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After the revelations of first class air travel to $1k a seat dinners Mary Lou is being a hypocite at these protests! Do as I say not as I do.
@Laura McCarthy: Why? Her party has fund raising functions. What has that got to do with the extremely high cost of living in this country?
@David Corrigan: You can dress it up whatever way you like but “a party fundraiser” at $1k a plate is a far cry from what most of us can put on our plates here. As a socialist party is SF helping people by donating vast swards of their wealth to help people in there time if need? By the bye if she wants to be a socialist then travel in ECONOMY.
@Laura McCarthy: The children’s hospital coming in at around €3 billion, housing being sold off to vulture funds, price gouging, insurance price hikes,unaffordable childcare, waiting lists growing longer. This is the legacy of FFFG and it’s getting worse by the day. Vote Sinn Féin.
@Laura McCarthy: if you think for one minute fg or ffs hands are clean of crime on this island you’re absolutely deluded.
@Laura McCarthy: I am not spinning it at all. I would have no problem with any political party including FF and FG having fund raisers and charging that kind of money per plate. It happens all the time across many different sectors.
@Laura McCarthy: It wont be on the government Jet or at the expense of the tax payer. Where does Leo and FG hold their fundraisers – in phone booths? Or do they rather get help from their friendly vulture funds?
@David Corrigan: it’s every country in Europe it’s not pertinent to Ireland fgs
@Margaret Mcgarry: What are you on about Mags?
@James Reardon: lads, what this country needs is new politicians, new party’s formed from scratch, all the present politicians kicked out, start new fresh, young people need to get off the seat and take measures
@Angela McCarthy: Criminals, how about the Moriarity tribunal, where’s that report now? How about Leo and his illegal leak of commercially sensitive insider information to his friend and that being investigated by the Gardai, the housing crisis, homeless crisis, children’s hospital, cost of living crisis and the list goes on and on. But yeah attack a party that are not even in government on an article describing the many protests country wide against government policies. Take a bow.
@Gerard McConnell: Why are you giving Angela a bad time, she’s not a Leo supporter, she’s a die hard republican SF voter.
@Leo’s Spin Department:
can all of you who use the term “vulture funds” actually use it in the correct context ..? It refers to buying distressed assets that are in default or near bankruptcy. The current housing market in Ireland has little to no near bankruptcy developments where vulture funds buy up..
Stop just using one liners without understanding what they mean ..
@Laura McCarthy: I see Lieo’s 18 page dossier is being well utilised here. Lots of anti SF posts but very little actually addressing the cost of living crisis.
When you can only attack political opposition it shows a complete lack of substance in your own policies.
@Laura McCarthy: and FF declaring themselves a charity, how do you square that. The Galway tent hasn’t gone away.
@David Corrigan: I think it’s the fund raising from the elite and not the ordinary workers who they claim to represent is the point.
@Tim: I think they can do both though Tim. Represent their voters is separate to fund raising.
@M Bowe: I look forward to Michell’s speech at the Belfast protest later. Presumably she is speaking yes? I mean they’re all over the protests in the South and NI’s crisis is worse than ours.
@Ian James Burgess: SF would never do this.
@Laura McCarthy: you have a short memory the galway tents.??A FF minster from kerry using a chauffeured limousine to get from one part of London airport to the other terminal . I could go on but I couldn’t be ars..d
@David Corrigan: It’s SF equivalent to the Galway tent.
@GrumpyAulFella: I’ve no problem with people giving their money to whoever they want, whether a political party or whatever. That’s how the world works. But Leo speaking ill of the dead the other day is a new low. Stinks of desperation
@Laura McCarthy: one has to get their hands dirty when fighting a war!
@Laura McCarthy: come down of ur high horse and open your eyes why don’t u!
@Ian James Burgess: speaks of the truth me thinks. Hypocrisy and double standards need to be called out on all sides.
@Ciaran: If anyone is missing the point by failure to grasp the bigger picture, then its you.
The vulture fund buy up of the Irish residential and commercial property market, started post celtic tiger crash, when the entire property market was distressed.
The object of which isn’t a short-term goal to flip individual properties or entire developments back onto the resale market to make a profit, its to control the entire property market and place ownership out of the reach of everyone else, increased prices now only compound that by excluding even people on good incomes from buying property.
This will mean that property rental will become the only option for residential and commercial property in the future and that the majority of revenues from those rentals will go to vulture funds.
@Laura McCarthy: ah the red herring argument. Like all those who work for a charity should work for free. And why are you using the dollar sign? Fishy fishy.
The €1k dinners are a fundraising tactic so rich champagne socialists can feel less guilt about their success and help put their money towards a socialist party trying improve everyone’s lot. This is 101 politics and 101 fundraising. Good luck voting for FG/FF!
@Tafe Dani: $ because the dinner was in the US and it was One thousand dollars a plate. Join the conversation as a listener the next time.
@Leo’s Spin Department: vote Sinn Fein? Putin’s puppets? No chance of that.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/20/russia-funds-moscow-conference-us-eu-ukraine-separatists
@Laura McCarthy: Hi Laura hun, I’ve just arrived home and checked out this article on the Journal. Now despite placing my left ear against the screen I can’t HEAR anything. Would you mind awfully not getting tetchy with me if I join in by merely reading the comments? Thanks in advance dear.
@GrumpyAulFella: aren’t you the guy who posted within the past firtnught that comparisons of north and south are chalk and cheese??
Jaysus man pick a position and stay with it. Sound bites to suit the argument only leaves you looking foolish.
@GrumpyAulFella: perspective is key. US dinner was held in Oct 21, attended by persons who have no say or control over our economy.
FG dinner and Leo’s party are held in midst of a cost of living crisis and attended by those who are gouging the citizens of this state.
@Laura McCarthy: how do you think the other fellas in the dail travel…??
@John Mulligan: you really should do a bit of back ground research, especially before you quote the Gaurdian
The conference you mention was attended by ‘Republican Sinn Fein’ a dissident break away group from Sinn Fein.
@John Mulligan: THE FACTUAL STORY;
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/republican-sinn-fein-to-send-delegate-to-moscow-conference-1.2803539
@Ciaran: once you learn SF put-downs, it’s hard to change. Best cure is re-education.https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/20/russia-funds-moscow-conference-us-eu-ukraine-separatists
@M Bowe: the establishment fear protest so I found it strange how this news article that in the current cost of living crisis would have multiple negative comments about sf and the protesters with a high volume of likes in an extremely short period of time, a previous well publicized Leo Varadkar plan as part of the 18 page anti-SF dossier
@Brian Burns: I suspect (but could be wrong) that most of the extreme anti-sf accounts posting on this site are controlled by an FF I.T. consultant called Stephen.
@John Mulligan: Yeah the gentleman in question Diarmuid Mac Dubhghlas is and was a member of Republican Sinn Féin, not Sinn Féin… So change the record buddy.
@Laura McCarthy: wow. You really have no idea.
There’s a large recession on the way. All of the millennials will be shocked when they can no longer get everything for free. Ireland is a small open economy and therefore we are vulnerable to global economic conditions. Government can only really steer the economy so don’t get fooled by the populist parties (rhymes with Tinn Pein) who will tell you they can fix everything as they cannot.
@Ro-your-nan: Are the protesters millennials? I don’t know anyone in my circle (mostly millennials) who are attending this protest… Weekend is for relaxing after long week of work!
@Ro-your-nan: Whatever about you not liking Sinn Fein but I can’t, as a millennial, figure out what I ever got for free. Give your head a wobble mate.
@Fiona Ní Mháirtín: I rest my case
@Jen Mc: there are major labour shortages partly due to a certain cohort not willing to work
@Ro-your-nan: eh no you bootlicker there is no labour shortage in Ireland. The unemployment rate is 4.9%, near everyone is working, people just aren’t working for companies paying minimum wage and bad conditions anymore, they trained up during the pandemic and moved on. If these hospitality companies (wouldn’t be surprised if you own a pub or so) want talent then they should pay more, simple.
@Ro-your-nan: people like you believe a certain sector should be forcible kept in poverty so they can forever fill up the jobs no one else wants.
@Ro-your-nan: the fact you think there is a labour shortage while there is less then 5% unemployment is remarkable. You actually believe people should be forced work for the hospitality industry Dont you?
@Ro-your-nan: Perhaps if a living wage and working conditions are protected there would not be a labour shortage. Hotels,Bars ,restaurants are particular areas where abuse of working conditions take place.
@aaron: the labour shortage is across all industries – it’s well documented. Have an objective online search and come back to us with your findings. The full employment level you cite proves there is little excess labour in the economy.
@Ro-your-nan: no it’s not across all industries. It’s concentrated in the hospitality section to the point where the likes of the tech industry is actually laying off people due to over hiring right now.
If the hospitality sector wants talent they should pay for the talent, instead Adrian Cummins is imploring the government to bring in non eu residents just to work for the people he represents
@Ro-your-nan: the workforce population hasn’t decreased in Ireland in two years, it’s increased actually and quite a bit. So your claim on the unemployment figure not being represented is a lie, under 5% unemployment when there are arguably less customer facing roles before pandemic available is an indication of the fact there is no labour shortage, people trained up during the pandemic and moved on
@John Mulligan: I am going to the protest and I am in full time employment. Think that rising cost of living rise will through working families with children from mid class to poverty . Who else if not goverment responsible for that ?
@Ro-your-nan: like your own comment here disproves your point of “a certain cohort refusing to work” if there is <5% unemployment then clearly there is no cohort refusing to work.
Even if there was a labour shortage, that would mean people would have had to emigrate essentially in droves for the unemployment rate to be that low, in that case do you support forcibly relocating them home to work low paid roles?
@Ro-your-nan: certain cohort eh? Oh you mean young people not wanting to be robbed blind anymore? Don’t worry about it mate, we’ll have plenty emigrating soon and they won’t be on the scratch as you say they are.
@Ro-your-nan:
Millennials are in their 30s and 40s you’ll be surprised to know.
There’s a shortage of *cheap* labour. Boomers still expect workers to subsidise your business on cheap labour.
5% unemployment is considered full employment. Which we’re at.
I interviewed someone who told me their current salary, my boss said nope, too high. Apparently we were crying out for workers in that department.
Labour isn’t free.
@Ro-your-nan:
Just a few questions!!!
Can you name the party who brought in the Vulture funds?
Can you name the party who gave them a very creative tax
exemption and why?
Can you name the party who introduced tax evasion etc loopholes ?
@Ro-your-nan: won’t be a recession but a depression by all accounts.
@Sylvia Vasya: Please link how the Irish Government caused the cost of living increase here and presume you believe they are also responsible for the cost of living increase worldwide too?
@Jen Mc: or a snickers bar
@Ro-your-nan: Well the cartel of FFG / Greens certainly cannot fix the mess. Ironically it was FF/ Greens that facilated in the economic crash which brought this country to it’s knees. FG/ so called Labour only added to the mess. When you consider FFG/ Greens are now in power and the country is in worse condition ,you would be correct in stating the three ring circus continues. The legacy of FFG/ Greens…Housing crisis, Homelessness Crumbling Health service, Vulture companies, Scandal after scandal. What a nation of fools who put these parasites back in power.
@aaron: around 90,000 long term unemployed.
@Ro-your-nan: Many are called but few get up.
The Irish should rather protest for a new health system.
@Johannes Baader: They are it’s all part & parcel e.g. the cost of fuel food electricity. The full increase is the biggest scam of all, it just a massive money grabbing exercise by the big companies ( their all gone a bit crazy)
Run by headbangers, hoping to attract headbangers who think the government has any control over international events.
@John Mulligan: why do blue shirts like you think that the government has literally 0 responsibilities? That they shouldn’t be held accountable for the country? Do you know the salary that ministers get, it’s literally their job to insulate the country from negative foreign events as much as they humanly can.
@GrumpyAulFella: Well said
@GrumpyAulFella: you never change u need to get a life. And cop on to yourself.
@Stephen Carslake: great point their Steve. Any comment to make on the points made or are you just calling people names who are calling out the hypocrisy of your heroes?
@GrumpyAulFella: he didn’t call you a name, you’re deluded. Take a lie down
@aaron: I didn’t say that he did.
@GrumpyAulFella: man ur just repeating yourself…broken record!
@GrumpyAulFella: are you a politician…you must be, nothing but spin from you!
@Damien Leen: well sure if I’m spin then challenge my points. Have I spoken any untruths? If you don’t like facts then don’t read them.
I read that the Cost of Living Coalition is broad based and includes SPARK,Ireland Senior Citizens Parliament,Dublin Council of Trade Unions, Union of Students in Ireland,National Homeless and Housing Coalition, Access formally Ireland, ESB Retired Staff Association,The Rural Ireland Organisation, UNITE Dublin Area Activist Committee, the Climate Justice Coalition etc etc.
There are ongoing crisis and National emergencies affecting society that need urgent attention and effective policies to adequately deal with them.Families and people affected by these don’t get a summer break from these and by October Budget their living conditions and circumstances will have further deteriorated.These are the people and children I care about not political parties.In the past I’ve given FG,FF,SF and Labour votes and I’m not in any political party.In fact I’m absolutely fed up of the emphasis of sniping at each other in the Dail as the ongoing crisis and National emergencies affecting society is what they should be emphasising.Time to stop putting party politics and childish spats in Dail ,etc first and put society and the issues affecting society first and come up with effective policies to adequately deal with these crisis and National emergencies!The present Government should realise that its not Opposition parties that could lose them votes in the next GE,it’s ineffective policies that have failed to adequately tackle the crisis and National emergencies that are affecting society.Its so frustrating to see the emphasis on party survival and spats instead of helping families and people survival during times of ongoing National emergencies and crisis!The emphasis should be on effective policies and legislation to deal with these issues because that’s what society and future generations need.
@Nuala Mc Namara: Meant to say Access for All Ireland (instead I said “Access formally Ireland” )Apologies to that organisation.
@Stephen Kearon: You are jumping to very wild conclusions there Stevie. If you don’t agree with a comment you automatically call it SF propaganda?
@Stephen Kearon: who you represent Stephen
@Nuala Mc Namara: is this what your party have asked you to post? Did Mary Lou type this up herself while she jets back first class to preach ti the proletariat? Honestly, the Shinners have no shame.
@aaron: Ha I’m not a blueshirt Aaron. I know Shinner bots like yourself like to label those who call the Shinners out on their hypocrisy as Blueshirts but I’m not a Blueshirt. Why not just address the points made rather than replying like a child with name calling?
@GrumpyAulFella: Says the fella who continuously calls me a shinner after I have told you 1001 times I’m not.
@David Corrigan: oh I know David. Sure you once pronounced that you used to vote FG but turned to SF at the last election. Then you declared that your family were Labour voters. I’m not sure why Shinner members like yourself are ashamed to declare their allegiance to the party. Is that part of the script? I’ve never voted for FG before in my life and never will.
@aaron: you’re not name calling yet you’re calling me a Blueshirt. You seem confused young man. Take a lie down. You do realise that you are a member of a SF party that supported Putin’s fascist regime until they were called out on it in March. That’s the same SF that spent 2 weeks trying to cleanse its website of pro Russian/Putin propaganda and the same SF that will try to gain some popularity today by joining a protest against global inflation caused by a war initiated by the same Russian fascist regime. You absolutely couldn’t make this level of hypocrisy up. If you wish to defend all of this then make a coherent comment instead of name calling.
@GrumpyAulFella: a lot of commenters here don’t have blind allegiance to any party but see and think for themselves..I know you label just about anyone who disagrees with your opinion as a sf bot or whatever but the worst of all people in this country are voters like you who do have blind allegiance to a party all because your father voted ff you vote ff no actual thought process involved no matter how many times they bankrupt the country you will still vote ff because you are from a ‘ff house’..backwards blind allegiance voting is what destroyed this country
@GrumpyAulFella: Can we just focus for a second here because I don’t care what you say about SF because I’ll probably agree with you. I don’t support them.
Now anyway, back to the basics here because you’re going off on a tangent, you’re giving out about name calling claiming it’s childish, have you not just been spending your morning calling two TDs “convict pearse” and “champagne Mary”.
I think you’re getting forgetful in your old age.
@GrumpyAulFella: This is the second time I am corrected you about that. I never ever voted FG. Our home was a Labour home until they turned into FG-Lite. I never voted FF or FG in the past but I will vote SF and the smaller parties next time round as the country needs change.
Can you TRY and remember all of the above please so we won’t have to have this chat again? Thanks in advance.
@David Corrigan: sorry but you did state this before David. Let’s pretend that you didn’t. So you will vote SF ‘this time around’. You’re making it sound that you never voted for them before, which of course is nonsense as you hop on every SF article defending them and reading from the party script. I don’t no where this shame comes from SF members when it comes to admitting that they vote for then. Reminds me of Jammin who is SF through and through and he claiming that Gino is his man.
@aaron: sorry pal, I stopped reading when I read your “I don’t support them” spoof. Like DC, there’s no shame in SF supporters like yourself admitting that you vote for them and support them. Some of us have to call out the hypocrisy of this alternative. 70% of people don’t want SF and about 60% don’t want this government so we need to find an alternative to both.
@GrumpyAulFella: Let’s not pretend nothing. I know what I said in the past and that’s the start and end of that conversation. For the 1002 time, I am not a Shinner. I would vote FF if they actually went a represented the people and worked for the people. They don’t and they have no intention of doing it.
I will vote SF and the smaller parties this time as FF and FG have had too many chances. They refuse to listen or represent the people of this country.
@Stephen Kearon:
Fact:Yes I read about the Cost of Living Coalition online
Fact: I have been completely honest, I represent myself and I have clearly stated what political parties I have voted for in the past and that I am not in any political party!
@GrumpyAulFella: As I’ve stated I’m not in any political party and I have been completely honest not just to post my real name but as to what political parties I have voted for in the past.
I am intelligent enough to form my own opinions about alot of issues,I do believe that’s allowed in the 21st century!
You do yourself no favours by accusing everyone who might voice different opinions than yours as being in SF .I remember commenting in the Journal at the height of the Covid 19 pandemic when I was praising policies then I was accused by someone of being a Government mouthpiece!!
@David Corrigan: ah ok. So now used to vote FG, from a Labour household, but voted FF historically and now we’re supposed to believe that you’re going to be voting SF for the first time next election? A bit of advice DC, you have to have a good memory to be a spoofer. Are we supposed to believe that you are newly converted to Shinnerdom, yet on any article remotely related to Govt or SF you are all over it like a rash with the other Shinner bots? Nah, I don’t think so. When Mary Lou ushers the bots out from the Ivory Tower with her “fly my pretties” orders, you seem to be in the flock. Anyway, anything on any of the points raised?
@GrumpyAulFella: Can you not read? Let me put it in very easy format for you.
1.) We were traditional Labour Voters.
2.) I never voted for FG.
3.) I never voted for FF.
What I said, was I would vote for FF (for example) if they represented the majority of people in this country. My point was that I will vote for whoever works hard to make this kip a better place to live and work on.
4.) I will vote SF this time round as we have to put the 2nd and 3rd largest parties i.e. FF/FG on the opposition benches for at least 2 terms to get them thinking straight again.
I have my opinion on politics here. I can and will continue to comment on things that interest me. If you want to believe I am a shinner then so be it. I or anyone else can’t help you.
@David Corrigan: ah ok I accept that David. I’m on my way up to the Belfast protest as I expect to see Michelle O’Neill and other SF MLAs speaking at that one. I mean why would they speak in the South and not the North?
@GrumpyAulFella: Because Belfast is in the north?
@David Corrigan: are not Michelle O’Neil, Gerry Kelly and Co in the North? Why are SF not speaking at the protest in Belfast? They are all over the protests in the South. This is very strange David. The cost of living crisis in NI is a lot worse than here. One could say that it is another glaring case of their rank hypocrisy.
@GrumpyAulFella: I think it’s best we concentrate on the issue itself i.e. the high cost of living crisis. What will FF/FG/G’s do about it? Will they just ignore it and go on summer holidays? Will they go ahead with a mini-budget? Are they planning on doing anything at all?
@Nuala Mc Namara: funnily enough, I call SF out all of the time and I’m called a Blueshirt for it. I’ve voted for either FG or FF in my life. I’m a lapsed socialist from the Tony Gregory days. I’ve been around the houses since, actually voting for Labour in 2011 to my lasting regret and will never vote for them after that betrayal. I voted for an independent in 2016 who did great local work but he didn’t get in. I voted for a Green in 2020 who again was doing great local work but has disappeared off the face of the earth since getting a seat so never again. I’ll never vote for SF or any mob group like PBP so I’m a floating voter in many respects looking for somebody to do things locally rather than nationally. You knew the SF manifesto inside out in 2020, ver few Shinners on here do.
@GrumpyAulFella: I know you have a good grasp on SF policies, you understand that they were costed in 2020, even if to me they’re barmy. At least you were able to defend them to some degree after the GE. You’re clearly on the ball which makes it all the more extraordinary to me that you’re running with the wolves. I’d like to know your views on the blatant hypocrisy of this SF party on almost every topic. Will they be speaking in Belfast today? Prosecuted members querying others under investigation. Calling out poverty while they jet around first class. Calling out charity status when they’ve been embroiled in such affairs in Derry, crying about homelessness and objecting to planning permission at every turn etc etc. It’s unforgivable and no alternative. We need a real alternative
@David Corrigan: I’m sure it will be addressed David but not via a mini budget which is Planet Pearse talk. Budgets take months to prepare for as every sector of the economy is impacted and more than 300K employees will require new tax certs. The immediate action should be to address fuel inflation again as the real budget is only about 12 weeks away. It would take at least that amount of time to plan, execute and get the emergency legislation in place. Pearse will trot out this populist BS all day long to the naive working class who actually think he knows what he’s talking about The Brits would be much better placed right now for an emergency Budget as they are 10 months out from their next tax year start whereas we are just over 5 months away. Anyway, will SF be speaking in Belfast?
@GrumpyAulFella: Doherty’s crime was decades ago. He was dealt with by the law. Leo’s admitted he handed over confidential information. That is currently being investigated.
All politicians from all parties fly business/first class. FF/FG/G fly those classes but have no interest in tackling poverty or any other social issue.
FF recently applied for charity status.
The Journal did a recent fact check on the objecting to planning permissions by SF. The result of that fact check was that FF (Michael) was not accurate with his accusations.
Shall we continue?
@GrumpyAulFella: The last General Election was in 2020 and many people would have read the manifestos.You’d expect a commentator on here around that time to read manifestos so that they would be fully informed before General Election!
@David Corrigan: I wouldn’t mind him, he seems confused about the function of opposition parties in at least one area.
@David Corrigan: is that the official SF line now, “decades ago”. Yes it was 23 years ago, not 3 decades as some bots have been reporting. Perhaps you’re missing the point on hypocrisy. Doherty attempting to smear Varadkar about being under investigation not realising that Varadkar had the scoop on his prosecution for crimes against a garda. Do a bit of research on SF and charities in Derry if you’re going to talk about charities. Once again rank hypocrisy. For the third time, are SF going to speak at the protest in Belfast? They proclaim themselves to be an AI party. Why would they speak at every protest and not Belfast?
@Nuala Mc Namara: perhaps not one who didn’t have a vested interest in it perhaps. You seem very silent on my challenges on SF to you also but that’s your prerogative of course.
@Fiona Fitzgerald: your love for the party of peace knows no bounds.
@GrumpyAulFella: As a voter I look at manifestos around General Elections,I have no vested interests other than that.As a voter I can choose who I want to vote for,all voters have that choice.
The emphasis should be on this article and this march which is about important issues,crisis and National emergencies affecting our society here and effective policies needed to adequately deal with these issues Anything else is deflecting from these important issues.
Why do you feel the need to challenge me on SF when I am not in SF,just because I have different opinions than yours on policies?
@Nuala Mc Namara: I’m not challenging you on SF. I’m asking for your views on them. We are being led to believe that this is the “real alternative”, real change, the largest party in Ireland, the self proclaimed only all Ireland party. Given that you’re well versed on their manifesto I just asked what your views were on them. Don’t leave me hanging now. If you’re going to talk about how open and honest you are about your name and voting preferences why would you clam up when being asked your views on what appear to be acts of rank hypocrisy by SF and its leadership.
@Brian Burns: He is a a failed F.F PRO also a so called advisor to another failure Dick Roche. An ardent admirer of Margaret Thatcher and one who posted some vile tweets on her death regarding the hunger strikers. That’s the calibre of Mr.Kearon. For all his his trying to curry favour I’d imagine he’s still a huge embarrassment to F.F.
@GrumpyAulFella: You said “You seem very silent on your challenges on SF to you” then you said “I’m not challenging you on SF”!!
By the way re the costs of living crisis, eg even though I own my own home I still have empathy with people struggling with ever increasing high rents or being unable to afford to buy a house!
It’s EFFECTIVE policies that are needed to deal with all the crisis and National emergencies affecting society and I frankly don’t care what political parties comes up with these policies.
@GrumpyAulFella: Then why do you sound EXACTLY like an FG voter and spout all the classic FG anti-SF stuff?
@Frances Casey: I have read those tweets that Stephen Kearon posted about the hunger strikers which were incredibly vile and led to his dismissal from the FF party. He posts in here in support of FF in a fairly reasonable manner but I am convinced that he also controls a number of extreme anti-SF accounts to get his real hatred across, he cannot help himself. Definitely an embarrassment to FF despite his constant bootlicking.
I’m financially able to weather this storm but I’m sickened by the way this country is run.. I’m also reading all the pro Government comments on this site and i wonder how many are from signed up members of FG/FF! The reality for the current coalition government is they have lost people like me along long time ago… and that is the problem for them! They have failed in everything that is important to the citizens of this country and for that they should never be forgiven. Oh and people see through the spin and BS.
@Tom Kelly: Great comment Tom. That’s exactly how a lot of us feel. Brace yourself though as you will be labeled a shinner anytime now.
@David Corrigan: I wouldn’t say he is a shiner and I 100% agree with him. The current government has failed that being said I don’t see SF having any real work solutions. A lot of what they say is to get headlines and is not practical in my opinion. Once in power they will see that it’s not as easy as they appear to think it is and that a lot of the rubbish they have being shouting out simply won’t work. It’s well and good to say it’s been costed but have all the idea and plans been costed to work together? That’s a genuine question.
@Peter: I agree with Tom 100% also Peter. Maybe SF don’t have the answers. That is very possible and I guess we won’t be long in finding out. All I do know is that FF/FG/G have no interest in even trying to understand the current crisis or other failures also. They seem to just ignore it and power on looking after themselves and their cronies.
Politics in Ireland needs to be overhauled in a very big way. As things stand, they don’t represent the people of Ireland.
When no protests are organised – why people aren’t protesting?
When a protest organised – the same people will cherry pick who they will protest with.
Well, I’ll be there not in support of SF but in protest against the Gov !
@Pata: don’t listen to people here, theJournal commentators thankfully have 0 representation of the actual population, partly because most of them aren’t real people
@Pata: enjoy
Cost of living crisis is international, the government of Ireland (incompetent as they are) didn’t cause the Ukraine war or the COVID pandemic or any other significant contributing factor. Can SF do worse? Given that they’re an opportunistic populist party who will shout nonsense from the sidelines, I’d be expecting more of the same when their moment comes.
@Eamonn O’Hanrahan: I’d expect worse. Have you seen their manifesto and the state of NI. Would you like David up the Ra in charge of Health and convict Pearse in charge of Finance with champagne Mary as Taoiseach. No thanks.
@GrumpyAulFella: your party bankrupted the country grumps ff have set the low bar..bankrupted the country and put 67 thousand euro debt on every man/woman and child in this country and you fear an opposition party
@GrumpyAulFella: take a break nobody is interested in your negativity.cop on.
@Brian Burns: Honestly, I don’t think Grumps really understands what he believes in. I just get that sense lately. He is just anti-anything but FF and he can’t allow compromise or debate on the alternatives. It’s like he is programmed to reject everything else. It’s kind of extraordinary really.
@GrumpyAulFella: you do it see how you go .as if
@David Corrigan: He’s an attention seeker. He’d support reinstating the British monarchy here if he thought it would get him the attention he craves so much, he doesn’t actually have any morals or beliefs.
@Brian Burns: what party is that. It’s ironic that a oro Putin champagne loving socialist like Mary Lou should be attending an event on a cost of living crisis caused by a war mongering fascist that she and her party have adored up until March of this year. It took them 2 weeks to clear their website of their pro Russian/pro Putin propaganda. You couldn’t make this up.
@GrumpyAulFella: Will you give it a rest, you’d drive anyone to champagne – I can only afford cider & I’m not complaining about what anyone else is having ;-)
@Fiona Fitzgerald: ha touche Fiona. I can only afford Scrumpy Jack meself. Somebody has to ask the hard questions Fiona. If we’re going to be governed by SF then everyone should know what they’re up to and call them out when needed. They’re even worse than the shower there now and that’s saying something.
@GrumpyAulFella: Convict Pearse, Champagne Mary, seriously? Have you no repect for yourself?
Despite all the petty name calling and childish insults one fact remains, FFFG are 100% to blame for the state this country is in.
I wonder what no bank account Bertie would make of all of this?
With Boyd Barrett and Mary Lou on the megaphone no wonder the numbers in Dublin aren’t as high as hoped for.
@Peter: I wonder how many SF TDs and MLAs are speaking at the protest in Belfast?
In this country we’re turning into a country of moaners I’ve better things to be doing on a Saturday than marching with a bunch of parasites
@Noel Donohue: You’re right, Noel. I mean who cares about the small business owners who can’t sleep at night with the worry of going out of business due to the cost of fuel.
Or who cares about the children who go to bed with just toast for dinner because their parents are really struggling with the cost of living increases.
Nothing but parasites and moaners these people are. But Noel’s doin’ just fine so all is ok. Some people really need a length of birch around the back of the head
@Noel Donohue: all the usual suspects looking for a day out with their rent a mob.
@JedBartlett: Spot on.
@Noel Donohue: absolutely, same time as the hurling quarter finals, protesters are obviously not hurling people
@Fiona Ní Mháirtín: And you’re obviously well insulated from highest level of inflation in 40 years. I mean, how dare those peasants even consider a protest.
@Paul Shepherd: maybe you should join in instead of being that hurler on the ditch
@Fiona Ní Mháirtín: Does the cost of living not affect Hurling people?
@Paul Shepherd: True
@Fiona Ní Mháirtín: plus Royal Ascot
@Paul Shepherd: If Leo really got up early and went to work, there might be no reason for people to take to the streets in protest.
@Noel Donohue: turning into a country of moaners, how exactly do you think independence was achieved? Workers rights achieved? Fair taxation in the 70s? The Apartheid Boycott here? Direct action of all kinds including protests and general strikes. Just because you don’t have a backbone don’t put down people who do.
@G Row.: no tea bags and luncheon prices have not risen
@Noel Donohue: enjoy the sunshine
@Fiona Ní Mháirtín: No I’d say they are more worried about having a roof over their heads. Maybe even trying to find the money to continue feeding their families in this time of severe financial crisis. Cost of living, fuel, heating, grocery prices, medical costs exploding way beyond ordinary people’s reach now. Isn’t it nice that little hurling Princess Fiona doesn’t have these irritating little worries.
Leo’s spin department out the traps early whenever story on protests..usual fake monikers..they really hate protests and always an early social media blitz on these articles
This is the first protest organised by the Alternative. It comprises all the voices that have been fighting against the established grabbers and their political mouth-pieces, who are doing very nicely on the public purse.
Seeing Richard Boyd Barrett, Mary Lou McDonald and Rev Peter McVerry share a platform with others from the unions and various people’s organisations gives me hope that we have a future in Ireland after all.
@Bramley Hawthorne: nice one
@Bramley Hawthorne: Peter McVerry is a Roman Catholic priest so that would be Fr McVerry. The other two are champagne socialist spoofers born with silver spoons in their mouths stealing a living off working class voters. This is not what Connolly and Larkin had in mimd for their socialist ideals. I don’t think either would have admired upper class members of the elite preaching to the proletariat from their ivory tower while they fly around first class, entertain supporters at €1000 a seat dinner dance events and live in mansions away from the working class. Fr McVerry is the only genuine speaker here, having done wonders for the homeless. He’ll be retiring to a humble abode tonight while the spoofers head inside their white mansions with security gates and 80” plasma TVs.
@GrumpyAulFella: you are one very sad deluded man stay off the social media for a while.
Get a reality check.
@GrumpyAulFella: I don’t think Connolly and Larkin wanted 10k plus homeless, children eating out of food banks while rents sky rocket. All the while the major landlords in Texas and Canada pay little or no tax thanks to FG. FF caused this problem and FG kept it running. SF may not be the answer to the problem but let’s not pretend that either of FF or FG are. They have been in power exclusively since the foundation of the state and are the reason the country is in debt to its eyeballs.
@David Lawlor: I absolutely am not pretending that FF/FG are the solution to anything. I’m just saying that the Shinners aren’t. Will Michelle O’Neill be speaking at the protest in Belfast. If not why not?
Wait until SF puts their logo on all the STOP (Stad) roadway signs in the Republic as they have already done in NI. Are they also responsible for placing all the Four Provence Flags and banners on various poles all over the country without approval of the local authority or utilities companies. Pure propaganda which SF are famous for.
I’m disabled and live alone I’ve no family,I live in a rural place,I can’t manage without a car,I’m actually driving it with no tax or Nct,it’s a 08,worth maybe 13 hundred,but it’s priceless to me,my insurance is due the 27th of this month,it’s €490,I’ve the free travel,but I would give that to someone who is living in a city and struggling with bus fare,but they changed the pass,your Pic is on it.il be truthfully honest with yee lads,I got sick 4 years ago,told I can never again work,I was 49,having a good job a house and car,my savings are completely gone,I’m constantly struggling,and so scared in case to cops stop me and take my car,it’s not just disabled people,the working people are more badly off than I am..
I realise that its probably a waste of time and it will probably fall on deaf ears, but instead of unpacking various pre-existing biases to denounce the messenger’s as rent a crowd or shinner’s, we might in this instance realise that this crisis is going to impact everyone, including people that traditionally find themselves immune to such things.
It’s not good enough to state its a global crisis and absolve our own politicians from all responsibility to come up with measures to serve the national interest and help all of the people living in Ireland.
This is also not a time for petty divisions, seeking to score points or to look for scapegoats in the unemployed, foreigners or any other default group of derision, its a time for collective unity to demand action.
@David Van-Standen: that’s not what’s at issue here. There isn’t a single person in this country who doesn’t want action on the inflation crisis. The problem was never going to be the message, the problem is the messenger. Let reputable and credible people take to the stage, like Fr McVerry and charity heads. Why would we let hypocrites like Mary Lou McDonald talk about the cost of living and make a political football out of it for PR purposes when they don’t have the guts to face the protestors and their voters at the march in Belfast? Do as I say not what I do. Let McVerry speak. Keep the wealthy champagne socialists off the stage.
At this stage even saying another mass ain’t gonna cut the mustard. Buckle up bone heads, it’s gonna be a fierce bumpy ride !
@Padraic McDonagh: great comment. Made me lol.
What about the lack of housing, health and the outrageous salaries of all politicians. Don’t hear them shouting about these.
@Maria Mcphillips: Pretty sure people have been quite vocal on these things, on a daily basis.
Ok, here’s our opportunity to show our discontent. I ask The Journal commentators, if you are as outraged as you say you are, will you get off your backside and March today?
@Margaret Mcgarry: that’s why it’s hard to get things done in this country. Just because you don’t agree with someone/ party doesn’t mean you can’t have a common goal. It’s called compromise.
@Margaret Mcgarry: so your very happy in yourself with the way things are going.
Get off the bandwagon and think for yourself. S.addo
@Margaret Mcgarry: Oooh Mags you’re such a wag.
Anyone with a phone worth over €1,000 put down your placards and go home.
Cost of living march artical third or forth down in the Irish times app ….trying to hide it with the rest bad news of the day…..they are everywhere…..
Grumpy ould fart.
Did you hear Mary Lous speech nearly make you change parties from the crowd who bankrupped us to a saviour government.
Change is on its way like it or not.
@Stephen Carslake: are you drunk Stevo? Was she speaking in Belfast? Did she spill any champagne? Let me guess, populist nonsense talk of emergency budgets, free houses from SF, power to the people and a limo ride back to the mansion. Wow she’s a star. Working class people duped by the champagne loving, first class flying, €1000 per head dinner dance lady from South Fork. Have ye got the Celtic jersey on?
@GrumpyAulFella: chill pill for you and a nottle of cop on.
@GrumpyAulFella: is that you Donie….Donie Cassidy?
@GrumpyAulFella: Marylou is the best politician in Ireland for over a decade now . Her time will come and I’ll be voting for her and her party . You and your desperate childish remarks will not stop the change that is long over due .
@Aunties: Good God. Is it any wonder that there’s no hope for this country.
@Stephen Carslake: like I said, locked. Have one for me son.
So who do they think will pay for all the changes….the already squeezed middle class who are already paying to rare two families. SF are as usual making claims without sufficient evidence on HOW are they going to implement change to benefit all of society????
It was good that you actually couldn’t see Boyd Barrett‘s face on the news. All you could see was the megaphone glued to his face. Does he have nothing better to be doing on a Saturday than playing out his student union fantasies ? By the way, it’s not a great look for Mary Lou to be seen beside him. Middle Ireland (the types who are not on Twitter) are watching all this with interest
I wish I could be there had to work today; something needs to change in this country. I am sick of being gouged by the government on tax, housing, and the cost of living is ridiculous now.
Total waste of time
Can journal do a fact check on that government €2.5 billion claim please.
Bad timing with protest banners gone up fourfold in the last month ….
Are FFG still a “charity” organisation? Sad to think their is people in this country whom actually went out and purchased one of their “charity” raffle tickets…… Christ of all mighty….
Unbelievable we can’t afford anymore..cost of living has been incredibly stressful somehow Putin is struggling Europe..
Love tbe comments section. The only place one can be a fastshowist and a communard all at the same time.
I might be dumb but how will increasing wages help with the cost of living? Wouldn’t the cost of everything increase because of increasing wages?
@Lisa O’Connor: You are not being dumb to ask that question, because its really not just as simple as increase wages across the board to fix the problems with the cost of living.
That said, the excuse that increased wages will keep the country in, or push the country into recession, has long been used to refuse any demands for wage increase in the private sector.
Changes need to be made across every aspect of out lives to make everything more affordable and that requires direct government intervention, that also prevents profiting by increasing prices after measures have been put in place, effectively cancelling them out.
But this will require real responsible leadership to find constructive ways effect real change, rather than issuing meaningless soundbites and making excuses.
The government has approved massive pay rises for senior public servants and themselves and all senior public servants. Saying that this is a welcome return to normality after the last crisis. Yet in all the recovery years since 2014, not a single dime was paid off the national debt which has reached record levels of 240 Billion. When the next wave of austerity hits, and the national debt has to be paid, what next? These pay rises should be the first thing to go.
Anybody else find it hypocritical of PBP to be even showing their faces at these protests, after their treatment/reception of Zelensky when he addressed the Dail. After all we all know how it isthe Russian invasion of the Ukraine kicked all this off in the first place
@Joe_X: not really, no.
@Jen Mc: Just wondering, why not? When Zelensky addressed the Dail, trying to drum up support, PBP all but ignored the man, and while I stand to be corrected on this, I have never heard of any PBP member condemning the invasion of the Ukraine, which is the base cause of the cost of living increase. Yet, here they are condening sanctions against the agressor. Quite frankly, I think their participation has taken away from the message the rest of the people were trying to send
have your say