5 Day a week Minister...

Silvio.Dante

That is what Ruairi Quinn proudly claims. He works monday to Friday and has no time for menial constituency work, leaving it to Humphreys and maria Parodi.

He can well afford to ignore the people who voted him in as he's retiring at the next election but is this to be encouraged in all our politicians who become ministers.

Clearly Quinn vies it as focussing on Education but are irish people happy for their local TD's ignoring them in such a some what arrogant way...

murphaph

Silvio.Dante wrote: »

He can well afford to ignore the people who voted him in as he's retiring at the next election but is this to be encouraged in all our politicians who become ministers.

In a word, YES! It's ministers keeping too much of an eye on the local constituency issues like the new parish hall rather than keeping enough of an eye on national issues like erm, banking regulation and enforcement that has Ireland where it is now.

Nijmegen

I'm starting to get this terrible feeling Silvio is attempting to provoke a reaction with some certain statements ;-)

As to the point, a minister should focus on their job as a minister. They get additional staff to assist with the constituency, though Ireland is actually among an unusual bunch of nations in that ministers are also members of parliament. Removing that dual role wouldn't be the worst idea.

Irish politicians have it worse than counterparts in other British-derived parliamentary systems in that first past the post in those countries makes it much less onerous a job to keep the constituency happy.

Pride Fighter

Ruairi Quinn is probably Ireland's greatest Finance Minister and is now tackling the vested interests in Education and being a legislator in the national interest. Fair play to him I say.

nesf

Good for Ruarí Quinn to get his priorities straight.

mikemac

Nijmegen wrote: »

Irish politicians have it worse than counterparts in other British-derived parliamentary systems in that first past the post in those countries makes it much less onerous a job to keep the constituency happy.

In Britain you could be the greatest candidate around but if you're wearing the wrong colour rosette you won't get in. Rich areas of London and poorer areas of South Wales as examples will nearly always vote a certain party and not the best candidate.

Parachute candidates are very common.
They don't give a damn about their voters and all they do is focus on national issues.

Seems to be the other way in Ireland

I think there is a balance somewhere in the middle but I don't know how you would achieve it.

charlemont

Pride Fighter wrote: »

Ruairi Quinn is probably Ireland's greatest Finance Minister and is now tackling the vested interests in Education and being a legislator in the national interest. Fair play to him I say.

nesf wrote: »

Good for Ruarí Quinn to get his priorities straight.

Great man, Always trying his best. His heart is in the right place.

Silvio.Dante

I'd go along with the general trend here however Quinn himself is a bit of an enigma. A member of the Labour Party yet is a pro Zionist, Silver spooned Architect whose brother presided over many of AIB's shameful acts and despite his indifference to his constituents is very popular in the Sandymount/Ringsend area...

femur61

Silvio.Dante wrote: »

That is what Ruairi Quinn proudly claims. He works monday to Friday and has no time for menial constituency work, leaving it to Humphreys and maria Parodi.

He can well afford to ignore the people who voted him in as he's retiring at the next election but is this to be encouraged in all our politicians who become ministers.

Clearly Quinn vies it as focussing on Education but are irish people happy for their local TD's ignoring them in such a some what arrogant way...

We are trying to eradicate parish pump politics.

whippet

Silvio.Dante wrote: »

I'd go along with the general trend here however Quinn himself is a bit of an enigma. A member of the Labour Party yet is a pro Zionist, Silver spooned Architect whose brother presided over many of AIB's shameful acts and despite his indifference to his constituents is very popular in the Sandymount/Ringsend area...

What I am reding into your posts on this thread is that you don't like Quinn and are looking for a rational reason for that dislike?

When you realise that his focus on national issues isn't a bad thing you now are looking at using his non-conforming socialist ideals and his individual brother as a reason?

Anything else you dont like ... The fact he has more hair on his chin than on his head?


Why don't you let us know what your real agenda is here rather than taking pot shots?

AlekSmart

Silvio.Dante wrote: »

I'd go along with the general trend here however Quinn himself is a bit of an enigma. A member of the Labour Party yet is a pro Zionist, Silver spooned Architect whose brother presided over many of AIB's shameful acts and despite his indifference to his constituents is very popular in the Sandymount/Ringsend area...

RQ is one of the few Irish political figures whom you could put in front of a Camera without having to worry about him collapsing in a heap.

I'm not sure whether Zionism is,of itself,a bar to being a member of the Labour Party,but it seems to sit fairly easily on RQ's shoulders over many years at the political bench...?

As for Silver Spoons and dodgy brothers,crikey those are not in the least Labour Party specific elements at all....are they ..?

I'M not particularly a Rurai Quinn admirer,but there are sure-as-hell,a great many Irish Political figures far more deserving of a spell in Dante's Inferno than he....:rolleyes:

Silvio.Dante

AlekSmart wrote: »

RQ is one of the few Irish political figures whom you could put in front of a Camera without having to worry about him collapsing in a heap.

I'm not sure whether Zionism is,of itself,a bar to being a member of the Labour Party,but it seems to sit fairly easily on RQ's shoulders over many years at the political bench...?

As for Silver Spoons and dodgy brothers,crikey those are not in the least Labour Party specific elements at all....are they ..?

I'M not particularly a Rurai Quinn admirer,but there are sure-as-hell,a great many Irish Political figures far more deserving of a spell in Dante's Inferno than he....:rolleyes:

There's no doubt he's as smooth as they come in media interviews and does seem to be making positive waves to the anarchic Patronage system in our schools.

However that does not diminish his enigmatic qualities. It also says alot about the Labour Party. they're about as socialist as Leo's left foot...;)

Manach

Initial disclosure. I dislike Ruari Quinn and his blatant ant-Catholic sentiment.

Main Point: Mr Quinn, if he is retiring next election has the benefit of an effective term limit. This would be analagous to Regan and Clinton in their second terms who could actually concentrate on pushing through agendas that were of benefit to the country and not just to their parties. In the constitutency I'm in, there are government TDs who in opposition were very vocal on local issues and made political capital based on this.
Perhaps, as a reform Ireland might re-model the Seanad on the US congressional system, where local issues are addressed somewhat but allow a smaller more focus number of TDs to focus on the national ones.

anymore

I would rather a competent Minister who works five days a week than then these idiots at all levels of politics who claim to work 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year !
In fact I would go so far as to say that every politician should be obliged to take a minimum of two weeks holiday abroad, prefereably three, without contacting home, to allow them to have a period of first relaxation and maybe even a period of reflection on life. I must say I always find to amusing to hear strident calls for Ministers to return from holidays whenever some crisis blows up - last winters bad weather was an expamle. Minister are responsible for ensuring efficient systems are in place not for micro managing.

Seloth

charlemont wrote: »

Great man, Always trying his best. His heart is in the right place.

I'm sure his heart was in the right place when he made a pledge to the students of Ireland that he was against student fee's and then once he was in power he brought them in.

goose2005

Main problem is that national government controls almost the entire budget , so if you want anything it has to come from the centre. So national departments end up bogged down in trivialities and can't focus on the big picture, and every big county wants "their minister."

Corsendonk

At least Rory is honest about his working hours. I love Twitter, its great for following the techno savey politicians that told us that when they were elected they wouldn't stop working for the people, some even claimed 7 days a week until they pulled the country out of the mess that its in.. And now when I logon on to Twitter friday evenings I read through the same politicians telling us their plans for the relaxing weekend or having to attend another black tie event over the weekend. Obviously the boom is around the corner.;)

anymore

I started occassionaly reading the minutes of Cork City Council and was horrified at the amount of time Councillors were spending on junkets. For example in one year, one FF councillor spent 3 out of 4 weekends in that month on junkets. On a couple of occassions I noticed that several Councillors had gone to junkets in one coastal resort town in Ireland for at least two junkets. The junkets were reported at different Council meetings but when I looked at the dates, it transpired that these junkets were held on consecutive days within the same week ! So one junket was for two days, say tues and wed and the second junket was also for two days, thrs and fri of the same week. Need I say the junkets were held in the summer ? So effectively these Councillors were enjoying at least a four day summer holiday at the seaside courtesy of the taxpayer. No doubt this was part of their hard working week !

jimmycrackcorm

nesf wrote: »

Good for Ruarí Quinn to get his priorities straight.

But - who will fix the potholes then?

Riskymove

Seloth wrote: »

then once he was in power he brought them in.

he did?