Leo Varadkar's comment on the 6 o'clock new about referendums....

[Bren Boru]

Something has gone seriously wrong with this government in the last few weeks. It is one silly statement after another. It also looks as if it is going to continue. To insult the electorate who just a year ago gave it such a massive majority defies logic.

Varadkar is completely correct. It's not a stupid statement. It's factually accurate. The Irish electorate is incapable of separating the issue at hand from other, generally localised issues. It's who we are. It's also part of the reason we are where we are.

[poolfan81]

Something has gone seriously wrong with this government in the last few weeks. It is one silly statement after another. It also looks as if it is going to continue. To insult the electorate who just a year ago gave it such a massive majority defies logic.

ALl that has happened is that they have let their gard slip and gotten sloppy

[Lonewolfe]

I just heard Leo's comments on the 9 o'clock news RTE.

Relax everyone - I think I can safely say that Leo was joking - had to be!

[MrFunkyBoogaloo]

Why is it governments only ever worry about the fairness of referenda when they fear they won't (or don't) get the answer they want?

Referendums, by their nature, are the most democratic policy-making tools of any government/electorate.

[Telemachus]

Yes just seen this on the 9 news now "I dont think referendums are very democratic" -Leo Varadkar.

I hope this is on the frontpage of the papers.

[Passer-by]

That's the problem.

So you are saying that the democratic decision of the people to approve us having the current systemt of government as outlined in the provisions of Bunreacht na hEireann is a problem? Even though that decision was taken in a referendum?

It would appear the Leo and yourself have fairly similar opinions about referenda...

[Toman13]

Varadkar is completely correct. It's not a stupid statement. It's factually accurate. The Irish electorate is incapable of separating the issue at hand from other, generally localised issues. It's who we are. It's also part of the reason we are where we are.

So he thinks it's best that we ban direct democracy to be democratic? With logic like that, no wonder we're in the sh*ye we're in.

[neiphin]

He's right, though. Referenda are put to the people to ask very specific questions about amending particular parts of the Constitution. And then people go off and vote Yes or No because of all kinds of utterly unrelated reasons - like whether they like the government or not, local hospitals, bin charges, taxes, and so on. You only have to look at the research carried out in exit polls at referenda to see Varadkar's point borne out.

remember this one

[Lonewolfe]

Varadkar is completely correct. It's not a stupid statement. It's factually accurate. The Irish electorate is incapable of separating the issue at hand from other, generally localised issues. It's who we are. It's also part of the reason we are where we are.

No, I think we are the way we are due to gombeen politicians and hacks like yourself who defend their mindless musings.

[Desperate Dan]

I just heard Leo's comments on the 9 o'clock news RTE.

Relax everyone - I think I can safely say that Leo was joking - had to be!

It is not April yet, or is he a fool all the time.