Rumours and rumblings - Bertie reshuffles his pack of Jokers

DublinWriter

I've just heard an interesting rumour that Michael McDowell will be out in Bertie's reshuffle in September.

Reasons being:

1) The Bertster needs a PD scalp to appease the restless backbenchers
2) Hostility from public over McDowell's recent law about children in pubs after 9pm
3) Spirling costs of numerous tribunals

McDowell will be replaced by an FFer. In return one of the current PD junior ministers(yet to be decided) will get Martin Cullen's portfolio.

Sleepy

Hostility from public over McDowell's recent law about children in pubs after 9pm

Proof if ever it were needed that we're a nation of clods.

McDowell> "We're bringing in a law to protect your children"

The Public> "Fook ye, we wanna get pished and can't be arsed paying a babysitter."

seamus

Hostility about the children in pubs rule?

Although, it's not strictly necessary anymore - one of the main reasons given was the threat to children's health posed by smoking, and then *WHAM* smoking is banned, and a major part of the argument is eliminated.

If Ahern takes Famous Seamus out of his role, there'll be war. About the only useful guy in that cabinet.

gom

Originally posted by seamus

If Ahern takes Famous Seamus out of his role, there'll be war. About the only useful guy in that cabinet.

WHAT???!?!?!

now I'm no FF lover but I can take an objective view that Seamus Brennan is a spineless minister. He has no real backing other than my uncle and a bunch of similar middle age FF hacks. Brennan has the unions on a knife edge and Ahern is all to aware how important it is to keep the unions happy but in a different way to 80s happy...

Brennan has got to be demouted at the very least to tourism and sport or something similarly less significant economically.


As for Cullen. He needs to be given PD membership asap. Perhaps Charlie McCreevy should join with him also..

I eagerly await for a suprise

PHB

Maybe Bertie's morals have flaired up and he wants to get rid of the racist facist in his cabinet :rolleyes:

therecklessone

Originally posted by seamus


If Ahern takes Famous Seamus out of his role, there'll be war. About the only useful guy in that cabinet.

Is there something you'd like to tell us...Mr Brennan?

gaelic cowboy

Cullen is for the chop and don't be fooled McDowel is going nowhere such a high profile scalp is not on Mary Harney wouldn't be long facing a leadership challenge from PD menbers for caving in to bert and shafting such ahigh profile PD minister

seamus

Originally posted by gom
now I'm no FF lover but I can take an objective view that Seamus Brennan is a spineless minister. He has no real backing other than my uncle and a bunch of similar middle age FF hacks. Brennan has the unions on a knife edge and Ahern is all to aware how important it is to keep the unions happy but in a different way to 80s happy...

Brennan has got to be demouted at the very least to tourism and sport or something similarly less significant economically.

I cant stand FF myelf, but he's about the only minister I've seen stand up in a long while and make an attempt to do something about the transport fiasco in this country.

DublinWriter

Originally posted by Sleepy
Proof if ever it were needed that we're a nation of clods.

McDowell> "We're bringing in a law to protect your children"

The Public> "Fook ye, we wanna get pished and can't be arsed paying a babysitter."

You obviously don't have kids sleepy, if you did, you'd realise how idiotic this law actually is if you are say, on holiday or attending a wedding function, and especially if you have kids in the range 14 to 17.

McDowell's stated intention behind that law was to stop underagers drinking, because as he saw it, those just over 18 were bringing in younger friends and buying drink for them.

DublinWriter

Originally posted by gaelic cowboy
Cullen is for the chop and don't be fooled McDowel is going nowhere such a high profile scalp is not on Mary Harney wouldn't be long facing a leadership challenge from PD menbers for caving in to bert and shafting such ahigh profile PD minister

There's no love lost between Harney and McDowell, Harney stated that was considering retirement, so this could be her little going-away present to him.

The PDs are thankful enough for having such a strong ministerial presence despite their size. They know their vote has gone south in the last five years.

They won't rock the boat as long as the number of PD ministers remains the same after the reshuffle.

gaelic cowboy

Originally posted by DublinWriter
There's no love lost between Harney and McDowell, Harney stated that was considering retirement, so this could be her little going-away present to him.

The PDs are thankful enough for having such a strong ministerial presence despite their size. They know their vote has gone south in the last five years.

They won't rock the boat as long as the number of PD ministers remains the same after the reshuffle.

Possible but McDowel has nothing to lose if he engages a leadership struggle because of his possible shafting seeing as Parlon just dropped the ball in his constituency during the locals and O'Donnell is really a lightweight in my view nice politician sincere but not leadership material

dahamsta

Originally posted by seamus
If Ahern takes Famous Seamus out of his role, there'll be war. About the only useful guy in that cabinet.

Wouldn't have much time for Brennan, but what about Dermot Ahern? I wouldn't consider myself a supporter by any manner of means, but he doesn't seem the worst of them either. Then again, I suppose anyone'd look like a saint after that gobsheen O'Rourke.

Can't see McDowell being hunted out of it meself.

adam

BuffyBot

Originally posted by seamus
I cant stand FF myelf, but he's about the only minister I've seen stand up in a long while and make an attempt to do something about the transport fiasco in this country.

The problem is the attempt he is making seems to be creating a bigger fiasco!

spongebob

Dempsey is off to a Junior job for being ****e and for ethical violations.
Smith gone ......

Lenihan to education I hear ...lots of appeasement required there by 1 Sept .
Mc Dowell to defence
Harney to Justice

Hanafin to enterprise and wotsits

Someone promoted to Hanafins job and Lenihans. Liz O Donnell if she wants it.

Joe Walsh is safe apparently. He was effective during the presidency.

Thats it it seems.

M

Ajnag

Harney to Justice

Yes! Law's only a barrier to trade anyway

or least she'll legalise weed

De Rebel

Originally posted by seamus
I cant stand FF myelf, but he's about the only minister I've seen stand up in a long while and make an attempt to do something about the transport fiasco in this country.

I think it would be much more accurate to say that he is the only minister who stands up and talks about transport.

And talks, and talks, and talks. Unfortunately, sum total of his real actual concrete achivements = big fat zero. The last thing transport in this country needed was another talker. And thats exactly what it got. The King of Spin.

De Rebel

Originally posted by DublinWriter
McDowell will be replaced by an FFer.

That’s the word on the street. Apparently that seat is needed for one Michael Martin. He needs to move/be moved. He is not getting Finance, and is unlikely to get/want Iveagh House, and Justice is next in line seniority wise (excluding Health). Only other option would be Harney's current pitch.

De Rebel

Originally posted by DublinWriter
I've just heard an interesting rumour that Michael McDowell will be out in Bertie's reshuffle in September.

Probably one of the greatest ever behind the scenes dramas in Irish politics. Word is that Harney is teasing McD/Parlon/McDonnell in a totally inhuman way. One day, your in, next day, your out. One of them is close to breaking. McD apparently swings from elation to despair. He is a thoroughly dislikeable person, very very conceited and self opinionated, and this treatment is getting to him. The guy is ruined (politically speaking) if he doesn't make it big soon, and given his persona, any such fight will be a fight to the death. He "left" FG many years ago, and has burned his bridges as far as the other parties are concerned. He never wanted Justice, and it a measure of Harney's skill that she stuck him with it. I would so love to be closer to the unfolding drama.

But I wouldn’t count him out. Yet. (Unfortunatly)

De Rebel

Originally posted by gom
Brennan has got to be demouted at the very least to tourism and sport or something similarly less significant economically.

Which of course begs the question where will that awful gobsh1te John Zero O'Donoghue be put, given his stellar performance as FF Director of Elections for the 2004 European Election. (A position which oddly enough doesn't get a mention on his biog page on the ff website), Hmmmmm, Justice->Tourisin and Sport -> backbench?

seamus

Originally posted by De Rebel
I think it would be much more accurate to say that he is the only minister who stands up and talks about transport.

And talks, and talks, and talks. Unfortunately, sum total of his real actual concrete achivements = big fat zero. The last thing transport in this country needed was another talker. And thats exactly what it got. The King of Spin.

Agreed, but to say that he's achieved nothing is a bit much. Penalty Points? If Brennan hadn't pushed them through, we'd still be waiting for the Gardai to get their computer system :rolleyes:

dictatorcat

I hope they get rid of that waste of space Cullen. Send him to the back benches where he can do no harm, electronic voting and then his proposed changes to the National Monuments bill so we can build roads thorugh any bit of history we have left.

Won't mind McDowell going too, i hear the Taliban is causing trouble in Afghanistan, maybe they'll want him back to help!:D