We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
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.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
THE NATIONAL PARKS and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has brought almost 50 prosecutions for illegal hedge cutting during the bird nesting season this year alone, data released to Noteworthy reveals.
This represents a huge increase on the period from 2010 to the end of 2019, when only 70 cases in total were taken up by the NPWS across the whole decade.
Hedge cutting should not occur during the bird nesting season and it is an offence under the Wildlife Act to cut hedge vegetation between the start of March and the end of August each year, except in express circumstances for road and safety concerns.
Hedgerows buffer Ireland’s rural road network and act as natural barriers between farm fields. They are a cultural mainstay of the countryside and play a vital role in maintaining a rich biodiversity tapestry.
A Noteworthy analysis of hedgerow surveys from over 20 counties shows that hedges help improve water and soil quality, halt soil erosion, provide food for pollinators, and act as nesting spots to birds, as well as being carbon sinks.
Click here to check out the findings of Noteworthy’s SHEAR FORCE investigation into hedge cutting on roadsides and farms during the bird-nesting season.
During the prohibited season, the National Parks and Wildlife Service is charged with investigating and taking enforcement action where there are concerns over the impact of cutting on wildlife.
The service appears to have dramatically ramped up its crackdown on illegal cutting over the past two years, according to data released to Noteworthy.
Significant uptick in cases
Since 2020, it has taken 71 cases to court for illegal hedge removal or destruction of vegetation, including 48 this year alone. In comparison, 70 cases were taken between 2010 and 2019.
Fines, costs and donations to charities totalling €45,700 were paid by the guilty parties this year from 17 cases alone. One case was struck out and a handful of cases are subject to appeal.
A further 27 cases are still before the Courts or with the Chief State Solicitor’s Office, with rulings in many not expected until 2022. Four cases pending hearing concern the destruction of vegetation or reclamation of land within nature sites protected under Irish or EU law.
Penalties being doled out by the courts also appear to be on the rise too. The median financial penalty issued in 2021 was €2,000 and is the highest to date, only the forth time since 2007 that the median figure was above €1,000.
In some cases, those found guilty were ordered to pay up to €2,000 to wildlife charities. In one case in Co Wicklow this year, two guilty individuals were fined a total of €11,000, the highest penalty to date.
There are currently 81 conservation rangers stationed around the country who deal with a range of enforcement activities on a day-to-today basis. The Department of Housing is in the process of recruiting more rangers and said that numbers will increase in the coming months.
Public leading the charge
In many instances, cases of suspected illegal hedge cutting are brought to their attention by members of the public. Following an AIE request, the agency provided Noteworthy with a sample of complaints received from the public over the past three years.
The majority of complaints, several of which included photos or geolocation data, concerned cutting of hedgerows in rural areas. However, there were also several urban cases reported.
In May 2018, for example, an individual sent photo evidence of hedges being cut by a business in an industrial estate. “This hedge cutting has caused serious carnage amongst breeding wildlife and I was able to count 11 nests that have been destroyed… Please do something about this,” the email stated.
In June 2018, an individual said that they were “horrified” to see hedges being cut in a Co Kildare town where the individual estimated that many nests were destroyed. “I feed the wild birds everyday and was devastated to see this happening.”
This article was supported by reader contributions to Noteworthy, The Journal’s community-led investigative platform. If you like this and our other work, consider contributing here.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
At least he had the guts to be interviewed by VB. Something Kenny and Adams both refused to do for the last 5 years.
@Brinster: the interview was a very good move by Leo. The Lefties certainly can’t say he shied away from anything.
@P C: style and substance, Leo played a absolute blinder on VB. You wont see Baron Adams go on VB, why ever not? LOL
@james connolly: i’d like to see Cowan on the show ,yesterday biffo said that he was responsible for the recovery ,degree in BS award
@Robert Harris: Cowan was the worst Taoiseach this country ever had. His brother as a TD isn’t much better. Offaly has a lot to answer for.
@Brinster: Kenny & Adams prefer the softer option of Dobson.
@P C: clearly not when you take in the likes of Bertie and haughy. You can criticise him as minister for his role in causing the recession but to call him the worst is downright ridiculous.
VB should invite paul murphy on, that would be some roasting
@George Beckett: no it’s not. Far for me to defend Haughey or Bertie, but both achieved something. Cowan achieved nothing and assigned billions to Anglo Irish. €27 billion we will never get back.
@P C: Yeah he pushed you minimum wage earners up to middle class just like that.. You must really love him now.
Skin crawling stuff… And by that I mean all the usual suspects accounts agreeing with ‘each other’.
On the interview, overall Leo did well, although Vincent did go relatively easy on him. The big gaff of course was Leo not knowing what the median income was and stating that the minimum wage was middle class… Showed some classic right wing FG stripes there.
He did okay but I saw nothing to suggest that things might improve or new thinking may be brought to the table. Steady as she goes Leo, ain’t going to work anymore!
And there’ll be no vote from me for empty promises this time!!
@Brinster: I am absolutely delighted that talentless, miserable, sorry excuse for a ‘journalist’ is retiring. Gutter journalism at it’s finest.
@Brinster: leo has no idea how social class is calculated. He should probably ask the lads at the CSO
@Brinster: Kenny had good reason not to be interviewed, Browne was an insilting bully at times.
@Brinster: While true I think it’s a sad day for our country when we’re commending the “bravery” of a politician willing to answer questions from an unbiased journalist.
@james connolly: It’s obvious you don’t watch the show much, Paul Murphy has been on the show countless times. Stick to what your good at James trolling.
@P C: Liam Cosgrave was t he worst Taoiseach in my opinion. Back in the early 70′s.
@P C: it’s a lot more than 27 billion by the time that bill is paid. FF of course didn’t convert it to national debt. We will be borrowing another billion this year for that. Noonan was the one who threw away his negotiating chip on a late night session.
@Derek Poutch:
It’s obvious that you have an anti establishment agenda. Nothing the government will do will ever be good for you.
Your Facebook page declares solidarity with Joe Doocey who in his own words is a victim of ‘prejudice, malice, collusion and conspiracy’ who ran over a guard and then fled the county when charged.
@Brinster: I did not see anything challenging in this interview ,brown was not at his best and leo gave the same political rhetorical answers we have been hearing for years .but at least he showed up .To be honest leo came across as a kind of run of the mill middle class muppet determined not to get caught out .a safe pair of hands to protect the higher echelons of irish corporate society .We have chosen another weak leader for our country .
@Stephen Coveney: Yes Stephen I am 100% anti ff/fg/lab and proud of it along with many others.They have destroyed Ireland with their cronyism, corruption, lies and inequality. You on the other hand seem ok with this and will keep voting for the scam. I believe in a country were you get a honest days pay for a honest days work, a proper health system (not 2 tier) affordable housing, were people are held to account for wasting billions.I will continue to call them out on their bullshit everywhere I see it and believe me they have giving us plenty of ammunition.As regards Joe Doocey it obvious you are either ignorant or unaware of the full story so I suggest you get the facts before you comment on it. Its my hope Stephen that you too will eventually see the light
@P C: yes we can; we can say anything we like so there.
@Tomás O’Loughlin:
Let me guess which party you support…
@Robert Harris: is like to see biffo try to live in this house here . One thing is for sure he be darn skinny .
I’d imagine a lot of people would have to get up early in the morning to commute long distances to work because they simply can’t afford to live near work, and they don’t give a damn who Leo thinks he represents, cause he certainly doesn’t represent a lot of them!
@Adrian: Leo the legend represents all of us, he is our leader whether you like it or not
@james connolly: and I for one welcome our insect overlord
Another fine example of if only there was something someone could do. No substance just aspirations and platitudes of an interview, I am underwhelmed.
@james connolly: you are delusional if you think this
@Gus Sheridan: Are you suggesting that Leo is not te leader of this country? there is delusion and then there is shinner delusion LOL
@james connolly: Not my “leader” you have to lead, I am up before him in the morning and have a far better and more meaningful life than the likes of that walking cliche. As for a legend Setanta was a legend and most would agree he was not real – either.
@Adrian: nailed it there!
@Adrian: He doesn’t represent the people who can’t sleep at night for worry of how they will make ends meet.
@james connolly: Yes he is personable and articulate. What do you think of his “alternative lifestyle” Is that good for Irish families? Also Fine Gael is the party of entitlement- entitlement of people like Leo and his friends to the fruits of our Irish sucess story.
@hallelujah: ‘alternative lifestyle’ why dont you just say you dont like that he is gay. Knuckle draggers like you belong in a zoo.
@Austin Rock: he is 100% your leader and you are just ging to have to get used to it. Failing you best move to a dictatorship as democracy aint for you
@james connolly: well Leo will be going to the country in the next year or two – at the moment he hasn’t won an election
@james connolly: In a democracy, the person who wins a vote 65% to 35% becomes leader. FG blinkers are making you look stupid.
@james connolly: he doesn’t represent me and he is definately not a leader. Your anti Sinn Féin and licking Leo attitude is tiresome and boring at this stage. Change the subject!
@james connolly: I am my own leader believe it or not, whatever I decide to do I’ll do it & varadkar or any of his cronies or licks if you like won’t tell me what to do, grow a pair if you can
@james connolly:
Leo is just another tool of the Corporate world elite. They say jump, Leo says how high and never mind the socks!
@Adrian: true that . Some of us if and when there’s work we have to stay there till there’s enough to justify the petrol to go home that’s some two three days living off er.. your good old car . Where you got to carry all the stuff you need . And so on
So he represents the working people. If thats the case, why doesn’t he do things like tackle insurance companies, remove USC, make healthcare affordable, introduce reasonable labour laws to prevent workers being exploited. Full of bluff, like the previous figureheads before him.
@Bairéid Rísteard: USC is not the problem. Paying 49% on anything you earn over 34k is the killer.
@Bairéid Rísteard: how long is in the job again? #clown
@Reg: why would any emigrants want to return to a country that screws them on tax? Give me one reason…
@james connolly: You’re the clown if you think he’s going to make a discernable difference to the lives of the majority of people in this country. The status quo will remain.
@Cindy Crawford: he already has. The lefties are rattled and its absolutely hilarious
@james connolly: Take your meds & go back to sleep love.
@Cindy Crawford: the smell of desperation is notable LOL
@Reg: Hazarding a guess I would say that at least 50% of the country or more do not earn €34k a year to be hit by that tax bracket.
@Noel: Those earning below 34k are not screwed by income taxes generally. Someone on 30k pays a total of about 15% in income tax, USC and PRSI. Someone on 18 pays less than 3%. It’s hardly draconian.
@james connolly: Yes i can smell you from here.
@Reg: But they are screwed by stealth taxes which affects a disproportionate amount of their income.
@Good Early: I’m not arguing that. But to argue that people are being screwed by income taxes up to 30k is nonsense. Paying 49% on anything you earn over 34k is dranconian though. The threshold needs to be pushed up over the next few years.
@Bairéid Rísteard: Agreed completely..a bluffer of the highest order who to date has achieved NOTHING…analyse the answer”its a standard statistic”……WHAT????like where did you get your figures from….answer “its standard statistic”
is there like a book of STANDARD STATISTICS available or what.Also no action on the Garda Commish….he had the perfect oppurtunity to act and show leadership but chose not to so its Enda continued im afraid..this man is all picture no substance
@Gus Sheridan: Mammies
@Gus Sheridan:
From the european anti poverty network
~Ireland’s tax revenue is low by European Union and Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) standards; in fact Ireland has one of the lowest tax burdens in the industrialised world
You have no idea what you’re talking about but love to moan.
@Gus Sheridan:
To fight the gangster govt’ on all fronts, of course, please pay attention, Gus.
“well, they’re middle Ireland then”. That’s a good one. Is that near middle England? Maybe middle earth..? I’m confused!
@Noel James Doherty: I didnt understand that either..Does he mean the low paid are middle Ireland?
@Bairèid Rísteard such silliness really Bairèid really, why bother going with the class card
Nice to know i’m middle class or am i middle Ireland? I’m confused. I don’t know where or what i am anymore.
@Noel James Doherty: Middle Earth he meant to say he is a big fan of that political bible called the “Lord of the Rings”. I drove through middle Ireland yesterday and a lot of derelict properties I don’t think he is talking about that either. Typical smart ass playing footsie with the stats!
@Austin Rock: you ok hun?
Leo has previously stated he considers carers to be good enough to be classed as “Getting up early” (we certainly do, I’m up at 5.30am every morning). I thought that showed brass neck. Now he’ saying that we’re ‘Middle Ireland’? He himself got up in the Dail and admitted that carers and those for whom we care are the poorest people in this nation (omitting the point that his party and his FF counterparts keep us that way as a matter of policy) – because he was using our situation to get at pensioners. Middle Ireland?! I’d like to show him my middle finger!
@Felicity Rawson: Lol. We’d all like to show him our middle finger except for Matt Connolly who would like to show him something else.
@Cindy Crawford: Apologies. James Connolly.
@Cindy Crawford: James Connolly word has it is Leo’s friend, maybe even Leo himself which is why he gets up early to troll the Journal.
@Felicity Rawson: He’s even more delusional than that Edna fella!
@Cindy Crawford: apology accepted
@james connolly: I wasn’t apologising to you. You’re not too bright.
Leo is so committed to his sound bites he will not let them go, he just adapts them to suit any situation or audience, 70% of people in Ireland are middle class, as I said 60% of people in Ireland are middle class, that is to say that 60% of people live in middle Ireland and it’s class by which I mean the 60% who get up in the mornings, in other words, eight out of ten cats love whiskers!
:-)
At least he is being realistic about being able to solve problems that are the result of many years of neglect
Mr Browne went very easy on Mr Varadkar last night, maybe he’s looking for one of Leo’s favours like an appointment to a quango or an appointment on the bench.
@Paul Mc: Best not to judge people by your own low standards
@Paul Mc: Leo is good at optics and PR to be fair to him
@Paul Mc: He’s sees Leo as a fellow liberal. He always goes easy on them.
@james connolly: I’d say standards couldn’t get lower than yours.
@Cindy Crawford: all that anger and hatred is eating you up. You are good to laugh at though
What about people who work through the night? Or insomniacs? Or people who are constantly asleep e.g. in a coma. Is Leo turning his back on them?
@The Guru: is it not obvious that he was taking about those who couldn’t be bothered working as a life Style choice. Far too many of them in Ireland.
@P C: I know. sitting their on their designer sofas, avoiding tax, living off our rents and debts and spending the day playing golf or sailing on their yachts.
@Iain MacLaren: Leo got called on his statement that he only represented a certain section of society. He backtracked and tried to change the meaning of what he said.
@P C: If there is far to many of them why according to fg are the unemployment figures down to 6%. They wouldn’t be lying would they?
@Dante Marquinhos: I suppose SF/IRA represent the entire community? Have you looked north lately? PMSL
@james connolly: I couldn’t care what Sinn Fein do, as I keep telling you, you braindead moron.
@Derek Poutch:
They are Derek. That fact was exposed by the recent census which put the real figure nearer 12%. It also highlighted the existance of dozens of unemployment blackspots all over Ireland. Lies, Damn lies etc., All govt,. dept’s are stuffed with spin doctors and marketing people to deceive the public. So sad.
He could be getting a 6am visit from the gards,framed under or the road traffic act, labeled a pedophile or stopped at the airport after this… isn’t it an amazing country today when that actually wouldn’t shock us.
@Dean Burroughs:
this is an amazing country. Just because you want to equate isolated incidents to the status quo without any evidence doesn’t change that.
@Stephen Coveney:
One million isolated incidents?
Paint it anyway you like Leo .. but your masters are corporations your only a servant to them .. you couldn’t give a toss about middle or lower class Ireland ..
@James Reilly: Leo is the man of the people, thats why he is the most popular leaders or the most popular party. #suckitup
@james connolly: you are mental.
@Gus Sheridan: you bots are rattled and it is absolutely hilarious
@james connolly: Leo is being paid by tax payers money therefore he is a servant of the people of Ireland get that into your head & suck that up lick hole
@Murf:
i am being paid by my employer, am i a servant to them? You have a twisted logic which serves just to provide you with something to moan about
Absolutely not a FG supporter, and personally find Varadkar a complete dose, but fair play to him for going on. What a coward and a weakling Kenny was.
@George Roche: And Adams. He wouldn’t go on either. Pathetic from both.
@Brinster: a novice interviewer could destroy Adams. Mary Loo won’t be much better when she takes over in October.
@P C: Not a fan of his but they assembled a large panel to do so on the late late and he made a laughing stock of them.
@P C: guess you are too young to remember Adams on Late Late show many years ago. Gay Byrne and the whole audience didn’t ruffle him.
It’s the obsession some of you have to bring SF into every conversation even though SF are really serious contenders to lead a government.
Seems it’s more than FG leadership that is all talk
@lavbeer: 13% can lead a government, and you wonder why everyone laughs at you clowns PMSL
SF/IRA are an afterthought is this great republic, their only purpose is for laughing at LOL
@james connolly: will you go and get a life. Your obsession with all things SF is embarrassing. You add nothing to any conversation here. I don’t hide you as you are a constant reminder of the mental health issues that face us all
@lavbeer: well if you have to go back to an interview by Gay Byrne decades ago, it says it all really. Sean O’Rourke embarrassed Jerry during last years election on a tax issue.
@P C: you are a sad person
@Gus Sheridan: truth hurts Gus. Lol
@lavbeer: 13%, suck it up shinnerbot. You lot are irrelevant and always will be LOL
@P C: didn’t hear that one. He is a regular contributor on LMFM and Michael Reade tears into him and he gives as as good as he gets. But be warned Helen McEntee and Regina Doherty regularly show themselves up. Tune in
@Gus Sheridan: They (or he) did it again Gus. Anything negative about Fianna Gael, they turn the attention to Sinn Fein.
Leo makes an arse of himself….Quick…Look over there..Gerry Adams…Gerry Adams!…
@james connolly: Are you Gay?
@hallelujah: the homophobes are out now….
what has anyone sexuality got to do with anything? You belong in a zoo LOL
Thanks for the heads up Leo, I’ve never claimed to be middle class.
But I’m confused, I’m on low pay, my husband earns 3 times as much as me, it was 5 times more than me before he was made redundant.
What does that make our kids?
At the end of the day, we are all but dust, it is better not to have a class divide and see people for who they are and what they do?
Front line workers are the back bone of society, nurses, paramedics, doctors, guards, army, firefighters.
All different levels of pay, yet a necessity for everyday life.
If shop keepers didn’t exist where would I get my food? Do you judge the sales assistant for being ‘lower class’ when buying food? Or do you treat him/her like an equal?
Without refuse collectors imagine the state of the place! We need them!
I’m going to miss Vincent
@Paul O Riordan: Baron Adams is pleading for him to go… why ever would that be
@james connolly: Who are you man? Do you work for the government or something?
@james connolly: Are you Leo Varadker by any chance?
@Mark Ibbotson: He’s a FG sockpuppet and a bad one, He can’t go 2 comments without mentioning SF whether the conversation is about them or not.
@Rob Cahill: Its incredible isn’t it? He must spend most of his time reading through the comments section. Can’t get my head around it at. He also keeps calling people shinnerbots thinking he is being funny. He isn’t. I also hope his real name is James Connolly because if it’s homage to 1916s James Connolly he clearly doesn’t realise that he was a hardcore socialist.
Vincent was extremely tame. Leo delighted ….
Leo sounded like a parrot,kept repeating all the sounbites over and over again.pure waffles
@dick dastardly: Its. like the generation game and Leo wins the cuddly toy
@dick dastardly: well he has that with the left in common then.
All we ever seem to hear parroted over and over again is “no way we won’t pay” for anything apparently.
Must be great to never pay your own way in life.
A really good political commentator in his day, but lately he was beginning to become a parody of himself. Time to leave it to the young guns like Sean o Rourke and Pat Kenny????? FFS..
So if you earn anything over 35k you are upper class now is it?!?
Soundbites and platitudes, all socks and no substance. The “middle class” turned into “middle Irelan” when Leo was questioned on something he quite clearly knows nothing about. Car crash interview exposed Leo as the empty vessel he really is.
Well done Vincent for exposing this charlatan.
Varadkar getting credit for being interviewed?
What have we come to?
Attacks from the left were going to come no matter what the man says. He did a fantastic job, god help Ireland if the left ever gets into power. Socialist gobshits have nothing better to do but complain
@kieran kelly: what fantastic job? Anyone (except Edna) can keep to script and repeat the mantra.
@kieran kelly: what achievement had he in health? Reilly can point to Fair Deal and his UHI idea has merit except for funding. Leo? All that I can remember is forcing me to buy health insurance by adding penalties. Help me here to remember
All talk. All PR
@lavbeer: UHI was a Labour initiative not a FG one.
@Darren Bates: it was a FG minister no? It was a bad idea so maybe they had a hand. Health insurance should be completely removed imho.
@kieran kelly:
God didn’t help Ireland when our right wing neo liberal govt bancrupted the country…mupp&t!!
Fearless!
It bring me such joy that we have such a fantastic leader like Leo. His roast of Paul Murphy has elevated him to legend status.
@james connolly: legend in your delusional mind…
@Gus Sheridan: i would be angry too if i was wallowing on 13% with no hope LOL
@james connolly: I thought Fine Gael were blue -Is your favourite colour pink by any chance.
@hallelujah: Battling his low intelligence with homophobia doesn’t help anything. Grow up.
@Rob Cahill: Sorry. I hate homophobia too. It is not nice.
This is troubling both from Browne and especially the Taoiseach.
The middle class, on an income basis, will start at the median level of income(the 50 percentile). I’m not sure why an economist or Taoieach wouldn’t recognize that.
I don’t like his out of date politics or the right wing party he represent but at least he had the balls to appear unlike that Kenny muppet.
Overall he did well but he sure is out of touch with how well to do people think they are. Id guess 50% of the population are a few pay cheques or an illness away from disaster.
Don’t be fooled by Vincent, he applied to join Fianna Gael but was turned down!
He holds a grudge ever since.
In 1994, Vincent browne sought a nomination for theFine Gael party in that year’s European elections or the possible general election of that year (it was thought a general election might follow the collapse of the Albert Reynolds’ government). He was rebuffed by the leader of Fine Gael and future Taoiseach,John Bruton. He then became a vocal critic of the party.[17]
@James Nellie: Wikipedia?
@James Nellie:
Err… I think you’ll find that Brutonapproached Browne and Browne refused…,but don’t let that get in the way of popular myth…
can never understand how people fall for this clowns’ soundbites.cannot stand him
@Mark Costello: he has the lefties rattled alright.
@Mark Costello: style and substance its no wonder everyone loves Leo
@jame8s connolly: stylishly dressed i will give him that, but the substance is what one would call bull crap
@james connolly: yet only 35% of his own party wanted him as leader..
I often wondered who the middle classes were in a third world like country run by gombeens.
@Chris Kirk: To call Ireland a third world country is a gross exaggeration. It’s a cliche that people use to express their anger but is very far from being factually correct. There are lots of things wrong with the country but there are lots of things that make it a very good place to live in. The idea of class is quite complex. A lot of young people who are highly educated and and come from reasonably well off homes may be on very low pay or on social welfare but live at home or get some support from parents and would still consider themselves middle class. So pay is not the determining factor. We need to stop thinking in slogans and cliches.
@Dermot McCabe:
Leo let slip the reason for his pledge to represent the ‘people who get up early in the morning ‘, and the middle class. He believes that 60% or 70% of people will think he’s referring to them. In reality, its vague and ill-defined. He refused to be pinned down to specifics.
As expected nothing of substance from this FAR RIGHT politician from FAR RIGHT political party!
Leo, best we’ve had for years
@Teresa Scanlon: Best what exactly?
Maybe Varakar would like to define the expression ‘ getting up early in the morning’. Getting up on what?
I hate to defend Leo on such a contentious point, but I think a lot of people on minimum wage would still consider themselves middle-class depending on their upbringing, social background, the type of house and area they grew up in etc., as opposed to your social status being entirely determined by your income.
It’s great to at least hear a leader of the country talking about the working majority silenty going about their business for once instead of pandering to the social class making all the noise.
@Jimmy Ireland: When the working people start benefiting from all the tax we pay then I’ll believe he’s got our interests at heart.. But it won’t happen. Greedy F@~kers.
Leo always has been and always will be an empty vessel spouting sh*t. Only one thing he’s interested in that’s himself and his career.
Varadkar is a second generation migrant from India who wants all migrants to return to where they came from ! He squandered the best part of a million euros on a divisive bus advertising campaign inferring that welfare recipients and members of the ‘working class’ were idle, shiftless wasters to appeal to a narrow minded ultra right wing section of a political party whose origins are in 1930′s fascism. Now, he contends that 70 per cent of Irish people are ‘middle class’, appealing to the inbred snobbery of the Irish character. He is clearly a hypocrite, an idiot and basically an annoying little snob. Having him as the ‘leader’ of this corrupt banana republic is an embarrassment. Kenny was bad, but this fella is something else.
What a joke of a man people on middle wage are middle class hahahaha. Seriously delusional people on minimum wage are being squeezed because of sky rocketing costs of renting a home they can certainly never be in a position to buy not in the next 5 years at least. Different man same trousers varadkar will do nothing for this county just as FG have never done anything for this country. Corrupt, useless, privileged few varadkar knows nothing of equality. Can’t believe so many people are lapping up the crap coming from this idiot.
In general the middle class pay a lot of tax 50% on any overtime for instance…..Get very little in return for it….Have to pay again for many government services….Middle class should really stop complaining and pay more tax as Vincent would argue….
@Bhiniáimin Ó Beith: what corruption was Leo Varadkar involved in? That’s quite a groundless accusation.
@P C: ah its best to just laugh at the idiots an their hate filled agenda. Roaring corruption but never can produce any semblance of proof
@P C: isn’t he backing Noirin,the commissioner who crashes from one crisis to the next one so, either Leo, tells her to go or else be tarnished as corrupt simples.
@Martin Ryan: that’s not corruption.
@P C: what is it then? what happened in Templemore is corrupt and continues to be so. what happened to Maurice McCabe, is corrupt also and leo, hasn’t the guts to tell her to go so he that makes him just as bad.
@Martin Ryan: please look up what corruption is… #clown
@Bhiniàimin Ò Beith: I seriously hope you meant to put a comma after the word Seriously.
@Martin Ryan: think if it from a PR perspective. When Leo starts getting heat he needs to deflect. Noirin is an asset this way.
@Cindy Crawford: I meant to say comma after seriously delusional.
Why doesn’t Baron Adams go on VB? Too cowardly?
Leo preaching for the class society ,pull up your socks leo
This guy is a profound idiot if he thinks 70 percent of Irish people are middle class!. But, then what do you expect from a guy who was ‘elected’ by a minority of the Fine Gael party while the majority who did vote were ignored. The term working class is just associated with those who live in social housing/corporation estates in Dublin and elsewhere. It’s Irish snobbery at it’s worst. Most people have to work for a living and most people are just scraping by apart from those involved with the government, like Varadkar, who have fiddled the system and caused immense hardship due to austerity.The guy is a pain in the arse.
Browne is such a pussycat, all eyes blazing and drama, but little substance behind it, an establishment Taoiseachs dream.
….
Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development.
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work.
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then these services may not function properly.
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not be able to monitor our performance.
Cookies, device or similar online identifiers (e.g. login-based identifiers, randomly assigned identifiers, network based identifiers) together with other information (e.g. browser type and information, language, screen size, supported technologies etc.) can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here.
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times an ad is presented to you).
Information about your activity on this service (such as forms you submit, content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (for example, information from your previous activity on this service and other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (that might include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present advertising that appears more relevant based on your possible interests by this and other entities.
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on your advertising profiles, which can reflect your activity on this service or other websites or apps (like the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects.
Information about your activity on this service (for instance, forms you submit, non-advertising content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (such as your previous activity on this service or other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (which might for example include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present content that appears more relevant based on your possible interests, such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find content that matches your interests.
Content presented to you on this service can be based on your content personalisation profiles, which can reflect your activity on this or other services (for instance, the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects. This can for example be used to adapt the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find (non-advertising) content that matches your interests.
Information regarding which advertising is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine how well an advert has worked for you or other users and whether the goals of the advertising were reached. For instance, whether you saw an ad, whether you clicked on it, whether it led you to buy a product or visit a website, etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of advertising campaigns.
Information regarding which content is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine whether the (non-advertising) content e.g. reached its intended audience and matched your interests. For instance, whether you read an article, watch a video, listen to a podcast or look at a product description, how long you spent on this service and the web pages you visit etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of (non-advertising) content that is shown to you.
Reports can be generated based on the combination of data sets (like user profiles, statistics, market research, analytics data) regarding your interactions and those of other users with advertising or (non-advertising) content to identify common characteristics (for instance, to determine which target audiences are more receptive to an ad campaign or to certain contents).
Information about your activity on this service, such as your interaction with ads or content, can be very helpful to improve products and services and to build new products and services based on user interactions, the type of audience, etc. This specific purpose does not include the development or improvement of user profiles and identifiers.
Content presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type, or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times a video or an article is presented to you).
With your acceptance, your precise location (within a radius of less than 500 metres) may be used in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
With your acceptance, certain characteristics specific to your device might be requested and used to distinguish it from other devices (such as the installed fonts or plugins, the resolution of your screen) in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Your data can be used to monitor for and prevent unusual and possibly fraudulent activity (for example, regarding advertising, ad clicks by bots), and ensure systems and processes work properly and securely. It can also be used to correct any problems you, the publisher or the advertiser may encounter in the delivery of content and ads and in your interaction with them.
Certain information (like an IP address or device capabilities) is used to ensure the technical compatibility of the content or advertising, and to facilitate the transmission of the content or ad to your device.
Information about your activity on this service may be matched and combined with other information relating to you and originating from various sources (for instance your activity on a separate online service, your use of a loyalty card in-store, or your answers to a survey), in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
In support of the purposes explained in this notice, your device might be considered as likely linked to other devices that belong to you or your household (for instance because you are logged in to the same service on both your phone and your computer, or because you may use the same Internet connection on both devices).
Your device might be distinguished from other devices based on information it automatically sends when accessing the Internet (for instance, the IP address of your Internet connection or the type of browser you are using) in support of the purposes exposed in this notice.
The choices you make regarding the purposes and entities listed in this notice are saved and made available to those entities in the form of digital signals (such as a string of characters). This is necessary in order to enable both this service and those entities to respect such choices.
have your say