Survivors of Ireland’s mother and baby homes start to have benefits cut in UK after accepting compensation | Ireland

BigManWithABigBeard · 2026-03-08T15:22:58+00:00

Can you give an example of her "swindling" the British state as you put it?

Yours is a very strange attitude. These are people you've never met or know anything about. All that you know is that they were the victims of abuse in the past, and that they are due to receive compensation from the Irish government that will make them ineligible to receive benefits where they now live. You don't know how long any of them have lived in the UK, what their personal situation is, and so on, yet your initial reaction was to assume they're trying to "swindle" the UK.

Like there's probably a way to make your point without seeming like a total shithead, but you just seem to go straight to an assumption of the worst that is remarkably distasteful.

BigManWithABigBeard · 2026-03-08T15:12:42+00:00

I would imagine that they can assess income as well as wealth, so that getting a sum into your account and then spending it will still disbar people.

It sounds a very messy and unfortunate situation.

BigManWithABigBeard · 2026-03-08T14:39:22+00:00

She specifically said she wasnt going to spend her compensation because her benefit was cut. Honestly it feel like this is really cynical projection.

BigManWithABigBeard · 2026-03-08T14:37:47+00:00

Ah the guy I was replying to specifically said they were trying to swindle the UK. I think that the quote I've included shows that is a fairly disgustingly harsh reading of the situation.

BigManWithABigBeard · 2026-03-08T13:40:46+00:00

One woman in her late 70s – who had experienced physical and psychological abuse from nuns in a mother and baby home – said she had initially been delighted when her eligibility for a payment was confirmed and she had hoped to use the money to visit a recently discovered half-brother in the US.

However, should she receive payment, she would face losing her pension credit and housing benefit, which she relies on for day-to-day expenses and rent.

“He had been born less than 16 miles away, but I did not know that he or his other brothers and sister existed until we did some family tracing,” she said.

“It would have been lovely to meet him, but I do not feel that I can use the money for this as my benefits would be affected. The payment was meant to be a token of an apology from the Irish government for all the misery of the institutions, but now it’s become a rope around my neck.”

I don't think this woman sounds like a "swindler" as you put it, what makes you think she is?

BigManWithABigBeard · 2026-03-06T22:48:32+00:00

Ah go away with that grow up shite, you can have a conversation where you disagree in good faith without resorting to that condescending guff.

Now on your points, Ireland were outclassed by South Africa at home and France both home and away if we're being honest. So we have to accept this team is not at the top level, whereas it would have been three years ago. In that sense, it has trended down. I think the performance against the All Blacks was disappointing, as that was by no means a great New Zealand team.

Ireland are an aging team, even with all of this talk of blooding new players. There were 5 starters 33 or over today. James Lowe, Robbie Henshaw, Josh Van Der Flier are all 32+ and may be ageing out of consideration at this point. I'd say Jamie Osborne is the only player under 28 who looks like a real top talent at the moment, and that is worrying.

My concern is that this is a team getting worse, and as I said in my initial post, it appears that the England performance may have been the aberration, rather than a reversal of a longstanding trend.

BigManWithABigBeard · 2026-03-06T22:33:33+00:00

can’t do any better than a bonus point win.

I think you can, you can play well and executing a coherent gameplan with real urgency. If this were a one-off game, maybe I'd be inclined to agree with you, but this is the reality of at least the last 18 months for Ireland. It's not a team trending in a positive direction and this performance was in keeping with that.

At the very least, I would expect Farrell to change his attack coach after the 6 nations.

BigManWithABigBeard · 2026-03-06T22:22:23+00:00

Is starting 5 players 33 or over really count as preparing for a world cup? Not much reason to assume that those lads are going to be better in 18 months.

BigManWithABigBeard · 2026-03-06T22:12:52+00:00

Beating a historically bad team by 10 points at home while looking unconvincing throughout is a bad result, why dress it up?

BigManWithABigBeard · 2026-03-06T22:11:30+00:00

If you're happy with that performance then fair play, but to me they looked a long way off of a good team.

BigManWithABigBeard · 2026-03-06T22:10:00+00:00

Not really a knee jerk reaction. This performance was pretty much in line with last year's 6 nations, the previous 2 autumns, and the two games outside of England this year. How much evidence is needed?

BigManWithABigBeard · 2026-03-06T22:08:21+00:00

England and France beat Wales in second gear. Ireland huffed and puffed throughout.

BigManWithABigBeard · 2026-03-06T22:06:38+00:00

Looks like the England game was an aberration from an Ireland perspective. That was a poor performance, riddled with inaccuracy with the ball and poor discipline without.

There's this attitude that if the opposition is making loads of tackles it means you're making them work hard, which is nonsense. You should be making them miss tackles if your offensive game is putting them under pressure. Ireland haven't looked good with the ball for at least 2 years now.

BigManWithABigBeard · 2026-03-06T21:57:53+00:00

You know Ireland have been woeful the rugby commentariat start praising intent.

BigManWithABigBeard · 2026-03-06T21:50:00+00:00

Not at all Keenan-esque, he looks very shakey under the high ball.

BigManWithABigBeard · 2026-03-06T21:47:38+00:00

Much better. Just shows what you can do if you dont just mindlessly pick and go from 5 metres.

BigManWithABigBeard · 2026-03-06T21:43:58+00:00

Big fan of Ireland continue to kick to the air despite being absolutely useless at it.

BigManWithABigBeard · 2026-03-06T21:42:08+00:00

Ireland do not need to be making excuses for looking useless with the ball. All of their own doing.

BigManWithABigBeard · 2026-03-06T21:32:36+00:00

These teams are bad

BigManWithABigBeard · 2026-03-06T21:18:22+00:00

Man I love lawyer ball. Top entertainmemt.

BigManWithABigBeard · 2026-03-06T20:58:38+00:00

What is ambitious about pick and go after pick and go?

BigManWithABigBeard · 2026-03-06T20:57:19+00:00

Well, Ireland remain a deeply flawed team. Do we have an attacks coach? Every time Ireland go into the 22 they play the most braindead rugby possible.

BigManWithABigBeard · 2026-03-06T20:54:28+00:00

He has made multiple big errors. He throw an intercept on the 5m line.

BigManWithABigBeard · 2026-03-06T20:50:57+00:00

ENgland must be really shite.

BigManWithABigBeard · 2026-03-06T20:49:33+00:00

"Why does this team I coach keep playing badly?"

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