Will he take the job as an Taniste next December or retire ?
It would be a mistake to think nothing is being done about the housing crisis. Simplistic. There is a lot being done. Whether it's enough I don't know.
The housing crisis can't be solved easily or in a short period of time. Governments (national and local) over the years have chipped away at the systems in place and we are now in a position whereby there is a massive shortage of affordable homes especially in the areas of high demand.
Any claims about fixing the problem by the government or more commonly by the opposition are populist nonsense and are behind the usual reactionary tweaks which usually end up creating further problems. The problem needs long term thinking involving many different stakeholders. None of this has been done and I don't believe that it ever will regardless of the party leading government at the time.
He wasn't a bad minister of education. He got rid of the ridiculous Irish exam for secondary teachers. Even if you didn't teach Irish you had to pass an oral exam up to 1999.
So he does have some achievements if you trawl his record but like all health ministers he failed to commit to a universal health service.
I will never forgive for sitting at the cabinet table 2000-8 fiddling while Ireland burned.
I'm just pointing out that he probably did more than you think but ultimately nothing radical.
He's 61 now and would be 63 at the time of the next election. FF may take time to reflect once he steps down as Taoiseach and the chances he'll continue in politics after the next election would be 50/50 at most.
What could he achieve ?
his hands were tied due to covid ? He took position of being the Taoiseach during covid…
literally feck all money in the till between fighting covid and now the added influx of 200,000 people arriving to house and look after. Basically the population of Cork city arriving over a few weeks… country is fücked, he’s no resources to do anything…. It’s about existing now.
he’ll retire soon.
Like so many before him who wanted to be Taoiseach he’s been a non-entity from the moment he got to check it off his bucket list. He’ll retire feeling that he reached the pinnacle while simultaneously being perceived by the public as having achieved nothing during his tenure. A complete waste of everyone’s time except his.
If in doubt on anything and he always is, MeHole will order up a Report and kick the ball into touch.
Nobody in politics as long as he is - is totally honest. Remember the scandal over nursing homes keeping pensions. He claimed he wasn't warned about it....
I think he will be there next election. No real alternative. JIM has no real experience or appeal despite his appreciation of himself. Who else??
It actually wouldn't be a bad idea for FF to just let FG and SF at it and they try come across as something in the middle and try get some votes that way. Whether it would work or not is another thing.
I am seeing that Martins visit to Letterkenny has now been cancelled, there were suppose to be protests from Mica supporters for his visit. I am sure a leader like Martin wouldn't be trying to avoid them?
FF aren't going to give the leadership to someone who is facing a major battle to hold onto his seat next time out. If Martin steps down, then McGrath is most likely successor at present
Only that he is mentioned as next leader. I maybe should have said a deal has been done to stop internal wrangling in general, not just with Jim.
I agree fully here.
The only way they can make themselves a distinct offering is to get nasty. Fascinating really.
If FF get a new leader though I expect them to leave FG and SF to cut lumps out of each other and to try and hoover up those that are sick of it.
If they try to combine (FF and FG) to hold on to power again, it won't end well for either.
As soon as MeHole has maxxed out on all his pensions he will head for the exit.
What is this obsession with O'Callaghan (in general), he's a half-rate backbencher who when offered a ministerial role declined it rather than do the state some service
. He has achieved nothing of note in politics, and could well find himself out on his ar5e after the next election as that constituency is going to be an absolute warzone.
MM will retire.
Have you read the FF and FG policies? that will give you an idea on how they differ
Really? you think we lifted the restrictions conservatively? over the course of covid if anything they bent to the pressure of the public when they should have stayed closed down. Who can forget the howls from the opposition to "Open the Pubs" and then we had the disaster at Christmas and set us back months.
Not sure what was not fully explained, the government took the advice of NPHET. The decision got made based on that advice. Plenty of discussion day in day out about government meetings etc to come to agreement on next steps. This was not just MM, how you miss that?
I take it for granted that the campaign won't be about FF Vs FG but more towards how they were successful managing the country during covid and how if SF were to get into power then the economic successes that have been built up will be damaged if not ruined. However, I also take it for granted that both parties have a few skeletons belonging to the other party which will be revealed close to the election.
I hope and pray that both leaders (FG & FF) survive to lead their parties into the next GE.
It will be fascinating to see how they tell the electorate how they are a different offering.
I suspect though that J. O'Callaghan has accepted a deal that will see Martin step aside after his term if he (Jim) pipes down until he hands over to Leo.
I think we're getting near to the point where we have to take his word for that. If he gets to the taoiseach handover, or even close to it, and is still insisting he is staying on I'd say he very likely means it. Why would he even bother taking over as tanaiste if he intends to step down as leader?
You're not really making any point there about business
Announcements are mostly choreographed to coincide with the visit, stuff that would happen anyway if the numbers are right
Business is about the numbers not sentiment
Thank you very much , and a merry st Patrick’s day to you
I never met Eoghan McDermot and I wouldn't profess to represent the views of women as you do.
I pride myself in taking all viewpoints into consideration on a wide range of subjects.
I'd converse with anyone even your good self.
You are so far removed from reality it's unreal.
No other country's national holiday is celebrated around the world like St Patrick's Day. Any government worth its salt would absolutely take advantage of that.
There is a big link between the US and Ireland and it has nothing to do with whoever is in the White House at that time. It's about what it represents and it's something that means a lot to a lot of businesses and Irish-Americans over there.
You also have zero concept as to how big the Irish-American community is over there and how proud they are of that. Look at Biden himself. He knows exactly who he is, where he came from and is proud of that. There are millions in the US that are the same and there isn't any other community that has the same impact over there.
"Sure someone else can take it." Yeah, grand. If you don't think a day like today has no impact on relations between Ireland and the US then you are genuinely deluded.
Biden will announce a trip over here later on today. I'm sure of it.
yes but who takes radical feminists serious? (apart from you and Eoghan Mcdermot) women certainly don't
As I said on other thread, what other holidays do they dye the river in Chicago.
It's a great tradition and the people calling for an end to it are just the usual moan a minute people we seem to have everywhere. It doesn't matter what is going on they want to complain about it.
Like you I once thought that it was something of a compliment to suggest that to a woman.
One day in conversation with a radical feminist I opined such.
I was swiftly disabused of the fallacy and never made the same error again.
The truth is, mega-business and multi-nationals will do business within the Irish framework if it is in their economic interest to do so, not because some eejit or another shows up with a bowl of shamrock. As for access to an American president, it's probably more to the benefit of said president as a propaganda piece with that section of the US electorate that consider themselves part-Irish as opposed to any pathway to dialogue from our perspective. A sideshow, more than anything of any merit, generating no more influence over policy and world affairs than their relevant positions already enable.
Personally, I think it's a waste of time and resources, and something that could disappear like many other 'traditions' and you'd see no difference to either your day to day life, political gains or the country's economic prospects. Biggest hit would be to whichever shamrock 'farm' and crystal bowl supplier is up for the gig each year. Upside, if you'd call it that, is that the government of the country would actually be resident on, you know, it's National Holiday........crazy thought.
Years ago I was in a rural part of New Zealand on March 17th and there was a local Irish bar doing huge trade, everyone wearing green and having a few beers. In a country hardly known for its pub culture. If a handful decided that day to take a trip to Ireland we get an economic benefit.
Not to mention all the global landmarks lit in green for a day every year. This kind of thing doesn't happen on July 4th for the USA to the extent that it does on March 17th for us. Does the UK even have a day, I don't think that St George's Day is even a national holiday there.
Long may this last. Nice for our small country to be celebrated globally for 24 hours each year.
Any country in the world would queue to take the slot. An annual meeting of the 2 countries leaders. Far bigger nations than ours don't have this luxury.
And if it does end, and US FDI is taken out of Ireland and our tax take drops you'll ve back here moaning about job losses, tax hikes and the rest.
You don't appreciate how good we have it.
I expect you will find all this is a political party thing, if it was another leader you will have the same people telling you how great it is etc etc etc.
I doubt anyone is silly enough not to understand how great this event is every year and how critical it is to Ireladn to keep it up
Why should it end?
No other country has a guaranteed bilateral meeting with the US President every year.
It's a global news story every year and it's an opportunity for officials to sell Ireland around the world.
Anyone who thinks it should all end has no grasp of what Patrick's Day does for Ireland on a global scale.
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