Enda Kenny using deal with Europe for political stunt

touts · 29-03-2012 07:33AM #1

I'm utterly shocked listening to Newstalk breakfast. It seems from the interview with Enda Kenny that he does have a deal with on the Promisary notes but he is holding off announcing it until his speech on Saturday night at the Ard Fheis.

Even Bertie at his egotistical worst would not pull a stunt like this. It means market uncertainity and turmoil will have continued for a few days or even weeks just to maximise the benefit to Fine Gael. Enda probably thinks he will announce this and then be carried shoulder high from the podium on Saturday to the cheers of the adoring party faithful. At the very least he hopes it will dominate the Sunday headlines and not the passing of the home tax deadline with the vast majority not having paid.

This sort of a critical announcement should be made the moment it is agreed so that it can be factored into the markets. This must be the pinnacle of gombeen politics.

sarumite · 29-03-2012 07:39AM

I would imagine there would be more people involved in the deal than Enda. I doubt he would be able to keep it a secret if a deal already exists.

touts · 29-03-2012 07:45AM

sarumite wrote: »

I would imagine there would be more people involved in the deal than Enda. I doubt he would be able to keep it a secret if a deal already exists.

Listen to the interview. He was fairly clear that he has a major announcement to make on Saturday night.

Drumpot · 29-03-2012 07:48AM

I am constantly surprised at how So many people are shocked at when this government are up to the same kind of tricks our previous crowd engaged in.

In terms of how they treat the people , how they put their own interests first, the political culture, lack of accountability and transparency , this government has offered little change from the previous one.

Of course when an electorate allows them to hide behind "any decision we make is ff's fault" a government is bound to get complacent as quickly as this one has.

meglome · 29-03-2012 08:05AM

Drumpot wrote: »

I am constantly surprised at how So many people are shocked at when this government are up to the same kind of tricks our previous crowd engaged in.

I am constantly surprised at how so many people are shocked when this government use an announcement of some good news to generate the best PR it can.

Drumpot · 29-03-2012 08:21AM

meglome wrote: »

I am constantly surprised as how so many people are shocked when this government use an announcement of some good news to generate the best PR it can.

Suppose people still expect their elected officials own vested interests to be overriden by the best interests of the people.

Amadáns!

Scofflaw · 29-03-2012 08:40AM

Drumpot wrote: »

Suppose people still expect their elected officials own vested interests to be overriden by the best interests of the people.

Amadáns!

The question of when an announcement happens is rarely of such clear-cut national interest - I suspect the very few people who find it offensive are those of us with a greater than average interest in politics.

Or, to put it very unkindly, one can paraphrase the issue as "political anoraks indignant at not being told what's happening right now". Plus of course those who see it as an opportunity to claim that delaying announcement of a deal on the incredible mess their predecessors got us into is actually, really, honestly, significantly worse than getting us into the mess in the first place.

cordially,
Scofflaw

raymon · 29-03-2012 08:53AM

I am no fan of Enda , but fair play to him for grafting abroad on our behalf.

I can't believe that there is an attempt by the OP and others to turn this good news into some kind of scandal.

later12 · 29-03-2012 09:06AM

touts wrote: »

It means market uncertainity and turmoil will have continued for a few days

Turmoil is an exaggeration. And whatever scepticism exists in relation to the sustainability of Irish public debt will still be there when Enda Kenny pulls off his nightcap on Sunday morning.

Having said that, it's not particularly clear how much of a celebratory tone is appropriate on the new deal until the details emerge - so any obsequious standing ovation on Saturday evening is probably going to be more a response to a prompt than any genuine level of appreciation of what's happening.

touts · 29-03-2012 09:24AM

raymon wrote: »

I can't believe that there is an attempt by the OP and others to turn this good news into some kind of scandal.

I can't believe the attempt by some posters to turn a blind eye to what is clearly a political stunt in delaying the announcement of a major economic deal in order to give the party faithful a reason to celebrate. This is good news but the cynical manipulation of it for party benefit is outrageous. At the very least Labour will be furious that this Government success will be hijacked by one party. Puts the TDs holding stars in the shade.

Hopefully Gilmore will step in and tell Enda to put nation before party or face an election.

raymon · 29-03-2012 09:38AM

touts wrote: »

I can't believe the attempt by some posters to turn a blind eye to what is clearly a political stunt in delaying the announcement of a major economic deal in order to give the party faithful a reason to celebrate. This is good news but the cynical manipulation of it for party benefit is outrageous. At the very least Labour will be furious that this Government success will be hijacked by one party. Puts the TDs holding stars in the shade.

Hopefully Gilmore will step in and tell Enda to put nation before party or face an election.

This is something new , future begrudgery.

Begrudging events that haven't happened yet.

Unbelievable

Sierra Oscar · 29-03-2012 09:42AM

It seems FG just cannot pass up on an opportunity to annoy Labour - if this is announced at the FG conference then just wait for senior Labour ministers come out and criticise FG on Sunday.

If this undermines the relationship between the coalition government, which it will I assure you, then Enda will really have shown a lack of political judgement.

touts · 29-03-2012 09:49AM

raymon wrote: »

This is something new , future begrudgery.

Begrudging events that haven't happened yet.

Unbelievable

Listen to the Newstalk interview. It is pretty clear from it that the deal is done but Enda won't announce it until he makes his speech at the Ard Fheis.

Drumpot · 29-03-2012 09:50AM

Scofflaw wrote: »

The question of when an announcement happens is rarely of such clear-cut national interest - I suspect the very few people who find it offensive are those of us with a greater than average interest in politics.

Or, to put it very unkindly, one can paraphrase the issue as "political anoraks indignant at not being told what's happening right now". Plus of course those who see it as an opportunity to claim that delaying announcement of a deal on the incredible mess their predecessors got us into is actually, really, honestly, significantly worse than getting us into the mess in the first place.

cordially,
Scofflaw

Agreed 100% . .

Wasnt sure if my sarcasm came across in my post!!!

Drumpot · 29-03-2012 09:54AM

raymon wrote: »

I am no fan of Enda , but fair play to him for grafting abroad on our behalf.

I can't believe that there is an attempt by the OP and others to turn this good news into some kind of scandal.

Its not so much a scandal as it is highlighting the tactics that politicians and parties will use to further their own interests . .

And yes, using the FG Ard Fheis to announce news that is in the national interest in this manner is based on corrupted principles/morals of political party mantra that dictates that the partys use of information for their own good overrides the importance of when or how the disclosure of information is made to the people they claim to serve.

Just because its good news, doesnt change the disgusting actions of parties/politicians in furthering themselves. By only celebrating the good news that our previous FF government gave us and ignoring their cynical political tactics (- eg buying public service/pensioners, expenses etc) we got badly burned and were in effect an absentee landlord as an electorate, allowing our politicians to do whatever they pleased, however they pleased. I think its healthy for people to ask more questions of their government and I dont really care which party they come from if their question is legitimate and in the national interest.

the groutch · 29-03-2012 10:02AM

This shows Enda and his party up as who they really are, another bunch of Me Feiners, and I can't imagine Gilmore taking this lying down.

RATM · 29-03-2012 11:20AM

I think the real story of the FG Ard Fheis is that there is going to be more people outside the venue protesting the household charge than there is going to be inside it.

RATM · 29-03-2012 11:27AM

raymon wrote: »

I am no fan of Enda , but fair play to him for grafting abroad on our behalf.

I can't believe that there is an attempt by the OP and others to turn this good news into some kind of scandal.

They are converting the promissory notes into a long term government bond at an extortionate interest rate. In other words rather than paying now they are kicking the can down the road. That means interest racks up and we end up paying a lot lot more than we could have had we paid now. Economists have already done the figures and Ireland ends up worse out of this, not better.

Greece has now negotiated a 75% write down on its debt. Ireland negotiates paying an even bigger debt and delaying the payment for decades and you call this good news ?

FG have failed the Irish people yet again and will be going around triumphalist this weekend. There is nothing to celebrate here.

Wake up man.

Scofflaw · 29-03-2012 02:54PM

touts wrote: »

I can't believe the attempt by some posters to turn a blind eye to what is clearly a political stunt in delaying the announcement of a major economic deal in order to give the party faithful a reason to celebrate. This is good news but the cynical manipulation of it for party benefit is outrageous. At the very least Labour will be furious that this Government success will be hijacked by one party. Puts the TDs holding stars in the shade.

Hopefully Gilmore will step in and tell Enda to put nation before party or face an election.

Sorry - you genuinely honestly believe the coalition should split up and the government fall on the question of the timing of an announcement?

highly entertained,
Scofflaw

Lou.m · 29-03-2012 02:54PM

Noonan to make a statement regarding promissory notes todayin parliment..at 4pm ..

http://www.politics.ie/news/noonan-make-statement-dail-4-06pm-today-promissory-note-221.html

Scofflaw · 29-03-2012 03:00PM

RATM wrote: »

They are converting the promissory notes into a long term government bond at an extortionate interest rate.

It's interesting that you know the interest rate, because nobody else seems to.

RATM wrote: »

In other words rather than paying now they are kicking the can down the road. That means interest racks up and we end up paying a lot lot more than we could have had we paid now. Economists have already done the figures and Ireland ends up worse out of this, not better.

While that's likely in nominal terms, the point of the delay is that it's harder for us to afford the cash now than at some point in the future. Paying €3bn on a GDP of €100bn is more effort than paying €4bn on a GDP of €150bn.

RATM wrote: »

Greece has now negotiated a 75% write down on its debt. Ireland negotiates paying an even bigger debt and delaying the payment for decades and you call this good news ?

FG have failed the Irish people yet again and will be going around triumphalist this weekend. There is nothing to celebrate here.

Wake up man.

I wouldn't call getting a write down the way Greece has good news, although it may seem that way in the simplest possible terms.

cordially,
Scofflaw

DoesNotCompute · 29-03-2012 03:12PM

RATM wrote: »

They are converting the promissory notes into a long term government bond at an extortionate interest rate. In other words rather than paying now they are kicking the can down the road. That means interest racks up and we end up paying a lot lot more than we could have had we paid now. Economists have already done the figures and Ireland ends up worse out of this, not better.

Won't inflation match or beat the interest rate that will be charged on the promissory notes?

Also, can you provide a link to where an economist has said that Ireland will end up worse?

touts · 29-03-2012 03:32PM

Sounds like Gilmore hit the roof when he heard this mornings interview and Noonan had to slink into the Dail and make the announcement in a non-partisan fashion.

Alan_P · 29-03-2012 03:51PM

touts wrote: »

Sounds like Gilmore hit the roof when he heard this mornings interview and Noonan had to slink into the Dail and make the announcement in a non-partisan fashion.

Or just possibly you misunderstood the interview with the Taoiseach, and there was never any intention to make the announcement on Saturday.

Which would certainly be consistent with Michael Noonan's oft-stated position that if he had any news on the promissory notes, he'd announce it first to the Dáil, a position we might reasonably assume the Taoiseach to be familiar with.

Sully · 29-03-2012 04:05PM

Thread = Fail. OP = Fail.

If people honestly expected a governmental succession was going to be announced at a party Ard Fheis than they were mistaken. It would be a silly idea even if they were the only party in government. There would be uproar.

This was going to be made in the Dail. Nowhere else.

OP; Just to prove it; http://www.thejournal.ie/noonan-expected-to-announce-deal-on-promissory-notes-400477-Mar2012/

Scofflaw · 29-03-2012 04:07PM

touts wrote: »

Sounds like Gilmore hit the roof when he heard this mornings interview and Noonan had to slink into the Dail and make the announcement in a non-partisan fashion.

To be honest, it seems that this thread is based on your personal conviction and outrage that something was going to happen, which didn't in fact happen, but which you're now claiming would have happened.

This is basically meaningless.

moderately,
Scofflaw

Enda Kenny using deal with Europe for political stunt

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