Ruairi Quinn has resigned

Lockstep

So Ruairi Quinn has announced he's leaving the cabinet.
Source

Not sure how I feel about it tbh.

Unimpressed with the u-turn on third level fees but glad to see a Minister for Education trying to get the Church out of our schools.

Thoughts?

I Heart Internet

He thought he was a lot more clever and subtle than he was in his approach to broadening the range of patrons of schools (which is a good thing).

He would be on the radio talking in soothing, sensible tones about meeting the needs of all parents and working constructively with the church, etc. Then he'd pop up at a speaking event or teacher union agm and start telling people that religion should be dumped in favour of more maths.

This led to a lack of trust. Which meant he didn't get as far as he might have with school patronage.

Dyr

come bollix - go bollix

Shiraz 4.99

One of the finest, stood for everything I want to see in a politician.
Loved how he tore after the church patronage, it will be years before we see it's full fruition but I'll always remember it was he started the process.

shruikan2553

Same as the OP at least 1 good thing came from him. Its tough to find a politician that would try for separation of church and state.

Conmaicne Mara

Lockstep wrote: »

Thoughts?

It's a start.

suicide_circus

He deserves credit for setting up the CAB

Buzz Killington the third

suicide_circus wrote: »

He deserves credit for setting up the CAB

Does he?

"The CAB was established in October 1996 by the then Minister for Justice, Nora Owen"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criminal_Assets_Bureau

suicide_circus

I think he had some role to play in its inception, no? Ok never mind

Edit: yep he introduced the legislation allowing the state to seize assets from crims....thereby providing the teeth and framework for Nora to set up CAB

VinLieger

Cue the "dem gubernment" comments with people not putting any thought into what this means or what hes done and think this is a win.

The man was trying to reform the system, yes he may have gone about it the wrong way as far as the junior cert goes but can you see a Fianna Fail or Fine Gael minister for education doing as much for educate together and non secular schools?

seamus

Ruairi Quinn is one of the most decent politicians that we've ever seen in our system. Sure he had some egg on his face over the college fees issue, but I don't believe any point in his career that Ruairi has been intentionally dishonest, but rather has been the victim others playing politics.

Ruairi is arguably the man with the single-most responsibility for creating the Celtic Tiger boom, which even though it became a mismanaged shambles by his successors, still resulted in a massive improvement in the infrastructural and social state of this country.

I believe that there was no point where Ruairi did not act in what he thought were the best interests of the country in making the decisions that he did, and his successes in every portfolio he has taken on, stand to him.

I'm not a Labour voter, before all those kinds of posters come along, I just have a lot of respect for a man of intelligence and integrity like Ruairi Quinn.

This seems like a very sudden decision, I hope it hasn't been brought on by any ill-health.

bonerjams03

seamus wrote: »

Ruairi Quinn is one of the most decent politicians that we've ever seen in our system. Sure he had some egg on his face over the college fees issue, but I don't believe any point in his career that Ruairi has been intentionally dishonest, but rather has been the victim others playing politics.

Ruairi is arguably the man with the single-most responsibility for creating the Celtic Tiger boom, which even though it became a mismanaged shambles by his successors, still resulted in a massive improvement in the infrastructural and social state of this country.

I believe that there was no point where Ruairi did not act in what he thought were the best interests of the country in making the decisions that he did, and his successes in every portfolio he has taken on, stand to him.

I'm not a Labour voter, before all those kinds of posters come along, I just have a lot of respect for a man of intelligence and integrity like Ruairi Quinn.

This seems like a very sudden decision, I hope it hasn't been brought on by any ill-health.

He's just going before he's pushed, would not have made it into cabinet after the reshuffle, which was why he was pushing through legislation on school admissions.

I really don't understand why any Labour leader wouldn't want him in cabinet, I think the only things that this government will be remembered for in thirty years will have been some of Shatter's reforms (new court etc.) and the patronage given to Educate Together by Quinn. Most competent minster in cabinet and possibly the greatest finance minister this country has ever had.

conorhal

Shiraz 4.99 wrote: »

One of the finest, stood for everything I want to see in a politician.
Loved how he tore after the church patronage, it will be years before we see it's full fruition but I'll always remember it was he started the process.

I suspect he'll be better remembered for
dumbing down education,
demolishing meritocracy on ideological grounds,
dismantling supports for children that need SNAs and educational support,
narrowing subject matter,
dumping history (no doubt we'll be repeating it),
getting rid of the Junior cert so the only exam that children ever prepare for is the Leaving
ending guidance counseling when teens never needed it more
making new teachers, part time zero-hours contractors,
and of course 'college fees'


But yeah, he got a few school boards to go educate together so the 'Dawkins Taliban' are happy enough to put up with the rest because they agree with a narrow agenda that he pushed into a structurally crumbing system.

Quinn was a 'great minister for Education' in the same way that Shatter was 'The Best Minister for Justice we Ever Had'. Feck me if that doesn't say it all about the appallingly low bar we set for excellence (a bar soon to be enshrined in an educational institution near your for your kids to limbo under)

I'd cheer at his departure but for the fact that I've every confidence that this government will manage to replace him with sombody even more odios.


Personally, I'd rather that he'd been minister for finance, because he actually did a decent job when he occupied that portfolio.

the culture of deference

Quinn refused to give up his Ministers pension worth €41,656 while sitting as a TD in 2009.

He was done for drunk driving in 1991.

He should not have entered any dialogue with the church, he just should have taken all the schools, none of them have any balls.

He was Finance Minister at a time when even Cowen the idiot would have been successful.

Another rich kid sent to right school.

He is a brother of Lochlann Quinn, former Chairman of AIB, and a first cousin of Senator fergal. His nephew, oisin is a Labour Party DDC and former Dáil candidate. keep it in the family boys.

Birroc

Lockstep wrote: »

...but glad to see a Minister for Education trying to get the Church out of our schools.

Thoughts?

+1. I hope the secularisation of our schools continues even if Labour struggle.

Chancer3001

He wqs an absolutely useless minister for education.

Bludgeoned ahead, no consultation, no thought, just drive on stubbornly. His ideas may have had merit but thr way he went about them was ridiculously stupid.

His time has definitely come to go

RobbingBandit

Scum for the lies to students before the last election and the cuts to Special Needs for kids. Wonder who will get this position now?

VinLieger

the culture of deference wrote: »

Quinn refused to give up his Ministers pension worth €41,656 while sitting as a TD in 2009.

He was done for drunk driving in 1991.

He should not have entered any dialogue with the church, he just should have taken all the schools, none of them have any balls.

He was Finance Minister at a time when even Cowen the idiot would have been successful.

Another rich kid sent to right school.

He is a brother of Lochlann Quinn, former Chairman of AIB, and a first cousin of Senator fergal. His nephew, oisin is a Labour Party DDC and former Dáil candidate. keep it in the family boys.

Wow.... got a bit of a chip there?

Also saying he should just take the schools from the church shows such a ignorance of how much money the church provides to help run them its astounding, I also want the church out asap but unfortunately they are so ingrained in the system its gonna have to be a slow process

Mr. Incognito

Giant who cares. He had no hope after Joan gets the keys on Friday.

He broke his pre election promise on fees. I dont call this politics, I call it lying

Reform of eductation and skills has been maintaining a toxic fas under a new name and scambridge. Removing the junior cert is a bad idea. Every single profession in the country has examinations and the sooner people are acclimatised the better. Even the leaving cert is less daunting. Its good practice.

Then he has a press conference to announce his intention to go. What sort of egotistical bobblehead does that. A statement would suffice.

RobbingBandit

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

Giant who cares. He had no hope after Joan gets the keys on Friday.

He broke his pre election promise on fees. I dont call this politics, I call it lying

Reform of eductation and skills has been maintaining a toxic fas under a new name and scambridge. Removing the junior cert is a bad idea. Every single profession in the country has examinations and the sooner people are acclimatised the better. Even the leaving cert is less daunting. Its good practice.

Then he has a press conference to announce his intention to go. What sort of egotistical bobblehead does that. A statement would suffice.

One image will forever remain of him in my eyes, signing that giant cert with the smiling students promising no increase in fees, if this was America he would have been sued for that.

Fentdog84

This is a joke. Labour are imploding before our very eyes but still remain in government. How can the present government maintain any kind of credibility, if they had any left anyway.

I Heart Internet

VinLieger wrote: »

.......... but can you see a Fianna Fail or Fine Gael minister for education doing as much for educate together and non secular schools?

As a matter of interest, ex-FF TD Mary O'Rourke has been a long-standing member of the board of Educate Together.

I Heart Internet

seamus wrote: »

This seems like a very sudden decision, I hope it hasn't been brought on by any ill-health.

Ah i doubt it. And it doesn't seem sudden. The writing was on the wall - he got out before he was pushed next week. Simple as that.

conorhal

I Heart Internet wrote: »

Ah i doubt it. And it doesn't seem sudden. The writing was on the wall - he got out before he was pushed next week. Simple as that.

Besides, he's all pensioned up so it's likely that his exit is to prepare for the coronation of his nephew Oisín Quinn as his designated successor in his constituancy.

Lapin

Hopefully this lot will take some inspiration from Quinn's decision and do likewise.


Starting with this bitch. Kathleen Lynch

Tommy Broughan
Joan Burton
Eric Byrne
Michael Conaghan
Ciara Conway
Joe Costello
Robert Dowds
Anne Ferris
Eamon Gilmore
Dominic Hannigan
Brendan Howlin
Kevin Humphreys
Colm Keaveney
Alan Kelly
Seán Kenny
Ciarán Lynch
John Lyons
Eamonn Maloney
Michael McCarthy
Michael McNamara
Gerald Nash
Derek Nolan
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin
Jan O'Sullivan
Willie Penrose
Ann Phelan
Pat Rabbitte
Brendan Ryan
Seán Sherlock
Róisín Shortall
Arthur Spring
Emmet Stagg
Joanna Tuffy
Jack Wall

petronius

Glad to see him gone
I was making a mess of the education system
Alienating the teachers trying to bully through his changes
Alienating the stakeholders in education rather than working with them
-
pity he is able to leech of taxpayer for the rest of his days now...

TommyKnocker

1 down, 165 still to go

Valetta

Lapin wrote: »

Hopefully this lot will take some inspiration from Quinn's decision and do likewise.


Starting with this bitch. Kathleen Lynch

Tommy Broughan
Joan Burton
Eric Byrne
Michael Conaghan
Ciara Conway
Joe Costello
Robert Dowds
Anne Ferris
Eamon Gilmore
Dominic Hannigan
Brendan Howlin
Kevin Humphreys
Colm Keaveney
Alan Kelly
Seán Kenny
Ciarán Lynch
John Lyons
Eamonn Maloney
Michael McCarthy
Michael McNamara
Gerald Nash
Derek Nolan
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin
Jan O'Sullivan
Willie Penrose
Ann Phelan
Pat Rabbitte
Brendan Ryan
Seán Sherlock
Róisín Shortall
Arthur Spring
Emmet Stagg
Joanna Tuffy
Jack Wall

Why exactly should Kevin Humphreys resign?

suicide_circus

TommyKnocker wrote: »

1 down, 165 still to go

To be replaced by whom?

Agent Smith

RobbingBandit wrote: »

One image will forever remain of him in my eyes, signing that giant cert with the smiling students promising no increase in fees, if this was America he would have been sued for that.

I was outside trinity college waiting for someone when they did that stunt. Thought even back then that it was a stupid promise to make....

shruikan2553

conorhal wrote: »

'Dawkins Taliban'

Could attach electromagnets to my eyes and produce enough electricity for Ireland for the amount of eye rolling this deserves.

conorhal

shruikan2553 wrote: »

Could attach electromagnets to my eyes and produce enough electricity for Ireland for the amount of eye rolling this deserves.

Seems an apt description of their fanatical zeal to me, why not attach a hose to your gob as well while you're at it use the hot air and power a continent! :pac:

sdanseo

Seán Sherlock is in shock? Never would have guessed that he was out of touch with reality in any way at all.

:rolleyes:

BuilderPlumber

No harm to see him gone. Quinn was worse than useless in education. His only contributions were negative cutbacks and he was by far the worst education minister in recent times. On a more positive note, Quinn was a good minister in previous governments but not this time around.

BuilderPlumber

RobbingBandit wrote: »

Scum for the lies to students before the last election and the cuts to Special Needs for kids. Wonder who will get this position now?

Would not be hopeful the new minster for education (or health should O'Reilly go) will be any better. I don't know but there seems to be no talent in Irish politics whatsoever at the moment in the major parties. FF, FG and Labour are full of mediocre, lazy and uncharismatic people. The choice for Taoiseach says it all: Enda Kenny or Michael Martin!!

Maphisto

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

Would not be hopeful the new minster for education (or health should O'Reilly go) will be any better. I don't know but there seems to be no talent in Irish politics whatsoever at the moment in the major parties. FF, FG and Labour are full of mediocre, lazy and uncharismatic people. The choice for Taoiseach says it all: Enda Kenny or Michael Martin!!

I don't disagree but I wonder sometimes if we get the politics and politicians that we deserve.

Ruairi may (or may not - I have no idea) have been the brightest minister since Ghandi. If for all his bright ideas he simply gets a pat on the head "Well done, we have no money, now go and get the savings that Your Boss/Enda/Noonan has already agreed.

I wonder if this minisiters coming and going is simply a form of window dressing for a government that is going to do what its going to do.