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Updated 2.12pm
MICHEÁL MARTIN HAS warned that the country cannot risk another five years of the same government as he launched the Fianna Fáil manifesto today.
The party leader claimed that the “core objective” of Fine Gael and Labour is to say that there is no alternative. He said the country “cannot risk letting them keep going”.
However, Martin repeatedly refused to rule out the possibility of his party supporting a Fine Gael minority government, only going as far as to say he is “not contemplating” Enda Kenny as Taoiseach in the next Dáil.
There has been this attempt made to say this is a shoo-in for Enda Kenny and Fine Gael… and I’ve resisted this.
However, he later said that Fianna Fáil will be putting his name forward as nominee for Taoiseach in the next Dáil.
In his opening remarks, Martin said the Irish people have a choice of either a Fianna Fáil-led government or a Fine Gael-led government in this election.
Launching the manifesto, Martin said Fianna Fáil’s message to the electorate is “a strong economy, a decent society – an Ireland which serves all people”.
Fianna Fáil says it will use €8.3 billion of the so-called fiscal space, which it describes as ‘fiscal headroom’ in its manifesto.
Outlining his party’s core commitments, Martin said Fianna Fáil in government would eliminate Universal Social Charge for low and middle income workers earning up to €80,000.
The party is also pledging to create 250,000 jobs and deliver 150,000 new homes by 2021, including 45,000 social housing units.
It will abolish Irish Water and water charges with Martin saying the party’s priority is to “fix the system” and then examine the introduction of charges in 2021.
The manifesto, entitled ‘An Ireland for all’, promises to increase child benefit by €10 a month, establish a €2,000 childcare support credit, lengthen maternity leave benefit to 30 weeks, allow for shared parental leave and reduce the pupil/teacher ratio to 23:1.
Other measures include increasing the state pension by €30 a week, scrapping prescription charges, and increasing garda numbers to 15,000.
On political reform, Fianna Fáil says it will consider directly elected mayors, holding a referendum on mixed list/PR-STV system for Dáil elections, and examine appointing non-politicians to cabinet.
Martin said that former Fianna Fáil ministers who are elected to the Dáil will be entitled to be considered for possible cabinet or frontbench positions.
On abortion, the manifesto does not make any commitments in relation to the Eighth Amendment, with Fianna Fáil saying it will allow a free vote on the issue.
Martin hit out at what he said are “election slogans” which call for changes to abortion laws, saying they are not an “appropriate mechanism” to deal with a divisive issue.
He described himself as pro-life but said he is open to having the issue of fatal foetal abnormalities examined.
“I am pro-life by instinct and by position,” the Cork South-Central TD said.
We should not participate. We are better than that. Do not let the NGOs convince us otherwise.
@Oh Mammy: agreed. but our defence forces need to looked after better even in a Neutral Ireland.
@Oh Mammy: NGO’s in Ireland need to be reviewed urgently. Certain NGO bodies have their representatives being interviewed by RTE constantly, spouting their propaganda.These people & their NGO’s are not elected by the people & are used by the Far Left & Immigration lobbyists, yet most are funded entirely by the State with Taxpayers money. The amount of NGO bodies promoting open door Immigration into Ireland is ridiculous & needs investigating, ad they are assisting people in how to circumvent the rules & laws & what to say in order to gain entry. Some are even assisting those in taking cases to the courts, with one massive case that is on appeal at the moment. NGO’s that provide essential services to those who are ill or disabled could be retained, but scrap all funding to the rest.
@Oh Mammy: Which NGO’s precisely, or is this just a buzzword you’ve picked up…? The notion that if War came to Western Europe that Ireland would not be directly affected, and participate formally or informally is infintile. 100% Ireland would be invaded and used as a staging post for War against Britain. If say a Russian/Chinese axis decided to go to War, they’d send a large force to attack Europe from the West and not the East. Ireland would formally surrender within 24 Hours of an attack, if Britain or our EU allies didn’t come to our rescue immediately…
@Sea Point: are you an NGO ?
@SV3tN8M4: which NGOs would the be? And are people not entitled to assistance when involved in the legal system? Not everyone is right thinking with pots of unearned cash to be used paying lawyers.
@Jon Doesn’t: Free Legal Aid already exists for those who don’t have the means. Advising people on how to exploit loopholes & using the Irish State & it’s Taxpayers to do so, shouldn’t be allowed.
@Oh Mammy: These polls really should have a category for IQ levels. Test people’s gullibility to extremist buzzwords on the
Internet. Test their propensity to be riled up into indignant anger. Test their inability to see how they are manipulated by the über rich to punch down on the poor to divert them from the real source of injustice and inequality in the world. Not a hope of it happening, of course, as evidenced by the comment section of The Journal.
@SV3tN8M4: how can centre right fund the far left, that doesn’t make sense
@SV3tN8M4: Free legal aid exists for those being prosecuted by the state. Despite what you like to think, asylum seekers have committed no crime, and are therefore not eligible to avail of the free legal aid system
@Nigel Hayden: nothing John says makes sense
@SV3tN8M4: well how that is dealt with would be to close loopholes..
@SV3tN8M4: a legal loophole is exactly that – ‘legal’. And any solicitor or barrister is obliged to give the best legal advice possible to their client.
Its up to the legislators ie Government, to close the loopholes with legislation.
@Sea Point: The Atlantic wall, like in the forties
@Oh Mammy: Turning a discussion into an attack on NGO’s really exposes the hypocrisy of peoples views. You are basically saying that we should let others defend Ireland and let NATO pay for our defense. Have you even watched the news recently?
Not being neutral is a deterrent in itself. It is somehow ironic that given SF’s background, 60% of their voters polled would not defend their Country and even though immigration is of greatest concern, SF are going all out to integrate over 1 million ‘immigrants’ (From the 6 counties) into our community @ E20bn p.a. for the next 20 years.
8% say economic issues are greatest concern and then state nothing but economic arguments to rubbish immigrants. And only 11% say climate change and 1% think media co’s should be regulated. Yeah blame NGO’s.
Trump and Putin and Xi are relying on young Ukranians emigrating to Western Europe / USA rather than being patriotic, They won’t have to worry too much about Ireland. Enjoy NY AND SEND SOME FOOD PARCELS HOME.
@Sean Sean: Your IQ level & ability to categorize what is right & wrong places you above everybody else & therefore allows you to label everybody with a contrary view to yours, as being dimwits. You really need to step back & have a look at your arrogance, you really are full of shot. You are the reason that 100 years on from a bitter war that divided the people on this island, that we are heading back to that scenario very quickly. There is massive societal breakdown happening on this island right now & the narrative or control of the narrative by people like yourself is feeding the anger amongst those of us who work, contribute to our society & are been left behind & shat on by those in power & those that support them. Dismiss it all at your peril, people have nothing left to lose.
‘Immigration is overwhelmingly seen as the most important issue’
Why can’t cabin crew on airlines hold the travel documents of passengers for duration of flight to prevent them ‘going missing’?
Then hand them to Immigration officials upon arrival in Dublin before anyone gets off plane to be processed.
Airline to be held responsible for returning anyone on false documents and big fine for both airline and passenger.
The fine for the passenger would just be a deterrent to have a judgement hanging over them if they returned
@Finn Barr: The worst part is most of them are flying in from other European countries, where they have been living safely for years.
@John Smith: at the end of the day, the easiest way to sort it out is to make the airlines responsible.
They’re only worried about their bottom line
@Finn Barr: Should be put straight back on the plane.This would be the case anywhere else.These countries are letting these people onboard.Ive watched the French do it for years in Calais
@Finn Barr: The airlines should have been scanning passports on check in. Passports should also be initially checked when leaving the aircraft. I have seen passports being checked in CGD airport at the aircraft, backed up by well armed military looking security.
@Finn Barr: Years ago passengers had to fill out immigration cards on the flight and hand them to cabin crew.
So to reintroduce a similar process is not rocket science…
@Finn Barr: unfortunately you speak too much common sense and we didn’t do that here. No,new will simply wait until a sizable amount of criminals have entered the country and committed enough violent crimes before we do that. A lot of the single men entering the country at present come from countries were women are completely covered up. They have gone from that to a place were women are more so visible, in theyre countries women also don’t have same rights and are seen as objects to men. These are dangerous risks which need to be addressed but of course you can’t say anything here you simply have to wait until crimes are committed. Unlike other countries which check for criminal records and you’re not allowed in full stop,not here in Lapland it’s a free for all. Roderic o gorman and the likes should be held to full account for complete recklessness in the handling of immigration, absolutely incompetent.
@Athena: it is for Roderic o gorman and the likes, they couldn’t spot an elephant in the room. It’s completely unacceptable word gets out and more will arrive. Those idiots in power here never take responsibility for they’re actions and decisions and long term consequences to the general public they are supposed to be protecting.
@Finn Barr:
I thought that rule had been implemented recently of having to show papers before embarking.
Anyone know?
@Finn Barr: the easiest way is to not to let anybody through who doesn’t produce the same passport they used to board the aircraft!! It’s not rocket science!!
If the eu decides to do it, our lot will do it regardless what the people who elect them want. As seen from the above polls, FFG will support it, what the majority of Irish citizens want is irrelevant to them.
This would be a red line for me, I’d rather be outside the EU than let my kids grow up to be cannon fodder for France and Germany.
Selfish people in this country, those past the age of 34, probably too old for military service, voted for those under 34 to go off and fight in someone else’s wars.
@Jack Cass: some may have. I did not. I will not. Our children are our future and our future is not in Ukraine, Russia, Gaza, Israel, Iran or Taiwan. I would rather be blown into oblivion a neutral country as opposed to being part of an unscrupulous amalgam of psychopaths.
@Oh Mammy: my apologies, my post should have read ” a large cohort of those past the age of 34″.
it doesnt matter what people think. They’ll do it anyways.
Of course uncontrolled Immigration is & has been the biggest issue in any European, General or Local election for a while despite what leftist loonies might say.Most euro countriee are having this debate.A political schism is coming because people like me have to vote elsewhere in protest/apathy at blatant disregard for issues we face in every single sector responsible for Irish citizen health & wellbeing.All NGOs need investigation to assess their threat to the sovereignty of Ireland in short, medium & long term.If so they should be defunded & dismantled.Irish public need to see transparency in financial accounts of ALL NGO’s.Who are funders & what is their purpose?We need to see NGO acting in a fiduciary competent manner.Any action undermining this nations sovereignty is treason.
@Oliver Cleary: Yikes. Cool it with the antisemitism
@Oliver Cleary: Spot on. Fianna Fail’s John Lahart produced a report for his party around the Immigration issues, his party leader & the leaders of every party within the Dail would do well to read it ! It deals with the many areas of frustration within Irish society around the Immigration issue but what it doesn’t emphasize is the level of anger on the ground. This will become the big issue going forward & it has the capability to bring down the EU & every State within it. Every political party in Coalition & Opposition is pro open door Immigration, which is totally at odds with what the majority of the people want. Let’s have a Referendum on this rather than on the Patent, as this is the most contentious issue in decades & let’s see what the Irish people want.
@SV3tN8M4: John you speak logic. An immigration referendum would be a start in closing the gates to those we don’t need economically or a threat to western values. Integration of those we admit must be measured and if not we must press the eject button. We need immigration but not at the expense of our way of life or heritage.
@Oliver Cleary: NGOS that provide support to those who are in need should continue to be supported. The NGOS involved in lobbying of any kind should be defunded. The State should not be giving taxpayers money to lobby groups so that they can lobby the State, often pushing a partisan agenda for which they have no mandate.
Micheal Martin in his courting of the EU, NATO or anyone who will offer him a lucrative post after the wipeout of FF following the next GE, has been pushing Ireland closer to joining NATO & an EU army, but as ever, he or anyone belonging to him won’t be on the frontline. Young Irish conscripts would be the first sent to the frontline in some proxy war, by EU/NATO & the Germans & French who dictate matters. They have dismantled national identities & yet they think we will fight for a European identity. The EU was fine as a Trading Block & travel within, but it is becoming a United States of Europe which people don’t want, nor identify with. Micheal Martin is sailing Ireland closer to dangerous waters in this regard & needs to be reined in before we see our young people conscripted.
In regards to Immigration issues, Ireland & the EU need to heed the people’s concerns, not those of unelected NGO’s, which are dominated by the Far Left. The EU will eventually collapse itself from within over the Immigration issue. Countries like Greece & Italy are overrun & even countries like Sweden had to put a halt to their very liberal open door policy, as their Social Security system was on the point of collapse at one stage. Politics in Sweden is now polarized & become radicalized because of the Immigration issue, a country once seen as the model prototype State. Putin will never invade Europe, he won’t have to, as the Immigration invasion will collapse it anyways.
Our democracy is gone for we are under the governance of the EU, our Government does what they are told.
@Terry Molloy: yeah sure Terry. Same old shyte day in day out lmao
@Ian: illustrate to us how we have much in the way of democracy Ian? As a matter of fact, if we even only focus on our waters and how fishing has been decimated, Brussels has stepped up it’s surveillance and anti democratic behaviour in OUR SEAS
Fine gael however totally ignoring the opt out we have in regards to international protection is probably the best sign at how much we’ve relinquished sovereignty to the bloc, but its still only one (big) issue
Ireland is neutral. THERE IS NO WAY MY SONS ARE GETTING DRAFTED SONEHOW FOR THE CORPORATION AND THE RICH ELITE INTEREST. IF YOU WANT THIS TO HAPPEN DO A REFERENDUM AND TRY US
@Dominic Leleu: don’t worry if mehole and cabbage head are told to sit and roll over by the EU they do as they’re told not what public opinion leans toward, spineless cowards.
Being part of a european army is fine, but remind me again has this government or previous ones actually made serving in the defence forces worthwhile?? Cos much like the gardai all I am reading is many are leaving and they couldnt even find crews to bring two new patrol vessels we recently purchased by from NZ and had to arrange another way. Before we go full call of duty and start buying some expensive missile systems and fancy APC’ at the taxpayers expense, how about increasing pay/conditions etc for members of the defence forces, then we can embarrass the heck out of joining them by doing another video where ya have two lads irish dancing while the army is doing drills around them and then quickly pull it when everyone on social media cant stop laughing at it….
The biggest problem we have is not the EU but our own government who just ignore the general populations opinion. They’ll do whatever the EU says to look good they’re as tick as planks. Very few TDs in there with balls and a voice,it’s just what’s in it for me and sod everyone else and how it effects them. I want my pay package,all the sweetness,lump sum at the end and a hefty pension,the whole system in the dail has to change from the ground up with consequences to any type of fraud involving public funds full stop.
America want us in nato so they can legally set up surveillance centres and possibly a base this in itself promote us as a target. As far european army, can imagine it will become a financial blackhole like it is in the. States.
How’s that working out for Ukraine, Russia, Israel. They keep pushing, We are neutral for a reason. We are a peace keeping country and should stay that way, they are not happy with our young leaving in their droves for decent standard of living, but now they want then to fight in other people’s wars. America is full of ex vets living on the streets, once they are done with you, you are on your own.
Mental health supports are on their knees in this country, so imagine needing it after experiencing after effects o war, like the poor guy in America burning himself to tell people what’s going on in Gaza. Need a referendum on neutrality.
@Jack Cass – NP. No apologies necessay
Ireland itself is a soft target. We are under the UK umbrella in case of a nuclear war but if Russians wanted to land here they could.
@Roy Dowling: They wouldn’t use an entire invasion force. They could just fly in with Ryanair and destroy all their documentation before landing and take over the country one hotel at a time.
@smatrix mantra: sure if they did and Roderic o gorman was present he’d most likely offer them accommodation. Then when they see the perks here they’d most likely throw aside they’re weapons call home and invite the whole family over. We’ll be grand.
@Fidgenti: thats a excellent idea from an invasion point on view no casualties and guaranteed to work, sure jack the ripper could come through dublin airport at the minute no bother,great country.
@Roy Dowling: because we’d be a huge forward base for them out into the Atlantic
Morgan Llywelyn in “The lion of Ireland”: Armies of alliance can easily become armies of occupation.
Even ordinary Ukrainians eligible for conscription have had enough and are paying thousands of pounds to get out of the country. They realise the war could go on for years and are not prepared to be used as cannon fodder. The EU has been very good for Ireland but has now thrown off any pretense of its ambitions. Trouble is brewing across the EU. With governments not listening to their electorates, it’s only a matter of time before we end up with riots on the streets.
The number of articles the journal publishes trying to push for an EU army is absurd.
@James Groden: and meanwhile the Eu’s sites are all totally overwhelming now because its wall to wall Ukraine. Scandalous now
I won’t fight for a German or a French government. They’ve a nasty record historically. Id go with Britain again if I had to chose. At least we knew have some experience dealing with our not so nice neighbours
We’re under zero danger of attack in this country. Russia has no interest in us. Our occupying forces are the USA.
This would be another huge cost to the EU countries. Look how much rh US , UK, Russia, etc. have to spend on their defence forces. Could the EU countries just update their current countries forces and work together , much easier solution.
@did you every wonder: I think you mean look at how much the US, UK, France, Germany (comparatively much less) etc CHOOSE to spend on their military. what the US spend could probably feed a medium third world country completely for several years. of course, not even the powerful voice in that world of the catholic chirch and other sanctimonious folk are willing to request that they stop reproducing only to bring hundreds of thousands/millions more into abject poverty.
I never realised we had such a powerful Far Left in positions of influence and power here…….oh, I’ve clocked it! This is NEWSPEAK. Someone should do a study assessing the level of coherent thought in direct relation to the amount of opinions being spouted. Can anyone advise me of the going rate for stringing slogan-level arguments together and stamping with ‘Patriot’ as a validation. I suspect I can augment my income by joining this particular herd……the type of Irish person I’ve dealt with at great personal cost and who I not only repudiate, but have nothing but the deepest & purest word beginning with C and ending 7 letters later with T for.
@Numinous20111: “have nothing but the deepest & purest word beginning with C and ending 7 letters later with T”:
is it CHASTEST
You cannot board a plane without presenting a passport. If you’ve no passport when you get off, you’ve wilfully disposed of it. That in itself is an offence, so straight back on board.
@John Moylan: or, in practice in our soft country, you’re ‘jailed for two months,’ only to get out after 1,5 and having arrived from a safe country already just to pick Ireland as where you want to go, you’re back out on the streets to harass young girls
Democracy is under threat in a way it hasn’t been since World War 2. We were able to stay neutral then, but our economy is a much more tempting target now than it was then. Many US tech companies have their European HQs here, and store data here. We can’t just fig our heads in the sands.Remember the hacking of the HSE? And 99% of the world’s internet traffic uses the Atlantic subsea cables. There are some governments that can’t be reasoned with, despite what the Left and Sinn Féin think. We need alliances
Seeing Von der Leyen shaming the EU with her suopport for Israeli genocide it s now unthinkable that Ireland would ever be complicit and participate in anything controlled by Von der Leyen and her ilk.
These polls really should have a category for IQ levels. Test people’s gullibility to extremist buzzwords on the
Internet. Test their propensity to be riled up into indignant anger. Test their inability to see how they are manipulated by the über rich to punch down on the poor to divert them from the real source of injustice and inequality in the world. Not a hope of it happening, of course, as evidenced by the comment section of The Journal.
You just know that a lot of those peddling the anti-immigration mentality want to see an attack on Irish soil by say the Daesh, because they seem convinced that Muslims are trying to take over, like the Crusaders did in the Middle-East before being repelled and recently the US and Britain did through proxy wars with no evidence to back them up.
They talk about the Far-Left, I think you’ll find that the last great war on the continent was caused by the Far-Right, no mention of that particular grouping. Ireland is full, you’ll see that argument is rubbish. Blame a rich state not investing in the whole of Ireland insteading of just investing in Dublin, bar the actual housing. Economic migrants, we made that cool and sure wasn’t Papism considered a threat.
@Brian D’Arcy: no id think they’d just like to see affordable housing with supply meeting demand. When you have sizeable immigration its hard to build homes at the rate to meet it. Thereby causing heavy increases in rent as you can charge what you like very little available. But once again sod the irish public and people of other nationalities struggling with the cost of living keep going until it implodes and then say why was it allowed to get out of control. The funds arent there to keep this madness going and young generations are being forced abroad because they have little chance of a future here that’s betraying the very mothers and fathers who worked hard raising them but again sod them I suppose. They can live with mammy and daddy or emigrate. Cead a mile failte, land of a thousand welcomes and a thousand tents to live in no homes though.
35% said they’d be ok with the Eu ARMY? I participate in these and honestly didn’t realise that so few do. But the people saying yes, over not sure or no in that question I’d bet many of them really don’t understand the Eu OR it’s various bodies. They did what they were told when Nice & Lisbon were re ran in such a contrived way as they were and lecture others about international protection when we literally have no obligation in Ireland. This country is finished if its future kids go off to these foreign wars that are money rackets. Its all so evil look how much of the youth have already left as it is
Neutrality?
56% of the centre right labour party are in support of an EU wide army, worrying. oh wait, so is that 56% of about 205?
@Sean oSuilleabhain: *supporters
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