FF Deputy Leader Éamon Ó Cuív resigns

Sully

Some breaking news just in. Éamon Ó Cuív, Deputy Leader and Frontbench Spokesperson, has resigned from Fianna Fails front bench over disagreements with the party leader, Michael Martin. He is unhappy with the "Yes" vote from Fianna Fail and in particular, his party leader. He will remain a member of the party and will attend the Ard Fheis. He has spoken about this on The Last Word on TodayFM and its slowly breaking online. The Journal seem first with an article.

FIANNA FÁIL TD Éamon Ó Cuív has resigned as deputy leader and party spokesperson on communications this evening over his refusal to support the party’s position on the EU Fiscal Compact treaty.

Ó Cuív had indicated earlier today that he had not yet decided which way he would vote in the upcoming referendum despite his party indicating it would support a ‘Yes’ vote.

“This whole issue is about fundamental future of Ireland,” Ó Cuív told Today FM this evening. He said to continue in his role while he did not support the fiscal compact ratification “would be incompatible for me.”

Party leader Micheál Martin said that it was no longer possible under the circumstances for Ó Cuív, a former government minister, to continue in his role as the party deputy leader and spokesperson on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.

“Éamon’s refusal to support the Parliamentary Party’s position on the Fiscal Compact meant that it was no longer feasible for him to occupy these roles,” Martin said in a statement tonight.

“As the Party prepares for a momentous Ard Fheis this weekend, it is my hope that Éamon will continue to work for Fianna Fáil’s renewal as he has done over the last twelve months.

“Our Party has led Ireland’s positive and constructive engagement with Europe for generations and I am determined that it continues in this proud tradition.”

More to follow…

Source: http://www.thejournal.ie/eamon-o-cuiv-resigns-from-fianna-fail-parliamentary-party-369749-Feb2012/

Sully

Its over his party supporting the treaty. He doesn't think the treaty goes far enough and wants the government to go back to Europe and make certain demands that would benefit Ireland. Slowly breaking on online news sites, with TheJournal having a breaking news (no link as its front page only) on it.

Scofflaw

Sully wrote: »

Its over his party supporting the treaty. He doesn't think the treaty goes far enough and wants the government to go back to Europe and make certain demands that would benefit Ireland. Slowly breaking on online news sites, with TheJournal having a breaking news (no link as its front page only) on it.

Has he outlined his demands?

cordially,
Scofflaw

europa11

Wonder will Young Dev join with the Shinners? Surprised he didn't wait until the Ard-Fheis - could have had another Boland style theatrical.

Pity. I could imagine Dillie O'Wee in the role of Paddy Hillery "Yeeee can have O'Cuiv, but ye'll not have FeeeeennnaFalllllllll" ....ah well!:cool:

Nodin

Sully wrote: »

Its over his party supporting the treaty. He doesn't think the treaty goes far enough and wants the government to go back to Europe and make certain demands that would benefit Ireland. Slowly breaking on online news sites, with TheJournal having a breaking news (no link as its front page only) on it.

.....perhaps conveniently giving himself a platform to start a campaign for the leadership at the same time.

Gregor Samsa

Sully wrote: »

Slowly breaking on online news sites, with TheJournal having a breaking news (no link as its front page only) on it.

Here's a direct link to the Journal's breaking news update on it

http://www.thejournal.ie/eamon-o-cuiv-resigns-from-fianna-fail-parliamentary-party-369749-Feb2012/

I assume there'll be a more full article on it with details soon. EDIT: It's a full article now.

And here's the same scant detail on the RTE News Twitter feed.

http://twitter.com/#!/rtenews/status/174906960758579200

Sully

Ill edit the opening post with the article from TheJournal

Scofflaw

Could be a straw in the wind regarding the likelihood of a red-herring Western No campaign based on septic tanks and bog cutting. Could be a divide and keep votes strategy to ensure Sinn Fein don't keep poaching Fianna Fáil's more euronegative support.

Or it could be a principled move by a Fianna Fáil politician.

cordially,
Scofflaw

raymon

Humiliating for FF . Dev should set up a new party.

jmayo

Sully wrote: »

Some breaking news just in. Éamon Ó Cuív, Deputy Leader and Frontbench Spokesperson, has resigned from Fianna Fails front bench over disagreements with the party leader, Michael Martin. He is unhappy with the "Yes" vote from Fianna Fail and in particular, his party leader. He will remain a member of the party and will attend the Ard Fheis. He has spoken about this on The Last Word on TodayFM and its slowly breaking online. The Journal seem first with an article.
...

If only he was as quick to resign when he had a ministerial car under his ar**. :rolleyes:
I love it when people show principles when they have little to lose.

Scofflaw wrote: »

Could be a straw in the wind regarding the likelihood of a red-herring Western No campaign based on septic tanks and bog cutting. Could be a divide and keep votes strategy to ensure Sinn Fein don't keep poaching Fianna Fáil's more euronegative support.

Now now I will have to report you for discrimination against people from the West.
BTW it is turf cutting my dear boy, not bog cutting.

Scofflaw wrote: »

Or it could be a principled move by a Fianna Fáil politician.

Nah.

Wibbs

Scofflaw wrote: »

Could be a straw in the wind regarding the likelihood of a red-herring Western No campaign based on septic tanks and bog cutting. Could be a divide and keep votes strategy to ensure Sinn Fein don't keep poaching Fianna Fáil's more euronegative support.

Or it could be a principled move by a Fianna Fáil politician.

cordially,
Scofflaw

Yep, O'Cuiv changes tack more than a yacht with a broken rudder. This is a dyed in the wool Jackeen who seems to have reinvented himself as the voice(and accent) of rural Ireland, a man who has had a few "odd expenses in his time, a man who even suggested a return to the British commonwealth. Given his various pronouncements in the past he would sail close to the opportunistic gombeen man title for me. A more gold plated Jackie Healy Rae.

GSF

Does he get a severance package for quitting? (asked just half in jest, this is Irish politics after all)

Liam Byrne

Scofflaw wrote: »

Or it could be a principled move by a Fianna Fáil politician.

Nice one, Scofflaw, but April 1st is still a month away!

Godge

I would say it is a move from O'Cuiv for the leadership. He has nothing to gain by being associated with Martin while the vote share continues to fall.

Now he can sit on the backbenches, plot, adopt every rural populist issue, end the household charge, kill the septic tank inspections and high-speed broadband and public transport over every hill to every hamlet, a school for every five houses, drink, drive and be merry etc.

The great thing is if he does become leader, FF will be wiped out in the next election in every city (Martin won't run, Willie will see the writing on the wall, so McGrath in Cork will be the only urban TD). In rural areas, they will have to fight the trend of FG and SF dividing rural areas up between them.

Yonge Street

Wibbs wrote: »

O'Cuiv changes tack more than a yacht with a broken rudder. This is a dyed in the wool Jackeen who seems to have reinvented himself as the voice(and accent) of rural Ireland

Absolutely right. O'Cuiv is yet another opportunistic gombeen who realised there were votes to be had from fooling the culchies out Wesht that he was "one of them". He's now playing the eurosceptic card to snag a few votes from Sinn Fein, all conveniently timed before the FF Ard Fheis making way for a leadership challenge.

Let's not forget he was in cabinet when FF agreed to bank guarantee and to Troika. He has no principles.

Cardinal Richelieu

Rather good news for FF in the long term, time that got away from Dev's relatives. He seemed a relic left over from the 50s whose only concern was for the West and what he could get his constituency rather than the national interest so its a bit rich he resigned over a national issue.

Sully

The leader of Fianna Fail is now being interviewed about this on TodayFM right now.

bijapos

Its either first steps towards a future leadership bid, or first steps towards a new party.

Although O'Cuiv was a member of the cabinet he was low profile and stayed well clear of major scandal in the eyes of most people. The electorate will be fed up with FG by the next election and there will be room there in some places for a populist rural based party.

Or as a poster said earlier he will sit on the backbenches, cause mayhem, be a true populist and have a go at the leadership after summer.

The Ard Fheis should be interesting, its something to get the FF rabble excited about either way.

Cardinal Richelieu

O'Cuiv on on RTE News now. He seems to think shouting in a loud voice in response to Dobson questions shows his passion for this country.

MadsL

jmayo wrote: »

BTW it is turf cutting my dear boy, not bog cutting.

No - I've checked, they are definitely bogs that ye are cutting.
Call it what you like when it's in bags but they are bogs alright.


In other news 'pork made from pigs' shocker....

Nodin

Sully wrote: »

The leader of Fianna Fail is now being interviewed about this on TodayFM right now.

...the sound of one hand clapping. He's actually worse at presenting his case than Enda, generally.

Sierra Oscar

This needed to happen to be honest. Ó Cuív has been at loggerheads with Martin since the GE and they are essentially incompatible with leading the party together. No doubt he will continue to play a role within the party, but Martin will do the leading it seems.

hmmm

Hopefully he will become a leader of the "it's all someone else's fault we got ourselves into this mess" faction.

Liam Byrne

hmmm wrote: »

Hopefully he will become a leader of the "it's all someone else's fault we got ourselves into this mess" faction.

Faction of FF, I hope you mean, because I'm otherwise in that description and I'd no more accept O'Cuiv - who remember refused to have principles when he had his previous cosy position in government - as my "leader"!

GSF

Looking on the bright side, at least FF should get more bookings from RTE Primetime this week as a result of their feuding.

Sierra Oscar

GSF wrote: »

Looking on the bright side, at least FF should get more bookings from RTE Primetime this week as a result of their feuding.

The interest in the Ard Fheis will also be intense, which is sure to please the FF press office - assuming the event passes off without incident!

jmayo

Yonge Street wrote: »

Absolutely right. O'Cuiv is yet another opportunistic gombeen who realised there were votes to be had from fooling the culchies out Wesht that he was "one of them". He's now playing the eurosceptic card to snag a few votes from Sinn Fein, all conveniently timed before the FF Ard Fheis making way for a leadership challenge.
Let's not forget he was in cabinet when FF agreed to bank guarantee and to Troika. He has no principles.

Vinnie reminded him of that last night.
Principles and ff are mutually exclusive.
And the higher you go the more true it gets.

Cardinal Richelieu wrote: »

Rather good news for FF in the long term, time that got away from Dev's relatives. He seemed a relic left over from the 50s whose only concern was for the West and what he could get his constituency rather than the national interest so its a bit rich he resigned over a national issue.

What is with the superiority attitude around here particularly towards people in the West.
I already pointed it out to of all people a mod. :rolleyes:

Some of the worse dodgy politicans and parish pump politics engaged in this country was actually in Dublin city.
In case anyone forgets the result of that parish pump politics was seen early this week when the siting of the new children's hospital came up for review.

But of course it suits the superiority feeling urbanities around here to conveniently ignore that home truth.

bijapos wrote: »

Its either first steps towards a future leadership bid, or first steps towards a new party.

Although O'Cuiv was a member of the cabinet he was low profile and stayed well clear of major scandal in the eyes of most people. The electorate will be fed up with FG by the next election and there will be room there in some places for a populist rural based party.

Or as a poster said earlier he will sit on the backbenches, cause mayhem, be a true populist and have a go at the leadership after summer.

The Ard Fheis should be interesting, its something to get the FF rabble excited about either way.

Sorry I thought you were one of them ???

Any idea how one gets a ticket for this shindig ?

MadsL wrote: »

No - I've checked, they are definitely bogs that ye are cutting.
Call it what you like when it's in bags but they are bogs alright.

In other news 'pork made from pigs' shocker....

Actually there might be more than pork in those pork chops.

No one ever says they are going bog cutting, just like no one ever says they are going field cutting.
It is turf cutting and cutting silage/hay.

Now are there any more townies that need lessons in what the better half of the country get up to and how to describe it? :P

Sign up now, I am offering a discount.
Cash only.
Although the Revenue are closing in on all those little extra activities these days.

johngalway

Poor ould Dev óg, I suppose at least he has developed enough to be honest about his combination of campaigning and personal voting this time. Hopefully this will start his downfall but it's hard to get rid of a bad thing.

jmayo wrote: »

What is with the superiority attitude around here particularly towards people in the West.

Jealousy

jmayo wrote: »

It is turf cutting and cutting silage/hay.
Now are there any more townies that need lessons in what the better half of the country get up to and how to describe it? :P

+1, bog cutting :pac:

I could set up a related enterprise on shore cutting, ah, I mean weed cutting.

patwicklow

Well lets hope FF vanish just like the greens and the pds

bijapos

jmayo wrote: »

Sorry I thought you were one of them ???

I've no idea what the hell ever gave you the impression I was an FF supporter. I left the country in 89 because they were reelected, I never brought into the Celtic Tiger bullsh1t morally or financially and have always put them at the bottom of any ballot sheet i have ever held in my hand.

Having said that I have never seen any major difference between them and FG at local, Dail or Euro level.

Thanks :mad:

Liam Byrne

bijapos wrote: »

I've no idea what the hell ever gave you the impression I was an FF supporter. I left the country in 89 because they were reelected, I never brought into the Celtic Tiger bullsh1t morally or financially and have always put them at the bottom of any ballot sheet i have ever held in my hand.

Why did you give them a vote at all ?

jmayo

bijapos wrote: »

I've no idea what the hell ever gave you the impression I was an FF supporter. I left the country in 89 because they were reelected, I never brought into the Celtic Tiger bullsh1t morally or financially and have always put them at the bottom of any ballot sheet i have ever held in my hand.

Having said that I have never seen any major difference between them and FG at local, Dail or Euro level.

Thanks :mad:

Apologies I am probably getting you mixed up with someone else.

bijapos

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Why did you give them a vote at all ?

Its a preference voting system. I give them my last preference. I've always filled the ballot in from top to bottom, everybody should do this IMO but its a free country.

jmayo wrote: »

Apologies I am probably getting you mixed up with someone else.

No worries, apology accepted.

antoobrien

It looks like this one is getting fun: Senator withdraws 'offensive' Ó Cuív remark

It appears that somebody compared O'Cuiv's position to shooting Collins.

“Deputy Martin isn’t the first Cork man to be shot in the back by a de Valera,”

jmayo

antoobrien wrote: »

It looks like this one is getting fun: Senator withdraws 'offensive' Ó Cuív remark

It appears that somebody compared O'Cuiv's position to shooting Collins.

Actually it could be a very interesting Ard Fheis.

Liam Byrne

jmayo wrote: »

antoobrien wrote: »

It looks like this one is getting fun: Senator withdraws 'offensive' Ó Cuív remark

It appears that somebody compared O'Cuiv's position to shooting Collins.

Actually it could be a very interesting Ard Fheis.

About as interesting as the catholic church electing its pope - a corrupt and despicable organisation of blinkered supporters choosing who to lead an irrelevant and archaic organisation that's only relevant and beneficial to its own members.

Liam Byrne

bijapos wrote: »

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Why did you give them a vote at all ?

Its a preference voting system. I give them my last preference. I've always filled the ballot in from top to bottom, everybody should do this IMO but its a free country.

I've never understood this. If I'm certain that someone isn't good enough or honest enough to deserve a vote from me then they don't get one.

You're basically saying that if a mass murderer was on a ballot paper they would get your approval just by being there.

bijapos

Liam Byrne wrote: »

I've never understood this. If I'm certain that someone isn't good enough or honest enough to deserve a vote from me then they don't get one.

You see, its not a vote, its a preference that you give, from first preference to wherever you choose. The seats are going to be filled no matter what so i might as well have my say. If there are 12 people on the ballot and I decide that the last person I would like to see get a seat is a FFer then I give him/her the 12.

Example: at the Presidential elections I was in two minds as to whether I gave my last vote to McGuinnness or Gallagher, so i had to decide which of the two I would least like to be President and decided acordingly.

Lets just say Labour put up a weak candidate and after the first 5 were eliminated there was just McG and Gallagher left. By using up all my preferences I get to decide which of the two I want (or in this case least want).

Thats the way it works in our system, other countries you just tick a box but seeing that here I have the possibility to do 1-7 as in the Pres. election I choose to do this.

You're basically saying that if a mass murderer was on a ballot paper they would get your approval just by being there.

No they would get my least preference, seeing as the seat has to be filled anyway, I would take it that the mass murderer would be the one I would least like to see there and thus I vote accordingly, i.e. mass murderer at the bottom of the pile.

Liam Byrne

bijapos wrote: »

Liam Byrne wrote: »

I've never understood this. If I'm certain that someone isn't good enough or honest enough to deserve a vote from me then they don't get one.

You see, its not a vote, its a preference that you give, from first preference to wherever you choose. The seats are going to be filled no matter what so i might as well have my say. If there are 12 people on the ballot and I decide that the last person I would like to see get a seat is a FFer then I give him/her the 12.

Example: at the Presidential elections I was in two minds as to whether I gave my last vote to McGuinnness or Gallagher, so i had to decide which of the two I would least like to be President and decided acordingly.

Lets just say Labour put up a weak candidate and after the first 5 were eliminated there was just McG and Gallagher left. By using up all my preferences I get to decide which of the two I want (or in this case least want).

Thats the way it works in our system, other countries you just tick a box but seeing that here I have the possibility to do 1-7 as in the Pres. election I choose to do this.

You're basically saying that if a mass murderer was on a ballot paper they would get your approval just by being there.

No they would get my least preference, seeing as the seat has to be filled anyway, I would take it that the mass murderer would be the one I would least like to see there and thus I vote accordingly, i.e. mass murderer at the bottom of the pile.

Nope. Still don't understand the logic.

Last preference is too good for many candidates.

Well, I suppose you could fill in the ballot 1-6, then leave 7 blank. Serves the same purpose but keeps Liam happy eh?

Liam Byrne

Rojomcdojo wrote: »

Well, I suppose you could fill in the ballot 1-6, then leave 7 blank. Serves the same purpose but keeps Liam happy eh?

Not if FF run 2 candidates!

Mind you, the way all the others are behaving there will be no point going to the ballot booth at all!

bijapos

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Nope. Still don't understand the logic.

Last preference is too good for many candidates.

I couldn't agree more but if you only give a preference to the ones you want then be prepared to sit back and watch others decide who gets in.

Heres an example: I got a ticket to go to the count at the 2009 Locals for Dun Laoghaire Co CO. Tony Fox, who was one of the 7 people that Frank Dunlop named as giving bribes to was voted in 5th and last place for the Dundrum ward, simply because people didn't bother filling in their ballot sheets properly. He got in on transfers.

A Labour woman and a Green lost out to him, the Green is a guy who I met a couple of times who is a qulaified town planner, something every council should have and a guy who actively opposed some brutal developments in the area.

Now of the three I would think that the Labour and the Green are the lesser of the evils, but they didn't get in because people never gave them enough preferences.

The seat for Fox was won for him because people put him down on their sheets and others didn't put the Lab/Green or some Independent down above him.

Thats how the system works and thats why I use the whole of the ballot paper.

jmayo

Liam Byrne wrote: »

About as interesting as the catholic church electing its pope - a corrupt and despicable organisation of blinkered supporters choosing who to lead an irrelevant and archaic organisation that's only relevant and beneficial to its own members.

Oh I know it would be kinda stomach churning to see such a bunch of dispicable characters all in one spot, ah but you can't bate a good old catfight.

Liam Byrne

bijapos wrote: »

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Nope. Still don't understand the logic.

Last preference is too good for many candidates.

I couldn't agree more but if you only give a preference to the ones you want then be prepared to sit back and watch others decide who gets in.

Heres an example: I got a ticket to go to the count at the 2009 Locals for Dun Laoghaire Co CO. Tony Fox, who was one of the 7 people that Frank Dunlop named as giving bribes to was voted in 5th and last place for the Dundrum ward, simply because people didn't bother filling in their ballot sheets properly. He got in on transfers.

A Labour woman and a Green lost out to him, the Green is a guy who I met a couple of times who is a qulaified town planner, something every council should have and a guy who actively opposed some brutal developments in the area.

Now of the three I would think that the Labour and the Green are the lesser of the evils, but they didn't get in because people never gave them enough preferences.

The seat for Fox was won for him because people put him down on their sheets and others didn't put the Lab/Green or some Independent down above him.

Thats how the system works and thats why I use the whole of the ballot paper.

As Rojo said above, at the very least leave the last spot blank based on someone like him, so as not to be tainted by having "voted" for him.

Anyway, we're drifting off-topic; while I would have some tolerance in relation to the "least worst", there are many who would NEVER get any mark from me.

And given that FF & SF are out, with FG & Labour reneging on all the reasons I voted for them, it's beginning to seem like even the "least worst" aren't worthy of my even reluctant approval.

MadsL

jmayo wrote: »

No one ever says they are going bog cutting, just like no one ever says they are going field cutting.
It is turf cutting and cutting silage/hay.

Now are there any more townies that need lessons in what the better half of the country get up to and how to describe it? :P

I know what you call it alright, I'm just applauding the truth of describing what it actually is!

Calling a sleán a sleán if you will.

Sorry for the OT...

goose2005

jmayo wrote: »

No one ever says they are going bog cutting, just like no one ever says they are going field cutting.
It is turf cutting and cutting silage/hay.

Perhaps because the grass will grow back; the bog you cut away is gone for good. But I suppose this is the typical attitude of the rural dweller - we're the ones who nourish and nurture and maintain our beautiful countryside, so we'll wreck it any way we please.

johngalway

goose2005 wrote: »

Perhaps because the grass will grow back; the bog you cut away is gone for good. But I suppose this is the typical attitude of the rural dweller - we're the ones who nourish and nurture and maintain our beautiful countryside, so we'll wreck it any way we please.

Quick, someone tell the NPWS their bog regeneration schemes are a waste of time!