A sometimes jaundiced, but always informed commentary on today's Irish politics from Derek Mooney, an experienced campaigner, former ministerial adviser and now a public affairs consultant.
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This is my 7th annual Summer political reading list. Most of the books on this year’s list have been published within the past 12-18 months. All cover broadly political topics, or are (imho) of interest to those with an interest in politics, be it Irish, European, American or global. The choices are mine. I have read some, not all, but all are of i…
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It's political maths - 23% of 50% isn't the same as 23% of 65%
15:57
15:57
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In this episode I look at how pleased Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are pleased by each securing 23% of the votes of those who showed up… but point out that this is not necessarily a sign of greater things to come. That said, Fianna Fáil should celebrate its cohort of new Cllrs. See column on which this podcast is based.…
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I look my elections checklist and see how the results stack up against it. I see the predictions I got right (a few) and the ones I got wrong... and why. I also comment on the current petulant row over newspaper polling. There will be another podcast soon, looking at the Fianna Fáil Local and European results in more detail.…
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In this (short) episode I offer my checklist of what to watch out for as the ballot boxes are opened this week-end: 1. Watch the Limerick Mayoral Result 2. Compare party results with GE2020, not LE2019 3. The SF vote total is important, but don't allow FF or FG to use that to deflect from their results 4. See who emerges as the biggest party or fac…
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These are not mid-term elections... they're end term
32:28
32:28
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32:28
There are no election predictions in this podcast as many voters have yet to decide - instead I focus on what to watch out for as we enter the last week of campaigning. I look at how party leaders will try to manage expectations, especially around seat losses and failed gains... but above all I stress that this is NOT a mid term election - the next…
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Irish Defence Policy from Debate, Not Caprice
27:57
27:57
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27:57
In this episode I return to a topic I have discussed many times - Irish Defence. Though there are some signs that things may be about to improve, the pace is no where near fast enough as the Minister responsible is more pre-occupied with positioning and messaging, than on tackling the real problems. There is also an article to accompany this podcas…
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So many words... Martin and Harris Árd Fheis speeches
27:48
27:48
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27:48
In this episode I analyze and examine the recent Árd Fheis speeches of Tánaiste Micheál Martin TD and [now] Taoiseach Simon Harris TD... and am not overly impressed by either, as pieces of political communications. There is a text version to accompany this podcast
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Nation goes standby while Fine Gael resets?
13:06
13:06
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13:06
In this episode I ask why does the nation's business have to go on hold for another 12 days while Fine Gael struggles with who/what it stand for? I also comment briefly on the circumstances of the resignation of Sir Jeffrey Donaldson as DUP leader. Read the column on which this podcast is largely based.…
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Leo Varadkar's resignation as Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader has thrown Irish politics into turmoil... things will not just continue as they were... and the other government coalition parties need to grasp this reality... fast. This podcast is based on this recent column
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This Sinn Féin leader’s speech is brought to you by the word: "Change"
21:22
21:22
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21:22
Having critiqued the Tánaiste's party leader speech last week, I now turn my sights on the Sinn Féin leaders speech. As a piece of writing, a piece of political communications, Mary Lou McDonald's speech was far better than those of the Taoiseach or Tánaiste... but style is one thing, substance is another. While the core message was change... how t…
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Micheál Martin: a lot said, but not much new
26:25
26:25
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26:25
In this episode I critique An Tánaiste Micheál Martin's 2023 Árd Fheis speech as a speech, a performance, and as a piece of political communication and it scores a "must do better" on all three criteria. You can read the original column on which this podcast is based: here
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This episode is about the various "tells" from government parties which point to the binary narrative that Leo Varadkar plans to apply to the next election. There is a blogpost to accompany this podcast, it will be available later today.
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A little later than planned... here is my Summer 2023 political reading list (plus a short supplemental list). The 8 books on my core list look at Irish, EU and global politics. The two lists (core and alternatives) contain several biographies as well as polemics on key issues. You can read the accompanying blogpost at: https://derekmooney.ie/2023/…
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Is Sinn Fein flatlining due to its known knowns?
22:06
22:06
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22:06
In this episode I consider Sinn Féin's performance in the opinion polls over the past year and conclude that while it will be the biggest single party in the next Dáil, I believe the most likely outcome of that election will be another election. This podcast is based on this recent column: https://derekmooney.ie/2023/07/17/is-sinn-fein-flatlining-f…
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President and Tánaiste - Both Getting It Wrong
23:28
23:28
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23:28
This impromptu (i.e. unscripted) podcast is my response to the controversy prompted by today's Sunday Business Post interview by President Michael D Higgins. This is not intended as a "hot take" or an effort to stoke the flames. I genuinely believe both the President and the Tánaiste are in the wrong - and that the focus of both should be on implem…
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Next Dáil will have 18 extra TDs... how many will be FF or FG? Not many...
24:15
24:15
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24:15
In this episode I take the latest Irish Times/ Ipsos opinion poll as my starting point. I look at the numbers and then discuss the likelihood that the next Dáil will have 18 extra TDs... and wonder how many will be FF or FG-ers... based on the poll and the behaviour of Leo Varadkar as Taoiseach, I doubt that many will. There will be a written artic…
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When you have a government determined to drive away support…
23:39
23:39
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23:39
Welcome to my first podcast in several weeks, in this episode I consider the penchant of both main parties in government to pursue policies that make it difficult for their supporters to stick with them... This podcast is based on my recent column:
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Because leadership matters… SocDems poll bounce is about more than just a new leader
25:21
25:21
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25:21
While it may be fleeting, the SocDems poll bounce is a reminder that Fianna Fáil’s persistently poor poll ratings since 2019 have not happened despite Micheal Martin, they are a direct consequence of decisions he made as leader. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://derekmooney.ie/2023/03/06/because-leadership-matters-socdems-poll-b…
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Fine Gael reckons when they are explaining, you are snoozing
17:51
17:51
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17:51
In my first podcast of 2023 (apologies for the delay) I look back at the first few weeks of the Donohoe #Postergate saga and explore how Fine Gael has taken the old political dictum: when you are explaining, you are losing, and turned it on its head. Though they may feel it is working in the short-term… I believe that in the longer term, it will no…
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In this podcast episode I discuss the principal factors a party leader should consider when contemplating a mid-term reshuffle. I manage - almost - to refrain from engaging in speculation about who may be in or out next Saturday… or next week when the junior ministries are announced. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://derekmooney…
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Small wonder Fine Gael would rather have some pie-in-the-sky discussion on the triple lock than discuss the realities of their political neglect of defence. It’s a political three card trick from the party that brought us the triple lock, treble flip-flop. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://derekmooney.ie/2022/11/25/fine-gaels-tr…
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Might Varadkar's pact threat wake-up Fianna Fáil?
24:27
24:27
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24:27
In this episode I draw together a range of recent political moves and manoeuvres in an attempt to find a path back to viability for Fianna Fáil. It's a struggle... as the party's problems date back to 2018 and beyond. It is just possible... but it will requires new leadership from Fianna Fáil and a serious drive to reconnect with its lost working c…
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In this episode I take “compare and contrast” look at the recent party leader speeches of Scotland’s First Minister and SNP leader, Nicola Sturgeon MSP and An Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader, Micheal Martin, T.D. - and conclude that Sturgeon comes out much better. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://derekmooney.ie/2022/10/18/a-ti…
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My thoughts on the demise of the FF/SDLP partnership
17:35
17:35
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17:35
My observations and comments on the lead story in last week’s Belfast Telegraph which says that the three year long political partnership between the SDLP and Fianna Fáil has come to an end.
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Derek Mooney’s Summer 2022 political reading list
19:02
19:02
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19:02
I am pleased present tis year's Summer Political reading list - my sixth one since 2017. This episode is also available as a written blog with links to all the books mentioned: http://derekmooney.ie/2022/07/25/derek-mooneys-summer-2022-political-reading-list/
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Fianna Fáil looks defenceless in Government while increasing defence investment
22:22
22:22
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22:22
This episode is based on two recent blog posts. Both addressed ongoing issues in Fianna Fáil, while one looked at the plans to increase defence investment and the other looks at the history of Programme for Government reviews and concludes that they are a good thing: http://derekmooney.ie/2022/07/15/fianna-fail-looks-defenceless-in-government-while…
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Here’s an appalling vista – a politics dominated by Sinn Féin and Fine Gael
13:15
13:15
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13:15
This episode is also available as a blog post: http://derekmooney.ie/2022/06/23/heres-an-appalling-vista-a-politics-dominated-by-sinn-fein-and-fine-gael/
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Mooney on Politics featuring the "Here's How" #Podcast
42:00
42:00
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42:00
If you haven't already checked out the Here's How podcast, then listen to this highly rated episode from a few years back and check out the series at https://blog.hereshow.ie/ or searchs for "Here's How" on your favourite Podcast host.
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Goodbye to Broadsheet – and hello to cuckoo clocks and the 3 Fianna Fáil truths I set out 2 years ago!
14:44
14:44
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14:44
In this episode I revisit the three Fianna Fáil truths which I set out exactly two years ago (in June 2020). This episode is also available as a blog post: http://derekmooney.ie/2022/06/14/goodbye-to-broadsheet-and-hello-to-cuckoo-clocks-and-the-3-fianna-fail-truths-i-set-out-2-years-ago/
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Why is Dublin city’s infrastructure gradually falling apart?
14:45
14:45
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14:45
Dublin faces a Catch-22: a city infrastructure that is creaking at the seams because it cannot serve the needs of those who depend on it, but which cannot be expanded because the labour needed to rebuild that infrastructure cannot be found as the wages cannot reasonably cover the cost of living in or around this Dublin. This episode is also availab…
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Happy the opposition when a government cannot effectively promote its own achievements…
16:25
16:25
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16:25
In this episode I again make the point that the government is not addressing the Irish housing crisis at the scale (or speed) required to stop housing being an election issue at the next general election in 2024. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://derekmooney.ie/2022/05/26/happy-the-opposition-when-a-government-cannot-effectively…
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NI Assembly result was historic – just not era changing
15:07
15:07
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15:07
This episode looks at the May 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election results. It is also available as a blog post: http://derekmooney.ie/2022/05/11/ni-assembly-result-was-historic-just-not-era-changing/
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In this podcast I look at the problem of random vicious attacks and anti-social behaviour in Dublin city centre. It is just one of an increasing number of problems which - combined - are detrimentally affecting the quality of life of people who live and work in Dublin city. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://derekmooney.ie/2022/0…
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DUP Is Down – But Don’t Count It Out Just Yet
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12:45
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12:45
This podcast was recorded two weeks before polling in the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://derekmooney.ie/2022/04/21/dup-is-down-but-dont-count-it-out-just-yet/
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Irish public 100% understands that defence costs
9:39
9:39
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9:39
When it comes to defence policy and the thorny issue of spending more on Irish Defence, the Irish public is far ahead of its political leadership. They know that military neutrality today means higher defence costs. The political obfuscation needs to stop... and this includes shelving the plan to set up yet another Citizens Assembly to debate neutr…
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Why eat your words when you can delete them?
7:33
7:33
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7:33
Just catching up on some unposted blogs and podcasts. This one is from mid-March 2022 and looks at Sinn Féin's bulk deletion of many 1,000s of old press statements and comments. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://derekmooney.ie/2022/04/13/why-eat-your-words-when-you-can-delete-them/…
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How Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine undid two decades work in a few days… for no gain.
13:57
13:57
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In this episode I examine how Putin's brutal, but faltering, invasion of Ukraine has in only a few days managed to undo his two decade long project of weakening and splintering the western alliance through sowing disunity and distrust within the EU and US polities. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://derekmooney.ie/2022/03/07/how-…
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The false flag is one of Putin’s favourite political tactics. Indeed, he may well owe his tight and long-lasting grip on power in Russia to a vicious and blood curdling false flag operation that targeted and killed many 100s of innocent Russian civilians. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://derekmooney.ie/2022/02/22/putin-the-czar…
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While the DUP has the capacity to inflict damage and delay the restoration of the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement, it still faces a political and demographic shift that spells its ultimate decline as a major force. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://derekmooney.ie/2022/02/21/the-painful-sting-of-a-fading-dup/…
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Defence: the sleeping dog that’s no longer content to stay sleeping
14:34
14:34
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14:34
In this episode I consider how a decade of political neglect of defence is coming back to haunt the government. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://derekmooney.ie/2022/02/02/irish-defence-policy-the-sleeping-dog-thats-no-longer-content-to-stay-sleeping/
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Promises to keep when you have mid-terms to avoid?
14:45
14:45
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14:45
In this episode I consider the beleagured leadership of Boris Johnson and suggest that he may limp on until May when his fate could be sealed by a bad mid-term local election result. Meanwhile, the three Irish government party leaders will be happy that the next local and european elections are not due here until 2024 and so they face no mid-term e…
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Sinn Féin discovers public sector reform, a decade after everyone else… late, but still welcome
13:39
13:39
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13:39
This is the second episode of 2022 and looks at Sinn Féin's decade late discovery of the need for public sector reform. It is also available as a blog post: http://derekmooney.ie/2022/01/17/sinn-fein-discovers-public-sector-reform/
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For Both Taoiseach and Tánaiste The Question is: To reshuffle, or not…?
13:56
13:56
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13:56
In the first Mooney on Politics episode of 2022 I look at the contrasting approaches that both Taoiseach and Tánaiste appear (from their public comments, at least) to the possibility of a reshuffle of their ministesr when the government mid-point/turnabout comes next December. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://derekmooney.ie/202…
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We Can’t Spite Ourselves On Covid Restrictions
10:43
10:43
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10:43
In this episode I look at the latest government responses to the Omicron variant and ask if we are taking sufficient notice from what our government, and others across Europe and across the globe, have sometimes done wrong, and often done right. I specifically urge the re-establishment of the Special Dáil Committee on Covid-19, which was, in a most…
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Martin and Johnson… a lot more alike than you’d think
10:07
10:07
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10:07
In this episode I make a comparison I'd never have thought possible just two years ago - but I explain why the two leaders - who do not share many other characteristics - regrettably share one very large negative one. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://derekmooney.ie/2021/12/16/martin-and-johnson-more-alike-than-youd-think/…
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Yes, filter NPHET but filter the air in classrooms first
13:36
13:36
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In this week's Podcast I Iook at two strained sets of relationships. The first is that between ministers and NPHET and the second is the one between the government and the hospitality industry. Going after the hospitality sector when so more needs to be done in ICUs and in ensuring better ventilation in classrooms must seem unfair, if not an outrig…
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Micheál Martin, the managerial minimalist
14:26
14:26
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14:26
This week's podcast looks at how Micheál Martin may enjoy the trappings of being Taoiseach, but eschews the political leadership responsibility that goes with it in favour of managerial minimalism. This podcast is based on this article: https://derekmooney.ie/2021/11/19/does-mm-stand-for-micheal-martin-or-managerial-minimalism/…
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The Shinners ready themselves for government… but are we ready for them?
16:52
16:52
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16:52
In this episode I dismiss the easy speculation that Sinn Féin is set to be in govt North and South soon, but I warn that it cannot be ruled out... unless one of the two traditional big parties finally comes to its political senses. I also take a quick look at the most recent Sunday Business Post/RedC poll and see where this sits in the recent serie…
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This week’s Covid19 reopening should have gone ahead
12:17
12:17
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12:17
I refer to a BEERG Byte podcast on the Italian Green Pass in my Podcast. You can listen to it HERE. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://derekmooney.ie/2021/10/19/this-weeks-covid19-reopening-should-have-gone-ahead/
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Fail to define yourself and others will do it for you
12:07
12:07
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12:07
In this episode I look at Fianna Fail's problems in defining itself, particularly the seeming unwillingness, or inability, of its leader to do it. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://derekmooney.ie/2021/10/13/when-leadership-colours-matter-fail-to-define-yourself-and-others-will-do-it-for-you/…
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