Minister Down

cyrusdvirus

Looks like Gun Slinging Willie is gone.

I read on another forum that the defence forces weren't all that fond of him since THAT pic. Anyone care to confirm or deny?

Mods, if i'm out of line lock the thread please.

Local-womanizer

On another tangent,will there be much improvement in the DF in terms of funding or was he really that intergral to the running of the DF?

citizen_p

i liked the pic.....showed he could have a laugh...

Evd-Burner

any1 care to post this pic u talk of :P

Captain Chaos

Willy and the Sig, great role model that man was...:pac:

TrixIrl

Got to admit i loved the pic; from a completely civilian point of view and apart from the reasons he resigned, O'Dea work as MOD never negatively directly impacted on my life - maybe thats cos im an ignoramous or maybe its because the simple truth is that the Minister of Defence does not play a HUGE role in everyones day to day life in the same way that decisions in health (cervical cancer vaccine or waiting lists) or Finance (do you really need an example? :rolleyes:) does...

Will be sad to see him go but it was the right thing to do


O'Dea, O'Leary & Lee for Govt 2012

kippy

Evd-Burner wrote: »

any1 care to post this pic u talk of :P

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1lP85RYcbBU/SPrI_OpS3xI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/fAQCSHlvxjc/s400/Willie+O'Dea+%2B+gun+L.jpg

Manic Moran

I have no problem with the picture. There was all sorts of outcry from "He's promoting gun violence!" (Gee, it's the bloody Army) through "Trigger Discipline!" (It's a publicity shot and we're fairly sure the firearm was cleared before being handed to him).

Whole lot of ruckus over nothing.

NTM

Hank_Jones

Manic Moran wrote: »

I have no problem with the picture. There was all sorts of outcry from "He's promoting gun violence!" (Gee, it's the bloody Army) through "Trigger Discipline!" (It's a publicity shot and we're fairly sure the firearm was cleared before being handed to him).

Whole lot of ruckus over nothing.

NTM

But then again he is not part of the army and isn't trained in using firearms.
So it's basically him just messing around with a pistol.
Not exactly the sort of thing politicians should be doing, unless you are Putin.

Manic Moran

He's the Minister of Defence (Or was, at the time). Playing with guns is one of the perks/priviliges.

Besides, training someone how not to discharge an empty firearm is a pretty simple process. "Here, Minister. This is an empty firearm. See? Don't lose it. We'll be asking for it back. Have fun."

NTM

Macroom Man

Manic Moran wrote: »

He's the Minister of Defence (Or was, at the time). Playing with guns is one of the perks/priviliges.

Besides, training someone how not to discharge an empty firearm is a pretty simple process. "Here, Minister. This is an empty firearm. See? Don't lose it. We'll be asking for it back. Have fun."

NTM

The 5 Golden Rules

There are some rules which apply to the handling of firearms and which will enable you to handle your weapon correctly ‑ with precision, with style and indeed with safety.

1. Never let a firearm point at anything you are not willing to see destroyed.

2. All firearms must be treated as loaded.

3. Keep your finger off the trigger if you are not immediately going to shoot.

4. Always keep the barrel pointing in a safe direction.

5. No firearm is to be handled without the knowledge and permission of the owner.

p1akuw47h5r3it

Macroom Man wrote: »

The 5 Golden Rules

There are some rules which apply to the handling of firearms and which will enable you to handle your weapon correctly ‑ with precision, with style and indeed with safety.

1. Never let a firearm point at anything you are not willing to see destroyed.

2. All firearms must be treated as loaded.

3. Keep your finger off the trigger if you are not immediately going to shoot.

4. Always keep the barrel pointing in a safe direction.

5. No firearm is to be handled without the knowledge and permission of the owner.

well I doubt he robbed it now now in fairness!

Donny5

Macroom Man wrote: »

The 5 Golden Rules

There are some rules which apply to the handling of firearms and which will enable you to handle your weapon correctly ‑ with precision, with style and indeed with safety.

1. Never let a firearm point at anything you are not willing to see destroyed.

Maybe Willie wasn't such a fan of journalists. Certainly, had he had a pistol when he was talking to Mike Dwane, things could have been very different.

Macroom Man wrote: »

2. All firearms must be treated as loaded.

Again, maybe he doesn't mind pointing loaded firearms at journalists.

Macroom Man wrote: »

3. Keep your finger off the trigger if you are not immediately going to shoot.

I refer back to points one and two.

Macroom Man wrote: »

4. Always keep the barrel pointing in a safe direction.

4. (b) Always check journo's for wires.

I guess Willie doesn't follow either of these rules.

Macroom Man wrote: »

5. No firearm is to be handled without the knowledge and permission of the owner.

He was the Minister, he was the owner.

I'm not sure how much I liked Willie as a Minister for Defense, but he was always good for a laugh.

superref

Donny5 wrote: »

Maybe Willie wasn't such a fan of journalists. Certainly, had he had a pistol when he was talking to Mike Dwane, things could have been very different.



Again, maybe he doesn't mind pointing loaded firearms at journalists.



I refer back to points one and two.

4. (b) Always check journo's for wires.

I guess Willie doesn't follow either of these rules.



He was the Minister, he was the owner.

I'm not sure how much I liked Willie as a Minister for Defense, but he was always good for a laugh.

The minister doesnt own anything everything belonging to the defence forces is tax payers money so he is not the soul owner of them,anyway he done f*** all for the army, not as if anyone will do better !!!!!!!!!1

iceage

Shakes his head....

Did someone just try to tell someone else...how to suck eggs? I'd use the term Grandmother.. but thats just not right is it.

All a shame really I believe W. O'Dea was very well liked in his constituency, and generally did what he said he would do. As for Minister of Defence, well I'm not in the PDF/RDF so I wouldn't like to speculate as to whether he was any good. And I'm sure most that are would keep their opinions to themselves anyway.

Immanuel_CAN

gatecrash wrote: »

Looks like Gun Slinging Willie is gone.

I read on another forum that the defence forces weren't all that fond of him since THAT pic. Anyone care to confirm or deny?

Mods, if i'm out of line lock the thread please.

willie O'Dea much like all ministers of defence in Ireland is nothing but a gimp with zero interest in military affairs, the PDF has always been and is always likely to be the most neglected wing of the state.

arybvtcw0eolkf

TrixIrl wrote: »

Got to admit i loved the pic; from a completely civilian point of view and apart from the reasons he resigned, O'Dea work as MOD never negatively directly impacted on my life - maybe thats cos im an ignoramous or maybe its because the simple truth is that the Minister of Defence does not play a HUGE role in everyones day to day life in the same way that decisions in health (cervical cancer vaccine or waiting lists) or Finance (do you really need an example? :rolleyes:) does...

Will be sad to see him go but it was the right thing to do


O'Dea, O'Leary & Lee for Govt 2012

You should have been in when we had Minster's Andrew's and Smith, you'd have known just how demoralizing having a bad minister is.

At the time we'd all got the impression that these two minster's truely hated the Defence Forces.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Macroom Man wrote: »

The 5 Golden Rules

There are some rules which apply to the handling of firearms and which will enable you to handle your weapon correctly ‑ with precision, with style and indeed with safety.

1. Never let a firearm point at anything you are not willing to see destroyed.

2. All firearms must be treated as loaded.

3. Keep your finger off the trigger if you are not immediately going to shoot.

4. Always keep the barrel pointing in a safe direction.

5. No firearm is to be handled without the knowledge and permission of the owner.

I hope Manic Moran takes notice because next time he's out & about in Helmand or some other shithole in A'stan he might hurt someone

iceage

bored and fussy

All a shame really I believe W. O'Dea was very well liked in his constituency, and generally did what he said he would do. As for Minister of Defence, well I'm not in the PDF/RDF so I wouldn't like to speculate as to whether he was any good. And I'm sure most that are would keep their opinions to themselves anyway.

i cannot understand why willy o'dea had to resign when he had apologised and paid compensation and costs to the injured party
but i guess it was all politics which makes me sick anyway
Will the money be now paid back to willy
as for mr quinliven he should not have spoken out during this debate as he was already compensated i think he was mean, but i am more annoyed with myself for expecting too much from sinn fein

Manic Moran

The rules need to be properly caveated. For example, would you perform a functions check on a loaded rifle? If #3 is not caveated with "until verified that the firearm is clear", then by definition of the rules, you could never perform a functions check on a rifle. Which is equally wrong.

NTM

Victor

Manic Moran wrote: »

The rules need to be properly caveated. For example, would you perform a functions check on a loaded rifle? If #3 is not caveated with "until verified that the firearm is clear", then by definition of the rules, you could never perform a functions check on a rifle. Which is equally wrong.

The photo is irresponsible and suggests that you can have a bit of craic with a gun while pointing it at someone.

A quote "I counted 6 bullets and six holes and still shot the fridge" - people do die in incidents involving guns that are believed to be unloaded.

Now, I am reasonably certain that particular gun wasn't loaded, but not everyone is responsible when dealing with guns (or other dangerous equipment)

Early days, but this seems to be a negligent killing. http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0216/blanchardstown.html
http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0218/blanchardstown.html

ex_infantry man

also a point to note he was from limerick and if wanted could just pop down to moyross or southhill and just get his hands on one down there!!!

BigDuffman

That nonsense about the pic was IMO pure pedantics and something else for interweb dwelling armchair generals to whinge over....

The tache'd one did nothing more than what most people do when handed a weapon. For example at the RDS Fás / recruitment fairs children are handed weapons to "play with" where they can cock and remove magazines etc. Which obviously have been cleared a number of times to ensure safety.

This was the MOD who obviously was handed the wpn under supervised and controlled circumstances. He is an untrained civilian (despite his brief stint). I personally do not see anything wrong with the pic as it is light hearted.

For example other ministers and TDs posing with models, shovels, JCBs and cows. I'm sure many of those who sat in a JCB were unlicensed and untrained in its operation...but none-the-less did so in order to give a better photo op.

Yes I do acknowledge that a fire arm is a dangerous object when not treated with due diligence. But I'm sure seeing an aul lad with a tache holding a pistol did not promote any unsafe carry on or encourage gun related violence amongst children in any way..

Macroom Man

bored and fussy wrote: »

All a shame really I believe W. O'Dea was very well liked in his constituency, and generally did what he said he would do. As for Minister of Defence, well I'm not in the PDF/RDF so I wouldn't like to speculate as to whether he was any good. And I'm sure most that are would keep their opinions to themselves anyway.

i cannot understand why willy o'dea had to resign when he had apologised and paid compensation and costs to the injured party
but i guess it was all politics which makes me sick anyway
Will the money be now paid back to willy
as for mr quinliven he should not have spoken out during this debate as he was already compensated i think he was mean, but i am more annoyed with myself for expecting too much from sinn fein

Willie O’Dea first swore out a false affidavit trying to blame the press for supposedly misrepresenting him. Then he tried to blame a garda for supposedly misinforming him.
Is that reason enough?

concussion

ex_infantry man wrote: »

also a point to note he was from limerick and if wanted could just pop down to moyross or southhill and just get his hands on one down there!!!

Hilarious






:rolleyes:

johngalway

Manic Moran wrote: »

Whole lot of ruckus over nothing.

NTM

Not really. Seeing as how handguns used for target sports have been practically banned in this banana republic. What happens with someone unfamiliar with firearms in a different situation that ends up shooting someone? It's as bad as that idiot Prime Time "Reporter" waving the rifle around the gun shop.

The participants of this forum may not have a problem with that photo but I do, as I own three firearms and know how much pressure is on them.

Had that photo been in a different context they'd be people losing their lives over it (not literally).

Manic Moran

johngalway wrote: »

Not really. Seeing as how handguns used for target sports have been practically banned in this banana republic. What happens with someone unfamiliar with firearms in a different situation that ends up shooting someone?

How would someone unfamiliar with handguns have ended up with a handgun in the days before they were practically banned in your banana republic? I seem to recall there was a whole lot of nonsense about having to be a member of a gun club in good standing, handguns generally not being approved as being your first firearm, etc etc.

NTM

s-cogan

superref wrote: »

The minister doesnt own anything everything belonging to the defence forces is tax payers money so he is not the soul owner of them,anyway he done f*** all for the army, not as if anyone will do better !!!!!!!!!1

the Minister owns all the equitation schools horses

superref

s-cogan wrote: »

the Minister owns all the equitation schools horses

No, Most of the horses are on lease from civilians and the army pay them a fee

Victor

s-cogan wrote: »

the Minister owns all the equitation schools horses

Its vested in the minister, not Mr Cowen (or O'Dee until the other day).

At work, I imagine you have a desk, its your desk, you'll give out if your colleagues use it and you'll stop customers using it, but you don't own it.

Local-womanizer

bored and fussy wrote: »

i cannot understand why willy o'dea had to resign when he had apologised and paid compensation and costs to the injured party
but i guess it was all politics which makes me sick anyway
Will the money be now paid back to willy
as for mr quinliven he should not have spoken out during this debate as he was already compensated i think he was mean, but i am more annoyed with myself for expecting too much from sinn fein

As pointed out he swore on an affadavit for the benifit of the High Court. Then he released information about a Garda investigation that was meant to stay within the Gardai. Thats against the law.

And no,why would he get the money back? He made false claims against another person for his own benifit. Thats nothing to be taken lightly.

OS119

so now O'Dea has gone, what does the future hold?

the Irish military has changed considerably in recent years - equipment, lethality, mobility - as well as doctrinally, NATO pfp membership and participation in EU BattleGroups: obviously they require 'whole government' approval, but they must be driven by the views of the man/woman in the chair as Minister of Defence...

so, who are the potential replacements, and what - if any - are their views, and how are they likely to steer the DOD/IDF in the future?

s-cogan

superref wrote: »

No, Most of the horses are on lease from civilians and the army pay them a fee

touche i probably should have known that



jees the father would bate me if he found out id said that i didnt know who owns the AES horses