Yawning in the dail

Fentdog84

..why is it every time I watch oireachtas report or I see a clip of a speech in the dail I see politicans yawning & stretching? Why also do I see empty seats. This dosent happen in parliments of other countries. There was a very important debate on public finances the other day but the dail was practically empty apart From lenihan, Noonan, & 1 or 2 others. all i was thinking was, where is Cowen? Where is Bertie? These lazy lumps are being paid more than any other politicians in the world & get more holidays yet they cant even bother to turn up 2 days a week..

The Volt

Fentdog84 wrote: »

..why is it every time I watch oireachtas report or I see a clip of a speech in the dail I see politicans yawning & stretching? Why also do I see empty seats. This dosent happen in parliments of other countries. There was a very important debate on public finances the other day but the dail was practically empty apart From lenihan, Noonan, & 1 or 2 others. all i was thinking was, where is Cowen? Where is Bertie? These lazy lumps are being paid more than any other politicians in the world & get more holidays yet they cant even bother to turn up 2 days a week..

Film and TV can be extremely subjective. Yawning is a natural thing which can't be helped. But if the editor of the news footage decides to show one clip of a TD yawning, that doesn't mean he was yawning the whole time or that he wasn't paying attention.

Fentdog84

Voltwad wrote: »

Film and TV can be extremely subjective. Yawning is a natural thing which can't be helped. But if the editor of the news footage decides to show one clip of a TD yawning, that doesn't mean he was yawning the whole time or that he wasn't paying attention.

Well of course everybody yawns from time to time, usually if the are tired or overworked. Dont think thats likely with current crop in the dail who are just a complete waste of space. Anyway you didnt answer my second question as to why the dail was near empty during a debate of critical national importance?

The Volt

Fentdog84 wrote: »

Well of course everybody yawns from time to time, usually if the are tired or overworked. Dont think thats likely with current crop in the dail who are just a complete waste of space. Anyway you didnt answer my second question as to why the dail was near empty during a debate of critical national importance?

Well to address your second question I can't answer for each individual TD. I advise you email your TD if he/she was absent and find out why. Absenteeism in Dail Eireann is a massive problem. That Bertie chap (who some people still have the audacity to believe he should be reinstated I might add) for example prefers to give his opinions on the English Premier League to the News of The World than to serve the people of his constituency in the chamber.

I think you're making far too much of TD's yawning. I yawn all the time in lectures but it doesn't mean I'm not paying attention. Again, the effects of subjective editing by the news team.

Fentdog84

When George Lee was elected to the dail he couldnt believe the laxiness of that went on of fellow politicians falling asleep, not paying attention & not turning up etc. Everyone was just going through the motions & stuck in a comfort zone. Now some people find George Lee an arrogant so & so etc but he's a professional & intelligent but he knew very early on he wasnt going to fit in with these useless ****ers. Thats a real pity because anyone who's honest, intelligent & wants to make a real difference there is no place for in Irish politics..

The Volt

Fentdog84 wrote: »

When George Lee was elected to the dail he couldnt believe the laxiness of that went on of fellow politicians falling asleep, not paying attention & not turning up etc. Everyone was just going through the motions & stuck in a comfort zone. Now some people find George Lee an arrogant so & so etc but he's a professional & intelligent but he knew very early on he wasnt going to fit in with these useless ****ers. Thats a real pity because anyone who's intelligent & wants to make a real difference there is no place for in Irish politics..

Howiya George

Fentdog84

Voltwad wrote: »

Howiya George

Enda..:rolleyes:

Einhard

Fentdog84 wrote: »

Well of course everybody yawns from time to time, usually if the are tired or overworked. Dont think thats likely with current crop in the dail who are just a complete waste of space.

You're not exactly a neutral observer are you? Most parliaments, including Westminster, function precisely along the lines of the Dail. Important debates, and votes, garner full houses, other discussions don't. The reason the Houses of Parliament always seem bursting with participating MPs, is because the UK stories deemed newsworthy enough to merit RTE coverage of Westminster, are precisely those which the MPs are most concerned about. Having lived in the UK, Australia, and the US, I can gaurantee that their parliamentary assemblies are rarely as crowded as our coverage might suggest. Indeed, I wouldn't be surprised if some poster on the Ozzie version of boards was criticising Australian MPs for not showing the dedication to parliament as Irish MPs, whom he's just seen on his tv arguing and blustering in a full house. But then, you're probably not very interested given that you've already made your mind up in Irish TDs.

Einhard

Fentdog84 wrote: »

but he's a professional & intelligent but he knew very early on he wasnt going to fit in with these useless ****ers. Thats a real pity because anyone who's honest, intelligent & wants to make a real difference there is no place for in Irish politics..

So rather than try to change the system, George the Great just decided to call it quits, jump ship, and land back in a plum job in RTE?? Wow, such a model for emulation. Never mind he achieved absolutelely nothing save make the government stronger, he's all talk which is enough for the average Irish voter...

Cavehill Red

There are cameras in Dail Eireann on 24 hours a day, functioning to record everything that occurs during debates and as security cameras afterhours.
Every TD has a flatscreen on the wall of their Dail office broadcasting live from the chamber while it's in session.

If they're in the chamber and not involved in the debate directly, they're not getting anything else done.
If they're in their office, five minutes away, with one eye on the screen, they can follow the debate and do some actual work too.

That's how it's supposed to work anyway.

In other words, they could well be more productive NOT being at a debate. However, when they don't turn up to Leinster House at all like that waster Ahern, then I really don't see any reason to be paying them.

Mind you, I'm still confused why he hasn't been stripped of his membership of the Dail and jailed for not having his taxes in order, so what do I know?

dunleakelleher

Voltwad wrote: »

Yawning is a natural thing which can't be helped.

Yes this we know, the issue is what triggers it. And why our leaders are suffering form these complaints while in the dail.

From the web "Yawning is associated with tiredness, stress, lack of stimulation, and boredom.

ei.sdraob

Cavehill Red wrote: »

There are cameras in Dail Eireann on 24 hours a day, functioning to record everything that occurs during debates and as security cameras afterhours.
Every TD has a flatscreen on the wall of their Dail office broadcasting live from the chamber while it's in session.

If they're in the chamber and not involved in the debate directly, they're not getting anything else done.
If they're in their office, five minutes away, with one eye on the screen, they can follow the debate and do some actual work too.

That's how it's supposed to work anyway.

In other words, they could well be more productive NOT being at a debate. However, when they don't turn up to Leinster House at all like that waster Ahern, then I really don't see any reason to be paying them.

Mind you, I'm still confused why he hasn't been stripped of his membership of the Dail and jailed for not having his taxes in order, so what do I know?

we need cameras in their offices too!

sort of like Big Brother in reverse, transparency would ensure they get more work done and there's less corruption

meditraitor

ei.sdraob wrote: »

we need cameras in their offices too!

sort of like Big Brother in reverse, transparency would ensure they get more work done and there's less corruption

and tags on their ankles so we can track them online....

ei.sdraob

meditraitor wrote: »

and tags on their ankles so we can track them online....

Yep a government by the people for the people, none of this drinking in the dail bar craic

I am actually quite serious, the government should be afraid of the people not the other way around, being under constant watch (hey we have 400,000 people who wouldnt mind keeping an eye on the mother****ers) might make them work more and honestly

yoshytoshy

I can't understand why they need long holidays ,if they don't need to be in the dail all the time.
Surely the work they do ,while not in the dail ,means they don't need long holidays from it.

ninty9er

Cavehill Red wrote: »

There are cameras in Dail Eireann on 24 hours a day, functioning to record everything that occurs during debates and as security cameras afterhours.
Every TD has a flatscreen on the wall of their Dail office broadcasting live from the chamber while it's in session.

If they're in the chamber and not involved in the debate directly, they're not getting anything else done.
If they're in their office, five minutes away, with one eye on the screen, they can follow the debate and do some actual work too.

That's how it's supposed to work anyway.

In other words, they could well be more productive NOT being at a debate. However, when they don't turn up to Leinster House at all like that waster Ahern, then I really don't see any reason to be paying them.

^^^
This

The Dáil is not a TDs office, instead you could equate it to their assembly room. I wish I could have a TV like a TD so that I didn't have to sit through most of the crap I go to in a week!

yoshytoshy wrote: »

I can't understand why they need long holidays ,if they don't need to be in the dail all the time.
Surely the work they do ,while not in the dail ,means they don't need long holidays from it.

They don't have long holidays, they just have a long period where they don't meet in assembly. They can perform most of their functions without actually sitting in the Dáil.

Seth Brundle

ninty9er wrote: »

They don't have long holidays, they just have a long period where they don't meet in assembly. They can perform most of their functions without actually sitting in the Dáil.

Ok then, what do they do?
Constituiency work?

yoshytoshy

ninty9er wrote: »

They don't have long holidays, they just have a long period where they don't meet in assembly. They can perform most of their functions without actually sitting in the Dáil.

Why are all the important issues left until they resume at the Dáil?
It's clear that it is basically a holiday when they don't sit. I'm sure elected td's have people who work for them at their offices ,who can easily pass on information.

The only reason fianna fail have taken the long break this year ,is because it's their way of keeping up the pretence that they done nothing wrong.
Any honest hard working party ,would have fought for their jobs and stayed on the job at hand.