Mary Coughlan, again...

Captain Furball · 24-09-2009 10:17am

So you expect the incompetent to appoint an competent person to do a job?
Genius.

24-09-2009 10:24am

seligehgit wrote: »

I cannot fathom why Cowen appointed her other than she is in his inner circle.

That could be a euphemism...

Captain Furball · 24-09-2009 10:28am

Cowens "inner circle" is measured in light years.The fat bastard.

jimmmy · 24-09-2009 10:30am

Liam Byrne wrote: »

I mean, if you wanted to cut costs in a high-street store, and an "expert" gave you a report that said "lay off all the staff and switch off all the lights to save electricity", would you pay them for said report ?

If your staff, pensions and electricity provider costs were the highest in the known world, and the expert said to reduce all three, and it was possible to do so rather than borrow 400 million per month to keep the show on the road, you would not say "much of the report makes no sense", or words to that effect.

Naz_st · 24-09-2009 10:42am

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Can I ask the obvious question ? Who commissioned and paid for the report ? And if the proposals are as ridiculous and simplistic and unworkable as Couglan has implied, why were the "experts" involved considered or commissioned to do the report ?

And the government seem very flaky on the quality of their "experts". The ones that drew up the McCarthy report apparently now "don't make sense" but the NAMA bill that Lenihan told us was "drawn up on the basis of the expert advice and counsel available" was, of course, done by other, better, more reliable "experts". :rolleyes:

Liam Byrne · 24-09-2009 3:20pm

jimmmy wrote: »

...the expert said to reduce all three....

That's not the scenario I described; if the expert said "reduce all three", then no-one would say "they don't make sense".

What I said was that if the expert's "solution" was to do away with all three, then they wouldn't make sense, and you wouldn't be expected to pay for such a nonsensical report.

So either

(a) Coughlan was wrong and the proposals do make sense, but it's just that the political will isn't there to do what's required (other than shaft the little people even more), or

(b) Coughlan was right and the proposals don't make sense, in which case the report was yet another a waste of our money

Actually, come to think of it, (a) is a waste of our money too. So either way, FF have wasted even more of our cash; big surprise there!!!

bonzos · 24-09-2009 5:55pm

Liam Byrne wrote: »

That's not the scenario I described; if the expert said "reduce all three", then no-one would say "they don't make sense".

What I said was that if the expert's "solution" was to do away with all three, then they wouldn't make sense, and you wouldn't be expected to pay for such a nonsensical report.

So either

(a) Coughlan was wrong and the proposals do make sense, but it's just that the political will isn't there to do what's required (other than shaft the little people even more), or

(b) Coughlan was right and the proposals don't make sense, in which case the report was yet another a waste of our money

Actually, come to think of it, (a) is a waste of our money too. So either way, FF have wasted even more of our cash; big surprise there!!!

whats the problem with wasting money?thats what FF are good at ...just look at JOD and rody moloy!she needs a kick in the arse out the door with the rest of the FF gansters

jmayo · 24-09-2009 7:41pm

irish_bob wrote: »

anyone who lives in rural ireland knows that many garda stations are hardly ever manned anyway and besides, their is no difference in a garda being 8 mile away instead of three , its baschically 5 mins of a time difference in a car

It is shi*e like that last statement that pees off most rural dwellers.
Have you ever covered 5 miles in 5 minutes on rural Irish roads or should I just ask if you drive a Scooby or Evo ?
Were not the rural polci station not a fine example of community policing ?
BTW you are right about them being hardly ever manned.

Deleted User wrote: »

As a member of FF, I completely agree that she's an idiot, a real 'head in the hands, would someone just put her in a wardrobe for the next couple of years' idiot. I think everyone in the party would agree she's an idiot, though maybe in not such restrained language.

I think everyone is at a loss to know why she got such an important role and how she has kept it. And I think nothing shows the sheer disregard Cowen has for rank and file in FF more than the fact he kept this clown in a job, for some unfathomable reason, when he could easily have given us her head after the local elections.

He might plead loyalty, does he have any loyalty to the many capable local politicians who saw their votes drain away every time the public heard the words 'Mary Coughlan'. Sickening.

Instead of worrying what she and her ilk are doing to the party why not worry what they are doing to the country :mad:

Oh I forgot you are in ff and the party is all that matters :rolleyes:

She is a mumpet in all "finality".

irish_bob · 24-09-2009 8:44pm

jmayo wrote: »

It is shi*e like that last statement that pees off most rural dwellers.
Have you ever covered 5 miles in 5 minutes on rural Irish roads or should I just ask if you drive a Scooby or Evo ?
Were not the rural polci station not a fine example of community policing ?
BTW you are right about them being hardly ever manned.

Instead of worrying what she and her ilk are doing to the party why not worry what they are doing to the country :mad:

Oh I forgot you are in ff and the party is all that matters :rolleyes:

She is a mumpet in all "finality".

i am a rural dweller , we all know how long the cops take to respond to calls so what difference does it make if the local station is three miles away or eight , as for the arguement about locals needing to know thier local copper , the local sergeant or rank and file is never from the area they are stationed in anyhow

bmaxi · 24-09-2009 9:21pm

irish_bob wrote: »

i am a rural dweller , we all know how long the cops take to respond to calls so what difference does it make if the local station is three miles away or eight , as for the arguement about locals needing to know thier local copper , the local sergeant or rank and file is never from the area they are stationed in anyhow

I don't see that it matters whether or not the Gardaí are from the local area, community policing is about interacting with the community.
Our local Garda station only opens once a week to sign unemployment dockets. Outside of that, even if there are Gardaí in the station they won't answer the door, so it might as well be closed.

aidan24326 · 24-09-2009 9:32pm

jmcc wrote: »

I think that a reshuffle is long overdue and it is, perhaps, only geographical concerns that keeps a string of FF mediocrities on the front bench.

That's part of the problem. 'Geographical concerns' (i.e party concerns) have a big bearing on who gets cabinet positions.

Naz_st wrote: »

And the government seem very flaky on the quality of their "experts". The ones that drew up the McCarthy report apparently now "don't make sense" but the NAMA bill that Lenihan told us was "drawn up on the basis of the expert advice and counsel available" was, of course, done by other, better, more reliable "experts". :rolleyes:

When 'experts' are commisoned by the government for any type of report, 9 times out of 10 you can be certain that most if not all of said 'experts' will be connected to senior government politicians in one way or another. It's jobs for the boys FF style.

irish_bob · 24-09-2009 9:50pm

bmaxi wrote: »

I don't see that it matters whether or not the Gardaí are from the local area, community policing is about interacting with the community.
Our local Garda station only opens once a week to sign unemployment dockets. Outside of that, even if there are Gardaí in the station they won't answer the door, so it might as well be closed.

i for one have no desire for shooting the breeze with my local copper like i do with my postman , all people need to know is that the guards will be in like flynn when thier is a crime being committed

irish_bob · 24-09-2009 9:52pm

aidan24326 wrote: »

That's part of the problem. 'Geographical concerns' (i.e party concerns) have a big bearing on who gets cabinet positions.

When 'experts' are commisoned by the government for any type of report, 9 times out of 10 you can be certain that most if not all of said 'experts' will be connected to senior government politicians in one way or another. It's jobs for the boys FF style.

true , coughlan only got the number two gig because fianna fail feared a sinn fein steal in donegal

aidan24326 · 24-09-2009 10:12pm

irish_bob wrote: »

true , coughlan only got the number two gig because fianna fail feared a sinn fein steal in donegal

I couldn't really comment on that as I'm not privy to the ins and outs of the Donegal constituency, though what you say may have been a factor. But in Coughlan's case, regardless of geography she is and has been one of Cowen's closest allies in FF, so I think this was a case of Cowen giving the top job to one of his buddies rather than selecting the most qualified person for the job (which Coughlan clearly isn't).

From a different and slightly cynical angle, isn't it an age old tactic for a leader to appoint and keep a relatively weak number two, thus lessening the challenge to his own authority? (this might be particularly apt in Cowen's case, as he is a weak leader himself)

It seems he wanted a Tanaiste who was weak, loyal and relatively unquestioning.

jank · 25-09-2009 1:26am

Deleted User wrote: »

As a member of FF, I completely agree that she's an idiot, a real 'head in the hands, would someone just put her in a wardrobe for the next couple of years' idiot. I think everyone in the party would agree she's an idiot, though maybe in not such restrained language.

I think everyone is at a loss to know why she got such an important role and how she has kept it. And I think nothing shows the sheer disregard Cowen has for rank and file in FF more than the fact he kept this clown in a job, for some unfathomable reason, when he could easily have given us her head after the local elections.

He might plead loyalty, does he have any loyalty to the many capable local politicians who saw their votes drain away every time the public heard the words 'Mary Coughlan'. Sickening.

Brian Lenihen would have been the obvious choice but it appears that Cowen fears him alot more than Calamity Couglan. Its just politics but look at how it is damaging the country.

jmcc · 25-09-2009 6:47am

Perhaps it is just as good talent attracts other good talent, incompetence attracts incompetence. Cowen banjaxed the economy while in Finance. So naturally he chose Coughlan as his second. The sooner Cowen and Coughlan are eliminated from government the better. The problem is that there isn't exactly a stellar array of talent in FF from which to choose their replacements.

Regards...jmcc

Morgans · 25-09-2009 8:25am

I think it made decent political sense to have a female voice towards the forefront of the party. (Were FF so arrogant to begin grooming her as the first female Taoiseach, maybe, maybe not?) With the other option being Mary Hanafin who wasnt exactly backward in her candidature for party leader, Coughlan was the one to benefit from her friendship with the Taoiseach. Not competent enough for a senior ministry in my view.

25-09-2009 9:32am

jmayo wrote: »

Instead of worrying what she and her ilk are doing to the party why not worry what they are doing to the country :mad:

Oh I forgot you are in ff and the party is all that matters :rolleyes:

Instead of worrying about me and my opinion on a harmless website, why not worry about greater issues like the country and get out and do something.:mad:

irish_bob · 25-09-2009 10:36am

aidan24326 wrote: »

I couldn't really comment on that as I'm not privy to the ins and outs of the Donegal constituency, though what you say may have been a factor. But in Coughlan's case, regardless of geography she is and has been one of Cowen's closest allies in FF, so I think this was a case of Cowen giving the top job to one of his buddies rather than selecting the most qualified person for the job (which Coughlan clearly isn't).

From a different and slightly cynical angle, isn't it an age old tactic for a leader to appoint and keep a relatively weak number two, thus lessening the challenge to his own authority? (this might be particularly apt in Cowen's case, as he is a weak leader himself)

It seems he wanted a Tanaiste who was weak, loyal and relatively unquestioning.

you are absolutley right , bertie had the same methood , he kept the weak but loyal closest to him , that way , they were no threat to his leadership yet backed him to the hilt and who was berties number two , yep, the big man from clara

Dannyboy83 · 25-09-2009 10:40am

Between the unused rural garda stations and the many post offices throughout the country, there would have been ample money & infrastructure available to start a new 'safe' bank.

Anyway, I'm all in favour of cuts, but this is a pointless measure in my opinion.
Gain €1 million and lose an outlet in various towns throughout the country - that would be senseless in my opinion.

€1 million isn't even a hydrogen molecule of a drop in the ocean.
Honestly, there are many places where quick money could be immediately scored, most of it by taking very simple precautions against corruption, such as ending unvouched expenses for TDs.
Those would be cutbacks which don't hurt anyone.

Cork Boy · 25-09-2009 12:23pm

irish_bob wrote: »

you are absolutley right , bertie had the same methood , he kept the weak but loyal closest to him , that way , they were no threat to his leadership yet backed him to the hilt and who was berties number two , yep, the big man from clara

Yup. Michael Martin started looking good with the smoking ban - can't be having that so ship him to Trade 7 Employment.

Charlie McCreevy was very high profile so he was shipped to Brussells.

Lenihan would want to watch his back

Mr.Micro · 25-09-2009 1:55pm

How much longer can the country afford Calamity? She is possibly worse than the recession itself. It has to be a new record in living memory at least to have two such such disasterous individuals as Taoiseach and Tanaiste. The upside for Biffo is that she makes him look better. One can be gaffe prone and incompetent but she has an arrogance to go with.

aidan24326 · 25-09-2009 2:09pm

Mr.Micro wrote: »

One can be gaffe prone and incompetent but she has an arrogance to go with.

That's probably the most annoying thing about her, if she was just useless that would be one thing (and she's in good company) but it's her arrogance that really grates. Like many of her colleagues she appears to have no concept at all of her own limitations. Delusions of grandeur all the way.

oh well · 26-09-2009 3:49pm

what, if indeed any, are Coughlan's qualifications or work experience for being Tanaiste. Actually Cowen was so incompetant in finance for last number of years spending spending spending resulting in the state we are now, shouldn't he get asked for his resignation just like in Fás - without the golden handshake though. Pity we have to wait for election to get rid of someone - imagine if President could just ask him for incompetance. Can't see anyone queueing up for the job at moment though.

freewheeler · 26-09-2009 4:14pm

aidan24326 wrote: »

That's probably the most annoying thing about her, if she was just useless that would be one thing (and she's in good company) but it's her arrogance that really grates. Like many of her colleagues she appears to have no concept at all of her own limitations. Delusions of grandeur all the way.

Unfortunately arrogance & ineptitude seem to be prerequisites to get to the top in this government..probably in Fianna Failure in general,not to mention delusions of grandeur! I m sure if i could watch their pathetic failings and corrupt policies from a distance i could probably die laughing at Biffo & calamity coughlan but unfortunately i have to suffer them although hopefully not for much longer God willing! Be interesting to see just where the tipping point is for the Irish public,surely we cant put up with much more of this rubbish???

Mal-Adjusted · 26-09-2009 4:35pm

to be fair, it wouldn't make *political* sense for biffo to hire somebody who was more intelligent than himself

bmaxi · 26-09-2009 9:35pm

Mal-Adjusted wrote: »

to be fair, it wouldn't make *political* sense for biffo to hire somebody who was more intelligent than himself

Actually, to avoid hiring someone more intelligent than himself is quite an achievement on Biffo's part.

Seth Brundle · 26-09-2009 11:49pm

Interesting but hardly surprising:

The Irish Times has learned that last week, the day after Ms Coughlan told reporters she would accept the resignation of the Fás board if it was offered, a press statement was prepared by her department “to clarify some issues relating to the board of Fás”. In the proposed press release, which was given to Fás board members at noon, she said she “wanted the current board to continue to do its work” and was “satisfied that the board is responding appropriately” to the reports on spending at Fás. Hours later Fás chairman Peter McLoone was told the press release had not been issued. “We will get back to you if we issue anything,” he was told.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2009/0926/1224255284298.html

Mal-Adjusted · 27-09-2009 2:29am

bmaxi wrote: »

Actually, to avoid hiring someone more intelligent than himself is quite an achievement on Biffo's part.

Ooh, snap!

Eutow · 29-09-2009 12:29am

freewheeler wrote: »

Unfortunately arrogance & ineptitude seem to be prerequisites to get to the top in this government..probably in Fianna Failure in general,not to mention delusions of grandeur! I m sure if i could watch their pathetic failings and corrupt policies from a distance i could probably die laughing at Biffo & calamity coughlan but unfortunately i have to suffer them although hopefully not for much longer God willing! Be interesting to see just where the tipping point is for the Irish public,surely we cant put up with much more of this rubbish???

Incompetence, brass-neck, corruption, self-seeking, and pure gombeen policies are what FF are all about, and our so-called opposition does not seem to have escaped this. The entire political system needs to be changed.

Firstly, only qualified people should hold cabinet positions. This business of giving people loyal to the party and loyal to the leader a cabinet position should be stopped immediately. Whenever there is a mention of a cabinet reshuffle, the media only talk about who has been the most loyal to the leader, they never mention the candidates qualifications and experience for doing that particular job, never mention their competence, or loyalty to the country or loyalty to the people that elected them. Only qualified economists and experience of international markets should be considered for the position of finance minister, only qualified people with experience of the health sector should be given the health cabinet position etc. This policy of giving important cabinet positions, such as Finance, and Trade & Enterprise, to people who don't have a clue what they are doing is what has this country in a mess. Would any of us on these boards be given a financial position within a major international corporation if we did not have a clue about economics or the way markets work? Of course not, but politicians do not live in the real world and get a job that clearly they are incapable of fulfilling properly.

Secondly, that expensive and pointless talking shop, Seanad Éireann, should be abolished, and the amount of TD's should be reduced from 166 to 80. Currently, we have one TD for every 24,000 people, whereas, the U.K. has one MP for every 100,000 people, and I think the conservatives have stated that the number of MP’s could be cut if they are elected.

Thirdly, we have to look at ourselves and stop voting purely on local issues, and voting for TD’s that pull a few strokes, i.e corrupt politicians. I would love to believe that the current shower of corrupt chancers are going to be booted out, but at least 20 percent of people would still vote for them, 20 percent too much for my liking.

Mary Coughlan, again...

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