Simon Harris gone missing!!!!

vinpaul

After a very high profile during initial talks on the formation of a Government, Simon has disappeared off the radar. Has a muzzle been put on him or does anybody know how such a ready talker has been silenced.

pixbyjohn

He is in deep negotiations regarding the formation of the next government

Blandpebbles

He is probably busy having more pictures of himself standing in front of new building sites in Greystones and 'Calling for' things to happen...

Bur seriously, was he visible before this?

Imhof Tank

Blandpebbles wrote: »

He is probably busy having more pictures of himself standing in front of new building sites in Greystones and 'Calling for' things to happen...

Bur seriously, was he visible before this?

His mentor is Frances Fitzgerald so you can be sure he has been by her side throughout the negotiations.

Don't know what you mean by the visible remark. He is a junior minister and of all the FG'ers he would easily be in the top 5 most regularly in the media eye.

WinnyThePoo

He was at the mental health talk in the dail a couple of days ago. Like god just because you can't see him it doesn't mean he's not there.

eleMental

he must have someone in his office checking up on boards - an update email from Simon Harris just arrived into my inbox entitled "April Update & seeking your input for the new Dáil term"

micandre

See here:
http://www.simonharris.ie/#!latest-news/czm7

Alan_P

Apart from a relentless,incontinent, incoherent desire to denigrate and denounce democratically elected politicians, can anyone explain what this thread is about ?

pixbyjohn

Alan_P wrote: »

Apart from a relentless,incontinent, incoherent desire to denigrate and denounce democratically elected politicians, can anyone explain what this thread is about ?

Are you sure you are commenting on this thread?

Blandpebbles

pixbyjohn wrote: »

Are you sure you are commenting on this thread?

I meant visible as he in Greystones doing all these things he promised he would do... Still. Pot holes on the roads.

Alan P drank the kool aid clearly

d2ww

Blandpebbles wrote: »

I meant visible as he in Greystones doing all these things he promised he would do... Still. Pot holes on the roads.

Alan P drank the kool aid clearly

Didn't realize he was a county councilor.

Blandpebbles

d2ww wrote: »

Didn't realize he was a county councilor.

Jesus, literal much?

The man sent his dad around to people's doorsteps talking about all the great things Simon would continue to do for Greystones if elected, that was last election. Zero done just like every politician. Clearly people are disappointed with Simon based on his 3rd place this time.

Let's hope the slide continues for next election in a few months.

But then again people seem blind to BS in voting for Stephen Donnelly too. Zero done in first election, jumped ship to a party when worried about position. Zero possibility of any influence in next government. Wasted votes.

I have no allegiance to a party but find it so frustrating to see people defend politicians who have done nothing but send a brochure of him calling for something or sending a letter to the guy who sits in the office next to him.

Always be an issue when we vote for people who have no business acumen, experience, training or capacity to manage a country.

Charlie-Bravo

Blandpebbles wrote: »

Jesus, literal much?

But then again people seem blind to BS in voting for Stephen Donnelly too. Zero done in first election, jumped ship to a party when worried about position. Zero possibility of any influence in next government. Wasted votes.

Total nonsense - You haven't really been listening to him telling it as it is in the Dáil. He's a refreshing 'new blood' politician. Delighted that we have an easy No. 1 choice in Wicklow with Donnelly.

He didn't jump ship, he co-formed a brand new party with very similarly-angled or like-minded politicians.

Blandpebbles wrote: »

I have no allegiance to a party but find it so frustrating to see people defend politicians who have done nothing but send a brochure of him calling for something or sending a letter to the guy who sits in the office next to him.

Always be an issue when we vote for people who have no business acumen, experience, training or capacity to manage a country.

He also comes from a relative business background having the acumen to represent us very well compared to many others who have have no relative industry experience.

I've made the mistake of writing in this go-nowhere thread.

BoJack Horseman

astrofluff wrote: »

Total nonsense - You haven't really been listening to him telling it as it is in the Dáil. He's a refreshing 'new blood' politician.

Indeed.... we remember in 2011 he told us that the USC was bizarre & regressive.....and he kept to his guns for years, including demanding and welcoming the cut in USC only last October.

But 3 months later he has his damascene conversion & suddenly believes it's the best thing since sliced bread.

He's no better than the rest.
He'll say what he's told to or what he thinks his audience wants to hear.

Shazerina

Blandpebbles wrote: »

Always be an issue when we vote for people who have no business acumen, experience, training or capacity to manage a country.

can you give an example of someone...anyone who has what you feel it takes? Either in politics or not?

mansize

He'll be a minister

Annasopra

He's the new Minister for health

FirstIn

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

He's the new Minister for health

Wow. Well done to him.

We may have to put up with the bad roads for a while longer !

LEIN

That's a poison chalice, not a fan but I wish him well.

hairyslug

Does enda feel threatened by him giving him a position that he will only get grief over.

artvandelay48

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

He's the new Minister for health

God help us

pixbyjohn

mansize wrote: »

He'll be a minister

Well forecast

mansize

pixbyjohn wrote: »

Well forecast

Wasn't that difficult- didn't see health though

FirstIn

I hope it doesn't turn out to be a hospital pass. It's a dificult position.

If he can sort out health he can sort out anything. Wishing him the best.

vicwatson

A child to do a grown ups job. I despair. This guy is useless and will sort nothing. More of the same I'm afraid

MyPerfectCousin

vicwatson wrote: »

A child to do a grown ups job. I despair. This guy is useless and will sort nothing. More of the same I'm afraid

Shows the level of contempt the leaders have for the voters. Guy never held a job let alone ran an organisation and now he's the boss at the country's largest employer.

mansize

Would people give the guy a chance at least!

Annasopra

It really pisses me off that there is so much dismissive ageism against him. He is a competent politician and this stuff anout him being an incompetent child is nonsense.

Charlie-Bravo

On balance, he is a career politician. He hasn't any meaningful experience in the big bad world of private business (or none that I know of) to draw on. I am getting the feeling that this government will be short lived, but if Simon can keep his head above water long enough as Health Minister, then it'll show him in good light for his next step (Europe).

Annasopra

astrofluff wrote: »

On balance, he is a career politician. He hasn't any meaningful experience in the big bad world of private business (or none that I know of) to draw on. I am getting the feeling that this government will be short lived, but if Simon can keep his head above water long enough as Health Minister, then it'll show him in good light for his next step (Europe).

Why do you need private business experience to be a politician?

flutered

eleMental wrote: »

he must have someone in his office checking up on boards - an update email from Simon Harris just arrived into my inbox entitled "April Update & seeking your input for the new Dáil term"

the trousering party has admitted that the have a staff of 32 socks involved in social media, so one can assume that each media outlet is under observation

flutered

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

Why do you need private business experience to be a politician?

his brief would require a lot of buisess savvy, also experience in various disiplines, has he been thrown to the wolves, but with frances as his gaurdian angel he should be safe enough

MyPerfectCousin

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

It really pisses me off that there is so much dismissive ageism against him. He is a competent politician and this stuff anout him being an incompetent child is nonsense.

I never mentioned age, just experience, but I know that if you favour a meritocracy you will sometimes be accused of ageism.

Would prefer ministers to have had some or any meaningful achievements in their career.

Harris's achievements are limited to winning elections and following orders. If he were aged 50 or 60 my opinion would be the same.

MyPerfectCousin

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

Why do you need private business experience to be a politician?

Because it means you know what it's like to be accountable, responsible, productive, etc? I'd take public sector managerial experience too.

But this is about qualifications for minister of health, not just "politician". Healthcare in Ireland makes up more than 10% of the total economy. Would you put someone with no meaningful experience in charge of that?

Wilberto

hairyslug wrote:

Does enda feel threatened by him giving him a position that he will only get grief over.

This was my first thought. It was the same as when he gave Leo the position. For me I hope Simon does very well. I've been impressed with him any time I've seen him.

recedite

Eh... why would they feel threatened by somebody they have been grooming for high office all along?
From the time he was first put on the party ticket for the county council in 2009 as a young lad, somebody has been looking after him. There followed the classic route to power, except in a more accelerated manner than usual.
Party ticket for TD in 2011. Placed on numerous prestigious committees over the years to give him a higher media profile, despite having no particular expertise in any of them.
Party ticket to be the FG MEP in 2014 which would have given him a more "statesmanlike" international CV in peparation for being a govt. minister, but unfortunately he failed to get elected. Was then given a position as a junior minister in Dept. of finance as a consolation prize.
Re-elected in 2016 on the party ticket, and straight to proper Minister.

I've nothing against him personally though; he's a fine young man, probably of slightly above average ability.

Coveney is another guy to watch. Like Peter "I've never been elected" Sutherland he is being looked after and used by powerful people. These pathetic stooges who work for the big multinational players never lose, because the whole game is rigged.
Even if the candidate who has been given the party ticket loses, which is difficult, they can simply take some time out in the Seanad as one of the Taoiseachs nominees until the next election.

Its Leo Varadkar I feel sorry for. A top quality politician, but it seems he'll always play second fiddle to the chosen ones.

loyatemu

recedite wrote: »

Its Leo Varadkar I feel sorry for. A top quality politician, but it seems he'll always play second fiddle to the chosen ones.

People like Leo because he basically says what he's thinking, while he's thinking it. This is refreshing for a politician as they're generally quite cagey - I'm not sure it marks him out as some great leader though. Most in FG want Enda out, I'd expect Leo will get his chance fairly soon.

As for Simon Harris, I wish him luck as he'll need it, but it's true that he has very little experience of life as a non-politician. His 2 predecessors were GPs and they achieved little in the dept of Health (though Varadkar wasn't there long) - Simon's qualification appears to be some campaigning work for health charities and he's now in charge of the entire health system.

cocker5

How's anyone googled Simon Harris on Wikipedia? Do it.. It's hilarious.. He's a gimp and Irish politician apparently!!

recedite

loyatemu wrote: »

People like Leo because he basically says what he's thinking, while he's thinking it. This is refreshing for a politician as they're generally quite cagey - I'm not sure it marks him out as some great leader though.

This is true. What marks him out though, is that in hindsight he usually turns out to have been right.

uck51js9zml2yt

Dont under estimate Harris.
I thought he handled himself well in his last position. He has a lot to prove and is capable.
While Enda was at the football yesterday, he was giving media interviews.

Annasopra

I'm not particularly a Harris or FG supporter but I think Harris's detractors completely underestimate him.

Highlighting his achievements as ONLY winning elections is an interesting one. It's almost as if people think winning elections is an easy task and dismiss all of the work involved to get there; the battle to get on the party ticket in the first place (he wasn't exactly wanted by the other Councillors), the constant PR needed, the setting up of an electoral machine, the networking, the logistics of an election campaign. None of this is something that I think can be so easily dismissed. Not only that but Harris came close to winning a seat in Europe in an absolutely ginormous constituency.

The other thing is Harris has quite a few achievements; he was a Board member of National Youth Council of Ireland, he set up a local autism support group which is still quite strong, he was convenor of the Oireachtas mental health group. He has been a junior minister for two years and he was also constantly at the negotiating table for this government.

Yes it's a big job for Harris but I really wouldn't underestimate him

tayto lover

Harris might just be what is needed in Health. Might be better off with someone who has no history or associations with Health. Leo and Dicey didn't do much for the Ministry so let's give Harris a chance.

recedite

In related news, has Donnelly now swung a bit too far to the left?
https://twitter.com/SocDems/status/731068977854697473

Or is it just his bedfellows. Maybe the end is nigh for the SD's as a party?

loyatemu

Yeah, strange take on the Luas dispute there - I don't think the company is in any way denying their collective rights, and I wouldn't describe what's happening as a "race to the bottom". It's just a pay dispute where negotiations have broken down.