Woops... Govt almost screws up again

Mark200 · 06-05-2010 9:05am #1

The Government yesterday narrowly won a vote against holding an immediate bye-election in Donegal South-West.

A Dáil defeat was avoided by the casting vote of the Ceann Comhairle, after two Fianna Fáil TDs voted with the Opposition by mistake, and were unable to change their electronic votes.

The Opposition is calling for a date for the by-election, which was prompted by the election of Pat The Cope Gallagher to European Parliament last June.

Donegal South West Fine Gael TD Dinny McGinley told the Dáil that with Donegal’s unemployment situation, the county needs full representation in Leinster House.

Minister of State, John Curran said however, that the Government is focusing energies on getting the economy back-on-track, and now is not the right time to call a by-election.

:pac:

Cookie_Monster · 06-05-2010 9:07am

that's just what they're saying. I bet they wanted to vote that way.

NothingMan · 06-05-2010 9:11am

I'd like to think that they meant to vote that way, but didn't want to offend their party. At least it would show some political savviness on their part. But the fact that our TD's are unable to operate a simple 2 option electronic voter, is no surprise, and that is the sad part.

pjmn · 06-05-2010 9:12am

Probably says a fair bit about the calibre of some of our politicians; now they can't even press the correct button!

They'd be two good men to have in charge of the 'nuclear' button - we'd all have been wiped out long ago....

NothingMan · 06-05-2010 9:15am

pjmn wrote: »

They'd be two good men to have in charge of the 'nuclear' button - we'd all have been wiped out long ago....

Irelands "Nuclear" button just releases 20 FCA members with some flash bangs and a subsidised bar!

ocokev · 06-05-2010 9:16am

And they wanted us to use electronic voting machines.

orourkeda · 06-05-2010 9:52am

ocokev wrote: »

And they wanted us to use electronic voting machines.

And they've really been put to good use.

Gunmonkey · 06-05-2010 10:08am

This is the reason we arent using the electronic voting machines, its a lot easier to change all the paper ballots to FF, ya cant change the electronic ones.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i · 06-05-2010 10:22am

There's another thread about it in AH OP

General Zod · 06-05-2010 10:51am

NothingMan wrote: »

Irelands "Nuclear" button just releases 20 FCA members with some flash bangs and a subsidised bar!

a subsidised Wham bar, more likely.

Biggins · 06-05-2010 11:30am

To be honest, both men have been voting in the Dail for a long time.
The fact that not one but two so called "mistakes" happened by coinsidence in the same vote, is very very "odd".

I don't think it was a mistake at all. They know it, Cowen and the whip knows it but they won't come out publicly and say so.

The_B_Man · 06-05-2010 12:15pm

jaysus i'd never invite them to be in the audience for Who Wants to be a Millionaire! Imaging asking the audience?!?!?! Theres 4 buttons on them voter things!!!! :eek:

ednwireland · 06-05-2010 12:28pm

there were rumours of turning the 2 donegal constituencies into one 5 seater, theyve managed to do it without the electoral commision neat.

Adamcp898 · 06-05-2010 12:45pm

We've too many TD's anyway in Ireland, perhaps the rest of the country will take note and get rid of some of theirs

brianthebard · 06-05-2010 12:56pm

Did they say who the two voters were or did I miss that somewhere?

Dartz · 06-05-2010 12:59pm

Those who can, get a job. Those who can't, go into politics.

Biggins · 06-05-2010 1:01pm

brianthebard wrote: »

Did they say who the two voters were or did I miss that somewhere?

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2010/0506/1224269793047.html
http://www.unitedpeople.ie/
http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0505/politics.html

Fine Gael Chief Whip Paul Kehoe commended Deputies Frank Fahey and Timmy Dooley for voting with the Opposition, and said there should now be a bye-election in Donegal South West

brianthebard · 06-05-2010 1:12pm

There's a good point there from Joe Behan (whoever he is) about the Ceann Comhairle's vote, he really should have voted in the interests of the house instead of his party. No surprises though I guess.

Biggins · 06-05-2010 1:21pm

brianthebard wrote: »

There's a good point there from Joe Behan (whoever he is) about the Ceann Comhairle's vote, he really should have voted in the interests of the house instead of his party. No surprises though I guess.

Were we ever really going to think that the Ceann Comhairle would not vote with his party?
To expect him to stay independent would be asking for a miracle. Of course the creep is going to stick with his other Fianna Fail mafia mates.

Woops... Govt almost screws up again

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