Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
BACK IN JANUARY Jonathan O’Brien made headlines after a heated Dáil exchange took place between himself and Labour backbencher Eric Byrne.
The Sinn Féin TD told Byrne to “shut your mouth” after he questioned why O’Brien’s family didn’t take in his brother – a heroin addict.
Shortly afterwards, Byrne said he would not be commenting on the incident as O’Brien’s brother “is entitled to privacy“.
During an interview with TheJournal.ie, O’Brien said he had not planned on bringing his brother into the debate but did so because he “lost the rag” over how Tánaiste Joan Burton answered a question on drug use in homeless hostels.
Here he explains why he said what he did that day:
O’Brien told us that one good thing came out of the very public argument: His brother is clean and off the streets.
O’Brien was a member of the local drugs taskforce in Cork city, where he served on the council for over a decade.
He said a junior drugs minister is needed to tackle the growing addiction problem in Ireland, as Health Minister Leo Varadkar has “more than enough work to do” in relation to hospital waiting lists.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
I hope the UK get boris it is what they deserve. It will be the people of the UK that suffer the most and these are the leaders they elected.
@john s: A divisive buffoon in Washington and a divisive buffoon in London. Seems like character and ethics have been removed from the prerequisite list on the job application.
@Tommy C: no, no, character and ethics are still being looked at… just not the same way. if you have either you are not right for the job ;-)
English teams won the Europa and Champions leagues with a lot of help from some Belgians.
@Andrew: wouldn’t it be more accurate for him to say ‘English based teams’.
Boris won’t be able to kick the bucket or can down the road because he will be busy trying to take both feet out of his mouth.
@KJmadra.: does not matter who wins the Conservative poison chalice, when the UK leaves the EU it’s all downhill for them from there unfortunately with a huge knock on effect in Ireland with the border with the potential to take us back to the old days there. Not good all around really.
The electorate deserves everything they vote for and Boris and Trump are the most dangerous combination ever to be in power at the same time
Boris is a way more intelligent and machiavellian that he portrays. He plays the buffon character as it works with the conservative electorate while underneath it he is a sharp mined schemer.
The most dangerous thing about Boris is all he is interested in is Boris , he is only on the Brexit platform because its suited him politically, he originally wrote a pro remain article in the telegraph in 2016 where he said continued membership of the EU would be a “boon for the world and for Europe”. A week later he changed his mind and published a hard brexit column. I think if he become PM he wont be able to back up the statements he has made and will end up doing Theresa Mays deal with the EU and will quickly to from the golden haired boy to a hate figure the the entrenched hard brexit ideologues
Hes not going to gave a good relationship with Europe if he reneged on the 30 billion or so that Britain owes, which he has said he will do
IMO the Conservatives will buckle by September and opt for a second referendum
@Moorooka Mick: it’s the only escape from disaster
I really hope Boris wins too. F@@k it sure it’ll be gas!
@andyearley: Irish people – They have a strong view on other countries politicians and policies but ZERO on their own half hazard politicians
@Whoswho: not quite true, my view on Varadcar and his cowboy government would not pass the obscenity filter here.
That slogan is ripe for a Substitute S instead of B on the first line.
Sack
Boris
this would be the germany wihich hasn’t slipped behind India and France on GDP yet.
@ed w: or the Germany that experienced 1.5% growth in 2018 and has projected growth of only 0.5% for 2019 and is teetering on the brink of recession.
They deserve him…… unfortunately the rest of us don’t.
Politicians will say anything, do anything to get a promotion and can end up doing anything in power… People get what they vote for?
Maybe an English team won the Europa League, but a Scouse one won the Champions League. Now do one Johnson, we’re Scouse not English and don’t be using us to big yourself and the country up when you couldn’t care less about us.
Oh I hope that they get the Eton class clown for a leader, Dobbo handed him his ass at the convention center earlier this year, the UK will really rue what they wished for with this clown at the helm!!
Borris the soundbite king. Suppose he has to dumb things down for his supporters.
have your say