Social Democrat TD apologises for misleading the public

It was Hayes who got in a twist.

"happy to do something" is a phrase in Hiberno-English that means you're willing to do something, it doesn't suggest any sort of emotion. You might want to calm down and brush up on your Irish colloquialisms, since you're so interested in reading comprehension, when you're posting on an Irish forum.

Hayes also can't resign from the party, since hes already been suspended from it.

Theres no place for his kind of dishonesty in modern Irish politics, it doesn't matter what success hes had in the private sector. We've had enough sociopaths with no problems lying for their own financial benefit in Irish politics over the years, we don't need any more Haugheys in this day and age.

I just read last week's Phoenix which has an article on Hayes, where it mentions (prior to all this) Hayes launching a high profile campaign for the SocDems called "Honest Politics, Better Government: Restoring Trust in Politics and Public Life" before all of this. You couldn't make it up.

Do feel free to read the article yourself, which explicitly names him as part of the launch of the campaign. Page 16 of the May 2nd Phoenix. You'd have to ask the SocDems why he was launching it.

If you don't understand the hypocrisy in a politician launching a campaign called "Honest Politics, Better Government: Restoring Trust in Politics and Public Life" shortly before he was caught lying to the public, on national TV, about hundreds of thousands of euros of personal investments then its rather on you.

What Hayes did was exactly the opposite of honest politics, or better government, and only undermined trust in politics and public life.

Suspension lifted by SDs

https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2025/0725/1525433-eoin-hayes-suspension/

He says he gave 50k to Gaza charities which represented the uplift in Palantir shares from Oct 7th till when he sold them…

He still got approaching 150k out of the shares. (was his regular salary terrible?). The other element of his deceit was saying how he was unable to afford to buy his own place to live without mentioning he was sitting on over a 100k of shares.

Choosing Oct the 7th as the day not to further profit from an Israeli military contractor is kinda odd.

all forgiven now though, so tis back to business, happens a bit in politics, lying is extremely common in politics, its just a part of it

no real alternatives available, as going into government with ffg would more than likely lead to annihilation, as has happened with other parties, so its either sf, or sf, sh1te really, but thats where ireland is

No, naive and deeply unserious people like her are.

Absolutely deluded she is. So typical of the left in Ireland. Pressing the nuclear button for every little thing means you'll never build any sort of momentum and put yourself in a position to actually deliver. They look like a complete clown school, and voters will simply not take them seriously.

By the way, Holly Cairns has been on maternity leave for 8 months now. Any danger she might come back and actually lead the party and represent the people she was elected to? And that we all are paying her for.

If she doesn't make it back soon, there won't be much of a party left to lead I think.

It would be interesting to know how much he earned but I suspect it was small. He worked there for two years having only two years of prior employment experience. He has an MSc in mgt from LBS which would have meant it was a bit above a graduate entry job but not much. Since he came back to Ireland he has been “fractional”, ie trading on his wits providing back/middle office services to start ups.

It would not even surprise me if he didn’t even understand what Palantir’s business was. He doesn’t seem to be particularly intelligent or business focused. He left Palantir 3 years before they floated at $10 and it seems he sold off the shares at $22-25. What amuses me most (schadenfreude, I know) is that they have since hit $160 and the weasel-worded individual has missed out on a much greater result. I am disappointed that he is my local TD, that he was so lacking in character or candour that he lied so publicly and embarrassed the other SocDems. I take succour from the fact that is probably kicking himself for losing out on $1.2m or thereabouts.

As a party leader at a crucial time for her party and the country, she has a national responsibility which exceeds that of her family situation.

Her child is now nine months old and still no sign of her. In many countries she would have been obliged to return within weeks. As it goes, statutory maternity in Ireland is 26 weeks, which is as much as most Irish working mothers can afford to take. She has been gone for 35 weeks, and no doubt won't be seen until the Dáil resumes, which will take her up to 42.

I didn't listen to it yet, but from what you've said, Cooper's point is nonsense.

Her party is in deep trouble NOW.

First they had the Eoin Hayes affair. Then they let Sinéad Gibney go off on solo runs as a novice, and so appallingly bad she was they had to order a portfolio reshuffle ,within 3 months of a new Dáil, and get her far away from foreign and defence policy.

Subsequently they've been championing bullsh1t tokenistic policies that are deeply unserious in the current climate. And now the Hayes re-admission has been equally badly managed.

I'm not saying Cairns would have managed things any better than O'Callaghan, and no doubt she was involved at arm's length, but O'Callaghan has been absolutely pathetic and needs to be shepherd's hooked urgently.

By example, it should never have come to the point where the Soc Dems and Labour ended up as reluctant backers of a hugely dodgy pres candidate like Connolly.

They had the numbers between them to nominate a serious person, from outside the Oireachtas, which would have protected their numbers and potentially made a big impact on the campaign. People like Caoilfhoinn Gallagher, Averil Power and Aubrey McCarthy were being mentioned in the background.

But instead both parties look like saps. At least the Sanctimonious Dems had the excuse of their leader being AWOL. I'm not sure what Labour's excuse is.