Big Phil's First Day

Johngoose

Phil Hogan succeeded in staying in his job in Europe.What are your opinions?

vicwatson

Can't say I wish him well, he's left us with lots of poo, he was pushed out by FG to do the dirty work with the promise of the cushy number he'll now have in Brussels. All went according to plan

sh1tstirrer

250k a year maybe now he'll be able to pay his Spanish property tax :rolleyes:

Johngoose

He saddled the tax payer with plenty of expense for Irish Water consultants.

mister gullible

I suppose he'll show a bit respect for the ladies of the European Institutions. He'll surely make a better effort than he did in Ireland.

Fiskar

More jobs for the boys and those back home with the Cvs from his locality.

The Irish Water Fiasco could be FGs undoing in government for many years if one were to judge how private companies/utilities are perceived by the public in the UK. This is one to watch, next is the broadcast charge to replace the tv license.

Wait till Irish Water is floated and watch those prices rise. Makes paying for the electric cheap in comparison.

I'm pretty sure big Phil will lose the run of himself over there so again another one to watch.

Johngoose

http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/1002/649602-phil-hogan-nessa-childers/

Johngoose

F.G. deserve to go in the next election, saying that as a person who voted them in in the last election. But I feel they will appear to have sorted the jobs crisis and upped the price of houses. Basically I feel they will do anything to get votes and will buy votes.

Fiskar

Their mandate ran out last December when they finished with the IMF, Water charges and property tax will likely finish them off along with their public cronyisum. They are out of touch, they will be forced out before 2016. Big Phil has seen to that.
Mark my words, where revenue hunted down the ordinary man for the property tax and robbed the money from the wages, Irish Water will struggle to get 50% on board and revenue won't be hunting anyone down on this one as they will be powerless.
I do wonder how Enda will portray the 5 point plan seeing as he has strayed so far from it, perhaps FG supporters should take a look at it and see much of it they have actually achieved. No wonder they have only been in power so few years over the last 81 since they were formed.
I have a nice bucket of water for any FG calling to my door.

vicwatson

^^^^^

Dont forget to boil it first

jank

Well seeing as this has turned into an anti-FG thread and a rant I will bring it back on topic.
Big Phill seems to be a polished performer and does draw negative attacks but that is often the mark of a successful politician.

I must admit the smack down he gave to both Sinn Fein's Mark McCarthy and Ming made me chuckle. The picture of the two of them at the end is priceless. Their two bit populist soundbites may be popular at home at local council level but in Europe there is bigger fish to fry.
https://soundcloud.com/todaysor/matt-carthy-phil-hogan-exchange-in-brussels



Game.Set.Match.

AlekSmart

jank wrote: »

Well seeing as this has turned into an anti-FG thread and a rant I will bring it back on topic.
Big Phill seems to be a polished performer and does draw negative attacks but that is often the mark of a successful politician.

I must admit the smack down he gave to both Sinn Fein's Mark McCarthy and Ming made me chuckle. The picture of the two of them at the end is priceless. Their two bit populist soundbites may be popular at home at local council level but in Europe there is bigger fish to fry.
https://soundcloud.com/todaysor/matt-carthy-phil-hogan-exchange-in-brussels



Game.Set.Match.

As somebody who feels this Government is doing a reasonably good job for now,I would suggest that Phil Hogan is no more than a Medicore Politician,(Admittedly elected by an electorate who clearly value mediocrity) who became a Mediocre Minister who effectively managed to surround himslef with a bevy of Mediocre Administrators then set about rewarding the maximum mediocrity with highly renumerative posts such as Top-Men in Irish Water.

Phil Hogan,to me,epitomises much of what continues to bedevil Irish Politics...the yahooing of a bruiser,a good oul Local Lad,always on the look-out for the parish and ever ready to look after the loyal follower.

I suppose Politics has ever been thus,but looking around me in today's Ireland,at how manifestly poorly managed the set-up of Irish Water has become,and to see the Individual responsible now being (Hugely) rewarded leaves a very sour taste in my mouth.

I have no great grá for Mssrs Flanagan or McCarthy either,however Phillip rather notably,and all too easily,evaded what,I thought,a pertinent enough question.

There is NO way on My watch,that Phil Hogan,deserved this post...at the very least he should have been forced to remain as Minister for the Environment and to sink or swim with his pet project.

Despatching him to Europe,smacks of getting him offside,in case the questions (and there are lots of them) got too focused....I'd much prefer to see him brought back to see his project through to the end.

Phoebas

sh1tstirrer wrote: »

250k a year maybe now he'll be able to pay his Spanish property tax :rolleyes:

Or even his Portuguese maintenance charge.

mister gullible

In fairness to Phil he is quoted as saying "would you pay a charge if you were unhappy with a service". A logical and reasonable question.

Scofflaw

To be fair, he passed the EP hearing, and flew the Ag Committee vote called by Ming (31-11, I think), largely because he swotted up on the brief from the moment he got the government nod.

That's something you'd have to see as evidence of competence, and while it may be basic competence, it's more than, for example, Jonathan Hill (the UK Commissioner-designate) managed to do, which is why Hill is back next week for a second hearing.

Politically, though, sure, Hogan got the dirty jobs, and has now been sent over to Brussels while people forget. The Irish Water job may even have been a quid pro quo for nomination.

cordially,
Scofflaw

BoJack Horseman

Has anyone asked Ming or the Shinners, why they joined the communist block of the EU parliament, when they didn't identify themselves as communist during the campaign?

Seems deceitful to me.