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Why was Joan Burton in people's back gardens at the weekend?

A spot of gardening, perhaps?

JOAN BURTON TRAVELS all over the country and meets lots of different people as part of her job as Tánaiste and Labour party leader.

It isn’t always an easy task given Labour’s unpopularity over the last four years which has been due largely to issues like water charges and the botched setting up of Irish Water.

Even busting a move hasn’t been enough for the Tánaiste to regain popularity:

burton dance

Indeed water charges have resulted in a lot of anger towards Burton and was the primary reason why she was held for several hours in Jobstown last November.

But it appears as if anger towards the Tánaiste is softening somewhat. This morning, she informed the country she had been invited into people’s back gardens at the weekend.

What on earth for?

Well, Burton told Newstalk Breakfast that people were showing her their butts. Their rainwater butts.

shutterstock_72036202 Shutterstock / Tom Gowanlock Shutterstock / Tom Gowanlock / Tom Gowanlock

I was talking to people this weekend who actually brought me into their gardens to show me the rainwater butts that they have put back into gardens all over the Dublin area and all over the rest of the country and that’s sensible conservation.

The claim has already drawn some attention on Twitter this morning.

Some people got a childish giggle out of it…

While others said they wouldn’t be so nice as to invite Joan out the back…

Some have raised an eyebrow at the claim, drawing comparisons with Enda Kenny’s famous comments about ‘the man with two pints in his hand’

Never wanting to let our readers down, we checked out Burton’s claim with her spokesperson this morning. We asked where exactly the Tánaiste had been looking at people’s water butts this weekend.

They told us she had spent the weekend, as she does every weekend, attending local events and canvassing in her constituency.

So, no specifics but there you have it.

Did you invite Joan Burton into your garden to look at your rainwter butt at the weekend? Let us know in the comments.

Read: The curious case of Enda Kenny and the man with two pints in his hand

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52 Comments
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    Mute James Hughes
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    Jun 23rd 2014, 5:15 PM

    Another clear indication that the economy is improving and possibly at a faster pace than some believe
    Hard to believe that Sin Fein still believe the economy is doomed and there are zero signs of a recovery.
    It’s absolutely key now that developers get the credit needed to add to the supply side and therefore avoid over heating of the market. Govt have a job here in my view

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    Mute Business Cat
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    Jun 23rd 2014, 5:22 PM

    Economic recovery is bad news for SF.
    They will run the country down at every opportunity.

    Can you imagine their horror in 2016, budget back in surplus & economy growing again.

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    Mute Richie Aprile
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    Jun 23rd 2014, 5:48 PM

    It’s another property bubble.

    It’s absolutely crazy in the residential market. I signed a 12 month lease on a 1 bed flat in the city centre last week but it took me a few weeks to find it.

    They (landlords and letting agents) are actually having viewing nights, where 10 or more people view the kips at once.

    My rabbit hutch was €300 cheaper 12 months ago.. its a sign paddy greed is setting in yet again and we know what happened last time.

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    Mute Business Cat
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    Jun 23rd 2014, 5:12 PM

    a rebound is inevitable, but there are still a lot of vacant buildings about.

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    Mute Business Cat
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    Jun 23rd 2014, 10:56 PM

    So, the “to let” signs are fake then?

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    Mute J R Wolf
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    Jun 23rd 2014, 5:32 PM

    Dublin is too overcrowded and concentrated, there should be greater incentives for companies set up base outside of Dublin

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    Mute Jeremy Usborne
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    Jun 23rd 2014, 5:36 PM

    Dublin is not in the slightest bit overcrowded.

    There are thousands of acres of derelict brown & green field sites within the M50.

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    Mute Declan Beach
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    Jun 23rd 2014, 7:57 PM

    Amazing how our economy is doing so well according to the government, estate agents and landlords yet the ECB warned our politicians our economy is not doing well at all.
    We have one of the biggest debts of any country in the world. sinn feinn are not being negative about the economy there being realistic. We cant afford another little building bubble. It would break ireland totally. And the sooner most people in this country realise that the better.

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    Mute Luca E Stefi
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    Jun 23rd 2014, 11:19 PM

    i wonder where will families go when renting a 2 beds will cost 1600 per month ( give it another 6 months)

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