The John McNulty / Enda Kenny Saga.

Banjo String · 16-10-2014 11:31am

Ring-gate.

I thought Enda would have wanted to bury this story asap, not add fuel to the fire.

Sand · 16-10-2014 8:29pm

Yeah, but you didn't take into account there that Enda is a clown of a politician. He just couldn't get past his gombeen man urge to get a sly dig in, bringing it all back onto the front pages.

gladrags · 17-10-2014 12:54pm

Not a great admirer of SF, or any other political party for that matter.

Although I have given them a preference or two, as a protest vote.

I am fascinated by the media's response to the rise of SF, particularly the Sindo.

A continuous stream of unfounded and petty allegations emit from the Sindo on SF, particularly the sunday sindo.
A clear orchestrated attempt to undermine, ruthless, desperate and counterfactual, in the extreme.

Scary stuff indeed.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/mr-gerry-adams-td-and-the-irish-independent-30671085.html#comments

Happyman42 · 17-10-2014 1:04pm

gladrags wrote: »

Not a great admirer of SF, or any other political party for that matter.

Although I have given them a preference or two, as a protest vote.

I am fascinated by the media's response to the rise of SF, particularly the Sindo.

A continuous stream of unfounded and petty allegations emit from the Sindo on SF, particularly the sunday sindo.
A clear orchestrated attempt to undermine, ruthless, desperate and counterfactual, in the extreme.

Scary stuff indeed.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/mr-gerry-adams-td-and-the-irish-independent-30671085.html#comments

No different to RTE or most other media/internet outlets tbh. Nobody seems to ask for these allegations or inferences to proved, or even thinks it is important, when it comes to SF and Gerry Adams.

Nodin · 29-10-2014 6:57am

"Department of Arts officials were asked two days before John McNulty was appointed to the board of the Irish Museum of Modern Art (Imma) which State boards under its control had vacancies.
Documents released to The Irish Times under the Freedom of Information Act show Minister for Arts Heather Humphreys had appointed him to the board within two days of it being established there were vacancies at the museum.
The emails lend credence to Opposition claims that Ms Humphreys was pressed by unnamed Fine Gael officials to appoint Mr McNulty quickly to the board of a cultural institution in order to boost his credentials for the cultural and educational panel of the Seanad."
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/john-mcnulty-got-imma-post-within-two-days-of-request-1.1979953

Of course the question - other than who these unnamed folk are - is whether they were working of their own devices, by some decree or other or (perhaps, to paraphrase) 'working towards the leader'. Is the reluctance to name them due to a fear that if hung out to dry they may well feel like returning the favour?

Muahahaha · 29-10-2014 1:53pm

The full article reads ever worse, it seems Heather Humpreys had a civil servant find out what boards under the Arts had vacancies to see where they could slot McNulty in. A civil servant comes back with three options- IMMA with 6 vacancies, National Muesum with one vacancy and the National Gallery with two vacancies. So it was literally a matter of musical chairs and take your pick and less than 48 hours later John McNulty was on the airwaves telling us all how he has always been a keen supporter of IMMA, despite it sounding like he had never been in their building in Kilmainham before in his life.

This really was the stroke that went wrong.

expectationlost · 30-10-2014 9:08pm

Muahahaha wrote: »

The full article reads ever worse, it seems Heather Humpreys had a civil servant find out what boards under the Arts had vacancies to see where they could slot McNulty in. A civil servant comes back with three options- IMMA with 6 vacancies, National Muesum with one vacancy and the National Gallery with two vacancies. So it was literally a matter of musical chairs and take your pick and less than 48 hours later John McNulty was on the airwaves telling us all how he has always been a keen supporter of IMMA

This really was the stroke that went wrong.

and remember the department had promised to keep the board at 9, so while techincally there were vacancies, they acted against the department policy to appoint him. http://www.ahg.gov.ie/en/PressReleases/2012/October2012PressReleases/htmltext,16727,en.html

Sand · 31-10-2014 8:07pm

What's most damaging about this is that it damages the legitimacy of the state. We see widespread failure by the Irish people to engage with property taxes or water charges, and people aren't embarrassed or shamed by their failure to do so. Taxes and charges, debated and decided by our political representatives under free elections to equitably address a common problem. All loyal citizens ought to feel obliged to do their part.

Yet the reverse is true, nobody feels obliged to support the state or feels in anyway that they ought to do anything more than they have to. The state is reliant on threats and intimidation to gain compliance. Ultimately a state is built upon violence and the threat of violence but most successful states can also engender loyalty or a sense of identity with its citizens leading to voluntary compliance.

Ireland cannot, which is why these semi-voluntary taxes/charges have been such a disaster. And its exactly because of cheap, corrupt practises like this case that people in Ireland think they would be fools to "do their part" when the elite of this country is so obviously snout deep in the trough.

Leadership starts at the top. Kenny is a complete fraud of a Taoiseach.

Fr. Ned · 31-10-2014 8:56pm

Sand wrote: »

What's most damaging about this is that it damages the legitimacy of the state. We see widespread failure by the Irish people to engage with property taxes or water charges, and people aren't embarrassed or shamed by their failure to do so. Taxes and charges, debated and decided by our political representatives under free elections to equitably address a common problem. All loyal citizens ought to feel obliged to do their part.

Yet the reverse is true, nobody feels obliged to support the state or feels in anyway that they ought to do anything more than they have to. The state is reliant on threats and intimidation to gain compliance. Ultimately a state is built upon violence and the threat of violence but most successful states can also engender loyalty or a sense of identity with its citizens leading to voluntary compliance.

Ireland cannot, which is why these semi-voluntary taxes/charges have been such a disaster. And its exactly because of cheap, corrupt practises like this case that people in Ireland think they would be fools to "do their part" when the elite of this country is so obviously snout deep in the trough.

Leadership starts at the top. Kenny is a complete fraud of a Taoiseach.

Politics and politicians in this country have lost the trust of the people.
Since the blueshirts and 'labour' formed a government in 2011 the 'gang of four' have ploughed through the democratic process in their quest for total and ultimate control.
The result of this can be seen in the total clusterf*ck that is the 'Irish Water' super quango, an entity set up and the legislation for it guillotined through our national parliament in less than 4 hours.

Start a poll and ask the basic question 'Do you trust the Irish government?'

Let's see the result of it, even on boards.ie where questioning the status quo and the supporters of it on this site, in any assertive manner is stamped out quicksmart.

raymon · 31-10-2014 9:22pm

Fr. Ned wrote: »

Politics and politicians in this country have lost the trust of the people.
Since the blueshirts and 'labour' formed a government in 2011 the 'gang of four' have ploughed through the democratic process in their quest for total and ultimate control.
The result of this can be seen in the total clusterf*ck that is the 'Irish Water' super quango, an entity set up and the legislation for it guillotined through our national parliament in less than 4 hours.

Start a poll and ask the basic question 'Do you trust the Irish government?'

Let's see the result of it, even on boards.ie where questioning the status quo and the supporters of it on this site, in any assertive manner is stamped out quicksmart.

While I agree with a lot of what you say regarding this FG stroke, you must concede that Sinn Fein have really shown a brutal and nasty side in the last two weeks .
I don't want to drag this threAd off the OP and I don't want to defend FG. But Sinn Fein need to clean up their own act a bit before slagging off FG

Pedro K · 31-10-2014 10:44pm

Fr. Ned wrote: »

You're presuming that I'm a member of Sinn Fein.
I'm not.
I voted for FG in the 2011 GE, although I did vote for the SF candidates in the recent local and european elections.
Adams and SF may have questions to answer as we've seen, however the media circus and the way the threads on here were allowed to attack people innocent in the eyes of the law after being through the judicial process was and is, quite frankly, disgusting.
I'm not posting on those threads now because 1. I got a 3 day ban from politics cafe for being 'uncivil' (after the things that were posted about me with no sanction lol) and 2. I'm not going to be part of that circus anymore.
There's a couple of right trolling clowns running those threads and they're welcome to them along with their ringmaster moderator.

Hope you don't mind me asking an OT question. But you're vociferously opposed to water charges.

Weren't water charges in FGs manifesto for the 2011 election? Why would you vote for them?

Fr. Ned · 31-10-2014 10:50pm

Pedro K wrote: »

Hope you don't mind me asking an OT question. But you're vociferously opposed to water charges.

Weren't water charges in FGs manifesto for the 2011 election? Why would you vote for them?

I honestly don't know.
I voted FG to get FFail out like most of the country probably did.
I had a fair idea that FG would go in with 'labour' and thought that a water tax would be a red line issue for them.
The champagne socialists in 'labour' didn't see it that way.
Remember the 'tesco style' advert in all the papers?:mad:

Banjo String · 14-11-2014 9:56am

I see Josephine Feehily has been named as the new policing authority chair.

expectationlost · 14-11-2014 11:29pm

Banjo String wrote: »

I see Josephine Feehily has been named as the new policing authority chair.

Feehily appointment to Policing Authority “short circuits best practice” says ICCL

http://www.iccl.ie/news/2014/11/13/feehily-appointment-to-policing-authority-%E2%80%9Cshort-circuits-best-practice%E2%80%9D-says-iccl.html

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) has expressed its “surprise and regret” that the Government has chosen to “short circuit” best practice on public appointments by directly nominating the senior public servant Ms Josephine Feehily as Chairperson-designate of the new Policing Authority.
ICCL Director Mr Mark Kelly said:
“The new Policing Authority must not only be, but be seen to be, wholly independent and impartial. This requires that its members and Chair be appointed through a completely independent recruitment process, during which experts rigorously test the merits of candidates against agreed competencies.

urgency they'll say, and Liz O'Donnell appointed chair of RSA because 'road deaths' and RTE board members appointed without PAS because of vacancies and need to have a working board.

conorh91 · 17-11-2014 3:13am

Banjo String wrote: »

I see Josephine Feehily has been named as the new policing authority chair.

That seems like a fairly benign appointment.

Where an agency's work is of major policy importance, and where its sphere of influence concerns sensitive matters of public anxiety, direct appointment by Government is an appropriate way of protecting democratic legitimacy.

That's why I happen to think Government should retain ultimate responibility for judicial appointments too.

Too often in this country, we dismiss Government appointments without asking whether or not Government has a genuine role to play in ensuring legitimacy.

Government should probably not have a role to play in most appointments to state boards and agencies, for example IMMA.

But it does have such a rule in policy areas.

Godge · 17-11-2014 11:36am

conorh91 wrote: »

That seems like a fairly benign appointment.

Where an agency's work is of major policy importance, and where its sphere of influence concerns sensitive matters of public anxiety, direct appointment by Government is an appropriate way of protecting democratic legitimacy.

That's why I happen to think Government should retain ultimate responibility for judicial appointments too.

Too often in this country, we dismiss Government appointments without asking whether or not Government has a genuine role to play in ensuring legitimacy.

Government should probably not have a role to play in most appointments to state boards and agencies, for example IMMA.

But it does have such a rule in policy areas.

Josephine Feehily has a long record as Revenue Commissioner in a post that requires independence and judgment. There are no questions surrounding her work in that role.

Imagine if we had an open process and someone who was a former Garda or a convicted criminal, or a SF activist got the job. There would be no public confidence in any of those choices. The choice of Ms. Feehily makes eminent sense.

Tinkersbell · 17-11-2014 10:44pm

Godge wrote: »

Josephine Feehily has a long record as Revenue Commissioner in a post that requires independence and judgment. There are no questions surrounding her work in that role.

Imagine if we had an open process and someone who was a former Garda or a convicted criminal, or a SF activist got the job. There would be no public confidence in any of those choices. The choice of Ms. Feehily makes eminent sense.

God love you.
I hope you find some peace.

Banjo String · 17-11-2014 11:43pm

Godge wrote: »

Josephine Feehily has a long record as Revenue Commissioner in a post that requires independence and judgment. There are no questions surrounding her work in that role.

Imagine if we had an open process and someone who was a former Garda or a convicted criminal, or a SF activist got the job . There would be no public confidence in any of those choices. The choice of Ms. Feehily makes eminent sense.

I'm guessing at the very least, 26% of the electorate wouldn't mind all that much tbh.

nice_guy80 · 18-11-2014 10:56pm

Job was not advertised

So much for appointments to state boards being opened up

conorh91 · 20-11-2014 9:32pm

Godge wrote: »

Imagine if we had an open process and someone who was a former Garda or a convicted criminal, or a SF activist got the job.

That's a ridiculous suggestion and misses the point altogether.

The point is not that a process of Government appointment filters out undesirable characters. A half-literate HR manager could do that.

The point is that the Government Appointee should be a person whose leadership approach reflects the democratic interests of the voting public, and whose office is accountable to the public via the nexus of elected Government.

It may well be that future appointees may be criminals, or members of Sinn Féin, or both. Whatever. The object is to give the Appointee democratic authority over an area of particular social importance, whoever they are.

nice_guy80 · 22-11-2014 6:25pm

Cannot believe the government appointed someone as chair of the policing board

so much for separating politics and policing

Tinkersbell · 25-11-2014 10:03pm

Do they just send these muppets out to deflect??

http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/mcnulty-was-appointed-to-museum-board-on-merit-says-arts-minister-652374.html

Or is it just pure contempt for the electorate?

Godge · 25-11-2014 11:46pm

conorh91 wrote: »

That's a ridiculous suggestion and misses the point altogether.

The point is not that a process of Government appointment filters out undesirable characters. A half-literate HR manager could do that.

The point is that the Government Appointee should be a person whose leadership approach reflects the democratic interests of the voting public, and whose office is accountable to the public via the nexus of elected Government.

It may well be that future appointees may be criminals, or members of Sinn Féin, or both. Whatever. The object is to give the Appointee democratic authority over an area of particular social importance, whoever they are.

You are suggesting that the person should be a politician from the qualities you look for e.g. "reflects the democratic interests of the voting public" and "democratic authority".

I actually think that the person should be above reproach, not linked to any political party and with an established career behind them in which they have demonstrated impartiality and fairness. A well-respected Revenue Commissioner meets that description.

conorh91 · 26-11-2014 9:19pm

Godge wrote: »

I actually think that the person should be above reproach, not linked to any political party and with an established career behind them in which they have demonstrated impartiality and fairness.

Nobody disagrees with a statement that an appointee to such an office should meet the highest ethical standards, although there is no clear and objective test for that.

However your claim that a person should not be linked to a political party is more puzzling. I have to conclude from your statement that former politicians, regardless of experience and knowledge, are to be indiscriminately barred from state appointments?

A huge amount of people get involved in politics precisely because they are active citizens interested in contributing to national policy. Why shouldn't they be board members, judges, or chairmen of policing boards, if they meet the necessary qualifications?

I have no idea what Josephine Feehily's political background is, but I find it hard to believe that a person of her intelligence and experience is politically neutral and has no political outlook. I certainly hope she does not.

Politics isn't a dirty word, you know.

expectationlost · 27-11-2014 2:01am

new guidelines for stateboard appointments http://www.publicjobs.ie/publicjobs/publication/document/2014_1125_Guidelines_Appointments_to_State_Boards.pdf just guidelines can still be ignored by minister

The John McNulty / Enda Kenny Saga.

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