Comment from members
of the public relative to the election, candidates, political parties and politicians who
will contest the next General Election in Ireland in 2007 are hereby cordially invited.
Political parties who will contest Election 07 are hereby invited to submit, by their entire manifesto for the governance of Ireland during the extent of the 30th Dáil.
Comments will be
reviewed, in some cases collated, synopsised and moderated before being published on this website.
Please inform politically motivated people to
bookmark this website
One must
question the propriety and decorum associated with the delay
in terminating the 29th Dáil. Why keep an Irish
electorate ignorant and in suspense as to the date for the
2007 general election. What was the reason for the
peculiar idea of calling the general election early on a
Sunday morning. Is everything so badly mixed up?
It is
unfair and unacceptable and leads one to believe that the
calling of the date is more about favouring certain
political parties. Those of the electorate who travel
abroad for one reason or another have been militated
against, as have third level students sitting examinations
and people wishing to arrange summer holidays.
One must
also comment on the state of the Irish economy at this
important juncture. We are in deep trouble on this
front and the "Celtic Tiger" will soon no doubt become a
"Tame Tabby"! Do you not all realise that almost 50%
of the "Celtic Tiger" Irish economy is based on the
building/property industry generally. It is a sector
that is controlled by about 7% or slightly less of the Irish
population. That is an unhealthy reliance on a sector
that is in excess of 25% more than in any other developed
country. The norm should be no more that 15 - 20%.
......................
.....
The FF/PD coalition reliance and support for the
exclusive wealthy elitist 7% building/property oriented
minority Irish electorate will likely be their downfall.
It is one thing to create and nurture such a minority
but, it can only backfire because as such, it is ironic
that this citizen clique is in such a minority.
You will only hear this filthy rich clique crying for a
return of the current Government. They will indeed
try to use their considerable wealth to coax, cajole and
convince the general public, or as they see them, the
"ordinary people" to vote the way they want them to.
Fortunately the majority population can change that by
exercising proper discretion and due diligence with
their voting power. Vote the right way and you
will influence a reduction in house pricing in 3 - 5
years time when you will be able to buy
your own home at a proper and fair price.
This is also part of the reason there is such hysteria
and diverse forecasting coming by way of various
outbursts on the economy generally and on stamp duty
issues. These crazy comments have recently bellowed
forth from many Irish "chancer" economists, who dream of
being an almost instant "Alan Greenspan". It is
downright dangerous. Has anyone noticed that house
building sites are presently closing down like new time
and that building workers are being let go at an
alarming rate. Repossessions are quickening to an
all-time high. Polish and Baltic States workers'
are preparing to leave for home in their droves.
This is reality and not scare mongering!
This is the end of the Green Party that we voted
for. They will go the way of the PD's and as history has
shown, every other small political party who entered Government with
a larger party. The Green deputies will be entering
re-election issues sooner than they think because this Government
will not run its fill term.
Will Trevor Sargent, as a minister ever attend an
official Irish Government engagement at Shannon airport?
Is it not amazing what the scent of power will do,
even to our beloved Trevor Sargent and the entire Green Party who
have decided to enter coalition government. Fancy being in
Government with what is left of the PD's!
I'm one green supporter jumping ship. I and
my friends do not support going into Government with Fianna
Fáil. I have been badly let down by what I believed in and
what I fought for during the election campaign. I did think we
had a new political era in the Green Party but, alas!
Very disgruntled west Dublin former green voter.
so'l
Lucan
Comment, Tue, 29 May 2007 10 24 22
------------------------------------- Look they are Bashing Me Again!
-------------------------------------
Once more the people of Ireland have fallen for that chanting crier ploy
that alleges the "Bashing of Bertie".
Surely this was an expected master stroke by the Fianna
Fáil election machine, introduced just before the stroke of midnight! And it
worked on the ordinary people once more. It was noted how the
opposition did not bite at the baited hooks introduced by certain bought
media to try and get debate on the fortunes of the old GUBU exponent.
Now the Mahon Tribunal is bashing him too! Amazing!
What next?
Dirty rotten scoundrels, I suppose!
Has it been a bridge too far?
And then what about poor Beverley?
Oh! My! God - where have we gotten ourselves toooooo?
Funny Goings on in Mayo, Dublin Central and Laois Offaly to mention but a
few!
Regards,
Disgruntled candidate
Laois Offaly!
Tue, 29 May 2007
Comment,
Wed 23/05/2007 12:01
--------------------------------------------------------
Labour Party Campaign Update
--------------------------------------------------------
Dear Friend,
We are nearly there!
With less than 24 hours to go before polls open one thing is clear:
the election will go down to the wire and every vote counts.
Across the country Labour has run a professional, energetic and principled
campaign. We can be proud of the campaign we ran, the issues we focused on
and the effort we have given.
However, the voters still have to have their say. In the final hours before
polling we must make sure that every vote for Labour is secured.
In the last couple of days Fianna Fail have been in disarray over the cost
of implementing their plan to grant tax breaks to developers to build super
private clinics on the grounds of public hospitals.
Senior Fianna Fail Ministers, including the Minister for Finance, have been
at sea trying to give a precise cost for this scandalous plan.
The Taoiseach himself had to admit on television yesterday evening that
Brian Cowen got his sums wrong on Questions and Answers on Monday night.
The Labour Party is opposed to this plan. Along with Fine Gael we are
committed to scrapping it and instead supplying 2,300 public beds.
That is the right approach to ending the crisis in our hospitals.
Tomorrow you have a choice between two blocs. On the one hand there is
Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats who want to grant tax breaks to
developers for the construction of super private clinics and worsen the
two-tier divide. On the other there is the Alliance for Change that will
scrap this plan and will concentrate on improving public healthcare.
That is the choice facing this country. You have the power to influence the
outcome. Please consider forwarding this email to your friends, family and
colleagues.
Use your vote. Vote Labour and make a change.
Kind regards,
Pat Rabbitte
--------------------------------------------------------
DO MORE
--------------------------------------------------------
Join with us:
<http://www.labour.ie/join/>
Donate to help our campaign:
<http://www.labour.ie/donate/>
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Copyright (c) 2007 The Labour Party
Just a short note to give you
an election update as we enter the final seven days. The last week of
this campaign is crucial. Across the country thousands of undecided
voters will make up their minds, their decision is vital to the outcome
of the election. Labour needs to put in a strong drive over the coming
week to ensure that these voters decide to vote for change and vote
Labour.
Labour's campaign is going
well. Of the five polls published since the election was called, four of
them show an increase in our vote. This matches our feedback from the
canvas where two things are clear:
- After ten years of FF and
the PDs there is a real mood for change among voters.
- Labour's positive agenda is
attracting more and more support as polling day approaches.
Between now and 24th May our
teams in every constituency will be campaigning flat out to return
Labour TDs. Make sure that you're part of this campaign for change. Log
onto
Tonight, just after the 9
o'clock news, I'll be on the Prime Time debate. I'll be emphasising
Labour's key issues in this campaign:
health, education, housing
and safer communities. I'll also be on the Pat Kenny radio show on RTE
tomorrow (Thursday), where I'll be answering questions from voters live
on air.
Thanks for all your support
during the campaign so far, it's really appreciated. We've just seven
days to go, let's give it everything in the final week and make it a
great election for Labour.
I
believe this is the most important election in decades.
The
outcome of this campaign will shape the future of our country.
The
decisions we take now will impact long beyond polling day.
The
Labour Party is fighting this campaign on a positive agenda for change.
My five key commitments for change will make this country a better place
for all. These commitments are:
-
More beds in clean hospital
-
Pre-school education for all our children
-
More Gardai on the beat in neighbourhoods
-
Abolish the means test for carers
-
Enable more people to begin to buy a home of their own
With less than two weeks to go to polling day one thing is crystal
clear: there is a real mood for change across the country.
Everywhere I go I meet hard-working people who want an end to this
incompetent, arrogant government. They are fed-up with the crisis in our
health services and the scandalous waste of taxpayers. They want a
change. They want a change for the better. Labour, together with Fine
Gael, are offering that change.
From now until polling day I and my Labour Party colleagues will be
working tirelessly to elect Labour candidates throughout the country. I
am asking you to join us.
Between now and polling day every voter canvassed, every leaflet
delivered, every euro donated will help us achieve our goal. Your
contribution is vital.
From now until 24th May each constituency is planning a major
campaigning drive. Opinion polls indicate that Labour is well positioned
to make breakthroughs in target seats across the country.
Our
canvas returns tell a similar story. This will be a great election for
the Labour, make sure you are part of it!
Comment, Fri 11/05/2007
16:11. I will away on the 24th May.
I have done the online vote but can I vote on the day or do I need to
have filled in any forms?
Thanks
Audrey
Reply: Thank you
for taking part in our Political parties’ poll.
Unless you have made prior arrangements you will only be able to vote in
your local polling booth. There is no official online facility to allow
you cast your ballot.
First of all, please be aware that our website has nothing to do with
officialdom! In other words it is not in any way connected officially
with the Irish government.
In view of the fact that Electronic Voting machines were purchased by
the government many years ago, were rarely used because of some
technical/security issues/problems and are still maintained in
supervised storage at an enormous cost to the Irish taxpayer, we felt it
was an area that should be highlighted in some way or another at this
critical time, by an online facility/system that is fair and in keeping
with our proportionate representational voting system. VoteFair.org fits
that bill so we have teamed up with them to give all Irish voters an
opportunity to cast their votes in helping to form a virtual type of
second Dáil+ in 2007.
Needless to say this system also provides some very serious and valuable
poll and survey results. In that regard we treat it as serious indeed
and these are updated regularly each day and there for all to see.
To answer your question! Unfortunately you will not be able to vote
unless you can make it back to your polling booth. You should complain
bitterly to the present administration. Your democratic right has been
deprived of you by them.
Do you mind if we post your comment on the comments page of our website?
We will edit out anything you would not wish to appear.
Hope you do succeed and get to cast your vote.
generalelection2007.com Team
Fri, 11 May 2007 22 11 30
Comment, Mon 07/05/2007 22:47: Millions of Posters have
been mounted on all lamp posts with plastic tags around the country. I
wonder if the political parties will take responsibility to take it down
PROPERLY after the elections. The plastic tags used to hold the posters
up are left behind at the time of poster removal as it is difficult to
cut the tags and this leave the ugly plastic tags hanging on the lamp
posts. The people who remove the posters just rip the poster and leave
the ugly tags behind.
The election commission should fine all parties if these tags are not
removed as it amounts to littering the entire country. I wonder what the
rules are about this and if this issue can be raised with the green
party and all the politicians.
Dr.Haradikar Varadaraj, Lucan.
Comment, Tue 30/04/2007 18:59.
Bertie on Dragons Den Parody.
Comment, Tue 17/04/2007 16:30.
Oll-toghchán/general election.
Dia dhuit Mairéad Nic Gabhann is ainm dom. Is dálta blian a sé mé ó
Coláiste Chilliain i gCluain Dolcáin. Le oll-toghchán ag driudim linn
shílim go mbeadh sé iontach dá mbeadh do eagraíocht in ann postaeirí a
spreagann vótáil a sheoladh go dtí mo scoil. Ní bheadh na postaeirí seo
ag moladh aon páirtí áirithe ach díreach le rá ''hey, bain úsáid as do
vóta'' nó rud éigin den sórt sin. Bhéinn an-bhuíoch as do chabhair agus
comhairle, is mise le meas, Mairéad.
As a sixth year student I would be much obliged if your organisation
could send posters bearing captions similar to "use your right to vote".
My schools address is Coláiste Chilliain, Bothar Nangor, Cluain Dolcáin,
D. 22. Any help or advice will be warmly received. Looking forward to
hearing from you. Many thanks, Mairéad Nic Gabhann.
Comment, Wed 11/04/2007 14:19.
Just want to inform you of a project I have started in gathering
candidate comments on an important issue for me in this election: gay
marriage. It's at
http://irishqueer.blogspot.com
More responses are due shortly.
Ian
Comment, Tue 03/04/2007 14:05.
How do I check to see if I am registered to vote?
Roadstone Provinces Ltd, Registered Office Saggart, Co Dublin. Website:
www.roadstone.ie
Less 1 in 20 election candidates have made an effort to reach out to the
Bebo generation.
A survey by Bigulo.com has found that less than 1 in 20 election
candidates have made an effort to reach out to the Bebo generation using
the Bebo social network. More than 70% of 16-25 year old Irish people
spend an average of 74 minutes per day on Bebo. The young vote is
considered to be the most difficult to win over, this should make a
maintained Bebo website a priority for election candidates.
Bigulo have just launched election.bigulo.com which allows voters to
easily search for the Bebo page of the election candidates in their
constituency.
Using Google Maps, Bigulo have created a site that allows visitors to
view all the candidates running in their area, and view their Bebo page
if it exists.
Des Traynor co-creator of Bigulo.com stated:
"Most politicians happily talk about the importance of the young voters,
we were interested to see if they are backing it up with actions.
Surprisingly few election candidates have a presence on Bebo, even
though it must be the cheapest easiest way to target young voters. This
is a generation that doesn’t watch the news or read the flyers that are
dropped in the letterbox, if politicians really care about the opinions
of the young people in their area they’ll need to reach out to them."
David Cochrane, editor of Politics.ie added:
"There is a very low turnout from young people in elections, so
politicians should be seeking out new ways to reach young voters. Bebo
is an ideal way of connecting with young voters, since everyone is on
it. Only a very small number of election candidates have websites, and
even fewer have Bebo pages. They need to get with the times and use the
Internet to reach out to the Bebo generation.
It will bring huge rewards for resourceful election candidates... and it
won’t cost them a penny."
Fine Gael is the only party making an effort to reach the Bebo
generation by setting up profiles for their candidates. Lucinda
Creighton (27) who is running in Dublin South-East uses Bebo to talk to
young Fine Gael members and potential voters as well as family and
friends. She is a prime example of how Bebo can be used successfully to
connect with young voters. Other candidates have created blogs allowing
voters to see and comment on their opinions on local issues. These sites
are independent of any network, but are a step in the right direction.
Andrew Page of Bigulo.com said:
"Plastering an area with airbrushed posters and inoffensive leaflets is
very much outdated. The Bebo generation wants something more personal.
They want to interact with candidates, leave them feedback, see natural
photos of them, read their blog etc. Politicians shouldn't ignore the
Internet, they should embrace it. Old people vote for Bertie, because
he's a down to earth guy that you'd have a pint with. Young people want
to have politicians that they can Bebo with."
Check out
http://election.bigulo.com
Des Traynor is available for interview and further comment at
086-3141680 or at des@bigulo.com
Comment, Tue 13/02/2007 14:37:
===================================================================
T H E L A B O U R P A R T Y
Tuesday February 13th 2005
Some time ago you either signed up for the Labour e-letter or contacted
us in a way which suggested that you might be interested in hearing
about what the Labour party has to say. From now until the election we
want to keep in touch with you about how we believe we can change
Ireland for the better if we get into Government. Today I want to tell
you about a major initiative which talks about politics in a different
way. I think it might interest you.
The new campaign I want to tell you all about is called:
'But, are you happy?'
We are asking this question because we want to begin a debate about
people's quality of life. We can then use this debate to make our points
about how people could do better by making a change to Labour.
My 5 commitments for change are crucial to demonstrating that we will
improve people's lives.
We're not saying that we can make people happier, people do that
themselves, what we are saying is that with Labour in government, we can
deliver on a set of things that will improve their quality of lives.
We understand the pressures that living in Ireland today places on
people, with more pressure, more responsibility, higher bills and too
little time for the important things, like time for yourself and time
for your family.
You can see the campaign and watch me explain it on a new website:
Forward on the <http://makeachange.ie>
address and encourage people you know to have a look.
Contribute to any discussions or shows you hear talking about the
campaign
Comment, Sat 10 Dec 2005: Judging from the recent budget it is obvious that the next General Election in Ireland will take place in 2007. The "give-away" budget typifies the position adopted by successive Governments to try and entice the people to re-elect the providers who always try and paint a rosy picture of economic boom and prosperity. Time and time again though the give-aways are withdrawn to be replaced by extra taxation once a new government is elected. Will the people ever learn. But for the St. Vincent de Paul can one imagine the type of poverty that would be so visible in the country.
Comment Fri, 25 Nov 2005: Political truths - hard to swallow: Recent happenings are a dead give-away that the next Irish general election campaign has kicked off. Fine Gael conference had new policies. PD's 20th anniversary shindig and B. Ahern's statement about Sinn Féin in government scheduled to
wischen the PD’s and Fine Gael from media front pages. Brian Cowen's forthcoming budget will, by the size of giveaways, pin down the general election for, 2006 or 2007. B. Ahern will do no matter which/what to win the next general election and he presently seems to judge ruling out any deal with SF is a crucial precondition.
Astute, callous, fierce but, effective is politics in the Republic, totally ignoring any consequences for Northern Ireland.
Comment Sun, 13 Nov 2005: In view of the controls the current Irish Government has on the main media publications in Ireland, which are very obvious in today's editions, should they also be blamed for allowing unethical content that regularly appears, none more blatantly than that recently afforded the late Liam Lawlor RIP and his distraught family. Surely the guru's directing the Government's media affairs knew in advance that the story would appear as it did. If they did not alert the leadership, are they to be considered dangerous? Who is?
Comment Sat 12, Nov 2005: All Hollow's College, Gracepark Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9 was in the news recently. It would be interesting to know if any politician, present or past has any form of a vested interest or the slightest connection or affiliation with an organisation or people in any form of contract or portfolio with regard to property currently or previously owned by All Hollow's College, Gracepark Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9.
to a Friend
This website
has been produced in kind consultation with Mr.
Richard Fobes, Portland, Oregon, USA who
invented VoteFair ranking. Richard
Fobes is the author of
The Creative Problem Solver's Toolbox
and
Ending The Hidden Unfairness In U.S. Elections.
Sales of these classic and groundbreaking
books are available by clicking on the preceding
links. All present and budding politicians
should buy both and read them thoroughly.
The books are
a most important read for all business oriented
people and people who need organisational and
problem solving skills.
