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Mstyslav Chernov/PA

Majority of Irish people think we can't cope with planned intake of refugees

The government has pledged to resettle 520 refugees here in 2017.

A MAJORITY OF Irish people think Ireland is taking in enough refugees.

The government has pledged to resettle 520 refugees here in 2017, almost double the number the European Commission proposed. This year alone, 507 Syrians were welcomed, in addition to our intake of programme refugees from Lebanon.

In a poll by Amarách Research for RTÉ’s Claire Byrne Live 59% of people said they thought Ireland is taking in enough refugees.  23% of people do not think the numbers we have committed to are high enough and 18% said they don’t know.

58% of people said they did not think Ireland could cope with the planned intake by 2017. One third of people said they thought the country could cope, while 12% said they didn’t know.

This week, Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald and Minister for Children Katherine Zappone have been visiting reception camps in Greece to assess the process migrants go through before they arrive in Ireland. She said 131 refugees from camps would arrive in Ireland before Christmas and from next year around 80 people a month will be received.

Zappone acknowledged yesterday that it would be a big challenge to provide housing for those arriving here. She said the government would be looking to charities, frontline agencies and churches to help.

Read: The number of refugees resettled here doubled since 2014 – but overall number still low>

Read: ‘I wanted to sweep them up and bring them home’: Ministers meet refugees in Greece>

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127 Comments
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    Mute Dlow Brown
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    Jun 4th 2018, 2:43 PM

    How bout longer sentences for the people committing the crimes and then in turn there will be less people needing to hide behind the screens

    304
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    Mute Damien Mooney
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    Jun 4th 2018, 3:06 PM

    @Dlow Brown: careful, the liberal left brigade and their allies the Irish Council for Civil Liberties will have you shut down for hate speech!

    86
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    Mute Kevin Finnegan
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    Jun 4th 2018, 3:12 PM

    @Damien Mooney: your an idiot the vast majority of people want longer sentences regardless of political leanings

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    Mute Dave Doyle
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    Jun 4th 2018, 3:24 PM

    @Kevin Finnegan: can please elect some of this vast majority so that they reflect they opinions of the vast majority.

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    Mute Lisa Saputo
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    Jun 4th 2018, 4:24 PM

    @Dave Doyle: Judges aren’t elected.

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    Mute Dave Doyle
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    Jun 4th 2018, 5:09 PM

    @Lisa Saputo: the elected officials make laws….those laws can include mandatory minimum sentences or whatever the law makers set as the law. The law makers need to be tougher…IMHO. Then the judges will not be able to squirm out. We could very easily have a 3 strikes out law

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    Mute Damien Mooney
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    Jun 4th 2018, 6:38 PM

    @Dave Doyle: @Dave Doyle: well said. The ‘vast majority’ are happy to peddle faux outrage. Signing the latest petition on change.org to have Martin Nolan fired while banging furiously into their keyboards such inane comments as “there are no words”

    “Should rot in hell”

    “Suspended sentence a joke”

    “Down with this sort of thing”

    “Have they no homes to go to”

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    Mute Damien Mooney
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    Jun 4th 2018, 6:42 PM

    @Kevin Finnegan: ah right, so this elusive bunch of people known as ‘the majority of people’ elected you as their spokesman? What are you and your merry band of followers doing about lenient sentences then, apart from writing asinine, meaningless sentences into the journal.ie ? How many letters have you sent to the dept of justice and law reform, and the DPP herself, asking that lenient sentences be reviewed? Perhaps we could meet up and pursue a strategy, I’ve sent several so far this year with a few more ready to go.
    Or are you happy to peddle your faux outrage on Facebook in the faint hope that Ms Loftus will log into the journal.ie and read your comments and discover the horror of Martin Nolan’s work?

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    Mute Kevin Finnegan
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    Jun 4th 2018, 11:18 PM

    @Damien Mooney: haha I’ve never met or talked to anybody who was like you know what our criminal justice system really does the job well why should people get long sentences sure just give them a slap on the wrist and it’ll be grand! And as to what I do about it I try my best to be informed and vote for someone who shares my belief that there needs to be serious reform. It’s gas that you started going of on all that when my original comment was about you basically saying only people on the right care about stuff like this

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    Mute Kevin Finnegan
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    Jun 4th 2018, 11:21 PM

    @Damien Mooney: haha faux outrage you know f&ck all about me but sure believe whatever you want and just smear people on the left to make yourself feel good

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    Mute Sonya Couch Dillon
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    Jun 4th 2018, 2:40 PM

    About time this has been the norm in the UK for years

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    Mute Michael Kelly
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    Jun 4th 2018, 3:40 PM

    @Sonya Couch Dillon: VERY TRUE, & also in fact, ( to save some extra, IMO, monies on the transport of Criminals, as they are mostly brought to & from the Courts by private securicor type firms ) Judges & Govenors can order a video-link from the prison to the Court, & that goes from your Tax evader to the more Heinous Murderer type crimes & Screens & video-link testimonies have been in use in the UK for some time now, although there is some speculation that the “evidence” may not be as pure as an actual person in the Courtroom as opposed to a “link”.https://www.eyenetwork.com/judicial/court-video-link/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwxtPYBRD6ARIsAKs1XJ5wX0SUMQncL-BPsfdJr4WF7O-F_chW3TUUB9Y0sWu05GVoEJE1GcYaAvHVEALw_wcB

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    Mute pg38
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    Jun 4th 2018, 3:51 PM

    @Michael Kelly: Video link in operation here too, but our system is slightly different. A prisoner has a right to be present . As for the private security companies , too easily infiltrated by crime gangs.

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    Mute John Mc Donagh
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    Jun 4th 2018, 5:57 PM

    @Michael Kelly: Careful there, You’re interfering with the super incomes of the legal profession!

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    Mute Mick12
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    Jun 4th 2018, 2:52 PM

    Now get wrid of the stupid “reducing”of sentences and let them serve a full sentence. Also lock up repeat offenders for robbery, serious assault or any repeated crimes.

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    Mute Ciarán Masterson
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    Jun 4th 2018, 3:07 PM

    @Mick12:

    The reduction in the sentence on foot of a plea of guilty is pragmatism on the part of judges to reduce the waiting list of cases. The reduction is relatively small and criminals convicted of serious sexual offences are listed on the sex offenders register so that there are legal grounds for monitoring them closely after they have served their sentences.

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    Mute Patabake Kennedy
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    Jun 4th 2018, 4:04 PM

    @Mick12: Will never happen here. Sure would’nt it be an injustice not to fill the pockets of the poor auld Ambulance chasers.

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    Mute Anthony Gallagher
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    Jun 4th 2018, 2:44 PM

    Long over due ,glad to see some one is listening .

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    Mute Cranky
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    Jun 4th 2018, 7:02 PM

    More prisons please and longer sentences. That is what people want. Imagine the money saved from criminals not being able to father children, save on children’s allowance, save on future criminals ever being born, save on council housing, save on dole money for future offspring etc etc.

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    Mute Noel Walsh
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    Jun 4th 2018, 2:45 PM

    Indeed , aren’t we all behind a screen giving evidence in some way

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    Mute James Reardon
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    Jun 4th 2018, 2:49 PM

    @Noel Walsh: deep

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    Mute Noel Walsh
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    Jun 4th 2018, 2:49 PM

    @Noel Walsh: give it a rest noel

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    Mute Free comment ratings
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    Jun 4th 2018, 4:30 PM

    @Noel Walsh: Did you forget to switch accounts before replying to yourself?

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    Mute Noel Walsh
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    Jun 5th 2018, 1:17 AM

    @Free comment ratings: Ha ! He’s got you there Noel !

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    Mute J. Reid
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    Jun 5th 2018, 3:36 AM

    This is all about gradually changing the rules of evidence in order to tip the balance against the accused (who in any just society must be presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of law). What it will lead to is the thwarting of justice, where more innocent men, who have been maliciously (falsely) accused of rape or sexual assault, will be convicted and their lives destroyed. It is the holy grail of feminazis and the large misandrist element within the media, and certain political organisations, to prevent the full and fair cross-examination of complainants in court (such cross-examination being necessary in order to get to the truth and a just outcome in such cases). It is all part of the downgrading of evidence and examination.

    Where man-haters want to get to is the point where all requirements for evidence and examination are dispensed with, and a potentially innocent man’s life can be destroyed in law simply by the word of a woman, even if she is not telling the truth.

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    Mute John Dunne (aka JD)
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    Jun 4th 2018, 11:29 PM

    I agree entirely with the contents of the ministerial order (and a new sentencing guideline) however the aspect preventing cross examination (as reported above) is incompatible with Art 38.1 and the established dicta in [In Re Haughey, 1IR1, 1971] and European conventions. It wouldn’t surprise me if there was a challenge to that section of the order alone. Imagine acting for yourself and, in your own defense you weren’t allowed ask certain questions or challenge the prosecution evidence or put your own case forward in rebuttal. Just doesn’t seem right.

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    Mute J. Reid
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    Jun 5th 2018, 4:00 AM

    Even the headline in this media article is deliberately misleading. Complainants during such cases are not “victims”, as in the middle of a trial (particularly trials involving alleged sexual offences) it has not yet been proven that a crime has been committed, nor that the accused has done it. One only becomes a “victim” if it has been proven beyond reasonable doubt in court that a crime has been committed, and that the accused is guilty.

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