The Leader’s Debate (RTE)

Rte.ie

Just watched the leader’s debate on RTE tonight. It wasn’t surprising in any way, as no one got landed with a “killer blow”.

They talked about housing mainly and how they planned to build up to 100,000 new homes as social/ affordable homes for our young people who are trapped in their parents home as they cannot afford the crazy prices of houses particularly in Dublin. All the participants indicated that they would greatly increase the number of houses being built. Surprisingly no-one asked why this hadn’t being done already as both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael where effectively in government together for the last four years.

So one has to take all the promises being made with a pinch of salt. Both Mary Lou McDonald (Sinn fein) and Richard Boyd Barret ( People before Profit) put in good performances with Richard Boy Barret making the comment that selling up to €40 billion in Nama properties to developers and vulture funds wasn’t the way to solve a housing crisis.

Mary Lou McDonald mentioned  that Fianna Fail crashed the economy whilst in office and Fine Gael builds the most expensive Children hospital ( at estimated €2.4 billion it certainly is) in the world.  The National Broadband plan doesn’t get a mention at a staggering €3 billion-  3 times the price that Eir/Eircom said they would do it for .

The Greens want to cut the suckler herd by 50% so to cut emissions of methane though they would compensate farmers for the lost production. The other participants disagreed with the Greens on this. More Gardaí were promised to tackle crime, organisation of special units and so on.

Leo Varadkar stressed that you need a strong economy to fund all these commitments and that Fine Gael was the party to deliver this “strong economy” .

Michael Martin was busy attacking Sinn fein on the fact they had voted for the retirement age to be 66 in the North.

General view on the debate was that they were no outright winners or losers in it. Though Sinn fein’s Mary Lou McDonald came out the best.

More would want to be asked about Corporation tax and the fact the banks don’t pay any despite being bailed out by the taxpayer. Other companies like companies like Google don’t pay any tax while making immense profits, though I forget the company that was mentioned in the debate. More has to be done on fair taxation for all.

See the leader’s debate here

https://www.rte.ie/player/series/claire-byrne-live-leaders-debate/SI0000006738?epguid=IH000383124

On the Looming Election.

Well here it is election time and its come sooner than we thought. The money was on a May election but fianna fail seem to have pulled the plug on fine gael.

Well what’s to say that there isn’t much of a choice really, two pretty uncool conservative parties that are very similar in policies and very much against the interests of Ireland.  Fianna fail is know for its rampant corruption and the fact that they nearly sunk the “state” while  in power. The people of Ireland got the national debt increased fivefold or more to over €211 billion and that’s not including Nama which has reputely lost €47 billion of the original €74 billion set aside for bad debts owned by banks and builders and property speculators and so on. Nearly “scuttled” the Republic of Ireland with what they did.

Fine gael on the hand makes dodgy deals with state contracts paying 3/4 times the estimated price on items such as the National broadband plan which could have been done for about a billion euro according to Eir/Eircom. Instead the contract is given to a American firm with no experience or expertise in providing rural broadband. Its all payed for by the taxpayer who is treated like a slush fund by corrupt politicians. The National children’s hospital is also way over budget for no particular reason.

Well that’s my view on Fianna fail/ Fine gael everything costs a blooming fortune and you wonder where it all goes ? The other parties are much smaller players than FF/FG and likely to go into coalition with either of the two above. No change  to 26/6 counties is what Boris Johnson wants and is very likely to get.

As usual RTE ( who owe me money for Colm and Jim JIm ) are trying to “skewer” the result by only having  FF/FG leaders in the final debate. Attempting to lead the “electorate” a lot RTE.

So who gets my vote ?

  • A party that will end partition.
  • End the two tier health service.
  • Affordable housing for our young people who can’t get a house without paying silly money for 3 bed semi detached house.
  • Efficient use of people’s taxes.
  • More public transport to carry people where they want to go.
  • Cut down on pollution and increase greener alternatives.

That’s just for starters but does any party measure up ? We will soon find out.