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LAST UPDATE | 27 Feb 2020
SHOTS WERE FIRED at a house in the Cromcastle Court area of Kilmore, Dublin 5, last night.
A window was smashed during the incident, which occurred at approximately 10.30pm yesterday.
No injuries have been reported.
Garda crime scene investigators carried out a technical examination of the scene.
Labour’s Aodhán Ó Riordáin has this morning reiterated calls for a northside crime task force to be set up in light of the shooting.
“The news of another shooting on the northside is deeply concerning,” Ó Riodáin said.
“Thankfully nobody was injured, but this is just another example as to why we need a northside crime task force,” he said.
Since the summer we have had five murders, a body found of a child in Coolock, several non-fatal shootings. This is not normal.
“Children in pockets of my constituency are growing up thinking that this kind of criminality is normal, when it is absolutely not.”
Ó Riordáin said a Mulvey-style task force is now needed for the north inner city.
“The response from government has been weak at best. Before the general election, Fine Gael didn’t want to know about a Mulvey-style commission, then when they realised it was popular, they decided it was the way forward,” he said.
“Communities across our constituency are calling out for progress.
“Now in their caretaker capacity, this government must start bringing community stakeholders together in Dublin Bay North with a view to setting up a northside task force to tackle crime.
What is happening is not normal, we need to see real action from government immediately.
Investigations are ongoing into yesterday’s incident.
With reporting by Press Association.
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A completely cringeworthy name, suits the party perfectly.
Same as with the AAA and reform alliance. They name themselves for the near future to create ‘current’ buzz around their party. What will ‘anti austerity alliance’ or renua mean to anyone in 10 years time?
Aren’t they all part of the united left alliance?
Will they still be around in 10 years time?
Probably. Ireland is dying for a proper left party to come up from somewhere. I completely agree with the *aims* of the AAA and Reform alliance etc. But I don’t ever see myself voting for them. They’re not so much politicians as they are professional, well dressed protestors. Not to say that there’s anything wrong with that. Protests in this country are massively important, but just because you oppose something doesn’t automatically make you an effective and capable politician.
Surely she’s forgotten the fada, Ré Nua?
But I agree; the name is as cringeworthy as her membership of Iona. She’d have been better off with an anagram of her name – “Enduring Catholic”.
Dylan – what about pbp?
Dylan,
I hope you’re correct and that Austerity will be a thing of the past in a decade and in that case the AAA should consider renaming the party at that time.
However if we continue down the present neo liberal path, Austerity will be impacting on the lives of ordinary Irish citizens for many decades to come.
It’s time to give the parties of the left a chance people need a clear vision.. unity and no dilution of principles. The AAA and Sinn Fein have always been parties of clear vision and unity the left offers that. No one wants property tax, water charges, USC and we want more money in our pockets vote non-austerity.. as an independent non-biased voter i think the left is the way to go.
@Winding: is she really a member of Iona? I thought that even she was above that.
So then what function will the AAA take when austerity is over? What else do you stand for? What other policies do you promote? You’re not a party with anti austerity being one of its main aims. Anti austerity is your sole and only reason for being relevant. I don’t think I’ve ever heard an AAA member discuss social policy, national or international issues etc. You say you’ll change your name should it become necessary? Then what? That’s pure admission that you are only relevant at the moment to oppose austerity, and that is not the makings of a robust political party that will have longevity into the future. We don’t need another chameleon party changing its policies and stance depending on what day of the week it is. No thanks.
Dylan do you even know how money is created?
Waddler – take it from here.
Is Lucinda Creighton actually a member of Iona
I haven’t seen her name associated with them. I think it’s just an assumption. Correct me if I’m wrong.
These questions need to be asked Ailbhe.
Fair enough. I’m not disagreeing
Dylan,
Fundamentally the AAA are socialists. There will be no change from that position. The Party was formed by the activists from the campaign against the Property/Home Tax and the Socialist Party. We’ve been heavily involved in social issues such as the homeless crisis and will be campaigning for a Yes vote in the upcoming marriage equality referendum.
As a new party, we have not yet formed policy in all areas. Those policies will need to democratically agreed as the party develops.
However as a party of the left and with the Socialist Party being a key component within the AAA, our future policy direction is likely (but not certain) to follow as broadly similar path to the Socialist Party. We’re trying to build a mass party to represent the interest of the vast majority of citizens in contrast to the political establishment who largely serve the interests of big business and capital.
For example, one key plank of Socialist Party/AAA economic policy has always been to oppose the loading of private odious illegitimate banking debts on to the backs of the citizens. We have staunchly opposed the blanket bank guarantee since it was first proposed in 2008 while the entire Irish political establishment FF, FG and Labour all support this socialization of the €100+ billion of private banking debt which has crippled the nation and is being paid for through the Austerity program.
Here’s some reading on the SP position in relation to national question/ Northern Ireland
http://socialistparty.ie/category/news-a-analysis/northern-ireland/
And International issues such as the rise of Syriza in Greece and the TTIP.
http://socialistparty.ie/category/world-news/
Lucinda / Iona:
It depends how you define “member”. Lucinda has attended several Iona-organised public events and speeches and has been an advocate of their work in the past.
That to me counts as a “member”.
Waddler lets not go lying to the kid now…AAA / ULA/ SP / SWP are never gong to see govt. If they somehow came to a position (which in itself is nearly impossible) where they got 50 seats they’d still not go into coalition to get the remaining 30+ because that would mean govt with “right wingers” .
Then even if you got around that hurdle none of your fragmented alliance have any real policies, just a series of vague slogans. Compare the SP policy section to even the manifesto of a small party like the Greens, the Greens manifesto is bigger and more details by a couple of 100 pages. It’s a protest vote nothing more.
Waddler .. What’s is the AAA stance on Usc , Pension Levies private and public , where are the AAA budget proposals to be found . How would the AAA govern the Irish Finances ?
Outside of populist sound bites , How will AAA change the current unfair tax system ?? Do you’s have a economic spokesperson even ??
Proud , Can you point me in the direction of a SF document that will show clear and viable figures for getting rid of USC from everybodies pay packets ?
It’s currently sitting at around 4bn a year , I’d like to see SF if this gap !!
They’ve lots of ideas on how to spend cash but not many on how to produce it. Even when they suggest a good idea, like a stimulus package during the slump (something everyone promised then failed to deliver on) they’d no specifics, not even saying lets spend x amount…nothing.
They say abolish USC but don’t point out that would create a 4b hole, nor do they suggest where to offset this, you might think the 50% on incomes over 100k or the wealth tax but together they would only bring in 2-3b and they seem to have spent that 5-6 times over in other places.
They want us to be neutral one mimute then unilaterally condemn Isreal and the US left right and centre the next minute…they’re all over the place.
Ryan,
Where did I lie to Dylan? You are correct that we won’t go into coalition with any of the establishment parties of capitalism.
You’re wrong however when you say it’s impossible for the SP/AAA or any mass party of the left to see government. Syriza were polling at 3% a few short years ago are now firmly in government and came within a whisker of achieving an overall majority.
In any case, our primary objective in the SP/AAA is not to enter government which in itself won’t bring about the necessary fundamental change in society. The process of breaking with capitalism and successfully implementing real socialist change cannot be done from above, even with the most well intentioned Left government.
A radical Left government would consciously advocate this activity from below, building organized mass movements in the community and workplaces. This is the necessary development to take on and replace the old capitalist state machinery with a democratic and socialist state to serve the interests of the majority.
Je suis Ireland,
The key to governing Ireland’s finances in the interests of the majority is to understand that Modern fiat currency money is not a scarce resource. It is created at will by the institutions public (central banks) and private (commercial banks) that are authorized to do so.
The money has no intrinsic value, is created primarily on computer keyboards and so largely exists as electronic account entries. All financial assets are matched by an equal liability and so cancel each other out and ultimately net to zero. What remains is the real wealth of goods and services primarily produced by the working class through their labour. Financial assets (money) is a claim on that real wealth and therein lies its power.
Government spending creates new money from nothing and puts it into circulation while taxation removes money from circulation and extinguishes it. Taxation is what ‘backs’ the currency. The government imposed tax liability creates a demand for the currency, ensures it is widely accepted and so gives the currency legitimacy. Taxation is also the mechanism by which money can be removed from circulation.
A sovereign currency issuing state like the U.S, U.K. Denmark etc. does not need to raise tax revenue from private sources in order to spend on its social program such as pensions etc. The government/central bank is the monopoly issuer of their own currency and simply keystrokes the necessary money into existence.
Therefore these nations do not need to tax in order to spend in their own currency. The act of government spending is what actually creates the money which is then later removed from the economy via taxation. Such a state could for example implement a large scale social housing construction program to address the homeless crisis which Ireland currently faces. This would involve the government simply crediting the bank accounts of the builders, material providers, etc as necessary to have the homes built with the added benefit of creating desperately needed jobs in the construction sector. This contrary to neo liberal myth is how sovereign governments (e.g. New Zealand) actually spend in their own currency. They face no financial constraints whatsoever in that currency. The state can afford to buy whatever resources are for sale in the domestic currency.
For example, this is how sovereign governments pay the wages of their public sector employees. So the £2000 monthly salary for a nurse in Britain will see her Barclay’s account credited by £2k (broad money) and Barclay’s reserve account (base money) at the Bank of England increased by £2k, all done by simply pressing the necessary computer keys.
The state may face real resource limitations e.g. energy or skills shortages but not a financial constraint as it can never be insolvent in its own currency as it issues that currency. However if a state, promises to convert its currency to something else e.g. another currency or gold as a fixed rate, then it faces constraints in that other currency or commodity.
So nations which maintain a peg with the dollar for example must earn (through exports usually) or borrow reserves of dollars in order to maintain the peg. Greece and Ireland are effectively users of a foreign currency, the Euro and so are even further constrained. This is a deliberate design feature of the Euro which confers enormous power to the unelected and ultra capitalist institutions of the currency union such as the ECB who now hold the purse strings rather than the elected governments of the member nations.
The macro economy of nations and the globe is fundamentally different to the micro economics of business and households (private sector) who are users of the currency but not the issuer. A sovereign currency issuing government can afford to buy whatever resources are available for purchase in its own currency (including the labour of the unemployed) as they can never run out of keystrokes and so a budget deficit should not be considered a problem once this understood. The U.K. can sustain any size of budget deficit or national debt once it is denominated in sterling as the debt and interest is serviced via simple keystrokes at the central bank. That is why the enormous £850 billion bank bailout in the U.K. did not bankrupt the nation as it did in Ireland’s case.
Therefore the budget deficit (or surplus) should always be allowed to float to whatever level is required to support full employment to maximize productive output while maintaining price stability. As the economy approaches maximum productive capacity with full employment, the state can then remove money from the system via taxation and reduce government spending to counteract inflationary pressures.
Neither do sovereign states need to borrow from anywhere in order to finance a budget deficit. When those states do choose to issue government bonds the primary objective is to implement monetary policy (usually to drive their chosen base interest rate to target) not as a necessity to raise revenue. The primary mechanism is that the government will issue new bonds/bills/treasuries which pay a higher interest than the central bank reserves which the commercial banks hold and sells them in return for any excess reserves the private banks may have.
In the reverse transaction, the central banks ‘buys’ back the government bonds in return for reserves in an effective asset swap with the commercial banks when they need to increase their reserve supply. The primary function of these transactions is to drive the base interest rate to the desired target. The central bank selling bonds drains reserves and so increases the interest rate on reserves while buying bonds injects reserves and so lowers the rate.
The central bank reserves and bonds/bills/treasuries are created electronically at will by the central bank/treasury as necessary to maintain liquidity and the desired overnight interest rate in the interbank reserves market. In this way a sovereign country can never really default on its own currency denominated debts unless it chooses to as the central bank can always ‘buy’ back the debt with newly created central bank reserves which every commercial bank requires to function. In addition, when those countries do ‘borrow’ in the market, it is clear that they effectively decide what the yield/interest will be unlike the Eurozone nations subject to profiteering by bond speculators.
So since the gold standard was discarded in 1971 and the introduction of the fiat floating currencies there is no need whatsoever for a currency issuing government/central bank like Australia or Japan to ‘borrow’ at all in its own currency to raise revenue. They can and do simply keystroke the currency into existence at will. This is why sovereign currency issuing governments actually control bond interest rates regardless of the state of their economies. The government ‘debt’ market is in reality a risk-free, interest bearing deposit facility for the large financial institutions and ultra-wealthy.
Continuing this neo liberal agenda, the Eurozone was deliberately designed to allow private banks (markets) to profit to an even greater extent from member state debt. It’s only the Eurozone countries that are required to borrow their own currency in the market at an interest rate determined by the market as the EU allows the financial markets to set the borrowing rate for Euro countries on an individual basis with the ECB is the sole issuer of the currency and the nations prohibited from creating the currency themselves.
There can never be a shortage of money at a macro level so it’s clear that austerity and deprivation is a policy choice at national government and EU level. There are no shortages of any of the real resources (e.g. energy, food, material to build housing etc.) to eliminate poverty across the EU. The authorities pretend that there is lack of money to address the poverty of the citizens when in fact there can never be a shortage of a fiat currency like the Euro.
Neither is inflation a concern in the current recession where vast resources (including labour) are lying idle. There is no simple linear relationship between money supply and inflation despite what the establishment vested interests would have us believe. The point at which inflation rises depends on the availability of real resources (goods & services) versus the actual demand for purchase.
So the creation of new money is not in itself inflationary if there is sufficient real wealth (goods & services) to buy with that new money. This is especially true if the new money is directed to the productive sectors of the economy for example through infrastructural improvement which leads to GDP growth and so more availability of real resources to purchase. Another key factor which prevents inflation is large scale unemployment where the productive capacity of the economy is not close to its peak. In this scenario which we currently face in Ireland and across Europe, the labour of the unemployed can be purchased with newly created money with no risk of general inflation. In fact the Eurozone is now facing deflation due to the fall in aggregate demand through 6 years of austerity. The enforced shortage of fiat money which are in reality just keystrokes at ECB level is a political choice, not an economic necessity.
This is so because the capitalist class benefit disproportionately in both the boom and bust phases of the inherently unstable capitalist economic cycle always at the expense of labour (vast majority). Therefore that elite and their political enablers continually promote policy and measures to inflate the booms and deepen the busts at the expense of the many.
So the booms are fueled by massive credit expansion through the commercial banks as we saw during the Irish property bubble. This drives up asset prices and profit margins for the plutonomy at a much faster rate than any wage increases. The capital owning classes have always known when to get out of the losing plays in time while a complicit media will continue to cheerlead the booms to manipulate the masses until the inevitable crash occurs. (This will sound very familiar to Irish ears).
In the reverse, the supply of money is restricted to deepen and prolong the bust. As we can see under the Austerity program, the ongoing recession and consequent unemployment is being used as a lever to viciously drive down wages and working conditions which also maximizes the gains to capital. In parallel, the national assets (like water) and social support systems (like health) are shredded and opened up for predatory fire sale purchases and privatization which enriches Denis O Brien and his ilk.
Economic stability is relatively unprofitable for capital but the vast majority of us are far better served by a stable system with modest economic growth ultimately limited by environmental, resource, population factors etc.
Under the QE program of the past few years, the ECB has created €1.4 trillion in reserves by pressing keys on its shiny computer in Frankfurt and made it available at extremely low interest rates to the parasite banks whose greed and stupidity triggered the economic crisis in the first place. So there are plenty of keystrokes available to shore up the parasitic financial system but not enough keystrokes to make sure Greek or Irish people don’t go to bed cold and hungry, that is if they have a bed.
Apart from you absolute defection and waffle ultimately your telling me AAA / SP have no viable economic plans to implement in Government !!
I’ll give SF credit for promising the sun moon and stars with a budget made up from Pearce’s magic numbers game
The AAA / SP will not be in power in this country for 1 simple reason , apart from sound bites and saying no to everything , you’s have no real substance to your party/whatever you’s are , AAA would be a bigger cause of hardship to this country then anything FF / FG / SF / Pd’s / LAB / Green Party have done up to now .
Pie in the fantasy stuff you waddled
AAA are a party, (or grouping) of protest, they don`t have to have policies or solutions, that`s the whole point of being a party of protest.
JSI,
If you can point to anything incorrect in my description of how the monetary system and monetary system functions, please do so.
correction: monetary system and macro economy
Are you telling me this is the AAA’s way forward for Ireland ?
Is this what AAA are going to implement if they gain power ?
Can I have a link to the AAA manifesto or policies please
Waddler ..
What if any plans do AAA have for job creation
What plans do AAA have for training or up skilling the unemployed ?
What is the use in having a party \ alliance if you’s have nothing to actually offer the people of Ireland apart from populist crap ?
So you can find nothing incorrect in what I’ve written then JSI?
JSI,
The most effective means of job creation is for the state to use its role as the monopoly currency issuer to intervene in the macro economy and create full employment via a Job Guarantee (JG). The JG would increase the total output of real goods and services available for consumption and so drives up living standards for everyone.
The sovereign state with a floating currency such as the Denmark Japan, U.K, New Zealand etc faces no financial constraints in its own currency. The state may face real resource limitations (e.g. energy) but not a financial constraint as it can never be insolvent in its own currency as it issues that currency. Neither is inflation a concern in the current recession where vast resources (including labour) are lying idle. The only ingredient missing are the keyboard strokes to create the fiat currency to put those resources to productive work and increase the real wealth of goods and services to be shared by us all.
This ability to keyboard money into existence at will should be utilized to implement macro economic policy which benefits the vast majority of the citizens (labour) as opposed to current policy which enriches the minority (captial owners) . The primary plank of this policy should be the Job Guarantee (JG) where the state/government acts as the employer of last resort who finance the scheme using their ability to create the domestic currency at will to pay the wages of the JG participants. In a Eurozone context, it would be the ECB who would finance member state spending to implement their national JG schemes.
The JG is a strictly voluntary, transitional employment, available to any and all unemployed, or underemployed, who wish to avail of it. It does not replace existing social welfare provisions but operates alongside them. The JG employment is intended to be transitional, its numbers fluctuating in an automatic counter cyclical fashion so rising during recession and falling as the economy improves. The jobs are transitional to ‘normal’ employment in the private or public sector, and must not compete with ordinary employment. So, the JG jobs need to be exclusively in the Community, Voluntary and Charity sectors and at full time (40) hours or any fraction thereof which the worker chooses. The JG wage must be fixed at the minimum wage which is determined by the lowest acceptable standard of living for a worker. This creates an effective wage floor for labour. Capital owners must pay more than JG rates and/or offer better benefits etc to convince people to work for them.
The Government would supplement the JG earnings with a wide range of social wage expenditures, including adequate levels of public education, health, child care etc. The JG would be integrated into a coherent training framework to allow workers (by their own choice) to choose a variety of training paths while still working in the JG. However, if they chose not to undertake further training no pressure would be placed upon them.
The JG also fulfills a critical macro economic function, the maintenance of aggregate demand and spending in the economy. It’s always aggregate demand spending that ultimately creates and maintains jobs. Someone’s spending is always someone else’s job and income as the macro economy is circular. It is the aggregate spending of everyone in the economy, public, private, individuals and businesses that maintains and creates employment. When aggregate demand is either too little (unemployment high), or too much (inflation rising), it is only the government (central bank) that can act counter cyclically to make the appropriate adjustment. The government can remove money from the economy via taxation in order to combat inflation or pump stimulus spending into the system to counteract unemployment. Another key element is that full employment maximizes the production of real wealth (goods & services) to be shared by us all and so drives up living standards for everyone. The jobs benefit the individual and society as a whole.
The macro economy is fundamentally about the production and distribution of real resources (goods & services). Money is a key mechanism in both production and allocation phases in that money is required to begin the production process and money is required by households/firms etc to access the output of production. Money is not a scare resource. It’s created at will by the public and private institutions that are authorized to do so, central banks and commercial banks respectively.
There can never by definition be a shortage of a fiat currency like the Euro. So if the EU chose to, they could simple keystroke the necessary money into existence to hire all the idle labour resources in the Eurozone to maximize the productive output of real goods and services.
This would meet the twin objectives of creating real output for consumption and distributing it to the people who need it via their wages which are then used to buy those real goods and services.
There is no lack of any of the real resources (e.g. energy, food, material to build housing etc) to meet the human needs of the citizens of the Europe or anywhere in the developed world. Neither can there ever be a shortage of money at a macro level as explained. So all the ingredients are present to solve the economic and social crisis in Europe and elsewhere.
Therefore it in inarguable that austerity and deprivation is a policy choice at national government and EU level. This policy choice serves the interest of capital as more and more of the world’s resources accumulate to the 1% at the expense of the majority.
Now, do you advocate any economic policies yourself other than to continue with the current poisonous system which has resulted in 85 individuals hold the same wealth as 3500 million people, the poorest half of the globe’s population?
Thank you for confirming to me AAA are complete Fantasy merchants when it comes to the actual EXISTING Irish economy .
Your collective won’t be voted into Govt unless you’s come up with a VIABLE and WORKABLE economic strategy that works for Ireland as it is in its current state . Not the type of economy that you’s dream it can be
The voting public will see through that in a heartbeat and not help you’s create a welfare state ..
What you call austerity can more accurately described as the government cutting back on spending money it doesn’t have, while still maintaining one of the most generous social welfare systems in the world.
The AAA are a front for the Bolshevik socialist party who want to recreate the individual destroying nightmare that was the soviet union,i chose freedom from left and right wing extremists.
Cut and paste again Waddler:
http://www.thejournal.ie/readme/left-wing-parties-ireland-election-1963548-Feb2015/
The journal alert scared me. I thought another legend had died!
Renua…..good name for a waste recycling company.
Oh wait…..
Another legend has died.
One where we, the electorate thought that we would see the birth of a truly new political party
This could be a new name for Tidy Towns, looking to clean up…..
Or a drug for erectile dysfunction.
I just thought it was good that deputy Billy Timmins will be her deputy. handy that he’s already aptly named like.
Sounds like a lady’s face cream.
Fine Gael- minus the option to ever discuss abortion……
Sounds open-minded alright.
I prefer the name “Provisional Fine Gael”.
Brilliant!
They are also curiously refusing to discuss Same Sex Marraige…or get into much specifics about anything else. Probably because that would mean voting on policy amongst themselves, and that decision would have to be enforced by a whip which they think is bad…but all those things are how a party is meant to work..if they wanted to have each TD vote the way they want there is a way of doing that already…be an independent.
With every vote you get free advice from Eddie Hobbs on how to spend your spare cash.
At the hight of the boom, didn’t Eddie produce a glamorous brochure to encourage people to invest in The Cape Verde Islands of all places. I presume that bombed.
It bombed ,William .It bombed .
My biggest reservation with this party is Hobbs’ prominence. He is too inconsistent and too whiney. At least they had the sense to offload Fidelma Healy Eames and Peter Mathews: two greater barriers to success you’d never find. The words “centre right” don’t fill me with enthusiasm, the flimsy statements on the “our core beliefs” page even less so. And they have “an open position on abortion” after all that drama with Lucinda??
Still, I’ll watch what comes next…. even if I suspect it means watching through my fingers.
Defo voting for them next election. I’ve always wanted a gaff in the Cape Verde Islands…
Tried posting I’ll try again..
http://renuaireland.com/#vision Their policies are vague as hell but have a tone, when you look at the code words, of PDs mixed with social conservatism..I can’t imagine a more unpopular mix of ideologies at the present time with people sick of a decade of austerity, looking for pro growth policies, and an electorate getting more socially liberal.
The few that are specific like the cabinet meeting idea are terrible and they must KNOW can never be implemented.
Can anybody really see Lucinda Creighton presiding over a government that has to legalise abortion after a referendum green lights it?
DJ
One more snout in the through, you won’t have any spare cash to worry about.
Call it what you like.You won’t be getting my vote anyway.
Everyone bitches and whines about politics in the country, yet when something new comes along everyone bitches and whines about that too.
How About Give them a few months to see what, if anything will be different. I’m no fan of lucinda but the whining in Ireland is intolerable
But but … Water charges!
There’s nothing “new” about lucinda skippy.
Exacting right Skippy!! It’s all “we need new parties with new policies” but the second a brand new one is formed it’s “they’re never getting my vote”
People forget that the bigger parties have the whip system so any straying from that get members the boot.
I’m no fan of any of these party members but let’s see what their plan and actions are as a new party rather than instantly deriding them
What’s new about it, same old faces pushing ideas that John Charles McQuaid would be proud of. Also Creighton was claiming the party would leave civil war politics behind and then re-tweets qoutes from one of the people most responsible for it, Markievicz.
She needs to put on a few stone if she thinks she can emulate Mary. Besides I don’t think her real party leader likes her we all know that’s D O’B .
If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck it’s still a duck. However this duck I suspect might have a tendency to limp!
“people moan for something then when they get it continue to moan”
@Skippy welcome to Irish politics 101
See the other thread where people all claim they don’t care if the candidate shows he has a human side? They care. See when they say they hate FF/FG whoever but then say “ah but my guy in my area, he’s FF but he’s LOVELY”….electorates actions and words rarely align.
In 2007 all the focus groups told FG and Lab that the issue mentioned most was the health service. What they failed to ask was “how high a priority is that for you when voting?” because it turned out that while they’d love an Irish NHS it wasn’t what would move their vote…money in their pockets would, so FG ran on health (oh thats right they didn’t run in 2007 saying the economy is doomed they were dying to spend spend spend all that temp property money) and FF ran on the economy…and FF won.
Electorates are full of crap half the time, and don’t know what they want and on top of it this time, as others have pointed out, this is FG-PDs recycled with a touch of christian soldiarity party..so nothing ‘new’ at all.
Skippy
How can there be something new when it is part of the same old corrupt system ?
Right wing Christian nut jobs
Sounds like a hair renewal cream for baldies
ReNua – A new place , for some of the Rightwing Trolls on this Site , to become FG Dissidents on !
Two Elections and they will be like The PD’s – History !
Karl Deeter. … a mortgage broker who hyped up the property market before the crash. … is head of ethics….
* holds head in hands *
Lucinda voted against the last abortion motion cos of her religious beliefs. Her religious beliefs took precedence above the needs of her constituents. Religion and politics are two separate entities and if you can’t separate them in your own head you shouldn’t be in politics. I’m a Christian so to tell me to and read a Muslim holy book although I have read it only shows your ignorance. It’s morons like you that will vote for lucinda and eddy.
@Fran macardle – I don’t believe you are either a Christian or have read the qu’ran. You clearly are upset at her opposition to abortion, which implies you support it. No genuine Christian supports abortion and the fact that you seem to support it – implies that you have deceived yourself into believing you are a Christian. It would be an oxymoronic position to hold.
Bit strong isn’t it.Who says we are all going to vote foe her ? .Oh and I think YOUR the moron NOT the rest of us
Is she wearing a right winged jacket or wtf is the story with it?
Eddie Hobbs ya can f##k right off
@Larry O Ceallaigh – please refer to a dictionary in future first – before you display your ignorance in public and label another person a moron due to your lack of command of the English language.
OXYMORON
a figure of speech by which a locution produces an incongruous, seemingly self-contradictory effect, as in “cruel kindness” or “to make haste slowly.”.
Yippee, another group of right wing conservatives, just what the doctor ordered… not.
The country needs moderates, not left wing or right wing nut jobs.
I’m with you on that Johnny, moderates that see the country as a society, as well as, and not just an economy.
That’s the saddest part of Irish politics, there are no moderates. FG are the closest thing, so I guess I’ll have to give them another vote
For me it’s a toss between fg and ff.
FG are center right.
Jasus, you couldn’t give FF a vote. They destroyed the nation, economically and socially,
Are you serious FG moderates!! Mate FG are as right wing as you get!!
Sure what other option is there?
Jamming – They are the closest thing we have to a true moderate. Until a viable alternative presents itself, there is no other choice.
What would a moderate party even mean? What would be their views on the big issues in current Irish politics and society?
Nothing but downvotes and decrying of FG. You guys are all excellent at saying what parties are shit, but who has your vote?
Exactly Ivan because of Fianna Fáil
Not saying f Gael r any better
Even FF are closer to the center than FG……and thats quite an achievement.
Paul, a real moderate party would see the country as a society, as well as, and not just an economy!
In reality that would mean, not targeting the sick, poor & old in order to help out your crony bondholder mates etc etc etc.
Ivan, that sounds like a left-leaning party you’re describing. If it’s not, what do you think a left-leaning party means?
Of course I’m sure all parties in Ireland would say your description echoes their views :-)
I don’t think there’s a real right wing party in the country to be honest
Eric, I voted for a supposedly moderate option the last time. I did so because of a list of promises, that (that turned out to be complete lies). I won’t be making that mistake again. Left leaning parties & independents will be getting my preferences (with not one preference going to FF/FG/Lab).
Fool me once, etc.
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=643336059116677
@eric I would have said FF were a hell of a lot more moderate than FG. Just cos end enda had a row with the Vatican doesn’t make him a moderate. And if you say him backing gay marriages is evidence of his and his party moderate stance I’d reply by saying I think it’s FG looking for the gay vote.
@ Eric. Mate do u honestly think FG would have done things differently during the boom? No a hope mate FG FF same same
How can Fine Gael be described as “right-wing as it gets”? They’re the party that introduced abortion and a referendum on same sex marriage and hand out passports for prizes to anyone who makes it to our shores. Fine Gael the abortion party are not right wing.
Cian…. go ask kids who had their medical cards taken away or the pensioners who had home help hours removed, or the working poor that are facing water bills. I’m pretty sure that they ALL would describe FG as, as “right-wing as it gets”.
Ivan, I still think your description of a moderate party better described a left leaning party. Maybe you do understand the difference and it was just the case that you used criteria which didn’t highlight the differences. What would be the main differences between a moderate party and a left leaning one? Maybe that will draw out the answer.
Paul, I don’t know what answer you are trying to draw out of me??
All I want is a government that cares for its citizens and act in their interests and their interests ALONE.
The whole Siteserv ‘deal’, is a prime example of this. Stinks to high heaven of cronyism and corruption, an ESAT 2.0.
The cheek of this ‘Mr Corkery’ chancer, poor him, getting ‘fed up’ at being questioned by an elected TD.
http://www.irishtimes.com/business/retail-and-services/siteserv-sale-was-a-good-deal-for-the-taxpayer-1.2138361
I’ll go to jail before these parasitic traitors get me to pay for water, again!
Paul, I think you are trying to label me?
Is it that you want to know if I am; far-left, left, moderately-left, centre-left, off-centre-left, centre, mild-centre-right ….
I’m none and all of the above, I don’t care for labels as long as a government that cares for its citizens and act and works in their interests and their interests ALONE.
These right wing cronies in FG do not care for the people of this country, this is plain to see for all.
Good to see them support Ireland. The website is hosted with an american company. The theme is a wordpress theme sold by an american company. And the domain is registered with godaddy, also american…
Mobile friendly it is not.
Good work! :)
Wicklow’s Billy Timmins as her Deputy Leader? Laughable.
This is a man has failed to accomplish a single memorable thing for Wicklow since his family-seat election in 1997. Having been an ineffective opposition spokesperson on several matters (notably Defence and Foreign Affairs), Billy was unceremoniously dumped from their Front Bench when FG came to power. And replaced with Wicklow’s Simon Harris.
RèNua are screwed.
Wicklow’s Billy Timmins as her Deputy Leader? Laughable.
This is a man who has failed to accomplish a single memorable thing for Wicklow since his family-seat election in 1997. Having been an ineffective opposition spokesperson on several matters (notably Defence and Foreign Affairs), Billy was unceremoniously dumped from their Front Bench when FG came to power. And replaced with Wicklow’s Simon Harris.
RèNua are screwed.
winding_down you can say that again.
Why do the people of Wicklow keep electing Billy then?
Apologies, that “Good work” comment wasn’t a reply to Jangles, it was a reply to John Morgan’s “Good to see them support Ireland. The website is hosted with an american company. The theme is a wordpress theme sold by an american company. And the domain is registered with godaddy, also american…”. although Jangles’ comment I like too. Amazing what a couple of seconds delay does to a comment on this site.
@Rochelle: Because Billy’s father Godfrey held the only Dáil seat in Wicklow west of the Wicklow Mountains.
People are very conservative at a General Election. The Timmins’ have always had the agricultural vote sown up – and they very evidently vote for faces, not for competence or track records.
You can say that again! Oh, you did!
Cringe!
eddie hobs. super cringe
What is she wearing? It looks like a upmarket track suit top crossed with JFK’s head post assassination
Trying to ReNua her career.
Oh deary me what a dreadful name…is it an insurance company?
What’s their stance on the upcoming marriage equality referendum?
What ever stance gets most support in the polls. Fine Gael Light
From what little they’ve said so far, they won’t have a party political stance on those kind of issues. Individual TDs will vote how they call it.
At the speed it took them to come up with a name, I reckon they won’t know the answer to that question until after the referendum.
The problem is if they all have individual stance on issues how well they ever agree on anything and form a policy.
If im not mistaken i recollect Mr Hobbs slagging off the people for protesting against the water charges on one of the radio stations.
In fairness, they were never going to be social democrats or leftys or even centrists, they’re all conservative right wingers they’re trying to get the same niche the PDs tapped into and that’s soooo ironic because these days that niche LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVES being taxed to death, they’ve no problem paying 52% AND property AND water and mock anyone who protests it…but the core PD policy back then was? Tax Cuts…I just find that so ironic.
I remember canvassing PD heartland years ago and they wanted tax cuts galore, back when taxes were way lower than now, and now when you talk to them all you get is mockery of these silly people protesting these taxes…which are far more regressive than anything of past…ahhh but there you see why this niche don’t mind it…because for a change, exactly BECAUSE they are regressive, they love that the great unwashed have to pay “for a change” (as they see it)
And they see it correctly. The hardcore protesters are largely individuals who have lived off the taxpayer their entire lives and are outraged at finally having to make a contribution to the cost of something they consume.
ReNua? I’d be embarrassed for her if I thought she had any shame.
I’m wondering the logo a dying flower or a bird.
ReNua??
*eyeroll*
They mean “Ré Nua”. They can’t spell.
They mean “Ré Nua” – New Period/Age.
They can’t spell.
Sorry, some App error message duplicated my posts.
Well thank heavens the wait is over and we have a name. My list of parties to not vote for in the next election is FINALLY complete, and ‘The God Squad’ didn’t look right on the page.
Make no mistake, Creighton is FG to the bone and would still be part of the parliamentary party, probably a minister by now, had the government not been embarrassed into legislating for the X case.
Make no mistake, a vote for this lot is a vote for FG.
Is she not jinxing the whole thing by officially starting the party on Friday 13th..!!??
Yeah she should have waited till April fools day.
No, she’s jinxing it in more important ways such as, for example, not having any discernible policies.
Oh, she has policies Neal, the Iona institute will make sure their mailing list knows about them prior to polling day.
Jammin – what policies are you referring to there?
Oh hehe he’s said Iona! Witty and original!!
Can we at least hear what they have to say before tearing them apart?
But if we wait, the queue to rip them to shreds will be miles long. :(
They’ve already said things. It’s just generic well meaning waffle that everyone can broadly agree with.
We already know Caitríona….it’s FG with Hail Mary’s to back them up.
Caitriona do u not know lucindas views
ReNua? WTF!……………………….actually ‘WTF’ has a better ring to it.
These people are here to save the country.
Spaghetti Monster help us all!
This is like a bad joke. How do they even think they can compete with other parties?
I’d imagine they plan to hoover up any disaffected conservative votes from the existing conservative parties (FF/FG/Lab) and then join in a glorious coalition.
They’re after the pro-life vote who’ve turned their backs on FG for legislating for the x case. These people are also the demographic most likely to show up on voting day.
Misprint there, fairly sure it should be ruin Ireland.
The name even looks better back to front. .
…….Auner..
“We believe in encouraging independence of thought,” she added.”
I’m sure she meant “We believe in encouraging independence from thought.”
Pity they haven’t said a word about the Independence of Ireland/continuing partition in her list of policies. A blueshirt by any other name, is still a blueshirt. Lucinda is a self serving career politician cretin.
After spending months deciding what to call the party, they come up with RENUA ha!
Interesting but awkward name. Re(fada) Nua meaning a new era, Renu(e) instead of “a” meaning to bring back to its original form. I think people will refer to it as Renue. Of course it will then need Re(ve)nue to keep existing.
re and ré actually mean different things, seems they’ve fallen into the sean Seán trap ouch!
Ah here, Lucy’s a smart girl – she wouldn’t make a mistake like that. I’m sure she actually means that she’ll fix the boilers. I’ll be calling her up soon to get my boiler rated. You should too: http://renuaboiler.com/
Looks like they haven’t exactly swelled their ranks. Still only three of them for the “big launch”.
Aoife, alerts from the daily edge, the journal and the 42? Come on now. Thats extracting the urine.
Yes. That is what we all need. Another Mayo party leader…..
It sounds like a face cream for elderly women!
Seems to be a lot of negativity toward Lucinda here. Not saying i’m a fan but what is her crime exactly, she is pro life? Catholic? That in itself and that alone is not a reason I wouldn’t vote for them. And anyway look at the other party leaders as a comparison.
I’d like to hear what this party’s policies are first and decide then what I think about them.
That’s a very substantial reason that many people would never vote for a conservative fundamentalist. Too many years spent in the dark ages. We want to move forward and not backwards. It is hard to be led by a person for who what’s written in the Bible is more important than logical thinking and reality.
Lucinda may be Catholic or pro life but I haven’t seen any evidence to substantiate the assertion that for Lucinda “whats written in the bible is more important than logical thinking and reality”.
For me the policies of the party – what is their manifesto and what they will do in power – is what I will refer to when deciding to vote for them or not. For me that is logical thinking.
There seem to be a lot of people ready to vote for Sinn Fein. And this often in spite of the history and some of the, lets say, controversial beliefs of their leader Gerry Adams.
Marie – conservative fundamentalist? That’s just silly.
She doesn’t support abortion. So she’s a fundamentalist?
Silly.
Vincent, here you go, have a listen to their “Policy’s”. they cant even speak, never mind be trusted with running a country http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/renua-ireland-s-terence-flanagan-has-mental-blank-on-radio-1.2139165
Finally the Catholic Church in Ireland has a political wing. It will fade as quickly as the church it takes its orders from is.
That’s just silly
IRELAND IS TIRED OF THE SAME OLD, CENTER RIGHT, CONSERVATIVE, STATUS QUO KEEPING POLITICS! …so I decided to form another party meeting that criteria.
So she wants to lift the cost of child care from parents. Where does she suggest she gets the extra money to pay for it.
From tax paying parents obviously. Maybe the Catholic Church should chip in. They oppose any method to control population growth.
Some people would swallow a brick if they think this “new” party would do anything different to FF or FG
Sounds like a health insurance company
ReNua Ireland Party ….. RIP launched on Friday 13th……really??
Let it rip so!
They should call them selves the REnua peoples front. But then, the peoples front of REnua won’t be very happy.
Good name! All the low achieving haters are out in force in the comments section as usual.
Dude, don’t be so hard on yourself, there is a place in this society for you and your rug!
Why am I being notified of this? It said it would only send breaking stories as a notification. A name of a political party is hardly breaking news, getting sick of it at this stage.
I agree. Consequently I just changed my settings on the app.
Under the Party’s ‘Vision’ they have an interesting take on Welfare..check out the last line…. am I reading that wrong?
WELFARE
A functioning state ensures all its citizens are afforded the means of existence and the possibility to secure a dignified purposeful life. We intend in welfare to build a state structure that marries compassion with responsibility.
Those who are not self reliant will be imprisoned rather than released by a life on welfare.
That is not a bad idea.
OK, so that’s one good policy.
Sounds like a good idea alright ;-) and imagine all the jobs there would be in prison construction!
Why help with housing & pay for childcare that can allow people to get back work and contribute…. when you can game-fully employ, ‘correctional officers’ and construction companies for supermax prisions. Its a no brainer ;-)
This reminds of NI21 up North another party with a stupid name that crashed and burnt at its first election.
The PD’s reborn ???
Too many vowels!
Or bowels !
Why is she dressed like someone from star trek?
Christ…and I thought politics couldn’t get any worse in Ireland…where are the progressives?
Woeful altogether.
Hobbs, ah enough said.
Grand pair of legs though and lucinda isn’t looking bad either
Sounds like the brand name for a remould vehicle tyre imported from North Korea.
North Korenua!!!!!!
I’m voting for them.
No reduction in salaries, pensions before 65 …. Nope, nothing different here. Move on….SSDD…
What are there policy on people making there own choices? ? ? Freedom of choice? Human rights?
There are still waiting a consultation from the higher power on this subject. As soon as the almighty comes back to them, they will notify the rest of us merely mortals.
This is from their website under the heading ‘Children’
Children
There is no greater moral and political issue than securing the future of children.
… and then the rest of the text box is conspicuously blank. Was something omitted at the last minute? …. maybe something a bit pro-life?
Karl Deeters is their man for ethics
Renua means nothing in Irish. Ré nua does but that’s not what she called the party. Great start for your party – the name of it is actually a typo
Cringeworthy name and Lucinda is involved….no thanks
Fine Gael “light” to oppose Fine Gael.
Renua is Yiddish for “more of the same”.
Congratulations Renua. I’m afraid I won’t be voting for you if you are taking a hardline against abortion in all circumstances.
However I welcome any addition to our lacklustre political spectrum and your courage to step up and seek the vote of the people.
As far as I’m aware they don’t use the whip and matters like that would be an open vote.
Their site states that votes of conscience would not be subject to a party whip
I just listened to the press conference and I like what they are saying.
Renua medical are gonna be pissed off… Hope they take a nice case against her.
Hob nob will get a rake of votes in Cork. … .. ha..ha
.
Renua and all in white what a cliched joke
Why is Lucinda wearing an Imperial Storm Trooper Outfit without the mask?
Same old nonsense, just get rid of Water charges and household tax, and i will will vote ya in, whoever you are cause you are all the same at the end of the day ……
It is sad when all that bothers people is water and household charges. How about social issues? Aren’t they as important or even more?
Mm. Sounds better than Sinn Fein. Sand-papering my eyes would actually…
If it will help your reading comprehension, then go right ahead.
Renua has begun a new political party of hope and change for open honest politics where everyone matters
Will they introduce direct democracy and really give the people the control and voice? No? So just FG under new name. Pass!
Hope of bringing Ireland back to the dark days of religious fundamentalism?
I’ll just leave this here:
Best of luck, it’s something new, maybe not for everyone, but at least it’s something new.
Surely Chris it’s something old.
With regards to the party’s stance on, the website says
“No real democratic party or democratic system, should interfere with an individual elected representative’s values on matters of conscience.”
So Lucinda doesn’t think it’s okay to have her values interfered with. Yet she, along with other pro life enthusiasts, finds it perfectly acceptable to interfere with women’s rights over choosing what they want to do with their own bodies.
*stance on abortion
Eh????? Is it me or is the logo ripping off that Greek party slightly ?
A new version of the PD’s. They were FF in with a new coat. This lot are FG with a new coat.
Is it pronounced Re-Nua or Ren-Ua?
Ré-Nua
ré = era
nua = new
Ré unsurprising rhymes with ray (ay in english is equivalent to é)
Of course no doubt people will mess up the syllable boundary, like way most people say Ardfheis as “Ar-d(fh)eis” instead of “Ard-(fh)eis”
I reckon it’s like quinoa.
Eddie Hobbs says he isnt running. Their website says he is https://soundmigration.wordpress.com/2015/03/13/renau-ireland-launched-amidst-eddie-hobbs-confusion/
Sounds like a urinary tract infection.
“Yeah so the doctor says it’s Renua”
“Oh you should drink some cranberry juice, that’ll clear it right up”
Anything that a such a smart man as Eddie Hobbs involved in then I’m in. This country has been recycling the same shite for decades FF/FG this country as we know has changed as has Europe and other global economys.. time to change the guard with ppl who care abt the average blur collar worker rather than the regime now that wants to milk everything out of you till u haven’t a pot to piss in.. !!!
Eh……..no.
Renin and all in white what a clichéd joke
Every party bar this one is on hock to vested interests. That and less TDs with single seat constituency gets my vote.
Abolish seanaid, slash number of TDs. And bring Renua around the back and shoot them! New party needed but this isn’t it!
Good to see Lucinda splitting the bankster vote.
Renua. It sounds like a colon flushing medicine!
Just look at the multitude of negative comments. Truly delighted to see the begrudgers out first…..gets them out of the way. Sit back now and watch. Up here for thinking…
Their statements so far remind me of psychic readings, broad statements that will eventually get something right.
When the specifics come out, then the idiocy *truly* begins.
Renua s/ f. Combo. !!!
Renua Ireland can be anagrammed into “Ruin Laden Era” and that is what her party springs from, and it’s where it will bring us.
this party is an obvious stunt. she voted to support the government in passing all the laws and that hurt the public and selling of irish assets cheaply to friends of those in power as well as supporting the creation of the super quango on steroids irish water……………..now they are complaining about them. thankfully people are seeing through this.
i have no doubt creighton is very bright, smart, capable and very very dangerous. she is an absolute europhile who is completely beholden to the finance sector. the same special interest groups that have bought the support of ff and fg are likely heavily invested in this party also.
this party can not be trusted.
I wonder how many highly paid PR monkeys it took to come up with this ridiculous name? Welcome back to the latest incarnation of the PD’s hopefully you will die out quicker than the last one
Ruina Ireland. I like it.
Yawn
There was no need for Lucinda Creighton, Billy Timmons and Peter Mathews to go against the FG whip with regard to the X Case legislation. No pregnancies have been terminated that I’m aware of in this jurisdiction and, if there are any terminations, the number will be very small.
Pity the new party can’t spell!!
Why is Renua (New Era) and Lucinda Cretin getting so much media exposure? They are nothing new or radical and their leadership is made up of a whiney failed economist and a self serving gombeen who has done nothing of value in her entire political career.
This is Fine Gael lite, nothing more and nothing new. Why are anti austerity party’s not getting full articles devoted to them by The Journal?
Why have Direct Democracy Ireland not had an article devoted to them on The Journal, they’re a fully registered party in the state and have contested local and EU elections….yet we never hear about them on the status quo media because they seek to change the rotten system that prevails in the Irish political world.
Tom Rooney
Only enough snout room at the trough for the house players.
is she in the parade
Renua Ireland is an Anagram of Ed Near Urinal, so it’s Clear Eddie Hobb’s is taking the Piss.
Junior Fine Gael get the boat you Headcase
Renua Gael – Change we can believe in!
So having tried to change the system from within and concluded that it is impossible it is decided that another political party is the solution?
Can someone explain this to me!
Anyone know who is running in laois / Offaly or is it decided yet ??
Karl Deeter , ethics officer ?
So more of the same bs, pds2
I wish Lucinda good luck. nip.ie
I would rather contract Ebola than vote for this party. Lucinda is a FG lackey all the way. nothing new to see here folks, move along.
Rénua*
Bob Geldolf once said that ” if the troubles in Ireland ended ” Ireland could be the jewel in the crown of Europe”. Let’s all hope this new party will be new.
Anyone seriously thinking about voting for this joke of a party, listen to this for ineptitude and ignorance. cant speak but wants you to put them in power. Jesus Wept. http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/renua-ireland-s-terence-flanagan-has-mental-blank-on-radio-1.2139165
Went into renua.ie. No means to give any views on the parties policies. All contribution links are dead ends. The party is just a facade they should heve gone from reboot ireland to jackboot Ireland
Go back under your bridge, Lucinda and stop trolling us.
I might actually support this party if it wasn’t for the involvement of Eddie”opinion on everything”Hobbs
Ya ditto..hes a pain
Proof will be in the doing. Let’s see what they campaign on and how they handle the upcomming referrendum
Agh…the cringe factor…i knew they’d go with some board approved Irish name like that (because the Irish language is fashionable now, didnt you know).
Having said all that im broadly supportive of they type of policies that (i think) they will be putting forward. My main concern is that they are only weakening FG, so this smacks more of an ego trip for Ms Creighton. The worry of course is it could create an opening for the socalist SF/IRA, something this country needs like a fork in the eye.
‘I Cant believe its not fine gael’
Seriously? Bloody pretentious
I do @richard hennessy and generally disagree with everything she says but I reckon any new party in a democratic Republic should be given the chance to establish themselves.
Sounds Like a Wind Farm, after all she’s great for blowing a lot of it.
Tacky branding
Yeah Lucinda’s Cretins would have been better alright
have your say