I’ve said it elsewhere I’d prefer to see the state get out of the marriage business and leave it as a recogniser of contracts only. If people want group partnerships, time defined, or open ended that’s up to them. But if people are saying they want it to be marriage then that does imply monogamy as a goal if not necessary one that’s always achieved.

My take on monogamy is that it is up to any couple to choose who/ how they want to shag, and the government has no place being a “one couple, one coitus” enforcer! Getting into a civil partnership is hardly a tax dodge, I’m worth about €7K per annum to my partner as a hausfrau and that’s a bargain compared to the cost of a Bank Director a Minister to the exchequer! The old one being f***ed there is the taxpayer if we’re still talking about monogamy!

Partnership is about recognising my relationship of 20+ years and how *we* choose to live, how we want to order our financial affairs, etc. If you want to talk tax dodges, then we should ask about how much money *we* have lost because the State regards us as strangers in blood… we’re due a big effing refund if you wanna pursue that one!

Also, if people aren’t going to at least make a minimal effort at being in a monogamous relationship then what’s the point in giving them rights for being in a partnership? Sounds like a tax dodge to me.

Back in the day, it used to be a joke say to check under your beds for Blueshirts. Are they now going to criminalise anybody who has the cheek to exercise their democratic right and vote No.

I wish FF and FG would just merge and leave space for real opposition.

I would have thought gangs are *very* local, not global, and able to act with impunity because Min for Finance has significantly cut Garda funding (after being MOJ where funding was more ample, Lenihan is a kinda poacher turned gamekeeper as Deputy Snip). Now we’ve just MOJ Nero Ahern who is just off in his weird little world of his own, bless. Crime is just escalating, and I don’t think Lisbon matters a jot, Lucinda, you’re just offending my intelligence!

BTW: am I the only one who’s offended by civil partners having to state their in monogamous relationships? Very green-cardish! Also, hat tip to the Sunday Trib, did anyone notice that the 2004 Civil registration act barred same-sex marriage? A British sociologist Rosie Harding put it well, dogs should be registered, not people… Coming next in the Fianna Glas moralising legislative agenda… the Underpants Checking Bill 2010 to verify you’re a “good gay”.

Meantime, people cannot get basic services and the country is going to hell. Sorry… what’s Lisbon all about again? Our salvation is a local solution too!

If you wish to challenge what she says, then fire away, but you don’t. It might be more enlightening if you did. Why does Lisbon make no difference in the area of crime?

One slow news day, one silly season story, and then politicians whose careers aren’t doing so well like Deasy and De Burka start playing to that scaremongering in the media and then of course the Minister thinks “better to get a timeslot on the radio than to do the job I’m paid for” and we get the Criminal Justice (Misc.Provisions) Bill which says that law-abiding people, each personally vetted by a Garda Superintendent (and who have to jump through a long series of hoops including house visits, character references, and so forth), can’t have a fullbore pistol anymore. Unless they had one before November last year when the Minister first jumped for a piece of airtime. And they can’t do anything that looks like “combat training”… unless they do it in full military getup with replica firearms (which look, weigh, feel, sound and operate almost identically to the real thing) or with paintballs or something similar.

Because, obviously, the drug gangs all have licences for their guns. Which they got from their local Garda Superintendents. And will hand in once the new law is signed in and commenced.

If it hadn’t done as much damage, it’d be funny…