Candidates for Galway City in NUIG

conor222

Hey guys,

The Literary and Debating society and the Law society in NUIG are hosting a Galway Election Night in NUIG on Monday 7th February. The format will be that the speakers will be given 5 minutes each to speak to the crowd then the floor will be thrown open for questions. This event is open to both sudents and the public.

The speakers will be:

Cllr. Derek Nolan Labour
Trevor Ó Clochartaigh Sinn Féin
Senator Neil O' Brolocháin Greens
Senator Fidelma Healy Eames Fine Gael
Minister Eamon O' Cuiv Fianna Fáil
Cllr. Catherine Connolly Independant

This will be the first time that we see these candidates going head to head and answering your questions on their campaigns for the Dáil.

Facebook page is
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=143245095736385


The event will be at 9pm on campus in a venue TBC

Hope to see you all there,

Conor

snubbleste

No Frank Fahey?

conor222

Theyre all invited but due to time constraints were only taking the top of each of the party ticket for a speech from the front. The other candidates are invited and can make a short 3 min speech from the floor if they want. If we had them all speak from the front it would be nearly two hours before people got a question in :eek:

yeehaw

Have you told Brian Walsh that he is invited but that you don't consider him to be 'top of the ticket'?

Why is Catherine Connolly given a soapbox and not the other independents such as Grealish- who is a sitting TD-, McNamara or Cubbard?

Sponge Bob

yeehaw wrote: »

Why is Catherine Connolly given a soapbox and not the other independents such as Grealish- who is a sitting TD-, McNamara or Cubbard?

Exactly, why give her a soapbox and not the others. She will do nothing except moan about students drinking too much if elected.

I would, however,, give Connolly Grealish and Welby ( all elected representatives) a longer shout out from the floor than the secondary party candidates

Aerohead

She is the greatest whinger I have ever come across she sounds terrible on radio when she starts, if she gets in I am leaving Galway :D

conor222

Grealish has been invited but has not responded as to whether or not he will be attending.

In relation to Brian Walsh, he's not top of the ticket. The votes for that were Healy Eames - 131 Walsh - 123 at their selection convention.

Connolly is currently the independant who has the highest odds of getting a seat according to polls and odds being offered on the election. McNamara on the other hand is ranked as a 20/1 outsider. We're allowing her to speak on that basis and Grealish will be allowed if he attends as he is an incumbant.

Frank Fahey has said that he will now be unable to attend but is happy to have Minister O' Cuiv represent him and Fianna Fáil.

I'll update as soon as possible with the venue for the event

snubbleste

yeehaw wrote: »

Have you told Brian Walsh that he is invited but that you don't consider him to be 'top of the ticket'?

Yeehaw, what connection, if any, do you have to Cllr. Brian Walsh?

drum!

conor222 wrote: »

Frank Fahey has said that he will now be unable to attend but is happy to have Minister O' Cuiv represent him and Fianna Fáil.

O'Cuiv is going? Aw yeah, gonna tear into him at this!

Canvasser

yeehaw wrote: »

Have you told Brian Walsh that he is invited but that you don't consider him to be 'top of the ticket'?

Hi Brian :pac:

yeehaw

snubbleste wrote: »

Yeehaw, what connection, if any, do you have to Cllr. Brian Walsh?

Absolutely none at all.

PomBear

yeehaw wrote: »

Have you told Brian Walsh that he is invited but that you don't consider him to be 'top of the ticket'?

Why is Catherine Connolly given a soapbox and not the other independents such as Grealish- who is a sitting TD-, McNamara or Cubbard?

Seeing as he spoke 3 times in the whole last term of the Dáil, I doubt he'd add much to the debate

Mike Cubbard

Hi all !

I will be there.
I have a meeting at 7 in Westside but should get there by 9.

Mike

Steyr

Sponge Bob wrote: »

Exactly, why give her a soapbox and not the others. She will do nothing except moan about students drinking too much if elected.

What a pain in the Aras:pac: Its in the City Tribune on the Front page that she was in a row over City re-zoning and they voted her 7-5 to leave and she ignored it, how nice of her.

_Whimsical_

I would love to go to this but I can't. Look forward to hear what some of ye think of it who do go if anyone feels like reporting back.

I was surprised to see Micheal Martin passed through a walk of the whole town receiving only shy smiles and "I'll vote for you"s and was "heckled" by just one person. Thought Tom Houlihan, the local man who did speak up, did well. He wasn't abusive, just put it straight to the minister.

yeehaw

PomBear wrote: »

Seeing as he spoke 3 times in the whole last term of the Dáil, I doubt he'd add much to the debate

Surely the quantity of contribution is irrelevant.

Clearly men like Jackie Healy Rae, Michael Lowry and Noel Grealish were highly influential in the last Dáil without needing to speak regularly.

996tt

hoping that the simple mans hero Joe McNamara doesnt highjack this one with his bullsh!t

conor222

Alright so,
The Venue is the O' Flaherty theatre on the main concourse in NUIG,
The event kicks off at 9pm so id advise people to be there a little earlier to get seats.
Hope to see you all there
Conor

PomBear

yeehaw wrote: »

Surely the quantity of contribution is irrelevant.

Clearly men like Jackie Healy Rae, Michael Lowry and Noel Grealish were highly influential in the last Dáil without needing to speak regularly.

So you'd vote for him so he could hold a government to ransom to bribe him into a vote?

Grealish spoke so little because his intentions weren't to give a good hearing for the people of Galway West, just pick up a pay cheque and pension.

Sponge Bob

I have some really minging tomatos in the fridge ...just for Frankeen . Much tastier than humble pie so I will invite him to eat!!!

snubbleste

What time does this finish as it starts at 9pm?
Poor students will have to be going beddybyes on a school night

yeehaw

PomBear wrote: »

So you'd vote for him so he could hold a government to ransom to bribe him into a vote?

Grealish spoke so little because his intentions weren't to give a good hearing for the people of Galway West, just pick up a pay cheque and pension.

No, and I don't know how you inferred that from my post. I merely pointed out that quantity of contribution is irrelevant.

Would you care to elaborate on what you have based your assessment of Deputy Grealish's 'intentions' on?

Squeeonline

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=143245095736385&index=1

I know it's late, seeing as it is starting in just over an hour, but I thought I'd post it here anyhow

from the facebook blurb

"
9pm tonight O’ Flaherty Theatre, NUI Galway

After a turbulent few years of Irish political life the general election has finally been called. It's time for us to decide who we want to lead us in the next government, a hugely important decision that should not be entered into lightly. With this in mind, the Literary and Debating society and the Law society of NUI Galway are hosting the Galway General Election Night.
You'll meet candidates from all the parties, hear why you should choose them and then get to question them all.

So far in attendance will be

Cllr. Derek Nolan Labour
Trevor Ó Clochartaigh Sinn Féin
Senator Neil O' Brolocháin Greens
Senator Fidelma Healy Eames Fine Gael
Minister Eamon O' Cuiv Fianna Fáil
Cllr. Catherine Connolly Independant


So come down, hear what they have to say and make your views known to the group of people that will provide our next set of Dail representatives"


If anyone wants to ask any particular questions to the candidates, post them here and I'll do my best. I /think/ it might be recorded tonight, but I cant be certain. I don't have my camera with me so I won't be able to do it.


I suppose I should declare my interest, in the past i was on one of hte committees organising the event tonight but for a while.

celty

Wonder why Frank Fahey wasn't on the list? Or is he afraid of such debates after the 'success' of his meeting on the economy a couple of weeks back?:D

Mike Cubbard

Lads, just posted an apology up. Didn't have a contact number to contact.

Sorry I missed it, hope it was a success.
Mike

snubbleste

Was at this last night, Interesting worthwhile learning experience.
Fair play to Ó Cuiv for showing up given the newspaper photos of him napping yesterday in dublin. The crowd was hostile towards him but he spoke regardless.
Judging by the claps and cheers of the mostly young crowd, the most popular were:
Connolly, Eamonn Walsh, Ó Clochartaigh, Nolan, Healy-Eames, Ó Brolchain, Ó Cuiv

Both the Independents were very articulate and well able to answer all questions.

Lockstep

It was very interesting alright.

FHE and Ó Cuív were booed when they got up to speak. Ó Brolcháin got a much less hostile reaction than I expected.

Ó Cuív had his bag/folder grabbed out of his hands and ran away with by two giggling students after the event. He shrugged it off.
Fairly impressed by Eamon Walsh, will give him a high preference. He wasn't brought along to speak officially but came along anyway and spoke very well when he could.

Squeeonline

Glad no one asked too many questions here, I couldnt get to connect to the wifi inside.


I asked a question about means testing benefits to be able to give more money to those who need it.

NO'B -Green - "Yes"

D N -labour - "No" then something why we should have a universal social society. Made sense at the time.

Other people just waffled on about ****e. including the Corrib Gas field and the bailing out of the banks. I didn't ask them where the money was going to come from, just what their view was, much like asking whether their party is pro/anti choice.

Squeeonline

celty wrote: »

Wonder why Frank Fahey wasn't on the list? Or is he afraid of such debates after the 'success' of his meeting on the economy a couple of weeks back?:D

AFAIK only the lead candidate from each party was there. So for the Greens and Labour there's just the one but O'Cuiv was there for FF and FHE for FG.

conor222

Hey guys,

Thanks to everyone that attended the event, we thought it was a great night. If anyone missed it or if they just want to relive some of it the videos of the event are now online here

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=E9A80386BD52BB71

Remember that today is your last day to register to vote, there is a garda in the city hall today as well as the forms for registration so get in there before 4pm and make sure your voice is heard.

All the best,

Conor