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‘What on Earth did we fight for our freedom for?’ – Outspoken Irish pundit says modern Ireland is a ‘kip’

VETERAN Irish broadcaster Eamon Dunphy has launched a scathing tirade on the many problems he sees facing Ireland in 2017.

Speaking on The Tonight Show on TV3, the outspoken pundit said he was “not optimistic” about Ireland’s future before defending the “amazing” Irish people.

He said that problems involving debt and the recession will “never end for our grandchildren” and that modern Ireland is a “kip”.

The 72-year-old added that Ireland needs to declare a “state of emergency” over the homelessness crisis, hospital waiting lists and nurses emigrating abroad.

“It’s not the people of this country, the people of this country are amazing how they deal with things, at how little racism we have and all of the things that afflict the countries in bad times,” Dunphy told Matt Cooper.

“But we do need to recognise that the crash – the €200 billion of debt that we are carrying – will never end for our grandchildren.

“We must address the justice or injustices of the European establishment towards us as a society.”

'National emergency'

When asked by Matt Cooper how he would solve Ireland’s problems, Mr Dunphy responded: “By declaring a state of emergency."

He explained: "By admitting that a country that trains nurses can’t keep them.

“That a country that has, tonight, in bed and breakfast accommodation, children who have to get up around six o’clock tomorrow morning.

“Children that have to get a bus for an hour, go to school, walk the streets and come back to the bed and breakfast.

“If that’s not a national emergency – the trolleys, people, 590,000 people on waiting lists for a hospital – what is?”

He added: “What on Earth did we fight for our freedom for? To live in a kip like this?”