how many TD's inherited their seats

donkey balls

hi all im just wondering how many of our sitting TD's inherited their seats from family members, i can only think of calamity coughlan ,brian lenihan bev flynn&brian cowen all FF.
and whats the chances of seeing there offspring in another few years going down the same path as mammy&daddy to keep the family name in politics for years/generations to come.:eek:

Biggins

donkey balls wrote: »

...whats the chances of seeing there offspring in another few years going down the same path as mammy&daddy to keep the family name in politics for years/generations to come.:eek:

Jackie Healy Rea's son will inherit his dads position, of that I have no doubt.
He's already positioning himself in the eye of the public by a number of ways.

goose2005

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Families_in_the_oireachtas count them yourself

simonj

Einstein is quoted in saying that "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"
Not only do we elect the same parties, we elect the same clans.
If they dont get elected they end up in the Senate.

This is why we need electoral reform, like a partial list system to break the duality of the current system.
We also need to take a look at term limitation.

However, for FF or FG to change the electorial system is turkeys voting for Christmas

I dont agree with George Lee in his resignation from the Dail, but if anything, he has shown what a closed system the political machine is on this Island.

Irish politics at the moment is almost a caste, it dates back 90 years and its not working.

Red_Marauder

donkey balls wrote: »

hi all im just wondering how many of our sitting TD's inherited their seats from family members

None.

P. Breathnach

Red_Marauder wrote: »

None.

Agreed. The electorate gave them the seats, although I recognise that there is an element of family manipulation within political parties in order to get nominations for family members.

We really should focus our attention on the behaviour of voters, and what motivates them to vote as they do.

bmaxi

I agree with Red Marauder they were elected by the constituents. Now if the thread title was; How many TDs represent constituencies populated by brain dead gobsh*tes?

simonj

P. Breathnach wrote: »

Agreed. The electorate gave them the seats, although I recognise that there is an element of family manipulation within political parties in order to get nominations for family members.

We really should focus our attention on the behaviour of voters, and what motivates them to vote as they do.

With regard the electorate giving people seats, that does not address appointed senators.
Mary O Rourke, daughter and sister of a TD was put in a holding pattern in the Senate until the next election.

With the party machinery family members are put forward - and this current crop are often 3rd generation.
It a question of choice, and with the current system cronyism also plays a large part - hence the need for reform.

P. Breathnach

simonj wrote: »

With regard the electorate giving people seats, that does not address appointed senators.
Mary O Rourke, daughter and sister of a TD was put in a holding pattern in the Senate until the next election.

Not only does it not address appointed senators, it doesn't address most elected senators either. With the exception of the university seats, the election of senators is dominated by the party system. But the question asked here was about TDs.

I accept that a place in the senate gives its holder an electoral advantage in Dáil elections, because it is a platform and a job that pays enough to allow somebody be in politics full-time.

simonj

Pays more than enough.
What is a problem with TDs is the local pothole parish pump cronyism.
So and so's father helped me with that, so I will vote for him etc.

A list system wont end it, but it will help dissolve its influence.

The system is broken, and that needs to be addressed ASAP

P. Breathnach

simonj wrote: »

Pays more than enough.
What is a problem with TDs is the local pothole parish pump cronyism.
So and so's father helped me with that, so I will vote for him etc.

Yes, I agree that people behave like that. It's human nature.

What bugs me is that politicians have subverted public administration in some respects. No politician should be able to arrange treatment for me on better terms than I can arrange for myself (and none has ever done, because I refuse to ask). For example, there is no good reason why I should get a passport issued more quickly by going through a TD than by making my own application, but it happens that way. And having a fast-tracking system for TDs means that the speed at which ordinary applications are processed is reduced.

Scofflaw

Nice little Sunday Indo article on this:

Irish politics has been dominated by family dynasties since the foundation of the State. Many of the country's current leading politicians are the latest in the line of family members to pursue a career in national politics.

Just look at our Cabinet for example. Both the current Taoiseach Brian Cowen and his immediate predecessor Bertie Ahern have had at least one family member in the Dail. Mr Cowen won the 1984 by-election caused by the death of his father Ber Cowen, while Mr Ahern's brother Noel Ahern has been a sitting TD since 1992.

Finance Minister Brian Lenihan is the brother of junior minister Conor, and both are nephews of Mary O'Rourke. They are sons of former Tanaiste Brian senior, and the grandsons of Patrick Lenihan.

Current Tanaiste Mary Coughlan is the daughter of Cathal Coughlan and the niece of Clement Coughlan, who served between 1980 and 1983. Mary Hanafin is the daughter of FF stalwart Des Hanafin and is the sister of Senator John Hanafin. Minister for Gaeltacht and Rural Affairs Eamon O Cuiv is the grandson of former Taoiseach and President Eamon de Valera.

According to our findings, 37 of the current 75 Fianna Fail incumbents in the Oireachtas have or have had at least one family member also serve in Leinster House.

Twenty-two members of Fianna Fail have more than one family member, with three having three or more other relatives, who were national politicians.

Nine current Fianna Fail TDs are the grandsons of former TDs. They are Niall Blaney, Dara Calleary, Niall Collins, Eamon O Cuiv, Jimmy Devins, Brendan Kenneally, Brian and Conor Lenihan and Tom McEllistrim.

Sixteen members of Fine Gael have or have had relatives serve in Leinster House.

They are Deirdre Clune (whose father Peter Barry and grandfather Anthony Barry served); Richard Bruton (brother of John); Joe Carey (son of Donal); Simon Coveney (son of Hugh); Michael Creed (son of Donal); Michael D'arcy (son of Michael); John Deasy (son of Austin); Olwyn Enright (wife of current TD Joe McHugh and daughter of Tom); Joe McHugh (husband of Olwyn Enright); Charles Flanagan (son of Oliver); Enda Kenny (son of Henry); Gay Mitchell (brother of Jim); Denis Naughten (son of Liam); Kieran O'Donnell (nephew of Tom O'Donnell); Billy Timmins (son of Godfrey).

Showing that the proliferation of political dynasties links back to the Civil War, only six elected members of the Labour Party have had any relations in national politics and only one of the Green Party has any family history in politics.

The Labour Party members involved are Nessa Childers (daughter of Erskine H and granddaughter of Erskine); Ciaran Lynch (brother-in-law of Kathleen Lynch); Kathleen Lynch (sister-in-law of Ciaran); Ruairi Quinn (cousin of Feargal); Sean Sherlock (son of Joe); Brendan Ryan (brother of Sean) and Mary Upton (sister of Pat).

Ciaran Cuffe is the only Green TD with any dynastical links, and even then it is only a distant one. He is the grand-nephew of Patrick Little, who was a Fianna Fail TD between 1927 and 1954.

It's not unusual, as far as I know. There's an automatic advantage to being in the 'family business' in almost every professional line of work, and, perhaps more importantly (given some recent high-profile exits from the political class) there's an appreciation of what the job actually entails.

cordially,
Scofflaw

paddyland

P. Breathnach wrote: »

Yes, I agree that people behave like that. It's human nature.

What bugs me is that politicians have subverted public administration in some respects. No politician should be able to arrange treatment for me on better terms than I can arrange for myself (and none has ever done, because I refuse to ask). For example, there is no good reason why I should get a passport issued more quickly by going through a TD than by making my own application, but it happens that way. And having a fast-tracking system for TDs means that the speed at which ordinary applications are processed is reduced.

When you sit in a mile long tailback at the M50/N4 junction for twenty minutes, and you see cars zooming past everyone, and cutting in at the top, doesn't that make you angry? Because you know it's the main reason why you are delayed for so long.

When you get your TD to fast track your passport or your planning permission, you are cutting everyone else up unfairly, and costing valuable TD time in the process. No wonder they claim such huge expenses! It should be taken out of the hands of the TDs altogether.

Voting for Brian Lenihan because his father got you a passport thirty years ago, my God how blinkered is that? Vote them in on their own merit, nothing else. Unfortunately, there is very little merit in any of them at the moment, which only plays into the hands of those who vote family first, for generations.

gizmo555

Scofflaw wrote: »

Nice little Sunday Indo article on this:

Ciaran Cuffe is the only Green TD with any dynastical links, and even then it is only a distant one. He is the grand-nephew of Patrick Little, who was a Fianna Fail TD between 1927 and 1954.

Cuffe is also a nephew of the late Robert Kennedy - don't know how much help that has been to him on this side of the Atlantic, though . . .

donkey balls

It's not unusual, as far as I know. There's an automatic advantage to being in the 'family business' in almost every professional line of work, and, perhaps more importantly (given some recent high-profile exits from the political class) there's an appreciation of what the job actually entails.

cordially,
Scofflaw

thanks for that link Scofflaw interesting read

simonj

Scofflaw wrote: »

There's an automatic advantage to being in the 'family business' in almost every professional line of work.

Especially if you are co-opted into mum or dads seat on the council

expectationlost

its ballet name recognition above all else, some people won't even realise snr has died and just vote for the name, its not about meritorcracy

ednwireland

simonj wrote: »

I dont agree with George Lee in his resignation from the Dail, but if anything, he has shown what a closed system the political machine is on this Island.

people like lee doing what he did means even less change instead of stting in there and fighting for something he beleived in he p***ed off back to his cushy job in RTE - wonder if hes on the same salary ?

at least he hasnt got the US correspondents job - yet

without people like lee staying and fighting nothing will change - mind if he stayed he might be on the front bench now

The_Minister

Anyone know what the storey with Enda Kenny's family is?

Someone told me that his family ties date back to before the Free State even.

imme

The_Minister wrote: »

Anyone know what the storey with Enda Kenny's family is?

Someone told me that his family ties date back to before the Free State even.

His father was a TD before him
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Kenny

Kenny is now the father of the house, being the current longest serving TD.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Father_of_the_House

The_Minister

imme wrote: »

His father was a TD before him
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Kenny

Kenny is now the father of the house, being the current longest serving TD.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Father_of_the_House

Yeah, but apparently the dynasty dates from before the Dail.

imme

The_Minister wrote: »

Yeah, but apparently the dynasty dates from before the Dail.

Co council?

simonj

Ask him, he was at the liberal debate - but it is a bit strange when the leader of the Goverment and the leader of the opposition both succeded their fathers in by-elections at a very young age, shows what a closed system the government has become.

As for family background, prior to 22 there was the Irish Parliamentary party, Sinn Fein and the Land League were very active in Mayo

BehindTheScenes

I heard Mary O'Rourke on the radio (Claire Byrne on Newstalk interviewed her) two weeks ago (roughly) talking about the Chinese setting up some business park in Athlone.

I'll paraphrase her but she roughly said I sent them on to my son who was head of the chamber of commerce (now a councillor), he referred him on to his cousin Conor. (Lenihan) She said then that he had a few words with his brother Brian (Lenihan) and then he passed it on to 'biffo' (my word not hers;)).

The family connections are crazy.

Will tell you an even better one. I had a real love of politics a few years ago and camapigned for a party that I really believed in. Now the TD had their other half as their secretary. Their sister as a press officer/media rep. Then their father who is a councillor had his daughter (the TDs sister) employed for media/press as well and his wife as his secretary.

It was a bloody ridiculous.

This little country has far to many noses in the trough. I just feel sorry for the average people who are trying to make a decent life for themselves and those who really believe in this nation.

Tenderloins1

The last Local Elections saw the defeat of family members of many TDs and former TDs .
In Dublin amongst others Maurice Ahern, Ronan Callely, Charlie Ardagh ,Catherine Ardagh, Tom Stafford, Garrett Tubridy, Sarah Ryan,Louise Cosgrave lost their seats or weren't elected.

amacachi

BehindTheScenes wrote: »

This little country has far to many noses in the trough. I just feel sorry for the average people who are trying to make a decent life for themselves and those who really believe in this nation.

It's the "average people" who vote them in time and time again.