General Election 2016 Galway West

fergiesfolly

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

You keeping on saying this won't suddenly stop it being a bad idea.
If say a Sinn Fein candidate is the one who has to hand over the seat, and the next in line is someone opposed to every Sinn Fein policy, then you are effectively disenfranchising those who voted for the original winner.

This co-opting of candidates isn't great, but its far superior to your alternative. (Co-opting does need some tweaks though).

Well barring a new election, it's the most democratic, in my view. If you vote for a candidate, you shouldn't then get their sister, mother, best friend, dog walker etc.

And how often have we seen the people who are co-opted onto the council being famiy members with no previous experience or previous party afilliations.
Is that not disenfranchising the electorate?

fergiesfolly

fergiesfolly wrote: »

The last person eliminated in the West ward during the last local election should be offered the seat.

In this scenario that would be David Burke - the Fianna Fail finance director who is based in Dublin afaik.

fergiesfolly

Deleted User wrote: »

In this scenario that would be David Burke - the Fianna Fail finance director who is based in Dublin afaik.

Well, he's highly unlikely to want to move home to Galway, but if he was,I'd have no problem with him replacing Catherine Connolly.
I don't know much about him bar a quick google search and I don't think I'll ever vote FF again, but he's from the west ward, stood for election in the west ward and 712 people in the West ward voted for him. Which is more than twice as many voted for Collette Connolly in an entirely different constituency.
Now you might say that giving him the seat undermines those who voted for Catherine, but she's no longer there and absolutely no-one voted for Collette.

GerardKeating

fergiesfolly wrote: »

I don't think an outgoing councillor should have any say in who replaces them on the council.
It should go to the unelected candidate from her ward, with the most votes, from the last local election.
At least its a more democratoc method.
She's let herself down with this appointment.

That's the system we have, there is no provision for bye-elections in the local system.

The "List" system for Euro elections is more fair, the list of replacement is at least known at election time.

snubbleste

Catherine Connolly had an impressive maiden speech.

The arrogance of the Minister, Deputy Kelly, the Tánaiste and the Taoiseach is incredible in the context of the serious housing crisis in this country. There is growing consensus here today that it is a national emergency. The Minister's arrogance is matched only by the magnitude of his failure to realise the role he played in the creation of the housing crisis, his failure to learn from his mistakes and his failure and that of the Government to apologise. This housing crisis is not inevitable. Yes, there are problems with land banks and credit facilities but the primary problem is that local authorities have not been funded to build one social house. Taking Galway city as a microcosm, there are 72,000 people in Galway city. There are 15,000 people on the waiting list there, some of them since 2002.
On the eve of St. Patrick's Day there were 268 homeless people in the city of the tribes. The reason for this is the failure since 2009 to build one social house. That the Minister's response to this is not that the Government did not do its job but to blame the local authorities and city managers is appalling. Land was purchased and zoned residential but no money was provided by this Government or the previous Government for the construction of one social house. Inevitably, we have a housing crisis in Galway. On top of that the policy of the Government in terms of the housing assistance payment has copperfastened the most fundamental change in housing policy since the foundation of the State. Up to the introduction of this policy people on the waiting list could be assured that once they did their time they would get social housing. This is no longer the case. The housing assistance payment policy copperfastens the private market.
....
www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2016-03-22a.193#g335

snubbleste

I seek to iterate thanks to my fellow constituents for electing Catherine Connolly.
She's kicking ass in the Dáil public accounts committee

Moo Moo Land

snubbleste wrote: »

I seek to iterate thanks to my fellow constituents for electing Catherine Connolly.
She's kicking ass in the Dáil public accounts committee

She is excellent alright. Saw her a few times on VB and she speaks very well.
We need more politicians like her.

gordongekko

snubbleste wrote: »

I seek to iterate thanks to my fellow constituents for electing Catherine Connolly.
She's kicking ass in the Dáil public accounts committee

whos ass did she kick?

snubbleste

gordongekko wrote: »

whos ass did she kick?

The latest is Willie Soffe, Nama board member

Unrealistic

snubbleste wrote: »

The latest is Willie Soffe, Nama board member

Indeed, she comes across as playing a very active role on the PAC.

beach_walker

Shame about the nepotism.

snubbleste

Catherine does us proud on UCHG shambles, shames Enda Kenny, calling him a liar :eek:
well done well done
http://www.broadsheet.ie/2017/01/18/meanwhile-in-galway-32/

Gadgetman496

snubbleste wrote: »

Catherine does us proud on UCHG shambles, shames Enda Kenny, calling him a liar :eek:
well done well done
http://www.broadsheet.ie/2017/01/18/meanwhile-in-galway-32/

Is that you Catherine?

snubbleste

Gadgetman496 wrote: »

Is that you Catherine?

No.