General Election and Government Formation Megathread (see post #1)

CrabRevolution

Bannasidhe wrote: »

He said could be missed.
Since your whole argument there is based on you claiming Dr Gibbons said would be missed it's void.

The fact is it was missed and 20 women are dead who need not be dead, and then the cock-up was compounded by non-disclosure.
There were multiple misread smear tests by US labs who work on a 1 year test cycle not the 3 years we use - US labs who were contracted by Minister Harney against the advice of the medical experts who warned this could happen.

Now we are going to have yet another tribunal as the cost of how many millions?

When policy is decided by a minister with no expertise in the field against the advice of the experts as all that minister is interested in is cost cutting than it explains a hell of a lot about why so much of our State mechanisms are in a critical condition.

And why so many voters are fed up of being treated as nothing more than income/expenditure on a government spreadsheet.

Is saying "1000 could be missed" not a meaningless warning then?

He may as well have said a million could be missed, considering it's impossible to prove or disprove a hypothetical scenario and he won't be held to account for the number he cites.

marno21

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Loadsamoney for de roads, but no money for de buses and trains.


Ever wonder why we have a climate crisis, a traffic crisis, an inequality crisis?

Climate crisis -> this is a country that continues to subsidise the burning of the most carbon intensive fuel (peat) to produce electricity, on an island at the edge of the Atlantic with extensive renewable resources remaining untapped. Perhaps it may be more advisable to start addressing that if the climate crisis is as urgent as to stop upgrading the road network?

It's also important to point out that the N5 upgrade will carry more than just evil motorists destroying the environment with their cars. The N5 will carry both buses and freight in trucks, both of which are idling on the current road, burning excessive amounts of fuel on unsuitable roads. Removing all this traffic from the built up areas along the route is also beneficial both from an emissions point of view and also in improving air quality in the areas along the route.

Traffic crisis -> Westport is currently busy at peak times as traffic heading for the N59 west of the town has to route through the town centre. Similar with Castlebar and it's overcapacity inner relief road. This road will remove cars from both towns and give the towns back to their people.

Inequality crisis -> Not sure how this is relevant, but it improves access to Mayo and Westport and improved access surely improves spatial equality in a poorly connected country?

Bannasidhe

CrabRevolution wrote: »

Is saying "1000 could be missed" not a meaningless warning then?

He may as well have said a million could be missed, considering it's impossible to prove or disprove a hypothetical scenario and he won't be held to account for the number he cites.

As I already said I'm not dragging this thread further down an off topic tangent by continuing to discuss the cervical check scandal.

Mary Harney is relevant only in that she was one of the cheerleaders of neo-liberal policies. The very policies that sparked a protest vote that saw a surge in votes to SF. She may be busy collecting her generous pension, but the HSE is still suffering the repercussions of her tenure as subsequent ministers followed her lead.

WishUWereHere

Apologies if this has been uploaded already:

https://www.thejournal.ie/timmy-dooley-fianna-fail-seanad-nomination-5019854-Feb2020/

Really, something must be done about the cartel in Ireland. This sends out a message that You can be found guilty over a misdemeanor, yet still get elected.

Irish politics is sick to the core.

hotmail.com

WishUWereHere wrote: »

Apologies if this has been uploaded already:

https://www.thejournal.ie/timmy-dooley-fianna-fail-seanad-nomination-5019854-Feb2020/

Really, something must be done about the cartel in Ireland. This sends out a message that You can be found guilty over a misdemeanor, yet still get elected.

Irish politics is sick to the core.

We had the chance to get rid of the Seanad a few years ago and we voted against it.

Imreoir2

WishUWereHere wrote: »

Apologies if this has been uploaded already:

https://www.thejournal.ie/timmy-dooley-fianna-fail-seanad-nomination-5019854-Feb2020/

Really, something must be done about the cartel in Ireland. This sends out a message that You can be found guilty over a misdemeanor, yet still get elected.

Irish politics is sick to the core.

I'm no fan of FF, but should a misdemeanor warrent ending someones career?

WishUWereHere

Imreoir2 wrote: »

I'm no fan of FF, but should a misdemeanor warrent ending someones career?

For me, when one is in public office the answer is a resounding YES. And that goes for anyone in any party, that he is a FF'er is irrelevant IMHO.

WishUWereHere

hotmail.com wrote: »

We had the chance to get rid of the Seanad a few years ago and we voted against it.

True, but didn't Kenny promise changes regarding the seanad...which of course never materialised.

charlie14

WishUWereHere wrote: »

For me, when one is in public office the answer is a resounding YES. And that goes for anyone in any party, that he is a FF'er is irrelevant IMHO.

Then there are a few lads and lassies, not just sitting in the Seanad Éireann, but Dáil Éireann that should not be there under the same criteria.


There is nothing in Dáil Éireann standing orders or Bunreacht na hÉireann that gives a TD the right to commit voter impersonation by casting anyone else`s vote.

Grab All Association

Why is that gob****e still being described as Taoiseach? Rté, Indo/Sindo etc always referred to Kenny, Cowen, Ahern etc as acting Taoiseach during negotiations.

An Ciarraioch

Grab All Association wrote: »

Why is that gob****e still being described as Taoiseach? Rté, Indo/Sindo etc always referred to Kenny, Cowen, Ahern etc as acting Taoiseach during negotiations.

Because the term "acting Taoiseach" is a non-existent fallacy that never occurs in the Constitution .

CrabRevolution

Grab All Association wrote: »

Why is that gob****e still being described as Taoiseach? Rté, Indo/Sindo etc always referred to Kenny, Cowen, Ahern etc as acting Taoiseach during negotiations.

Here's an article from rté, after the last election, during negotiations when Enda Kenny was acting Taoiseach, and it opens with:

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has written to....

https://www.rte.ie/news/2016/0408/780328-minority-government-not-the-best-outcome-bruton/

Then the Irish Times:

Taoiseach Enda Kenny plans to make contact with Fianna Fáil

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/enda-kenny-to-contact-fianna-f%C3%A1il-by-friday-on-government-options-1.2591980

I'm sure he's referred to as "acting" in places, but you imagined the notion that they never simply referred to him as Taoiseach.

nigeldaniel

Good God, there is an awful lot of angry people here today looking for something they most likely will not find.

FrancieBrady

nigeldaniel wrote: »

Good God, there is an awful lot of angry people here today looking for something they most likely will not find.

Correct, they need to get over it. The days of the power swap are over. The leaders of FF FG saw to that, they ignored the steady decline in the vote share from 85% to just over 40%.
Anger, is just making it worse for them. The optics of calling 'meetings' with ordinary men and women sinister or Nazilike is just so so bad.

Water John

In fairness to Varadkar and Corbyn, both went and visited areas that were flooded. Not something Johnson did.

WishUWereHere

Water John wrote: »

In fairness to Varadkar and Corbyn, both went and visited areas that were flooded. Not something Johnson did.

And the outcome of their visits is...what exactly?

beggars_bush

WishUWereHere wrote: »

And the outcome of their visits is...what exactly?

To see where boxer spent the money and lost votes and his seat

mikemac2

Water John wrote: »

In fairness to Varadkar and Corbyn, both went and visited areas that were flooded. Not something Johnson did.

Ah Boris Johnson did visit a flooded area and had a go at mopping a floor

Clearly the first time in his life he handled a mop, he only made the floor worse

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_7RcXvh60g

is_that_so

WishUWereHere wrote: »

And the outcome of their visits is...what exactly?

Visibility and optics.

WishUWereHere

is_that_so wrote: »

Visibility and optics.

I agree, but surely the electorate have thought beyond this bullsh1t? LV cannot do one damn thing as he is only 'acting' taoiseach. As for Corby? FFS, he isn't even a leader of a party, at least won't be as soon as Labour elect a new leader.

Man, they must think we are so guillable.

Rjd2

WishUWereHere wrote: »

And the outcome of their visits is...what exactly?

Aye if my area was flooded last thing I would want is some grinning head of state looking for cheap PR with a crap photo. Just make sure the affected area is sorted financially and the PM can do what he wants then.

L1011

WishUWereHere wrote: »

And the outcome of their visits is...what exactly?

Avoiding people asking why they didn't visit.

The same people who ask why they did, often

Gunmonkey

Rjd2 wrote: »

Aye if my area was flooded last thing I would want is some grinning head of state looking for cheap PR with a crap photo. Just make sure the affected area is sorted financially and the PM can do what he wants then.

TBH its a lose-lose situation for government officials in these kinds of things.

Visits the area - "Ah FFS will you piss off, just make sure the funding is coming for the actual workers who know what they are doing, youre just in the way looking for a cheap photo op, using peoples personal tragedy to score points rabble rabble rabble!"

Doesnt visit the area - "Ah FFS bloody fat cat elitist couldnt be bothered to visit and offer reassurances to the people in their time of need, so much for looking out for the people of the country, thinks all they need to do is just cut a Gov funding cheque and let someone else do the hard work rabble rabble rabble!"

jem

WishUWereHere wrote: »

For me, when one is in public office the answer is a resounding YES. And that goes for anyone in any party, that he is a FF'er is irrelevant IMHO.

Obviously Dessie Ellis shouldn't be there now so and Martin Ferris and gery Adams would have been banned as well.
Likewise Ml Lowry shouldnt have been eligable to stand for election.

Annasopra

It's fascinating watching all the sudden Council Cooptees taking their seats so that they can avail of Seanad votes

Imreoir2

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

It's fascinating watching all the sudden Council Cooptees taking their seats so that they can avail of Seanad votes

Yeah, every party were under pressure to get their cooptions sorted so they could have the maximum vote in for the Seanad.

Water John

There are two groups of Ind TDs TMK. The Mattie McGrath one is called Rural Inds what is the other one called? Think Fitzmaurice, Grealish, Lowry in it, also Tobin sort of.

An Ciarraioch

Water John wrote: »

There are two groups of Ind TDs TMK. The Mattie McGrath one is called Rural Inds what is the other one called? Think Fitzmaurice, Grealish, Lowry in it, also Tobin sort of.

Three, actually - Connolly, Pringle, Joan Collins, McNamara, Harkin and Fitzmaurice formed one this week.

An Ciarraioch

https://twitter.com/Jennifer_Bray/status/1232730669148753920

Water John

In reality any just elected TD looks forward to an new election as much as, a hole in the head. To be favouring a new election this soon, would simply be the arrogance of telling the electorate that they got it wrong.