Election 2007

[GavinZac]

(8) Our huge obesity problem... adults I accept re responsible forthemselves but IMO more needs to be done by the state to ensure that children are given the chanc of excercising properly...surely it is a no brainer to introduce some element of compulsory PE into the school curriculum ??

er, there is.

[Macy]

It may have been "after" that, but it wasn't "because" of that.

It was most definitely because of it. European Central Bank raised concerns and called him in, in between he introduced SSIA's as a means to take money out of the economy. So give away budget, particularly for the rich, and then he gives them more Government money if they save it. No wonder he's a right wing hero...

explain? what will the government think about their money not being used, apparantly?

What's to explain - are text books, copy books, pencils etc supplied free like they are in most other European countries? Are you aware that the start of the school term is as good a time for loan sharks as Christmas as people struggle to pay for all the books?

[Lim till i die]

Are you aware that the start of the school term is as good a time for loan sharks as Christmas as people struggle to pay for all the books?

Now, now Macy that doesn't happen. Have you seen the figures above?? €32,360. Why, I'd wager loan sharks don't even exist anymore

[Calcio Jack]

er, there is.

So what's the reason ?

[GavinZac]

So what's the reason ?

Parents are afraid to be too strong with their kids given the way that kids go off the walls in teenage years, so they give them video games and DVDs to placate them. the idea of entertaining yourself by playing 3 hours of football every night is probably alien to the majority of irish kids these days.
An over supply of processed food is another obvious cause, and i think our government should invest in creating healthy school cafeterias. kids should be fed a healthy lunch and dinner before they are sent home, because parents just aren't doing it anymore.

[dahamsta]

Wonderful post Calcio Jack!

GavicZac, how about skipping your usual tactic of picking one item in a post and attacking it, and this time addressing the other 95% of it?

adam

[GavinZac]

What's to explain - are text books, copy books, pencils etc supplied free like they are in most other European countries? Are you aware that the start of the school term is as good a time for loan sharks as Christmas as people struggle to pay for all the books?

Books were loaned free to us in primary school and for a loan scheme of £30 in secondary school. In what countries is education truly free then? and how does ireland compare to them, and to the many countries where some or every step of the education ladder is fee-paying? i'm not being smart, i'm honestly curious. it strikes me, and the multinationals who come here looking for an educated english speaking work force, that the one thing we do have is a good education system.

[BohsPartisan]

Books were loaned free to us in primary school and for a loan scheme of £30 in secondary school. In what countries is education truly free then? and how does ireland compare to them, and to the many countries where some or every step of the education ladder is fee-paying? i'm not being smart, i'm honestly curious. it strikes me, and the multinationals who come here looking for an educated english speaking work force, that the one thing we do have is a good education system.

Primary education is as good as fee paying with (compulsory) "voluntary" donations required for each child.

BTW, Well put by Calcio Jack.

[Lim till i die]

BTW, Well put by Calcio Jack.

I'd like to also say well done to Mr.Jack

Although it is a little grating that I can bang my head against a wall for three pages then someone can just come on with a gem of a post like that

[GavinZac]

GavicZac, how about skipping your usual tactic of picking one item in a post and attacking it, and this time addressing the other 95% of it?

I agree with a lot of it! And some of it is waffle. FF are at fault for house prices, not the gullible irish public willing to pay vastly over inflated prices to a flush construction industry? FF specifically targeted the middle class for the SSIA scheme? Benchmarking is somehow a bad thing?

Remember I've already said I'm voting for mick barry and not particularly pushed on voting for FF. However, in terms of the bigger picture, i dont have a problem with FF staying in power, as the only other option is fine gael and i'll end up emigrating if that reactionary tool gets in government.

[jebus]

I'd like to also say well done to Mr.Jack

Although it is a little grating that I can bang my head against a wall for three pages then someone can just come on with a gem of a post like that

I was thinking the same

I agree with a lot of it! And some of it is waffle.

Surely, given the damning assessment Calcio just gave that even if you agree with just some of it, it would be enough to put you off Fianna Fail? Or at least enough to make you seriously doubt ticking their box come election time?

[GavinZac]

Surely, given the damning assessment Calcio just gave that even if you agree with just some of it, it would be enough to put you off Fianna Fail? Or at least enough to make you seriously doubt ticking their box come election time?

Did you read the rest of the post? I won't be ticking their box, most probably. Yes there have been questionable decisions along the way to our better position, but I never said that FF have done everything perfect. Certainly not. I just think we'd be better off giving them another term rather than inflicting enda on the state.

[BohsPartisan]

FF are at fault for house prices, not the gullible irish public willing to pay vastly over inflated prices to a flush construction industry?

What are you supposed to do? Continue paying extortionate rent to greedy landlords?
Stay at home with your parents into your forties?

[WeAreRovers]

Calcio Jack - You're posh so you buying a house back in the day doesn't count.

Seriously though, I agree with most of your points but I still think this country is a million times better than it was (and I'm not claiming the current government are solely responsible) but I fail to see how Enda Kenny and FG will change any of the issues you've raised.

Getting the PDs out and keeping FG out is what matters to me personally. And I'll be voting accordingly.

Slightly off-topic - Calcio Jack, did you see the Greens response re. Tallaght?

KOH

[jebus]

Did you read the rest of the post? I won't be ticking their box, most probably. Yes there have been questionable decisions along the way to our better position, but I never said that FF have done everything perfect. Certainly not. I just think we'd be better off giving them another term rather than inflicting enda on the state.

You're not voting Fianna Fail? then what the hell where we arguing about for two hours last night!

[GavinZac]

What are you supposed to do? Continue paying extortionate rent to greedy landlords?
Stay at home with your parents into your forties?

No. Into your 20s maybe. The reason prices are so high is that the construction industry, from the mick wallace types to the guy digging a hole, wanted to screw the customer out of as much money as possible. Now people are linking the slowdown in housing prices rising to some turn around in our economy - could it not be a combination of people getting a little more sense as to what they can afford, and competition beginning to reduce prices be it between the large construction firms as we're building houses faster than anyone in the world, or be it by migrant workers willing to work harder for the same or less money than the irish construction workers.

You're not voting Fianna Fail? then what the hell where we arguing about for two hours last night!

Did dodge say something about me being on a wind-up? no, im not voting for fianna fail as i stated pretty early in the thread. however, since the majority of the opposition is absolutely rubbish, a (kicked up the arse) Bertie government is ok with me for another few years.

[jebus]

No. Into your 20s maybe. The reason prices are so high is that the construction industry, from the mick wallace types to the guy digging a hole, wanted to screw the customer out of as much money as possible. Now people are linking the slowdown in housing prices rising to some turn around in our economy - could it not be a combination of people getting a little more sense as to what they can afford, and competition beginning to reduce prices be it between the large construction firms as we're building houses faster than anyone in the world, or be it by migrant workers willing to work harder for the same or less money than the irish construction workers.

Do you really think that Fianna Fail will let their castle built on quick sand sink so fast if they get re-elected? If they do so I fully expect FF to start scaremongering us into even more consumerism to boost the economy into another false dawn, whilst playing down the fact that this economy will go bust as soon as the international companies deals start running out around the country and they take their $s to India, Pakistan etc. for even greater perks than we can ever offer over here. If Fianna Fail get re-elected and even last just one more term, they can then hand it over to Fine Gael to take the rap for all of FF's mishandling of this country

[Lim till i die]

Did dodge say something about me being on a wind-up?

This is what Dodge said:

How long before Gavin tries to say he was on a wind up? Oh dear oh dear oh dear

And here we are a few pages later........

[GavinZac]

Do you really think that Fianna Fail will let their castle built on quick sand sink so fast if they get re-elected? If they do so I fully expect FF to start scaremongering us into even more consumerism to boost the economy into another false dawn, whilst playing down the fact that this economy will go bust as soon as the international companies deals start running out around the country and they take their $s to India, Pakistan etc. for even greater perks than we can ever offer over here. If Fianna Fail get re-elected and even last just one more term, they can then hand it over to Fine Gael to take the rap for all of FF's mishandling of this country

The plan all along was to use the fact that we had a cheaply available workforce to stimulate the economy, and then use this influx of cash to educate the younger people coming into the work force so as to add a better skill-value to the average employee and as such attract the Googles and the EMC's rather than factory multinationals. It seems to be going pretty well. Practically everyone now has a leaving cert leaving school, and practically everyone has the opportunity to do a degree. "Knowledge economy" is the buzzword, I believe.

[passinginterest]

the mick wallace types

What did Mick do to get dragged into this?

Anyway interesting thread all around. I decided to vote Labour this time around. This will be my first time voting in Dublin. Last time in Wexford I voted for Liam Towmey (then independent now Fine Gael) followed by Brendan Howlin (Labour) and I think probably Tony Dempsey (Fianna Fail).

Like many others I won't vote Sinn Fein or PD. I also have issues with Fine Gael and can only see them in power bringing the entire economy tumbling down. Like most I'd also agree that much of Fianna Fail's reign has been flawed and corrupt so where do we go from here?

Honestly I think Labour/Fianna Fail is about as good as it's likely to get. It's regrettable that the opposition in this country is so non-descript, but, I think if Fine Gael got into power they would last 2 years max and would be so damaged by the outcome that no viable alternative government will exist for the next twenty years.