More from the frontlines
Read more about: Irish Election, Irish Politics
Things the media considers important, but have yet to come up at a single, solitary doorstep I’ve been on since the election began:
Stamp Duty.
Immigration (To my own astonishment).
Bertiegate, all various strands.
Things the media seems relatively uninterested in, but come up very frequently:
Social Housing waiting lists.
Carers. The Means Test and the other restrictions on it.
Playgrounds/sporting facilities.
Most serious case raised by a voter:
An ongoing threat to her life, and that of her family, by a criminal in prison who falsely believed a member of the family had supplied information that had led to his arrest. The threat has so far led to three attacks on family homes and two serious assaults by his associates.
Least serious case raised by a voter:
“I travel a lot around the world and there are these six people, all Irish, who follow me everywhere. Two of them followed me to Thailand three weeks ago. It’s been going on for years and I don’t know why.”
Most heartbreaking case:
A late middle aged woman suffering from mild MS, married to a serious alcoholic who is the sole caregiver to her bed-bound alzheimer’s suffering mother and receives no state support.
Angriest voters:
Nurses. Pissed off and articulate with it. Often very cute too.
Weirdest voter:
‘What’s your party’s position on the Bilderburg Group and the New World Order?’
2nd Weirdest voter:
‘I’ll give you a vote. Me dog didn’t bark when you came in and he barked at the other ones so you must be alright.’
Irish Election are pleased to announce our collection of Irish
In the last local election, when i introduced my self as a canvasser for FF, the door was the people said, “i wouldn’t vote for your lot after you brought in the smoking ban”. This happened on two occasions. This was the only complaint people had.
Stamp duty - Once.
Bertiegate - Twice, both last week.
Immigration. Once (also to my surprise)
Most frequent.
Housing. Social and the affordablity for young people.
Health.
Anti-social behaviour.
Oddest/Most surprising.
Gay marriage.
Any sign of childcare as an issue? I was planning to talk to canvassers about it, but none have appeared at my door yet.
As a 17 year old, the thing myself and plenty of my friends (some voting 18 year olds) find most insulting and most likely to turn us off voting for your party is when we open the door to a canvasser, they give us a leaflet before saying “give that to your parents” and walking away.
Are our opinions not valid?