What about poor oul' Jimmy?

Jabby

Is there anyone out there even remotely concerned about poor oul' Jimmy Devins TD?:(

Xiney

why?

did something happen to him besides losing all his credibility?

Hail 2 Da Chimp

Xiney wrote: »

why?

did something happen to him besides losing all his credibility?

See here for details.

Apparently he's a rebel!

guinnessdrinker

I don't think Jimmy is poor. Apparantly all the sacked Junior Ministers are getting a nice payoff and they are still TD's of course.

I wouldn't be too surprised if he was a bit relieved to be sacked, he got a lot of flak over the cancer services issue whilst he was Junior Minister when he tried to please both sides, it was obvious he didn't please the protesters but now it appears he didn't even end up pleasing the FF powers that be.

starbelgrade

My heart would bleed for him, if the government hadn't introduced a 10% levy in the budget on bleeding hearts.

shellyriver

It is me -- or is all this (re-schuffle of Junior Ministers) an attempt to side-line the main economic issue of the day -- ie how this country is going to be indebted to bankers for ever?

Seems like Fianna Fail in Sligo are going to implode in County Council elections -- this move re the Doc, is to my mind a little bit of jockeying in an inverted way of seeking symapthy for the Sligo Town TD.

If this re-schuffle occurred one year ago you would give it some credence -- but today it looks like making a few thoroughly uninteresting politicans instantly unforgettable.

Thought it was hilarious how the Doc was sitting up with Wee Mary at front bench of the Drawl -- looking to exude all the poise of a true natural born monarch. Well the crown's slipped somewhat.

Just my opinion, but I think Dr Devins will be deligthed with this -- as he abstained in Sligo Cancer vote in Dail, and he and his supporters can now peddle the yard, that he's been made a sacrificial lamb as a result of this and now being a victim he will get a sympathy vote (it will also help would be County Councillors).

Watch this space, there can be no other rational explanation -- as the Junior Ministers are really another Governmental excess, but helpful for glad-handing the back benchers.

Must say the Junior Ministers (or TD Secretaries as they were in olden days) system smacks of the worst type of political croneyism -- however, all parties are pretty much guilty of keeping their proverbial snouts in the expenses trough.

He's being pretty anonymous in Sligo to date -- the irony of his holding the a former Junior Health Portfolio, was amazing, which basically tells the average punter, when a policy Minister with specific powers, can't tackle the likes of Drumm etc, then simply what's the point of this position?

Jabby

shellyriver wrote: »

Watch this space, there can be no other rational explanation -- as the Junior Ministers are really another Governmental excess, but helpful for glad-handing the back benchers.


What back benchers?... There are only 2 FF back benchers left in the Dail. Bertie has seen to that. Have we forgotten, he introduced a third tier last year. Now along with Senior Minister, Junior Minister , We now have 'The Junior Junior Minister'

Why did he do this you might very well ask? Basically to put a plug on any potential dissidents or upstarts in the party I'd imagine. Keeping them quiet as it were.

So we shouldn't fret too much about Jimmy. Biffo the clown will find a new title for him in these ranks....however obscure.:rolleyes:

shellyriver

Good one re Junior Junior -- what's the story with these people.:D

Xiney

Hail 2 Da Chimp wrote: »

See here for details.

Apparently he's a rebel!

Well, he's apparently not rebel enough!

EuskalHerria

Jimmy can take a good run and jump for himself. He and other FF politicians have shown that they have no backbone, and are only interested in towing the party line and hoping that their is a cash cow at the end!!

He and FF have condemned some of those who will be voting this summer to death with the continuing plan of the removal of cancer services in the general hospital.

bobcar61

When I read the title I thought it was about jimmy who posts here so when I opened the thread I was a little disappointed.

I'm not too bothered about Jimmy Devins. He doesn't seem to have done very much for the area.

Big_Mac

In a word.......

NO!

rio-rose

dont even get me started about this man, or i be here all nite

in a nut shell he's a *****

he even backed down from a interview this morning on ocean fm, i wonder why

bobcar61

What's ***** in relation too rio? :D

I'm not a fan of him,not of Jude,is that his son or nephew or any relation at all?

What good things has Jimmy done for the town, if any?

zonEEE

Hes a waste of space, what has he done for sligo? Other then when he was j minister for health run away from his post and get put as minister for technology. Id say he was getting some much hassle he as the big guy to get him out of health quick.

TequilaMockingBird

My claim to fame. I was one of those irate women that made a minister (this one) run away from them.

Joooooooooooee Duffy, here I come.

bonzos

Jimmy is far from poor ,but he is very much out of touch with ordinary people....i also know someone who met his wife lately ,she no longer wants to be called mary,from now on its judge devins:D like i said not in touch with the real world!!

elshambo

An old italian american friend of mine put it best:

F**k him; F**k him in the Ear!

Jabby

bobcar61 wrote: »

What's ***** in relation too rio? :D

I'm not a fan of him,not of Jude,is that his son or nephew or any relation at all?

What good things has Jimmy done for the town, if any?

Nobody knows. He was good at ducking the cancer services people at this years Sligo St. Patrick's Day parade though, I'll give him that.

Priceless photographs taken of him (Weekender a couple weeks ago, I think) with that other g**s***e Mark " I was born Fianna Fail and I will die Fianna Fail" Mc.Sharry in the viewing stand in O'Connell St.
There they were, happily applauding every float that passed them.... That was until the Save Our Cancer Services people came along. Jimmy was suddenly nowhere to be seen. He appeared to sneak away until they were gone and then when the coast was clear, happily reclaimed his place along with Mark to resume his applause.

starbelgrade

Jabby wrote: »

Nobody knows. He was good at ducking the cancer services people at this years Sligo St. Patrick's Day parade though, I'll give him that.

Priceless photographs taken of him (Weekender a couple weeks ago, I think) with that other g**s***e Mark " I was born Fianna Fail and I will die Fianna Fail" Mc.Sharry in the viewing stand in O'Connell St.
There they were, happily applauding every float that passed them.... That was until the Save Our Cancer Services people came along. Jimmy was suddenly nowhere to be seen. He appeared to sneak away until they were gone and then when the coast was clear, happily reclaimed his place along with Mark to resume his applause.

Would that be the same Mark Mc Sharry - senator elect & auctioneer / B.E.R. assessor that helped camapign for auctioneers to be allowed to assess their own clients for "Building Energy Rating Cetificates"?

Hmmm. how strange?;)

fmcc

Jabby wrote: »

Now along with Senior Minister, Junior Minister , We now have 'The Junior Junior Minister'
.:rolleyes:

Well I think they were meant to be called Stand in TDs rather than Junior Junior but then that would just make them STDs and no body really wants those.

Jabby

fmcc wrote: »

Well I think they were meant to be called Stand in TDs rather than Junior Junior but then that would just make them STDs and no body really wants those.

:):):D:D....or spare TD's. Excellent. Why didn't I think of that.

Macroom Man

starbelgrade wrote: »

Would that be the same Mark Mc Sharry - senator elect & auctioneer / B.E.R. assessor that helped camapign for auctioneers to be allowed to assess their own clients for "Building Energy Rating Cetificates"?
*
Hmmm. how strange?;)

Did not know that but it does not surprise me.
*

fmcc

bobcar61 wrote: »

What's ***** in relation too rio? :D

I'm not a fan of him,not of Jude,is that his son or nephew or any relation at all?

What good things has Jimmy done for the town, if any?

No relation afaik.

rio-rose

bobcar61 wrote: »

What's ***** in relation too rio? :D

I'm not a fan of him,not of Jude,is that his son or nephew or any relation at all?

What good things has Jimmy done for the town, if any?

dont get you bobcar !!!

artyeva

why in the name of ***k would anyone feel sorry for him????????!:eek:

he's still a TD with a hefty ''severance'' pay from being a JM and his wife is a judge... hardly people who deserve the pity of the taxpayer....

starbelgrade

Macroom Man wrote: »

Did not know that but it does not surprise me.
*

Jobs for the boys.... the whole BER thing is a scam - during the boom years, developers were lashing up houses with little or no regard to building regulations - insulation in particular & now people are expected to upgrade their boilers & insulation just to bring them up to the standard they should've been built to in the first place.

I know quite a few people who did BER courses & none of them have gotten any work from it - auctioneers made sure that they got their way & do their own certs, so that's the housing market pretty much sown up. The county councils contracted their houses out to a handful of large firms, meanwhile Joe Soap's phone hasn't even rang once.

TequilaMockingBird

Former junior minister Devins angry over demotion

MARESE McDONAGH and DEAGLÁN de BRÉADÚN

FORMER MINISTER of state Jimmy Devins admitted yesterday that he felt a certain amount of anger following his demotion this week.

The Sligo/north Leitrim TD said he had not got an explanation from the Taoiseach as to why he was dropped but he said he would be asking Brian Cowen for a reason “because I do believe I have done a good job”.

Mr Devins sparked a furious reaction from cancer campaigners in the northwest yesterday when he suggested he was being punished for supporting the retention of the local breast cancer unit at Sligo General Hospital.

The former minister of state for science, technology and innovation said the Taoiseach had telephoned him on Wednesday morning to tell him that he would not be reappointed.

Mr Devins said he was interested to find out why he was one of those junior ministers losing out. “But unfortunately I did not get an answer to that,” he told Ocean FM radio in Sligo.

Pressed on whether he was angry, the Fianna Fáil TD said: “I am not a person who does anger,” but he added that it was only fair to say that there was a “certain amount of anger because I do believe I have done a good job”.

He said he would continue to press for an answer. “Whether I will get it or not is another question”.

Mr Devins said he had been lobbying for the retention of the breast cancer services in Sligo and “I have paid a heavy price”.

His remarks were branded as “hyprocritical” by a spokesman for the Save Sligo Cancer Services support group Killian McLaughlin.

He said Mr Devins had repeatedly in face-to-face meetings with the group argued that Minister for Health Mary Harney was doing the right thing. “He betrayed the people of Sligo and now Fianna Fáil has betrayed him,” said Mr McLaughlin.

Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore said yesterday that it was “increasingly doubtful” that the Government could serve out its full term because the people were “fed up”. Reviewing the events of “an exceptionally bad week” for the Government, he said the Coalition had lost support in the Dáil, received a negative assessment from the IMF, finally acknowledged that its electronic voting plan was a disaster and was now trying to get out of holding the Dublin byelections on June 5th.

“It is clear that people are fed up with this Government. It’s no wonder: this has been an exceptionally bad week for Brian Cowen and his Government, and it is now increasingly doubtful as to whether it can serve out its full term of office,” said Mr Gilmore, during a constituency visit to Kildare.

He pointed out that two Independent TDs, Michael Lowry and Jackie Healy-Rae, had absented themselves from the vote on the Labour Party private members’ motion on the cancellation of the extra Christmas payment for those on social welfare.

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times

From today's Irish Times
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0425/1224245369987.html

artyeva

Mr Devins said he had been lobbying for the retention of the breast cancer services in Sligo and “I have paid a heavy price”.

Can he be so deluded as to think people will actually believe this??!!!

oh - and jimmy love, the heavy price you have paid is - oh let's see - a severance ''parachute payment'' that equates to almost one years' junior ministry salary anyway. hardly a heavy price when yer still on €100,000 a year.

what a muppet.:mad:

elshambo

Word on the grapevine is that he WAS fighting for the cancer services
BUT doing it behind closed doors(old school never shame the party in public type is jimmy apparently)
Word also is he was fighting for the services so hard that he was a pain in Clowns hole!

How true word is, thats another matter!

EuskalHerria

What an absolute disgace, he is willing to come out and vent his fury over a demotion, yet when it counted, he could not do the same against the powers that be concerning the cancer services!!

shellyriver

How knows really what JD was doing behind the scenes in FF -- at this is there any point in wondering.

Politics is termed as the art of the possible -- in reality its the art of keeping your own seat.

These are the priorities.

Re the old school politico ethics don't shame party?, p*ssing inside the tent outside, inside of vice versa', how about staying f*ck your tent, I'm camping over here, you join me?

I'm sure looking forward to JD's next pre-election promotion bumpf --

achievements ? - promises?? - the future?? What a laugh.

As regards to his future prospects, regarding the latter, maybe he should just face reality and produce a souvenior dart-board for many.

il gatto

One summers evening in 2002, I was heading across Hyde Bridge, to Connolly's for a snifter. All at once, I saw that the entire town was littered with A4 posters with the legend "Devins delivers Mid-Block Money". This happened to be on the eve of the general election (actually the eve of)a general election. Scores of posters on every lamp post, bus shelter and junction box. I was not impressed with this stunt. About 2 days after the election, the Champion reported the money had been allocated and then pulled within days. No clear reasoning was reported, but other headlines congratulated Jimmy Devins on his election. I decided I very much disliked this man at that time and nothing he has done since, absolutely nothing has done anything other than reinforce my dislike.

Over the first term (2002-2007) I noted a distinct lack of any profile from the "man". The two headlines that I saw were 1. About a year and a half into his "reign", he was extremely perturbed at the state of the sculpture trail in Hazlewood. 2. He was extremely perturbed at the lack of breast cancer services in Sligo General.
Almost laughably, 5 years later, he was selling his constituents a pig in a poke about how Galway would be much better than Sligo. And the sculpture trail remained in a bad state.
That first term resulted in a net benefit to Sligo of precisely f@*k all. However, he was re-elected.
I've never met him. I don't want to meet him. But as a public representative, a representative of the constituency I live in, I have every right to think of him as I will, and I think he's the square root of f@*k all of a man.

fmcc

il gatto wrote: »

I have every right to think of him as I will, and I think he's the square root of f@*k all of a man.

Why don't you tell us what you really think.

Seriously compare sligo to willie o dea who fights tooth and nail in limerick regardless of what ff thinks. because he tops the poll dowb their with so much local support ff dublin know they cant do with out him.

Jabby

'However, he was re-elected.'

I agree with you in everything you say. But the quote above is your most important point. There are a certain element in the electorate - a significant number unfortunately- who, no matter what the likes of Devins and his cronies in Fianna Fail either do or don't do, will ALWAYS ALWAYS vote for this joke of a party...NO MATTER WHAT. Strangely, the other parties don't really have the same blind loyalty as we can all see from poll trends taken and election results over the years.

Even if they (FF politicans) kicked each and every one of their fanatical arses up and down O'Connell St, they would still turn around and vote for their heros. Why in the name of God are there still 23% of them supporting FF (according to this mornings Sunday Business Posts poll) . A laughing stock of a Government whose incompetence is now recognized throughout the length and breadth of Europe.

As long as we have this element in our midst, constantly refusing to budge on unconditional party allegiances owing maybe to outdated civil war history, and not even contemplating more radical solutions, I fear we will be stuck with these gob****es for a long time to come.

elshambo

Since i posted this

elshambo wrote: »

Word on the grapevine is that he WAS fighting for the cancer services
BUT doing it behind closed doors(old school never shame the party in public type is jimmy apparently)
Word also is he was fighting for the services so hard that he was a pain in Clowns hole!

How true word is, thats another matter!

the thread has taken a turn into f**k him territory
which makes me as this:

elshambo wrote: »

An old italian american friend of mine put it best:

F**k him; F**k him in the Ear!

is my actual opnion of the man and all he stands for!:D

Just thought ye would want to know that word is he was apparently being a right pain in the h*le behind closed doors!?

Ive no tolerance for him or his party
I also have no tolerance for anyone who voted FF over the last 10 years or so for the reasons of tax cuts or the rather pathetic "better the devil you know"

It was obvious to anyone who looked that we were living in a bubble and the goverment machine was set up to win FF elections rather than to actually fix anything
With the money that you got in tax cuts and bought your German car and Japenese electronics, the goverment could have fixed the schools and hospitals and future proofed them against the bubble('s) bursting

So as much as i dislike Devins and his FF croonies for ruining the country and basically leaving me with no option but to leave

I dislke the people who voted for them 1000% more!

You knew what you were voting for!
If you didnt know what you were voting for you didnt take your vote seriously enough! (which is worse:eek:)
You reep what you sow!!!

il gatto

Some people thought they were part of the Golden Circle, that they'd arrived and now Fianna Fail were their party, the party of greasy palms, brown envelops, a nod and a wink. When it all went t1ts up, they soon found out that their job could go like anyone elses and there was a far tighter Golden Circle that were circling the wagons, and they weren't even near it.
The media did a great job for FF in the run up to the last election. About a week before the voting, FG/Lab were well ahead. Suddenly, before anyone I knew said it, before any random vox pop said it, the media started saying the people wanted "a safe pair of hands for the economy". Of course this catch cry caught on, swung the polls and then the election.
Where is that safe pair of hands now? It was unmitigated bullsh1t, propagated by FF spin doctors, spread like manure by the media and regurgitated by a population unable to see past what was a spurious argument in the first place. Safe pair of hands? Brian Cowan was the incumbant minister for finance, a solicitor. FGs proposed minister for finance was Richard Bruton, an economist.
A fair and impartial media, one without self interest at heart, would have pointed out the relative merits of the people who were going to run our public finances. They didn't. They just kept up the mantra of "a safe pair of hands".

Jimmy Devins is unlikely to run in the next election. More likely Mark McSharry is being groomed. As Devins was getting near an efigy burning in Sligo (and a well deserved one), McSharry had a free run to criticise the government (non FF Minister of Health, more than person with the final say, FF Cowan). He said he'd fight for cancer services, this achieved nothing. Next logical step, if your party is diametrically opposed to you on an issue you feel so strongly about, is leave. He hasn't done this. He will be put forward as the people's candidate. They know Devins credibility is shot. He'll go into quasi retirement now, even though he's still our public representative, he'll feel hard done by, and just take his 80 odd grand a year, his massive expenses and his long holidays, and sit and do nothing until his term is up.
There's also the chance he'll so hard done by that he'll turn into a firebrand, criticising the government for the shoddy way Sligo and the north west has been treated. If so, it will be out of frustration at his demotion and a failed political career, not out of any real sense of duty to Sligo. He clearly has none.

Xiney

Hear Hear!

SligoBrewer

Can we start a pledge that none of us will EVER vote FF? Kinda like the pioneers, except we actually mean it..

EuskalHerria

The thing is we still live in an era of civil war politics, something which transfers to the voters. They would rather vote for the devil they know than then one they don't and I fear that will happen around here.

Essexboy

il gatto wrote: »

Some people thought they were part of the Golden Circle, that they'd arrived and now Fianna Fail were their party, the party of greasy palms, brown envelops, a nod and a wink. When it all went t1ts up, they soon found out that their job could go like anyone elses and there was a far tighter Golden Circle that were circling the wagons, and they weren't even near it.
The media did a great job for FF in the run up to the last election. About a week before the voting, FG/Lab were well ahead. Suddenly, before anyone I knew said it, before any random vox pop said it, the media started saying the people wanted "a safe pair of hands for the economy". Of course this catch cry caught on, swung the polls and then the election.
Where is that safe pair of hands now? It was unmitigated bullsh1t, propagated by FF spin doctors, spread like manure by the media and regurgitated by a population unable to see past what was a spurious argument in the first place. Safe pair of hands? Brian Cowan was the incumbant minister for finance, a solicitor. FGs proposed minister for finance was Richard Bruton, an economist.
A fair and impartial media, one without self interest at heart, would have pointed out the relative merits of the people who were going to run our public finances. They didn't. They just kept up the mantra of "a safe pair of hands".

Jimmy Devins is unlikely to run in the next election. More likely Mark McSharry is being groomed. As Devins was getting near an efigy burning in Sligo (and a well deserved one), McSharry had a free run to criticise the government (non FF Minister of Health, more than person with the final say, FF Cowan). He said he'd fight for cancer services, this achieved nothing. Next logical step, if your party is diametrically opposed to you on an issue you feel so strongly about, is leave. He hasn't done this. He will be put forward as the people's candidate. They know Devins credibility is shot. He'll go into quasi retirement now, even though he's still our public representative, he'll feel hard done by, and just take his 80 odd grand a year, his massive expenses and his long holidays, and sit and do nothing until his term is up.
There's also the chance he'll so hard done by that he'll turn into a firebrand, criticising the government for the shoddy way Sligo and the north west has been treated. If so, it will be out of frustration at his demotion and a failed political career, not out of any real sense of duty to Sligo. He clearly has none.

He has a chance to redeem himself now with the closure of Sligo's stroke unit.
22 staff will lose their jobs and the area will lose a vital service.
"Early diagnosis and treatment for stroke patients can mean the difference between life and death or mild and severe disability for the rest of their lives. "
http://www.irishheart.ie/iopen24/stroke-services-ireland-t-38_224.html
Let's see Jimmy protest or will he follow the Marc McSharry route "party before people".

Macroom Man

fmcc wrote: »

Why don't you tell us what you really think.

Seriously compare sligo to willie o dea who fights tooth and nail in limerick regardless of what ff thinks. because he tops the poll dowb their with so much local support ff dublin know they cant do with out him.

Limerick has

• slums like Naples
• a crime rate like 1930s Chicago
• the worst reputation in Ireland

and willie o dea who fights tooth and nail !
Oh yes, he offered to mediate between the gangs, didn't he; a Minister speaking to criminals. :mad:

Bllox

EuskalHerria wrote: »

The thing is we still live in an era of civil war politics,

Is a united Ireland not a part of that too?