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Is there anyone with credibility to hold current government to account?

  • 24-11-2011 09:55AM
    #1
    jonniebgood1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,578 ✭✭✭


    It seems to me there is a serious credibility issue with the current opposition in the Dail. I regularly hear snips on the radio from questions asked of the Taoiseach or Tanaiste in the Dail and they are usually incredibly hard to associate with, mainly due to who is asking them.

    On the one hand we have Micheal Martin, heavily involved in the reasons why we are in such a financially dire state of being. He yesterday stated that the government were frightening the public with leaks of the budget. He did this with great indignation and I presume a solemn face. Given his government history such utterances are a joke and not befitting of a serious parliament. FF I am 100% sure need to break their links to the past.

    Next we have Gerry Adams down south because he has fixed all of the problems in NI. Now Gerry may well have been an important peacemaker, but a coherent parliamentarian he certainly is not. If he had any cop on he would gather up his eggs and go home. His outrage at the Irish governments implementation of cut backs is outrageous given that his party are doing similar in the North.

    Joe Higgins can often be the best bet for holding the government to account and as such he can get under their skin. He is prone to grand standing and irrelevancies that often allow people to ignore the serious points he makes. For example yesterday his criticism of the government began coherently but developed into a kind of ridicule and ended in fits of laughter (including from the FF members. Thus my rant reaches its conclusion with FF, the reason for our difficulties, laughing in our faces. Is that really the type of opposition we need?

    So- what do people think. The opposition is a very important part of a functioning parliament as they should hold the government to account in a progressive manner. Can our current opposition do this and how? I feel the answer is currently no.


Comments

  • #2
    edanto
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,809 ✭✭✭edanto


    I'm a supporter of Stephen Donnelly TD, the only opposition TD in Wicklow/East Carlow.

    He has the credibility to hold the govt to account, he is only in politics since last year and has no blame for the economic mess.

    He also makes suggestions that I think are more practical than those made by Higgins, and he doesn't lose the head when speaking publicly or privately.

    He's only one voice though, and I wish there were many more like him in the Dail.

    www.stephendonnelly.ie if you want to see what he stands for.


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